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墨書 Inktalez
In the past few days, several new neighbors have come to visit one after another. The strange atmosphere has made Lin Xinhui even more convinced that this seemingly peaceful apartment building is indeed a bit peculiar.
As soon as the door closed, Lin Xinhui quickly took out their phone, intending to search for more information about the building and to inquire about the strange old man on the third floor.
However, at this moment, Xiao Mei walked over with a ball in her hand.
"Mom, can I play with this ball?" Xiao Mei's voice carried a hint of anticipation, her eyes shining as if she had discovered some new treasure.
Lin Xinhui caught sight of the old leather ball and furrowed her brows. She turned to look at her daughter, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion and unease. "Xiao Mei, where did you find this ball?"
"I found it in the closet in my room," Xiao Mei replied with a smile, holding the ball tightly in her hands.
"But this ball is a bit dirty, what about your original one?" Lin Xinhui's tone was filled with worry, and a hint of displeasure showed on her face.
"The original one suddenly deflated, I will wash this one clean." Xiao Mei made a pitiful expression, with a hint of pleading in her eyes.
Faced with her daughter's pleading, Lin Xinhui softened and hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, "Xiao Mei, okay."
She thought to herself, "It's just a ball, I can always buy a new one later."
Xiao Mei happily took the ball as if she had received the most precious treasure in the world.
"Mom, can I play with it now?" Xiao Mei suddenly asked.
"Of course, but you can't leave mommy's sight, you can only play in the hallway," Lin Xinhui responded, secretly feeling happy to have found a new playmate for her daughter, and taking the opportunity to slightly ease the atmosphere.
Xiao Mei jumped out of the house, leaving the door open, and started playing with a ball in the apartment hallway.
The lighting here is dim, and the paint on the walls is peeling, as if witnessing the passage of many years.
But for Xiao Mei, none of this matters, because she has already seen those two "playmates" at the end of the corridor's shadow.
When evening came, Lin Xinhui saw her husband Chen Hanlin reading the newspaper in the living room, while their daughter Xiao Mei was busy playing with some toys in the corner.
"What's wrong? You look a little unhappy," Chen Hanlin put down the newspaper and asked.
"It's nothing, maybe just tired," Lin Xinhui responded casually, with a forced smile on her face.
Xiao Mei suddenly ran over, full of excitement: "Mom, I was just playing 'Guess Who I Am'!"
"Oh, really? So, who did you guess?" Lin Xinhui pretended to be very interested.
"Well, I guessed it was a little rabbit and a little puppy!" Xiao Mei said happily.
Before she could finish speaking, the phone in the community suddenly rang, showing the caller ID as " Liu Minhung " - the security guard of their apartment.
"Hello, security Liu, is there something you need?" Lin Xinhui answered the phone.
"Miss Xinhui, someone just asked about your home address, and it seemed suspicious. I didn't tell him. You might want to be careful," security Liu said.
Lin Xinhui suddenly felt a wave of nervousness, thanked Liu Minhung, and hung up the phone.
"What's wrong? Is something happening?" Chen Hanlin felt something unusual and put down the newspaper to ask.
"It's okay, maybe they mistook me for someone else," Lin Xinhui said unwillingly, but she decided to further investigate the matter.
The next day, Lin Xinhui felt uneasy about a stranger asking for their home address the night before.
During breakfast with her husband Chen Hanlin, Lin Xinhui quietly said, "Hanlin, are you free today? I want to go next door this afternoon to talk to the landlady about the previous tenant's situation."
Chen Hanlin holding chopsticks, smiled slightly: "I have to go to the construction site today and can't accompany you. But it's good for you to ask and understand. I'll finish buying dinner later, and I'll tell the teacher that I'll pick up Xiao Mei from kindergarten and then come to pick you up."
Lin Xinhui nodded, watching her daughter Xiao Mei busily chewing on a steamed bun, feeling a little relieved in her heart.
After finishing breakfast, the family all started to move. Lin Xinhui also got Xiao Mei ready and waited for the kindergarten bus to pick her up.
After finishing up the laundry and other household chores, she stepped out of the apartment around four in the afternoon.
In the moment she stepped out, a sudden gust of cool wind made Lin Xinhui shiver slightly, causing her to quicken her pace.
After about a fifteen-minute walk, Lin Xinhui arrived at the landlord Fang Sujing's building.
The building was more modern than the apartment where she lived, but it also exuded a sense of indifference. After pressing the doorbell, Mrs. Fang's voice came through the intercom: "Who is it?"
"Landlady, I'm the new tenant on the fifth floor, Lin Xinhui. I'd like to talk to you about something."
"Oh, come in." A electronic doorbell sounded from the intercom, and the main door opened automatically. Lin Xinhui entered the building and took the elevator to the landlady's residence.
landlady warmly welcomed Lin Xinhui, her appearance was well maintained, showing no signs of aging. However, from her casual and composed demeanor, one could sense a seasoned air about her.
"Please have a seat, Mrs. Lin. What can I do for you?" landlady gestured towards the sofa in the living room, while she herself sat across from it.
"Thank you, landlady. Actually, I wanted to ask if anything happened on the floor we are living on before we moved in."
Mrs. Fang smiled faintly and said meaningfully, "Oh, when you first came to see the apartment, didn't you think everything was fine? Besides, the rent here is only 18,000, which is very cheap compared to other places."
Lin Xinhui feels a bit awkward, because indeed, this price is quite attractive in this area.
But she still has a question in her mind, so she smiles slightly and wants to change the subject: "Well, you're right. However, today the security guard Liu Minhung told me that someone inquired about the address of my house, which seems a bit suspicious. Have you heard about it?"
landlady listened and her expression suddenly became serious: "Oh? I see, I will have a detailed discussion with Liu Minhung. Please rest assured, we take the security here very seriously."
"Thank you. In that case, I will take my leave." Lin Xinhui stood up, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders.
"Don't be polite. If you have any other questions, you can always find me." Mrs. Fang stood up to see the guest off, but her expression in that moment made Lin Xinhui feel like things might not be so simple.
Walking out of the building, Lin Xinhui felt slightly nervous. She looked around to make sure there were no suspicious characters, then quickly walked towards the family car parked on the side of the road.
The car window was half open, revealing the concerned face of Chen Hanlin, with his daughter Xiao Mei's happy smile behind him. He was also holding a bucket of fried chicken and a big meal that he had bought, intending it to be the family's dinner tonight.
"Is everything okay?" Chen Hanlin noticed her tense expression.
"Uh, I told landlady that security Liu reminded us yesterday that there was a suspicious person asking for our address. landlady said she will pay closer attention and handle it. " Lin Xinhui said briefly, the alert in her heart did not decrease.
Chen Hanlin instantly became serious, "We can't take this lightly. Let's talk about it more when we get home."
Three people drove home, and what caught their eyes was Mr. Sun hanging clothes on the second-floor balcony. The two exchanged a cold smile with each other.
Once inside, Chen Hanlin put down his handbag, and his daughter Xiao Mei ran into her own room, sitting on the floor, happily playing with a ball.
"Mom, look, the ball is bouncing so high!" Xiao Mei's eyes were filled with innocence.
Lin Xinhui forced a smile and said, "Yes, it's bouncing really high. I've bought dinner, let's go wash our hands first."
Later, a family of three enjoyed a meal at the table, including a bucket of fried chicken and drinks bought by Chen Hanlin, as well as other items such as chicken wings, fries, chicken nuggets, and chicken rice. The atmosphere at the dinner table seemed joyful, but Lin Xinhui's mind was preoccupied with the security guard's words and the suspicious stranger.
After dinner, Chen Hanlin spoke up: "I plan to install a surveillance camera at the entrance for safety, especially in this kind of old apartment."
"I think so too," Lin Xinhui said with concern, catching a glimpse of Xiao Mei playing with the old leather ball, feeling a heavy sense of unease.
Late into the night, Xiao Mei had already entered dreamland. Lin Xinhui and Chen Hanlin lay in bed, both silent. Finally, Chen Hanlin spoke up: "Tomorrow, I will go and investigate if there's anything unusual about this building."
"Okay, I will ask other residents about the situation here when I have the chance." Lin Xinhui replied.
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