Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After hearing what I said, my new neighbor with the tattoo sleeves froze for a brief moment. In the end, he only looked at me indifferently and asked, “Need something?”

His face was striking, with sharp, well-defined features and clean, rugged lines. He was handsome.

But the aura around him made it easy to overlook his looks.

I had observed this neighbor before.

Most of the time, he went out every night around eight or nine and did not come back until early the next morning.

On the rare occasions when he returned a little later, right around the time I got up early to memorize my lessons, I could hear him unlocking his door.

The doors in old residential complexes like this still used those outdated locks, and they made quite a racket when opened.

I guessed this neighbor did manual labor, because he was tall, broad, and built, with a fierce, hostile air about him.

Facing someone like that, I was honestly nervous too. I kept my voice as calm as possible and said, “Bro, I-I’m your neighbor. I live right next door. I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“Not interested.” As he spoke, he moved to shut the door.

I quickly reached out to stop him. “Bro, Bro, I won’t ask you to help for free. I’ll pay you! You don’t have to do much. Just help me drive a few people away.”

Tattooed Bro stopped closing the door and seemed to look me over. “You want to hire me as a bodyguard?”

“…” More or less.

Before I could speak, he said mercilessly, “If someone’s bullying you, go find your guardian. What’s the point of asking a stranger?”

“I don’t have guardians anymore.”

“What?” Tattooed Bro’s tone seemed to pause, and his gaze landed on my face.

“My parents died in an accident. Those relatives of mine have their eyes on what they left me, and they keep coming over to harass me,” I said. Then I lifted my eyes to check his expression. “Bro, they’re the same people who disturbed your rest before. You definitely don’t want to see them again either, right?”

“Those people came to your place to leech off you?” Tattooed Bro frowned slightly.

“Yes. Every single one of them owes my parents money and has never paid it back. Now they want to snatch away everything my parents left me too,” I said with a nod. “Bro, how much do you usually make in a day? Can I hire you at your daily rate?”

All I needed was for him to show his face when those relatives came and scare them off.

Tattooed Bro finally let out a scoff. “You don’t even know how much I make in a day, and you still dare ask?”

I really did not know, but right now, I could not think of a better solution.

“Bro, name a price?” I asked tentatively.

Instead of answering, he asked, “When do those relatives of yours usually come?”

“I don’t know, but they’ll probably be here this evening.” Today was the weekend. They had calculated that I would be home.

My eldest uncle and the others were still sending me all kinds of long-winded messages on WeChat.

Some of them were ugly curses.

Most were voice messages. I could not be bothered to listen.

“Fine. Go back first.” That was the reply I heard from this new neighbor who looked extremely not to be messed with.

I watched the door close in confusion, then walked back to my place, still unsure whether he had agreed to take the job or not.

A little after five in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door.

I instantly went on alert.

But aside from the knocking, none of those annoying voices sounded from outside, and the rhythm of the knocks was different from theirs too.

Standing behind the door, I heard voices outside.

They were unfamiliar.

So I asked, “Who is it?”

“Me.” It was my next-door neighbor’s voice.

I opened the door and froze when I saw the scene outside.