The Alchemists

The guy, who noticed Finland's gaze, suddenly turned his head toward her and almost surprised her.

"Yes?" he asked softly.

"Er ... nothing ..." Finland hastily looked away.

Oops... that was close.

When the guy turned and looked at her from such close proximity, Finland immediately felt her heart pounding. He was so handsome. His mesmerizing blue eyes were so perfect. Finland had never seen a human this beautiful before.

"I'm sorry for being so reckless just now, that I hurt your arm..." Finland said later.

She knew it was her fault, endangering others just to save up some money. She didn't even want to think about the consequence if she had bumped into a weak old lady... She could have killed her.

These thoughts made her even more depressed and fretfully her fingers started to damp.

"I'm glad you realized your mistake. Please don't ever do that again," replied the guy. He turned towards Finland and slowly a smile curved up on his lips for the first time.

Oh... That's not fair! This creature even had two perfect dimples when he smiled.

For a long second, Finland couldn't say anything.

"We are here, Sir," said the driver when the car stopped in front of a luxurious condominium building on Robertson Road No. 1.

They didn't expect to arrive so soon. The driver helped to take out Finland's suitcases from the trunk. The guy also came out of the car when Finland was about to enter the gate.

"I would love a cup of tea, please...." said the guy suddenly. Finland, who just had the gate unlocked, was taken aback. She was just about to thank him for driving her home, but apparently the night was not over yet.

"Er... but... aren't you on your way somewhere else? You still don't believe that I live here?"

"I always have a cup of tea after I land in Singapore. But today I had to come here, to your place, and I missed my tea appointment. It is only right for you to give me a cup of tea, especially since you wounded my arm."

Finland was going to refuse his request, but relented. After all, it was her fault. Hopefully, if she treated him well, he would not ask for too much compensation for the accident.

The guy offered to carry one of Finland's suitcase as they ascend to the 17th floor.

"Please don't look," Finland said before she entered the door lock combination. The guy nodded and turned around. It was Jean's apartment after all and Finland didn't want a stranger knowing the passkey.

They slowly entered the one-bedroom apartment. Even though Jean rarely lived in this apartment, the apartment was beautiful. The design was simple and elegant; it had a beautiful blend of dark and light colors. The guy looked around and admired a painting on the main wall, a picture of a ballerina, the only thing that looked feminine in this masculine apartment.

"You have quite a unique taste for a girl," he said after looking around, satisfied. Finland placed her two suitcases into the bedroom and approached the uninvited guest in the living room.

"This is not my apartment. My friend let me use it while he's away. I'm actually homeless. What kind of tea do you want? We have fruit tea, black tea, and chamomile tea..."

"Chamomile please... I need to calm my heartbeat," answered the guy while casually sitting on the couch. He leaned against the back of the chair and closed his eyes, his hands held his left chest. "Hmmm..."

Finland was deep in thought. She knew nothing about this stranger in her apartment – not even his name. She was tempted to ask, but she wasn't sure if that would be polite. The last thing she needed was for him to accuse her of acting sweet to avoid paying compensation.

"Here is your tea." She brought a cup of chamomile tea and placed it on a table near him. The guy nodded and raised his cup to drink.

"You confused me before, but now I understand. You have such a kind friend to let you stay at his place like this. When will he return?"

"I am not sure. He is on a tour right now and will probably be back next month."

"I see." The guy, who was toying with an idea, slowly turned to Finland. His next words surprised her.

"I believe you. I think you are a trustworthy and resilient girl living in difficult circumstances, otherwise your friend would not have entrusted this apartment to you. And you appreciate it by taking such good care of it. IF your friend returns and you have nowhere to go, you're welcome to stay at my place. I travel too, very often, and my house is collecting dust most of the time. It would be nice to have someone to take care of it while I'm away. I'll forget this incident ever happened, and I hope you do too. Stay safe."

Finland looked surprised. She didn't expect this at all. This guy was kidding right? There be must many servants and staff taking care of his house.

"I am sure you have enough staff living in your house."

"I do. But my offer stands. Call me if you ever need a place to stay."

The guy pulled out his business card and placed it on Finland's palm. Finland stared at the elegantly designed black card. Written with gold ink was one number, one email, and one name: Caspar.

"Caspar?" Finland asked in surprise. This person also has only one name?

"Finland, thank you for the tea. I need to go. Good luck with everything."

And so, Caspar left, leaving only his business card behind.

Finland suddenly felt that her luck wasn't too bad that day. Bumping into someone from a wealthy family was probably the worst part, but the guy turned out to be nice man. He even offered her a place to stay if she needed it one day!

After a very long time, Finland's heart felt lighter.