In This House, Even Love Has Conditions

Bai Ke, the cousin, felt like needles were piercing his back. “…”

He nodded stiffly.
“Yes, Auntie.”
Without even turning his head, he could already feel Grandma Xu’s hateful, gnashing glare.

He learned from Su Lai and thickened his skin, pretending nothing had happened.
After all, a close relative trumped a distant neighbor.

“Your mother is crazy.”
Grandma Xu ground out the words.
Then she rapidly retreated, quickly disappearing into the damp, cold alley.

What happened to clinging relentlessly until death?

She even forgot to take her severed finger.
Before Wang Chunying could look his way, Su Lai casually slipped the finger into his pocket, hiding his little move from his “mom.”

The old neighbors all knew that, years after Wang Xiaosi’s disappearance, Wang Chunying had developed a mental illness.
She often wandered around, carrying the two cleavers she used to chop wonton filling, muttering at passersby.
“Did you abduct my Little Four?”

Neighbors avoided her on sight.
No one wanted to provoke a crazy neighbor.

“Mom, it’s fine.”
Su Lai hugged the eyeless cat plushie and stepped into the shadow where Wang Chunying stood.

So the neighbors were all afraid of Wang Chunying.
Su Lai saw even more possibilities.

“Little Four, Spring Breeze Community is a mixed bag.
Neighbors aren’t necessarily decent people; they pick on whoever they can.”
Wang Chunying showed no sign of putting away her cleavers.

Bai Ke stared at the spot where Grandma Xu had vanished, dumbfounded.
Even the boss’s way of driving away ghosts was so unique.

So what about their side quest now?
Grandma Xu didn’t seem all that persistent about clinging relentlessly…

* * * *

Approaching noon.

Bei Yao, Hu Xiang, and Director Jia, who had long been shooed out of the Village Committee office, were at their wits’ end.

The three had formed a temporary team.
Bei Yao shared the information she had discovered last night—that resident affection could be converted into survival time.
Hu Xiang, who had no instance experience, listened with his head spinning.
Director Jia, on the other hand, put on an air of having anticipated it all.

“Sister Bei Yao, if it weren’t for you, just this survival time thing alone would have done me in.”
Hu Xiang realized belatedly.

Bei Yao said nothing.
Director Jia, however, took the opportunity to lecture.
“Young man, observe more, analyze more.
If you don’t understand, ask your seniors.
A universally applicable method.”

But even knowing how to increase survival time, they weren’t having an easy time.
After half a day, despite trying every which way to find residents they could help, affection growth was still painfully slow.
It couldn’t keep up with the time they were consuming.

The residents of Spring Breeze Community stayed indoors during the day, avoiding them, these outsiders.
They hid behind pitch-black windows, peeping, full of vigilance and hostility.

Under these conditions, farming high affection was extremely difficult.

Bei Yao had gained 13 affection points.
Hu Xiang, 4 points.
Director Jia hadn’t gained a single point.

But Director Jia cared about face.
When Bei Yao asked about his affection growth, he put on a stern face and held up two fingers.
“An insignificant two-digit number.”

Hu Xiang looked at him with envy.
“That’s amazing!”

Director Jia let out a dry laugh.
“Young man, learn more about getting along with neighbors.
You’ll improve.”

Bei Yao glanced at the man who so enjoyed playing father, but said nothing.
She and Director Jia rented from the same self-built building.
It wouldn’t be good to make things too tense between them.

“Little Hu, among these newcomers, you’re actually the one I’m most optimistic about.”
Director Jia, who had gained nothing all morning, spoke with great gravity.
“You’re the steadiest, the most humble.
A good seedling worth cultivating.”

“That young man who was late this morning, dressed all bizarrely.
The moment he walked in, he crouched in a corner and didn’t make a sound.
It’s not like he was being interrogated.
So rude.”
Director Jia shook his head as he spoke.
“A weirdo like that won’t be accepted by the neighbors.
If you see him, keep your distance.
They say it’s the dogs that don’t bark that bite the hardest.
Who would want to get close to a neighbor like that?”

Hu Xiang: “Yes, my landlord told me the rule: Neighbors dislike those who are different.
Please do not act in ways that set you apart from the group.”

“And that older and younger duo with the toothpicks.
They look vicious, like social outcasts fresh out of lockup.
Neighbors won’t give affection to people like that either.”
Director Jia walked through the filthy, damp alley, critiquing the morning’s players.
“As for that sibling pair, the sister might have the advantage.
Women, after all, naturally find it easier to gain affection than men.
But that sister seems way too assertive.
Assertive women aren’t likable.”

With that, Director Jia pursed his lips and shook his head with a sigh.
“A man of my age has no roots or acquaintances in this community either.
Unlike women, I don’t have looks as an advantage.
Farming affection relies solely on this.”

He pointed to his head.
“IQ and EQ.”

Hu Xiang, somewhat intimidated by Director Jia’s spiel of “experience,” eagerly lapped it up.
“Director, even with unfavorable conditions, you’ve farmed higher affection than both of us.
That’s really impressive.”

Director Jia glanced at his survival time, which had dwindled to a mere 4 hours.
He gave a dry laugh and shook his head.
“I’ve done a lot of work in this area.
I understand human nature and social intricacies.
But there’s still room for improvement.”

Bei Yao remained silent.
Her body instinctively kept its distance from these two.
Director Jia’s comments were deeply unsettling.

Behind the scenes, a stream of filtered system comments flashed by—

[This pockmarked old geezer’s comments are such a waste of air.]
[Can the system just bleep out every word he says?
Every single one is contaminating my ears.
Am I the contaminant, or is he?!]
[I beg Spring Breeze Community’s original residents to off this guy already.
Can’t stand the stench.]

[Routine request for Wang Xiaosi’s livestream POV.
I’d rather watch the soles of Wang Xiaosi’s flip-flops than this guy.]

[Wait, if I remember correctly, this ‘Director Jia’ guy only has 4 hours of survival time left.
He can’t farm affection, and he’s not worried?
What’s he still blabbering on about?]

[Huh?
Why did the director suddenly say he needs to go home?
What’s he planning to do?]
[Holy crap!
I think I know what this greasy old guy’s trick is.]
[What, what?
I’m so curious!]

[The above comments involve personal attacks against a player and are temporarily not displayed.]

* * * *

Meanwhile, Su Lai had already pushed his flat-tired little e-bike back to 444, Fourteenth Lane.

A white gauze curtain now covered the living room TV.
Uncle Wang had taken Su Lai’s advice.
He was currently cutting watermelon in the kitchen.

“Mom, does Uncle Wang still drive for a living now?”
Su Lai had learned from Grandma Xu that Old Wang next door was a driver.

Wang Chunying paused in opening the fridge.
Her smile stiffened.
“Little Four, you still remember that Uncle Wang is a driver.”
“When you were little, you used to say, ‘Uncle Wang next door, the driver, is so handsome.'”

Wang Chunying’s answer confirmed Su Lai’s speculation.
The information Grandma Xu had given about Wang Chunying’s family was credible.

“You really are my Little Four.
You still remember these things.”
Wang Chunying murmured, her trust in Su Lai deepening further.
Her child had actually kept these old memories close to his heart.
“Last night, I still doubted you.
Until you said you wanted to eat my wontons.”

Su Lai internally: ‘I know.’
‘All thanks to the neighbors’ gossip.

“Uncle Wang doesn’t drive anymore.
He’s old.
It’s unsafe.”
Thwack.
The watermelon on the chopping board was split in half.
Red juice splattered all over the sink.

The chopping board and cleaver used for the watermelon were the same ones that had chopped the meat for wontons last night.

“The melon is ripe.”
Uncle Wang turned around, grinning.
The splattered watermelon juice traced a bright red line across his face, splitting it in two.
“All cut up.
Little Four, Xiao’er, come eat.”

Uncle Wang stood in front of the chopping board, holding out two slices of melon.
Bai Ke could still see raw minced meat stuck to the knife handle…

His smile turned rigid.
He looked to Su Lai for help.
But Su Lai showed no reaction.
He wore the same expressionless face as Wang Chunying.

Seeing the smile gradually fade from Uncle Wang’s face, Bai Ke panicked.
He was afraid his hard-earned affection points would drop.
He clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and accepted the watermelon slice from Uncle Wang.

“So sweet, thank you, Uncle.”
He steeled himself and took a bite.
The melon was indeed sweet, but it carried a sickening taste of the chopping board.

Now, Uncle Wang turned his gaze to Su Lai.

Su Lai took the melon slice.
He didn’t eat it.
Instead, he handed it to Wang Chunying.
“Mom, you were standing outside for so long.
You must be hot.”

Wang Chunying was momentarily startled.
She took the melon from Su Lai.
“Little Four has really become thoughtful.”

“Little Four has really become thoughtful.”
Uncle Wang repeated Wang Chunying’s words.
He was about to cut another slice for Su Lai, but the latter had already opened the fridge.

“No need.
I’ll eat the mung bean ice cream Mom bought first.”
Su Lai moved quickly, already tearing open the ice cream wrapper and shoving the popsicle into his mouth.

Food with packaging was safer.

Wang Chunying bit into her watermelon.
“Just one is enough.
Too much cold stuff will give you a stomachache.”
Her words completely quashed Uncle Wang’s intention to cut more watermelon for Su Lai.

After all, Uncle Wang loved his “mom.”
His “mom” loved him.
That was the food chain in this household.

Bai Ke: “…”
Su Lai’s maneuver made him, forcibly choking down the nasty-tasting melon, feel like an idiot.

But what choice did he have?
In this household, he had no “mom.”
No one to rely on.

At least his system interface showed his resident affection had increased.
That slice of chopping-board-flavored watermelon wasn’t eaten in vain.

After finishing the melon, Su Lai asked Bai Ke about the progress of Grandma Xu’s side quest.
Bai Ke assumed the boss was just cross-referencing answers.
He reported almost everything the system had told him, discussing it openly.

Su Lai turned to Wang Chunying.
“Mom, I asked Grandma Xu to compensate me for the tire repair.
But she kept mumbling about how I should ask ‘them.’
Do you know who ‘them’ is?”

Wang Chunying let out a cold laugh.
“Grandma Xu is probably talking about her sons?”
“Her eldest son Du Liang and second son Du Cai.
They spend all day soaking in the mahjong parlor.
They’ve gambled away everything, even their underwear.
They go home and steal Grandma Xu’s retirement savings, then lose it all gambling.”

So Grandma Xu’s two sons were gamblers.
Indeed, there were no secrets among neighbors in an urban village.

“Grandma Xu’s retirement nest egg was gambled away.
What could she do?
She had to resort to scamming people for a living.”
Wang Chunying said.
“They say she carefully hides all the money she scams, making sure her two gambling addict sons don’t find it.”

“Those two unfilial wretches are constantly peeping at her assets.”

Peeping.
Su Lai noted Wang Chunying’s choice of words.

Bai Ke, standing beside Su Lai, clearly heard the entire conversation between mother and son.

So there were ways to increase survival time other than resident affection!
Bai Ke immediately pulled Su Lai aside and told him what he had discovered.

“Cousin, what should we do next with Granny Xu’s side quest?” Bai Ke asked.

Su Lai felt the severed finger in his pocket.
“She hasn’t compensated me yet, and I haven’t taken responsibility for her.
Of course, we have to follow up.”

‘Truly a boss with strong commitment to the bit.’
Bai Ke checked the time.
It was 11:10 AM.

“So now we…”

Su Lai glanced out the window.
“It’s too hot at noon.”
“Time for a nap.”

Wang Chunying: “We haven’t even had lunch yet.”

Su Lai: “Got tired from being scammed.
Need to rest.”

Bai Ke: “…”
‘This level of ease is insane.’

Wang Chunying: “Alright.
I’ve already tidied up your room.”
She led Su Lai upstairs.

Su Lai’s flip-flops once again trod upon the damp steps.
The bright pink stood in stark contrast to the gray, gloomy cement stairwell.

Wang Xiaosi’s room was on the third floor, the top floor of this self-built building.

The door was painted a faded, peeling pinkish-blue, but it had been wiped clean.
Wang Chunying opened the door.
The household’s only air conditioner was humming away in the room.

“After you left, I only came in here to clean every day.
I didn’t move anything else.”
“I was afraid that if I moved your things around, you wouldn’t feel comfortable when you came home.”

Having said this, Wang Chunying went off to busy herself with lunch.
This time, there was no BAM.
She closed the door softly, gently.

Only Su Lai was in the room.
Wang Chunying had not invited Bai Ke to stay.

Although this room’s window did not face the exhaust fan, the smell of cooking oil permeated the urban village at lunchtime, lingering stubbornly.

The room had poor lighting.
Su Lai drew the curtains and turned on the lamp.
Wang Xiaosi’s bedroom was also very narrow, but it was tidy.
It didn’t have the cramped feeling of a storage room, nor were there cockroaches strolling around like they were window-shopping.

With the door closed, the room was quiet.
But the surrounding clamor of voices surged in.
It was the sound of noise approaching silence.

Su Lai plopped down on the made bed.

Just then, a vibration came from his pocket.
His phone screen, which had completely lost signal, suddenly lit up—