Conan: I'm Not a Ghost

"Aunt Catherine!"

In front of the library door, the girl stopped, looked at the blond lady in front of her, and said hesitantly:

"What's wrong with you?"

Her heart was beating fast and she was very nervous.

The blond lady's temperament is indifferent, she has a free and easy attitude that has seen through the world of mortals, and she also has a temperament that has gone through ups and downs and is no longer willing to struggle.

Disheartened.

Regardless of the situation, the blond lady rarely showed panic.

The girl is suspicious.

She discovered something.

"Shh!"

The blond lady quickly covered the girl's mouth and looked towards the library with lingering fear:

"Keep your voice down!"

"I didn't expect that thieves would sneak into the manor. It's not safe here. You have to inform the security immediately!"

The blond lady took the girl's cold little hand and took steps.

With her arms in the air, the girl stood there without moving.

"Liz?"

Looking back suddenly, the blond lady looked at the girl and let out a long sigh:

"Is this your choice?"

Why did the thieves let them leave the library?

Why did Liz not warn him even though she knew there was a thief in the library?

The blonde lady took Liz away just to observe her reaction.

If the girl let her pull her out of the library, she would not hesitate to call security to catch the thief hiding in the library.

But

The girl did not choose to leave with her, but stubbornly raised her head:

"Aunt Catherine, you are 34 years old and still unmarried. You have been staying in the Hughes family and handling the family's daily chores. Why?"

"Because there is no suitable partner."

The blonde lady said half as a matter of course and half as a prevarication:

"You can't force something like emotion."

"I will marry whoever I like."

"Coincidentally, by staying in the family, I don't need to worry about life. I only need to do my part for the family, and the family will support me throughout my life and give me enough time to find a suitable partner."

"But there is no freedom in this."

The girl said seriously:

“Shouldn’t a person pursue the freedom of life in the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, and seek the love that exhausts the sun and the moon in interpersonal relationships?”

"If you stay in the family all day long, love won't come to you."

"Liz."

The blond lady showed a nostalgic look and sighed faintly:

"Once upon a time, I had the same idea as you."

"At that time, I was very rebellious and yearned for the outside world. I wished I could spread my wings, escape from the cage that imprisoned me, and run toward freedom."

"I did the same thing. During a family meeting, I packed my bags secretly, left a letter, and slipped out of the manor."

Speaking of this, she paused briefly and glanced at the closed library to make sure no one was chasing her out.

Feeling relieved, he continued:

"At that time, I had just left the manor. I felt that the flowers outside were red, the leaves were green, and there was a sense of freedom everywhere."

"In order to completely break away from my family, I took a train and went to an unknown city, thinking that no one would find me there and I could start a new life."

"Unexpectedly, my bag was stolen as soon as I got off the train."

"Secretly?!"

Opening her mouth wide, the girl looked at her in disbelief, her curiosity aroused:

"Then what?"

"Then I called the police."

The blonde lady smiled bitterly and said:

"I naively thought that the police could help me recover my stolen property, but they just made a note and asked me to go back and wait for news. They were very nice."

"With only a few dozen meters of knife left on me, I found a small hotel to stay temporarily. I hope the police can solve the case quickly and return the money to me."

"But I stayed in that small hotel with a musty smell and a humid environment for three days, and the police still didn't contact me. My money was about to be spent, so I had no choice but to go to the police station to inquire again."

"Uh-huh."

The girl listened very fascinated, nodding her head from time to time, her smart eyes shining with expectation.

"When we got to the police station, they asked me to wait again, but I had no money by then."

Whenever she recalled this past event, the blond lady would express an unforgettable emotion:

"Without money, I was kicked out of a small hotel and walked alone on the cold streets of the city, hungry and sleepy."

"When I was desperate, a group of men suddenly surrounded me and 'invited' me to work in their hotel."

"I didn't want to, so they had to use force. Fortunately, a man came forward to save me in time. He was very handsome, dressed like a white-collar worker, and he also cared about me."

"Is he a good man?"

At this time the girl asked:

"It feels pretty good."

"yes."

Smiling slightly, the blond lady said:

"He even invited me to stay at his house temporarily."

"I was so coaxed by him that I was dizzy. Just when I was about to agree, a police car stopped on the side of the road. A policeman got out of the car, scolded the man and said to me,"

"That man is a well-known local liar. He specializes in coaxing ignorant women. After gaining their trust, he uses sweet talk to get them to go out and stand on the street. Those who disagree or are stubborn will use drugs, beatings and other means. After a while, they will succumb. ”

"ah"

Opening her mouth in surprise, the girl looked shocked:

"Then why didn't the police arrest him?"

"Because the porn industry is run by local gangs, they bribe officials, pay protection fees regularly, and have a good relationship with the police station. Ordinary police can't do anything to them."

The blonde lady shook her head:

"Even if a man is arrested, countless others will appear."

"After experiencing this incident, I found that I had no strength at all to fight against danger, so I worked hard, sold my expensive earrings, and started doing business."

"One, two, and three years have passed, and the company has been going smoothly and developing rapidly. I was once elected as the most influential entrepreneur in the local city."

Speaking of which

She paused for a moment, and her eyes became sad and lost:

“As business picked up, I started to get cocky and overconfident.”

"At this time, I thought of the police who helped me. I bought gifts and visited my home, but you know."

"Did I see anything in front of his front door?"

The girl shook her head blankly.

"Oh"

The blonde lady said:

"The policeman's name is"

"Waltson Hughes."

"A member of the family?!"

"Yes, it's not just him."

Stroking the girl's hair, the blonde lady's expression had an indescribable meaning:

"After investigation, I found that the buyers behind 80% of the business of the company I founded were the Hughes family."

"That's when I understood."

"I have never escaped the control of my family, and my family has always protected me, molded me, and achieved me."

"Only when you have experienced the dangers of society can you understand the tolerance of your family. This is a saying that my father often said."