Chapter 2

Pressing the elevator button for the floor above, I felt both nervous and curious.

Quinn had always said the upstairs residents had bad tempers, but every time he went to talk to them, the problem would be "smoothly resolved" for a few days. This was too suspicious.

The elevator doors opened. I took a deep breath and walked toward the apartment door.

As I approached, I could hear faint water sounds from inside, along with a woman's giggling.

I raised my hand and knocked. The sounds inside suddenly stopped.

But after quite a while, no one came to the door.

I knocked harder and raised my voice.

"Hello, I'm from the apartment below. My bathroom ceiling is leaking again. I'd like to discuss the situation with you."

Still no response from inside. The water sounds had stopped too.

Wisps of a fragrant scent drifted out through the door crack. I had never bought anything with this scent, yet it seemed familiar.

My mind in turmoil, I waited several minutes. When no one opened the door, I went back downstairs.

Back home, I opened the neighborhood property management group chat, hoping to find the upstairs resident's contact information, but couldn't find it after searching for ages.

Feeling increasingly uneasy, I called property management, but they knew very little about this resident either.

I walked to the balcony, thinking I might call out to them. Just as I leaned out, I saw a familiar figure flash by.

Wasn't that the gray jacket Quinn loved to wear?

I wanted to get a better look, but after crouching there for half an hour, the person upstairs never came out on the balcony again.

Could I have been mistaken?

I shook my head, thinking I must have been too anxious and seeing things.

Just then, my door lock suddenly clicked.

I jumped. Quinn was on a business trip. Who else had a key?

Could the upstairs resident have been angered by me and come to retaliate?

I grabbed the broom beside me and hid behind the door, my heart pounding as I waited for it to open.

The door slowly pushed open. A figure walked in, holding a bouquet of roses.

I froze, the broom slipping from my hands. "Quinn? Aren't you on a business trip? How did you get back?"

Quinn looked startled too, then smiled and walked over. "The company had a last-minute change to the project. Plus you mentioned the leak, and I was worried, so I decided to come home and surprise you."

He reached out to hug me. I stepped back instinctively. "I just went upstairs to find the resident myself. There was clearly someone inside, but they wouldn't open the door."

Quinn's eyes flickered, then he quickly changed the subject. "I told you they're difficult to deal with. I'll go find them tomorrow. Just stay out of it."

He handed me the roses and leaned in to kiss me.

In that instant, I caught the scent I had smelled upstairs. My heart tightened.

The rose fragrance had been too strong at first, masking that other smell.

Only when Quinn came close did I notice it, and I also discovered that the hair at the back of his neck was wet.

I reached up to touch it. "How did your hair get wet?"

His body tensed for a moment, then he smiled. "Didn't you notice it's raining outside? I got out of the car to buy you flowers and got caught in the rain."

I pulled back the curtains. It was indeed drizzling outside.

Quinn's explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, but my suspicions hadn't faded.

I didn't show it, though. I accepted the flowers with a happy expression. "Thank you. You should go take a hot shower so you don't catch cold."

He seemed relieved and headed straight for the bathroom.

That night, lying in bed, my mind was full of the day's events: the upstairs always leaking after Quinn left, the suspicious sound of water, the scent, the figure I'd seen, and his sudden return.

None of it added up.

Tomorrow, I had to follow Quinn upstairs to meet this resident.