Operation Red Book

"I love this place,definitely."

"If you asked me if I can stay, my answer is 'Of course'!"

Ivy lay on the gently sloping grass slope, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with her hands.

It is sunny here during the day, and the light circle caused by the setting sun is a little dazzling, but it is not a big deal.

Upwards there are blue sky and white clouds, downwards there is a clear garden, there is a cool breeze blowing, and there is a comfortable temperature felt.

Days like this are rarely seen in a place like London where it's rainy all year round. For Ivy, who loves sunny days, this is simply a paradise.

She was wearing a light beige dress. The fabric was very comfortable and felt smooth and soft against her skin, as if she had put on body lotion.

The dark brown wooden clogs were placed under the roots of the willow tree, with circles of water stains around the clogs. The fallen willow leaves floated in the clear water, like a small boat or a ladle of floating tea.

A breeze blew from overhead, wave after wave, and the soft green grass rose and fell like waves, with an occasional small white flower dotted among them, all bent by the breeze.

Along with the wind came wisps of faint fragrance. By the stream, beside the trees, on the fences, and in the grass, there were clusters of colorful flowers. The flowers grew wildly, never paying any attention to the gardeners who came to trim them every day.

Ivy's favorite is the scent of lilac, especially at night. She particularly likes the scent and romance that is released under the deep blue night sky.

There is also the sound of gurgling water, right next to my ears, gurgling, tinkling, like a melodious and graceful spring song.

When standing up, the dress will fall on the instep. Ivy likes to roll up the hem of the skirt to reveal her bare thighs, tie a knot at the base, and then simply secure it with a rope. This is the preparation before going into the water.

The stream meanders through the center of the garden lawn, with a small stone bridge spanning it, its base covered with moist green moss.

The water in the stream is very clear. When a spotted goldfish swims past you, you can see its dark shadow reflected in the mud. The water in the stream is very light. When you scoop up a handful of clear water and it flows through your fingers, you will suddenly realize that the water is gurgling away.

The water surface under the shade of the trees was overflowing with five-petal flowers, crowded together, and petals of various colors filled the gaps.

The water surface sparkles golden under the sunlight. The sun is bright, the stream is clear, and the surface of the water is slightly swaying, with sparkling waves rippling in it, as if the broken gold at the bottom of the water is spreading wantonly under the sunlight.

Ivy stayed here the whole afternoon, basking in the sun leisurely, enjoying the stream comfortably, or dancing freely, all in this Monet Garden that belonged only to her.

Ivy didn't know where this place was, nor did she know why she was here. She only knew that there was a Lord Leon here. He was the owner of this land and also a mysterious figure.

She seldom saw the Lord. Sometimes she would see him at dinner, sitting at the end of the table, slowly sipping milk tea from an enamel cup; sometimes she would see him on the top floor of the castle, where the moon was very big and his figure was very small.

No matter what, it was none of her business. Ivy always just smiled it off. She had her own things to do. She was busy in a daze, busy doing nothing, and busy trying hard to recall those gradually forgotten memories.

In short, everything here is so peaceful and beautiful. The castle with the accumulation of years, the mysterious blue roses blooming, and the pavilion overflowing with the fragrance of flowers are like a garden in the world of oil paintings...

"I could die in this place..."

“This is my place…”

Ivy gently stroked the stream in front of her, and the reflection on the water surface was so beautiful that it was a beauty that could not be reflected by an ordinary mirror...

She tilted her head, and the beauty in the reflection changed her angle. She smiled, and the beauty in the stream also smiled. She puffed her cheeks, and the beauty also puffed up her cheeks.

"Hahaha!"

Ivy found herself laughing. She stirred the stream even harder and muttered to herself some embarrassing words.

"What a beauty..."

“I am fxxking beautful…”

"Student Ivy!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhh-"

A gentle yet urgent call suddenly broke the tranquility of the garden.

Ivy screamed in fright, and the reflection on the water was disturbed.

"Damn it, who disturbed my sweet dream..."

Ivy rolled her eyes out of shame, she stood up suddenly and turned towards the ungrateful voice.

Who knew that before I could see clearly, I fell into a warm embrace for unknown reason.

"Ivy-san! Ivy-san!"

"Um……"

This person is covered in dust... and he doesn't smell like flowers...

If I hold it, my bones will feel a bit uncomfortable... If I push it away, it's quite strong...

"Mr. Ivy! I finally see you with your eyes open!"

"Who are you?" Ivy said impatiently.

The other party trembled noticeably, loosened his arms, and belatedly kept a certain distance from Ivy.

"Student Ivy..."

His eye sockets were red, his eyes were swollen like a pair of nectarines, his cheeks were moist, and his thin lips, which were already fleshless, were stretched into a thin line.

"Don't you recognize me? Ivy..."

His face was flushed, his fingers kept tangling around the corner of his shirt, and his eyes were dodging when he looked at Ivy, looking shy and timid.

However, the thick flaxen curly hair, the black-framed glasses that covered the upper half of his face, and the frail-looking tall and thin figure...

It feels so familiar, like an old friend I haven't seen for many years. Memories buried deep in my mind are suddenly awakened and pour out like Pandora's box.

Ivy suddenly opened her eyes wide, and the name that was like a curse came out of her mouth naturally: "Joshua?"

The other party was startled, as if he had touched a button, and he immediately smiled.

Crystal clear tears overflowed from his wet eyes again, and Joshua squinted his eyes and nodded heavily.

Confirming that it was Joshua, Ivy slowly raised the corners of her mouth, but the next second...

"Snapped!"

Joshua received a loud slap in the face.

Half of his face gradually turned blood red, and Joshua tilted his head in a daze for a long time.

After a while, he smacked his lips, his Adam's apple rolled up and down twice, and then he blinked twice at Ivy with tears in his eyes.

Joshua's expression became visibly aggrieved and uneasy. His whole face wrinkled, and his voice became confused and fuzzy:

"Why... why?"

"That's what you did to me! Right here on the dining table at 221-B Baker Street!"

Ivy was shaking with anger as she spoke plausibly.

"How could I possibly hit you..."

"I remember it clearly! I said I didn't want to get married, and you got furious and slapped me in the face!"

"You got slapped here? Does it still hurt? Are you hurt?"

Joshua hurriedly put his hand on Ivy's shoulder, but the girl opposite him became even more angry, and he received another loud slap on the other face...

"Don't think you can tell me what to do just because you're my brother."

Ivy squatted by the stream angrily, leaving Joshua crying alone in the wind with his face covered with his hands.

"I want to plan my own life. I don't want to marry that thing you mentioned... Lord Leon..."

"Yes, Lord Leon!"

Joshua muttered as if he had just woken up from a dream. He swallowed and slowly moved to Ivy's side.

Seeing that she didn't reject him, Joshua moved closer to Ivy. Looking at the bloody holes on Ivy's neck, he choked up and decided to speak frankly.

"I'm here to take you out. This is the consciousness space of the vampire lord..."

"I'm not going out!"

Ivy refused without any hesitation, which made Joshua a little flustered.

"You will die, Ivy. Whether you have recovered your memory or not, I will take you out..."

"I said..." Ivy frowned and turned her head, "I don't want to leave here."

"Student Ivy..."

"You do it again, brother!"

"Student Ivy, I'm Joshua, your classmate..."

"You're trying to make up those ridiculous excuses to trick me again!"

Ivy was so angry that she almost cried.

"What consciousness space, what vampire..."

"It's true. Look at your neck. It's covered with blood holes and scars!"

"No way!"

Ivy looked at the water, and her expression became intoxicated after a second.

"I'm so beautiful here!"

"what?"

Joshua looked at Ivy's reflection in the water, and it was clearly no different from the one on the shore...

He pursed his lips in confusion, then looked at his reflection.

However, there was nothing on the water surface, and there was no shadow except the gurgling water.