Chapter 7: New Things I Like... What Does It Feel Like...
What kind of feeling is it to like someone?
Love...what is it anyway?
Johnny silently watched Manden Tim's receding back, and a feeling of powerlessness came from his heart.
Johnny's earliest understanding of love came from his white mouse, Danny. When he first bought him, the adorable little creature would place its paw in the palm of his hand. A few months later, the soft, chubby mouse would sleep soundly in his palm, completely trusting him. When he cried, Danny would diligently lick the tears from his eyes, offering silent comfort.
He wanted to give the best of everything to his little white mouse Dani.
Is this love? Wanting to give everything without reservation, to entrust your body and soul to someone, is this love?
Johnny doesn't know
His father was old-fashioned and heartless, and only his brother's presence made him feel a little warmth.
He wants to be close to his brother and pull him to play with him. Whenever he encounters difficulties, he wants to talk to his brother. Is this love?
Johnny doesn't know either.
After becoming famous, people around him came and went. At first, when strangers approached him, he'd blush and be at a loss for words. Gradually, he'd initiate conversations with girls. Eventually, a casual exchange of words, a casual glance between the two, became a reason to be together.
Is this... love?
Have you ever had a longing for love?
He doesn't know
The night was silent, and the boundless land and sky would not give him an answer. But Johnny suddenly realized that not only was his life a negative number, but his attitude towards love was also a negative number.
Just like what that arrogant cowboy said, he had never taken Mary seriously before... How could a person with such a bad record, who didn't even know how to treat feelings correctly, turn around and treat Mary as his own property and claim his sovereignty?
"Johnny, why are you still out there?"
Mary found that Johnny had not returned yet and thought something had happened. Unexpectedly, when she rushed out, she saw him sitting in a wheelchair, quietly looking up at the starry sky.
Hearing her words, the other person twisted his wheelchair and turned around.
The warm light from the house shone on Johnny's face, making his features look even more beautiful and striking than in the daytime. Compared to the average man, Johnny's eyebrows and eyes were more delicate, giving him a kind of androgynous beauty.
Mary looked at Johnny in front of her. He was smiling at her, but his eyes seemed to be crying.
"Ah... I'm sorry, I was delayed here for a while. Let's go back and have tea." Johnny slid his wheelchair back into the house in a hurry, holding the teacup and drinking water in big gulps as if to cover up his mistake.
Mary felt that Johnny was a little strange now, but she couldn't explain why.
"How are you?"
"I, I'm fine." Johnny finished his tea and slid to his room. "It's getting late. You should go to bed first, Mary."
"Oh... okay." Sighing at her own clumsy tongue, Mary returned to her room.
Lying on the comfortable bed, Mary quickly fell asleep.
……………………
The next few days passed uneventfully. Manden, whether to seek out Lilith or attend to other matters, remained silent. Johnny, thanks to Lilith's medicine, had healed the horrifically large bloody wound in his body. Unfortunately, his leg remained unresponsive, and his disability was a foregone conclusion.
Life had become a stagnant, still water once more, but Mary actually liked this peaceful life. If only Johnny could behave more normally, it would be even better.
Since parting ways with Manden, Johnny has suddenly gone into self-reliance mode, refusing Mary's help with almost anything. He boils water for tea and sweeps the house with a broom. Today, he even propped up a pillow in his wheelchair to cook in the kitchen. Whenever Mary asks for help, Johnny refuses.
Is this a sign that Johnny is willing to live?
Even as Mary thought this, she felt a sense of loss. It seemed... Johnny no longer needed her. In this house, it was as if Johnny was the manservant, while Mary was the mistress exploiting the disabled.
Maybe she should go out for a walk and relax.
After saying something to Johnny who was cooking, Mary put on a sun hat and went out. The sun was shining brightly today, and it made her feel warm and comfortable.
Mary found a shady spot, spread out a blanket, and sat down. She felt all her worries had been stripped away from her mind. She looked up at the blue sky with floating clouds and prayed that Lilith was safe.
Mary suddenly smelled the fragrance of flowers and opened her eyes sharply. Unexpectedly, a bunch of beautiful white flowers appeared before her. The flowers moved away, revealing ocean-blue eyes. The person who came in was Manden Tim, whom she had not seen for a few days.
"Mr. Manden, why are you here?" Mary greeted him happily when she met an acquaintance.
The mature and handsome man in front of her kissed the back of her hand and stuffed a beautiful bouquet into Mary's hand. "I was in a hurry when we met last time, so I didn't prepare a gift for you. I'm free today, so I came over to make up for it. This flower is called jasmine, and I think it looks a lot like you. Do you like it?"
It was her first time receiving a gift, and Mary was so surprised that she didn't know what to do. She nodded vigorously, so vigorously that it was a little funny. "I like it very much. Thank you, Mr. Manden."
He naturally sat down beside her, leaned against the tree, and breathed a sigh of relief: "This leisurely feeling is really good." He probably didn't get enough rest these days. There were bruises under his eyes, and he looked even more tired than before.
"Mary, can I borrow your shoulder to lean on?" Manden squinted his eyes, like a lazy golden cat.
Having already accepted the other party's gift, Mary would not refuse such a request, so she gave a soft "hmm" as a response.
"Thank you so much. Just wake me up in ten minutes." Manden took off his stylish hat naturally. His soft blonde hair was brighter and more beautiful than the sun, which made Mary's breathing slightly stagnate.
It’s really... so beautiful.
Mary thought silently in her heart, suppressing the rude behavior of patting the other person's head. Manden fell asleep quickly, and to prevent him from falling in his sleep, Mary put her arm around his shoulders.
He slept very well, and when he closed his eyes, there was a bit of childishness that he didn't usually show.
This looks... quite cute.
Mary originally wanted to let him rest for a while, but she didn't expect that Manden would wake up on time like a clock, and he became full of energy, sweeping away his previous fatigue and becoming an energetic cowboy again.
"Thanks to you, Miss Mary. If it weren't for you, I would probably have been so tired that I fell off my horse halfway." He put on his hat and kissed the back of Mary's hand again to show his gratitude.
"It's just a small matter. You're welcome." Mary shook her head and asked, "Any clues about Lilith?"
When it came to business, Manden's expression became serious: "I already have a few suspects."
He picked up a branch from the ground and began to write and draw.
"I've roughly identified three suspects." Manden wrote an A on the ground and said, "This guy is a well-known gambler with blond hair. He disappeared for the past two weeks and only showed up at the casino in the last two days, taking out a large sum of money. I think he's a strong suspect."
Mary remembered this person, while Manden began to talk about the second person: "This person also has golden hair. He had a serious back injury, and it was Lilith who healed him. But the day before yesterday, I went to inquire and found out that this person ran away. No one knows where he went. I think it's a bit strange."
"Then... who is the third person?"
"The third man was a destitute alcoholic who did nothing but drink and wander around like a madman. No one cared when they arrested him; he just kept clamoring for alcohol in prison, so everyone turned a blind eye to this scoundrel. But for some reason, he suddenly disappeared. He also had blond hair, so I've tentatively designated him as a suspect."
"Are you sure... there are only these three suspects?" Mary whispered, "Didn't we previously speculate that the one who hurt Lilith was a Stand user?"
"That's what I originally speculated, but after combining the clues given by those around me and my investigation over the past few days, I feel that ordinary people can also pose a threat to Lilith."
Mary breathed a sigh of relief and felt a weight lifted from her heart.
"Is there anything I can help you with? I haven't had much to do these days." She said. Manden shook his head at first, then nodded abruptly: "So, I do have something I want to ask of you."
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