Operation Red Book

Chapter 468 The most popular person

Holmes coaxed her gently, and his kind attitude was completely different from his previous bad temper.

"I'm just worried that you'll be cold, dear... the temperature outside has already dropped below zero, look outside, look quickly..."

Holmes lifted Ivy's chin and coaxed her to look out the closed window.

Although it was afternoon, it was dark outside the window, and it was not even bright enough to be called daytime.

The distant sky seemed to be covered with a layer of white film, which seemed to have not been removed for several years and was covered with thick mud and sand.

It didn't rain, which is rare in London, but there was wind on the street, making passers-by stagger.

Scattered newspapers or packages were constantly swept past the window, and they were blown up by the strong wind along with the dust, with no one knowing where they were going or where they were going.

The only thing that stood was the thick and long street lamp, which was the best support for pedestrians in windy weather.

Many pedestrians took off their gloves and hugged the pillar with their bare hands, waiting for the wind to die down and running away quickly, rushing to the next street light or the next corner.

"Look at what they are wearing? And then look at what you are wearing?"

Holmes pointed to the pedestrians across the street and spoke slowly.

They were all wearing black windbreakers, with their heads curled up in their raised collars, their eyes unable to open at all, and even the wrinkles on their faces were smoothed out by the wind.

No single hair was spared, no matter if it was sprayed with hairspray or painted with hairspray, all were blown back by the strong wind equally.

When you stay in the warm and cozy fireplace room and look outside, your first reaction is funny, your second is relieved, and your third is...worry.

"Look, you're showing your arms and legs, and now you're showing a big part of your back. You may be having fun, but what if you catch a cold? Are you willing to let Mrs. Hudson go out in the snow to buy you medicine?"

"Why don't you just go out and buy it for me..."

Ivy lowered her head and muttered that she was a little spoiled, but she didn't realize it.

"What nonsense! Being sick is so uncomfortable. It's best not to be sick."

Holmes smoothed Ivy's slightly stiff curls. She had gotten up early for tonight's party and spent the whole morning at the department store with Christine to style her hair.

Looking at Ivy's red nose, Holmes simply took off his coat and put it on Ivy's curled up little body.

It was not until Ivy's frown gradually subsided that Holmes pulled her into his arms again, stroking her wet face while beginning a new round of gentle words:

"Is it warmer now?"

Ivy nodded but said nothing.

Holmes smiled gently, he turned the glass in his hand and slowly stopped it in front of Ivy.

"Would you like some of my wine?"

Ivy didn't refuse. She held the wine glass with both hands and took a sip of the tea-brown liquid in the glass.

The moment the tip of her tongue touched the wine, it felt tingling and numb. She frowned bitterly and pushed the glass away with force.

"No! It's so unpalatable!"

"Tsk! You don't know how to appreciate it! This is fine wine, some people will never get to drink it in their lifetime!"

"My winery produces this. If you like it, I can ask someone to send you a carriage from Provence."

Christine crossed her legs, looking very bohemian like a Russian officer.

But her voice was sweet, her tone sincere, her clear blue eyes shone with a gentle innocence, even though the words she said were weighty, very weighty to the room full of middle-class people.

"Thank you, I don't want it."

Holmes flatly rejected Christine.

He simply finished the gin in his hand and concentrated on dealing with the depressed Ivy.

"You want to take the trophy tonight, don't you?"

"Hmm." Ivy snorted.

"The trophy tonight is given to the most popular person. You are afraid that you are not the most popular person, so you want to wear these clothes to attract other people's attention, right?"

"No way! Of course I know I'm the most popular one!"

Ivy frowned again and argued.

"These are the clothes I wore when I won the championship. My classmates are not as fussy as you old-fashioned people!"

"My clothes are the most unique, my clothes are the most beautiful, I am the most popular, I have the best personality, I look the most pleasing... all these factors combined made them choose me willingly!"

She said this shamelessly, and the inexplicable guilt and irritability once again surged into her heart.

Why didn't she dare to admit it openly? Ivy's head began to hurt. She knew exactly what she wanted.

All the attention, all the gazes, all the compliments, all the love... She wants it all, wants it all, and once she gets it she wants more, and once she has it she is afraid of losing it...

Isn't that exactly the same as Lord Leon? Ivy was shocked by her own thoughts.

"But we all like you."

As if with telepathy, Holmes spoke gently to Ivy.

"Look, Miss Goodwin, Joshua, Inspector Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson and me...we all like you!"

"I know..." Ivy curled her lips.

"Don't you think you're not good enough?" Inspector Lestrade also joined in coaxing the child.

"Don't think of yourself like that, little Ivy. You are the strongest and bravest child I have ever met. Like the other girls here, you are pretty, lovely, gentle and kind."

"Yes! I like Miss Ivy the most! She doesn't need those illusory awards. Even if Miss Ivy wears the most ordinary and plain clothes, she has her own charm!" Christine said, showing her eight teeth.

Hearing this answer, Ivy's mood suddenly rose several degrees.

She slowly raised the corners of her mouth, and her expression gradually changed from desolate to proud.

"I know! It's all because of my hard work and persistence. Otherwise, I wouldn't have won the championship three times in a row..."

"Not……"

Joshua, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

Ivy was startled, and looked at the skinny panda ghost with everyone else, each with a different expression on their face.

"Because you are the only Asian in the school, you were chosen because of your special bonus points..."

"You bullshit!"

Ivy suddenly became panicked. She stood up from the sofa with a "swoosh", and the little wings behind her hit Holmes' face heavily.

"I beat that transgendered mixed-race Indian and black person! And she...he announced on the forum that he had successfully transformed from bisexual to homosexual just one month before the competition! He attracted a large group of people who supported her...him!"

"Ahem, that's it."

Joshua seemed to be getting excited too. He ignored the desperate waving gestures of Holmes and Lestrade, sat up and started to talk to Ivy about everything.

"First of all, everyone in the school doesn't like that guy...her whose gender is always changing? Because he...she always uses these methods to gain sympathy from others, and people get tired of it after so many times."

"Secondly, in the whole school, except for you and those small groups of white girls, almost no one cares about that competition. Did you notice? You were talking about the competition just now, not Halloween. We just want to have fun and indulge ourselves on the holiday. We don't want to compare ourselves with others at all."

"In the end, those white people can't even sign up, and if they do, they'll just be runners-up. This is the trend of European social development. Just look at the Oscars in recent years. You are a vested interest, so it's normal that you don't know, but as a bystander, I know it very well."

"In addition, apart from the reason for the special bonus, there is another problem..."

"do not talk!"

Ivy had a bad feeling and screamed.

"Teachers and students are all afraid that you will commit suicide if you fail to get first place..."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ivy's defense was completely broken.

"I'm not Japanese! I've told you countless times you bastards!"

Ivy was in hysterics.

"Aaaaaaaaaaa!"

In her breakdown, she grabbed Joshua by the hair and threw him heavily to the floor.

"Son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

"Ms. Ivy, calm down!"

"Let go! Let go quickly! Let go of your hands! Let go of your mouth too! Ouch!"

"Hallelujah! May God forgive their sins..."