Operation Red Book

In the small and cramped space, Ivy cried breathlessly.

The hands that were holding Joshua's collar had already become numb and cold. Her expression was ferocious, and all her hot tears and snot were wiped onto his suit.

"Sorry……"

Her shoulders twitched as Ivy apologized quietly, her voice so thin that even she couldn't hear it clearly.

"I'm really sorry……"

After hearing Ivy's apology, Joshua remained silent. He stared at Ivy blankly, and his eyes instantly returned to their original tenderness, mixed with a hint of surprise and panic.

Ivy took a few breaths through her mouth and then released them all at once. After doing this several times, her chest felt extremely stuffy and painful.

Seeing that Joshua didn't reply, her heart suddenly sank, and her tone gradually became vicious:

"But I don't have a boyfriend, nor do I have a so-called lover. I just like to flirt with people, and I've only had a dozen or so at most..."

"So you are slandering me and making up dirty rumors about me...Joshua, you are arrogant and self-deprecating. You have been bullied for so many years. Have you ever thought that this is why you are not as popular as me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Joshua's face darkened in an instant, his eyes turned back to the chilling indifference and hatred, and his fingers trembled.

"I hate you so much... I used to like you a little bit. I even told Lord Leon that I loved you... But now I hate you so much, even more than I hate Dorian..."

Ivy leaned against Joshua's chest, weakly expressing the pain in her heart.

Things seemed to be going further and further off track, Ivy kept thinking to herself.

It was obviously my own willfulness, and it was obviously me who hurt Joshua first...

The words of sincere apology were on the tip of my tongue, but what came out of my mouth were groundless accusations and insults. Things shouldn't have turned out like this...

Why is this happening? Why did I become like this? Why did they become like this...

Ivy's eyes became tearful again.

"Joshua..."

"Do not touch me."

Joshua replied coldly, his voice so deep that even he was startled.

He lifted Ivy's shoulders and pushed her away from him, which made Ivy cry even more.

Before she could see Joshua's frown, Ivy was suddenly turned over by him.

With tears in her eyes, she saw everyone looking confused, and immediately lowered her head, her voice becoming more aggrieved and uncomfortable:

"Don't...don't look at me..."

"Ha!" Joshua suddenly sneered, his voice a little hoarse.

He stopped Ivy from turning around and forced her to raise her tear-stained face to face everyone.

"Don't you like attention? Don't you just want everyone's eyes to be on you?"

He was right... Ivy immediately admitted it in her heart.

She likes to be seen crying by others, and likes to act pretentiously so that others will feel sorry for her.

Not only that, she likes others to ask about her well-being and speak to her in a gentle voice.

How could it not be a unique achievement to get the attention, praise, and love of others? She could get pleasure from it, she had discovered it long ago.

But this was all she could think of when she carefully disguised herself.

Now she was really crying. This was her real vulnerability, and she didn't want to expose it in front of everyone.

At this point, this is not a unique achievement, it is an insult in public.

She was afraid of this, she just wanted to hide...

“I don’t want it! Wuuuuuuu I don’t want it…”

Ivy cried in a sticky voice. She wanted to turn around and squat down, but she couldn't do it as she wished.

Joshua seemed to be crazy. He grabbed Ivy's wrist tightly and pulled her up the stairs.

"Come on! Let everyone look at you! Let everyone care about you! Look at you! Pay attention to you!"

"Let everyone care about you, and you just continue to indulge in your own ego! Just like you did before! Just like you did to me!"

"Come on! Little princess! Come on!"

He pulled Ivy hard, completely ignoring her injured body on the stairs.

"No! I don't want it! Joshua! I don't want it! Joshua! I don't want it!"

Ivy screamed at the top of her lungs. She was extremely frightened and slapped Joshua's face with her hands in confusion, trying to push him away with all her might.

"You're not Joshua! You're not Joshua!"

"Follow me up!"

"No! I don't!"

"Joshua! Calm down!"

At the critical moment, Alexander appeared from behind and rescued Ivy from Joshua.

"Woooooooooooo..."

Ivy clung tightly to Alexander's strong chest, unable to control her emotions any longer, and broke down in tears.

"You weren't like this before, Joshua..." Alexander looked at Joshua, who was hanging his head and saying nothing, with questioning eyes, and said sternly, "Is it the effect of Bell's drugs or have you become a different person? Are you crazy?"

"Yes... I'm crazy..."

Joshua replied weakly, his voice sounding extremely desolate.

Crystal tears rolled down his face, he slowly walked forward and hugged Ivy, and they both collapsed on the wooden steps.

"Ivy... Ivy..."

He whispered softly, his voice as light as a butterfly.

"I am Joshua, I am your Joshua..."

"But I don't want to be that Joshua who always stands in the corner, always stands in the dark, never gets loved, never deserves you, and always watches you from the sidelines..."

"I want to stand by your side. I want you to be proud of me. I also want to be as popular, loved, and liked as you..."

Joshua spoke in a hoarse voice, bent down and kissed the blue feather brooch that Ivy had pinned in her hair.

His tears flowed into Ivy's back and down her spine.

The tears finally cooled, seeped through, and dissipated, leaving only a trace of water and a bond that penetrated into the bone marrow.

"Next! Let us welcome another candidate for the championship!"

At this moment, the host's voice overwhelmed all the loneliness and ignited the awkwardness and anxiety in the air.

"Warm welcome! Mr. Joshua Williams!"

As soon as the host finished speaking, the whole audience burst into warm cheers.

People kept calling his name, occasionally calling him "Josh" affectionately, as if he was a hero returning triumphantly, and his nickname was worthy of people remembering it.

"Ivy..." In the dark stairs, Joshua rubbed the back of Ivy's head reluctantly, and said earnestly, "Listen to my singing, okay?"

"not good……"

Ivy whimpered as she buried her face deep in Alexander's arms.

"No, this is for you..."

Joshua's eyes darkened, he stood up, gently brushed Ivy's slightly red earlobe, and turned and left.

A grand piano was wheeled up, and one of the workers opened the supporting shelf, revealing a cluster of bright red inside.

He peered inside, pressing the black button deep inside, and conveniently pushed the red one deeper.

Joshua had already walked onto the stage, the lights shining on him, and everyone's eyes were on him.

He bowed and sat down at the piano amid eager eyes.

The soft light shone on Joshua's face, reflecting his melancholy features on the reflective piano surface.

The audience below kept cheering and applauding, and the scene was lively and peaceful.

After a long time, the audience gradually quieted down. Joshua raised his hand and pressed the white keys, and the smooth and beautiful notes of Bach's Prelude in C Major were played.

In the darkness where no one was paying attention, the staff member who placed the piano curled up a meaningful smile.

He slowly walked off the stage, turned around and walked step by step towards the dock full of ships.

His work is done.