Chapter 153: Unexpected Gathering Xin stared at the numerous notifications from Victor on his phone.
[Hey, Xin, are you okay? I heard about the fire in your area. Please let me know if you’re safe.]
Xin’s eyebrows furrowed as he muttered, "How does he even know where I live?"
[Xin, please respond. I’m really worried about you. Where are you right now?]
Xin pondered Victor’s questions, his fingers hovering over the keypad as he contemplated how to reply.
[I’m fine, Victor. Just a bit shaken up. But how did you know where I live?]
As he was about to send his message, Xin’s phone suddenly rang, displaying Victor’s name on the screen.
He was taken aback by the unexpected call and quickly answered.
"Hello?"
"Xin!" Victor’s voice sounded both relieved and concerned. "Thank goodness you’re okay. I saw the news about the fire in your area and tried to get in touch with you. Are you alright? Where are you?"
Xin was still puzzled by how Victor had managed to locate him, but he still replied, "Yeah, I’m fine, Victor. But seriously, how did you find out? I never even told you where I lived."
Victor let out a nervous laughed. "Well, I did some digging . . . Anyway, that’s not important right now. Where are you currently?"
Xin’s suspicion lingered, but he decided to set it aside for the moment. "I’m at . . . Diamond Palace."
"Ah. Yes. In a shelter . . . wait. What?! Diamond Palace?!" Victor’s voice shot up in surprise. "Isn’t that in Area 0?"
Xin took a deep breath and proceeded to explain the events of the previous night, omitting the part about Seraphina entering his room and sharing a bed with him, of course.
He intended to keep that particular detail to himself until to his grave.
There was a sigh of relief from Victor’s end, and he seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Thank goodness. I guess Mr. Fey isn’t as heartless as they say. He even allowed you to stay in his penthouse."
Xin chose not to comment, fully aware that Michael’s decision was wholly because of his mother.
"Hey, listen, Xin," Victor continued, "if you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out, alright? You can even stay at my place. It’s even close to the school."
Xin nodded, appreciative of Victor’s concern and offer. "Thanks, Victor. I’ll keep that in mind."
Changing the subject, Xin asked, "Did anything happen at school today? Do people besides you know about the fire?"
"A lot of students heard about the fire; it was all over the news," Victor replied. "But don’t worry, no one knows where you live, so you’re not being linked to the fire in any way."
"That’s a relief," Xin said, relieved that he wouldn’t become the center of attention, subjected to charity and pity from his fellow classmates.
Having the Fay take care of them was already more than enough.
"Xin, would it be alright if I came over later?" Victor asked. "I’d like to bring you the lecture handouts, and there are a ton of assignments and there’s a test scheduled for tomorrow."
Xin took a moment to consider. "Hold on, let me ask my mom. Hey, Mom, is it okay if my friend comes over? He wants to help me catch up on today’s missed lesson."
"Mom, the same goes for me," Xiaxia chimed in. "The girls are worried about me, so they want to visit."
Evelyn shifted her gaze between Xin and Xiaxia, feeling a bit out of place in someone else’s home. She didn’t know if she had that right to take in guests. This wasn’t her house.
Nonetheless, she saw no harm in allowing their friends to visit. "Alright, but tell your friends to behave and not touch anything. Remember, this isn’t our house."
"Alright," Xin and Xiaxia replied in unison.
With the green light given, it was agreed upon that Victor and the girls would come later after school and the call ended.
Throughout the day, Xin and his family stayed busy organizing their belongings and tidying up the house. It was the least they could do to express their gratitude to the Fay Family for their incredible generosity.
As the afternoon arrived, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their friends.
Xiaxia was brimming with excitement, and rushed to the door, eagerly swung it open to greet her friends.
Scarlet and Marry enveloped Xiaxia in a warm embrace, relieved to see her safe and sound.
When Xiaxia invited them in, Scarlet and Marry’s expressions transformed from worry to shock as they took in the lavish surroundings of the penthouse.
Scarlet was wide-eyed, and scanned the penthouse’s opulent living room and spoke in disbelief, "Xiaxia, this place is . . . amazing!"
The two then greeted Evelyn and Xin. "Hi there Aunty. And Xin, long time no see."
Evelyn greeted them back while Xin only nodded.
Marry was equally astonished, and chimed in, "This place is like a palace!"
Xiaxia couldn’t help but chuckle at their reactions. "Yes it is. Thanks to Mr. Fay and his generosity, we get to live in this place."
Scarlet stifled a laughed. "At least something good came out of that tragedy."
Xiaxia nodded. "I guess you could put it that way."
Marry playfully nudged Xiaxia and teased, "Well, it looks like there’s a silver lining after all, even in the midst of a tragedy. You get to live in Michael Fay’s penthouse."
"But we’re only here temporarily," Evelyn interjected as she set snacks on the living room table. "We don’t want to overstay our welcome and impose on Mr. Fay’s kindness."
Scarlet waved her hand dismissively. "Aunty, Michael Fay probably has a bunch of houses. I’m sure it’s no trouble at all. Besides, it’s better for the place to have people in it instead of sitting empty and collecting dust."
Marry shot Scarlet a look of reproach. "Scarlet . . ."
Evelyn simply smiled and changed the subject. "So, girls, would you like to stay for dinner?"
Scarlet and Marry eagerly nodded in agreement.
"If it’s not too much trouble," Scarlet added, "we can help Xiaxia catch up on the lessons she missed."
Marry chimed in, "And your cooking is always a treat, Aunty. I wouldn’t miss it for anything."
Evelyn couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm. "Such sweet girls, unlike my daughter here."
Xiaxia rolled her eyes. "Mom, can you just go?"