Chapter 007 – Odd Neighbor 07

Chapter 007 - Odd Neighbor 07

Amidst the swaying tree shadows, after a brief pause, the neighbor continued on his way home.

Under the dim streetlight, Yu Bai wore a look of surprise, while Li Nanxiao gazed thoughtfully at the departing figure.

Yan Jing cautiously emerged from behind the police officer, peering curiously.

"He seems quite decent," he grumbled, not entirely convinced. "But his physique is no match for mine. I could take him down with one punch."

Yu Bai rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond.

The head of the criminal investigation team chuckled. "Although he does seem a bit peculiar, it's not that kind of oddness."

The strangeness lay in how sincerely he had responded to such an ordinary polite remark.

Li Nanxiao suggested, "He probably smiled because he heard you like gifts."

Having seen this source of danger in Yu Bai's imagination firsthand, Li Nanxiao was finally reassured.

From a law enforcement perspective, this neighbor posed no threat at all.

He would be the first to be eliminated as a suspect in a group.

Those bizarre and surreal fantasies were indeed the result of psychological shadows following the elevator incident.

Before leaving, Li Nanxiao laid a hand on Yu Bai's shoulder and chuckled. "It's always good to make more friends. After all, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative."

Yu Bai vaguely acknowledged him. "I understand, Uncle Li."

Li Nanxiao happened to be giving Yan Jing a ride, so he dropped both of them off outside the residential area, watching their car disappear down the road.

The night streets were deserted, with most shops closed. The air carried a loneliness not present during the day.

Yu Bai stood at the entrance of the complex, lost in thought for a moment, feeling somewhat conflicted.

The reaction of his non-human neighbor just now reminded him of a dog that had been home alone for a long time, finally seeing its owner return.

...Why did he look at him with such sudden brightness in his eyes?

Yu Bai scratched his head in puzzlement, then reined in his thoughts and decided not to dwell on them.

Just as he was about to turn back to the residential area, he noticed four men in floral shirts with buzz cuts huddled together, pretending to play cards outside the only lit shop in the vicinity.

Upon catching sight of him, they halted their actions, straightened up, and waved in unison.

"Good evening, Young Master Yu!"

Yu Bai instinctively scanned the surrounding area.

Fortunately, there were no passersby.

These were the bodyguards who had faithfully fulfilled their duty to protect him for years. The leader of the group, with a scar on his face, was named Qiang.

Looking at the intimidating Qiang, Yu Bai put up his customary, futile resistance. "Don't call me that."

"Sure thing, Young Master Yu!"

What difference did that make?!!

Yu Bai resolved to retaliate, gritting his teeth as he said, "Qiang."

Qiang responded cheerfully, "Ah! What's up, Young Master Yu!"

...

Yu Bai skillfully gave up resistance, "Why haven't you gone to rest?"

Usually, he was safe at home, and bodyguards would only accompany him around the clock when he went out.

Qiang immediately grew serious, "Captain Li is here, so Brother Tian asked us to work overtime and keep an eye on things."

He didn't ask what Captain Li was doing there, but he added in a hushed tone, "Young Master Yu, if anything comes up, feel free to call us anytime. Whatever the police can do, we can do, and whatever they can't, we'll figure it out!"

... Don't say such things seriously to an upstanding citizen!

Yu Bai hastily brushed it off, "There's nothing important to take care of. I'm just having a casual chat with Uncle Li."

"Sure thing, Young Master Yu!" Qiang replied promptly, then asked with concern, "Did yesterday scare you? Should we keep watch inside the complex, or should we arrange for a different place to stay?"

The other three bodyguards behind him chimed in with their opinions.

"Brother Tian has arranged for a new elevator to be installed, but it'll take over a week at the earliest."

"The neighborhood is nice, but we can definitely find something better. We'll get on it right away!"

Yu Bai listened quietly, not adding his own input.

Of course, when seeking help from the police proved futile, he had considered moving out immediately.

Having personally experienced the bizarre phenomena, he knew it was no delusion and that his neighbor was certainly not an ordinary human, possessing unimaginable abilities. Thus, distancing himself seemed the safest choice.

However, he had just signed a one-year lease, and the landlord wasn't the easiest person to negotiate with. Moreover, the old flower pot that once belonged to the deceased grandmother had inexplicably become a watermelon nursery.

Unaware of these odd occurrences, Sun Tiantian had hurriedly arranged for a new elevator to be installed overnight, fearing further malfunctions. The installation process was currently underway.

Just as the chief of the criminal investigation team concluded that Yu Bai was suffering from PTSD due to the elevator incident and, after ensuring there were no abnormalities around the area, advised him to make more friends.

Furthermore, the non-human neighbor didn't seem to have any malicious intent.

Thus, Yu Bai decided not to move out just yet.

The trouble of leaving now might be more than the potential hassle of staying.

As Yu Bai was deep in thought, the men in floral shirts sensed something and also fell silent.

When he snapped back to reality, he found five pairs of eager eyes staring at him, eagerly awaiting his instructions.

Yu Bai sighed and said earnestly, "If you're not in a rush to leave work, I do have something that needs your help right now."

"Sure thing, Young Master Yu! No problem, Young Master Yu!"

"..." Young Master Yu instructed calmly, "Get some burlap sacks."

A short while later, at the entrance of the residential complex.

It was a dark and windy night. The well-trained crew with crew cuts carried heavy-looking burlap sacks on their shoulders, emerging one by one from the apartment building with agile steps and absolute silence.

The security guard, sitting in his booth, gradually wore a look of terror.

Observing the men loading the heavy sacks into the vehicle, the security guard summoned all his courage, brandishing his patrol stick as he tottered forward to stop them. "Hold on! What do you have there? Where's the young man who led you in just now?!"

The scarred leader immediately turned around.

He promptly set down the sack with a blank expression and reached for its opening, deftly undoing it.

The security guard squinted, watching with bated breath.

Then,

he saw a bag filled with round, lush green watermelons.

Security Guard: "My God—wait, what?"

Yubai was the last one out, cradling a watermelon that wouldn't fit in the sack. As soon as he emerged, he met the security guard's eyes, which were filled with relief at seeing him alive and well.

After a brief silence, he mustered up the courage to explain, "Uncle, my watermelons from the rooftop garden have ripened, so I called some friends to help me carry them."

"Oh, oh, I thought you owed them money. So you're friends, huh? My apologies."

In a gesture of camaraderie, the gatekeeper tapped the watermelon in the sack and exclaimed, "Wow, it sounds so crisp!"

Scarface Qiang beamed with pride, genuinely agreeing, "Of course! Our Young Master Yu grows them so well!"

Young Master Yu didn't want to speak and instead contemplated throwing the watermelon he was holding.

This wasn't his doing.

Compared to when he and Li Nanxiao had inspected the rooftop before, these watermelons were clearly much bigger.

At this rate, they might grow as large as yoga balls by the next night.

Yu Bai speculated that the time flow in the rooftop flower pots must have accelerated significantly. Thus, the seeds Yan Jing had left behind had grown into ordinary-sized watermelons overnight, while the seed that had accidentally fallen into a pot earlier had become the giant yoga ball-sized one they saw last night.

If Li Nanxiao were called back now and witnessed this scene that defied scientific understanding, he would gradually start believing in Yu Bai and Yan Jing's other "illusions."

A serious and responsible police officer would undoubtedly handle such bizarre incidents differently than the two carefree individuals.

They'd probably capture the "person" for research at a scientific institution, right?

In that instant, Yu Bai's mind flashed back to the sudden disappearance of melancholy from those blue eyes.

Thus, he stood before the field of watermelons, pondering for a moment. Ultimately, he didn't call the chief detective but summoned the bodyguards who were preparing sacks.

Regardless, the watermelons needed to be dealt with.

He still dreamed of a natural death and wished to avoid being crushed by a collapsing roof someday.

The following morning, the first thing Yu Bai did after waking up was to inspect the rooftop.

The sun shone brightly, and the old flower pots were barren. A freshly written note warning against littering fluttered at the entrance to the rooftop.

Excellent, it was desolate, devoid of any signs of massive creatures.

Relieved by the sight, Yu Bai exhaled, turned around, and descended the stairs to retrieve his takeout.

There was always a sense of tidying up after someone else.

...Well, not quite someone.

He retrieved his lunch from the delivery cabinet and was about to retrace his steps to the apartment building when the security guard in the booth called out to him.

The elderly guard rubbed his hands together, his smile etched deeply into the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. With a hint of embarrassment, he handed something over.

"Yesterday's watermelon you gave me was delicious, so sweet," the man said. "I thought since you like gardening, I'd bring you a pot of flowers from home. This one is very low maintenance - just give it some water every day, and when the sun comes up, it blooms. It's quite lovely."

He presented a brimming pot of sunflowers, a common plant in parks, with plump leaves resembling rice grains and vibrant, energetic blossoms of various hues.

Yu Bai felt compelled to clarify that he didn't actually have a fondness for gardening.

Yet, seeing the elder's enthusiastic yet apprehensive gaze, he decided against explaining and politely accepted it. "Thank you."

Back at home, Yu Bai casually placed the pot of sunflower on the kitchen counter.

He seldom cooked, so he used this space as a balcony. The kitchen in this apartment had a better orientation with more abundant sunlight.

As he set down the sunflower, Yu Bai instinctively glanced next door.

The cooking oil, iron pot, and plastic bags on the neighbor's kitchen counter were all gone, leaving it barren and empty.

It seemed that his non-human neighbor had abandoned the idea of blowing up the kitchen again.

Very good – times two.

Yu Bai optimistically thought that as long as this neighbor refrained from any more dramatic stunts, he should be able to continue living here in tranquility.

As for the occasional ripples, he could try to overcome them.

Human adaptability was remarkable.

He'd already adapted to this kind of life to a great extent – after all, he'd spent so many years navigating ups and downs, gaining ample experience along the way.

With both the watermelon incident and the explosions settled, there remained the mysterious sounds coming from within the walls at night.

He wondered if Yan Jing's slap had thoroughly frightened the "person" away.

To be proactive, Yu Bai opened a map on his phone to search for hardware stores nearby. The nearest one was Jianbin Hardware.

He dialed their number and inquired, "Excuse me, do you sell soundproofing cotton?"

"Of course, I can sell it to you. Where do you plan to use it?" The middle-aged man on the other end of the phone instinctively replied before suddenly exclaiming in delight, "Ah! Are you the one who lives in Unit 2? We were stuck in the elevator together that day!"

Yu Bai was taken aback and involuntarily thought of the scent of fried chicken. "...Master Wang?"

"That's right, that's right! Oh my, you still remember me!" Master Wang sounded pleased. "I recognized your voice the moment I heard it. I'll never forget that day for the rest of my life!"

Yu Bai couldn't forget that fateful day either, which could be considered the root of all evil.

Master Wang bombarded him with questions. "You want soundproofing? Which room? What's the reason? I'll bring everything over and help you out right away. Jianbin Hardware is my store, and my name is Wang Jianbin!"

"Uh... I live in 1205, and the pipes make a bit of noise at night."

The enthusiastic Wang Jianbin soon arrived with a large bag of materials and tools. As a fellow resident of the building, he was familiar with the structure and promptly installed soundproofing for the entire plumbing system. He even added soundproof strips to the door and window seals.

"I guarantee you won't be disturbed by any noise at night!"

Unaware of the real situation, Master Wang confidently patted his chest and refused to accept payment no matter what.

Yu Bai watched in amusement as Wang Jianbin hastily left, as if escaping. He thought about buying fried chicken from the neighboring store more often in the future to repay him.

Certainly, amidst the dramatic chapters of his life, there were moments of joy to be found.

In any case, he no longer needed to worry too much about disturbances.

In the still of the night, Yu Bai was engrossed in writing at his computer. It was during a brief respite that he became aware of a faint, unusual sound coming from within the walls.

It wasn't knocking, nor was it the twinkling of stars, nor a weeping sound.

It resembled a crisp, light laughter.

He couldn't be certain, for the noise was so faint, almost imperceptible.

The soundproofing material did its job well.

With this thought, Yu Bai calmly put on his headphones, effectively blocking out even that last trace of anomaly.

All that remained in his ears was the soothing melody of music.

Perfect, times three.

With all three odd incidents resolved, his life had returned to its tranquil state entirely.

In truth, Yu Bai had stumbled upon other peculiarities before.

On the floor he resided on, there were ten units in total, four of which were occupied while the rest stood empty.

Of the four inhabited units, one was located on the opposite side of the elevator, quite distant from the others. The remaining three were right next to each other.

He lived in 1205, the non-human dwelled in 1204, and a young man with long hair resided in 1203.

Yu Bai had occasionally crossed paths with this man in the hallway before. He recalled the man giving off an icy demeanor.

Living as close to the non-human as Yu Bai did, could this person also be plagued by the abnormal noises?

Surely, it couldn't be that only his life was disrupted by the neighbor, right?

One day, as Yu Bai passed by Unit 1203, he noticed that the door wasn't securely closed but was slightly ajar.

Pausing in hesitation, he stopped for a moment.

In the next instant, he heard a sudden burst of drumming.

Inside the room, the long-haired man extinguished the cigarette that was about to burn out between his fingers and continued drumming with intense focus. The dimly lit, smoke-filled space exuded an air of decadence and gloom.

...It's all good now.

Yu Bai closed the door for him without looking back, swiftly departing.

This person was even noisier than what was behind the wall.

So Master Wang's soundproofing job was truly excellent; Yu Bai hadn't heard any drumming while at home.

As for the peculiar drumsticks in the long-haired man's hands, which resembled bones...

Yu Bai decided to pretend he didn't see them.

They just looked like bones.

Watermelons could resemble yoga balls, so why couldn't drumsticks resemble bones?

To this, Yan Jing commented, "I bet a hundred bucks that it's not a drumstick!"

"Not betting." Yu Bai reached for his keys with one hand and held his phone with the other, responding impatiently, "What's the point of dragging this on? What do you really want to say?"

He had just delivered fried chicken to Master Wang at Jianbin Hardware Store and received Yan Jing's call on his way back. Yan Jing inquired about every detail of what had happened recently.

By the time he reached his doorstep, the call was still ongoing.

"That's because I'm concerned about you!" Yan Jing expressed his emotions through the phone, "I'm worried that something unexpected might happen to you there. After all, I'm the only one who knows that your neighbor isn't human."

"Oh," Yu Bai inserted the key into the lock, completely unfazed. "You have ten more seconds."

As he lowered his head to open the door, footsteps echoed behind him.

The increasingly familiar silhouette appeared in his peripheral vision.

But Yu Bai didn't bother to look, instead turning the key and unlocking the door, proceeding to enter his home as if nothing had happened.

It was as if he hadn't noticed his neighbor, who had also just returned next door.

Given that he had chosen to overlook the peculiarities in his daily life,

Yu Bai naturally would doubly ignore the source of those anomalies, pretending they didn't exist.

He wouldn't risk befriending non-humans – such an act was entirely at odds with his life aspirations.

"Don't, my mom wants you to come over for dinner. She says she misses you. Are you coming or not?"

Listening to his friend's voice on the phone, Yu Bai calmly glanced at the shade of gray-blue beside him, entered the house, and shut the door behind him. "Ten seconds are up, I'm hanging up."

The first time he pretended not to know his otherworldly neighbor, their formerly friendly gaze had turned blank, leaving him feeling a bit guilty.

By now, they should be used to it, right?

"Hold on, hold on! I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Yan Jing ceased his procrastination and finally got to the point, sounding slightly awkward.

"So... do you want strawberries? Or maybe mangoes? Or peaches?"

Yan Jing chuckled, his tone oozing with sycophancy. "I bought some fruit seeds. When can I come over to your place and play?"

"After we plant them, we'll harvest them that same night. These seeds won't grow as big as watermelons, so they definitely won't collapse the rooftop!"

Yu Bai: ...

He had long known that Yan Jing was somewhat simple-minded, but he was still occasionally amazed by the extent of it.

Despite hearing all these bizarre tales, Yan Jing still harbored thoughts about those old flower pots.

"Forget it, it's not going to happen."

Yu Bai crushed Yan Jing's fantastical notion without any hesitation.

Speaking of flower pots...

Yu Bai recalled the sunflower pot that the security guard had given him.

He seemed to have skipped watering it for a day.

Abandoning his initial intention of heading to the bedroom, he veered toward the kitchen instead.

"Think about it, how delicious was that watermelon? The rooftop is just idle, might as well cultivate something there..."

Yan Jing was earnestly persuading when he suddenly heard a brief curse from the other end of the phone. He hastily inquired, "What's wrong? What happened?!"

Yu Bai stared in disbelief at the scene before him.

Compared to the other bizarre occurrences, this barely registered on the scale.

Yet, he failed to maintain his usual composure.

On his kitchen countertop, the simple sunflower continued to bloom as usual.

In the neighboring room, the previously empty kitchen countertop now held an identical sunflower pot.

Yu Bai spoke in a daze, his tone perplexed, "He actually learned to grow flowers in the kitchen from me."

Halfway through echoing Yan Jing's enthusiasm, he too suddenly fell into confusion, "He actually learned from you – hey?"

Before Yu Bai's eyes, two vases of flowers gazed at each other through the window, their vibrant blossoms basking in the sunlight with youthful vitality.

The plump rice-grain leaves swayed gently in the breeze.