Chapter 13: Odd Neighbor 03

Chapter 13: Odd Neighbor 03

The stairwell was much quieter than the outside world, with various rhythms of footsteps echoing softly.

As Yu Bai walked in front, he couldn't help but sneak a glance back each time he brushed past unfamiliar neighbors who had to walk down due to the elevator's malfunction.

The footsteps behind him moved at a steady pace, stepping quietly on each step.

After expressing gratitude for his kind gesture, the non-human neighbor didn't speak another word.

Yu Bai had seen him more than once and was gradually getting acquainted, eager to strike up a casual conversation, perhaps about how he wasn't foolish but rather intelligent.

Unfortunately, in this loop, it was their first encounter; there had been no exchange in the elevator earlier, making them complete strangers.

Wait, not the first time – he mentioned seeing Yu Bai yesterday.

Recalling this, Yu Bai's curiosity finally got the better of him. He paused, turned around, and pretended to be nonchalant as he asked, "Did you also go downstairs to get takeout yesterday?"

A week ago on this day, he had stayed home the whole day writing, only venturing downstairs twice to fetch food deliveries without even leaving the neighborhood.

He didn't recall encountering such a person on his way, considering how distinctive the other's appearance was; he should have at least had a vague impression.

So where did this guy see him then?

The steady footsteps paused, and the man lifted his head in response to the sound, gazing steadily at him.

Yu Bai instinctively held his breath, awaiting the man's response.

After a moment of contemplation, following a brief silence, the man spoke with sincerity.

"Delivery?"

A very earnest question.

"....Never mind."

Yu Bai managed to keep his expression from contorting, calmly retracting his gaze.

Damn it.

When he didn't ask.

He quickened his pace to ascend the seven flights of stairs and entered the twelfth floor, returning to his own room, 1205.

By the time he closed the door, the man next door had just stepped into the hallway, likely catching only the swift shutting of the apartment door.

Thus, there was no polite exchange of goodbyes this time.

It didn't matter; they were likely to meet again tomorrow.

Yu Bai stood behind the door, listening to the sound of his neighbor closing their door, then began staring at his phone.

He was supposed to work on his manuscript this afternoon, but now, with the loop, that wasn't necessary. He could freely allocate the remaining hours as he pleased.

Though Yu Bai was yet to grasp why he was trapped in this time loop or how to escape it, the key to finding answers surely lay with the neighbor who had no clue about takeout.

Shouldn't he first deepen his understanding of this non-human neighbor?

First understand, then solve.

Moments later, Sun Tiantian's resolute, anxious face filled the video call, meeting Yu Bai's contemplative gaze head-on.

"Little Bai, are you alright? I heard from Qiang that there was an issue with the elevator in your complex—"

The fierce-looking man on the other end of the call, his barrage of concerns suddenly halted, confusion etched on his face. "What's with that look?"

"I'm fine in the elevator, but not after getting home."

Yu Bai maintained his composure and used the same excuse. "I've hit a writer's block, Brother Tian. Can I ask for your advice?"

"I was so scared! As long as you're okay!" Brother Tian examined him on the screen from every angle, reassured when he found no signs of distress. "Ask away, I've got a whole team here to help!"

Sun Tiantian swiveled his phone, revealing a panoramic window showcasing a parked airplane outside and a row of sharply dressed minions waving in unison at the camera. "Good afternoon, Young Master Yu!"

"…Hello," Yu Bai responded calmly, raising a hand in greeting. "So, the scene goes like this."

"Due to unavoidable circumstances, my protagonist needs to learn more about someone who lives next door. How should he go about getting close to them?"

Yu Bai had little experience in approaching and understanding someone.

The last time possibly dated back to elementary school, when Sun Tiantian, playing alone with paper planes, accidentally sent one flying into Yan Jing's pompadour. He promptly apologized, but the solitary Yan Jing burst into tears instead, and from then on, they somehow evolved into pseudo-brothers with different fathers and mothers.

It didn't make much sense, so it held little relevance as a reference.

Upon hearing this, Sun Tiantian waved his hand expansively. "How else would you approach her? Just go over and say hello!"

"That's too straightforward. My...main character feels awkward about it. Is there a more subtle approach?"

"It's your story, you decide. Just make it so that the person next door doesn't find it odd. What's there to be so indecisive about?"

Sun Tiantian said with a hint of confusion. As he spoke, one of his minions suddenly whispered something in his ear, making him slap his thigh in realization.

"Oh! So it's you—ahem, you have a main character."

Moving closer to the camera, Sun Tiantian gossipingly asked, "So does this main character have some compelling reason to learn about this person?"

The astute minions behind him also gathered around curiously.

Yu Bai shot them a subtle glare.

"It's due to an unavoidable circumstance, something crucial, involving life and death. Hence, I need to know more about this person."

"Oh, life and death, are you planning to get rid of them?" Sun Tiantian drawled, chuckling. "Or are you trying to pursue them?"

"..." Yu Bai gritted his teeth, expressionless. "I intend to eliminate him."

"Really? Did your neighbor provoke you?" Sun Tiantian immediately put aside his gossiping nature, furrowing his brows. "Should I call Qiang to give him a beating? Forget about getting rid of him. We live in a society ruled by law; we can't just act recklessly."

"No need, it's not that serious. I just want to learn something from him. I'll handle it myself—my protagonist will handle it."

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. Then let me teach—teach your protagonist some useful tactics. Just don't tell Mr. Li!"

"Sure, Big Brother Tian." Yu Bai pretended to zip his mouth, eager to learn. "I'll definitely keep it a secret from Uncle Li."

Watching his gesture, Sun Tiantian couldn't help but laugh. "You seem to be in a good mood today, not like someone who's encountered a problem. Are you really not trying to pursue your neighbor?"

The knowledgeable and astute younger brother whispered, "Boss, maybe Young Master Yu met his neighbor in the malfunctioning elevator. The adrenaline rush during a stressful situation can mimic the feeling of falling in love. It's called the suspension bridge effect."

"..." Yu Bai, unable to tolerate it anymore, snapped. "Hey, enough! I can hear you!"

After the phone call, apart from acquiring a wealth of surveillance and interrogation tactics that he couldn't divulge to the police, Yu Bai also learned a plethora of clumsy pick-up lines from his enthusiastic minions.

It was utterly perplexing.

Thoughts swirling in his mind, Yu Bai grabbed his backpack and stepped out, a slight upward curve forming on the corners of his lips despite himself.

No wonder Sun Tiantian and several of his subordinates were eternal bachelors.

Such terrible strategies – no wonder they couldn't find girlfriends.

If he could return to a time when everything was normal, he'd definitely set them straight about their bizarre notions of pursuing someone.

Yu Bai boarded a bus at the stop near his apartment complex, heading for the mall to stock up on supplies needed for tonight's stakeout and anticipated sleepless night.

Next, he went to the gym where Yan Jing worked, sending a message to let him know he was waiting outside the building.

Tonight, he needed to stay awake to see where this cycle would ultimately end. Being alone through the night might be too lonely, and he feared he might inadvertently doze off. Having someone else around would be more reassuring.

Anyway, Yan Jing was already there a week ago.

Soon, it was quitting time. Yu Bai didn't have to wait long before he saw the muscular fitness instructor rush out.

"Woah, I've never had someone wait for me after work before," Yan Jing panted, grinning foolishly. "It feels strangely romantic. Should you come pick me up again tomorrow?"

Yu Bai handed him the heavy items. "I can, but you won't be working tomorrow."

"Oh right, I forgot. How did you know?" Yan Jing took the bag honestly, becoming a pack mule. "Where are we going? Want to come over to my place for dinner? Dad's cooking."

"No, I don't want mushroom soup."

"Damn!" Yan Jing exclaimed in shock. "How do you know Dad's making mushroom soup? He just texted me that he's washing mushrooms!"

Yu Bai smiled calmly. "Because I'm a genius."

Yan Jing gave him a suspicious look but was immediately drawn back to the bag in his hands. He said in surprise, "What did you buy? A hat, coffee, peppermint oil, binoculars... and lots of snacks. What are we doing? Staying up all night to stargaze in the mountains? You should have bought mosquito repellent, not peppermint oil—it doesn't repel bugs..."

As Yan Jing droned on, Yu Bai's world remained normal, showing no signs of rebooting.

Even when Suspicion was dangled right before Yan Jing's eyes, his lack of perceptiveness would allow him to overlook it, so Yu Bai felt at ease enlisting his help.

The disparity between people could be that vast.

Or, rather, between humans and those less than human.

Throughout their discussion on whether peppermint oil repelled mosquitoes, the sky darkened by the time they returned to Yu Bai's home.

During dinner hour, the scent of food permeated the neighborhood, save for Yu Bai's building where not many residents resided.

In the twelfth floor, 1203 emitted the odor of smoke and alcohol, 1204 had no distinguishable scent, while 1205 was filled with the fragrance of peppermint oil.

With heightened alertness due to the smell, Yu Bai fetched a small stool, switched off the kitchen lights, and set up his telescope on the countertop, camouflaging it to avoid detection by his subject.

Considering the other party was oblivious to the concept of takeout, it was unlikely they'd recognize a telescope.

Yu Bai meticulously observed the neighboring unit, where the lights were on, but from his angle, he could only glimpse into the kitchen, the dining table adjacent to it, and a sliver of the living room wall.

Even with limited visibility to these areas alone, he could tell that the entire apartment was unusually sparsely decorated. Apart from the standard large furniture and appliances one would typically find in a rental, there was virtually nothing else. The emptiness seemed to echo with a sense of loneliness.

The non-human wasn't within Yu Bai's field of view at the moment; it was unknown what it was doing. Occasionally, shadows flickered across the wall.

But Big Brother Tian had emphasized the importance of patience in stakeouts.

Thus, Yu Bai held his binoculars, patiently sitting on a small stool, waiting.

Yan Jing, who had smeared mint oil on his arms as a test, crouched down beside him, munching on snacks while observing. He whispered his critique, "To be honest, your behavior is a bit creepy."

Without blinking, Yu Bai responded, seemingly unrelated to the topic, "This person seems very strong. I bet they have well-trained muscles."

"Really?" Yan Jing immediately tossed aside his snacks and snatched the binoculars. "Where is he? Let me see, let me see!"

"Lower your voice a bit—"

"Shh, it looks like they're coming out." Yan Jing's eyes widened in anticipation, but he soon relaxed. "Not impressive at all, compared to me. Look, they've got an artistic vibe going on. They definitely don't have much strength."

Yu Bai promptly snatched back the binoculars and peered through them intently.

His non-human neighbor sat at the dining table, a book spread open before him, pen in hand and bent over, seemingly scribbling something down.

Amidst Yu Bai's surprise, he surmised that this might be the only table in the empty house with the right height for such an activity.

What could he possibly be writing?

Surely it wasn't a diary, was it?