NHWSG chapter 4

Sheng Zhao had never seen a man this good-looking.

The man who opened the door had a memorable face with deep contours, delicate features, and a pair of phoenix eyes that were half-closed and slightly upturned at the corners. His thin lips were slightly pursed, giving off a handsome yet indifferent appearance at first glance.

He was wearing a thin silk bathrobe, lazily leaning against the door, appearing taller than Sheng Zhao by about a head. He seemed to be around 1.9 meters tall. Despite his slender figure, there was a somewhat sickly paleness, possibly due to prolonged confinement indoors.

Sheng Zhao even noticed a small teardrop mole just below the man’s right eye. It might seem inconspicuous, but on his face, it enhanced the vitality of his features almost instantly.

Expressionless, Xing Yingzhu half-lowered his eyes. His gaze lingered for a moment on the takeout box in Sheng Zhao’s hand and then moved up, giving him a brief and extremely brief glance.

His pupils were a profound black, and although Xing Yingzhu quickly averted his gaze, Sheng Zhao felt a chill running down his spine. He inexplicably developed goosebumps all over his body.

Sheng Zhao took a sharp breath, and his mind instantly turned into mush.

Instinctively, he handed over the paper box, and before he could say anything, “Handsome, this is yours—”

Oh no, Sheng Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. He intended to call him “boss,” but looking at this face tangled his thoughts, and he blurted out his inner thoughts.

If it weren’t for the awkward situation, Sheng Zhao would have immediately taken out his phone to ask on a certain Q&A platform: Is there any way to recover after flirting with the boss on the first day of work? How can I avoid getting fired? Urgent, waiting online.

Xing Yingzhu, unexpectedly, didn’t react negatively. After a two-second pause, he didn’t say anything dismissive. Carefully glancing at Sheng Zhao, he slightly straightened his body. His left hand reached behind the door frame, and he somehow pulled out half a cup of milk tea.

Sheng Zhao: “…”

It seems he’s not angry.

Seeing this, Sheng Zhao reluctantly relaxed and was about to say a few more words when Xing Yingzhu, with a straw in his mouth, glanced to the side and focused on Sheng Zhao’s right hand.

Following his gaze, Sheng Zhao noticed that Xing Yingzhu was looking at the index finger on his right hand, where the wound from the paper box edge had stopped bleeding but left a noticeable red mark. Sheng Zhao wiped it with his thumb and said awkwardly, “It’s okay, I’m used to minor bumps and scratches.”

“I can see that,” Xing Yingzhu finally spoke. He curved his lips slightly, mocking, “The old unlucky guy.”

Sheng Zhao: “…”

Honestly, Xing Yingzhu’s voice was pleasant, with a low and soothing tone. It felt cool on this hot summer day.

Unfortunately, the words weren’t as pleasing as the voice.

The filter provided by good looks shattered in front of Sheng Zhao’s eyes. He was left with no admiration, and the once stunning figure became ordinary. He subtly rolled his eyes, handed the takeout box to Xing Yingzhu with a plastic tone, and said, “Boss, your takeout.”

He dryly completed his work task, and just as he was about to turn and leave, Xing Yingzhu stopped him.

Perhaps not satisfied with Sheng Zhao’s attitude, Xing Yingzhu’s tone became somewhat cold, “What’s your name?”

Sheng Zhao had no choice but to turn back, reluctantly answering, “Sheng Zhao, the ‘Zhao’ from gold and knife.”

“Naming yourself with such a bloody name, no wonder you’re the old unlucky guy.” Xing Yingzhu commented.

Sheng Zhao: “…”

Is this ever going to end?

—A perfectly handsome man, why did he have to open his mouth!

Xing Yingzhu lazily surveyed him, suddenly reaching out and tapping Sheng Zhao’s forehead like lightning. Sheng Zhao couldn’t dodge it in time, subconsciously closing his eyes. He felt a brief cold sensation on his forehead, and when he opened his eyes, he realized the temperature seemed to come from Xing Yingzhu’s fingertips.

Is his hand really this cold? Sheng Zhao looked at him suspiciously. The temperature of his fingertips felt as icy as jade buried in the snow, devoid of any warmth.

Xing Yingzhu seemed to have no intention of explaining, withdrew his hand, and turned to close the door.

Sheng Zhao found it bewildering; he felt like this new boss was acting a bit strange.

But ignoring Xing Yingzhu as an uncertain factor, this job was much easier than he had imagined.

He didn’t need to prepare reports, report to Xing Yingzhu, or attend those nutritionally deficient early morning meetings like other companies. His daily routine was to stroll around the building, knock on Xing Yingzhu’s door at scheduled times to deliver meals, and check in with the residents’ clock-ins.

Initially, he was worried that this might be a scam company without real salary, but a month later, when the salary notification popped up on Alipay, Sheng Zhao completely dismissed his suspicions and continued to peacefully stay in this retirement-style job.

The residents in this building were unusually easy to manage. It seemed like there was some unspoken rule or access control system; everyone would return before eight in the evening and sign in and out at the first-floor office.

Having spent over two months here, Sheng Zhao had become familiar with the situation in the building.

Apart from Xing Yingzhu, who stayed on the top floor and rarely went out, there were several other households. Each of the third and fourth floors rented out a room. The middle-aged man on the third floor seemed to be a white-collar worker. Sheng Zhao had heard him speaking on the phone while leaving a few times, and the words were extremely sharp and sarcastic.

The young man on the fourth floor was much more amiable, appearing to be around Sheng Zhao’s age. He had a good-looking face, and if Xing Yingzhu scored a perfect ten, this young man could easily score seven or eight. It seemed like he worked as a live-streamer, rarely going out but often coming to the first floor to chat with Sheng Zhao.

The fifth floor had three rooms, each rented by three siblings. The big brother in 501 was from Northeast China, with a robust and tall figure, nearly two meters tall. He looked like a wall standing there, and the first time Sheng Zhao saw him, he was almost scared.

This big brother and his younger brother ran a barbecue shop not far from the community. They were extremely hospitable, often dragging Sheng Zhao over to enjoy free food and drinks, never allowing him to pay. However, their opening hours were quite casual, sometimes opening based on their mood, and Sheng Zhao wasn’t sure if they could make a profit.

The younger sister in 503 had a regular job, returning almost every day right before the eight o’clock curfew.

As for the second floor, although it had been rented out, Sheng Zhao had never seen anyone, and he didn’t know if they still lived there.

For Sheng Zhao, the residents in this building were high-quality individuals, all seemingly easygoing and friendly. Even the middle-aged man on the third floor, who spoke in a sharp tone, would usually be polite when talking to him.

However, for some reason, they all seemed to be afraid of Xing Yingzhu.

“Hey, how should I put it, the boss exudes an imposing aura. Anyway, I don’t dare to go upstairs,” Hu Huanyang of the fourth floor raised his chin, gesturing to the tall man next to him, and said, “Look at Xiong ge, he only dares to live on the fifth floor.”

The heavy rain outside had been falling for several days. That day, Xiong Xiangsong didn’t go out to open his store, so he simply grabbed a handful of melon seeds from upstairs and came down for a chat.

Sheng Zhao peeled a banana, strangely asking, “Aren’t you guys free to choose which floor to rent?”

“Yeah, that’s why we don’t dare to live upstairs.” Xiong Xiangsong nodded while cracking melon seeds, “Little brother, you don’t know. One time, I accidentally heard strange noises from his room and was scared half to death. I didn’t dare to sleep for half the night.”

Sheng Zhao: “…”

This tone, coupled with Xiong Xiangsong’s stature, didn’t sound very convincing.

“I think it’s okay,” Sheng Zhao said earnestly, “He seems not that scary except for being a bit sarcastic. At most, he looks unapproachable, but in reality, he’s not that bad-tempered.”

Both Hu Huanyang and Xiong Xiangsong fell silent for a moment, turned their heads, and stared at Sheng Zhao with a look that said, “Are you serious?”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under their gazes, Sheng Zhao rubbed his arms and asked, “… What’s wrong?”

In fact, Sheng Zhao wanted to ask, what’s so scary about someone who orders red bean coconut milk tea delivery twice a day? But considering that Xing Yingzhu might value his privacy, he didn’t dare to say it.

“Nothing, nothing,” Hu Huanyang chuckled, “Maybe you get along well with him.”

“But is the boss not in good health?” Sheng Zhao nibbled on the banana, casually asking, “I’ve noticed his complexion doesn’t seem too good.”

“Don’t know.” Hu Huanyang shook his head and turned to Xiong Xiangsong, “Do you know?”

Xiong Xiangsong waved his hand repeatedly, “Who knows the origin of a big shot? Asking me is just pointless.”

Sheng Zhao was intrigued, listening to them chat. However, the doorbell on the first floor suddenly rang. He peeked outside and found it was time for his regular “duty.”

He tossed the melon seed shells onto the table, familiarly going out to receive the delivery.

Now accustomed to this routine, he pressed the down button on the elevator when leaving the office, ensuring that the elevator coincidentally arrived on the first floor when he finished delivering the food. Hu Huanyang also finished his break and was ready to go upstairs for his live broadcast, so he joined Sheng Zhao in the elevator.

Sheng Zhao pressed the buttons for the fourth and seventh floors just after exiting the elevator. Hu Huanyang, with his fingers intertwined and a conflicted mind, couldn’t resist. As he stepped out of the elevator, he reached back to hold the door.

“Here’s a piece of advice!” Hu Huanyang cautiously looked around and whispered, “Avoid dealing with the big shot. If he gets upset, be careful he doesn’t eat you.”

Sheng Zhao: “…”

The elevator doors automatically closed on schedule, and Hu Huanyang’s face disappeared outside. Only a shocked face reflected on the tempered glass elevator doors remained, staring at Sheng Zhao in mutual bewilderment.

—This statement is too ambiguous; couldn’t you be clearer?