Yore Descry (昔日的描述)

Glimpse 16; Chasing the Devil

Haoyu yawned as he locked his shop door from the outside, it was a very early morning that he decided to go out and have a short walk around the neighbourhood. The sun wasn't out yet, but he didn't feel in danger knowing the elderly people would already be up and feeding their pets if they had any.

"Xiao Hao! Good morning!" an elderly woman watering her plants greeted him with a wave, being loud for someone of her age.

"Good morning, Mrs. Chun." Haoyu replied back with a smile.

"Why don't you come inside? It's been a while since you last played with Baobao," the 83-year-old told him as he walked towards her.

"How is that puppy doing? Has he grown?" Haoyu remembered the new puppy the elderly woman just received as a gift from her children a while ago.

"He's grown a lot~ Xiao Bao eats plenty and has a lot of energy, greets plenty of strangers that walk near here." Mrs. Chun was enthusiastically talking about her pet, "Even greeted police officers that came last night, I was taking him out for a potty break before bed."

"Police officers?"

"Strange, isn't it? You don't see police officers in this neighbourhood often, I wonder if there's a criminal on the loose or something..." Mrs. Chun's statement wasn't expected, but Haoyu wasn't surprised either.

"I hope not..."

"Be careful, Xiao Hao, okay? You're still young, unlike the rest of us living here. Don't go walking around in the dark alone," Mrs. Chun reminded him, talking to Haoyu like he was her own children.

"I can protect myself, Mrs. Chun. Don't worry," Haoyu smiled nonchalantly, "I have to go home now, the sun's about to come up and I have to open my shop."

"Be careful on your way back, maybe I'll stop by to give you some muffins, I plan to make some later."

"That would be lovely, take care."

"Take care too, Xiao Hao~"

Haoyu walked home as he watched the sky slowly light up, the chilly air turning slightly warmer within each step he took. But his feet dragged a bit when he saw an elderly man standing outside the house next to his shop, staring down the street and at him when he caught glimpse of Haoyu.

"There you are! I was wondering where you went so early in the morning!" the elderly man's body was hunched forward and his arms behind his back, but his small figure always left others wondering how his voice is so loud. "Since when do you go out so early? You usually sleep in or stay home!"

"Good morning, Mr. Cai..." Haoyu knew his next-door neighbour, 82-year-old Cai Enlai very well. He grew up with said neighbour often around his family, he was a close friend to his grandparents.

"Where did you go?!"

"I went for a morning walk-"

"Haiya! You shouldn't wander off before the sun is out, be home before night! Did you forget how you got lost for playing in the park until sundown?? In the dark?! By yourself??!"

"That was when I was 6... It's been 16 years..." Haoyu deflated, at a loss for words. "I'm not a child anymore, I'm turning 23 next month too..." Haoyu never knew how his grandfather was so close to Mr. Cai, given their polar-opposite personalities.

"Still, you shouldn't worry your parents and grandparents, Haoyu!" Mr. Cai continued, "There're murders and kidnappings happening left and right! I better not see you on the news, you hear me?!" he hissed.

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Cai." Haoyu chuckled, "You should worry about yourself more,"

"I'm an old man, my children don't even visit me anymore. I have nothing else to do but watch over you here," for a moment, the elderly man toned down his loud and energetic voice. "You don't have family anymore, and neither do I. The only thing we can do in this neighbourhood is watch other the young ones, you especially."