The Oasis Community across the way was already ablaze with bright lights, resembling a magnificent palace that made the scenes glimpsed through its floor-to-ceiling windows appear even more like a dream.
On this side, the dilapidated building was dotted with sparse lights; there were no streetlights, and the lamps inside the tenants' homes were a chaotic mix of colors.
Dim yellow, bright white, and even red...
Paired with the flickering neon signs, it gave off a cheap, gaudy vibe that felt distinctly disreputable.
The people walking on this side were filled with exhaustion and numbness; some stopped to gaze at the palace across the street, only for curtains to be drawn a moment later.
Nan Yue and the others returned to the run-down building. Perhaps because it was night, the stench from the first floor that Jiang Haoyu and the others had mentioned seemed to be spreading upward.
As Nan Yue and her group passed Uncle Zhong's room while heading for the interior stairs to the second floor, they saw that Xie Hui was also there.
The two of them had set up a small table and were eating dinner; the food looked quite good, and Xie Hui even waved to them through the window.
It seemed that Xie Hui and Uncle Zhong being a family was no secret, and their relationship was indeed as good as Sister Deng had described.
The group headed to their respective rooms to rest. Jiang Siyan mentioned he had eaten a bit much and would walk Nan Yue and the others up to the fifth floor before returning, treating it as a way to digest his food.
Yin Qian rolled his eyes, wondering how one could get stuffed from a single bowl of wontons.
But he didn't dare say it aloud; while Jiang Siyan might not be able to beat Nan Yue, he had no problem thrashing him.
Accompanying Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning all the way up, they encountered the mute on the fourth floor.
The mute had just returned, and hearing the noise, he stopped his attempt to open the door and turned to look at them.
He was a man in his late twenties with average features, but he left a deep impression.
Because he was smiling.
Just as Sister Deng had said, he was always smiling.
But it was a smile that made one very uncomfortable.
His eyes were wide, and the corners of his mouth were pulled back high, as if he were wearing a clown mask.
Nan Yue and the others stopped in their tracks, and the mute simply stood there, smiling at them in silence.
A subtle, silent standoff ensued between the two sides.
After a delicate pause, Gu Xiang Kai stepped forward with a large stride. "New neighbors. Let us know if you ever need anything."
The mute glanced at Gu Xiang Kai, then looked at Nan Yue and the others, nodding his head.
He made a couple of gestures and even gave a bow.
Gu Xiang Kai exchanged a few more pleasantries before opening his door and heading inside, and Nan Yue's group didn't linger, continuing upstairs.
The mute stood there smiling for a while longer before slowly turning to open his door and go home.
"What a strange person."
Zhu Xi Ning spoke in a low voice; that expression was called a smile, but it was enough to give someone nightmares.
No matter how one looked at it, it was eerie.
"It looks like stiff muscle syndrome."
Jiang Siyan spoke calmly. "The muscle points on the corners of his mouth and face are wrong; he likely isn't smiling by choice. It's highly probable he can only maintain that expression because the muscles have hardened."
"It might not have been as severe when he was a child, but as he aged, the expression became increasingly exaggerated."
Zhu Xi Ning sighed. "Poor man. I suppose only in a place like this can he live without being constantly pointed at by others."
"We're here. Be careful."
Nan Yue waved to Jiang Siyan, and he waited until they were inside before slowly heading back downstairs.
By now, the stairwell was deserted and unlit; the filaments in the original bulbs had burned out long ago, and only the occasional person returning with a flashlight provided any light.
Jiang Siyan walked slowly through the darkness, though the lack of light did not hinder his movements.
Da-tap.
Da-tap.
He heard the sound of high heels.
The sound... seemed to be coming from upstairs, following him at a steady distance.
In this old building, each flight of stairs was split into two sections with a small landing in the middle; the sound of the high heels followed Jiang Siyan, even growing faster.
It was as if... a woman in high heels was chasing him through the darkness.
Outside, the sky was dim and sweltering, without a single speck of starlight.
Only a tiny bit of light from across the street spilled in through the stairwell's only circular opening, illuminating a small patch of ground.
Jiang Siyan wasn't affected by the sound behind him in the slightest; his pace remained steady and unhurried.
Only as he turned to head down the next flight did he catch a glimpse out of the corner of his eye: a pair of pink shoe tips had appeared in that small patch of illuminated floor.
It was the high heels that had been following him, now only a few steps away.
However, the owner of the shoes stood perfectly still in that spot.
Jiang Siyan merely glanced at them before continuing his descent.
The appearance of a pair of high heels behind him seemed entirely normal to him; he even let out a soft chuckle.
The sound of the high heels did not return. Jiang Siyan reached the third floor, fished out his key, and accurately inserted it into the lock to open the door.
Nan Yue sat on the sofa, flipping through her notebook.
Most of it consisted of previous research and topics she had selected, but this page contained only a few sentences.
"Living mass grave."
"Accident, coincidence, or intentional?"
She had also used a red pen to heavily circle the final news item, writing "serial killer's hideout" next to it.
It seemed the original Nan Yue had planned to use the serial killer as an entry point to investigate this building that was about to be demolished.
Ding.
Nan Yue checked her phone; it was a text from Jiang Siyan.
Jiang Siyan: Someone followed me when I went downstairs.
Nan Yue: A person?
Jiang Siyan: Just some cheap tricks.
Nan Yue smiled and replied: Get some rest early.
In his room, Jiang Siyan's lips curled into a smile. Nearby, Jiang Haoyu came out; he didn't let Jiang Siyan lift a finger, cleaning the room himself.
This place had previously housed two people as well, with one bed and one folding cot; the bedding was moldy, so they would have to make do.
"Brother Jiang, you take the inner room."
Jiang Siyan shook his head. "No need. You just rest."
After a thought, he added, "If anything happens in the middle of the night, just shout. If you hear any noise, don't come out."
Jiang Haoyu had a clear understanding of his own role; he didn't say much and was very obedient.
"Got it, Brother Jiang. If you need anything, just call me."
In the room across the way, Yao He and Yang Xufeng finally sat down after a busy day.
Xie Hui had brought them food, and given the hot weather, they ate while the food was still warm.
"The apartment is a bit run-down, but the neighbors are nice."
Yao He was satisfied. Yang Xufeng didn't say much, but he kept placing meat into Yao He's bowl.
"I'll work hard. We'll only stay here for a few days. Once we've saved enough money, we'll move to a better place."
Yao He smiled sweetly. "Tomorrow, I'll go see if that community across the street needs a nanny, or if the restaurants in front of it are hiring."
Yang Xufeng was a bit worried, but given their circumstances, he could only offer a warning. "Be careful. There are all sorts of people around here. If anything happens, call the police."
Yao He agreed with a giggle.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Wu Gang and Wu Ming were in a room together; two empty instant noodle cups sat on the table as the two of them smoked.
"Brother, the new neighbors seem alright."
Wu Ming nodded. "He's a loyal man."
He was a man of the streets and a sharp judge of character; he could tell Gu Xiang Kai was a good person.
"That's good. This place is still easier to live in than the last one."
Wu Ming fell silent for a moment. "That mute—stay away from him."
Wu Gang was a bit confused. "Him? He seems so timid, always avoiding people and following far behind."
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