Chapter 100 - 108: Not Allowing Anyone to See

The coastal breeze blew in, making the air feel damp and carrying with it an unmistakable and unavoidable stench of the sea.

"Before I came to the southland, I envied anyone who talked about going to the south to see the sea, especially after that poem, ’facing the sea, with spring blossoms,’ just thinking about those days makes it seem as beautiful as poetry," said Peter Gingery as he ran his fingers through his hair. "But in reality, it’s a sea you just can’t help but curse at."

After muttering to himself, Peter Gingery glanced at James Black, who was smoking by the window. He didn’t expect James to join the conversation, so he simply lit a cigarette himself and leaned against the windowsill, taking puffs and idly scrolling through Twitter on his mobile phone.

"I have no idea what Jane’s been busy with lately. She hasn’t posted on Twitter for a long time, and it’s been several days since she last updated her Moments. Her work must be insanely busy, right?" In his boredom, Peter used to enjoy scrolling through Jane Sampson’s Twitter and Moments.

Jane Sampson had a knack for making things look effortlessly charming, like a single flower or a worn flower pot, which in her hands would become unexpectedly lively, and with her photography skills combined with a touch of filter, those photos she posted made even a big man like Peter appreciate their beauty.

When Peter was truly bored, he would scroll back through Jane Sampson’s Twitter and Moments to half a year ago. He calculated that she hadn’t been active on Twitter and Moments for half a month now, and Peter found it unusual.

"Brother, it’s the weekend again tomorrow. We’ve been out for a whole week now, time really flies." Peter turned his head to call out to James, let out a sigh, and said, "I thought this mission would be done in just a few days, but here we are, dragging on."

When Peter was in the guard team, he felt that the daily training was so intense they were practically being turned into dogs. Now, he thought he’d rather return to the team base and undergo that training than stay here in a city pervaded by the smell of the sea.

After Peter had spoken his mind, James, who had been still as a sculpture, finally moved to flick the cigarette ash onto the ground outside the window and hummed a non-committal acknowledgment.

In the coastline cities of the southland, the most unbearable time was the returned spring, when the walls were almost always damp. James’s gaze lingered on a corner of the wall for a few seconds before he suddenly took his mobile phone out of his pocket.

As soon as he unlocked the mobile phone screen, he was met with Jane Sampson’s photo of her making a funny face. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that these past days, whenever James was bored, he would take it out just to look at it. It might not serve other purposes, but it did effectively disperse some of the gloom in his heartland.

Noticing that James had taken out his phone, Peter leaned in out of boredom, just about to ask whom James was going to call when James walked away with the phone in hand.

"Not even letting someone take a look?" Peter scratched his head, puzzled, as he stood by the window watching James walk out of the house and head outside.

After walking some distance, James dialed Jane Sampson’s number. Peter’s remark had reminded him, it was the weekend and he wouldn’t be able to return home, so it seemed he should call Jane to let her know, otherwise, she might wait at home in vain.

Meanwhile, Jane Sampson, the very person James was worried would be waiting anxiously for his return, had just finished class and stepped out of her teacher’s home. She juggled her car keys in one hand and rummaged leisurely for her mobile phone in her purse with the other. After finally pulling the phone from the corner of her purse and lowering her gaze to see the caller, Jane stood frozen on the spot.