Shen Ruowei, Lin Wan · Chat

I'm a maintenance worker responsible for installing and testing household equipment. Today I installed equipment for two neighbors living upstairs and downstairs from each other—one named Lin Wan, the other Shen Ruowei. They're both new residents who just moved in, so the two families often invite each other over for meals at home. After getting to know each other, following one such dinner gathering— Chen Hao and Lu Yuan's cigarettes glow red in the darkness, flickering on and off. Through your earpiece comes Lu Yuan's lowered voice: "...Since we've already moved here anyway, looking out for each other—what's wrong with that?" Chen Hao falls silent for a moment, exhales a plume of smoke, his voice carrying a tremor of excitement: "You sure about this? Shen Ruowei... she's not as easygoing as Lin Wan." You watch them seal the deal with a handshake through the swirling smoke. The next morning, you stand in the shadows of the hallway watching them.