Crunch. Crunch.

The old wooden staircase was constantly ringing, and the deep and narrow space became more and more crowded, and there were no windows, so it was impossible to capture any buildings or light as a reference, leaving only a small oil lamp hanging overhead, as if to catch the trivial sound of a dark shadow swimming in the wall compartment, and the muscles immediately tensed, and goosebumps on the surface of the skin stood one after another.

The cold air flowed slowly through the fingertips, from invisible to tangible, and even the sound of the wooden planks of the staircase became eerie.

In the silence of the space, it was as if someone was prying eyes.

Hoden's footsteps continued to climb the stairs at a normal pace, without revealing any emotion, walking through a blurry halo of light, but his whole body remained vigilant, and he approached his room on the third floor in a state of alertness.

Just now, Issa escorted Horden back to 99 Princes Street, and then he left.

Hodden went to the "Three Cripples" bar to retrieve his belongings, and stepped back to his lodgings in the faint evening glow, thinking about what he should eat for dinner, and his steps couldn't help but be brisk.

But then, the eye caught the muddy footprints on the first-floor porch and staircase steps, which should have just been left in terms of color and dryness.

However, it is not yet time to get off work, and the second-floor residents should not have returned, and the footprints are not as deep as those of the landlord, but rather of a younger and stronger visitor.

Hoden's vigilance sounded.

Then, after walking to the third floor, you can notice that the door panel of the Nair room next to Holden is not closed tightly, as if it has been opened, on the contrary, Holden's own room is tightly closed, there is no sound or movement, which is really a little abnormal.

One possibility is that Nair has returned from a business trip.

Another possibility is that Hoden's whereabouts are discovered, and the killer behind the scenes sends a killer, who first searches Nair's room to make sure nothing else is missing, and then hides in Hoden's room, waiting for the rabbit, preparing to cut off Horden's investigation that has not yet begun, and sweep away the remaining tail.

Both speculations are flawed, and Holden is missing a piece of the puzzle to be completely sure. As a result, the pace remains normal, and the mind is prepared.

Babble.

Opening the door with the key, the sound of the door panel turning pulled the tense air that was about to explode, and the hazy light blue light flowed down like a gurgling stream falling off a cliff, instantly filling the line of sight like a waterfall, and all the scenes were covered with a mysterious halo, and the heart suddenly stopped for a moment.

Then, Hoden saw Nair sitting in front of the desk-

Nair is a thin and slender young man, the fading light outside the window outlines the angular profile of the face, the straight eyebrows and tight lips reveal the vicissitudes and perseverance that have been polished and precipitated by time, and the face without too many expressions reveals a depressed dullness.

The seriousness and sincerity that emanated from the inside out had a steady and unangry self-esteem, which did not correspond to his age, after all, he had only just turned twenty-four.

"You should explain to me what the hell is going on?" said Nair in a deep voice, with a hint of sternness between his words.

Groov.

Could it be that it was exposed before it went head-to-head? Or was the password cracked by the notes he had hidden in the drawer? Or was it that the mastermind behind the scenes had already found Nair?

In the blink of an eye, Hoden's gaze quickly swept across the room: the food on the kitchen table, the paper on the desk, and the gifts on the bed.

Wait, and the details are skewed - desk drawers, so, are they their secret notes? or something else?

"Nair. Instead of exposing himself in a panic, Horgan stepped forward calmly, snapped his fingers, and skillfully lit the oil lamp, a pale yellow halo spilling through the room, and Nair's deep eyes locked on Howlen's expression, with anger and dissatisfaction.

Across the desk from his feet, Hoden placed his belongings on the desk: a Secepest College uniform, a student ID card and related manuals, and a bag of Crow.

"I've been accepted into St. Cray's College, aren't you going to congratulate me?" said Hodden looked at Nair with a smile.

The bull's response to the horse's mouth softened Nair's eyes slightly, but the softness was fleeting, and his eyes soon became firm again, with a look of reprimand.

Hoden continued while the iron was hot, "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself, and I definitely didn't let myself go hungry and cold." If you don't believe me, you can ask Guzmin. ”

"Nonsense!" Nair didn't hold back after all, and scolded in a deep voice, "You hardly touched the pocket money I left for you!

And so it was!

Nair should have found the money bag he kept in a drawer. Even though Holden has spent a lot of money in recent days, there is still a gap in the past week.

He still lacked some understanding of Nair, so he didn't hide his pocket money in advance. Now it seems that Nair is also an attentive type.

"Hoden, I told you, you're growing and you need nourishment, not only can't you starve, but you don't eat casually. Save one or two meals, we won't become rich either, you should be kind to yourself. As a result, you left your pocket money again, and I said, you don't have to worry about my ......"

Hodden didn't open his mouth to defend himself, but just pushed the light gray money bag forward, which interrupted Nair's words.

Nair looked puzzled, and before he could finish the second half of his sentence, he asked suspiciously, "What is this?"

Holden didn't explain either, just waited patiently for Nair to open the money bag -

He had no intention of hiding Nair:

On the one hand, everyone knows about the "Three Cripples" bar, and on the other hand, Holden will continue to work with Issa in the future, and sooner or later he will need to make a clear way here in Nair.

And now that Nair has discovered the surplus of pocket money, he has taken advantage of the situation.

"Holden!" Nair saw the golden Crow in the money bag and stood up suddenly, "Are you alright?

The first reaction was not joy or blame, but worry, a deep sense of worry, lest Holden be involved in something. Nair's real concern has always been Holden.

After the death of both parents, before Aunt Arlo found them, the Harrow brothers had wandered for nearly a month, and it was Nair who held up the sky for Hoden with his thin shoulders, and the two brothers depended on each other in the threat of starvation and death, waiting for a hope that did not exist.

At that time, Nair was only nine years old.

From that point on, taking care of Holden became Nair's instinct.

A memory that can be brought with it in a few words, but for young Nair and Hoden, it is an indelible nightmare memory. Even now, they are still vivid, and even if they rarely talk about it, those influences are still deeply entangled in the depths of the soul.

The tip of Howlen's tongue was faintly bitter, because Nair's real brother was gone, and what he feared had become a reality, and at this time, standing in front of Nair was another soul.