Trafford’s Trading Club

Branham was funny, and emitted a male’s charm— which may be derived from his identity—a football player, along with his good family background and talent of romance.

Anyway, he was considered as a good boyfriend… what about Len?

He was probably dull, in his friends’ view.

“Allie, Allie… Allie?!”

“What’s wrong?”

At the corner of the school cafeteria, Gloria suddenly patted Allie’s shoulder, which surprised her.

Gloria said, “We are asking what you were thinking about.”

“Oh yeah?” Allie pretended to be calm. She answered, “I’m just thinking about a question that the professor arranged. Sorry, I didn’t hear…what did you ask me?”

Branham sitting on the opposite side of the table cracked a charming smile, “We invited both of you to attend the Halloween party at this weekend. You know, we haven’t found a female companion. Gloria has agreed, what about you?”

“I?” Allie wanted to refuse it… but for some unknown reason, when she had eye contact with Branham, she nodded subconsciously.

When she regretted her decision, Gloria was surprised, “My God, you know that our Ellie has never attended any party because she thinks it’s a waste of time.”

Branham smiled, “That is really a great honor… right, Len!”

“Oh … Yeah, yeah.”

After Branham and Len cleaned up the dishes and left, Allie drank up the remaining borscht…she was looking forward to party.

“It’s so good that you are enlightened.” Gloria hands put together, and face was filled with surprise.

“Should I go?” Allie suddenly hesitated, “I need to hand in project design on Monday…”

Gloria both hands held Allie’s face, taking it seriously, “Allie, do you think a professor’s praise will be more important than your first party in the school? Trust me, the professor won’t only praise you.”

“But … Oh, I remembered that I don’t have suitable clothes for the party.” Allie shook her head, “I think I shouldn’t participate.”

“Is this a problem?” Gloria patted Allie’s shoulder, blinking her eyes and patting her chest, “Let me help you! Princess Allie!”

Allie thought that she needed to enjoy the school life occasionally.

…

…

Enjoy her youth.

“Oh, is it? Turns out there are so many funny things happened in your high school.”

Looking at the words on the interface on VK… Allie sensed it was a different day from the usual in the library.

“Can you tell me more funny things about yours? I want to know more.”

Ellie sighed and admired those who did proactively while watching Branham’s profile picture. They never lacked of chatting topics.

When did it start?

It might be from the last time she received the invitation, there were more and more topics in the conversation between Branham and her.

“Ah, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s party.”

“Me too.”

Ellie looked down at the opened textbook… People would dance in a party right? The words in the opened book seemed to be playing some wonderful fantasy.

‘Does Branham like me?’

…

…

Hmmm… In fact, parties at the university seemed to be far more different from what she expected—It’d definitely not dancing trippingly with melodious music.

Loudspeakers guided students to twist their young and crazy bodies, caliginous lights dizzied them.

Several of them stayed on the dancing floor…However, Allie was suddenly crowded out.

Gloria was always so brilliant.

Allie looked at her, who was surrounded at the center of the dance floor, like a queen.

“Gloria is so beautiful…”

Since sometime, Len was the only one around her… Allie turned to Len, and found he held a bottle of beer in hand.

“Why are you sitting here?” Suddenly, Branham walked to him from the crowd, with his body gently twisted following the rhythm.

Branham patted palms, and said loudly, “Come on! Don’t just sit there!”

As saying, Branham pulled Allie’s and Len’s palms, straightly dragged them to the dancing floor.

Although it was not a formal banquet, it was still very good… Allie thought while she was rotating.

She looked up at Branham, suddenly feeling a kind of enjoyment.

“I’ll go to the toilet, you keep going.” Branham whispered at Allie’s ear, and then patted Len’s shoulder.

“What did he say?” Len asked curiously.

“He said he’s going to the toilet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t adapt to this occasion, I may be not good at dancing like Branham…”

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t always come either.” Allie shrugged her shoulder.

Indeed, without Branham, she felt awkward being with Len.

“You … your clothes are so beautiful today.”

“Is it? Thank you…” Allie looked around, “I feel a little tired, and want to go outside for a while.”

“Allie, Allie…”

Len was suddenly pushed by the people in the dance floor, and became dizzy.

…

…

But meanwhile, Branham and Gloria were enjoying kissing under the eaves outside… In a way that Allie had never experienced.

Allie quickly turned around and backed on to…

She thought and hoped that Branham and Gloria wouldn’t notice her.

‘It turned out Gloria likes Branham too…’

…

…

Crack.

The door was easily opened; Luo Qiu looked at the lawn outside, but didn’t find anything useful.

He closed the door quietly, slowly walking upstairs to the living room.

The little girl Lena rubbed her eyes at this time and woke up. “Big brother, did my mom and dad come back?”

“Not yet.” Luo Qiu shook his head, walking up to Lena and sitting down.

Bang— bang bang—!

A loud striking sound came from upstairs!

Lena suddenly grabbed the blanket covering her body, and looked up at the ceiling, “Big Brother, Is there anything upstairs?”

“Yeah..” Luo Qiu thought for a while, suddenly smiled, “There are monsters, do you believe it?”

Little Lena was stunned, and asked subconsciously, “Is that Mr. Monster?”

Luo Qiu touched her head, and asked back an interesting question, “If it is Mr. Monster, and wants to eat your heart, what would you do?”

The little girl seriously considered, but suddenly both hands held her chest, “Is it enough to give it half?”

Luo Qiu showed more curiosity, “Why would you give half?”

Lena’s big eyes opened wide, “Because if Lena has no heart, I’ll disappear like Mr. Monster, and then my parents will be very sad! But they won’t if there’s still half left on me!”

“Then, what if the thing Mr. Monster had dug out is not a heart?” Luo Qiu questioned softly.

“What will it be?”

Luo Qiu also looked up at the ceiling, saying indifferently, “Something … belonging to itself.”

Lena tilted her neck, thinking about it carefully though she didn’t understand what the big brother was talking about.

At that time, a ray of light filtered in. The little girl suddenly jumped down the couch; she heard a sound of a car engine, “It must be my parents coming back! Let me go open the door!”

The little girl excitedly ran to the house gate, standing on her tiptoes and opening the door.

But she didn’t see her mother, Mrs. Maggie, or her father… Instead, it was Arex!

“Oh, is this our little princess— Miss Lena?”

Arex revealed a surprised look; he smiled and took off the hat, making a bow to the girl, “I’m honored that Miss Lena opened the door to greet me.”

But as realizing the person was not her parent, a disappointing expression generated from Lena’s face, “Where’s my mother?”

The little girl still remembered that her mother went out together with this weird brother.

“Mrs. Maggie?” Arex slightly smiled, “Don’t worry, Princess Lena, I think you’ll see your mother soon… and of course your father!”

“Really?” The little girl showed a happy expression.

Luo Qiu slowly came to them, and asked, “Did you find her?”

“Of course,” Arex squinted his eyes with a gentle smile, “Thanks to your help, we found her very soon.”

Luo Qiu said, “But I did nothing.”

Arex blinked, he put his palm at his ear and faked a listening gesture, “Oh you didn’t? But I seemed to have heard something interesting.”

Then, Arex took one step back, and looked up.

“By the way, Mr. Luo Qiu, may I come in now?” Arex suddenly asked, “Oh… I just told that noble maid, that I’ll pay for it…Does Mr. Luo Qiu want to obtain payment now?”

“No.” Luo Qiu shook his head, turning his body and smiling, “Please come in… dear guest.”

“Thank you.”

…

…

Bang bang bang!!

“I want to leave here immediately!” Gloria scared, cold sweat dropped from her pale face.

They had hid in the room at the upper floor and Branham and Len were pushing hard against the room door…however, the door kept being struck.

“Baby, listen, I want to get out here too, but who can drive away that damn thing!”

“The owner should find a solution… Oh, they are still downstairs… did they… Len said with a more panicked expression.

“We can’t think about them… let’s jump down from here!” Branham promptly suggested, “We cannot hold any longer… Baby! Allie, you two jump first!”

“No, it’s too high, I can’t do it!” Gloria glanced at the distance to the ground, and quickly shook her head.

Bang—!

Branham and Len fell down the ground together as the door was struck open.

Both arms in that huge suitcase were grabbing both sides of the door frame and a pair of bloodshot eyes showing a ferocious and horrible look came from the gap.

It was like a spider hanging on the doorframe!

Ah—!!

Harsh screams shrieked, Allie and Gloria were scared and slumped down the ground!

Just as Branham tried to stand up, the suitcase rushed to him and pressed down on his body!

Branham cried out painfully, but both his hands managed to catch its arms; they were in a stalemate!

Len saw that, and hurriedly strike its back with coat hanger severely, but only succeed in infuriating it!

Suddenly, a third arm stretched out of the gap—it was an extremely thick and long arm!

It caught and squeezed Len’s neck, and then lifted him up.

“Go… fast … go…” Len ordered in a choking voice.

Allie quivered. She suddenly got up and pulled Gloria, rushing towards the doorway along the wall.

The two went out of the door. Then, Allie took a deep breath and closed it.

However, where should they go next?

Downstairs!

Branham couldn’t burst open the door, but they could smash the glass door connecting the living room and the terrace…Maybe the house owner had done that and escaped from here.

“Allie … we can’t just leave Branham here…” Gloria said nervously.

She stuck her ear on the door to listen to the sound inside the room while swallowing saliva, “There seems to be no sound… Did Branham and Len conquer that thing…”

“Is that possible?” Allie gave her a negative answer; however, the quietness confused and had her hesitate.

They quietly waited for a moment… but there was still no sound.

Allie hovered at the corridor, biting her finger, “Let me think about it…”