The bag was actually quite light.
[Is this also Yan Bao’s lover?]
[Hey, whose precious wife is this? Even a light bag has to be carried by someone else; how delicate!]
The other party was a young man with a gentle demeanour, possessing soft peach blossom eyes, who was currently looking at him with concern.
“Your face is a bit flushed,” he asked, “Is it too hot outside?”
Yan Chuan instinctively shook his head, “No…”
He opened his mouth and, just as the words were about to come out, he hesitated, “Uh… it is a little hot; I forgot to bring an umbrella.”
Fortunately, his blushing was not very noticeable.
“Mm,” the young man continued to walk up alongside Yan Chuan, “You live on the fifth floor, right?”
Yan Chuan nodded.
The young man smiled, like a breeze in spring, “My name is Tang Zhen, and I live on the third floor.”
Yan Chuan politely responded, “I’m Yan Chuan.”
“That’s a really nice name.” Tang Zhen was clearly more articulate than Shan Qi, and the smile in his eyes became even more apparent.
Yan Chuan took the bag from his hands and expressed his gratitude once more, “Thank you.”
Tang Zhen didn’t rush to leave or awkwardly invite himself in. Instead, he said, “I live on the third floor and play guitar. If you’re interested, you can come listen to me play.”
That did fit his character… Yan Chuan nodded without giving a definite answer, “If I have time.”
There were all sorts of peculiar people; they didn’t seem like contestants in an escape variety show.
After saying goodbye to Tang Zhen, Yan Chuan closed the door and began preparing lunch, reminiscing about the clues he had gathered.
Aside from the small store on the first floor, there were six households in total in Apartment No. 13.
There was him, the “husband”, Shan Qi, Tang Zhen, a family listening to Peking opera, a middle-aged couple, and a young couple whose doors and windows remained tightly shut, only occasionally showing their faces.
Yan Chuan placed Tang Zhen and Shan Qi on his list of “lovers”.
He hadn’t seen the others much; the last couple was clearly dressed in school uniforms, exuding a youthful vibe, as if they were a pair of students who had run away together.
Yan Chuan carefully sorted through these observations.
In an old, run-down apartment building, six distinctly different families lived together.
The elderly man’s family, the frowning middle-aged couple, the musical Tang Zhen, and the eloping young couple.
Of course, there was also the seemingly harmonious husband and wife duo.
As for Shan Qi, Yan Chuan thought for a moment, he seemed to be an unemployed drifter, based on the vibe he gave off.
What kind of events would unfold among this group?
Hot oil sputtered in the pan as Yan Chuan added the chopped vegetables. He was not very skilled at stir-frying and almost spilt the vegetables due to his large movements.
Since he could remember, he had never cooked. Clearly, the escape variety show had not granted him any advantages in this regard.
Yan Chuan’s face turned pink from the heat as he pursed his lips, frantically juggling everything, not even realizing when a bit of soot from the pan had smudged his face.
After several minutes, Yan Chuan stared at a pot of burnt food, lost in thought.
This was clearly inedible.
After failing to cook, Yan Chuan silently disposed of the charred dish. Thankfully, he had some instant food prepared for emergencies.
He boiled a fresh pot of dumplings and suddenly remembered to check the fridge.
There was hardly anything inside, just a few tomatoes sitting lonely in the back.
Yan Chuan hesitated to put the purchased items inside.
What did they usually eat? It wouldn’t be what he cooked, right?
He glanced again at the blackened contents of the trash can, imagining the scene of serving the terrible food to someone else… Better wait for his “husband” to return before deciding, he thought with a pang of guilt.
Hopefully, his “husband” could cook, or maybe he didn’t need to eat at all.
Having managed to prepare a meal, Yan Chuan took the opportunity to stroll outside the apartment before it got too dark, primarily to observe which family was listening to Peking opera on the same floor, as well as the middle-aged couple and the young couple.
Where there are many people, there will be conflicts; Tang Zhen and Shan Qi lived alone. Regardless of any clues they might hold, these households certainly had their own storylines.
Including himself, Yan Chuan adjusted his crumpled jacket and thought of his husband whom he had not yet met.
The script emphasized his infidelity; his husband and lovers could help him, but they must not discover each other… It all sounded quite strange.
Putting aside the idea of getting help, the primary task was to ensure they did not find out about each other.
Words like “underground romance” and “playboy” abruptly flashed through Yan Chuan’s mind, with unsavoury implications.
He shook his head, not wanting to dig deeper; it was more important to complete the task successfully.
This was an escape variety show that hinted at supernatural elements; who knew what dangers might arise at night?
With this thought in mind, Yan Chuan approached the door of the middle-aged couple’s home.
It seemed they were arguing, speaking in hurried tones, their voices growing louder, and they hadn’t even managed to close the door properly.
Yan Chuan took the chance to eavesdrop through the gap in the half-closed door.
“If it weren’t for you, how could he have gone missing?!” This was the middle-aged woman’s voice of complaint.
The man being scolded had no way to refute, mumbling something under his breath, “I’ve been looking… searching for so many years…”
Then he was met with a barrage of curses, quickly escalating into a heated argument, dishes and pots shattering all over the floor.
After listening for a while, Yan Chuan began to piece things together.
Was this frowning middle-aged couple blaming each other because they had lost their child?
He quietly noted this detail.
Then the argument continued, and Yan Chuan moved towards the next household, the one he had heard Peking opera from when he was coming down the stairs.
Just then, a couple walked out, loudly discussing something about “dividing the payment,” their faces dark and harsh, glaring fiercely at anyone passing by.