It was raining outside. Pei Cangyu glanced at Bai Shi as he entered, then turned his head away, pretending not to see him.
They had been in a cold war recently.
The cause of it was the neighbor living across from them.
***
Three weeks ago, they had driven into this small town. Bai Shi had seemed a bit uneasy upon arrival. From the moment they entered the town limits, he slowed the car down and scanned the streets, seemingly lost in thought. "It’s changed a lot here."
Pei Cangyu followed his gaze. To him, it looked like any other modern town—bustling and lively, with wide, newly paved streets. "How has it changed?"
Bai Shi’s brow furrowed. "There didn't used to be this many people."
As he spoke, he spotted a surveillance camera at the intersection and immediately lowered his head, turning the car down another street. "And there weren't this many cameras."
Pei Cangyu looked out thoughtfully, turning his head to take it all in, but Bai Shi rolled up the windows. "The roads seem newly built, too."
Pei Cangyu nodded. "That’s true. The place looks quite vibrant."
But Bai Shi had zero interest in this vibrancy. He drove toward their destination, swiping a card at the security gate of Lushan District and driving in slowly. He noticed that the changes here were relatively minor.
Feeling slightly more at ease, he drove toward Street 23. He lived at A-10.
The streets were swept clean, and the neighborhood roads were two-way. It was four in the afternoon, so there weren't many people out. The trees almost completely obscured the sky. As Bai Shi pulled the car into the garage, he glanced at the trees lining the road; many had been planted in recent years.
When he got out to lock the doors, he surveyed the surroundings. The house next door appeared uninhabited, with a lock on the gate. The house across the street, however, was occupied; a mailman was stuffing mail into their box. Bai Shi crossed his arms, trying to remember who the owner of that house was. He recalled seeing them once many years ago before he left—a married couple.
Pei Cangyu stood beside him, squatting down to touch the lawn. "The grass grows so well here."
Bai Shi turned back to look at him. "Someone’s been taking care of it. They probably left the day before yesterday."
Pei Cangyu looked at him and smiled. "A wily rabbit truly has three burrows."
Bai Shi reached out a hand to him. "Come on. There should be food in the fridge. Let's eat something and get some sleep."
Bai Shi closed the door and took another look outside. He felt the place had changed significantly. Although Tao Feng had told him the neighbors here were social, the feeling that even the environment had been altered made him uneasy.
Pei Cangyu was far less high-strung. The moment he stepped inside, he started rummaging through the fridge. "I'll just heat this stuff up. Do you want some yogurt?"
He took it out and sniffed it, muttering to himself, "Probably hasn't gone bad yet."
Bai Shi looked at him. "Sure."
Pei Cangyu began busying himself in the kitchen. He figured Bai Shi had been driving the whole way, so he shouldn't bother him with cooking.
Bai Shi gave Pei Cangyu a quick word and then went outside to walk around the perimeter of the house.
The houses here were on the smaller side, and the front flowerbeds weren't large. For ease of maintenance, Bai Shi had instructed that only grass be planted. Consequently, compared to the meticulously tended, colorful flowerbeds of the neighbors, his yard looked rather plain. Though the flowerbeds were small, the house itself was large. The nearby houses were all two stories and spaced closely together—a standard community.
He circled to the back of the house. The pool was empty, devoid of water but also free of debris. He noticed that trees had been planted outside the yard as well, their branches reaching over into his property.
Bai Shi walked over to inspect them. The trees were planted with extreme precision, clearly part of a well-planned design. They were a row of olive trees.
After patrolling his territory like a wolf, Bai Shi walked back to the front. As he reached the front yard, he saw a tall man walking along the road opposite him. The man was striking, smiling and greeting the people around him. As if sensing Bai Shi's gaze, he turned and nodded toward him. Bai Shi gave a small smile in return.
Pei Cangyu placed the heated food on the table. He dipped a finger into the sauce and took a lick, finding it a bit salty, but he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He’d just eat it as is.
"Hey, hey! Come over here."
After eating, Bai Shi went to the garage to tidy things up and hide the money. After being busy for a while, he returned to find Pei Cangyu had already fallen asleep, face-down on the bed.
Bai Shi was exhausted as well; driving for ten hours straight was no easy feat.
But he still had to take a shower first.
He walked out of the bathroom still dripping wet, drying his hair as he headed toward the bedroom. Just then, he heard the doorbell ring.
Bai Shi instantly became alert. He approached the door and peeked through the curtain. The tall man he had seen earlier was standing at the door, hands behind his back, greeting a passerby. He was smiling brightly, waiting for the door to open with a relaxed air.
Bai Shi hung the towel around his neck and pulled the door open just a crack.
Hearing the movement, the man quickly turned around and smiled at Bai Shi. "Hello."
"Can I help you?"
The man pointed to the house across the street. "I live over there."
Bai Shi didn't say anything, simply continuing to watch him.
The man smiled again. "I heard from Vanessa that the neighbor across the street finally moved back, so I wanted to come by and see. Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jetson Profis. You can call me Jet. I'm the mayor of this town."
Instantly, Bai Shi understood where the sense of discord had come from. This new mayor had clearly brought about significant changes to the town.
Bai Shi stepped back. "Please, come in."
Jet gave him a polite nod and walked inside.
Jet exuded charisma. He was a typical Caucasian man with silver-white hair, but his face looked young—somewhere in his forties. He was about the same height and build as Bai Shi. Unlike Bai Shi, whose every movement was steady and composed, Jet’s actions were more dashing, carrying the aura of a politician and a practiced air of approachability. Bai Shi guessed this wasn't difficult for him, as Jet had a handsome face and was clearly popular, as evidenced by the women who had been greeting him earlier.
Jet didn't spend much time looking around the house; he simply followed Bai Shi and sat down.
"Welcome back. I spoke with the gentleman who lived here before; he said he was just looking after the place for you."
Bai Shi nodded. "I hadn't had the chance to meet you before I left."
Jet smiled, and Bai Shi stood up to pour him a glass of water. "My apologies, I wasn't prepared for guests."
Jet stood up to help him. "Don't mention it. I took office three years ago and only moved here the year before last. I used to live on Fuller Street; you might not have heard of it."
Bai Shi handed him the water. "Fuller Street. I've heard of it. Were you born there?"
"Yes."
"To make it out of there... that’s quite an achievement."
Jet lowered his head and chuckled. "Many people say that." He looked up at Bai Shi again. "But if there’s ever an opportunity, I’d like to invite you to see Fuller Street for yourself."
Bai Shi raised an eyebrow. "Has it changed a lot too?"
Jet took a sip of water with a hint of pride, his posture relaxed. "Though it sounds like I'm taking all the credit, Fuller Street is nothing like it used to be. Medical facilities, sanitation, public schools—they’ve all been built up over the last three years. There are several high-quality scholarship programs among them. Although it hasn't been long, the integrated improvement model is already taking shape. I believe these projects will see even greater development during my next term."
Bai Shi lowered his head and took a sip of water.
Jet paused awkwardly. "I'm so sorry. It’s like... an occupational hazard."
Bai Shi waved it off. "Perhaps that’s why you were elected."
Jet smiled. "Actually, I’ve heard of you, which is why I took the liberty of visiting as soon as you returned. I should have made a more formal visit another day."
"Don't worry about it; I'm not a very formal person. You said you’ve heard of me?"
"Yes." Jet nodded. "From the ladies nearby."
Bai Shi gave an ambiguous "Oh."
Jet continued, "They seem quite fond of you. They described you as one in a million."
Bai Shi set down his glass. "They flatter me. I think it’s probably because I used to sing in the choir a long time ago; I must have left an impression."
"Speaking of which, I wonder if you still attend church. The church in this district has been renovated and upgraded to a higher administrative level."
"Is that so?" Bai Shi thought for a moment. "I'll give you an answer on Saturday. I've only just returned, after all."
"Of course." Jet looked at the cup in his hand. "Do you like coffee, Mr. Bai?"
"I prefer black coffee. Why do you ask?"
"Oh." Jet set the cup down. "This is a Dallmayr cup, isn't it? I have a set at home too. I believe it was a limited edition from the early 2000s?"
"Is it? I'm not sure. It was a gift."
"In that case..."
Jet was interrupted mid-sentence by a sound from the side.
Pei Cangyu walked out yawning, his eyes barely open. "Why aren't you asleep yet..."
Both Bai Shi and Jet turned to look at him at the same time. Pei Cangyu was wearing an oversized T-shirt that slipped off one shoulder. The hem was hitched up near his slender waist as he scratched his stomach, his other hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was wearing shorts and was barefoot. In this getup, even calling them "ordinary family members" would raise some eyebrows.
Jet stared at Pei Cangyu, his expression subtle.
Pei Cangyu froze once he saw the guest.
He looked at Bai Shi, his eyes asking who this was.
Jet quickly stood up. "My name is Jet. I'm the mayor of this town."
Bai Shi was startled.
Pei Cangyu’s eyes widened. "You... you... you speak..."
Jet nodded. "I studied abroad."
Pei Cangyu was stunned for several seconds. "Holy cow..." Then he quickly introduced himself. "My name is Pei Cangyu. I am..."
He looked at Bai Shi, who took over. "My younger brother."
Jet smiled, nodded, and reached out a hand to Pei Cangyu.
Pei Cangyu took three steps in two and reached him, shaking his hand with both of his own. "My name is Pei Cangyu. Pei as in the surname Pei, and Cangyu, meaning green jade."
Jet was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily and patted Pei Cangyu on the shoulder, glancing at Bai Shi.
Pei Cangyu asked, "Where do you live?"
Jet pointed outside. "Across the street."
"Oh, I see." He asked again, "Are you here to organize a party? That... welcome party?" He finally remembered the term.
Jet looked at Bai Shi again, then turned back to Pei Cangyu. His tone was very gentle, and he even leaned down slightly to match Pei Cangyu's height. "If you’d like one."
Pei Cangyu shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."
Jet straightened up. "Then I won't disturb you any longer."
Bai Shi made a move to see him out. He found it an eyesore to watch Pei Cangyu follow them and chat with Jet. Pei Cangyu seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this "meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land" scenario.
Jet shook hands with Bai Shi as he left, gave Pei Cangyu one last look, and then headed toward his own home.
Bai Shi closed the door and looked Pei Cangyu over. "Where did those clothes come from?"
"From your suitcase," Pei Cangyu answered as he walked back.
"You went through it?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
Bai Shi didn't say anything. Pei Cangyu had been asleep when he got back, and he was still asleep when Bai Shi finished his shower. When had he gone through the suitcase?
Pei Cangyu sat back down at the table and glanced at the cup Jet had used. Bai Shi sat down slowly as well. He took Jet's cup to wash it. "I don't like him very much." Bai Shi felt that Jet was an excessively clever man who seemed to see through many things.
To his surprise, Pei Cangyu nodded. "I don't like him much either."
Bai Shi turned to look at him. Pei Cangyu shrugged. "The way he talks to me is like he's talking to a little kid."
***
Pei Cangyu had been determined to ignore Bai Shi, letting him walk around the floor soaking wet and making loud noises to try and get his attention. But suddenly, he heard a whimpering sound at the door. Complaining to himself that Bai Shi hadn't closed the door when he came in, Pei Cangyu walked over.
There, on the floor by the entrance, he found a small yellow puppy. It was huddled piteously by the door, just as wet as Bai Shi. Its dark, bright eyes looked up at him, and it stuck out a pink tongue to lick its dirty paw.
Pei Cangyu melted instantly. He was about to squat down to pick it up when Bai Shi intervened.
Bai Shi scooped up the dog and stepped back outside. Pei Cangyu glared at him angrily.
Bai Shi pursed his lips, his expression both stubborn and earnest. "Talk to me, or I'm throwing it out..."
Pei Cangyu suppressed his anger, glaring at him intensely.
Bai Shi continued, "Thirty sentences a day. It can sleep on the bed; I won't."
Pei Cangyu glared at him fiercely.
The dog sneezed, shivering, and looked at Pei Cangyu with a whimper.
Pei Cangyu: "Fine, fine, fine. We can talk about this."
Bai Shi: "That’s one sentence."
"You motherf—"
"Two sentences."
"Just come inside first!"
"Three."
Pei Cangyu threw a towel over both the man and the dog, then sat down to dry the puppy. Bai Shi dried his own hair while stealing glances at him. "Are you still mad?"
"I wasn't mad to begin with."
Bai Shi sighed. "Regarding what you said about investigating Jet... I’ve decided to listen to you."
Pei Cangyu sat up straight.
