She had sent the message while in the elevator, where there was no signal, so the message failed to send, and Atra Blanc never received her text!
Later in the Japanese restaurant, the cellphone signal was poor, and even if Atra Blanc tried to call her, she couldnât get through. No wonder Alexander Summers came looking for her in personâhe must have been unable to reach her and was worried something had happened to her.
Upon realizing the cause and effect, Purple Summers looked up at Alexander Summers again, feeling not only timid but also a bit guiltyâ¦
She hesitated, but eventually spoke up, âIâm sorry, I didnât notice my phone had no signal. Is Mom really worried?â
âMhm,â Alexander Summers replied indifferently, betraying no emotion, âShe made a whole table of dishes, waiting for you.â
Purple Summers felt the inexplicable sense of trepidation in her heart grow stronger.
Alexander Summers was clearly angry, and moreover, he was angry with her.
Based on past experiences, whenever Alexander Summers got angry, things never ended well for herâ¦
Without thinking, Purple Summers reflexively covered her buttocks. She didnât want to be spankedâ¦
All the way home, Purple Summers spent her time in fear and trepidation.
After arriving home, Alexander Summers parked the car and walked toward the small western-style building by himself.
Purple Summers stood by the car, somewhat bewildered. She hesitated for a moment, then hastened to catch up.
To follow, but not to follow too closely, she trailed behind him at a distance, like a guilty child walking with a sulky air.
Alexander Summers entered the house a step ahead of her. Purple Summers heard him tell Atra Blanc, âNothing much, she was eating with friends. Just so happens the place they were eating at had poor signal.â
Anxious, Atra Blanc replied, âItâs good that nothingâs wrong. She said she would be back before lunch, but I couldnât reach her by phone. It was quite worrying.â
Purple Summers spoke gloomily, âMom, Iâm sorry⦠I should have called you in advanceâ¦â
âOh, itâs alright, you were out with friends. Itâs natural to forget when youâre having fun,â Atra Blanc said with a smile, âDonât worry, Purple.â
Purple Summers still appeared crestfallen.
Seeing this, Atra Blanc became concerned and turned to Alexander Summers, âDid you scold your sister? Did you hit her?â
Purple Summers immediately looked up, waving her hands frantically, âNo, no! Brother didnât scold me, nor did he hit meâ¦â n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She hoped he wouldnât hit her later eitherâ¦
Relieved, Atra Blanc asked Purple Summers if she was going to eat, and when Purple claimed she had already eaten outside, Atra Blanc suggested she go rest in her room.
As Purple Summers went upstairs, she stopped at the corner for no apparent reason, and listened with a tilted ear to the noises coming from the dining room below.
She heard Atra Blanc say, âDid you lecture her on the way home? Why does Purple look so listless? Alexander, she is a girl, a delicate girl, you canât just lash out at her, especially since her psychological issues have only just started to improve. We must be even more carefulâ¦â
The old Purple was introverted and aloof, prone to mood swings, and had severe psychological disorders. Otherwise, she wouldnât have ended up going to extremes.
Faced with Atra Blancâs nagging, Alexander Summers gave a non-committal âMhm,â said he had lost his appetite, and turned to go upstairs.
Atra Blanc had busily prepared a table full of dishes, and in the end, neither sibling wanted to eatâone had already eaten and the other had no appetite. She sighed heavily and set about clearing the tableware.
At the staircase corner, Purple Summers heard Alexander Summersâ footsteps heading upstairs, and her nerves tensed with fear. She quickly tiptoed back to her room, carefully closed the door, and pressed her ear against it to listen for any sound from outside.
Minutes felt like hours as she waited. Eventually, all she heard was the sound of a door opening, then the click of it closing.
Alexander Summers had returned to his room.