The young man’s voice was clear and melodious, carrying an inexplicable rhythm, gently echoing in the spacious stairwell.
His demeanor was courteous, with a perfect amount of friendliness on his face, as if he were an acquaintance encountered at some upscale cocktail party.
Fang Cheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He quickly recognized that this was the peculiar neighbor who lived in apartment 1803 below him.
"What a coincidence to run into you here."
The young man appeared naturally familiar, stepping forward proactively to shorten the distance between them.
"I visited your home the night before last, but no one answered. Are you usually busy with work?"
Fang Cheng did not answer the question but instead asked back, discreetly sizing him up from head to toe.
The man was wearing a high-quality, pure white shirt and well-fitted casual trousers, his figure tall and slender.
The Patek Philippe watch on his wrist, even in the rather dim light, still exuded a low-key luxurious sheen.
However, despite his elite appearance, he was wearing a pair of blue flip-flops commonly found in supermarkets.
This highly incongruous combination made his image appear even more peculiar, heightening Fang Cheng’s guardedness.
As if facing someone who just wandered out of a mental hospital.
The young man beamed brightly, seemingly oblivious to Fang Cheng’s scrutinizing gaze.
"Since we live in the same building, we should interact more often to strengthen neighborhood relations."
His gaze wandered, settling on the overstuffed shopping bags Fang Cheng was holding.
Seeing this, he enthusiastically stepped forward a couple more steps.
"Bought so many things; aren’t they heavy? Let me help you with them."
Fang Cheng frowned imperceptibly, sidestepping to avoid the other man’s outstretched hand.
The young man seemed completely unaware of the cold demeanor keeping him at a distance.
He persistently reached out, firmly grasping the handles of two of the bags.
"Don’t be courteous; helping each other is what neighbors should do."
Fang Cheng’s action of holding the shopping bags paused for a moment, ultimately not forcibly pulling them back, allowing him to take two bags.
As soon as the young man took hold of the bags, he gasped.
The expression of ease on his face instantly froze, and he grimaced.
"Goodness, they are really heavy, your strength must be quite something!"
He enviously glanced at Fang Cheng’s well-defined arms under his short sleeves, then looked at himself.
"Climbed over a dozen floors, and you’re not even out of breath—impressive."
As he spoke, he genuinely gave Fang Cheng a thumbs-up.
Fang Cheng shook his head helplessly, not responding.
This guy was about the same height as him, but with a frame as thin as when he first started training, looking a bit frail in clothes.
The two of them each carried two heavy shopping bags, slowly moving upstairs while chatting casually.
"By the way, friend, my name is Su Zhe. You can call me Xiao Su. What about you?"
Hearing the name Fang Cheng gave, Su Zhe repeated it, turning his head with a curious tone:
"What do you do for a living? Judging by your build, are you a fitness coach or an athlete?"
"Hmm, I’ve done both."
Fang Cheng replied indifferently, revealing no intention of disclosing more information.
Quickly, they reached the nineteenth floor.
The two of them successively entered the half-open vestibule, Fang Cheng took out a key and inserted it into the lock of the security door.
Su Zhe naturally put the bags on the ground, peeking inside the house curiously as the door opened.
His gaze was instantly captivated by the large black sandbag hanging in the center of the living room.
Looking at the huge "beast", his eyes immediately showed intense interest.
"Your home decor is quite unique; are you a martial artist? Mind if I take a look inside?"
He looked at Fang Cheng with eager anticipation, like a child discovering a new toy.
"It’s not convenient."
Fang Cheng answered firmly.
Su Zhe’s smile instantly froze.
Apparently not expecting such a straightforward and ruthless refusal, with not a hint of social grace.
Fang Cheng put his key back in his pocket, then expressed thanks.
After that, he picked up the other two bags at his feet, turned around, and prepared to enter the house to close the door.
Just as the door was about to close, Su Zhe suddenly shouted.
A hand quickly stretched out, stopping the closing door.
Fang Cheng turned back, his brows once again furrowing, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.
Wanting to see what this odd guy was up to.
Fang Cheng’s eyebrows shot up, questioning if he had misheard.
Su Zhe shrugged, then pointed at his own feet, saying matter-of-factly:
"Look, I can’t even afford a decent pair of shoes. I’ve been unemployed at home recently, facing financial difficulties, I can only wear flip-flops when going out."
He lifted his head, looking sincerely at Fang Cheng with his clear eyes:
"As the saying goes, virtue has its rewards. I’ve helped you out, shouldn’t there be some sort of payback?"
"How about... you lend me five hundred bucks to improve my quality of life?"
Fang Cheng stared at him for a full three seconds.
Then, silently put down the shopping bags, and from his pocket took out his wallet, counting six new hundred-yuan bills.
Su Zhe’s eyes instantly lit up, as if he had seen a rare treasure.