Chapter 23: Odd Neighbor 100

Chapter 23: Odd Neighbor 100

Yu Bai hadn't initially planned on having hotpot; he would have preferred Xie Wufang to prepare a lavish dinner with his favorite dishes, such as the sweet and sour pork that he suddenly craved today.

However, the moment Yu Bai left the counseling room, he was preoccupied with purchasing seeds, sowing, harvesting, assembling gifts, and even remembering to bump into his neighbor in the malfunctioning elevator to establish a friendly relationship, all while persuading him to change out of the white clothes he actually disliked.

There was too much to do. If not for Qiang's assistance, he wouldn't have had time to deliver the presents before Doctor Chen finished work.

As a result, Yu Bai had no time today to teach an entity beyond human how to cook.

In a previous cycle, he meticulously imparted to Xie Wufang human common sense not found in recipes, such as how to deal with an oil fire depending on the situation – sometimes extinguishing it immediately, and other times continuing to stir-fry without concern.

In addition, he purchased a plethora of cookware, seasonings, and ingredients, along with numerous recipes of dishes he desired, all given to his beloved neighbor.

Consequently, Yu Bai tasted the exact flavors replicated from the recipes.

Throughout the day, as Xie Wufang creatively cooked various dishes, he rapidly grasped the essence of cooking. By the end, he could even reverse-engineer the cooking process by tasting the food, just needing more time to familiarize himself with the myriad of human seasonings. This left Yu Bai both astonished and wistful.

If only reality could be like this, he wouldn't have to order takeout every day.

In the following days, Yu Bai often reminisced about that day's flavors with longing. Unfortunately, he had too many things he wanted to do and couldn't spend every loop supervising his neighbor's cooking.

As a result, today he had to make do. He left Xie Wufang at home to prepare the hotpot ingredients, which was safe as long as there was no fire involved.

As night fell, the windowpanes were illuminated by flickering lights.

Yan Jing entered the kitchen with a look of curiosity, noticing the numerous plates of prepared dishes on the countertop.

"Woah, your knife skills are impressive..." He circled around, voicing his surprise. "Why did you buy so many types of mushrooms?"

Xie Wufang, still busy in the kitchen, replied, "Little Bai said he wanted to eat mushrooms."

Yan Jing marveled, "But this is quite an assortment! Did you pick these out? You didn't possibly buy every type of mushroom available in the market, did you?"

There were button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, bolete mushrooms... he recognized some of them, but others were unfamiliar.

Xie Wufang answered earnestly, "Yes, but there are still many more mushrooms that can't be found in the market."

Yan Jing involuntarily gasped in astonishment.

Is this like consulting an encyclopedia to buy mushrooms?

After exploring the kitchen, now filled with vegetables for the first time, he returned to the living room and sat beside Yu Bai. Gradually, a hint of melancholy appeared on his face.

He cautiously poked his best friend. "Little Bai."

Yu Bai was engrossed in his phone and replied, "What's up?"

"Our new friend said you wanted mushrooms, so he bought all sorts of them."

"Mm-hmm, I know. His name is Xie Wufang."

"Oh, three characters. He doesn't fit in with us two-character people."

Upon hearing this, Yu Bai finally put down his phone and lifted his head, gazing at him with a subtle expression.

"Your new friend is really nice to you. He even calls you Little Bai. He's diligent, seems wealthy, and although he's not as fit as me, he's taller—just a bit taller. Plus, he lives next door, so you can play together every day..."

Yan Jing rambled on and then said with a touch of disappointment, "Am I no longer your only puppy?"

With a tearful smile, he continued, "But I'm still genuinely happy for you. It's great to make new friends. Really, I'm ecstatic right now."

"..." Yu Bai chuckled. "No way. You're more like a pig."

Yan Jing complained dramatically, "And you say no! Now you're already scolding me for another man!"

"..." She retorted, "Stop spouting those ridiculous jokes. They're disgusting."

"Oh my god, you called me disgusting! Waaaah."

"You won't be having any watermelon tonight if you don't stop!"

Amidst the commotion, another man silently emerged from the kitchen. He observed the seemingly irate Yu Bai with a hint of concern in his gray-blue eyes. "Are you upset?"

Yan Jing promptly wrapped an arm around Yu Bai's shoulders, putting on a buddy act in front of the newcomer. "Haha, how could he possibly be mad at me? Our bond is unbreakable!"

Yu Bai shrugged him off with disdain. "Scram, don't even say you know me—I'm not angry, Little Xie. Go about your business."

Xie Wufang, unfamiliar with human emotions and behavior, appeared somewhat perplexed.

After some thought, he decided to follow Yu Bai's advice and returned to the kitchen, resuming his task of slicing mushrooms.

Once more, the crisp sound of a knife cutting through ingredients evenly against the cutting board echoed through the kitchen.

The newly purchased large hotpot on the dining table began to simmer gradually. Yan Jing was still secretly feeling jealous that his best friend had made a new friend. Meanwhile, Yu Bai couldn't help but chuckle when he recalled the expression on Xie Wufang's face before he turned away.

He truly cherished these days.

Even if they were destined to expire and reset.

An entity capable of turning summer skies into a grayish-blue lake had, in his world, become nothing more than Little Xie, the neighbor diligently preparing a hotpot in the kitchen, Little Xie, the helpful companion waiting in line for popular attractions at an amusement park, Little Xie, the bodyguard drawn into underworld affairs with him, and so on.

Initially, Yu Bai felt a bit guilty, but as the restarts piled up, his concerns dwindled. The things they did together became increasingly absurd, to the point that he wouldn't even dare mention them to Doctor Chen in their endless loop.

After all, only he retained those memories.

This feeling was simply...

AMAZING!

Dinner officially commenced, and Yan Jing was astounded by the array of intricately sliced dishes and meats before him. "This is quite a spread. Will the three of us be able to finish it all? And honestly, aren't there too many mushrooms?"

"Don't worry, it's not just the three of us," came the response.

Before Yan Jing could react, Yu Bai amiably picked up a piece of steaming mushroom and placed it in his bowl.

"Do you know why I like mushrooms?" He wore a smile. "If you eat them raw, they can induce hallucinations."

"So that's the reason... No, wait, that doesn't make any sense at all!" Yan Jing looked perplexed. "Hold on, is this mushroom cooked? I don't want to end up in the hospital!"

Yu Bai glanced at the wall clock and urged, "Stop with the nonsense, just eat."

"I'm not gonna—ah, what kind of mushroom is this? It's so fragrant, tastes great."

"I'm not sure, ask Little Xie," suggested Xie Wufang from the side.

As Yan Jing began to savor the mushrooms, he decided to give his companion a chance. "Well done, Little Xie. This hotpot is really well-prepared."

Little Xie ignored him, her gaze falling upon the array of ingredients she had just met today, as if in deep thought.

Yu Bai suppressed a chuckle and also picked up a piece of king oyster mushroom for her, urging, "If you're unsure what to start with, try them all. Pick the ones that suit your taste."

Her lovely blue eyes then landed on the unassuming, ugly mushroom in her bowl. The man nodded gently. "Alright."

Ten minutes later, Yan Jing stared longingly at the untouched plate of king oyster mushrooms. "Wait, you bought so many types, why not try something else... Hey, what's that sound? Did you guys hear that?!"

A mournful sob echoed abruptly through the steamy living room.

Just as Yan Jing and Xie Wufang turned their attention towards the wall emitting the strange noise, Yu Bai strode over confidently.

He slapped the wall and calmly said, "He Xi, hurry down!"

Suddenly, a short shriek burst from within, followed by a commotion coming from the bathroom.

While the two friends were still in shock, Yu Bai effortlessly made his way to the bathroom door. There, he saw a little girl in a primary school uniform climbing to her feet, rubbing her sore bottom. Her braided pigtails swayed back and forth on her shoulders.

Spotting someone approaching, she hurriedly bowed her head, admitting her mistake out of fear.

"Big Brother, I'm sorry, I slipped down accidentally. I didn't mean to..." She said, lifting her head slightly with a hint of fear as she peeked at him. "How did you know my name is He Xi?"

Then, the little girl with fresh bruises and tears on her cheeks saw this unfamiliar big brother reach out to gently pat her head.

"I'm a god," the big brother said with a smile.

In this world where time repeatedly loops at 22 hours, 57 minutes, and 14 seconds, he was the god.

He asked, "Is your dad drinking at home now?"

"Yes..." Startled, He Xi pleaded anxiously, "Please don't tell my dad that I came to someone else's house. He'll hit—"

"He won't."

Yu Bai led her to a lavish dining table. "Sit down and eat."

The tear-stained little girl sat down, unsure of what to do. She sniffled, inhaling the warm aroma of the hotpot.

Beside them, Yan Jing rubbed his eyes wildly. "Holy sh*t, I think I just saw a little girl appear out of nowhere in your house..."

"You're hallucinating from the mushroom poisoning," Yu Bai said, throwing a cushion at him as he pulled out his phone to make a call. "Don't swear in front of the kids."

"Oh, sorry, wait, you saw her too, right?!"

Half-heartedly, Yu Bai held the phone to his ear. "I'm also seeing hallucinations, I guess."

The call connected, and Qiang's solemn voice came through. "Young Master Yu, we've arrived, and everything you asked me to prepare is set up!"

"Go in, room 1104," Yu Bai instructed. "Make sure he doesn't show up here again."

"Understood. It'll be done."

"Remember to come over for hotpot when you're done."

"Sure thing, Young Master Yu!"

Yan Jing watched, dumbfounded, as Yu Bai calmly hung up the call. Turning to Xie Wufang, who was seated beside him, Yan Jing asked, still in a daze, "Why do I suddenly feel like Little Bai has an aura of a big shot? Could that be another hallucination? Did you see it, Little Xie?"

But Little Xie paid him no attention once more.

Yan Jing scratched his head in confusion, then turned to engage in conversation with his hallucination.

"Is it He Xi? He Xi? Or He Xi?" he asked.

The little girl, perplexed by the repetition, softly responded, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."

Yan Jing felt a sense of relief. "So responsive. Indeed, two-character names are more sociable," he said.

He Xi didn't understand, her large eyes blinking blankly as she let out an unconscious sob.

The big brother, whose appearance was even scarier than her father's, awkwardly picked up a tissue to offer her and fetched a new bowl to serve her food.

"Don't cry. I'll look for Little Bai's first-aid kit and put some medicine on your face. You start eating in the meantime."

As Yan Jing rose to search for the kit, he muttered to himself.

"Am I really going to get the medicine or is this just another hallucination where I think I am? Ah, this little girl's hallucination is so vivid. Those poisonous mushrooms sure pack a punch..."

In reality, He Xi still had no idea what was happening.

But as she gazed at the steaming food in her bowl, she suddenly felt an unexpected pang of hunger.

The light in this room was bright, and though everyone here was a stranger to her, she didn't feel fear. Nor did she long to retreat into the safety of the darkness behind the wall.

He Xi tentatively picked up the chopsticks, hovering the tips near the edge of her bowl. She turned to the brother who had startled her from her hiding place and asked, "Can I really eat this?"

The godlike brother smiled and said, "Of course, help yourself to whatever you like."

The brother with the blue eyes chimed in, "These are mushrooms."

He Xi froze for a moment before looking down at her bowl.

Inside were the mushrooms that the towering brother had picked out for her.

"Th-Thank you very much!"

Actually... she did recognize mushrooms.

However, these mushrooms she was having today tasted exceptionally delicious.

Perhaps it was because gods resided there.

So it turned out that she had been living next door to a deity.