Chapter 387 - Bernard

Sasquatch watched from outside the window for a long time before Lotus finished serving all the meals. All the while, the same sweet smile remained on her face.

By now, Sasquatch was almost 90% certain that he had wasted his time and followed the wrong person. But, he couldn't make any assumptions. So, he continued to endure his hunger and waited a little longer.

As the kids ate happily, another volunteer walked in and said, "It's your turn to have dinner. I'll clean up after them and we can tuck them into bed together after."

Lotus nodded her head and started walking out of the dining hall.

Sasquatch smiled. Did that mean she would be finally on her own? All he needed were a couple of minutes to pull off her gloves and look at her hands. If he confirmed that it wasn't her, he could just jump back over the wall and never see her again.

With this thought, he started following Lotus down the corridor. As her high-heeled shoes clopped against the floorboards, Sasquatch tread lightly behind, trying not to make a sound. He was a burly and heavy man, hence the name, Sasquatch (Big Foot), but he was actually very nimble. With the extra martial arts knowledge that he had been given, he was so light on his feet that he could practically tread on water.

He was quite impressed by the Brain Tap technology as well as his own skills.

But, just as he thought he was being really stealthy, he followed Lotus around a corner and found her standing there staring at him. "Why have you been following me?" she asked bravely.

Sasquatch stood there dumbfounded. How was he to respond?

"I saw you outside the immigration office and on the train..." Lotus said as she narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "Why are you here? Who let you into the orphanage?"

As soon as Sasquatch heard this last question, he thought of an idea, "I'm a new volunteer here. It was just a coincidence that we were on the same train. I was at the immigration office earlier trying to get a new passport. I swear I didn't follow you."

Lotus was still a little suspicious but she knew the orphanage had strict entry rules and no one was allowed inside unless they had clearance. So, she began to let down her guard. But, she also remembered that she had kicked this man out of immigration earlier, so she was still a little cautious of him.

Sasquatch sensed her hesitation, so he added casually, "I'm headed to the staff room to have dinner. What about you?"

Lotus turned and started walking again as she replied, "Me too." Her sweet smile had disappeared again and she had transformed back into the cold, arrogant woman that he met earlier. But, she decided to trust him - for now.

Sasquatch breathed a sigh of relief and followed behind.

After they entered the staff room, she disappeared straight into the kitchen.

While she wasn't around, Sasquatch scanned the room to see if there were any cameras and discovered it was very private. He could do anything to her in here and no one would know. With a slight smirk, he sat down on a sofa and waited for her to return.

But, to his surprise, a plate of food suddenly appeared in front of him. "You must be starving," Lotus said as she handed him a fork and a spoon. Like the kids, the staff also had spaghetti bolognese for dinner. Sasquatch licked his lips and sighed on the inside. Since he had already been waiting so long to remove Lotus' gloves, he may as well eat this spaghetti first and wait a little longer. He couldn't waste this food. Especially when he was indeed starving.

With a thankful nod, he grabbed the fork and spoon and took a bite of the spaghetti. It was better than he imagined.

As he was enjoying his meal, Lotus asked with suspicion, "Why did you decide to volunteer here?" 

Without thinking, Sasquatch replied, "Because you're here."

Lotus looked at him in surprise. She knew it! This guy was a stalker!

Realizing what he said, Sasquatch quickly waved his hands and explained, "I meant, I'm here because of the same reason why you're here! Sorry, I was speaking with my mouth full and it didn't come out clearly."

"Same reason why I'm here?" Lotus asked questioningly.

"Yes, aren't we both here because we want to contribute to society?" Sasquatch asked.

Lotus laughed, looked down, and shook her head. "You're wrong... I'm not here to contribute to society," she whispered.

Sasquatch furrowed his brows, "Then, what are you here for?" 

Lotus looked into Sasquatch's eyes like she had a story to tell, "I'm here to protect them from society..."

After saying this, she fell quiet and focused on eating her spaghetti. Meanwhile, Sasquatch wondered what she meant by these words.

Soon, both of them finished their dinner with satisfaction. Sasquatch glanced at the time and realized it was 8:30pm. He had been following this woman for almost 8 hours! It was time he completed the mission he was there for. He glanced down at the rubber gloves that were still on her hands and asked, "Why are you still wearing the gloves. Aren't they uncomfortable?" 

Perhaps, he could get her to voluntarily remove them without using force...

Lotus glanced down and smiled, "I'm used to wearing them. Besides, I still need to wash the dishes after this. It's annoying to pull the gloves on and off."

"Here, hand me the gloves, I can wash the dishes for you," Sasquatch offered as he reached for her hands.

But, just as he was about to touch them, a voice said from the doorway, "The kids are finished eating. Let's wash the dishes and get them to bed." It was the other volunteer. He looked at Sasquatch with suspicion and asked, "Who are you?"

Lotus stood up and started walking to the door. "He's a new volunteer," she explained.

She then turned back and looked at Sasquatch with a smile. It was the first time that day that she directed a smile at him and it surprised him a little. "By the way, what's your name?" she asked.

A little fl.u.s.tered, Sasquatch felt himself blush as he subconsciously replied, "Bernard."