Living next door to Cai Lang was… unbearable.
Suo Ran discovered this within the first hour.
Every sound next door made him pause.
Every door opening made him glance up.
Even taking out the trash felt like a tactical mission.
That morning, he stepped out to throw garbage
And Cai Lang stepped out at the same time.
They froze.
"…Morning," Suo Ran said stiffly.
Cai Lang glanced at the trash bag. Then at him. "You're holding it upside down."
Suo Ran looked down.
Liquid dripped onto his shoe.
"…I hate you," Suo Ran muttered.
Cai Lang's lips twitched. "Noted."
The door closed.
Suo Ran stood there, humiliated.
Rooftop Later
The rooftop had become their place.
Lian Zihao leaned against the railing, sipping a canned drink, watching Suo Ran pace back and forth.
"You look stressed," Lian said. "Like someone moved into your head without permission."
Suo Ran stopped. "My neighbor is weird."
"That bad?"
"He watches. Silently."
Lian blinked. "…Okay, that is bad."
"He's not dangerous," Suo Ran added quickly. "Just intense."
Lian smiled knowingly. "Ah. One of those."
They talked about nothing and everything
work, dumb memories, small dreams. The wind was cool. Comfortable.
Unnoticed by them
Cai Lang stood at the stairwell entrance below.
He hadn't meant to stop.
But he did.
From where he stood, Suo Ran's laughter carried clearly. Lian's voice was too close.
Too familiar.
Cai Lang's jaw tightened.
Lian said suddenly. "You want to grab food? I'll introduce you to someone."
Suo Ran frowned. "Who?"
"My neighbor," Lian replied casually. "Just moved in. Tall. Quiet. Kind of scary."
Suo Ran's heart skipped.
"…Which floor?"
Lian pointed. "Yours."
No.
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Calm. Unhurried.
"Zihao."
Lian turned. "Huh?"
Cai Lang stepped fully onto the rooftop.
The air changed instantly.
"Cai Lang?" Suo Ran breathed.
Lian looked between them. "Wait. You two"
Cai Lang's gaze flicked to Suo Ran. Then back to Lian.
"You know each other," Lian said slowly.
Suo Ran swallowed. "He's my… neighbor."
Cai Lang corrected calmly, "Former host."
Lian choked. "WHAT?"
"CAI LANG," Suo Ran snapped.
Lian's eyes sparkled with interest. "Wow. I leave for a business trip and come back to this?"
Cai Lang extended his hand to Lian. "Cai Lang."
Lian shook it automatically. "Lian Zihao."
Their grips tightened just a fraction.
Two predators measuring distance.
Suo Ran stood between them, suddenly very tired.
"…This is bad," he muttered.
Cai Lang smiled faintly.
Lian laughed.
And neither of them looked away from Suo Ran.
They are getting know each other...
Cai Lang stood a little apart close enough to listen, far enough to pretend he wasn't.
"So," Lian said, grinning, "we never actually talked about how we met."
Suo Ran smiled faintly. "Taxi. Morning. You were late and yelling at your phone."
Lian laughed. "Correction I was professionally negotiating with my alarm clock."
"You almost slammed the door on me," Suo Ran added.
"You almost stole my seat."
"You offered to share."
"Because you looked half-asleep and pitiful."
Suo Ran snorted. "You spilled coffee on yourself."
"That was tragic."
Cai Lang listened in silence.
They were… comfortable. Too comfortable.
"And then," Lian continued, "we kept running into each other. Grocery store. Elevator.
Rooftop."
Suo Ran nodded. "You talk a lot."
"You listen," Lian shot back. "Fair trade."
Cai Lang's jaw tightened just slightly.
He hadn't known this.
He hadn't known Suo Ran laughed like that with someone else.
"So we became friends," Suo Ran said simply. "It just… happened."
Lian glanced toward Cai Lang. "And then there's you."
Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
"You moved in suddenly. Same building.
Same floor," Lian said, amused. "You're either suspicious or fate is bored."
Suo Ran laughed again. "He's not suspicious."
Cai Lang looked at him. "You're sure about that?"
Suo Ran hesitated just a fraction. "I trust him."
That word landed harder than it should have.
Trust.
Cai Lang looked away, eyes darkening.
He didn't like how Lian knew Suo Ran's habits.
Didn't like how Suo Ran leaned closer when Lian spoke.
Didn't like how natural it all looked.
Something sharp twisted in his chest unfamiliar, unwelcome.
Jealousy.
Suo Ran noticed the shift. "Cai Lang?"
"Hm?"
"You're quiet."
Cai Lang met his eyes. "Just thinking."
About how someone else reached you first.
About how I arrived too late.
Before Suo Ran could ask more, Lian suddenly stiffened.
"…Do you feel that?"
The air changed.
Heavier.
Cai Lang's expression snapped cold. His gaze slid past them to the far side of the rooftop.
Someone was there.
Standing near the shadows, half-hidden, watching.
Suo Ran's breath caught. That same sick feeling crawled up his spine.
The laughter didn't last long.
Cai Lang's expression changed instantly. The faint smile vanished, replaced by something cold and alert. His body shifted, positioning himself half a step in front of Suo Ran without even thinking.
Lian noticed it.
"What's wrong?" Lian asked lightly, but his eyes followed Cai Lang's gaze.
From the far end of the rooftop, near the water tanks, a figure stood still.
Too still.
A cap pulled low. Hands in pockets. Watching.
Suo Ran's chest tightened.
That feeling
The same suffocating pressure from that night.
"I've seen him," Suo Ran whispered. "Before."
Cai Lang didn't look at him. "I know."
Lian frowned. "Know what?"
The figure took one step forward.
Cai Lang spoke calmly, low enough that only they could hear. "Zihao. Take Suo Ran downstairs. Now."
Lian's smile vanished. "You're joking."
Another step.
Cai Lang's voice sharpened. "I'm not."
Suo Ran grabbed Cai Lang's sleeve instinctively. "Don't don't leave me."
For a split second, Cai Lang looked at him.
Something dangerous and protective burned in his eyes.
"I'm not leaving," he said quietly. "I'm ending this."
The figure suddenly turned and ran.
"Go!" Cai Lang snapped.
Lian swore under his breath, pulling Suo Ran toward the stairwell. "We'll talk later. You owe me everything."
Suo Ran twisted back once.
Cai Lang was already moving fast, silent, disappearing between shadows like he belonged there.
The rooftop door slammed shut.
Minutes Later...
They didn't hear footsteps.
They heard nothing.
Too much nothing.
Lian paced near the door. "This is bad. This is really bad."
Suo Ran's hands were shaking. "That man… he followed me before. I thought I was imagining it."
The door opened.
Cai Lang stepped in.
No visible injuries. Calm breathing. But his knuckles were red.
"Did you catch him?" Lian asked.
"No," Cai Lang replied. "But he won't come back tonight."
Suo Ran stared at his hand. "…You're hurt."
"It's nothing."
"You say that every time," Suo Ran snapped, then immediately looked away. "Sorry."
Cai Lang studied him for a long second. "You recognized him."
Suo Ran nodded slowly. "From that night.
The alley. I never saw his face clearly."
Lian went quiet.
"So this wasn't random," Lian said. "You're being watched."
"Yes," Cai Lang said.
Suo Ran looked up sharply. "You knew?"
"I suspected."
"Then why didn't you tell me?!"
Cai Lang's voice softened dangerously so. "Because once I say it out loud, you're involved whether you want to be or not."
Lian exhaled. "Too late for that."
The three of them stood there, connected by something invisible and heavy.
Cai Lang broke the silence.
"Suo Ran," he said. "From now on, don't come to the rooftop alone."
Suo Ran swallowed. "…And if I do?"
Cai Lang stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"Then I'll be there."
Lian watched them, eyes sharp, realizing something unsettling.
Whatever this danger was…
It had already tied the three of them together.
And it wasn't done yet.