New Year was soon after Christmas. The songs floating in the streets changed from Christmas carols to Happy New Year,
But they were still as light and melodious.
Anne had been immersed in the festive atmosphere recently, living a warm and fulfilling life. She had almost forgotten about the "Queen of Abuse."
Until the Queen reappeared.
On this day,
Anne had to help Billy on a night shift, so she could stay in the apartment on Baker Street during the day.
On a winter afternoon, the dancing fire in the fireplace warmed the entire living room.
Anne was sitting on a chair reading a book,
Shylock was wearing his blue nightgown,
Lying barefoot on the divan against the wall, he gazed at her in silence. Anne was rarely seen under his burning gaze,
She was as immovable as a mountain.
"Obviously, your anger is unreasonable."
After a few minutes,
Mr. Holmes finally broke the silence.
Anne's gaze was still focused on the page in her hand,
She didn't move, nor did she reply.
There were a few more seconds of silence.
"Well, maybe next time I can let you win once." The deep voice on the other side said with some compromise.
But Anne was completely unmoved,
She turned a page of the book with her thin white fingers and said without looking up, "No, you won't."
Shylock, who was mercilessly exposed, simply admitted, "Yes,
I won't. I like to win. But you're like those stupid goldfish,
Just because I beat you a few times at chess, you're angry. "In the end,
He even felt wronged.
Anne buckled the book in her hand onto her lap,
She looked up at him. "Not a few times, but the whole, afternoon!" Anne deliberately emphasized the last few words. She finally understood how Uncle Tom felt back then.
"So what? You lost because you have a low IQ,
It's not my fault. "
Mr. Holmes,
Where's your desire to survive?
Anne smiled slightly,
It was soft and gentle.
"Very well. I think that as a goldfish with a low IQ, I shouldn't be in the same room as Mr. Holmes, whose IQ can crush the whole of England. "
After saying that, Anne stood up and walked to the door with the book.
Anne wasn't as observant as Shylock, so when she went downstairs to her bedroom, she didn't notice anything strange.
Her hand had already touched the door lock when a large hand suddenly reached out from behind her, pulled her back gently.
Anne was pushed against the wall, and Shylock's tall body immediately covered her, gently sticking to her.
"27 minutes and 48 seconds." A warm breath caressed his forehead.
"What?" Anne tried her best to ignore the warmth coming from his body.
"When you were angry with me," Shylock said, pursed his lips, and looked at her quietly with his clear eyes.
He sighed. He always knew how to soften her heart. Moreover, she wasn't angry at all.
"Alright, I'm not angry anymore." Anne finally said, "I went downstairs because it's time to go to work. I want to go back to my room to change."
Shylock raised his eyebrows. "I know."
Anne smiled slowly, helpless and indulgent. "Well, you know everything. Can you let go of me now, Mr. Holmes? I don't want to be late. "
"Not yet."
That fair and cold face leaned towards her, but it suddenly stopped when it was an inch away from her.
Shylock stared at her calmly, but his gray-green eyes were a little deep.
Anne's face was a little hot, and she knew that he was doing it on purpose.
It was dusk, and the corridor was a little dark. Only a small light above her head shone a small yellow light.
Anne smiled, tiptoed, and gently touched his slightly cold thin lips.
However, the tall figure in front of her still didn't move. Anne reached out and pushed him. If he delayed any longer, she would really be late.
"I think that the client in your bedroom can wait a little longer." Shylock suddenly said.
Anne was stunned. What client?
Questions flashed through her mind, and Anne already had a faint guess in her heart.
Shylock maintained the posture of hugging her. He only stretched out a long arm, touched the door lock, turned it gently, and opened the door.
Anne lowered her body and went out from under his arm.
Shylock didn't stop her and had already stepped into the bedroom first.
The curtains in the room were closed, and the bedside lamp emitted a soft light. Anne walked in behind Shylock and suddenly saw that the "Queen of Abuse," who almost made the whole of England bow down to her, was sleeping quietly in her bed.
Anne had a moment of very complicated emotions — the plot seemed to be developing in a strange direction …
Next to her, Mr. Holmes looked at the woman sleeping in Anne's bed, and his face was getting worse and worse.
He hadn't slept in this bed yet!
"Aren't you going to be late?" A deep and cold voice suddenly came from beside her.
Anne was stunned for a moment and turned her head.
She could tell that he was angry, but she didn't know what Mr. Holmes, who was proud of himself, was angry about.
…
.
The cold winter night wind blew in through the restaurant's open glass door, leaving a chill on the skin. It was late at night, and the white moon smiled coldly in the dark purple night sky.
She wondered how Shylock had solved the problem of the "Queen of Abuse."
Just as she was thinking this, she heard someone call her name.
"Anne." Another shop assistant in the shop walked up to Anne and handed her a 50-pound note. "The lady over there would like to invite you to play a piano piece."
Anne looked in the direction of her colleague's finger.
An elegant lady was sitting in the corner by the window. When she saw Anne looking over, she immediately revealed a charming smile.
Irene Adler.
After a brief moment of shock, Anne thanked her colleague, took the note, and walked over.
"Ms. Adler …" Anne couldn't figure out why she was here, so after a simple greeting, she simply waited for her to speak.
Irene looked at Anne with a dubious smile. "You don't look like the person he described at all."
Him?
Anne didn't understand who she was talking about for a moment.
Seeing the expression on her face, Irene gave the answer with a languid smile. "Moriarty."
Her seductive red lips gently spat out a name.
Anne's heart suddenly trembled. What was associated with this name was a deep pain and fear.
Irene Adler looked at Anne with interest. "Do you know how he describes you?"
Anne didn't say anything, and the other party didn't care if she got an answer.
"A fragile canary."
The unique chandelier above the dining table emitted a dim yellow light, illuminating Anne's pale green eyes like a calm and clear lake on a summer night.
Her entire being was still as quiet as ever. At this moment, Irene seemed to see the same calmness and indifference in Anne as Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
"But I don't think you're as fragile as Moriarty said," Irene Adler finally said.
"Thank you," Anne replied in a light voice. "This is what I'm trying to do."
"Someone told me that you play the piano very well. Play a song for me, I'm leaving, and maybe I'll leave this world forever in six months. "
Although it was the expected result, Anne was still slightly stunned.
After a few seconds of silence, Anne asked softly, "Is there … no other way?"
Queen Irene, who was sitting at the dining table, smiled with interest. "Are you reluctant to part with me, Miss Deboer?" Her voice was low and ambiguous.
His slender fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, crossed the table and brushed across the back of Annie's hand that was hanging in front of her.
Anne had never seen such a person. Her every move was seductive.
Anne felt an itch on the back of her hand. She was startled and trembled slightly. Her eyes widened as she looked at the person opposite her. For a moment, she even forgot to speak.
Irene Adler's smile deepened. "Miss Deboer, you don't know, but your expression right now makes me want to …"
"Anne!"
A voice suddenly sounded from the side, interrupting Irene's unfinished words.
Queen Irene didn't turn around. She just calmly retracted her hand and leaned back into the chair. She knew that he would definitely follow.
"Shylock." Anne smiled at the thin figure who walked in with a cold aura.
"Mm." Shylock responded in a low voice. He glanced coldly in Irene's direction.
Irene Adler caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"You're just in time. Let's go." Mr. Holmes didn't want to stay a second longer. He wanted to take her away.
Anne gently pulled his arm. "Wait."
Shylock lowered his head to look at her.
Anne thought for a moment. Then, she walked in front of Irene and put the 50 pounds tip on the table.
Irene Adler looked down at the crowned Queen Elizabeth on the note and slowly said, "I think this means that I've been rejected."
Unexpectedly, Anne shook her head. "I don't need this. I'm willing to play a song for you."
Irene Adler looked at her.
Anne gently curved her lips. "I hope you don't mind. For the help you have provided, I can only use a piano song to express my gratitude."
Irene Adler was stunned for a moment. Then, she slowly smiled.
"I think I know why he likes you now."
Anne knew that this time, she was definitely not referring to Moriarty.
Anne looked at Shylock.
"Oh," Mr. Holmes said with an indifferent expression. "Now someone finally remembers that there is a third person here?"
He was awkward again. Anne couldn't help but laugh. She pulled him to sit on the chair. "Wait for me here. Five minutes."
Shylock looked at her with dissatisfaction, but said nothing.
Anne looked at his white and handsome cheeks. She knew that he only looked cold and domineering. He rarely interfered with her decisions.
Late at night, there were not many customers in the shop. Anne slowly walked to the piano. The quiet and soothing music gently cut across the face of the night.
Probably because the night was always uneasy, it was easy to recall the sadness hidden in the day.
Mu Xin said that time was not medicine. The medicine was in time.
People often seemed to need the medicine of time to live. Because it was always inevitable to face a lot of separation and pain.
These separation and pain would never drift away like smoke. On the contrary, they would become a recurring focus in the body.
The medicine needed to be taken on time and slowly recovered. But no one knew how long this "slow" would be … when it could be done. In the middle of the night, if there were memories floating, turning around, and being able to fall asleep again, instead of being in the dark with eyes open, tossing and turning until dawn.
But no matter where we are, we can't be disappointed in the world. Because there is always a fragrant grass within a hundred steps.
And because those we care about and those who care about us, no matter how far away they are, will always keep the deepest wishes in their hearts.
The wind blew in the silent night.
…
When Anne returned to the table by the window, only Shylock was sitting there. Irene Adler was nowhere to be found.
"Can we go now?" Mr. Holmes stood up and asked lightly.
Anne nodded.
She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Those things, have they been resolved?"
"Yes." Shylock gently turned around, picked up the gloves from the table, and replied with only one word. He looked up at her. "Chinese food?"
Anne paused.
After a moment, she pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "Okay."
Late at night, the bustle of the day faded away from the streets of London. Under the flickering street lights, there was a sense of stability and tranquility.
Anne consciously hid her hand in Shylock's coat pocket. It was warm in his palm.
It was very close to Baker Street. Usually, when they returned together, Anne would talk about one or two interesting customers she met in the shop, and the journey would end.
At first, Anne was worried that such a topic would make Shylock bored, but it didn't. On the contrary, he listened patiently every time and then expressed his own unique opinions. Although these opinions usually made people speechless, at least the two of them enjoyed it.
Anne didn't know if she should be surprised, because Shylock was a great boyfriend. — No, he should be the best boyfriend.
He would often come to pick her up from work, especially when she was working the night shift. Anne had never returned to Baker Street alone in the middle of the night after work, even if Shylock was fully immersed in a case.
It was as if he had specially installed a biological clock in his body for Annie. Even if he was completely immersed in his own thoughts and completely blocked off all external disturbances, once the time was up, he would immediately withdraw and appear in the cafeteria punctually five minutes before Annie got off work.
Thanks to his superb memory, he could remember all the things that Anne liked and hated. The restaurant he took her to would definitely be her favorite.
Once, when they were walking on the street, Anne was bumped into by a passerby and coffee spilled all over her. Shylock pulled her into a shop on the street. He quickly walked around the shop, took several clothes from inside to outside, and stuffed her into the fitting room. The colors, styles, and sizes of the clothes were so suitable that they looked like they had been taken out of her closet.
Of course, Mr. Holmes also had times when he was irritable and unreasonable. Usually, when there were no cases for a few days, he would start to challenge the limits of everyone's patience. He would even demand that Anne not go to work and stay at home with him.
If he was so frustrated that he couldn't sleep at night, he would dig Anne out of bed and drag her through the quiet streets to the restaurant where she worked so that she could play the piano for him. In the end, he finally fell asleep on the table. Anne couldn't move him, so she could only sit on the chair next to him.
…
Anne didn't know what other people were like when they were in love. But they … were very good like this. Anne was very satisfied.
But tonight, Anne didn't talk about the interesting customers she had met in the shop as usual.
After walking for a while, Anne asked softly, "That Ms. Adeline … Will she die?"
Shylock looked at the night ahead and squeezed Anne's thin hand in his coat pocket. He walked forward without any distractions and answered in a calm and indifferent tone, "The phone is her umbrella. Obviously, without this umbrella, she won't be able to live for long."
Anne wasn't a saint. She had never thought about how many people she had to save. But "that woman" … If it weren't for her, she wouldn't have died …
Besides, Eileen Adler …
Shylock glanced at her and said calmly, "I know."
Huh? Anne looked up in confusion.
Shylock tapped the back of Anne's hand with his finger in his coat pocket. "Mcauliffe will provide a suitable protection plan for her. Even if — "he paused for a moment and continued," — thank her for her timely call. "
Annie stopped in her tracks in shock. He actually knew …
Shylock stopped as well. His condescending and arrogant gaze was a little displeased. "What? Do you think I can't guess who made the mysterious call at Chadsworth Manor that made Moriarty give up the game? "
Uh, well … Anne did think so.
Shylock saw through her expression and snorted coldly before turning to leave.
That was why having a boyfriend who could "read minds" sometimes made one feel helpless.
Anne quickly coaxed him. "I'm not questioning your reasoning. I just didn't expect you to connect the two cases. After all, it's been so long."
Of course, she couldn't forget the most important praise. "You can't blame me. You're too smart. You're always surprising and surprising. "
Shylock still didn't look at her. He just slowed down and a faint smile flashed across his lips.
Anne gently shook his arm. "Then how did you crack the password?"
Shylock said in a cold and arrogant voice, "Obviously, if this matter has something to do with Moriarty, it's much simpler."
Anne was stunned. Was he sure it was "simple"? Wasn't it more complicated?
Shylock's darkened gaze fell on Anne. Moriarty didn't hide his interest in her. Of course, it wasn't a coincidence that Anne appeared at "that woman's" house that day.
When Irene Adler faked her death, she even deliberately sent the phone to the restaurant where Anne worked as a Christmas gift.
If Moriarty, the consulting criminal, had provided advice to Irene Adler, then the game had instantly escalated into a contest between him and Moriarty.
But there was no need to let Anne know about this.
Just like there was no need to let her know what the password of the phone was.
Shylock retracted his gaze and said meaningfully, "I was able to crack the password of the phone. Of course, I have to thank you for your reminder."
Anne was stunned for a moment. Then, she remembered something and her face slowly heated up.
Before Irene Adler appeared again, Shylock was still trying to crack the password of the phone.
One day, Anne deliberately acted naughty. After work, she wandered in front of Shylock and stared at him with burning eyes. She tried to make the expression on her face say, "The password is you! The password is you! Do you see?! "
Shylock calmly raised his head, glanced at her, and smiled. Then, without hesitation, he got up and stepped in front of her. He held her cheeks with both hands and gave her a deep kiss.
Anne was caught off guard. When she was finally released, she almost couldn't stand. She only heard Mr. Holmes say in a deep voice, "If you want to kiss me, you can at any time. You don't have to hint with your eyes. I don't mind you taking the initiative."
This time, Anne didn't dare to do it again.
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