Chapter 177 - 177: No Idea How To Face Him

The night before she left, Sophia was packing up when she heard Kate calling her in the bathroom.

"What's going on, mum?" Sophia walked into the bathroom.

Kate had a bottle of shampoo in her hand. "There's no shampoo. I didn't know that before. Now my hair is wet…"

"I'll buy one now."

Kate shook her head. "The supermarket is not close. I can't wait for you like this. I'll get cold. You can borrow some from Pearson's."

Sophia nodded. It was convenient to have a familiar neighbor.

She went out to the door of Albert's house and rang the doorbell, but no one responded after a while.

Albert didn't seem to be home.

Sophia had to get back, "He's not home, mum. I'd better buy one. Wrap your head in a towel, and I'll be back in a minute."

"There is the key to his house in the drawer at the door. Open the door with the key. He said we could get anything we need."

Sophia hesitated and said, "I don't think that's appropriate."

"You needn't be so polite to him. Sooner or later, he will be… Anyway, get it now. It's all right. I'm waiting here now."

Sophia had no choice but to find the key left by Albert from the drawer. Then, she came to the door of Albert's house and opened it with the key.

The layout of Albert's house was the same as Sophia's. Sophia had been to the house several times before. So she knew where the bathroom was and just pushed the door in.

Sophia stayed the moment she opened the door.

She saw Albert taking a bath there. He was scratching his hair, and the water was not on. Besides, the soundproof door was good. When she was outside, she heard nothing.

Sophia was stunned for a moment, unable to think. It took her a moment to realize what was going on. She hurriedly turned around and ran out of the bathroom.

Not long after, Albert came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. He had just washed the foam out of his hair. The hair was still wet, and drops of water occasionally dropped from the hair tip and disappeared into his loose bathrobe.

"Well…"

"Well…"

"You first," said Sophia.

Albert was a little embarrassed, "Well, I have been busy lately and haven't been to the gym, so I'm a little out of shape. I used to have eight abs, but now I only have six."

Sophia's brain had not back to normal yet. "It's five." She said without thinking.

After saying that, she had an impulse to tear her mouth apart.

"You did see everything."

"I didn't mean to."

She didn't mean to have such a good memory. She didn't mean to remember that. But what she had seen would be as clearly printed in her head as if she had taken a picture, and she could not forget it. 

Was that her fault?

She quickly changed the subject, "Why don't you lock the door?"

"This is my house."

"Why didn't you answer the door when I rang the doorbell?"

"I was taking a shower."

"Then why don't you answer me back?"

"I did. The room is soundproof. You didn't hear it."

Embarrassment filled the whole room.

Sophia coughed, "Well, I came to borrow shampoo. I thought you weren't at home, so I came in."

Albert nodded, turned into the bathroom, and took out a bottle of unopened shampoo. "Here you go."

Sophia took over the shampoo in silence. Mechanically turned his stiff body and moved slowly to the door.

Albert silently watched her move to the door, then she suddenly stepped out of the door, reached over the doorknob without looking back, and slammed the door shut. 

When she got home, she handed Kate the shampoo. Kate took over it and complained, "My hair is drying. What took you so… Why did you get a new bottle? This is not right."

Sophia, with her head down, went to her room and replied, "It's from Pearson."

Kate was surprised, "Didn't you say he wasn't home?"

"Yeah. He's at home."

"Then why didn't he answer you when you rang the doorbell at first?"

"He was… He's just gone deaf."

Kate didn't understand.

***

The next day, Sophia and several students agreed to leave at one o'clock in the afternoon so that they could arrive just before dark.

Considering that they had not invited everyone to dinner after the move, Sophia and Kate discussed it and then called to invite them to lunch at home. Then they could go together after lunch.

Albert had helped when they moved in. Kate wanted to invite him and asked Sophia to do that.

Sophia thought of last night and felt that her ears were burning. She had no idea how to face Albert.

Especially… the picture was still fresh in her mind. She tried to forget it but could not do it.

"Go!" Kate urged her as she cooked. "He helped us a lot."

Sophia could not tell her what had happened yesterday, nor could she find another excuse. She dawdled out of the door, came to Albert's door, and rang the doorbell.

There was no response for a while. Sophia breathed a sigh of relief and walked to her house. Even before entering the door, she could not wait to shout, "He is not at home."

Suddenly, a playful voice sounded behind her. "I'm not at home? Does it make you so happy?"

She looked back and saw Albert coming out of the elevator with a bag in her hand.

He went straight to Sophia's house and changed into the slippers. "My mother pickled eggs and said they were better than those in the supermarket. Could you help to cook them, Mrs. Green? I want to share them with you."

Sophia heard of Albert's identity from Benjamin, but she did not want to expose him. She felt that since he did not want to say it, there must be a reason. Then she would just cooperate with him.

Albert's mother? The owner of the Pearson Group? She pickled eggs herself. It was not like what a lady would do.

Kate came out of the kitchen and took Albert's bag with a smile.. "Oh, you're so sweet, Pearson.