Chapter 4: The New Neighbor 3

Chapter 4: The New Neighbor 3

Tonight's dinner consisted of smoked meat brought from Yun He's grandmother's house, accompanied by two stir-fried greens. Just as the meal was ready, Yun He's mother, Cai Mingzhi, returned.

"Hello, Auntie," Lin Yong greeted obediently, addressing Yun He's mom.

"Oh, the plump boy is here," Cai Mingzhi replied, her beauty slightly faded due to her constant business engagements leaving no time for cosmetics.

"Auntie, please don't call me that!" Lin Yong protested.

"Well, then, little fatty," Cai Mingzhi continued playfully.

"Auntie, Yun Ge's sharp tongue definitely comes from you... sigh..." Lin Yong sighed.

"Not really, my dad's even worse," Yun He interjected, emerging from the kitchen with the dishes. "Clean up that mess on your table."

Indeed, this family would likely engage in verbal battles if they conversed with others, Lin Yong mused, silently clearing the clutter that covered his dining table.

"Mum! Let me give you a kiss, I've missed you so much this summer vacation," exclaimed Yun He's mother, immediately dashing over to embrace her son and plant a big kiss on his cheek.

"Be gentle with your kisses, you're going to chap my skin." Yun He set the food on the table and wiped his face from the saliva.

"My son will still be the handsomest in the world, even with a chapped face!" His mother pinched a piece of bacon and popped it into her mouth. "So delicious! This cooking skill, this looks, this personality, this—"

"Auntie, please focus on eating. If you keep praising him like this, how can anyone enjoy their meal?" Lin Yong couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"You're just jealous, you chubby boy. Come on, let's eat. I need to hurry up and deliver lunch to your uncle."

The three of them sat around the table, conversing and dining. Soon, the conversation drifted to the new neighbor.

"Mom, what's the deal with our new neighbors? I haven't heard you mention them before," Yun He asked, chewing on a mouthful of celery.

"Cai Mingzhi replied, "They moved in the day after you went to Grandpa's. They're from the south, a family of three. Their son should be starting his fourth year of junior high this year."

"From the south? Then why did they move here?" Yun He was curious.

"I'm not entirely sure. Aunt Zhang said it was due to her husband's business matters that they relocated here. It's their personal matter, we shouldn't pry. But judging from their attire and manner, they don't seem like people who would live in this area."

"You get along well with Aunt Zhang? You even had her big bread?" Yun He inquired further.

"Courtesy leads to familiarity over time. Ah, let me tell you, your Aunt Zhang is really a lovely person. She's a Southern lady, soft-spoken, and most importantly, her son... he's genuinely handsome! Tsk tsk tsk, at such a young age, he already has a presence. Imagine how many hearts he'll break when he grows up!" Mom sighed in admiration.

"Not as good-looking as our Yun Ge, right?" Lin Yong asked.

"Hmm... well... they have different styles. One is dashing, the other is handsome," Cai Mingzhi pondered seriously.

"You don't seem like a typical auntie," Yun He teased, "going after even young boys like us."

"Your Aunt Zhang's son is already sixteen. Becoming an adult is just a matter of moments," she replied.

"Speaking of which, if Dad were to hear that, he'd probably give you another deep soul cleansing lecture," Yun He chuckled with narrowed eyes.

Cai Mingzhi pouted, unconvinced. "Don't mention that old man. If I look at a handsome guy on my phone, he grumbles at me all day. As if I can't relax my supposedly sinful soul after working so hard every day."

"....Aunt... you're quite the modern woman..." Lin Yong said hesitantly.

"Very much so," Yun He concluded.

After finishing her meal, Cai Mingzhi took the lunch box Yun He had prepared for Dad and kissed her beloved son goodbye before hurrying off.

"Your parents really work hard, still not closing the shop at this hour," Lin Yong commented with emotion.

"They probably won't finish until around ten. Then they have to come back to reconcile accounts, and wake up early in the morning to stock up and arrange goods... Anyway, it's endless busyness. Young Master Lin, treat your parents better, you know, being a parent isn't easy."

"Oh, then you can walk me downstairs. I'm going home to show my filial piety to them." Lin Yong, having finished copying his homework, packed his bag and looked at Yun He.

"You're such a big guy, are you afraid of being kidnapped and sold as pork?" Every time it got dark, Lin Yong insisted on Yun He accompanying him downstairs.

"No! There are no lights in your building's stairwell, it's pitch black, how scary!" Lin Yong covered his chest in mock fear.

"Just count the steps and jump down, or if that's not enough, turn on the flashlight on your phone." Yun He rolled his eyes.

"I won't! I don't want to! I'm just scared! You have to walk me down!" Lin Yong was almost as tall as Yun He, but he was twice Yun He's size in terms of weight. At this moment, he was swinging his arm and pouting like a child, making one want to kick him.

"Let go, fine, fine, I'll walk you down, I'll let you copy my homework, cook for you, and even send you downstairs again. Damn, why don't you just become my wife?" Yun He tugged his arm free with effort.

"Alright, hubby." Lin Yong affected a high-pitched voice, fluttering his eyelashes at Yun He.

"Ugh... Come on, come on, hurry up, I shouldn't have let you come over today." Yun He now wished he could slap himself.

The sky had turned pitch black, and as the two emerged from their brightly lit home, the darkness of the stairwell enveloped them instantly. Their eyes hadn't adjusted to the gloom, leaving them unable to see anything clearly.

"Damn, it's pitch black in here... Yun Ge, turn on that flashlight pronto!" Lin Yong, walking ahead, felt his way along the wall, edging down the steps step by step.

"I already am, quit yapping." Yun He pulled out his phone from his pocket, swiftly activating the flashlight to illuminate the path for Lin Yong, wary of having to carry an injured Lin Yong up the stairs if he were to trip in this heat.

"Ahh! Shit! Ghost!" Scarcely descending a few steps, Lin Yong suddenly let out a shrill cry, plopping down onto the staircase.

At the corner of the staircase, a dark silhouette seemed to pause. Yun He aimed his phone's flashlight at the figure.

Under the beam, the shadow lifted its arm to shield its entire face.

Judging from the figure, it was a male, and quite tall, too.

"Remove it, it's blinding," the shadow said softly, with a voice that sounded young.

"Oh, sorry about that." Yun He promptly lowered the flashlight, directing its beam downward onto the steps.

The shadow didn't respond further, but carefully passed by Lin Yong, who was seated on the stairs, and then continued upward past Yun He.

The corridor was narrow, and as the shadow passed by, its arm accidentally brushed against Yun He's. Due to their summer attire of short sleeves, Yun He could sense the warmth of the person's skin for just a brief moment.

The window frames in the hallway were dilapidated, and a night breeze blew in through the broken panes. Yun He caught a whiff of that person's scent – it was pleasant, very fragrant.

With the warm summer breeze, the aroma filled Yun He's nostrils, lingering gently.

"Goodness gracious, you scared the wits out of me..." Lin Yong, slumped on the steps, stumbled back to his feet.

"Let's go," Yun He said, shining his flashlight for Lin Yong again. He glanced back at the now-invisible shadow before escorting Lin Yong all the way downstairs.

"Shall we meet at the Art Plaza tomorrow noon? You can help me find a reliable guitar tutor," Lin Yong invited before leaving.

"Sure, see you tomorrow," Yun He waved, then turned to ascend the stairs once more.

This time, Yun He didn't turn on his flashlight. The dark corridor seemed to still hold the scent of that person, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to have vanished.