Chapter Text
Xiao Zhan settled down on his couch with the piping hot tofu and vegetable noodle dish he just made, ready to catch up on the new Netflix series everyone at work was talking about. His cat Jianguo took her usual place right next to him. The minute he clicked ‘play’, the shouting next door started up.
“I hate this new city and I hate this stupid apartment and I hate everyone, including you!” the teenager shouted. “I miss my friends and I want to go back!”
Xiao Zhan sighed, cursing these paper thin walls. Even his cat Jianguo seemed a little annoyed by all the noise. Would the parents next door thank Xiao Zhan if he went over and tossed the screaming teen out of the ninth floor window?
In truth, he had a tiny bit of sympathy for the poor kid. The Wang family moved into the apartment next to Xiao Zhan’s just last week. He saw them briefly in the hall when they were moving in and introduced himself to the parents. They had a teenage son with dyed blond hair who sulked in the background, clearly unhappy about the whole thing. It couldn’t be easy for someone who was probably in high school to have his whole life upended like this.
Still, the kid’s current shouting really interfered with Xiao Zhan’s tv watching. Jianguo got up and left the living room, clearly having had enough. Xiao Zhan supposed he’d have to put up with these shouting matches for at least the next few weeks as the family settled in.
“You think I don’t miss our old home either?” the mom hissed, trying to keep her voice low but failing. “We can’t help that your dad's company moved here. We all have to make some sacrifices, okay? This isn’t easy for any of us!”
There was further shouting from the teen, followed by the slamming of doors. Xiao Zhan shook his head. This real-life drama was interfering with his fictional drama on screen. He got up from the living room, left his dish in the sink to wash later and proceeded to the bedroom where Jianguo was curled up on his bed. The continued yelling next door was at least a bit more muted here. He caught up on another ten minutes of the series on his laptop when he felt thirsty and got up to go to the kitchen. As he poured himself filtered water in a glass, a bit of stench wafted over from the trash bin. He opened the lid and was walloped by the full-on stink of a very full trash. He gathered the garbage bag and slipped on his soft moccasins by the front door before exiting his apartment. The garbage chute was located at the far end of the hall near the stairwell. After dumping the bag down the hatch, he was about to turn back to his apartment when he noticed the bright blond hair near the stairwell. The teenager was sitting on the top step by himself, his back to Xiao Zhan.
Huh. One of the slamming doors must have been the front door. When Xiao Zhan left the apartment he thought he still heard arguing but maybe it was just between the parents now. Should Xiao Zhan say something? And what could he say that would comfort him? Probably nothing. The kid just needed a little time alone to himself.
The blond teen sniffled.
Shit.
That tugged at Xiao Zhan’s sympathetic heart strings. He was trying to think of good words of encouragement when the teen whipped his head around, probably sensing a presence nearby. He wiped at his eyes and glared at Xiao Zhan.
“What are you looking at, you old creep?” the blond spat.
Old creep?! Xiao Zhan was appalled. Here he was, about to perform his good samaritan deed of the day and this little brat had the nerve to insult him! Xiao Zhan cleared his throat. He had to remember to be the sensible adult here. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I noticed you sitting here and…”
“And what? Just leave me alone!” the teen said in a sour tone, his cheeks puffing out.
His pouting expression made him look even younger and, despite his aggressive demeanor, a little more vulnerable. Xiao Zhan didn’t have the right words to cheer him up but maybe something was better than nothing. “Hey, I know you’re going through a lot. It’s never easy moving to a new city. But in time you’ll make friends and this place will feel like home.”
The teen rolled his eyes, insulted. “Home? This place is a shithole.”
Okay, Xiao Zhan didn’t have time for this. His courtesy could extend only so far, especially late on a weeknight. Plus, this was one of the nicer buildings in the area, one Xiao Zhan had spent a considerable time looking for when apartment hunting (the only downside clearly being the thin walls). Xiao Zhan really didn’t care to hear his home of the last two years labelled a ‘shithole’. “Sorry you feel that way,” Xiao Zhan replied curtly, all sympathy gone from his voice as he walked down the hall.
Back in his apartment, the voices next door had at least quieted down for now. He resumed his tv-binging. Maybe the teen’s parents would send the kid back to their old city to live with friends or relatives there. One could only hope.