blueteamnovel Chapter 26 Neighbors
Chapter 26 Neighbors
As you walk along the forest trail onto the familiar, dilapidated streets of the Parrot District, the faint yet persistent stench of miasma mixed with the smell of rotting garbage once again fills your nostrils.
One to say one,
Aside from the denser miasma and more fake people, the Dark Alley area is much better than the Parrot area. No wonder some residents of the Parrot area always go to live in the Dark Alley area.
On the way home,
Bai Yuzhe still reminded him, "Okasan, remember, we're roommates now. When you get home and see Lu Zihai, don't just devour him whole. If you get hungry, tell me, and I'll take you hunting."
Ye Yue nodded earnestly, pressing her small hand against her still slightly bulging belly:
"Don't worry, Onii-chan, I ate a really big meal today, so I don't have the appetite to eat humans."
"Okasan, even if you're hungry, don't eat the other person unless you're really starving..."
Bai Yuzhe wanted to give a few more instructions, but the two had already reached the corner where the small path and the main road intersected.
Just as he was about to turn onto the main road,
A familiar, petite figure appeared without warning three steps in front of him.
Bai Yuze paused, his gaze suddenly rising.
Class monitor,
Su Xue.
now,
The other person was standing quietly near an abandoned bus stop on the side of the main road.
The twilight light slanted across her shoulder-length black hair, casting a soft shadow on her fair cheeks.
The black, standard JK dress was outlined with a clean silhouette by the light, and the hem swayed gently in the evening breeze.
She was holding a cell phone in her hand.
His eyes were scanning the surroundings.
It seemed to be waiting for someone, or perhaps observing the surrounding environment.
The moment Bai Yuzhe saw the other person, the corner of his eye twitched inexplicably, but he remained outwardly calm, displaying just the right amount of surprise, before naturally nodding in greeting:
"Good afternoon, Su Xue. What brings you to the Parrot Zone all of a sudden?"
Su Xue's gaze swept calmly over him, but instead of answering Bai Yuze's question, she softly asked in return:
"Bai, what are you doing on the edge of the parrot area?"
Bai Yuzhe blinked guiltily, a somewhat embarrassed smile appearing on his face:
"Ahem, my home isn't far from here. I found the scenery around here quite nice, so I just came out for a stroll and to enjoy the view."
As he spoke,
Bai Yuze pointed to the house where he used to live.
Su Xue looked at him quietly.
A few seconds later, she nodded slightly, as if she believed his extremely weak reason.
But then, she changed the subject, her brown eyes fixed quietly on him:
"Last semester, Holly University issued a notice of criticism. A student from the Department of Abyss Environmental Science entered the Dark Alley area to collect samples without permission and was ambushed by an Abyss monster. If it weren't for the timely arrival of a patrolling magical girl, he would have become yet another name on the missing persons list."
Speaking of which,
She slowly raised her eyes and looked at Bai Yuze, saying, "Later, this student received a major demerit and had all scholarships and research assistantships for that year revoked. Also, the counselor seemed to have specifically instructed yesterday that all students must move out of the Parrot District, otherwise they face the risk of being suspended from their studies..."
"Hiss~"
Bai Yuzhe's Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't care whether he received a demerit or not, but canceling all his scholarships and research assistantships would be too much.
The fleeting panic in his eyes clearly did not escape Su Xue's notice.
Her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, the subtle curve quickly disappearing as she looked at him calmly.
Quietly,
An invisible sense of oppression has already reached its peak.
"Well... Su Xue, how about I treat you... to a meal?" Bai Yuze asked tentatively.
"Need not,"
She glanced at the darkening sky, then looked at Bai Yuze, her tone still flat, yet revealing a calm concern:
"Bai, it's getting late, you should head home soon. Be careful."
Bai Yuze lowered his eyelashes, his voice becoming several decibels lower:
"I see."
That damn guy, is he going to use this as leverage against me later?
But the other person doesn't seem like that kind of person.
Besides,
Is it a case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps"?
Why are you suddenly appearing in this place? What are you doing here?
A lingering ghost
I can see you everywhere.
suddenly,
The image of encountering hydrangeas in the wetland park that afternoon flashed through his mind.
Is it...
impossible,
It is absolutely impossible.
He had suspected that Su Xue was a magical girl, but he never considered her as the "Frost Princess" Hydrangea, because their heights didn't match.
Hydrangea is 1.62 meters tall, while Su Xue is even shorter than her own grandpa, who is disguised in multiple forms!
Bai Yuze seemed to have convinced himself.
He took Ye Yue's hand and turned to walk towards Qingyang Bridge.
After walking a few steps,
He couldn't help but glance back at the other person out of the corner of his eye.
Su Xue remained standing in the same spot.
The evening breeze gently lifted the tips of her hair.
She didn't look in the direction he left, but instead tilted her head back and gazed at the horizon.
Bai Yuzhe glanced at it, then looked away and quickened his pace to leave.
A few minutes later,
In the distant sky,
A streak of rainbow-like light pierced the deepening twilight, hurtling toward the Parrot District.
......
Qingyang Bridge checkpoint
Dusk was falling.
Bai Yuzhe led Ye Yue, whose figure had disappeared, closer to the gate, only to see a figure that shouldn't have appeared at this moment standing in front of him.
Kenji Morikawa, the special duty captain at Qingyang Bridge, was still wearing his crisp uniform. He stood by the guard post, gazing absently at the grayish-yellow river below the bridge.
Generally speaking,
During this period of time,
The other party should be changing shifts and taking a break.
Bai Yuzhe slowed his pace slightly, walked closer, and nodded in greeting: "Uncle Morikawa, are you... still not off work today?"
Kenji Morikawa turned around at the sound of the voice and saw Bai Yuze. The serious lines on his face relaxed a little, but his eyes showed an undisguised weariness.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if trying to force a smile, but it only turned into a short sigh:
"Yes, there are still some things to take care of."
He was clearly reluctant to talk more, but perhaps due to the accumulated pressure of the past few days, or perhaps because Bai Yuzhe's familiar face made him feel a little relaxed, he paused, then added in a low, hoarse voice:
"My son is a good-for-nothing; he went astray and had his limbs broken by those bastards from the Stray Dogs Gang. He needs a lot of money for treatment..."
Before the words were fully spoken,
But his meaning was very clear.
work overtime,
It was for that extra duty allowance.
Bai Yuzhe remained silent for a moment.
The wind blows across the bridge.
It carries the distinctive murky smell of Hanjiang District.
"Second Uncle Jian,"
Bai Yuze switched to a more intimate form of address and slowly said, "I usually run errands for Professor Mu, and sometimes I go to the Hanjiang District Rehabilitation Center to deliver documents. Over time, I've become quite familiar with one of the directors in charge of physiotherapy there."
He paused for a moment.
Bai Yuze continued:
"If you need, I can try to ask if they have any charitable aid slots for bone injury rehabilitation for families in need... or at least if they can offer some more economical advice on treatment plans and costs."
He looked up at Kenji Morikawa and added:
"Of course, I can only ask around; it's not guaranteed to work out, so please don't have too high hopes."
Kenji Morikawa was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting Bai Yuze to say such a thing.
His lips moved slightly, his eyes suddenly reddened, and he quickly turned his face away, blinking hard.
"No, no need, Bai... A while ago, that kid Zao Su was able to escape with his life... It was all thanks to the thousand yuan you gave him that saved his life. Now... how could I possibly have the nerve to trouble you again..."
Kenji Morikawa waved his hands anxiously, his tone both embarrassed and grateful.
Bai Yuzhe shook his head and chuckled:
"It's alright, Uncle Jian, it's just a matter of passing on a message. Besides, they might not even be able to get any results from you over there."
Seeing that Kenji Morikawa seemed about to decline, Bai Yuze waved goodbye to him.
No more words.
Holding hands with the invisible moon beside him,
I swiped my card to pass through the gate.
Only Kenji Morikawa remained standing there, watching the strong, upright figure quickly disappear into the deep twilight of the Parrot District across the bridge. His raised hand remained frozen in mid-air before slowly lowering it.
He raised his hand and vigorously wiped his face, took a deep breath, and looked back at the parrot area.
In the darkness of night,
You could see that the other person's hunched back seemed to have straightened up a little.
......
After passing Qingyang Bridge
The air in the city suddenly became much fresher, except for a slight smell of car exhaust.
Bai Yuze glanced at the time.
It's still early.
Instead of sending a message to Lu Zihai, he went to a large shopping mall and bought all sorts of daily necessities, carrying bags and packages with him.
along the way,
This attracted the attention of many passersby.
I don't know if they were surprised that he carried so much stuff so easily, or if they thought he was too handsome.
Bai Yuzhe naturally hoped for the latter.
But at this time,
He noticed that Ye Yue beside him had suddenly become inexplicably angry, and the miasma emanating from her petite body startled Bai Yuze.
"Oh, what's wrong? Who upset you?"
"them!"
Ye Yue pointed with her small hand and said in a muffled voice, "I don't like the way they look at you. I want to eat them all up!"
Bai Yuze's heart tightened.
He dared not linger on the street any longer and hurriedly carried his things home.
He then remembered...
My husband has a very serious case of racial germaphobia.
He is the human soul.
Naturally, she didn't care about other people's opinions and was even somewhat proud.
But for Okasan
The way people looked at him was like how people would look at monkeys at a zoo.
She naturally felt offended.
click-
As the door opened
Bai Yuzhe started to get busy, arranging the two pillows and putting on the new quilt cover. By the time he finished all the chores, more than half an hour had passed.
Walking into the living room,
Bai Yuze glanced at the time.
At 6:10 PM,
The special agents from the security bureau should be off duty by now.
Thinking of this,
Bai Yuzhe searched for restaurants with good reviews nearby, quickly selected one, and then sent a message to Lu Zihai:
"Brother Lu, are you off work yet? I've already reserved a table at Dewanglou. It's not too far from home. When would you like to come over?"
The message had just been sent when
The other party replied to the message.
Lu Zihai: "Bai, you're too kind. Logically speaking, I'm the host, not you. Dewang Restaurant isn't cheap."
Bai Yuze: "Brother Lu, it's all the least I can do. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be looking for a place to live. I took a look today, and the environment is pretty good. It's not too far from the Hongqiao checkpoint, and it's convenient for going to and from school."
Lu Zihai: "You rascal, you don't even know the rent for a shared apartment, and you're already spending money. If it's too expensive, you'll have wasted your time hiring someone."
Bai Yuzhe: "How can you say that? The housing prices in Hanjiang District are definitely different from those in Yingwu District. Besides, the reason why Hanjiang District is so safe is all because of the hard work and dedication of you special agents. It's only right to give you more money."
Lu Zihai: "..."
Lu Zihai: "You kid, you probably haven't even entered the workforce yet, how come you talk so greasy?"
Bai Yuze: "Haha, I'll take it as Brother Lu praising me. Can you check if there are any dietary restrictions? I'll have them keep an eye on them."
Lu Zihai: "Sweet flavor, without Sichuan peppercorns, that's all."
Bai Yuze: "OK. Then, Brother Lu, I'll be waiting for you at Dewanglou."
Put down your phone.
Bai Yuze glanced at Ye Yue, who had already taken up most of the bed and was fiddling with something on her laptop:
"Hey, I'm about to go out for dinner, do you want to come?"
"I ate too much today and don't want to move. But you should come back early too, you haven't eaten the loving meal that Auntie prepared for you yet!"
Ye Yue didn't even raise her head, and lazily swayed her beard as a form of refusal.
"certainly,"
Bai Yuze smiled, his tone carrying his usual indulgence, "No matter how big the world is, what Okasan says is the most important."
Click—
As soon as Bai Yuzhe opened the door, he came face to face with a woman who was about to pass by.
The woman appeared to be around thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, wearing a well-fitting light white dress. She had a plump and well-proportioned figure, and light makeup on her face. She was also carrying a bag of oranges.
It looks like,
It looks like someone just got off work and came home.
When she saw Bai Yuze, she paused slightly, a questioning look on her face, her voice gentle and pleasant:
"Hmm? You are...?"
"Hello."
Bai Yuze nodded politely, "I just moved in today, I'm a new tenant sharing an apartment with Brother Lu."
"Oh, hello."
The woman suddenly realized, and smiled. "My name is Hoshino Miu, and I live next door. We'll be neighbors from now on, so please take care of me."
"Hello, my name is Bai Yuze. Thank you for your help in the future."
"It's no trouble at all."
As Hoshino Miu spoke, she naturally took out a few plump tangerines from the bag and handed them over.
"I just bought it, it's very sweet. It's just a small token of my appreciation, consider it a small gift."
"Miyu-nee is too kind, thank you."
Bai Yuze accepted it with both hands.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Hoshino Miu turned around with her things and opened the door to the next room.
The door closed gently.
Bai Yuzhe turned around to close the door and leave, but found that Ye Yue had appeared behind him at some point, her gaze passing over him and fixed on the closed door.
"Okasan, do you want some?" He handed over the orange.
Ye Yue glanced at it and shook her head, clearly uninterested. However, her dark green eyes remained fixed on the woman's figure, and she remained silent for a long time.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Bai Yuze asked in a low voice.
"I'm hungry," Ye Yue said succinctly.
Bai Yuzhe: "..."
"Okasan, we can't eat this person, or we'll have to move again."
"Oh~"
Ye Yue responded with a sound that betrayed no emotion.
But the next second...
A tendril shot out like lightning, snatched a freshly peeled orange segment from Bai Yuze's hand, and stuffed it into its own mouth.
Juice splattered everywhere...
What else could Bai Yuze say?
I can only continue peeling oranges for my dear old man.
Just out of the corner of my eye,
I couldn't help but glance at the quiet door of my neighbor's house. Could this beautiful neighbor also be a monster from the abyss?
Otherwise, why would Okasan react so strongly?