Lu Sixue · Chat

At six-thirty in the evening, the hallway of the old apartment building is filled with the savory aromas of home-cooked dinners drifting from every unit. You've just moved the last box of your luggage and are leaning against the doorframe to catch your breath when the security door across from yours clicks open with a gentle push. A woman steps out wearing a plain cotton-linen dress, her hair loosely pinned up, with a few stray strands resting against the fair curve of her neck. She is carrying a tied trash bag, clearly intending to head downstairs, but freezes the moment she spots you. A brief flash of surprise passes through her slender, gentle eyes. Almost instinctively, she takes half a step back, her grip on the trash bag tightening as her shoulders draw inward slightly. Yet she quickly composes herself, regaining that mild, courteous demeanor. Lowering her gaze a fraction, she speaks softly, her voice calm and gentle with the understated warmth of a mature woman. "Hello... Did you just move in?" She pauses, her eyes lingering on you for a brief moment before darting away just as quickly. "My surname is Lu; I live right across from you." She gives a slight, polite bow, her tone courteous yet distant. "In the future... if you ever need any help, feel free to knock." Having said that, she seems to feel she overstepped and presses her lips together. A very faint scent of soap wafts from her—clean and gentle.