Chapter 18: Odd Neighbor 08

Chapter 18: Odd Neighbor 08

The morning was filled with chirping birds and radiant sunlight, as if honey was melting on the tips of hair.

Yu Bai had almost reached the entrance of the neighborhood but still couldn't shake off his neighbor who had inexplicably started chatting with him after their casual good morning greeting.

The figure followed closely behind, neither too far nor too near.

The breakfast stall and the fried chicken shop were practically neighbors.

Well, they were indeed heading in the same direction.

The security guard, who had witnessed his suspicious behavior the previous night, cast another suspicious glance at the pair.

Seeing this, Yu Bai sighed resignedly and stopped to wait for the neighbor. The security guard was aware of stalking and abnormal behavior; he couldn't afford to let others jump to unnecessary conclusions.

"I'll guide you to the fried chicken shop since we're going the same way anyway."

It was also a gesture of hospitality as a human being.

"Thank you," the neighbor replied politely, then asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm buying breakfast," Yu Bai said. "Remember, next time someone offers to give you a lift, it's best not to ask this question. A simple thank you would suffice."

"Why not?"

"…Never mind why."

Because humans were complicated creatures, more intricate than a sweet watermelon with a hint of menthol. Oftentimes, when they said "on the way" or "just passing by," it was merely an excuse to hide their true intentions. In reality, it might not have been on their way at all, but they wished it was.

Of course, in his case, he genuinely was just passing by.

"Alright."

At 7:22 AM, Yu Bai received a steaming bag of chicken wing-stuffed baozi from the breakfast shop owner and paid with his phone.

A few meters away, the man stood by the entrance of another shop, gazing at the lowered gray shutter for a moment before turning back silently.

Next to the breakfast stall was Master Wang's Jianbin Hardware Store, and next to that was the fried chicken shop.

In the early morning, when most pedestrians looked weary, these two shops remained closed, while the diligent breakfast stall was already open for business.

Yu Bai turned his head and caught the gaze of his neighbor. He casually asked, "Not open yet?"

The man shook his head and then looked at the bulging bag in Yu Bai's hand. "Is this your breakfast?"

"Mm-hm, chicken wing filling buns."

Yu Bai glanced at the bag and suddenly felt something was off.

Inside were eight buns, each as large as an adult male's fist – enough for at least two or three people.

He had never seen this flavor before and, thinking of letting Yan Jing, who was still sleeping, try it out, he considered that Yan Jing's appetite could easily match two people's.

"This isn't just for me," Yu Bai instinctively explained. "I have a friend at my place, so I'm bringing some for him too; he has a big appetite."

He didn't want the man to develop any strange misconceptions about human eating capacities.

...Why did he suddenly develop such an odd sense of hospitality?

The non-human neighbor focused on the noun.

He asked, "Friend?"

Yu Bai pondered how to explain it.

"A friend is someone who understands each other, can help one another... and keep each other company."

The man nodded thoughtfully.

The breakfast shop owner, having overheard their conversation, chimed in curiously, "Looking for a store that isn't open yet? Need something fixed?"

"I'm here to buy fried chicken."

"Fried chicken so early in the morning? That place doesn't open that early."

The owner raised her eyebrows in surprise. Seeing his disappointment, she warmly suggested, "Oh, why bother buying fried chicken from a store? It's not hard to make. Just get some chicken at the market, coat it in flour, and fry it yourself!"

"The market?"

"Indeed, it's just over there. I'll point it out to you— but be careful with the oil! After you're done frying, save it for later use!"

"Oil?"

"Mm-hmm, if you're running low on oil at home, remember to get a new bottle, or else it won't be enough. Let me think which type of oil would be better..."

Listening to their oddly smooth conversation, Yu Bai was first surprised, then enlightened.

Through a botched stakeout and a chance encounter, he unexpectedly pieced together the entire logic behind his enigmatic neighbor's actions, from the malfunctioning elevator yesterday afternoon to the impending smoking kitchen this noon.

So this was the mastermind behind the kitchen explosion in Room 1204.

Yu Bai looked at the oblivious and enthusiastic proprietress with mixed feelings. Amidst the lingering scent, he quietly took a bite of the warm chicken wing dumpling.

It was quite tasty.

But don't tell people cooking is easy!

And it might not even be a human!

The neighbor soon thanked the proprietress for her meticulous guidance on frying chicken and then said to Yu Bai, "I'm going to the market."

"..." Yu Bai, who already knew the outcome, found himself at a loss for words.

But seeing the earnest look in the other's eyes, he ultimately didn't stop them. He waved and said, "Well, goodbye then. I'll head home."

He decided against discouraging this enthusiastic and diligent non-human.

After all, he could always magically restore the kitchen to its former state.

The neighbor replied, "Okay, see you later."

The tall figure gradually vanished around the corner of the street.

Yu Bai gazed in that direction for a moment, lost in thought, until the proprietress' teasing voice interrupted him.

"Why didn't you go with him?"

Yu Bai blinked blankly, not quite understanding, "What?"

"Did you just meet? You're quite timid, aren't you?"

The proprietress, deftly bringing over a steaming basket of baozi, chuckled discreetly while gossiping.

"Young people should be bold! Shop together, cook together, and feelings will naturally develop."

...

What nonsense!

True to form, this was the same proprietress who dared teach an otherworldly creature, unfamiliar with even vegetables and oil, how to make fried chicken.

Yu Bai vaguely acknowledged her, then turned and briskly walked in the direction of his home.

The breakfast shop owner's enthusiasm was excessively exaggerated; he felt certain he wouldn't be returning to this shop for breakfast again.

But...

This chicken wing-filled bun is indeed quite delicious.

Amid the interwoven shade and sunlight along the path, the aroma subtly lingered. Yu Bai couldn't resist and had another bun.

At 7:45, the house was tranquil.

The clock ticked away, with six meat buns lying on the dining table, a large goofy dog plushie nesting on the sofa, Yan Jing dreaming in his room, and Yu Bai washing his face in the bathroom.

After a sleepless night, he felt drowsy right after breakfast.

But now wasn't the time to sleep. He had to stay awake until he could no longer bear it or until the predetermined loop's endpoint arrived.

He needed to figure out whether it was sleeping that triggered the reset or if it was a specific time that caused it.

At 8:13, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed from outside.

The clock kept ticking, five buns remained on the table, the goofy dog continued its pretend incubation on the sofa, Yan Jing dreamed on in his room, while Yu Bai eavesdropped from behind the door.

...No more eating, he was too sleepy.

How could the steamed buns be so fragrant?

The neighbor next door must have returned, carrying newly purchased cooking oil, a wok, a bag of seasonings, and chicken.

It was hard to fathom how this guy cooked.

But peeping was creepy, so Yu Bai would never step into his kitchen again.

At 8:36, the early summer's humidity carried on the breeze.

As the clock ticked by, the five steamed buns were tucked away in the fridge. The big stuffed dog failed to move the enigmatic little ball, Yan Jing snored on, switching dreams, while Yu Bai basked in the sun.

He slid open the glass door to the kitchen, fetched a small stool, and sat by the threshold, propping his chin in his hand as he gazed at the cerulean sky outside. Occasionally, he fought off sleepiness threatening to close his eyes.

After being cooped up for too long, he needed some sunlight to aid vitamin synthesis.

His kitchen faced a better direction than the balcony, receiving more ample sunshine.

...Why was there still no noise from next door?

Could it be that you're researching fried chicken recipes on your phone?

At nine minutes past nine, the wind finally carried news from the neighbor.

The sound of running water tinkled, sometimes plummeting straight into the stainless steel basin, and at other times hitting something, creating a splashing melody.

It seemed she was in the midst of washing pots and pans, and preparing a chicken for its fiery culinary demise in the oil-filled wok.

Next came the thud of the cutting board being set down on the countertop.

The knife repeatedly pierced through the tender ingredients, hitting the cutting board with an even, crisp sound.

He was quite quick at chopping vegetables.

Perhaps it was due to the practice he had with the watermelon last night.

Yu Bai thought, and the image of the dark green vines stretching across the rooftop at night, connecting the old flower pots to the giant watermelon, suddenly surfaced in his mind.

What seeds did Yan Jing say he bought last time?

He was also craving other fruits now.

Like the tiny and expensive strawberries and cherries sold in the store.

At nine forty, the wind subsided.

After a series of indistinct, faint sounds, the footsteps that were previously bustling in the kitchen faded away and didn't return for a long time.

Based on the chicken fry recipe displayed on his phone screen, Yu Bai deduced that he had just marinated the meat and needed to wait before proceeding to the next step.

Some recipes suggested an hour of marination, others two hours, while some even required an entire night.

Not only did the marinating time vary, but each online fried chicken tutorial had its unique steps. The enthusiastic guidance from the breakfast shop owner didn't delve into such specifics.

He wondered if this guy had ever been puzzled by this.

Whose advice should one trust?

Everyone seemed to have a reasonable argument.

This might be one reason the kitchen was about to become a smoky battlefield.

Yu Bai forcefully suppressed the corners of his lips that were attempting to curl up. In his palm, he held a pair of earplugs.

He had been well-prepared.

Actually, he still had the habit of wearing a mask, but he refrained from doing so, fearing Yan Jing might wake up and mock him at an unforeseen moment.

Back when he was young, his father, who had average culinary skills, would always wrap him up tightly—hat, mask, and gloves—whenever he attempted a new dish. He did this out of concern for any potential accidents that might harm Yu Bai.

The young Yu Bai, bundled up like a plump snowman, would never sit obediently on the small stool his father prepared. Instead, he would tiptoe and cling to the countertop, staring in wonder at the food bubbling in the pot.

Amidst the faint kitchen noises, a laugh-infused sigh would echo, followed by the gentle placement of a transparent industrial face shield, safeguarding his bright, exposed eyes.

Now, sitting on the small stool by the kitchen door, Yu Bai's unusually light irises remained luminous, though the surroundings were quiet.

Lost in thought for an unknown duration, he unusually reminisced about his childhood days, feeling less sleepy than before.

Rising from his seat, Yu Bai fetched a cushion from the sofa to prop up the stool. As he did, he took the chance to check on the fluffy white Great Dane.

My rear had grown numb once more.

The grayish-white orb showed no signs of cracking open.

Well, it was impossible for this thing to be an egg in the first place.

No point in incubating it. It was foolish.

Just as Yu Bai was about to leave, the tiny ball in his peripheral vision trembled slightly. A fleeting hint of black emerged on its ashen surface.

He paused in his tracks, turning back with surprise to gaze intently.

The small orb remained motionless, its color unchanged.

Yu Bai became utterly focused, studying it for a long while more. Yet, he found no further anomalies, as if what had just occurred was merely an illusion.

...An illusion caused by lack of sleep? Or perhaps an episode of floaters?

Just as he was pondering over these possibilities, a cacophony of humming from an outdoor kitchen exhaust fan drifted through the window.

At ten to eleven forty, Yu Bai's cycle was still in progress when the neighbor next door embarked on their official fried chicken cooking endeavor.

The chicken had been meticulously marinated for exactly two hours, not a minute more or less.

Yu Bai recalled that the last time they were awakened by the commotion, he checked the clock, and it was well past noon.

The presently tidy kitchen next door had less than an hour left before its pristine state met its demise.

With great effort, Yu Bai suppressed his urge to witness the spectacle firsthand, forcing himself to remain seated on his stool.

Surrounded by the tremendous din of the exhaust fan, many sounds became indistinguishable.

It was clear, however, that chaos was escalating in the kitchen next door.

Gray smoke billowed incessantly from the windows, its acrid smell permeating the surroundings. A cacophony of clanging metallic sounds echoed, akin to the rhythmic symphony of a secretive alchemical workshop in action.

Fortunately, the neighborhood was sparsely populated, and it being a weekday, most people would have been at work, otherwise alarms would have been raised long ago.

Yu Bai forcibly seated himself on the stool, enduring for half a day, but ultimately couldn't remain seated.

Removing his earplugs, he hurried into the kitchen and fixed his gaze across the room.

In reality, he couldn't clearly see what was happening inside due to the gray haze in the window and the overpowering smell of smoke that made him dizzy.

Through the thick smoke, Yu Bai saw a man clad in a white shirt standing by the gas stove, staring somewhat bewildered at the orange flames shooting high from the iron pot.

Without an apron on, his white shirt was turning into a panda-print one. Perhaps the proprietress and the cookbook hadn't taught him to wear one before cooking.

There was no attempt to extinguish the flames, possibly because most human cookbooks didn't consider "putting out a fire" as basic common knowledge.

...

Yu Bai couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Why could he now so effortlessly interpret the thought process of something non-human?

After the first explosion, a startled "Oh my god!" echoed from the bedroom.

Yan Jing, awakened by the noise, rushed out of the room, frantically searching for Yu Bai's figure. "What happened, Little Bai? What exploded?"

Yu Bai reassured without turning back, "It's fine, the kitchen next door just exploded."

"Oh, good that it's nothing serious. So it was the neighbor's... kitchen? It exploded?!"

The non-human neighbor, who found himself in the midst of the explosive kitchen, heard the commotion and turned to look.

Under the blazing summer sun, Yu Bai's gaze met his through the misty, transparent glass window.

The last time they had such a window encounter, it was with two vibrant sunflowers in between.

In an awkward yet intriguing stare-down, Yu Bai broke the silence, "If a pot catches fire, cover it to prevent the flames from spreading. It could become dangerous."

Although he barely cooked himself, he had witnessed others doing so on numerous occasions.

Upon hearing this, the man in the adjacent kitchen promptly followed the advice, murmuring an apology as he did.

The flames subsided temporarily, and a second explosion was averted.

Yu Bai saw the remorse flickering in those gray-blue eyes, like a lone firefly wandering in a forest.

Thus, he found himself blurting out another sentence, drowning the turmoil in his heart.

"I'll come help you with it," he said.

Living in this intricately complicated world alone was undeniably challenging.

Oh, not alone as a human being.

At precisely 12:37 PM that day, the neighbor looked over, awaiting his approach. Their lake-like eyes held his reflection.

Yu Bai averted his gaze awkwardly, glanced at his phone for the time, and turned to leave his house, heading for the adjacent dwelling.

In the next instant, the familiar darkness and dizziness engulfed him once more.

The day before, at 1:39 PM, Yu Bai had been nestled in the soft, cozy guest sofa, suddenly blinking his eyes.

Time had reset again.

The end of a cycle had nothing to do with whether he fell asleep or not.

It was a loop with a predetermined endpoint, and he happened to witness that moment – precisely at 12:37 PM. Based on all the information available, Yu Bai inferred that this was likely the instant when the non-human neighbor hastily restored the kitchen to its original state on that initial day. Such an act, defying earthly norms, might have caused some form of chaos in both time and space, turning it into a pivotal point of the cycle.

He found it a very plausible assumption.

He had found the answer to the question he intended to verify during his previous departure from this point.

It was a highly successful loop.

Yet...

As Yu Bai gradually regained his composure from the dizziness, he still felt something was amiss.

In the counseling room, Dr. Chen, with his gray hair, sat across from him, observing in surprise as a wistful expression appeared on Yu Bai's face.

The chicken wing-filled buns were in the fridge, and he hadn't had the chance to let Yan Jing taste them.

He hadn't found an opportunity to inquire about the purpose of the small ball the guy had given him.

He wasn't sure if he had adequately explained the concept of friendship to the other party.

He had even forgotten something that should have been at the beginning.

Dr. Chen watched as the person who had been nestled in the sofa suddenly stood up.

In the next instant, she was embraced tightly, and heard the much taller young man bid her farewell, "Dr. Chen, see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow—eh? I'm retiring tomorrow, right?"

"No," came the gentle reply, carried away by the footsteps. "Not in my world."

Yu Bai boarded the bus, traversing summer streets one after another, too preoccupied to pay attention to the arguments around him. His mood was like the clouds chasing the bus across the sky.

Upon returning to his neighborhood, he waited in the sparsely populated elevator lobby of his apartment building. Then, those two familiar figures appeared, one after the other.

The moment he saw that person, Yu Bai walked straight over.

He looked directly into the person's eyes and asked without hesitation, "What's your name?"

Third-party Wang, who had been rushing over with many groceries, hastily hit the brakes and instinctively took a step back.

Internally, he secretly marvelled, ...Wow.

Such a straightforward pickup line.

The man who had been unexpectedly addressed had slightly curly black hair and gray-blue eyes.

He paused in his steps, lowering his gaze to look at the person. The sun's diffused light reflected off the man's light brown hair, turning it golden, giving off an aura of warmth.

After a brief moment of bewilderment, the man replied earnestly, "Xie Wufang."