Chapter 24: Odd Neighbor 09

Chapter 24: Odd Neighbor 09

Outside the residential building, the moon was bright and the stars sparse, casting a tranquil and chilly atmosphere. Inside, few occupants lived there, with only a scattering of lit windows.

The source of all evil, Room 1204, was dark, its windows like hollow eyes. No one was inside – or rather, no "human" was.

In the room below, 1104, chaos reigned. Shadows flitted across the window, followed by the shattering of glass bottles and pained cries for mercy.

Next door to the right, in 1205, the lights were blazing. A steaming hotpot bubbled on the table, its rich aroma wafting out through the open window.

To the left, in 1203, the room was dimly lit, smoke-filled, and the distant echoes of a drumbeat, both explosive and solitary, reverberated softly.

Yan Jing stood by the slightly ajar door, whispering in shock, "What is he using to play drums...?"

Yu Bai leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, replying calmly, "Certainly not his fifth pair of ribs."

"Oh, that's good then. It looked quite terrifying... Wait, why did you describe it in such detail? Now it sounds even scarier!"

"Hmm? I didn't say anything. You must be hearing things."

The shortest, He Xi, peeped out from between their legs, covering his ears as he looked at the room filled with beer cans with a slight tremble. "He drinks like my dad does..."

Taking advantage of his height, Yu Bai ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. He doesn't hit people—only drums."

Yan Jing was skeptical. "Really? Speaking of which, won't he hear us standing here and chatting at his doorstep?"

The long-haired man inside was engrossed in drumming. The lit cigarette on a basin overflowing with butts burned down, but he paid no attention to the group of neighbors gathered at the door.

"It doesn't matter if he hears us," Yu Bai whispered deliberately. "Even if you sat right in front of him and clapped, he wouldn't acknowledge you. Unless you tell him he's not drumming right."

Yan Jing chuckled. "Are you serious? How do you know?"

The answer was simple: Yu Bai had tried it before.

Instead of responding to Yan Jing, Yu Bai turned his gaze to the quiet man with blue eyes beside him and concluded, "I mentioned this to you earlier this afternoon, right? The neighbors in our building are all quite peculiar."

Xie Wufang had been watching Yu Bai intently. Upon hearing this, he nodded, even though he might not have been certain what 'peculiar' meant.

Simultaneously, he emulated Yu Bai and attempted to raise his hand to gently rub the little girl's head beside him.

Amused by his mimicry, Yu Bai asked, "Does it feel warm?"

Seeing the situation, Yan Jing hurriedly joined the patting heads squad and promptly replied, "Extremely warm!"

Warmth is the sensation of an icy palm meeting the tender crown of a soft head.

He Xi, who had his head patted repeatedly, blinked vacantly.

She pondered for a moment and then reached out to touch her hair.

... Her braid was all messed up!

After they had eaten their fill, listened to the drumming session, and engaged in conversation, they made their way towards the stairs.

As they departed, Yu Bai kindly closed the door for the long-haired man in Room 1203. Taking the opportunity, he tossed something white into the desolate and dimly lit room.

The tiny paper airplane pierced through the clutter of scattered beer cans on the floor.

After a while, the drumming ceased, and a slender hand picked up the paper airplane made from white paper.

On its wings were two lines of text:

My home has hotpot, and on the rooftop, there's fruit.

—From the neighbor in Room 1205.

Ascending the winding staircase, they reached the rooftop terrace above Room 1204, which was a scene teeming with life.

In a corner, an old flower pot sprouted a vine that bore a giant watermelon as big as a yoga ball.

Newly purchased pots were filled with strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, blueberries, and more. Apart from the fruits, there were also numerous blossoming flowers: roses, lilies, hyacinths, sunflowers...

"I can't believe it... Oh my God!"

Yan Jing couldn't quite accept what he was seeing. Both he and He Xi stood in awe of this rooftop garden.

"It's not photoshopped, right? There's actually such a huge watermelon in this world! And you grew those fruits in the angel gift box for Doctor Chen? Wow, how long did it take you to prepare all this..."

It's just an afternoon, after all.

Yu Bai surveyed the brightly lit, lush rooftop brimming with flowers and fruits, feeling quite pleased with himself.

He had specifically instructed Qiang and the others to purchase star lights to wrap around the terrace railing, so as to avoid the darkness of the night.

Under the vast expanse of the night sky, the once-desolate rooftop now glowed with scattered warm yellow lights, casting a particularly vibrant summer scene.

Yan Jing looked around curiously, suddenly noticing two long black bags placed on the terrace.

"What are these?"

Yu Bai glanced over. "Oh, bring them here. I need them right now."

Yan Jing eagerly carried the items over. "They're a bit heavy, but so slender. Could they be...?"

Yu Bai sat in a chair positioned at the edge of the rooftop and bent down to unzip the large bags, revealing their contents.

"...Fishing rods?!"

And there were two fishing rods.

Yan Jing watched in disbelief as Yu Bai handed the other rod to Xie Wufang. "Are you two planning to fish on this rooftop?!"

Yu Bai nodded confidently. "Yes, what's the problem?"

"…" Yan Jing took a step back. "Oh my, this hallucination is too surreal. I need a moment."

The elementary school student, He Xi, widened his eyes. "Wow, fishing! Where's the lake?"

Surrounded only by a clear night sky with sparse stars, no fish pond could be seen on the rooftop.

Yet, Yu Bai spoke cryptically, "You'll see it soon enough."

Sitting side by side on the twelfth-story rooftop, they held their long fishing rods in hand.

With a stylish move, Yu Bai cast the hook into the empty air and glanced at Xie Wufang.

Xie Wufang mimicked his action, casting the hook out as well. "Like this?"

"Exactly," Yu Bai affirmed, simultaneously embarking on a reminiscence of his childhood without any trace of pretense.

"I used to sit on the rooftop like this and fish with my dad. We'd catch lots of fish that resembled sea stars, which we called Starfish."

"Look, they looked like this." Yu Bai took out his phone and showed him a photo. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

In the picture, a cheerful young Yu Bai was seen holding a large golden starfish in his palm. His brown hair glowed warmly in the sunlight as he gazed at the camera with sparkling eyes. The backdrop seemed to be the rooftop scenery.

The giant watermelon picture was genuine, but this one was indeed photoshopped – a recent creation by Yu Bai before his hotpot session. He had based it on an old photo of himself and his father at the beach, altering the background and enhancing the appearance of the starfish to make it appear more enchanting and adorable.

Xie Wufang examined the photo and softly replied, "Very beautiful."

"Unfortunately, due to severe urban pollution, I haven't caught a Starfish in a long time."

At this point, Yu Bai let out a melancholic sigh.

"I wish I could see a Starfish today."

He began to direct his wish towards the true deity.

The grown man with his brown hair still intact sat on the edge of the rooftop, rod in hand, gazing at the distant, bustling city below, illuminated by countless lights.

After a moment, Yu Bai whispered softly, "I miss him so much, terribly so."

The listener couldn't discern which 'him' he referred to.

Nor could the speaker tell if it was the present or a memory of a young, naive elementary schooler sitting beside an adult, staring curiously at the night sky, wondering if there truly existed such a creature as a Starfish in this world.

Faint starlight scattered across the tranquil rooftop.

Suddenly, He Xi, who had been patiently watching them fish for nothing, leaped up in delight, "It's a Starfish! There really is a Starfish!"

The fishing line hanging in mid-air was gently tugged, and just like in the photograph, a golden Starfish was hooked, creating an invisible ripple.

The god with black hair and blue eyes subtly turned his gaze, observing the expression of the person beside him.

He saw a sudden glimmer of amusement in those eyes that were abnormally light in color, accompanied by a glistening sheen akin to water droplets.

Consequently, more charming starfish-like creatures appeared in the night sky, twelve stories high.

They swam amidst the starry night, soft and radiant, as if substituting the real stars, like the most magnificent dreamscapes.

Both Yu Bai and the elementary schooler beside him were captivated, reluctant to blink.

In the distance, Yan Jing was eating watermelon, calmly accepting his fate of having been poisoned by mushrooms.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Yu Bai finally remembered that he should have been reeling in his catch.

"They're still as beautiful as I remember... I've never seen so many starfish before," he said.

Looking at Xie Wufang beside him, he continued, "I don't want to catch them; let's just wait for them to swim away on their own."

"Alright," Xie Wufang paused, then asked, "Are you crying?"

"No," Yu Bai swiftly averted his face. "It's eye drops."

The usually inquisitive non-human didn't press for more this time.

Fortunately, he didn't inquire about when the eye drops were administered.

Yu Bai sat quietly for a while, listening to the distant city noises, with that silent figure beside him remaining steadfastly by his side.

After a long while, he said, "This world is complicated, isn't it? Fish can be found in water as well as in the sky, people can admit to crying and also deny it. There's so much to learn."

"Mm, there's indeed so much to learn," Xie Wufang echoed his words softly, "Living among humans can be challenging."

Yu Bai echoed his words, "Yes, it's difficult to live in this world."

Especially when you're alone.

But Xie Wufang countered, "Yet, it can be warm too."

"Hmm?"

Yu Bai was taken aback, recalling that he had just used this term not long ago.

Surprisingly, he grasped this intricate and indescribable term so swiftly.

Xie Wufang observed the subtle perplexity in Yu Bai's eyes and spoke earnestly.

"Because I met you."

Yu Bai felt momentarily at a loss. He quickly averted his gaze and whispered in disbelief, "We just met this afternoon, right?"

"Not this afternoon," corrected Xie Wufang. "I met you yesterday."

For an instant, Yu Bai thought that Xie Wufang's memories weren't fully erased, almost causing him to leap from his chair.

Fortunately, Xie Wufang continued, "But you probably didn't see me."

This jogged Yu Bai's memory. In a previous cycle, long ago, Xie Wufang had made a similar statement.

Back then, Yu Bai hadn't probed further.

Curiosity piqued, he asked this time, "Where did you meet me?"

That day, he had only gone downstairs to fetch takeout twice.

"Kitchen. You were on the phone in the kitchen yesterday afternoon."

Xie Wufang's memory was crystal clear.

"You turned on the kitchen exhaust fan and spoke on the phone amidst the noise, saying you were cooking... But you weren't. You were just standing there talking on the phone."

Yu Bai finally understood.

In that yesterday from who knew how many days ago, he had received calls from both Li Nanxiao and Sun Tiantian, both regarding Chen Xiaoru's retirement.

They had asked if he wanted to find another psychiatrist since Doctor Chen had decided to retire. They often posed this question to him.

Yu Bai typically replied with a single sentence: "No need, I don't require a psychiatrist anymore."

Yesterday was no exception.

Xie Wufang continued, "I heard you say no repeatedly, that you were busy and might not be able to bid farewell tomorrow... But after hanging up, you still stood there, searching something on your phone."

Yu Bai instantly shifted his gaze back to him with tension. "Did you see what I was searching for?"

"No."

"Then how did you know I was searching something?"

Xie Wufang answered honestly, "Because you were talking to your phone and scolding it for being stupid, saying that the search results were useless."

"..." Yu Bai fell silent for a moment before forcefully changing the subject. "So you went to buy a phone today?"

"Mm-hmm."

Turned out that the one who had taught the non-human how to use a phone for information was none other than himself.

That afternoon, after taking call after call, he stood there in a daze for a long while, oblivious to the fact that just on the other side of the window, someone else had been standing quietly in the kitchen all along.

Fortunately, Xie Wufang hadn't used any special power to sneak a peek at his screen.

Yu Bai had been searching for something he never wanted anyone else to see.

"What kind of gift would be suitable for a mother who's about to leave?"

Unfortunately, no relevant answers were found.

He no longer needed a psychiatrist, but he did need a mother.

But Dr. Chen was retiring, fully returning to her own life.

He had no reason to see his mother again.

On a sweltering summer afternoon, with the drone of the kitchen exhaust fan in the background, a young man with warm brown hair stood alone in the kitchen, pretending to live a normal life while holding a cumbersome phone, lost in a long reverie.

In the adjacent room, emptiness reigned, devoid of any new decorations or furnishings. The bewildered deity also resided there by himself, until he followed the sound into the kitchen and saw the human living next door.

Through the transparent glass window, even the air seemed to carry loneliness.

And then, an elevator plummeted abruptly from mid-air.

Later, golden starfish began to swim in the night sky.

Under the enchanting night sky, Yu Bai collected his thoughts and glared at the man beside him, not overly enraged.

"How could you eavesdrop on my call?" He criticized with justified indignation, "That's quite creepy."

"Sorry," Xie Wufang promptly apologized, "I forgot to step away."

"But I could still hear you even from outside the kitchen."

This was because the sound insulation of the building was rather subpar, coupled with the fact that Yu Bai hadn't bothered to close the window during his call.

Yu Bai couldn't help but chuckle.

"Never mind, I forgive you."

"In fact, it's not bad that you're staying here." He gazed at the slowly drifting stars in the night sky and whispered, "Thank you."

He didn't witness the reaction of the man beside him upon hearing those words.

For as soon as he finished speaking, the deep night seemed to slowly dissolve, like an ink stain spreading across the heavens.

By the time Yu Bai grasped what had transpired, everything before him had already transformed.

This was the sole instance of time travel where he didn't feel dizzy.

In the quiet hallway under the cover of night, tensions ran high. Yu Bai fiercely held the collar of his enigmatic neighbor, his fingertips brushing against icy skin as he spat out, "Get out!"

The gray-blue eyes that were mere inches away still shimmered with unrest, revealing no obvious signs of change. Yet, the anger on Yu Bai's face suddenly shifted to astonishment.

...No, why did he suddenly come back!

He shouldn't have said those words, right?

His joyful summer vacation was gone!

Echoing in the corridor was the weighty threat he had just uttered. Yu Bai released his grip, dazed.

"…Forget it, pretend I didn't say anything."

Facing someone he had interacted with countless times in this loop, Yu Bai couldn't possibly demand them to leave as he once did.

Indeed, he was deeply grateful for Xie Wufang's presence, which had bestowed upon him countless invaluable memories that were unique and irreplaceable.

However, the recurring tale of the pipe-star that Doctor Chen had narrated seemed to have reached its conclusion.

Awakening from that magnificent and boundless dream, he was once more faced with the reality where he dared only to yearn for an ordinary and dull existence.

Yu Bai's emotions became tangled in an instant. Recalling something, he rushed into his home and approached the window.

The mundane, tranquil night sky outside had indeed been replaced by a vast, grayish-blue lake that reflected the landscape below.

...It would be a hundred times more conspicuous at night!

Yu Bai promptly called out to the man, still dazed in the hallway, "Hey! Snap out of it!"

Only then did the surreal sight in the sky vanish.

But Yu Bai dared not imagine how many people had witnessed this scene, or how many scientists would be kept awake tonight as a result.

Regardless, it no longer concerned him.

Without the ability to restart, he would revert to being that Yu Bai who spent his days cooped up at home, fearful of bringing calamity upon those around him. At least now, he had countless vivid and exhilarating memories to cherish forever in his heart. He stood by the window, staring wistfully at the starless night sky, then turned around, intending to make some casual remark to appease his neighbor whose collar he had just grabbed. From then on, they could maintain a distant, courteous relationship. If there were too many unexpected events here, he would be willing to move out himself. Of course, he was reluctant to leave; life in this complex world was hard for anyone. But in that very instant, Yu Bai noticed the mysterious small ball that had been carelessly left on the coffee table tremble visibly. Its ashen surface was now adorned with a rich blue hue, stirring an inexplicable sense of familiarity within him. Yu Bai's eyes widened in astonishment. The man standing by the door also witnessed this scene. Xie Wufang's gaze swept past the gift, then settled on Yu Bai, his grayish-blue eyes gradually clouding with subtle confusion. He suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"It feels like I've known you... for many lifetimes."