Chapter 86

"Forget it, don't go any further up. Joseph called out from behind her. His tone was nonchalant as he said "The scenery of these mountains and rivers are more or less the same. There isn't much to see." Joseph knew that Melissa didn't have a good night's rest since she had slept on the floor. Wishing for her to rest a bit more, he decided to abandon the plan of climbing up to catch the view of the horizon. "How could it be the same? I've never seen the horizon before, I want to go up and see!" Melissa adjusted her energy and briskly climbed up the steps. Her petite stature gave her an advantage as she gracefully climbed further away, leaving Joseph far behind. Joseph shook his head. This woman who was feeling unwell just moments ago had suddenly regained her energy. It was rather strange, to say the least. Most importantly, she actually left him behind after he waited for her. How could she be so ungrateful? But seeing her fine now, Joseph felt at ease. "Alvina! Alvina!" Melissa reached the horizon and opened her arms to embrace her two little treasures. "Mum, look, there's only a thin strip of sky between these two mountaintops." Alvin demonstrated with his fingers. He closed one eye to view the horizon, exclamations of amazement escaping him. Alvina quietly waited for Joseph at the top of the steps "Daddy, hurry up. I will help you!" Little Alvina extended a chubby hand to Joseph, wishing to help him climb up. As Joseph reached the top of the mountain, he swept Alvina up and hoisted her onto his shoulder. he stood next to Melissa, looking up at the horizon. “Let's take a picture together, Daddy.” "Okay.” A warm ray of sunlight beamed down and reflected off the rocky surface. The heartwarming scene was frozen in that instant. After they took a picture at the horizon, they started heading back to find Grandma Julia and Aunt Sarah. Melissa loved descending the mountain; she was even faster than other people jogging, leaving everyone behind. Joseph felt that he was not sympathizing with the weak just now, but with a budding athlete. Next, they went to tour Breeze Valley and Billos Spring, devouring some snacks from their backpacks as they went. A relaxed and pleasant afternoon came to an end like this. They returned to the car satisfied and started their return journey. Joseph still felt nostalgic for this place. It was the most relaxing time he has had recently; he felt like he should plan more such short trips. By the time they returned to the Clarkson mansion, it was already past eight in the evening. Fortunately, Melissa and Murphy had planned to meet on Monday rather than that night. "Mummy, why are you smiling?" Asked Alvina, who was lying in bed as Melissa hugged her to sleep. "Nothing, I just thought of some funny scenes. Sleep, Alvina. Mom has to go out early tomorrow, so you and your brother have to stay at home with your great-grandmother." Melissa closed her eyes peacefully. She wanted to rest early tonight in preparation for the big battle tomorrow! ....... At 7:30 a.m., Melissa pretended to select goods in a smoke and liquor store. The excitement in her heart was beyond measure. The thought of ruining Liam’s press conference that day made her adrenaline surge. "Young lady, what exactly do you want to buy? Do you need me to help you? You have been walking around this room for over twenty times." Said the smoke and liquor store's boss, a man in his fifties. He felt puzzled seeing Melissa pacing back and forth relentlessly. "Boss, I am waiting for someone." Melissa carried a small black sack that contained two earpieces, a recording pen, and a monitor. "Waiting for someone? Then you'd better wait outside." The boss was becoming a bit impatient. It was annoying to see someone walking around aimlessly without buying anything. Melissa suddenly realized that she had spoken truth. She flashed a cute smile. "Boss, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Can I wait here a bit longer?" "No. Stop wandering around here unless you're going to buy something." The boss said decisively. Flirts wouldn't work on him; making money was the ultimate principle. Upon seeing the boss's firm stance, Melissa could only compromise. "Boss, give me a bottle of sixty-degree liquor, the best one you've got." Melissa said happily. She looked especially delighted, leaving the boss feeling perplexed, how is it that despite him prodding this girl to leave, she still looked so cheerful? "Sixty degrees? Miss, are you sure you can handle that?" In disbelief, the boss eyed Melissa, unsure if the young woman was actually good with liquor or merely joking with him. Melissa glanced towards the door and nodded slightly, having never tried this liquor herself, she figured a small taste wouldn't hurt too much. The boss, considering his business interests, offered her a bottle of nearly sixty-degree aged sauce fragrance liquor, which was quite popular among his regular customers. "Open it" Melissa absently instructed, not even sparing the bottle a glance. She handed over a card, allowing the boss to directly charge the bottle to it. A hint of a smile finally made its way onto the boss's face at this point, given the sizable cost of the bottle. "Miss, enjoy the liquor. Its aroma is absolutely superb." remarked the boss as he reached under his bar for a disposable plastic cup, pouring Melissa a full glass of the liquor. Intrigued, Melissa took a whiff of the pungent smell. She was curious about the taste of the liquor. Would it be as good as the rice wine she drank with Peter and Amy the other day? She raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip. An intense heat resonated in her throat, traveling all the way to her stomach. The strength of the liquor caused her eyes to well up slightly. This liquor is certainly potent! "It's still early, why are you drinking alone?" A raspy voice asked. When Melissa turned around to see who it was, it was indeed Murphy. He was dressed in a black ensemble, very casual, and complemented with a black baseball cap. Murphy was the person she had been longing to see these few days. "It's for you, I bought it while waiting for you." Before Melissa could personally offer Murphy a drink, he picked up the bottle and took a drink. He set the bottle of aged sauce fragrance liquor back on the table and turned to face Melissa. "Where is the thing you promised?" Murphy curiously took the black cloth bag from Melissa's hand and removed an invitation from the bag which Melissa produced, unable to discern the calm in his gaze. "What's this, am I supposed to carry it in?" Murphy inspected the contents of the black bag Melissa handed him. He despised all these pointless trinkets, they were nothing but unnecessary clutter. "Yes, the earpiece - one for each of us. You take the recorder in, and I'll keep the bug here so I know what's happening inside." Melissa explained, slipping the recorder into the pocket of Murphy's shirt.