The girl had clearly just taken a shower. Her smooth long hair was still adorned with sparkling droplets, occasionally falling to the floor. Her face was now free of dirt, and she had changed out of the filthy camouflage uniform into a tank top and casual shorts.

Due to the previous camouflage uniform being quite loose, only now did Chu Ge realize that her figure was so good—big bust, long legs, with everything perfectly proportioned. She looked both very slim and without any trace of excess fat.

Even though Chu Ge clearly knew she was the same girl he had just met downstairs, at this moment, he couldn't help but see her as two completely different people.

No wonder there's that saying that in this world there are only lazy women, no ugly women. Just the same girl who looked like a dirty little ugly duckling a moment ago, had transformed into a swan simply by taking a shower and changing clothes.

Hmm... actually, this saying might not be entirely appropriate here. It should be said that this girl was originally a swan; Chu Ge just failed to see it earlier.

On her delicate oval face were even more exquisite features, with fine and slightly arched eyebrows, a small and straight nose, and thin lips that truly resembled a cherry mouth. The most beautiful part of her face, however, was her large eyes.

Beneath long, fan-like eyelashes, her eyes were both bright and lively, almost as distinct and pure as those of a few-month-old baby, exuding an aura of purity.

Regarding her appearance, Chu Ge subconsciously thought of four words to describe her: "youthful and delicate." As for her figure, how to describe it?

Over the years, Chu Ge had traveled far and wide in Asia, and he had rarely seen such a figure on an Asian woman.

Due to her recent shower, her skin had a crystalline glow, and her body radiated the pleasant scent of body wash. It might be an exaggeration to say the fragrance was refreshing, but it at least left Chu Ge feeling uplifted and relaxed.

After silently praising her in his heart, Chu Ge stood up from the small stool and casually smiled at the girl, "Looks like you don't need me to keep you company for a chat. I'll be heading back."

The girl was slightly stunned, then apologetically said, "Big brother, I'm sorry to trouble you so late at night."

Chu Ge took the small stool handed over by the girl and jokingly said, "It's nothing, we're neighbors after all. Besides, I'm actually quite afraid of the dark. You coming over to have a few words with me bolstered my courage."

Hearing Chu Ge say this, the girl was instantly amused by him. Clearly, he said that to avoid making her feel awkward.

Unintentionally, the girl playfully stuck out her tongue, "Big brother, I'll head back then."

Chu Ge nodded, uttering a soft "Mm." As he was about to return inside, the girl called out to him, "Big brother, since we're neighbors now, let's get to know each other. I'm Chu Shiyao, and you?"

"Chu Ge, 'Ge' of the idiom 'besieged from all sides.'"

"Huh? Big brother, turns out we have the same surname, no wonder I felt particularly connected to you at first sight."

Giving Chu Shiyao a noncommittal smile, Chu Ge then returned to his room with the stool in hand.

Reflecting on Chu Shiyao's last words, Chu Ge couldn't help but find it amusing.

Isn't it blatantly ignoring the obvious? When she first saw him, Chu Shiyao clearly wore an alert expression, finding a connection the threads of chance?

However, regarding Chu Shiyao's earlier reaction, Chu Ge didn't feel any displeasure at all. Chu Shiyao had just moved here from elsewhere, and most people feel insecure when they come to a new environment; it's just human nature.

Besides, these days, though everything might seem peaceful on the surface, various scoundrels and perverts lurk in every corner of every city.

If you look at the news online, you see reports popping up here and there constantly. As a girl, Chu Shiyao should naturally be on guard a bit more.

Even though she knew it was just a courtesy, the way Chu Shiyao said it, along with her previous expressions, made it sound genuine, making one feel genuinely comfortable from the heart.

While Chu Ge was thinking about Chu Shiyao, Chu Shiyao, who had returned to her new home, was also thinking about Chu Ge, forming a certain fondness and curiosity for her neighbor.

Regarding her looks, Chu Shiyao was quite confident. Even if she was indeed very afraid of the dark, knocking on Chu Ge's door had been an act of courage after much hesitation.

As Chu Ge had thought, Chu Shiyao had just moved here and indeed felt somewhat insecure. After all, everything here was strange; she, as a girl, especially a pretty girl, instinctively held a wary and skeptical attitude towards everything around her.

If it weren't due to the difficulty of moving her belongings upstairs with her own strength, she certainly wouldn't have asked Chu Ge for help. Even if Chu Ge had always shown kindness, she had not entirely dropped her guard with him.

Initially, she was worried that Chu Ge might ask her to come inside. If Chu Ge really said that, she would've immediately refused. But to her surprise, Chu Ge only brought out two chairs from the house.

Even more unexpectedly, even after the power came back and Chu Ge saw how she looked, his eyes only held a fleeting look of admiration before returning to a calm and straightforward state. He neither leered nor put on an air to curry favor with her, not even asking her name before heading back inside.

Chu Shiyao couldn't help but think inwardly that such a man was really rare. It seemed... as if... she could truly trust him.

With the lights back on in the room, Chu Shiyao continued to fuss with things around, but unfortunately, being a girl, she lacked both strength and stamina, and pretty soon, she was panting heavily with exhaustion.

She checked the time; it was half-past eight, not too late yet. She hesitated a bit, but trusting Chu Ge, she knocked on the door of room 111 once more.

From the sound of slippers shuffling, Chu Ge could tell it was still Chu Shiyao. When the knock came again, he opened the door without even needing to ask.

"Brother Chu, sorry to bother you again, but could I trouble you with something?"

Seeing the light sweat on Chu Shiyao's forehead, Chu Ge instantly knew what was going on but didn't mention it. He smiled and asked, "What's up?"

"You know I've just moved in, and everything's a mess at home. There's something quite heavy, could you help me with it?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. But so late at night, aren't you afraid I'd have some ulterior motives?"

Chu Shiyao playfully stuck out her tongue, eyebrows forming a crescent as she smiled, "Brother Chu looks like a good person, hehe. I trust you wouldn't do that."

"Ha, I was actually thinking of doing something bad, but since you put it that way, forget it." Receiving a 'good guy card,' Chu Ge joked, closing the door with his keys and phone, and followed Chu Shiyao into 112.

The layout of room 112 was similar to Chu Ge's 111, both being small one and a half-bedroom units. Entering the door was a small tiled living room, with doors to the kitchen and bedroom open, and a pile of large and small bundles on the floor, indeed it was pretty messy.

The saying goes that working in mixed-gender pairs isn't tiring, and it turns out to be quite accurate. With Chu Ge's help, and having conversational chats along, Chu Shiyao barely stopped moving, yet felt much more relaxed than before.

If Chu Shiyao already felt that way, then for Chu Ge, it goes without saying.

In less than an hour, they tidied up most of the room, leaving only some small odd jobs.

"Miss Chu, it's late, so I'll take my leave?" Seeing Chu Shiyao was about to start mopping the floor, Chu Ge voluntarily offered to say goodbye.

"Brother Chu, you've been working hard all this while, rest a bit before you go. I'll wash some fruit for you. Also, don't call me Miss Chu, it sounds too formal, just call me Yaoyao like all my friends do."

Chu Shiyao had been squatting to wash a cloth in a basin, but hearing Chu Ge, she hurriedly got up.

Chu Ge scratched his head and said, "Uh, it's quite late, isn't it inappropriate?"

"Brother Chu, I've just met you and already asked for help with so much work, that's what's really inappropriate. If you don't rest, I'll feel even more embarrassed. They say a close neighbor is better than distant family, so please take a seat, don't be so distant."

Chu Shiyao put the cloth back in the basin and grabbed Chu Ge's hand, pushing him onto the sofa without giving him a chance to refuse. It was only when she realized she had been washing a cloth just now that she stuck out her tongue and laughed, "Brother Chu, sorry, I forgot my hands were dirty. Go wash your hands, I'll wash some fruit for you."

In fact, the cloth in the basin wasn't dirty at all; it was white and looked more like a towel.

Seeing how insistent Chu Shiyao was and not just being polite, Chu Ge didn't protest and nodded with a smile, walking into the bathroom.

In the bathroom, the floor was still a bit wet. Chu Ge washed his hands, returned to the living room, and had just sat down when his phone rang in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw Qin Ruojing's number.

If it were Tong Yaqi, Chu Ge might've ignored it, but regarding Qin Ruojing's call, he couldn't ignore it because he had a "little sister-in-law" who might check in at any moment. He needed to be ready to be in touch with Qin Ruojing at any time.

Answering the call, Chu Ge casually said "Hello."

"Brother Chu, the fruits are washed—there are apples, dragon fruit, and bananas. Do you prefer to eat them directly, or cut them into pieces and eat them with a toothpick, or turn them into a fruit salad?"

Before there was any sound from the earpiece, Chu Shiyao came out of the kitchen, her crisp voice asking.

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