Anning moved into the elevator with a cardboard box.
Today, her family was officially moving into their new home.
After school, Anning packed up some books she needed and brought them over. Originally, Mr. Gu was supposed to help with the move, but he had to deal with some minor issues at the store, so Anning moved the books herself.
As soon as she entered the elevator, she saw Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan’s face lit up with a smile when he saw Anning.
It was a stark contrast to his usual cold demeanor towards others.
"What a coincidence."
Xiao Yuan nodded to Anning with a smile.
Anning also smiled back: "It is a coincidence. Does Dr. Xiao live around here as well?"
Xiao Yuan took the cardboard box Anning was carrying: "I remember your home isn’t around here. Are you visiting friends?"
Anning shook her head: "No, we’re moving. From now on, we’ll be living here."
Anning pressed the elevator button for her floor, and to Xiao Yuan’s surprise: "What a huge coincidence, I live on this floor too."
Anning was at a loss for words.
There were only two households on this floor. She never expected Xiao Yuan to move next door to her.
Moreover, Anning remembered that there were people living next door already, a family of three, whom she and Mrs. Gu had encountered while cleaning before.
"Are you a relative of our neighbors?"
The elevator arrived, and Xiao Yuan, carrying the cardboard box, said: "You go open the door, and I’ll help you move it inside."
Anning hurried to take the cardboard box: "No need to trouble you further."
"Why be so polite with me."
Xiao Yuan didn’t let Anning touch the box.
Anning rushed to open the door, and Xiao Yuan, carrying the box, entered.
Mrs. Gu had just finished cooking and came out of the kitchen when she heard the door open, only to see Xiao Yuan.
Anning explained with a smile to Mrs. Gu: "I ran into Dr. Xiao in the elevator, and he helped me since I was moving books alone."
"Thank you so much for that."
Mrs. Gu quickly thanked Xiao Yuan: "Just put it on the floor, Ningning and I will sort it out later."
Xiao Yuan did not insist on entering Anning’s bedroom, and with a smile, he placed the box on the floor.
Mrs. Gu hurriedly asked Xiao Yuan: "Would you like something to drink?"
Xiao Yuan waved his hand: "Not necessary."
He looked at Anning: "Are you talking about the family of three?"
Xiao Yuan explained: "They’ve moved out, apparently to make it convenient for their child’s schooling, so they switched houses. I happened to be looking to buy a place, and finding that apartment nice, I bought it."
Mrs. Gu laughed upon hearing this: "That really is such a coincidence. We’ll be neighbors from now on."
"I’ll be counting on you all for help in the future."
Xiao Yuan never expected that one day he would be this enthusiastic and go out of his way to please a middle-aged woman, all for the sake of her daughter.
If the folks in the Capital found out, they’d surely be shocked.
"We’re all neighbors. If you ever need anything, just let us know."
Mrs. Gu glanced at the door across: "Do you live alone or with your family?"
Xiao Yuan gave a wry smile, appearing somewhat lonely and pitiable: "I live alone, my family... sigh, it’s as good as not having one."
Mrs. Gu’s heart softened upon hearing this.
She then looked at Xiao Yuan’s exhausted face and asked, "What were you doing today? You look really tired."
Hearing Mrs. Gu’s words, Xiao Yuan seized the opportunity to elaborate: "I performed a surgery today, stood for over ten hours, indeed it’s..."
He even swayed a bit, which made Mrs. Gu feel all the more distressed for him: "Being a doctor is not easy at all, don’t keep standing, hurry and sit down, sit down."
Xiao Yuan immediately sat on the sofa.
Mrs. Gu passed him some fruit: "Eat some of this to tide you over, look at you, all by yourself. I made plenty of food today, why not just eat at our place? It’ll save you the trouble of cooking when you get back."
"I don’t usually cook."
Xiao Yuan took an apple and picked up a fruit knife to peel it.
Mrs. Gu frowned upon hearing he didn’t cook: "Eating takeout is not great either, you never know what kind of oil they use, whether it’s clean or not, it’s still safer to eat at home."
"I’m really quite envious of Gu."
Xiao Yuan put the apple down again and flashed a weak smile at Mrs. Gu: "Gu has parents like you and Uncle Gu who are really very enviable. How good you two are to her, cooking meals every day, taking care of her daily life with such meticulous attention. I can’t do that, I... forget it, let’s not talk about it."
The more Mrs. Gu listened, the more sympathy she felt for Xiao Yuan.
In a surge of passion, she said: "Then from now on, come to our place for meals whenever you like, I have to cook for Ningning every day anyway, it’s just a matter of adding a bit more rice to cover your portion."
"That would be too much trouble."
Xiao Yuan modestly declined a few times: "I’d feel really bad."
Mrs. Gu put on a stern face: "What’s the hassle about that? We’re all neighbors here, and you have no family, it’s only right for us to look out for you a bit more."
After thinking for a while, Xiao Yuan agreed: "But I can’t just eat for free; I’ll buy groceries more often then."
And so, Mrs. Gu and Xiao Yuan happily came to an agreement.
When Mr. Gu came home, he found an extra person at the dinner table.
Upon learning that Xiao Yuan was a neighbor, he actually felt quite fated: "Dr. Xiao, feel free to come over and sit for a while when you’re free. It’s just our two families on this floor, and it must be boring for you at home alone, coming over to our place is more lively with more people."
Xiao Yuan kept smiling, nodding his head and agreeing continuously.
After the meal, Xiao Yuan went back home.
About ten minutes later, he knocked on Anning’s house door again.
This time it was Mr. Gu opening the door. He saw Xiao Yuan and asked with a smile, "Did you forget something?"
Xiao Yuan shook his head.
He handed over two bottles of medicinal liquor he was holding: "This is medicinal liquor I brewed myself, it’s very good for the health. Uncle can have a little every day, as long as you don’t overdo it, there’s no issue."
Mr. Gu tried to decline, but Xiao Yuan quickly said: "I didn’t know we were neighbors before, nor that you were moving. I didn’t prepare a gift and came to your house for a free meal; I feel quite embarrassed. Let this be a housewarming gift for you."
Now that Xiao Yuan had put it that way, Mr. Gu felt it would be rude not to accept.
So he took the liquor.
After Xiao Yuan left, Mr. Gu spoke with Mrs. Gu: "Dr. Xiao is really too polite. He knew we moved and even brought a gift, and I feel embarrassed to accept it."
Mrs. Gu thought for a while: "He’s also new to the neighborhood, shouldn’t we give him something too?"
Mr. Gu thought it was only proper.
But the couple couldn’t decide what to give.
Just then, Anning came out looking for something, and Mrs. Gu pulled Anning into the conversation.
Anning smiled: "Last year, when I was on summer break and had nothing to do, didn’t we embroider a cross stitch together? It turned out pretty good, so how about we give it to Dr. Xiao? He’s moving into a new home and it might be nice to hang on the wall as a decoration."
She went back into the room and took out the cross stitch.
Instead of bringing it to Xiao Yuan herself, she had Anning deliver it.