Tonight was the most liberating night Hydrus had experienced since she was transported to this world.
Even though she had lost her most beloved little money.
But after hiding herself for eleven years, at this moment, she completely let herself go.
Flying freely in the sky,
The fierce wind howling past her,
Flames blossoming on the tip of her tongue!
This feeling of possessing power...
She really loved it so much!
Like a toddler with a new toy, the thrill of flying was intoxicating. Hydrus flew from Romania to Hungary in one go.
It wasn't until she felt her strength failing that she remembered she was still just an eleven-year-old child.
...
...
Nine o'clock the next morning.
Audrey opened her eyes. She had only gotten home at three in the morning, so she had woken up a bit late today.
Pushing open the door, Audrey walked out.
'Ah, Rick didn't prepare any toiletries for me last night.'
In the end, Rick was just an inexperienced twenty-year-old boy. He had enough trouble taking care of himself, so how could he be that thoughtful?
Audrey shook her head and went down to the kitchen.
'A clever housewife can't cook without rice.' She'd just whip up something simple.
After flipping a few pancakes, Audrey felt a bit emotional.
After being a young lady for several years, her once-skilled cooking had regressed.
However, the golden-brown, slightly crispy pancakes were definitely much tastier than the oatmeal Rick had made.
She sprinkled some sesame seeds on top. Smelling the aroma, Audrey couldn't help but narrow her eyes.
'A pity there are no green onions.'
'I must make Rick go shopping later!'
'Today, I'll enjoy the long-lost Muggle life.'
'Tomorrow, there's a tough battle to fight!'
"Ah! No! No! No!"
Rick's miserable shriek came from upstairs. Audrey, looking baffled, placed the breakfast on the small kitchen table and pattered up to the second floor.
"No! No! No!"
The sound was coming from the studio. Audrey pushed open the door and saw Rick vigorously rubbing his head, his brown curly hair all messed up.
"How did I fall asleep! The new song isn't finished. Mr. Waterman will be unhappy!"
"No—!"
...
"Big brother? Rick-brother?"
Audrey's light, clear voice rang out, making Rick freeze. He then turned around in embarrassment. "It's you, Audrey."
He had almost forgotten he wasn't alone in the house anymore. "Um, that... I'm not usually like this."
Rick didn't want to leave Audrey with the impression that he was a psycho and hurriedly explained, "I was supposed to show my new song to Mr. Peter Waterman today, but I don't know why I fell asleep last night and didn't finish revising it..."
He hastily gathered all the manuscript papers on the table. "I don't know what to do!"
Audrey smiled. "Never mind the new song. Hurry up and come down for breakfast!"
"But... my song..."
Audrey felt a little guilty. If she hadn't drugged Rick last night, he would have definitely finished his new song...
Of course, there was only a tiny bit of guilt.
In the end, she and Rick had only known each other for one night.
They called each other 'big brother' and 'sister' affectionately, but they weren't familiar with each other at all!
"If the song isn't finished, the worst that can happen is you get a scolding. But if the breakfast gets cold, you'll get diarrhea from eating it!"
Rick was pushed downstairs by Audrey, a helpless look on his face.
...
"You made this?"
"Yeah. Who else is in the house besides me?"
Rick nodded. Audrey was right. Failing to finish the song would at most get him a scolding, but letting such a good breakfast get cold would be a real waste!
Rick eagerly forked a piece of pancake into his mouth.
'Mmm, so good!'
Just as the "siblings" were eating their pancakes with milk, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Rick immediately shot up like a rocket. "No, no, no, it's Mr. Waterman. That must be Mr. Waterman!"
Audrey sighed. "Brother, don't panic. Sit down, calm down. I'll get the door."
Rick sat down like a marionette, but he couldn't calm down at all, his eyes darting towards the front door.
Audrey opened the door.
Outside stood a very sharp-looking middle-aged man.
His short brown hair was neatly groomed, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses made him look very cultured. A small mustache was very conspicuous, and beneath it, his thin lips were pressed into a line, giving the impression that he was a serious person.
"You must be Mr. Peter Waterman!"
Audrey greeted him with a smile. "Please, come in!"
Peter Waterman was very surprised, but he still replied politely as he followed Audrey into the house, "Hello, as you know, I am Peter Waterman. And who might this beautiful young lady be...?"
"I'm Audrey Astley, Rick's sister," Audrey led Peter towards the kitchen. "Have you had breakfast, Mr. Waterman? Would you like to have some with us?"
'Rick's sister?'
Looking at Rick, who was greeting him timidly, Peter then looked at the poised and graceful Audrey.
'This girl is named Audrey, and she looks like Audrey, but her face... let's just say it bears no resemblance to Rick's at all.'
'I wonder how Rick's mother managed to give birth to a pair of children who look so different.'
But the moment Mr. Waterman tasted Audrey's pancake, all his doubts were thrown to the wind.
'So good!'
Of course it was good. It was a pancake infused with magical elements.
Although the person who made the pancake didn't even know it.
At this moment, she was feeling depressed.
'I was just being polite. Why did this Mr. Waterman just sit down so brazenly?'
'I made enough for two people. Now I'm not going to have enough to eat!'
Helpless, she had no choice but to start cooking again.
"Rick," Peter took a sip of milk, savoring the oily fragrance left in his mouth by the pancake, and asked, "is your new song ready? I've already booked the best recording studio for you!"
Rick immediately tensed up. "The new song... it's ready..."
'It's just that I'm not satisfied with the third draft, and although the idea for the fourth draft is great, I haven't finished it...'
"That's great. After we finish eating, let me have a look."
Sweat instantly beaded on Rick's forehead. He felt he had let Mr. Waterman down.
The worst-case scenario was that if Mr. Waterman gave up on him, he would have to go back to the countryside and play in his small band.
Just as Rick's mind was racing, Audrey, while stirring the batter, began to sing:
"So I guess that the rumors are true,
You know I love a London boy,
I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon,
He likes my American smile,
Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you,
Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates,
So I guess that the rumors are true,
You know I love a London boy..."
This was a song that would only be released more than twenty years later, "London Boy" by Taylor Swift.
Audrey's voice was full of magic. The upbeat melody instantly captivated Peter and Rick.
"And now I love high tea, stories from uni, and the West End,
You can find me in the pub, we are watchin' rugby with his school friends,
Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride,
Babes, don't threaten me with a good time,
They say home is where the heart is,
But God, I love the English...
You know I love a London boy,
I enjoy nights in Brixton, Shoreditch in the afternoon..."
Hydrus spread the batter in the pan, all the while paying attention to the reactions behind her.
'Rick, I'm the reason you couldn't produce a new song, so I'll compensate you with this one!'
"Rick!"
Peter Waterman stood up excitedly.
"This is your new song? A new song you wrote for your sister?"
He muttered to himself:
"Although the lyrics don't quite match the little girl's age, when sung from her mouth, there's a strong contrast. It's that... that..."
"Innocence! Yes, it's innocence!"
Peter Waterman clapped Rick on the shoulder.
"Well done, Rick!"
"But, are you planning to give the recording opportunity for this song to your sister?"
Rick was completely stunned. He didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Audrey skillfully flipped the pancake and said:
"Mr. Waterman, of course this song will be recorded by my brother!"
Peter was extremely surprised. In his view, although Rick could also sing the song effectively, Audrey was the most suitable for it.
He looked at Rick. "Rick, is what Miss Astley said true?"
Rick watched Audrey frantically making faces at him and nodded blankly.
"Ah, yes... I guess so..."
"Rick!" Peter slammed his hand on the table. The clang made Rick jump, and the fork in his hand clattered to the floor.
"You are committing a crime! A crime!" Peter was extremely agitated, as if Rick had really committed some offense. "Your sister's singing talent is unparalleled! You can hear it too, this song is perfect for her!"
"But..." Rick scrambled for a reason. To be honest, the situation was completely out of his control. Of course, he had never been in control when Mr. Waterman was around.
He was completely numb right now. He couldn't possibly tell Mr. Waterman that Audrey had composed the song herself, and that she was just a homeless amnesiac child he had picked up last night, could he?
"But Audrey is still a child!"
This was a somewhat plausible reason.
But Peter Waterman shook his head. "Michael Jackson was performing on stage when he was 7. Age is not an issue."
Rick tried again. "But Audrey needs to go to school."
Peter still shook his head. "The purpose of school is to find a respectable job in the future. But with Audrey's talent, she will definitely become a superstar! Letting her learn all that useless knowledge is a waste compared to letting her realize her singing talent!"
Rick was at his wit's end, and Audrey was caught completely off guard.
She hadn't expected that just by tossing out a song from twenty years in the future to help Rick, she would get herself entangled.
Peter Waterman walked up to Audrey and asked very seriously, "Miss Audrey Astley, are you willing to become a singer?"
"Believe me, with your singing talent and your looks, you will definitely be a hit all over Britain, all over the world!"
Audrey was speechless.
'I just want to be a little rich woman who leeches off others and waits for death. I never wanted to be a star.'
'What should I do?'
...
'Then again, becoming a Muggle star seems pretty good too?'
'My past self used to dream of it.'
'And if I have this cover, I can better hide my true identity as Hydrus!'
After deliberating for a moment, under Rick's nervous and Peter's expectant gazes, Audrey replied:
"Okay, but I must be with my brother. Why don't we form a duo!"
'When you drink water, don't forget who dug the well.' Audrey couldn't let Rick fade into obscurity just for her own sake.
'He's also a future superstar seed!'
'Got to bring him along. I must bring him along!'
Audrey suggested cheerfully, "The Astley Siblings. How about that for a group name?"
Peter Waterman thought for a moment and replied:
"That's a good idea!"
Rick Astley, who had been bewildered the entire time, didn't know what expression to make.
Since meeting Audrey last night, his life seemed to be on the verge of a world-shaking change. He had no idea if it was for good or for bad...
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