2 Neighbors

Just as Zhou Zhuofei was lost in thought, Xiao Wang’s words interrupted her reverie.

“Xiao Zhou, I heard your department is about to get an intern?”

Zhou Zhuofei was momentarily taken aback. She hadn’t expected even Xiao Wang to know about this, which surely meant that Ling Yu was aware as well? She stole a glance at him, only to find Ling Yu appearing utterly indifferent, as if it was merely Xiao Wang making casual conversation with her. Zhou Zhuofei quickly composed herself and replied, “Yes, the manager just handed me the resume today. I’m supposed to show him around and help him get familiar with the work tomorrow.”

With a hint of teasing and nostalgia, Xiao Wang remarked, “Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, you’re about to become someone’s mentor.”

“That’s right, I was just thinking about it myself. I’ve been with the company for three years now.”

Hearing his words, Zhou Zhuofei felt more at ease. She was actually quite familiar with Xiao Wang, as during her first six months in the admin department, her main tasks had been running errands and handling odd jobs. Nearly every day, she’d have to go up to the top floor where the president’s office was located to deliver various documents, and she’d often interact with Xiao Wang. He had an excellent reputation at the company—capable, tactful, able to handle the endless stream of people he met each day, all while managing his work, and no one could ever find fault with him.

Even when dealing with her, back when she was still inexperienced, Xiao Wang had always been patient, sometimes even offering kind advice. So Zhou Zhuofei thought highly of him. If she had to rank the colleagues she was most grateful for at Huanyu, Xiao Wang would definitely make the top five.

“If there’s a chance, let me meet the intern,” Xiao Wang continued.

So that was the real point. Zhou Zhuofei caught on immediately and replied with a smile, “No problem. In a few days, he’ll probably be delivering documents to you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator arrived at the finance department’s floor. Zhou Zhuofei said her goodbyes and stepped out. After a few steps, she glanced back through the still-open elevator doors and saw Xiao Wang talking with Ling Yu. She didn’t know what they were discussing, but her instincts told her they were likely still talking about the intern.

It seemed this Mr. Zhan truly had an unusual background.

When Zhou Zhuofei returned, she told Ye Ru what had happened in the elevator. After thinking for a moment, Ye Ru reassured her, “Don’t worry, just treat him like any other intern. Do what you need to do. If he doesn’t cooperate, come find me, and I’ll go to the department head.”

“Alright, thank you, Sister Ye.”

Ye Ru gave her a hearty smile. “No need to thank me, don’t be afraid. Even if something goes wrong, it won’t be on you—the department head will take responsibility.”

Zhou Zhuofei laughed along, remembering that Ye Ru had said the same thing when she first joined the company. Ye Ru had told her not to be afraid, to ask questions and take initiative. The new-employee period came with a margin for error; it was better to learn from mistakes now than to make them later, when there would be less understanding.

“If I can help it, I don’t want to cause trouble for any of us,” Zhou Zhuofei joked.

“But if you manage this well, it’ll count as an achievement,” Ye Ru reminded her. “Take the intern around, especially since Secretary Xiao mentioned it. Be diligent.”

Zhou Zhuofei understood the implication: Xiao Wang was speaking on Ling Yu’s behalf, so not only should she comply, she should go the extra mile.

“Will do.”

Back at her desk, Zhou Zhuofei busied herself with work until, before she knew it, it was time to leave. She packed her things and clocked out. This was something she appreciated most about Huanyu—the company strictly adhered to labor laws, never encouraged overtime, and offered weekends off. These conditions made her the envy of many friends.

“Time to go home!” she sang as she and her colleagues stepped into the elevator. Unlike the silent atmosphere during work hours, the elevator was now brimming with cheer as everyone chatted about their plans for the evening—some were picking up kids, some heading out to buy groceries, others meeting friends for dinner or shopping.

Zhou Zhuofei joined in, chatting with a colleague about a popular TV drama. The camaraderie lasted until they reached the ground floor and everyone dispersed. Stepping out of Huanyu’s impressive office building, Zhou Zhuofei took a deep breath, feeling instantly revived.

She had more than ten hours of freedom ahead!

She walked to the nearby bus stop, and after some travel, finally arrived home. Huanyu offered a housing allowance to all employees from out of town. Zhou Zhuofei could have rented a studio apartment near work with that money, but after some thought, she chose instead to rent a one-bedroom in an older residential area farther away. The price was similar, but the space was much bigger, and after years of cramped student housing, she craved something more spacious.

Her friend Du Yu had advised her to live closer to the office, since a shorter commute would benefit her well-being. While Zhou Zhuofei agreed, she valued her living environment more. She wanted her apartment to be a place to live, not just a place to sleep before work. Besides, Huanyu’s reasonable hours meant she could afford the longer commute. In the end, her choice proved right: whenever she returned home exhausted, the sight of her spacious living room and the coffee table piled with comics and game discs always calmed her. This was more than a temporary residence—it was her sanctuary.

There was another reason, too. She wanted to see whether, no matter where she lived, the story’s heroine would always end up as her neighbor. In a studio apartment, she’d have a dozen neighbors per floor, but in the old residential building, there were only two apartments per floor. She’d checked when she moved in—her neighbor was an elderly woman living alone.

After moving in, Zhou Zhuofei often ran into her neighbor, whose schedule was quite different from hers. On her way to work, she’d see the old lady returning from grocery shopping or sitting in the communal area passing the time.

Just as she’d nearly forgotten about the heroine, her neighbor suddenly changed. Word was that the old woman had moved to a nursing home, and her new neighbor was a girl about her own age.

Zhou Zhuofei had just reached the entrance of her building when she saw her new neighbor on the stairs.

“Just got back from work?” Cen Huan greeted her warmly. She was beautiful and gentle, her plain clothes and the dim stairwell only making her look more striking. Cen Huan shook the plastic bag in her hand. “I was just about to come find you. I brought more salmon for the Director.”

“Thanks, I haven’t finished the last batch you gave me.”

“It’s no trouble. There’s plenty of it in our hotel kitchen, and my coworkers don’t want it anymore.”

They chatted as they climbed to the fifth floor. Zhou Zhuofei took out her keys, and as soon as the door was halfway open, a nimble black shadow appeared at the threshold, letting out a cute meow.

Cen Huan’s voice softened at the sight. “Director, long time no see!”

Director was the stray cat Zhou Zhuofei had adopted; in fact, it was because of the cat that she first spoke to Cen Huan. After the new neighbor moved in, Zhou Zhuofei had mixed feelings, unsure how to interact with her. Cen Huan’s work hours were irregular, so at first they rarely crossed paths, and Zhou Zhuofei only knew she was home by the faint sounds through the thin door.

Then, one rainy day, Zhou Zhuofei came home to find a tiny black kitten shivering in the hallway, soaked to the bone and whimpering pitifully. Feeling sorry for it, she fetched a towel to take it in. Just as she was about to carry it inside, she ran into Cen Huan, who had had the same idea. That was their first conversation.

Zhou Zhuofei asked if Cen Huan wanted to adopt the cat, but Cen Huan said her job kept her too busy to care for it. So Zhou Zhuofei took the kitten home herself. At first, she only meant to foster it for a few days and find it a new home, but she grew attached and ended up naming it. She’d never been allowed a pet before, but now that she lived alone, with time and money to spare, why not do something she wanted?

As for the name “Director”—that was a whim. In her dreams, she and the heroine had never spoken, but now, thanks to the cat, they had a strange new connection, so she chose that name.

Though Cen Huan hadn’t adopted Director, she remained invested, often bringing fish scraps from the hotel kitchen for the cat and playing with it when she visited. Most of her conversations with Zhou Zhuofei revolved around the cat; Cen Huan rarely talked about herself, and Zhou Zhuofei tacitly respected her privacy. Thus, they maintained a neighborly, feline-based friendship.

After playing with Director at the door for a while, Cen Huan left for her apartment. Zhou Zhuofei put the salmon away in the fridge, threw together a quick meal, and, after eating, eagerly resumed her latest video game campaign.

In truth, she was a veteran fan of anime, comics, and games. She and her friend Du Yu had met in a college club devoted to those interests. After graduation, they took very different career paths: Du Yu joined a cultural company organizing conventions, traveling constantly and working through every holiday, while Zhou Zhuofei became a nine-to-five office worker.

They’d planned to travel together after graduating, but mismatched vacation schedules had postponed their plans for two years and counting. At first, Zhou Zhuofei envied Du Yu for following her dreams and doing what she loved every day, while she herself hadn’t had the courage, nor could she resist the allure of working at Huanyu.

But over time, she realized the envy was mutual—they were both trapped in their own little fortresses. She envied Du Yu’s freedom; Du Yu envied her stability. Yet when they got together, they’d still grumble and complain about clients, colleagues, bosses, and work just the same.