13 Mink Street

Under the dim streetlight, Jeff dropped a cigarette butt, nearly burned to the filter, onto the ground. Then, He glanced quickly to either side, habitually rubbing the cigarette butt back and forth with the sole of his leather shoe. "Hiss... Shit..." Jeff swung his foot hard, forgetting that the sole of his shoe had long since worn thin enough to be breathable, and now it burned the sole of his foot. The evening breeze, wrapped in a chill, blew back and forth through the street. Few pedestrians could be seen, and those in the distance hurried along, their heads bowed, wrapped in hats and scarves. Jeff turned up the collar of his coat, its sides glistening with stains, but at that moment, it gave him a sense of security, a sense of being hidden and protected. Ahead was 128 Mink Street. From 50 to 200 were townhouses. Whether they bought or rented these buildings, they were probably not wealthy, but at least considered middle class. The house before me was occupied by a family of three: the husband was a doctor, the wife was a teacher, and they had a seven-year-old son. A maid came in during the day to clean and tidy the house, but she didn't stay overnight and would return home after preparing dinner. Also, this family had a tradition of going out to the theater every Saturday night. The door opened, and the husband, dressed in a black suit, stepped out first, starting the car parked at the door. Then, the wife, dressed in a red dress, followed, leading the child out. After closing the door, they chatted and laughed as they got into her husband's car. Then, The car drove away. Jeff licked his lips and strode forward. He first jumped over the low wooden fence, which even a small dog couldn't stop, and landed in the flowerbed. Then he quickly climbed the steps, pulled a key from his pocket, and inserted it. "Click..." A crisp sound signaled the door was successfully opened. Three months ago, when Jeff, still a moving company worker, was providing moving services for this family, the woman trusting them gave them the key to their new home. Jeff took the opportunity to secretly make a duplicate. At the time, he'd hesitated over whether to steal, having practically lost everything. Now, he didn't hesitate, for not only was he penniless, he was also deeply in debt. After opening the door, Jeff slipped inside, quickly closing it behind him. "After tonight, you should understand the importance of new locks after moving." The first floor consisted of an open-plan kitchen and dining room, with a nanny's room in the northwest corner. Jeff went straight up to the second floor. Instead of turning on the lights, he used the flashlight he'd brought with him. The light was a bit unsteady. "Damn..." Jeff cursed silently again. He knew it was because the batteries were low, but that was also because he'd used the money he'd originally intended for batteries on a pack of 5-ruble Morph cigarettes. He tapped the flashlight vigorously with his elbow a few times, and the light shone brighter than before. The second floor housed the couple's master bedroom, a small study, and a bathroom. As for the third floor, because it was a loft, it was used only as the children's bedroom. Jeff pushed open the master bedroom door, and was greeted by a large bed and various antique cabinets. He knew the family's valuables were likely in the master bedroom, but before leaving, he'd still take a quick look in the study. "Hiss...hiss..." The friction of electricity and the sound of snowflakes echoed. "Welcome to 'Rojia Storytelling'. I'm your old friend... Alfred, the moonlight is beautiful tonight. Under such a beautiful moonlight, whatever you do seems to be accompanied by a sense of happiness..." Jeff was startled by the sudden voice and looked down, only to discover it was an old peanut tube radio. "Damn it! I'm already away, and they don't know how to save money on electricity!" Jeff reached out and turned off the radio. Then he began searching the dresser in the room. Generally, the woman of the house liked to keep some frequently worn jewelry and household expenses there. Of course, if he could find a jewelry box next, that would be even better. "Click..." The sound of a door opening was heard on the first floor. Jeff almost jumped in fright. Then came the sound of high heels ascending the stairs, their destination clearly headed towards the bedroom. Jeff quickly pushed the drawer back and turned off the flashlight. He was just a thief, not a robber. Stealing and robbing are two completely different things, even in a court of law. Most importantly, he simply didn't have the courage to be a robber! The sound of high heels came quickly, with a hint of urgency. Jeff didn't have time to think about anything else. He just lay down, rolled sideways, and rolled under the bed. "Squeak..." Almost instantly, the bedroom door opened. "Snap!" The light flicked on. Jeff, who was doing a pseudo-plank under the bed, saw a pair of red high-heeled shoes walk over to the dresser. After a chaotic rummaging, they seemed to find a small medicine jar. "Swish!" they poured out the medicine, followed by the sound of swallowing. Then, there were a series of relieved gasps. Jeff saw the woman's high-heeled shoes pause for a long moment in front of the dresser. Then, she stood up and began to move. "Ding-ling-ling... Ding-ling-ling..." The phone rang. The high-heeled shoes left the bed and moved to the coffee table under the windowsill, where the phone lay. The woman answered the phone: "Yes, yes." "Yeah, yeah." "I was planning to go with them, but I suddenly had a relapse and had to come back to take medicine. Let them go tonight, and I'll rest at home." "It's okay, don't worry. Thank you for your concern. I'm fine." The woman hung up the phone, turned, and walked towards the bed. "Click." She stepped on her heels to remove her shoes, and her high heels fell almost right in front of Jeff, so close that he could even smell the scent coming from them. Then the bed shook. The woman must have fallen directly onto it, and let out a long, comfortable sigh. Clearly, After a day of work, she had finally gotten a moment of peace and quiet away from her husband and children. Even if it was due to her health, it must have been quite relaxing. Under the bed, Jeff began to think about what to do. He now felt a little regretful. He should have covered his face beforehand. If he had known the woman was alone, he could have simply covered his face to intimidate her, telling her not to move, and then left. He believed the woman was alone and wouldn't dare to move. Besides, since he hadn't had time to steal anything yet, the woman... might as well avoid any further trouble and not even call the police! But, thinking about it was just thinking about it. Even if he was sure there was only one woman in the bed, Jeff didn't have the courage to crawl out from under it and threaten her. Jeff opened his mouth as wide as he could and began breathing deeply and silently to relieve his nervousness. Wait for the woman to fall asleep, wait for the woman to fall asleep. When she fell asleep, before her husband and children returned, he could slip out from under the bed quietly and safely escape without alerting anyone. The woman in bed hummed a song, and the sound of turning pages could be heard again. Damn it, why aren't you sleeping yet? Jeff had no idea how long the woman above him had been reading, because, beneath the bed, he had lost all sense of the passage of time. Finally, "Snap." Jeff heard the sound of the book being closed. The woman got out of bed, barefoot. She began walking towards the bedroom door, yawning as she walked. Is she going to take a shower? Jeff's heart skipped a beat. While she was showering, he could slip away! However, to Jeff's dismay, he heard a click, and the woman returned, followed by the sound of a radio. "Squeak..." The woman lay back down on the bed and picked up her book. Soft music began playing on the radio, and she began to sing along. Damn it, she wouldn't have to wait for her husband and children to return before going to bed! The song ended, and a man's voice came over the radio: "After a short break, welcome back to Luo Jia's Story Club. We'll continue the story we just told. Our hostess, Catherine, is lying in bed, book in hand, listening to music. She's enjoying this brief evening of leisure. In fact, she's always envied other stay-at-home wives because, for a woman, working outside the home while also taking care of household chores and children is truly exhausting." "Ah..." Jeff heard the woman on the bed sigh; she seemed to be facing a similar situation. However, At this moment, the words on the radio made Jeff's hairs tremble! "But what Catherine doesn't know is that while she lies in bed enjoying this rare moment of peace and quiet, there's actually someone lying beneath her bed..." "..."Jeff." "..."Woman." The sighs and the sound of turning pages suddenly stopped. Also, the radio paused. Perhaps the signal was poor, or perhaps there was something wrong with the old-fashioned unit, and the sound of snowflakes filled the air once again. Jeff's heart nearly rose to his throat. He felt the excessive silence make it difficult to breathe. "Hehe...haha..." From the bed, a woman's laughter echoed, as if she were trying to ease her own embarrassment. Of course, her main purpose was to relieve the pressure of "scaring herself." If the circumstances hadn't prevented it, Jeff would have wanted to join in the laughter: Look, ma'am, don't listen to that jerk on the radio. There's no way there could be someone under your bed! But, Just then, Jeff saw a foot slowly descend. The woman inched toward the edge of the bed. Jeff stared at the foot, his own fists slowly clenching. He saw the woman's toes tense as well. The woman seemed eager to get out of bed and look under, and Jeff knew exactly what she would see if she did… But, The woman's foot, just as it touched the floor, slowly retreated. Huh… Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. Before he knew it, he was sweating profusely. But he had to deliberately control his breathing. He hated this scene, hated this situation, and even hated himself for wanting to be a thief. Maybe... Five minutes had passed? Jeff didn't know if it was five minutes. He didn't have a watch, and there was no way he could count the time from under the bed. Suddenly, Jeff saw a strand of hair dangling from the bed. Jeff, under the bed, could almost picture the scene: the woman on the bed, gradually trying to peek under the bed. The hair... grew longer and longer, more and more, until the very front strands almost touched the floor. Jeff stared blankly at this scene, unsure how to handle it. Should he kneel down and beg the woman to let him go? Or should he use the most threatening and arrogant tone to demand that she be quiet before he could leave? It seemed... the first option suited him better. The hair had already touched the floor; Then, the woman's forehead slowly appeared in Jeff's sight. A little lower, a little lower. Just a little bit, Jeff could see the woman's eyes. But this also meant that she could see him from under the bed. Jeff held his breath. His anxiety and tension had completely oblivious him to breathing. He simply stared at the woman's forehead, which was constantly moving downward. Then, The woman stopped moving. It seemed she was also afraid, terrified of what would happen if she actually saw someone under the bed. Although she knew a quick glance would be the best way to dispel her doubts and fears, she simply didn't dare to look... The woman's hair, which had fallen to the floor, began to rise again. The woman's forehead disappeared from Jeff's sight. The woman lay back on the bed. She began to gasp for air. Jeff finally realized he had been holding his breath for a long time. He opened his mouth and began to silently take in the air. His head was spinning, tears welling in his eyes. He wanted to cry. He wanted to be out on the street right now, even in the cold wind. He could sit comfortably by the flowerbed, smoking and spitting, loudly, exaggeratedly, and unethically! He didn't know how much time had passed. There was no movement on the bed. She... She must be asleep, right? Jeff estimated the time. By the time the woman's husband and children returned, he might not be able to escape. He was already so scared of a woman, and by the time the man returned, he would probably lose all courage. She fell asleep. Then... I... Shall we go? Jeff began to shift slightly. He had been sprawled at the bottom of the bed, but now, carefully, he rolled over onto his back. Then, he began to slowly wriggle his body, slowly pushing his upper body out from under the bed. This wriggling sensation made Jeff feel like a giant... maggot. His left hand pressed against the floor, his right hand resting on the edge of the bed. He began exerting gentle pressure from various parts of his body, slowly pulling himself out from under the bed. The first thing to emerge was Jeff's head. The reason he'd flipped over to face up was because he wanted to ensure he could keep a constant eye on the bed as he left. If he'd gotten out on his stomach first, and the woman in the bed behind him suddenly screamed, Oh my God! Jeff thought he'd be frightened out of his mind! Slowly moving out, He saw the edge of the bed. He saw the woman's hand dangling from the edge. Gently moving out, He saw the woman's hair. She must be asleep, sound asleep, for sure. It's just that her sleeping position is a little awkward. Her husband isn't home right now; she should be sleeping in the middle of the bed! Continuing to cautiously move out, Jeff's body suddenly stopped; He noticed a drop in the woman's hair. This drop meant she wasn't lying down... but rather, she was lying on the edge of the bed, with her head raised. Who would sleep with their head raised...? So, she must be open-eyed, looking... at the floor diagonally in front of her. And if he continued to move out, his eyes would likely meet hers! For a moment, Jeff felt his scalp tingle. He wanted to just go all out and pull himself out from under the bed, but... but he didn't have the courage. Finally, he could only slowly, frustrated, shove himself back under the bed. When his head was once again covered by the bedboard, his heart finally settled. Being under the bed gave him an incomparable sense of security, like being home again. Just then, The sound of a car engine could be heard outside, then it stalled. Followed by the sound of a door opening in the first-floor hallway, followed by the boy's laughter. The man and child had returned. But Jeff didn't feel finished...he even felt...liberated. He even hoped to be discovered and then dash out; or perhaps be stopped and beaten by the man; or perhaps be apprehended by the police who arrived later. But no matter what, even being held in a police holding cell would be infinitely better than this. A series of footsteps began to ascend the stairs, The bedroom door was pushed open. Jeff's face was facing the direction of the bedroom door. He first spotted a pair of boy's sneakers. When he was five or six years younger, he'd also coveted these same sneakers. They were expensive, and wearing them made him look much more confident. Then, He saw a pair of men's leather shoes. They were exquisite, not polished, but brand new. "Today's show was great." "But I'm a little sleepy, Dad." "Haha, when you're older, you'll understand. How about this, Mom and Dad take you to the zoo next week, okay?" "Really?" "Of course." "Mom, did you hear that? Dad said he's taking us to the zoo next week." "I heard it, I heard it. Okay, George, go wash up! It's time for bed. Honey, you should take your son to wash up too. I'll go make George's bed." A pair of red high heels walked in. Jeff felt the warmth of this home. He wondered if he'd ever had a home as warm as this one. "Okay, okay, wash up. I'll tune up the radio. It's time for the stock market news." The man seemed to fiddle with the radio's antenna. The sound of snowflakes, which had long since blended into the night, suddenly grew louder, then faded away. "...This is a wonderful night story, isn't it? Everyone, no matter where they are, has their own companion and is never alone. Well, thank you for listening to tonight's Luo Jia Storytelling. Next up is the stock market news. I believe you're going to get rich again..." On the radio, light music began playing, transitioning between the two programs. Get rich... Haha, get rich. Jeff found it ridiculous. If he hadn't listened to his friend and sold the house his father had left him to buy a stock that was sure to soar, how could he have ended up in this situation? Now, The family of three had been standing at the door. The father had taken his son to the bathroom, while the woman had gone upstairs to make his son's bed. This was his chance. Get out from under the bed now, rush down the stairs, open the door, and rush out. He'd be safe and free! Jeff made up his mind. As he braced himself on the floor with both hands, he was about to exert force when suddenly, his body froze. A picture suddenly surfaced in his mind. It was the woman who had come in from outside earlier, returning with her husband and child. And that woman who had been lying in bed the entire time. Who was she? Wasn't she lying in bed? Then how could the family of three who had returned earlier not have seen her? "Hush." A soft, cool sound came from the back of his head, caressing the back of his head. Jeff slowly turned his head, somewhat stunned. They were both under the bed, almost touching his back. First he saw a pair of legs, then, lower down, a face. No, He only saw a pair of legs, and the face between them.