Chapter 9

Gan Qing yawned and replied: "The business hours are from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, dear."

Liu Zhongqi sat alone by the dining table for a long time, silently cutting a piece of cake to eat. Then he picked up his backpack, took two changes of clothes, and decided to run away from home

When Gan Qing entered Courtyard No. 110, he had already hesitated once.

Gan Qing: "... ..."

The neighboring place is brightly lit, with many people present. Those from No. 110 Courtyard, who have come from afar, cannot fit inside the room, so they crowd in the hallway, waiting in line to enter and offer a stick of incense to the elder Yu Huaide

Gan Qing felt that this remark was not a compliment to her, so she did not dare to respond recklessly and could only smile

She listened intently, somewhat lost in thought

The small building is located deep within the courtyard, where the dense vegetation separates it from the noise of the road. The sound of car horns is distant, like the drop of a needle to the ground. Standing by the window, with Ganqing's keen hearing, one can even hear the soft ticking of the small clock in the living room, the tranquility almost feels luxurious

When Gan Qing was young, he once met that old man and remembered him as very kind, always smiling before he spoke. He held a high status and possessed unparalleled swordsmanship, and people would seek him out to mediate in their affairs. On one occasion, during a gathering, the crowd became intoxicated and clamored to bow to the old man, wanting to make him their leader. Of course, Elder Yu refused to accept this, but from that moment on, he was referred to as "Leader Yu".

On the morning of the second day, Gan Qing arrived at Xingzhimeng for work as usual, stretched out a long yawn, and was just about to unlock the door when she suddenly paused

In this situation, Yu Lanchuan forgot his younger brother's birthday, and it is indeed difficult to place too much blame on him

God made her silent with a kiss

She found the customers who did not sleep at night and did not get up in the morning somewhat bothersome, but since the customer is ultimately king, she hesitated for a moment and still approved it

Zhang Meizhen leaned against the door, flicked her long hair, and asked her: "You don't have any bad habits, do you?"

The avatar of "God" is a British rock star named "Is Zhong Not Qi". He quickly sent a message: "You and - picture - book said the first three consultations are free"

Upon taking a glance inside, Gan Qing decided to throw caution to the wind and abandon all sense of shame

Gan Qing has lived here for nearly a month, and the most frequently said phrase by Zhang Meizhen to her is "Please collect my packages"

Every time Yang Yifan is sent by her grandfather, she appears disheveled and out of sorts. When Old Lady Zhang is at home, she simply drops her things and rolls her eyes. When Old Lady Zhang is not at home, she drags Gan Qing into a lengthy tirade, criticizing Ms. Zhang Meizhen from head to toe

Gan Qing digested the old lady's words and quickly shook her head in reverence

At this hour, Ganqing was about to go to sleep and was just about to turn off the light when her phone vibrated, indicating a friend request with the note "Customer of Star Dream".

Aside from the many figures who arrived that night to bid farewell to Elder Yu Huaide, this place is not much different from an ordinary residential community. Every day, the people I encounter when I go out are mostly weary office workers and elementary school students heading to tutoring classes, along with bored elderly men and women strolling their dogs, exercising, and gossiping in the courtyard

Upon reaching 1003, it was discovered that Old Lady Zhang did not particularly like her. She had already made up her mind not to be bothersome here, and after sitting for a while, she decided to leave.

God said again: "I am at the door of the Star Dream, is your shop closed?"

Because the north side of this building is a corridor, all the bedrooms face south. Although it is a secondary bedroom, the space is not cramped; the window is bright and clean, and a glance down reveals the rows of old locust trees in the southern courtyard. The curtains seem to have just been washed, carrying the warm scent of detergent, and in the corner, there is a lush pot of glass begonia, blooming in a bold red.

God said: "Aren't adults all working overtime?"

The shameless Gan Qing immediately replied: "No, I absolutely go to bed early and get up early, maintaining a regular schedule. I wash up after getting off work in the evening and go to sleep, with the lights out no later than 10:30 PM. I definitely get up before 6:00 AM and can prepare breakfast for you. I don't watch TV, my phone is on silent, and I won't bring guests over. If there are deliveries, I have them sent to the store. Although I am not a perfectionist, I can ensure that trash is collected at all times, tables are wiped down regularly, and I wash the sink while washing my face. My hair will definitely not clog the drain. If there is anything else you need me to do, please let me know."

Gan Qing let out a sigh of relief and fell asleep immediately

The death of a rabbit brings sorrow to the fox, and the misfortunes of one affect its kind. The overtime workers, clutching their bellies afflicted by the "three highs," seem to foresee their own fate, and a cloud of gloom descends upon them. A significant portion of the internal affairs of the department weighs heavily on Yu Lanchuan, pressing him to the point of disorientation. Consequently, he has reduced his practice of the "Seven Sword Techniques" from every morning to once in the morning and once in the evening, putting in genuine effort—there is no other choice; if he wants to live until retirement, he must diligently focus on his health.

Gan Qing sighed, burrowed into the quilt, and pondered how to deal with the annoying guest

10 o'clock ... ... This time it finally went through, the other end of the phone was very noisy, Yu Lanchuan seemed to be speaking to someone: "... ... As far as I know, it is not like this, where did you get this market price? I hope everyone can be a bit more rigorous, alright?"

Old Yang's granddaughter is the one they encountered in the elevator, named Yang Yifan. It is said that she owns a company and is a dynamic businesswoman. The nature of the company is still unclear to Ganqing, as the elderly folks do not discuss careers in their gossip; they generally talk about things like, "That crazy girl from the Old Yang family, over thirty, yet still single, always out and about, as disorganized as can be. Just seeing her makes me worry."

I knew it would be like this

With a thick skin, Gan Qing settled down in the new nest

I do not eat breakfast, you do not need to worry about me, do not look for me before 10 o'clock," Zhang Meizhen waved her hand, "Sometimes I go out to have fun in the evening and come back late, I will bring my own keys, you do not need to leave the door open—however, if I happen to drink too much, it might cause some noise, you are not neurotic, are you?

It is uncertain whether this should be considered a farewell message or just something the owl roommate wrote for fun. After reading it, Ganqing smiled and burrowed back under the covers to rest her eyes.

Gan Qing turned the dog tag over and saw the inscription: What will your life be based upon?

A crumpled business card of hers fell at the entrance of the Star Dream, next to it on the pristine white stone steps, there was an imprint made by a human hand with five fingers.

Oh, "God" is typing and after a while, asks in a rambling manner, "Can you work overtime?"

Ms. Zhang Meizhen has not returned yet; today she did not go out for leisure—she went next door

Unfortunately, she ran into Yu Lanchuan and Old Yang in the elevator, and she hesitated once again.

Ms. Zhang Meizhen, who was not very satisfied upon their first meeting, has maintained a peaceful coexistence with her—primarily because the two of them rarely encounter each other

In the blink of an eye, the brief summer in Yanning has swiftly passed, with two rains falling, bringing a chill to the mornings and evenings, hinting at the arrival of autumn.

At 9 o'clock, the line is still busy

Do not mention the sun; she has not seen a room with windows for a long time.

In the morning, when Ganqing went to work, her elder had not yet risen. By the evening, after Ganqing had already woken from a nap, her elder still had not returned. Although they lived in the same East 8 District, it felt as if there were a vast Pacific Ocean of time difference between them

My work involves perceiving the trajectories of stars and the subtle energies of the universe, dear," Ganqing began to ramble, "The universe is in constant motion every moment, and time is a very important parameter. Only at the right moment can one grasp the secrets of fate. Please understand, dear

After hanging up the phone, five seconds later, the phone vibrated again. Liu Zhongqi, filled with hope, opened WeChat, anticipating even a simple "Happy Birthday". Instead, he received a red envelope.

It is truly comfortable here; there are no roommates outside banging on the door when I take a shower, and the double bed not only allows me to stretch my legs but also to roll back and forth. The bathroom is free from the incessant sound of running water throughout the night, and there is no one constantly shuffling in and out in slippers. It is so quiet that she feels unaccustomed to it; on the first night, she even experienced a bit of insomnia. Therefore, she put on her clothes, got up, and walked to the window to bask in the moonlight

The students wore long faces, preparing for the start of the new school year, while the corporate workers were also struck by the impending third quarter, trembling under the looming threat of KPIs overhead

Mr. Meng is correct; even the No. 110 courtyard is no longer the same as it used to be

In addition to the courier, Old Yang's granddaughter occasionally comes to deliver items

"Here, that room is yours," said Old Lady Zhang—whose full name was Zhang Meizhen. Although she was quite dissatisfied with Ganqing's gender, since the person had already been brought in by her own nephew, it would probably not be appropriate to directly kick her out, so she allowed her to enter the room

The plush dog sent by her owl roommate was sitting on the windowsill with its tongue out, wearing a small dog tag around its neck. Previously, Gan Qing had been overwhelmed while searching for a house and hadn't taken the time to look closely. Now, she discovered that there was a line of text on the dog tag, written in the crooked handwriting of her owl roommate.

The thin and melodious sound of the harmonica stirs the midsummer night, playfully straying off key.

Liu Zhongqi went out to buy a cake by himself. By 8 PM, Yu Lanchuan still showed no intention of returning. He tried making a phone call, but the line was busy, and when he sent a message, there was no reply.

After sending off Old Yu, the door next door was locked, and the young talent from the Yu family never came again

Can you come back earlier? Will you be back in time for dinner?

Zhang Meizhen was left speechless for quite a while after listening: "How many years have you been a monk?"

Yu Lanchuan did not raise her head and simply responded with a "mm".

Then he seemed to cover the phone, lowering his voice significantly, and quickly said: "You can order takeout yourself, go to bed early, I'm too busy here right now, we can talk about it when I get back, be good."

With the window open, Ganqing could hear the voices of people next door speaking in various dialects. Their conversations were subdued and solemn, not at all noisy, and then someone began to play "Farewell" on a harmonica.

Yu Lanchuan held chopsticks in his right hand and replied to a WeChat message with his left hand, multitasking with great enthusiasm, completely unaware of what was said, and instinctively responded with a "mm" before forgetting the matter entirely.

The default message of the system is "Wishing you prosperity and great fortune"

Celebrating a birthday during the winter or summer vacation is never as lively as it is at school, especially as the start of the new term approaches. At this time, everyone is frantically catching up on their homework and has no mood to care about anything else. Throughout the day, only a few classmates he usually plays with sent him messages, and his parents, who are far away in another country, sent him an electronic greeting card. The gifts will take several days to arrive.

That is good. Zhang Meizhen rolled her eyes at the ceiling, feeling there was nothing more to say to her, and thus recited a Buddhist chant to Gan Qing, "Amitabha."

I ask you, when will you return from this journey? Do not linger on your way back.

In this day and age, the elderly are all indulging in youthful exuberance, while the youth are nervously searching for health insurance

All psychological fortifications crumble before this room

August 30 is Liu Zhongqi's sixteenth birthday. A week in advance, he began to look forward to it. His parents had advised him before leaving that his elder brother was under a lot of pressure and should not ask him for anything. Liu Zhongqi did not want any gifts; he just hoped his brother would come back early to share a bowl of noodles with him. Instant noodles would be fine too

In order to handle the funeral arrangements for his great-uncle, Yu Lanchuan took a week off. Upon returning, he felt as if he had been turned into a spinning top. To make matters worse, the company's risk control director—who is also Yu Lanchuan's immediate superior—suffered a stroke while on his way to the break room to get some candy. He is just over forty and was taken away by an ambulance with sirens blaring. It has been several days, and he has yet to be out of danger.

As for her accommodation, she has also thought it through; she can borrow a few plastic stools from Boss Meng and piece them together to make do with sleeping in the store for now. She does not possess the legendary skill of "sleeping on a beam with a suspended rope," but a plastic stool is unlikely to cause her fatal harm.

He circled this day on the calendar in the living room, fearing that Yu Lanchuan might not notice. That morning, he even got up early on purpose and casually asked at the dining table, "Brother, it's Sunday today, are you still working overtime?"