"Stop, that’s enough!" Yusuf Zuck called for a halt, and Mia emerged from the living room. Seeing Mia come out, the older woman who still seemed ready to continue fighting and the young woman covered in mud immediately went over to Mia, bowed slightly, but neither said anything.
"You two are pretty good, to have sparred so many rounds with Yusuf. That previous one, Yusuf KOed in just one move. Um, let me introduce you. This is Yusuf Zuck, my friend!" Mia acted maturely this time, offering encouragement instead of acting petulant. Although she had joked on the phone about firing someone if they couldn’t beat Yusuf, she would never actually hire a bodyguard and then dismiss them just because they couldn’t beat Yusuf.
"Yusuf, this is Ross’s mother, and this is Sara." Mia went on with the introduction.
"Thank you, Mr. Zuck, for showing mercy," Ross’s mother and Sara bowed to Yusuf, a sign of respect for the strong.
Sara, despite being covered in mud, did not blame Yusuf because she had no reason to. Although she was a woman, she was also a bodyguard, and roughing it was part of the job. She couldn’t harbor resentment just because she lost to someone better—she had her professional integrity.
"Sorry for going a little hard just now. It’s just that you two are the toughest opponents I’ve encountered, so I had to give it my all," Yusuf knew how to interact with people and what to say. His words immediately dispelled any awkwardness from their loss, as if placing a high hat on them; he was praising them.
"Alright, let’s go inside and talk. Haven’t you been away for a few days already, Yusuf? I noticed that the tea machine is all dusty," Mia complained, turning around and walking back inside.
"I went back home, just got back," Yusuf followed behind her and said.
"Oh? You went home, huh? What’s fun there? Tell me about it, I don’t know where to go these days." Back in the living room, Mia curled up on the sofa, while Ross’s mother and Sara each took a seat in the hall.
Yusuf sat across from Mia and smiled, "In my hometown, there’s Jingyang Ridge, big tigers, and also Wu Song and Kailani Ruiz!"
"Wow, your home is from the Outlaws of the Marsh!" Mia exaggerated her reaction.
"Stop talking nonsense. How is Ms. Wilcox doing now? Any news from her?"
"Oh, not much really. She just missed someone, then gave me this phone number, asking me to pass it on so she could have a chat with that someone..." Mia said with a mischievous smile.
"What?" Yusuf immediately stood up upon hearing Mia’s words.
"What’s the number?" Yusuf took deep breaths and asked.
"Benefits!" Mia stretched out her hand. "You need to bribe me first. Only then will I give you the phone number!"
"What kind of benefits do you want?" Yusuf said with a mix of laughter and despair. "What could you possibly want from me, when you know I’m penniless?"
"Hehe, it’s not really a big benefit. Promise me one thing, and I’ll give you her number," Mia chuckled.
"Anything that doesn’t involve killing, breaking the law, stealing, or robbing is fine, even going to bed with you isn’t a problem!"
"Pfft—" Mia almost choked on her own spit at Yusuf’s words. This Yusuf—without considering that there were others around—just dared to say anything.
"Don’t talk nonsense." Mia blushed and glared at Yusuf, then turned to Ross’s mother and Sara, "Ross’s mother, Sara, why don’t you go upstairs and rest? I need to talk with Yusuf for a while!"
"Yes." Ross’s mother said with a contained smile, and Sara—who had wanted to take a shower much earlier—agreed. How could she shower if her employer hadn’t retired upstairs yet?
Of course, she also cast a curious glance at Yusuf and Mia, listening to their interactions, which hinted that the relationship between Mia and Yusuf was truly out of the ordinary.
After watching the two go upstairs, Mia turned to Yusuf with a reproachful look. "Be mindful of how you speak in the future."
"Okay, okay, just slipped my mind," Yusuf nodded repeatedly, his face full of agreement. Between him and Mia, all jokes were permissible, but with others around, some jokes might be too much. Others might not say anything, but who knows what they might think?
"I have a cocktail party to attend tomorrow night. You’ll be my male companion and accompany me. That small request shouldn’t be too much, right?"
"No problem, it’s not an issue. Hurry up and tell me Ms. Wilcox’s number," Yusuf replied eagerly.
"Well, dial this number..." Mia picked up her phone, read out Ruth Wilcox’s number—a series of eleven digits that didn’t belong to any known series.
As Mia was reading it out loud, Yusuf was already using his Samsung smartphone to dial Ruth Wilcox’s number. By the time Mia finished, the call had already gone through.
Once the phone rang, Yusuf Zuck got up and walked outside.
Mia pouted and said, "Still afraid to listen, huh!"
On the first ring, no one answered the call.
On the third ring, still no answer.
It was not until the seventh ring that the call was answered, and with it came a voice that made Yusuf both anxious and bewildered, "Yusuf, is it you?" The voice was clear and faint, but it also carried a hint of nervousness, and Yusuf even heard a slight breathlessness.
"It’s me." Yusuf grinned and said.
"I was in the garden, and I ran inside when I heard the phone, leaving Grandpa alone in the garden," Ruth Wilcox also laughed.
"How’s your grandpa’s health?" Yusuf asked.
"Not bad, the Hart family’s Silver Needle Techniques are indeed legendary, Grandpa has been quite robust recently, in good spirits." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ noⅴelfire.net
"And you? Are you alright?" Yusuf asked softly.
"I’m also okay, it’s just... it’s just..." Ruth hesitated, "I just want to go back." She whispered.
"Before Spring Festival, I’m going to visit the United States." Yusuf took a deep breath and said.
"Can you really come?" Ruth asked.
"Mhm, then come, this number won’t change, call me when you do!" She nodded repeatedly, her joy unmistakable.
"Alright..." After Yusuf finished speaking, they fell silent on the phone, just listening to each other’s breathing for quite a while.
After nearly more than a minute, it was Ruth who broke the silence, "You’re doing fine, right? And your family, how’s Sara doing?"
"All good, I just miss you!"
"I... I feel the same... but I... I can’t go back, Grandpa won’t let me leave, and although I’m not working, I’m still officially at head office, and if I go back, some people might get nervous, you understand, don’t you?"
"Ruth, who’s calling you!" Just then, Yusuf heard a voice on the other end of the line, a baritone, full of vitality.
"It’s a friend from the Mainland, Grandpa, don’t move around, I’ll be right there..."
"Yusuf, I can’t talk anymore, Grandpa’s here, remember what you just said, remember what you’ve told me before, don’t forget, I’ve got to hang up, I... miss you."
"Beep beep beep~" The call was ended by Ruth, while Yusuf stood alone in the yard, lost in thought.
The vast distance had not stopped the yearning of either of them, on the contrary, it had fostered a beautiful wish in both to reunite.
Yusuf looked up at the sky, but his thoughts had already soared over the ocean to the other side.
"Mia, can Ruth’s mobile phone send and receive text messages in Chinese?" After a moment, Yusuf didn’t turn around but asked softly.
"Darn, how did you notice, I didn’t make a sound!" Mia, like a thief caught in the act, jumped up behind Yusuf and exclaimed.