The 18th Birthday (1)

Gu Nianzhi stopped in her tracks. She turned, a radiant smile plastered on her face. "Yes, Professor He? Is there something else?"

He Zhichu was still seated on the sofa, his head propped upon a hand. He looked at her, quiet and still.

Gu Nianzhi did not say anything. She waited patiently for him to speak.

The enormous living room was quiet. The white curtains hung like frozen waterfalls from the massive French windows.

A grandfather's clock stood in one corner of the room. It appeared to be an antique, but the pendulum was still swinging. Every once in a while, a quiet clack sounded from it, which only served to emphasize the silent stillness of the room.

The maid and the housekeeper had vanished.

The two remaining occupants of the room regarded each other silently. They could have been separated by an entire continent.