The glass was tapped twice.
The woman turned around, revealing a kindly face. Though wrinkles lined her features, traces of her former beauty remained.
When she saw the young man holding the blind girl's hand, she smiled and beckoned, mouthing:
"Come on in, children."
Chapter 30: No. 7 Denton Street
Chen Lun and Froy pushed the door open and entered.
After exchanging polite greetings, he told the florist that he wanted to rent a place, and she welcomed them warmly.
Through their pleasant conversation, Chen Lun learned her name: Caroline.
Mrs. Caroline owned the entire building and usually ran the flower shop downstairs. Since the building stood on a street corner, it had two adjoining storefronts, both already rented out-a café and a bookshop.
The building wasn't tall, with only four floors.
Apart from the shops on the ground floor, each floor accommodated two households. Only one apartment on the top floor remained vacant.
"Here, have some flower tea, children."
Mrs. Caroline warmly poured Chen Lun and Froy a cup of hot tea each.
Chen Lun thanked her.
After taking the tea, he set one cup in front of Froy, thoughtfully warning her that it was hot.
Mrs. Caroline nodded to herself at the sight. She was very pleased with these two siblings.
The older brother was gentle and upright, and his younger sister was refined and quiet.
Both were well-mannered in speech and conduct, unlike children from ordinary families.
Another important point was that they were both very good-looking, which would brighten her mood every day.
It was just a pity that the girl named Froy was blind. The poor thing.
Fortunately, her older brother had stood by her, bringing her all the way to Amber City to seek help from relatives, all so he could have her eye condition treated.
The sentimental Mrs. Caroline felt her heart melt, and she sighed inwardly several times.
"Young Jack, if you'd like to rent that vacant apartment on the fourth floor, it'll only cost five Silver Crowns a week...
"Oh, of course, if you don't have enough money at the moment, you can pay me later."
Though this was only the outer city, the building stood on a major thoroughfare and was close to the bustling commercial district. The market rent would have been at least several times that amount.
Mrs. Caroline had deliberately lowered the rent.
Even the other tenants hadn't moved in at the normal market rate.
Although Mrs. Caroline wasn't short of money, she did have certain requirements for her tenants.
First, they had to be clean, have no bad habits, hold a respectable job, and, most importantly, have a kind heart.
"Thank you, Mrs. Caroline... Here's twenty Silver Crowns. We'll stay for a month to begin with."
Chen Lun handed over a small pouch filled with silver coins.
Then he added:
"Since we're here to seek help from relatives, we're not sure how long we'll stay. We'll just rent it for a while for now."
"Oh, young Jack, there's no need for that."
Mrs. Caroline pushed the money pouch back and lowered her voice.
"You and your sister have only just arrived in the big city. There'll be plenty of things you'll need money for. There's no hurry to pay me the rent..."
Then she took their hands and led them outside. Helpless, Chen Lun could only put the pouch away.
"Come, I'll take you upstairs for a look...
"Your neighbors are all friendly people. I'm sure you'll become friends."
"Sorry for the trouble, but will the flower shop be all right with no one looking after it?"
Chen Lun asked as he and Froy were led out of the shop.
Mrs. Caroline smiled and waved a hand.
"It'll be fine. The shop doesn't get much business. I only tend to it because I have nothing else to do."
With that, she stepped into the stairwell at the side.
Just after Chen Lun and Froy disappeared into the stairwell behind Mrs. Caroline, two young men emerged from an alley across the street.
Both wore short brown leather jackets and tight striped trousers. One was smoking a cheap cigarette as he said with a grin:
"Didn't expect staking out that brat to turn up a bonus..."
He gave the other man a meaningful look.
"Go back and report to the boss. Get him to send more men. I'll keep watching here so those two little lambs don't wander off..."
"All right. Keep a close eye on them. That boy and girl will definitely fetch a high price!"
The other young man licked his lips and left first.
"Especially that girl. Damn... She's prettier than the councilman's daughter. Compared to her, the maids at the Bird-and-Flower Tavern are a pile of shit!"
Mrs. Caroline led Chen Lun and Froy upstairs.
The wooden floor looked quite old and creaked softly beneath their feet.
"Sorry. This building was passed down from my husband's grandfather, so it's getting on in years."
Mrs. Caroline explained as they walked.
Upon reaching the third floor, she pointed at the door along the hallway to the left.
"Connie and her father live here.
"Connie is a hardworking girl. She attends the nearby Technical College during the day and goes out to work at night to care for her sick father, Mr. Hood."
After that, Mrs. Caroline pointed to the right.
"The Moriarty Siblings live here. They're all good children.
"The eldest brother leaves early every morning to work at a foreign trade company in the city center, supporting his younger brother and sister...
"Oh, right. I hear the younger sister, Melissa, is also Connie's classmate."
After hearing the introductions, Chen Lun felt a vague sense of familiarity. He seemed to have heard of those three siblings somewhere before.
Without dwelling on it, he and Froy followed Mrs. Caroline to the fourth floor, where they would be living.
Mrs. Caroline led them into the apartment on the left.
The apartment wasn't large, with a standard layout of three bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a balcony. It was fully furnished, and though the furniture was a little old, everything was clean. Chen Lun was very satisfied.
"Thank you for all your help, Mrs. Caroline. Froy and I really like it here."
"Oh, do you? That's wonderful..."
Mrs. Caroline was delighted as well, and went on to remind him:
"By the way, young Jack, you'll probably still need to buy household essentials and such. Be careful with your money...
"If you don't mind, you can bring your sister down to the second floor for breakfast and dinner with me."
"Thank you, Mrs. Caroline."
Chen Lun had been worrying about this. There was too much he needed to do next and too little time, leaving him unable to give Froy much attention. Having her eat at Mrs. Caroline's would save him a great deal of trouble.
"I'll pay you extra, Mrs. Caroline."
Mrs. Caroline was about to refuse, but then she saw the young man's earnest face, so mature and handsome.
"It's only proper courtesy for a gentleman. Please don't refuse."
"Then... all right."
Faced with such a kind, handsome young man, Mrs. Caroline truly couldn't refuse. Her opinion of the siblings rose once again.
"One more Silver Crown a week, then. It's settled!"
She covered her mouth and chuckled before turning to leave.
"Oh, one more thing. Your neighbor is a young man who lives alone. He may seem a little cold, but he's actually a decent person."
Mrs. Caroline paused at the doorway, then said goodbye and left.
After the door closed, Chen Lun looked around.
He first put down his backpack, then poured a cup of water for himself and Froy before sinking comfortably into the sofa.
"It's been ages since I could relax like this..."
"What are we going to do next?"
Froy sat down across from Chen Lun, her ethereal voice reaching his ears.
"I'll go out to buy a few things later. Stay home and don't go out, uh..."
At that point, Chen Lun seemed to realize that this wasn't fair to Froy. Wasn't it just another form of confinement?
So he continued:
"If you get bored, you can take a walk nearby, but don't go too far... Your situation is complicated right now, after all."
Froy nodded gently.
"Mm, I know. I'll wait at home for you to come back, then."
As she spoke, she paused ever so slightly on the word "home."
Chapter 31: Amber? Gotham!
Evening fell.
Before you continue