Morning in Liancheng came too fast. Suo Ran stood near the curb, coffee in one hand and phone in the other, already running late. The street was crowded with honking cars and impatient commuters. He raised his hand just as a taxi slowed down. At the same moment, someone else opened the back door. "Hey." "No, I booked it first." Suo Ran froze. He turned his head slowly and met a familiar pair of eyes sharp, amused, and far too calm for seven in the morning. "You." Suo Ran's voice was completely flat. Lian Ziho blinked once before a faint smile appeared. "Morning, neighbor." Suo Ran frowned immediately. "You're stealing my taxi." "I'm not stealing!" Lian Ziho corrected, one hand still resting on the taxi door. "I'm sharing. Big difference." "That's not how taxis work."
The driver leaned halfway out the window, clearly losing patience. "Same direction or not?" Lian Ziho glanced toward Suo Ran. "City center?" Suo Ran hesitated before nodding. "Yes." Lian Ziho looked back at the driver. "See? Fate." Suo Ran sighed heavily and climbed into the taxi. "This isn't fate. This is poor planning." Lian Ziho laughed softly as he slid into the seat beside him. "You sound grumpy for someone holding coffee." "You sound too cheerful for someone I've only met twice." "Twice makes us acquaintances." "No, it doesn't." "Then neighbors." "Barely." "Harsh."
The taxi pulled away from the curb. For a few minutes they sat in silence while the city rolled past the windows. Shops were opening for the day. Cyclists squeezed through traffic. Street vendors prepared breakfast stalls. Sunlight slowly climbed over the skyline. Lian Ziho glanced sideways. "You always this tense in the morning?" Suo Ran gave him a look over the rim of his coffee cup. "Only when strangers invade my personal space." Lian Ziho looked down between them. "There's at least ten centimeters between us." "You measured?" "Visually." "That's somehow worse."
And Lian Ziho laughed. "Relax. I don't bite." Suo Ran took another sip of coffee. "That's exactly what people who bite say." This time Lian Ziho's laugh was louder. Several passengers in a nearby vehicle glanced over. "That's not lie though!" He rested his arm against the door and studied Suo Ran briefly. "Where are you headed?" "Work." "That's vague." "Intentional." "You're very suspicious for someone who accidentally shares taxis with strangers." "You're very curious for someone who claims not to know me." "Curiosity isn't a crime." "Depends who you ask."
Lian Ziho hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting answer." Suo Ran immediately regretted saying it. "Don't analyze everything I say." "I wasn't." "You were." "Maybe a little." The smile tugging at his lips made it impossible to take him seriously. For some reason that annoyed Suo Ran even more. "Do you always talk this much in the morning?" he asked. "Only when the company is entertaining." "I'm not entertaining." "You absolutely are." "That's concerning." "Why?" "Because I've spent most of this conversation trying to get rid of you."
Lian Ziho pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. "And yet here I am." Suo Ran rolled his eyes and looked out the window. The city blurred past. Unfortunately, he could still feel Lian Ziho's amusement beside him. After a moment, Lian Ziho spoke again. "You live in Building C, right?" Suo Ran turned back toward him. "How do you know that?" "Because I've seen you leave." "That sounds suspicious." "We share an apartment complex." "Still suspicious."
Lian Ziho looked genuinely thoughtful. "You know, you're the first person who's ever called me suspicious three times before breakfast." "Congratulations." "Should I be proud?" "No." "Disappointing." Despite himself, Suo Ran felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He looked away before Lian Ziho could notice. Unfortunately, Lian Ziho noticed everything. "Was that a smile?" "No." "Pretty sure it was." "You should get your eyes checked." "They're working perfectly." Suo Ran groaned quietly. "You're exhausting." "I've been told that too."
The taxi slowed briefly at a red light. Sunlight spilled through the windows, illuminating the interior. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Lian Ziho tilted his head slightly. "You didn't sleep much." Suo Ran looked at him. "What?" "You look tired." "That's rude." "It's observational." "That's still rude." "Fair." Lian Ziho shrugged. "Long night?" Suo Ran hesitated. The rooftop came to mind then Cai lang.Then every confusing conversation attached to him. "Something like that." To his surprise, Lian Ziho didn't push further. Instead, he nodded once. "I know the feeling." "You?" Suo Ran looked skeptical. "You seem like someone who gets eight hours of sleep and meditates at sunrise."
Lian Ziho stared at him for a second before laughing so hard he nearly dropped his phone. "That is genuinely the funniest thing anyone has ever assumed about me." "I was being serious." "Which somehow makes it funnier." The taxi hit a small bump. Their shoulders brushed briefly. Both noticed but neither commented. Lian Ziho casually shifted a little toward the window."Thank you." Another brief silence followed. Then Lian Ziho glanced toward him. "So." Suo Ran looked suspicious. "What?" "Nothing." "You clearly have a question." "Maybe." "Ask it."
Lian Ziho smiled. "You always escape to rooftops at night?" Suo Ran stiffened. "You followed me?" "No." Lian Ziho's answer came right away."Then how do you know?" "Because people who spend time on rooftops all have the same expression the next day." "And what's that supposed to mean?" Lian Ziho looked out the window. "Like they're trying to solve a problem bigger than themselves." Suo Ran blinked. That wasn't the answer he expected. "That's oddly specific." "I've spent time on rooftops too." "Really?" "Occasionally." "Why?"
Lian Ziho smiled faintly. "The city is quieter from above." For some reason, that answer felt honest. Suo Ran found himself studying him for a moment. "You're strange." "I get that a lot." "Is that why you live on the top floor?" "Maybe." Lian Ziho looked out toward the skyline. "Or maybe I like knowing what's above everyone else." Something about the answer unsettled Suo Ran.
Before he could think about it further, the taxi began slowing down. "My stop." Suo Ran reached for his wallet. "I'll cover it," Lian Ziho said. "No." Lian ziho took out his wallet and said,"Consider it compensation for stealing your taxi." Suo ran shook his head and said,"You didn't steal it." Lian ziho smiled and said, "Progress."Suo ran sighed. "You're impossible." "And yet you're accepting free transportation." "I'm accepting because arguing with you seems impossible."
Lian Ziho's smile widened. "That's right!" After a moment, Suo ran nodded reluctantly. "Fine!Thanks." "You're welcome." Suo Ran reached for the door handle. "And don't read into that either." "Too late." He paused halfway out the taxi. "You're really annoying, you know that?" Lian Ziho looked entirely pleased by the statement. "I've heard worse." Shaking his head, Suo Ran stepped onto the sidewalk. As the taxi pulled away, he caught a glimpse of Lian Ziho looking back through the window.
For reasons he couldn't explain, that small moment lingered in his thoughts longer than it should have. And somewhere inside the moving taxi, Lian Ziho found himself smiling faintly at the memory of a grumpy neighbor holding coffee like a shield.Then he reached garage.Lian Ziho leaned against car nearby, one hand in his pocket while scrolling through his phone with the other.
The morning meeting had ended earlier than expected, leaving him with a few minutes of quiet. His expression remained relaxed until footsteps echoed through the garage. Slow. Measured. Familiar. He didn't need to look up immediately to know who it was. "You're late!" Cai Lang said as he stopped a few feet away. Lian Ziho lifted his gaze from his phone and smiled faintly. "I'm not." He slipped the phone into his pocket. "You're early."
Cai Lang didn't bother arguing. His eyes moved briefly over Lian Ziho,"You changed your route this morning." Lian Ziho's eyebrow lifted. "You keep tabs on me now?" "I notice patterns." "That sounds healthier in your head than it does out loud." A faint smirk appeared on cai lang's face. "Probably." Lian Ziho pushed himself away from the car and folded his arms. "And here I thought you came down here because you missed me." "Don't flatter yourself." "Too late."
Cai Lang ignored the comment entirely. "You took the east route." "I did." "You never take the east route." "People change." "Not that much." Lian Ziho laughed quietly. "See? This is why people find you intimidating." "People find you annoying." "Only the smart ones."Cai Lang's gaze sharpened slightly. "You shared a taxi." The statement wasn't a question. Lian Ziho immediately noticed. "There it is." "There what is?" "The real reason you're here."
Cai Lang remained silent. Lian Ziho sighed dramatically. "I'm touched." "Don't be." "Too late." Cai Lang's jaw tightened slightly. "Who was he?" "A passenger." "Lian ziho!" "A neighbor." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed. "You don't talk to strangers." "I do occasionally." "No, you don't." "You make me sound antisocial." "You are antisocial." "Selective." "Antisocial." Lian Ziho laughed again and shook his head. "Fine. Maybe a little." Cai Lang remained completely serious. "Who is he?"
Lian Ziho studied him for a moment. "Why do you care?" Cai Lang hesitated. It lasted less than a second, but Lian Ziho caught it. "Interesting." "Answer the question." "You're avoiding mine." Cai Lang's expression didn't change. "Because mine matters." "And mine doesn't?" "No." "Harsh." Another silence stretched between them.Then Lian ziho said, "He really just neighbour!"
Cai lang stared at him for second and asked,
"That's all?" Lian Ziho smiled faintly and said,"what else? " Cai Lang smirked and said " You are lying!" Lian ziho ziho laughed. Cai lang put his one hand on Lian ziho's shoulder and said,"And I'm usually right when I say you're hiding something." "You always say that." "Because you're always hiding something." Lian Ziho laughed softly and rubbed the back of his neck. "You can't say that! "
Cai Lang stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly. His expression remained calm, but there was a quiet focus in his eyes that told Lian Ziho he was paying closer attention than usual. "What did he tell you?" he asked. Lian Ziho slipped his phone into his pocket and leaned casually against his car, looking completely unbothered. "Very little!" he replied with a small shrug. Cai Lang studied him for a moment before speaking again. "And?" A faint smile appeared on Lian Ziho's face. "He's suspicious of everyone." "Good." Cai Lang nodded once,"People who trust too easily don't last long."
Lian Ziho raised an eyebrow. "That's a cheerful way to look at life." "It's a realistic one."Lian Ziho let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "He's stubborn too." At that, Cai Lang exhaled softly through his nose, a trace of amusement flickering across his face. "Most people are." "No!" Lian ziho said, straightening slightly. "This one's different. The kind that refuses good advice simply because someone gave it to him." "Sounds exhausting." "It was."
The distant hum of ventilation fans echoed through the parking garage.Cai Lang folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head slightly. "Anything else?"Lian ziho pretended to think, tapping a finger against his sleeve while looking toward the ceiling as though carefully reviewing a list. "Let's see..." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "He's observant,defensive and he doesn't like answering questions."
Cai lang's expression remained unchanged. "Neither do you." "That's why I noticed." For the briefest moment, the corner of Cai Lang's mouth twitched.Lian Ziho immediately pointed at him. "There." Cai Lang frowned slightly. "There what?" "That almost-smile." "There wasn't one." "There definitely was." Cai Lang ignored him completely. The smile on Lian Ziho's face widened. "And he's terrible at pretending not to be curious."
Cai lang gaze remained steady and unreadable.Lian Ziho noticed the pause and tilted his head. "Ah." Cai Lang narrowed his eyes slightly. "What?" "Nothing." "Lian ziho." The warning in his voice only seemed to amuse him further. "What?" Lian Ziho asked innocently. "You have that look." "What look?" "The one that means you're about to become annoying." Lian Ziho laughed outright. "I was already annoying." "Nothing new!"
For a moment neither spoke. Then Lian Ziho pushed himself away from the car and crossed his arms. "You know, you're taking an unusual amount of interest in a random stranger." Cai Lang's expression didn't change. "I'm taking an interest in your behavior." "My behavior?" "Yes." Lian Ziho pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. "I'm touched." "Don't be." "Too late." Cai Lang sighed. "You don't talk to strangers." "I do occasionally." "No, you don't." Lian Ziho groaned. "You make me sound antisocial." "You are antisocial." "I'm selective." "That's the same thing."
Lian Ziho shook his head, laughing quietly. "Anyway, relax. He's just a neighbor." Cai Lang studied him for a long moment. The silence stretched long enough to become uncomfortable. "A neighbor you've already described for several minutes." Lian Ziho's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before returning. "Maybe I was bored." "Maybe you're curious." Lian Ziho blinked. Cai Lang noticed. A faint smirk appeared on his face. "There it is." "There what?" "The actual problem." Lian Ziho rolled his eyes. "You're imagining things." "Am I?" "Yes."
Cai Lang continued watching him without saying anything. After a few seconds, Lian Ziho looked away first. That alone seemed to answer the question. The smirk on Cai Lang's face deepened slightly. "You always say curiosity isn't dangerous." "It isn't." "It is when it distracts you." Lian Ziho folded his arms tighter and leaned back against the car. "You're starting to sound old." "And you're starting to sound careless." "Harsh." "Accurate." Another silence settled between them beneath the harsh fluorescent lights. Cai Lang glanced toward the stairwell. "Just don't let a random stranger become a problem." Lian Ziho watched him carefully. "You're assuming he'll become important." "I'm assuming nothing." "That's a lie." For the first time, Cai Lang actually smirked. "And you're usually wrong."
Lian Ziho laughed. "Now that's definitely a lie." Cai Lang shook his head once before turning toward the stairwell. As he walked away, Lian Ziho called after him. "You're getting suspicious in your old age." Without turning around, Cai Lang lifted a hand dismissively. "And you're still impossible." The stairwell door swung shut behind him. Lian Ziho remained beside his car for several moments, staring at the closed door. Then he slipped his hands into his pockets and looked down at the reflection on his phone screen. Somehow, despite everything Cai Lang had said, the image of a grumpy neighbor clutching a coffee cup and glaring across a taxi seat surfaced in his mind again. The memory pulled an involuntary smile from him. "Interesting!" he murmured quietly to himself.
Eventually he exhaled slowly and pulled out his phone. "So cautious!" he murmured. "Too cautious." His phone buzzed with a reminder notification. *Rooftop* A faint smile appeared on his face. "See you again, neighbor!" he said quietly before slipping the phone away and getting into car.