If the Deep Sea Forgets You

The cashier was still murmuring to herself as she took the cigarettes. “Please wait, Miss. We still need to talk this over before I send you to the police station.”

“Sir, that will be 50 yuan.”

“Can you tally up this young lady’s as well? I’ll pay for hers as well.” Mo Han calmly fished for his wallet.

The cashier was shocked and stared back at him, displeasure evident on her face. “What? Saving the damsel in distress? Sheesh. What a waste of everyone’s time. The total is 108 yuan, sir.”

As Mo Han walked out carrying the bags, the girl followed behind him. She remained silent with her head bowed.

He stopped and leaned against a streetlight, turning his face to ask her, “Are you very afraid of going to the police station?”

“Yes,” The girl replied, bowing her head low.

“So, you ran away from the car that day because you were frightened of going to the police station.”

“Yes,” The girl replied.

“Why did you steal the shop’s items?”

“I didn’t steal, I told her,” she attempted to explain.

“Nobody permitted you to do so, and you didn’t pay. This constitutes stealing according to the law,” Mo Han replied logically.

The girl’s voice was barely audible. “I’m hungry.”

Mo Han let out a chuckle as he leaned against the streetlamp, squinting into the night as he lit the cigarette in his hand. He exhaled as he puffed out a wisp of cigarette smoke. In the dim light, the flame from his cigarette butt was especially eye-catching. “The clothes you’re wearing, did you steal those too?”

The girl smiled bitterly. “I guess so.”

“Have any of your friends and family come looking for you?”

“Hmph! No, I’ve lost my memory. I wouldn’t know even if they came.”

Mo Han finished smoking the cigarette, extinguished the butt, and threw it in a bin nearby. Calmly, he said to her, “Let’s go.”

The girl looked at him. “Where?”

“To eat.”

She hadn’t thought that she would see him again after the first time, let alone that he would treat her to a meal at that very moment. Seeing him walk towards his car, her heart fluttered. She followed him and entered the car.

Mo Han brought her to an elegant Western restaurant. As they entered the restaurant, the manager rushed forward with a smile when he saw Mo Han. “Barrister Mo, why are you visiting our humble restaurant at such a late hour?”

Barrister Mo retained his calm tone as he uttered, “To eat.”

The manager saw a short-haired girl next to him. She wore a wrinkly gray gown with patient bottoms. She was surveying the restaurant with wide, beady eyes. His curiosity immediately took the better of him. Besides his American girlfriend, he had never seen Mo Han bring a girl to the restaurant before, let alone such a young girl.

He rapped Mo Han’s shoulder softly, a smirk spreading across his face. “Don’t tell me! Are you having an affair? But this girl here… she’s really young for someone your age.”

Mo Han shot a glance at him and sputtered, “Bai Yu, if you have the time to make a joke, why don’t you use your time to calculate the annual fees you owe my law firm instead?”

Horrible capitalist lawyer , Bai Yu thought to himself. “Can’t even crack a joke, bigshot lawyer! So, where are you sitting? What do you want to eat? The same as before?”

Mo Han sat at a table nearby and looked at the girl sitting opposite him. “What do you want to eat?”

She was not fussy about food. “Anything is good. I’ll leave it to you.”

Mo Han turned back to Bai Yu and said, “The usual. Make it two, please.”