"A new neighbor just moved into our complex, and he got the same name as yours—Adrian," Evelyn typed. "Though I'm not sure if the characters are written the same way."

The moment he saw those words, Adrian's eyes turned dark and heavy.

She had mentioned another "Adrian Vale," and she had called it "interesting."

The joy of seeing Evelyn began to sink, replaced by a bitter surge of emotion from deep within. He knew this feeling was jealousy.

Someone living right next door to her, someone who could be near her, hear her voice, and catch the scent of her perfume...

His thoughts began to spiral, straying further and further into the dark.

A male neighbor.

Anyone would fall for a girl as wonderful as Evelyn. Maybe he would slowly be drawn to her, and they would eventually fall in love, while he himself remained forever abandoned in another world.

Adrian knew his thoughts were strange and far from normal, always terrified by these baseless assumptions.

Maybe it came from his childhood, or maybe it was because his psychological scars had never truly healed.

Whatever it was, only one thought filled his mind now:

Why him?

He gripped his phone so hard his knuckles turned white, a cold, dark glint flashing in his eyes.

They had the same name, yet that man could look at her without restraint.

"Is that so?" he replied, trying his best to sound calm. "That's quite a coincidence."

"Right? I think it's amazing too," Evelyn replied, completely missing the tension in his tone. "He looks like a very successful businessman, probably a bit older than you."

Every word felt like a blade cutting into Adrian's heart.

She was praising this other "version" of himself. The complexity of the feeling was enough to drive him insane.

On the other side of the screen, Adrian's chat box remained still for a long time.

Evelyn stared at the frozen interface, a bit puzzled. This was the first time there had been such a long silence.

Could he actually be bothered by the neighbor?

"What's wrong?" she typed tentatively.

Almost the instant she sent it, the frozen boy on the screen moved. He acted as if he had just been distracted for a second and casually reached out to flip through a file on his desk.

Then, he replied: "Nothing. It really is a small world."

His tone was flat and calm, no different from usual, but Evelyn felt something was off. Before she could overthink it, the sharp sound of the doorbell cut through her thoughts.

Ding-dong—

Who could it be this late?

Evelyn set her phone down and padded to the door in her slippers. Sunny followed her, tail wagging with curiosity.

She checked the peephole and saw the new neighbor she'd met in the elevator.

She hesitated for a moment before opening the door just enough to poke her head out, which was also enough for Sunny to squeeze his furry head through.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Vale?" she asked politely.

The man outside was still wearing his black mask. Hearing the title "Mr. Vale," his gaze turned dark and unreadable.

Evelyn didn't notice at all.

So formal and distant, he thought.

But he said nothing. His gaze lingered for a split second on the golden retriever excitedly sniffing the air at her feet, and then he held out a beautifully wrapped paper box.

"I made some cookies. I just moved in, so I hope we can get along." His voice was muffled by the mask, but it sounded gentle.

Evelyn was stunned.

"You made these?" This man looked so corporate and elite, yet he actually baked?

She felt a bit overwhelmed by the gesture and quickly reached out to take them. "Thank you so much! That's very kind of you."

The box was warm in her hands, smelling of butter and chocolate. She looked at him, feeling a bit guilty; she had accepted a gift but had nothing to give in return.

Her eyes unintentionally landed on the mask he was still wearing. "You're still wearing your mask—do you have a cold?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah," Adrian replied. But in his head, he thought: I'm just afraid you'll recognize me.

He was afraid that if she saw his face, she would link him to the Adrian from her past. Then she would realize with horror that the boy she once saved had become a stalker, a creep watching her every move.

He was afraid Evelyn would run away again without hesitation, staying as far from him as possible, just like she did seven years ago.

And yet, here he was, standing at her doorstep, breathing the same air, and she didn't recognize him at all.

Perhaps in her heart, he really was nothing more than a passing stranger, someone so unimportant that not even a hint of familiarity remained.

The thought sent an indescribable bitterness flooding through him.

Evelyn, however, took his simple answer and filled in the blanks: a kind neighbor who had just moved in, was sick, and didn't know anyone yet.

"Since you just moved, you probably don't have any cold medicine at home," she said reflexively. "If not, I have a new box. Do you want it?"

Her kindness and care were like a beam of light—warm, yet piercing—shining into the dark corners of his heart.

Adrian's heart constricted. Pushing aside the dark thoughts, he lowered his eyes. "Thank you so much. I actually don't have any."

Evelyn told him to wait a second and ran back into the living room, returning quickly with an unopened box of medicine.

"Here you go."

Adrian reached out, and his fingertips brushed against the back of her hand as he took the box. That fleeting, soft touch made his heart quiver.

He pulled his hand back sharply, clutching the medicine. "Thank you."

"No problem, that's what neighbors are for," Evelyn smiled. "Get some rest."

"Okay."

She closed the door, cutting off the gaze from outside. Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief; the new neighbor seemed quite easy to get along with.

She went back to her desk and picked up her phone. The screen was still on.

In the game interface, her baby boy was slumped over the desk, looking like the whole world had abandoned him. A tiny rain cloud was floating over his head, and his speech bubble contained a dejected, frowning emoji.

What happened?

She quickly tapped the screen and typed: "What's wrong?"

"Oh, you're still here."

"I called you several times just now, but you didn't answer. I thought you left again."

A wave of guilt washed over Evelyn. She could picture the boy sitting there all alone, calling out for her over and over, only to be met with dead silence.

Even though it was just a game, she had invested a lot of real emotion into it.

"So sorry!" she typed back fast. "My neighbor just brought over some warm cookies."

"A neighbor?" Adrian's avatar moved, seemingly looking up, though the rain cloud stayed.

Evelyn didn't think much of it, assuming he was just being a moody kid.

But on the other side of the screen, Adrian's mind was in a very different place.

It was that man.

The man with the same name.

Not only had he moved in next door, but now he was using a box of cookies to easily steal her time and attention.

"You just met. He's still a stranger. You should be careful."

"Technically, yeah, but I'm at home, so it's fine," Evelyn replied as she opened the cookie box.

The rich scent of milk hit her. She took a bite and her eyes immediately lit up.

The cookies were baked perfectly—crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

"These are amazing!" she couldn't help but praise him from the bottom of her heart. "This neighbor is so talented. He's handsome, and he can cook? He's basically perfect!"