Volume 1 Chapter 165
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 165: Mute Vivian
Vivian was also stunned at this moment, standing frozen in place, momentarily at a loss for how to react. Meanwhile, Leah paid no heed to her hesitation and strode right into the room.
The moment she stepped inside, Leah couldn’t help but softly gasp in surprise. The condition of the room was far worse than she had imagined.
Clearly, this place had been left vacant for far too long. Everything in the room was coated in a thick layer of dust, and the air was permeated with a musty smell of decaying wood, making one involuntarily frown.
Most of the furniture inside was dilapidated. Many of the wooden tables and chairs appeared completely rotten, a slight touch and they might immediately fall apart. Even the floor showed signs of sagging.
When Vivian had first arrived and seen this scene, she had felt her scalp go numb.
Forget about thoroughly cleaning this room in a short time, even just tidying up a small area barely fit for habitation was no easy task.
And what was even more problematic was that Vivian, from childhood to adulthood, had never done any housework and was completely clueless about such matters.
Back when she was by Eve’s side, Eve had always taken meticulous care of her, she never needed to worry about these trivial chores.
Later, when she went to the church, the situation wasn’t much different. They would specially hire maids to handle her daily needs. Even though these maids changed frequently, countless batches coming and going, at least she had never had to personally lift a finger to do even the smallest task.
Now, suddenly being asked to personally clean such a dilapidated room was simply unimaginable.
To be honest, if she really had to rely on herself to clean it up bit by bit, it would probably take two or three days before she could make it remotely livable.
Furthermore, the church only sent people to regularly maintain the estate they lent her for temporary residence, they wouldn’t send anyone to help her clean this neglected, old apartment.
And Vivian was unwilling to let the church know about her plans either. So no matter what, she most likely had to figure things out on her own, clearing out a spot just barely enough to stand in this luxurious apartment that resembled a ruin, and make do with living there.
But living in the Empire’s most prosperous, prime location, paying exorbitant rent, yet having to endure an environment worse than a shelter—such a contrast would leave anyone feeling resentful.
After all, even the most dilapidated shelter wouldn’t make you ingest what felt like two ounces of dust with every breath you took.
And for the pampered Vivian, such conditions were even more unbearable.
“It is indeed a bit tough to clean up.”
Leah said cheerfully as she surveyed the dusty room, her tone very relaxed. She turned to look at Vivian, her eyes sincere and natural, adding, “Sister… you don’t mind me calling you that, do you? Because I can tell you’re a bit older than me.”
She blinked, a confident smile playing at the corners of her mouth, as if demonstrating her reliability to Vivian. “But don’t judge me by my age! I’m actually very efficient at housework! Just the day before yesterday, I finished cleaning a small courtyard overgrown with moss. Now it’s spotless and looks brand new!”
Her tone was light and cheerful, carrying a hint of pride, as if she didn’t think cleaning such a dilapidated house would be much of a challenge.
After all, it was a new neighbor. Leah’s attitude was very warm and friendly, a natural smile on her face.
She truly hadn’t recognized Vivian before her—after all, in an environment where simply speaking could stir up a cloud of dust, the Vivian standing before her had a dust-smudged face and wore a black mask… wait, wasn’t it a white mask earlier?
“Sister, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Leah tilted her head, looking puzzled at Vivian, who remained rooted to the spot, silent all this while.
At this moment, Vivian was truly panicking internally. She had been trying her best to stay silent from the start, either not responding or using simple gestures to reply to Leah, avoiding speaking as much as possible.
But the problem was, the other person was so enthusiastic. If she wanted Leah to leave, she had to say something… at the very least, she should say “thank you,” right?
Yet she was afraid that once she opened her mouth, she would expose her identity.
Caught in this dilemma, her heart raced faster, and a fine layer of sweat formed on her palms.
In the end, she could only force herself to first murmur a few low “hmms,” trying to brush it off with vague sounds. Simultaneously, her hands gestured frantically due to anxiety, as she internally debated whether or not to actually speak.
However, before she could devise a proper response, Leah suddenly darted over and, without any warning, grabbed her hand. Leah’s expression was full of apology, and her face was written with remorse and unease.
“S-sorry, sister!”
Leah stammered, her tone filled with self-reproach and panic. “I-I didn’t know you were m… no! I mean, I didn’t know you couldn’t speak! I offended you, I’m really, really sorry!”
“Huh?”
Vivian was stunned. She blinked, looking somewhat incredulously at Leah before her. Meeting those eyes brimming with apology and utter sincerity, for a moment she even had a strange thought—if she didn’t go along with this now, would it hurt Leah’s feelings?
She even began to wonder if she had somehow unconsciously developed some misconception about this girl…
She didn’t remember finding this Leah so agreeable before…
However, before Vivian could figure out a response, Leah had already clapped her hands excitedly, her face full of anticipation. “In that case, I definitely have to help you even more, sister! Don’t worry, sister, I’m really good at this sort of thing!”
Rolling up her sleeves, she continued with conviction, “I’ll help you clean the room first. Once it’s more or less done, I’ll take you to my place for a bath, and then we can have a meal together.”
As she spoke, she leaned in a bit closer with a smile, as if sharing some amazing secret, a trace of pride in her voice. “By the way, I can also introduce you to my mama! My mama is a super, super beautiful woman! And her cooking is incredibly delicious too! Although she’s been a bit busy lately and doesn’t come home at fixed times… but it’s fine! Even if she comes back late, I can cook for you. I promise it’ll be tasty!”
Leah’s voice was clear and pleasant, chattering excitedly without pause. Her whole person was like a little sparrow brimming with energy, hopping cheerfully around Vivian.
And Vivian?
She was completely thrown off balance by this sudden, overwhelming enthusiasm. Frozen in place, she had no idea how to respond.
After all, right now… she had inexplicably become a mute.
When Leah said she’d help Vivian, she meant it without any reservation. Her efficiency at work was simply astonishing, more professional than a professional.
In no time at all, one room was tidied up. Then came the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom and toilet…
Work that might have taken Vivian two or three days without any sign of completion, Leah had largely sorted out in three hours.
By now, the sky outside had completely darkened, and the crisp sound of high heels echoed in the hallway.
Eve was back…
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