Chapter Three: Neighborly Relations

After watching a movie with Kang Baocang, the two of them stopped by for some barbecue as a late-night snack. Once they were full and satisfied, Kang Ge drove Yan Xue back to her place.

“I thought you’d be the type who couldn’t stand eating street food or at those roadside stalls!” On the way back, Yan Xue, feeling content, gained a new impression of Kang Ge. Earlier, she had thought he was quite particular about food, but to her surprise, he seemed to enjoy sitting on those small plastic stools by the street and savoring skewers with her.

“I'm no one born with a silver spoon in my mouth, remember?” Kang Ge laughed and added, “I also thought you’d be like other girls who refuse to eat after a certain hour at night to keep in shape.”

“With our line of work, regular meals are rare enough. If I skip meals early or late, I’d probably end up with health problems!” Yan Xue said, then glanced at Kang Ge with a teasing look. “Oh? Other girls? That’s quite a comparison.”

“Of course! My sister! That big silly girl—you’ve met her once, haven’t you?” Kang Ge showed no embarrassment at being caught off-guard. “You have to believe in me. I’m still in my probationary period with you, so I can’t afford to lose focus! You know, it’s easy to feel a vague attraction to someone, but truly liking them—that’s hard. Not just liking, but making sure your values and habits align, that everything fits—it’s even harder! I can’t be careless during this trial period.”

“So you’re basically giving it your all to act like you’re perfectly compatible with me?” Yan Xue nodded in agreement but teased him on purpose, since the conversation was turning unexpectedly serious, and she felt a bit shy.

“That’s exactly why you said you wanted plenty of time to deepen mutual understanding. I completely agree,” Kang Ge said, his tone more sincere than usual. “Everyone has a public persona for social situations and a truer inner self. The gap between the two varies, largely shaped by their upbringing and experiences. Personally, I trust my intuition. When I first saw you, I felt our true personalities must be quite similar. Now, it seems I was probably right.”

Yan Xue felt moved as well. At first, she hadn’t taken Kang Ge’s words deeply to heart. She just liked his straightforwardness, which only increased her fondness and removed any resistance. But over time, as they deliberately created opportunities outside of work to get to know each other better, sharing more personal topics in conversation, their sense of connection grew stronger.

Though this was the first time Yan Xue seriously considered dating a man, and she felt some shyness, being coy had never been her style. Since the topic had come this far, she decided to take the initiative.

“What’s your plan for tomorrow?” she asked as they neared her home.

Kang Ge hesitated, looking a bit troubled. “Tomorrow… I actually have something to take care of and might be busy for a while. If you don’t have plans, how about I come find you after I’m done?”

“You have things to do? Then focus on that. I don’t have anything special either,” Yan Xue waved her hand. “Let’s see when you finish. If it’s late, just rest! It’s a rare free weekend.”

“Alright, I’ll contact you then! Honestly, I can’t say exactly when I’ll be done,” Kang Ge agreed readily.

It was already late by the time Yan Xue got home. She tidied up a bit and went to sleep. She was the type who could stay up late but couldn’t get up early. With no night shifts or overtime this weekend, she wanted to make the most of the chance to sleep in.

That night, Yan Xue slept soundly and dreamlessly. When she was awakened the next morning by noises of clattering and shuffling, she opened her eyes and checked the time—just past eight o’clock. The weather outside was pleasant; sunlight streamed through the curtains, heralding another bright day.

Sitting up, her mind still a bit foggy, Yan Xue listened. The sounds came from the hallway outside her door—lots of people moving things about. It was hard to tell if they were moving in or out.

Her rented place wasn’t large—a compact one-bedroom with a living room. The bedroom was close to the door, so hallway noises were easily audible. The building layout wasn’t big either, with at most small two-bedroom units. Four apartments shared an elevator per floor, meaning quite a few neighbors.

Because this type of layout suited single office workers, it wasn’t unusual for people to move in or out on this floor. Yan Xue, accustomed to good sleep quality, sat quietly on her bed and listened for a while. She confirmed it was just neighbors handling their belongings, nothing unusual, so she lay back down and quickly fell asleep again.

When she woke next, it was nearly ten o’clock. This time she had truly rested. Stretching, she got up and noticed the hallway had gone quiet—perhaps the neighbors had finished moving.

After washing up and changing into casual clothes, she opened her nearly empty refrigerator—only half a jar of pickled vegetables remained. She called Xia Qing to see if she could join her for a meal, but Xia Qing wasn’t home; she was out with Ji Yuan. Yan Xue sighed, noting how unpredictable people in love could be.

Ren Yaya was away on a business trip, not in the city. Only Ning Shuyi was left, but weekends were firmly reserved for family visits. Besides, Ning Shuyi’s parents lived quite far away, and with the recent addition of a certain “troublesome” Ho Yan in their midst, Yan Xue didn’t dare bother calling to ask for a meal and risk causing trouble.

Taking her keys, Yan Xue went alone to a nearby supermarket for groceries. She bought plenty of long-lasting vegetables and semi-prepared foods. Given the irregularity of her work schedule, she couldn’t guarantee time for cooking, so buying perishable items was wasteful and uneconomical.

On this floor, two apartments on each side of the elevator formed a right-angle layout. When Yan Xue returned, carrying her bags, the door of the apartment next to hers stood wide open. A middle-aged woman in a housekeeping company uniform was resting there, looking as though she’d just finished working and was sweating.

Hearing the elevator, the woman turned and warmly greeted Yan Xue.

“You live here, young lady?” she stepped forward and casually slipped a business card into one of Yan Xue’s shopping bags. “We’re from a housekeeping company, offering hourly cleaning services. If you need, feel free to inquire. We’re very professional, with trained staff holding health certificates. All honest people—you can check anytime. Our prices are fair!”

“Oh, thanks!” Yan Xue replied politely. She didn’t usually hire cleaning services since her place was small and rented; she could manage tidying up herself during breaks. But since the woman was so enthusiastic, she didn’t want to be rude.

As she unlocked her door, Yan Xue glanced towards the neighbor’s open apartment. Trash was piled by the doorway, with several large cardboard boxes neatly stacked—obviously from a moving company.

“Are they moving in or moving out?” she wondered, curious about her new neighbors. Though she rarely met them due to work, she cared about whether they might be night owls who disturbed the quiet she cherished.

Having lived here for years, she had good relations with the landlord and had changed neighbors a few times without conflict. She hoped this new arrival wouldn’t disrupt her peaceful routine.

“Oh, the people moving in hired us,” the cleaning lady explained eagerly. “The previous tenants left the place filthy, so the new ones called us for a thorough clean-up. See? Doesn’t it look much better now?”

She stepped aside, reaching out to pull Yan Xue inside to see for herself.

Yan Xue politely declined. Even though it was an obvious sales tactic, the rented apartment was still private space, and she preferred not to cross boundaries with a stranger.

She closed her door and went inside. Breakfast was obviously out of the question at this hour, so she made a simple lunch and sat by the small coffee table in the living room, scrolling through the news on her phone while eating.

Halfway through her meal, she heard the cleaning lady on the phone outside—apparently done and ready to leave. After a quiet spell, about half an hour later, footsteps echoed in the hallway, stopping at the neighbor’s door. There was the sound of opening and closing, then silence returned.

Since it was a rare day off, Yan Xue decided to indulge in some laziness. She settled on the bedroom’s bay window, basking in the warm winter sunlight, half-closing her eyes like a cat ready to nap.

Kang Ge, she realized, had been completely silent all morning. No messages, no calls.

That thought startled her. What was going on? Their relationship wasn’t even firmly established yet—far from a passionate romance; it was still budding. Yan Xue prided herself on independence, so why was she suddenly feeling clingy? The sensation was strange.

No, she needed to keep busy! Yan Xue jumped down from the window seat and decided to give her little apartment a thorough cleaning.

Though small and compact, doing a deep clean without missing any corners required time, effort, and energy—especially physically.

As she tidied, the drum of the washing machine spinning in the background, there came a knock at the door. Sweating, Yan Xue peeked through the peephole and saw Kang Ge standing there.

Without overthinking, she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

Kang Ge had knocked, waited a moment with no response, and was about to call her when she opened the door. She wore sportswear with pink rubber gloves on her hands; her hair was casually tied in a bun atop her head. Sweat dampened her bangs, clinging to her smooth forehead, and her flushed cheeks, combined with a surprised expression, gave her an indescribable charm.

Unaware himself, Kang Ge’s smile had blossomed from just a casual expression into something radiant in his eyes.

“I came to visit you!” he said cheerfully, handing her something. “Here, for you!”

Yan Xue took it, and only after a moment realized it was a sealed container. Inside was braised beef, the rich aroma trapped within. Just by the glossy, reddish color, it seemed delicious.

“I made it myself. Please accept it!” Kang Ge lightly tapped the lid.

Surprised, Yan Xue didn’t understand why he had said he was busy today yet showed up unannounced with a box of braised beef.

Before she could ask, she noticed something else. “Why are you dressed so lightly?”

He wore only a shirt and casual pants, slippers on his feet.

“I came for two reasons,” Kang Ge said, waving toward the security door. “First, to deliver this homemade gift as a gesture of neighborly goodwill. Second, to invite you over—Ji Yuan and Xia Qing are already there, waiting to help me warm the house with your company!”