Chapter 3
Xiao Yao had actually already recharged his phone earlier in the morning.
He topped it up with 100 yuan and left his phone in the office while he got busy with registration tasks. Afterward, when he realized he had forgotten his textbook, he didn’t have the time or energy to check his phone.
It wasn’t until after dinner in the evening, thinking he could finally relax, that he took out his phone.
“Dear customer, as of 9:06 PM on November 3rd, your account balance is -233.33 yuan. You are a one-star customer and can enjoy a prepaid balance of up to 10 yuan…【China X Telecom】”
Xiao Yao: …
How much did he actually owe on his phone?
He’d already watched Little Wolf Dog once. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind watching it again, but if he were being truthful…
He… really wanted to know what happened next.
Before knocking, Xiao Yao had gone through internal debates again and again, almost turning back toward his own home. But life in the mountain cave was so unbearably boring, he had no choice but to lower his noble head and ask the “I’ll-never-let-you-connect-haha” neighbor for Wi-Fi access.
Little did he know, the person who owed him Wi-Fi was the same little tuft he had seen downstairs earlier that afternoon.
When the door opened, Ti Xiao froze. Was it really his neighbor?
Up close… was he shorter than he remembered?
That hair tuft was actually quite cute.
“I just moved in yesterday, so things were a bit rushed, and I haven’t set up the internet yet. I have some urgent work to do. Can I use your Wi-Fi? Sorry to bother you,” Xiao Yao explained.
That was true—he had just started his job, and there were still plenty of forms to fill out on the school website. Of course, Little Wolf Dog was a part of that.
“Uh…” Hearing this request, Ti Xiao paused, scratching his head.
What was the Wi-Fi password again?
Also, looking at his neighbor up close… had he gotten taller? Why did he suddenly feel an odd sensation of “if you can’t improve, don’t waste time” about it?
While Ti Xiao was trying to figure it out, his small frown, puffed cheeks, and pursed lips didn’t go unnoticed by Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao didn’t realize that standing outside Ti Xiao’s door, his own tall form was casting a shadow that almost swallowed the shorter boy entirely, making his heart race.
“If it’s inconvenient…” Xiao Yao glanced at Ti Xiao’s troubled expression and took a step back, signaling that he might leave.
“It’s fine, it’s totally fine.” Ti Xiao, after much hesitation, wasn’t about to let the chance slip away now that the person he wanted to flirt with had come knocking.
He’d make up a Wi-Fi password if he had to.
“19930604Xiao.” Ti Xiao thought for a moment before blurting out a string of numbers and letters, “X is capitalized, don’t forget the period at the end.”
Xiao Yao entered the password into his phone, only to see an error message flash on the screen. His brows furrowed as he slightly regretted asking for the Wi-Fi. He shook his head. “It’s wrong.”
Suddenly, Ti Xiao remembered something and sighed, his lips curled into a smirk as he clenched his teeth and struggled internally. “Try the cutest xiaoxiao in the world. It’s all lowercase.”
That was the password Ti Nanyi had secretly changed the last time she visited, without Ti Xiao’s knowledge.
It meant the cutest Xiao Xiao in the world.
At that moment, Ti Nanyi’s ability to survive was truly a miracle.
When Xiao Yao first tried entering the password, he had guessed that Ti Xiao might have been born in June 1993, and his name might be something like “Xiao.” As a man, even though he was shorter and his little tuft of hair was cute, he hadn’t expected the password to be like this.
Xiao Yao chuckled inwardly. Ti Xiao’s password was pretty amusing.
“Can you spell it out?” Ti Xiao asked kindly, worried that he might not know, “It’s c, u, t, e, s, t.”
“I can.” Xiao Yao didn’t even look up, continuing to type. After all, if an English teacher didn’t know how to spell a word, they were pretty much useless.
This time, the password worked. Xiao Yao looked at the small icon in the upper-right corner of the screen and let out a breath of relief. He was, indeed, still a modern person.
“Thank you. I’ll treat you to a meal some other time.” Xiao Yao said with a smile.
Though it was just a polite remark, Xiao Yao genuinely intended to find a time to invite his neighbor to dinner. After all, he didn’t want to feel indebted to anyone.
Ti Xiao didn’t take the comment as mere politeness, though. Spending his days cooped up at home watching funny videos, he casually blurted out a golden line: “I’m free right now, no need to wait until later.”
Both of them froze for a moment.
Ti Xiao immediately wished he could slap himself. Could you be any less composed?
Xiao Yao fell silent for a beat, realizing he now understood Ti Xiao a little better. Looking at the time, he asked, “So what would you like to eat?”
Ti Xiao quickly recoiled. He definitely wasn’t about to go out for dinner at this hour. It was freezing outside, and he didn’t want to leave behind an impression of being too forward. “No, no, no, I was just kidding! It’s nothing, really. Just borrowing Wi-Fi between neighbors.”
And he even played it off as though they were already familiar.
Xiao Yao silently made a mental note of this favor and nodded politely. Still, he couldn’t help but do a little bit of internal calculation.
“This time, really, thank you,” Xiao Yao said as he glanced down at his phone, where messages were popping up. Just as he turned to leave, Ti Xiao called out, “Wait.”
The urge to flirt was bubbling up again, and even his little hair tuft seemed to have a nervous tremor. Ti Xiao mustered up the courage to speak, his eyes reflecting a subtle glimmer of light.
“Um… what should I call you?”
At that moment, the hallway light above them went out, leaving only Ti Xiao’s apartment still illuminated. Standing in the doorway, the backlighting cast a warm halo around him. His expression was earnest, and his whole posture radiated a mix of nervousness and sincerity.
“Xiao Yao. Xiao from ‘Xiao Yong,’ the fierce and valiant one, and Yao from the legendary Emperor Yao,” Xiao Yao responded, surprisingly moved by the warmth in the air, unable to resist reaching up and gently flicking at Ti Xiao’s little hair tuft.
And that’s exactly what he did. Ti Xiao’s hair swayed slightly in the air as he widened his eyes, completely dumbfounded.
Wha—what just happened?
“Goodnight,” Xiao Yao said, his voice sounding particularly pleasant.
Ti Xiao watched him turn and walk back into his apartment, a smile lingering on his face.
As both of their doors closed, each of them leaned against their respective doors, hearts pounding in different rhythms—one filled with excitement, the other unsure of what just happened.
………………………….
Editor · Guapi Pi: Where’s the manuscript? Do you see what time it is? 【smiling】
Ti Xiao shuddered as he read this message. Guapi Pi was usually polite and well-mannered when speaking to him, but whenever Ti Xiao delayed a manuscript, Guapi Pi would transform, shifting from a polite “Guapi” into a “smiling Guapi,” where the smile was downright chilling.
The Truly Talented Ti Xiao: Almost there! I promise I’ll get the protagonist’s character profile to you by 10 PM!
Time displayed: “9:21 PM.”
Ti Xiao: …Can I retract this?
Once sent, messages were like water spilled—it couldn’t be taken back. Ti Xiao was still maintaining some level of professionalism, and this character profile had been lingering in his mind for days.
But as his stylus hovered over the digital tablet, Ti Xiao muttered under his breath, “Men are such distractions!”
This neighbor across the hall… he’s probably some little devil, isn’t he?
