Outside Bella's house, Louie helped the heavily intoxicated Bella out of the car. Fortunately, Bella wasn't completely passed out; she still remembered that her home was in Unit 2 on the fourth floor.
Watching Bella struggle to stand, Louie had no choice but to pick her up in his arms.
"Put me down... I can... I can go upstairs," Bella mumbled with her head buried in Louie's embrace, weakly tapping his shoulder with her right hand.
"Don't think I'm taking advantage of you now; I'm not that kind of person," Louie said as he carried Bella, climbing the steep stairs. The staircase was challenging, and only someone like Louie could manage to carry a person weighing over a hundred pounds to the fourth floor without collapsing.
Louie carried Bella to the doorstep of Unit 2 on the fourth floor, gently placing her down. Leaning against the wall, Bella, he rang the doorbell.
"Who's there?" Bella's father's voice came from inside.
"I'm Bella's colleague. We had a company gathering tonight, and Bella had a bit too much to drink, so I'm escorting her home," Louie lied.
The security door opened, revealing Bella's father. Glancing at his daughter, who was in no state to stand, he hastily said, "Come in."
Assisting Bella into the house, a two-bedroom apartment of about 60 square meters, with Bella's bedroom to the left of the entrance, Louie guided her into the bedroom. After laying the heavily intoxicated Bella on the bed and closing the door, Louie returned to the living room.
Bella's parents were both in the living room, expressing gratitude to Louie and inviting him to stay for a while. Louie politely declined, fearing that staying too long at Bella's house might lead to unintentional disclosures. Moreover, downstairs in the car, Arabella was still fast asleep.
Hastening back to the car, Louie chuckled at the sight of Arabella. She was sprawled across the back seat, legs curled up, hands folded on her chest, and her mouth clutching her right index finger. The posture resembled that of a child asleep, murmuring something with her mouth.
Louie drove to Arabella's residential area, but delivering her posed a challenge. Arabella was too drunk to speak, and Louie didn't know her exact apartment.
Taking out Arabella's phone from her bag, Louie noticed a missed call with the home phone number displayed. He called back, and after five or six rings, a man's voice finally answered.
"Hello, are you Arabella's father?" Louie inquired.
"Who are you, and why are you holding Arabella's phone?" the man asked cautiously.
"I'm Arabella's colleague. We had a company gathering tonight, and Arabella got drunk. I'm here in the residential area, but I don't know your exact location. Can you tell me your floor and unit number?" Louie explained.
"5th floor, Unit 1," the man replied.
"Thank you. I'll bring her up now," Louie said before hanging up. He carried the unconscious Arabella upstairs, and a man wearing glasses appeared at the staircase. Observing Arabella's state, he frowned in disapproval. Without saying much, he simply expressed his thanks and opened the door.
Louie carried Arabella into the house, feeling a different atmosphere compared to Bella's home. Arabella's parents regarded him with a wary attitude. After placing Arabella in her bedroom, her mother brought a basin of hot water and towels to wipe her forehead.
"Uncle, Auntie, I'll be leaving now," Louie said, planning to exit. However, Arabella's father spoke up, "Please wait. I don't know your name and your relationship with Arabella. What do you do?"
"I'm Sammy Louie," he replied honestly. "I'm Arabella's supervisor."
"Ah, you're Mr. Louie. Thank you for bringing Arabella back. However, I hope your company won't organize such gatherings in the future. We don't lack money, and Arabella joined your company for experience. But in my opinion, this kind of experience doesn't involve heavy drinking. I apologize if my words are too harsh, but I believe a qualified supervisor should consider whether their subordinates can handle alcohol rather than encouraging them to get drunk. Arabella is a young girl, and if something happens while she's intoxicated, it could affect her entire life. Mr. Louie, I hope you understand what I mean."
Louie couldn't help but understand. He knew Arabella's father suspected him of having ulterior motives. Louie smiled slightly, maintaining a composed demeanor. "As Arabella's father and my elder, I accept your words. I agree with what you've said. However, from a personal standpoint, I find these remarks somewhat insulting. I believe you understand the implications of my words."
Arabella's father's expression changed slightly, seemingly caught off guard by Louie's unexpected response. Louie, however, had observed Arabella's father's reaction but pretended not to notice, continuing, "If I hadn't brought Arabella back tonight, you probably wouldn't have found her, and who knows what might have happened. However, as Arabella's supervisor, I am naturally responsible for her safety. As for Arabella getting drunk, I believe that's her personal matter. After all, Arabella is not a child. If she always lives under her parents' protection, she will remain an eternal child. Oh, sorry for saying this, I just think these words might be helpful to you." Louie finished speaking and turned to leave without waiting for a response.
Arabella's father was momentarily dumbfounded by Louie's words. By the time he collected his thoughts, Louie had already left the house. He entered Arabella's bedroom and saw her lying on the bed, murmuring incomprehensible words.
"When this child wakes up, we need to talk to her and suggest a change of job," Arabella's father said.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Arabella really likes this job; she always comes back talking about how happy she is in the company. If we force her to leave, I don't know how she'll feel. Maybe we're being too strict. I heard what Arabella's leader said earlier, and it made some sense. After all, Arabella is not a child anymore," Arabella's mother replied.
Hearing this, Arabella's father frowned. "I can't let Arabella get into trouble. The society is too complex, and Arabella is too naive, she's prone to trouble. However, this incident reminded me that I should help Arabella find a suitable partner and get married early. That way, at least we won't have to worry about her being deceived. As for her leader, I don't like that person. Maybe he has some ulterior motives towards our Arabella. It's better to put an end to it sooner rather than later. Tomorrow, you should check if there's a suitable person at your university and introduce Arabella to someone. I'll also look into it; there are a few good graduate students recently assigned to our school."
Arabella's parents reached this decision, while Arabella, still asleep, remained blissfully unaware. Mumbling in her sleep, she dreamed of moments spent with Louie, a smile playing on her lips.