Chapter 52 Moving

Early in the morning.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, and the kettle purred. The apartment wasn't large, but it was cozy and tidy.

Mary sat at the dining table in the living room, a piece of buttered toast in her hand.

"Kate," she said, holding her phone in her other hand, the page showing the price of plane tickets, "have you ever thought about going out for a trip next weekend?"

Catherine popped her head out of the kitchen, stirring a cup of coffee.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Iceland." Mary seemed excited, her eyes sparkling as she showed Catherine the page on her phone. "I just saw a post on Twitter about a tour group to Iceland. It came with a couple's package, very affordable, with tons of good reviews, and best of all, the airfare has dropped recently—" "

Honey," Catherine sighed helplessly, leaning against the sliding door. "You forgot we just got a new microwave, and we haven't received our salaries yet, so we're almost behind on this month's bills..."

"Ah... that's right."

Mary put her phone down and took a depressed bite of bread.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Now?"

It was only seven in the morning, usually no friends would come to visit at this time, and the salesman hadn't started work yet

. Mary stood up, holding a piece of toast in her mouth, and walked to the door in surprise.

She looked out through the peephole.

"Wow! A handsome guy—"

She squinted her eyes and carefully observed the man standing outside. He

looked familiar... blue eyes, black hair, deep features, handsome looks...

"Hiss..."

She took a breath in surprise, and her tone suddenly rose:

"God! I'm not seeing things—the person ringing the doorbell is Bruce Wayne!"

"What... who?"

In the kitchen, Katherine's hands trembled and she almost dropped her coffee cup.

"Bruce Wayne, the richest man—why is he coming to our place?" Mary shouted.

The person at the door politely pressed the doorbell again.

"I don't know! Let him in first—" Katherine shouted hurriedly.

Mary quickly smoothed her tangled hair with her hands. She glanced down at her wrinkled nightgown, hesitated for a second, then opened the door a crack.

"Uh... hello?"

The man standing at the doorway wore a well-tailored suit and a dark blue tie. His bright, handsome face—a face she had seen countless times in newspapers and magazines—was now fixed on her at ease.

"Good morning," Bruce greeted politely. "Excuse me, I'm just here to ask—are you planning on selling your apartment?"

Mary stared at him, stunned, seemingly still at a loss.

"You mean... our family?"

"Yes," Bruce nodded, speaking sincerely. "For personal reasons, I need to purchase a property in this building. If you're willing to sell it, I'd be willing to pay five times the market price."

...Five times?

Mary froze at the number.

"Five times?!" Catherine's voice came from behind her, her face filled with disbelief, her voice tinged with surprise and bewilderment.

Bruce nodded and said,

"Yes, I hope you'll consider it."

"Don't think about it," Catherine made a quick decision, pushing past Mary and coming to Bruce. "We can sign the contract now—when do you want it?"

Bruce smiled faintly and glanced at his watch.

"It would be best if it could be completed by this afternoon. I've already contacted someone, and I'll have him deliver the purchase agreement shortly."

"No problem!" Catherine agreed immediately, a flush of excitement on her face. "Let's pack our bags now and sign the contract anytime."

After Bruce left and the door slowly closed, Mary belatedly murmured,

"Five times... Kate, can we quit our jobs?"

Catherine smiled, hugged her neck, and kissed her cheek.

"Honey, that's a lot of money... Forget about the bills—we can go travel the world."

——————————————————

Evening.

In the apartment hallway.

Jack was smiling, humming a song, looking cheerful. Holding a bag of egg tarts in one hand and inserting a key into the lock with the other, he thrust his shoulder against the door. He was halfway through taking off his shoes when he heard—

"Click."

The lock of the next door suddenly clicked.

Jack paused, then looked over curiously—

the door had opened.

Warm yellow light streamed through the room, and the first thing Jack saw was a slender figure—

a man walking out.

He looked freshly showered, dressed in dark pajamas. Water droplets trickled down his damp hair, and the light shone on his profile, highlighting his deep features.

The man was tall and handsome.

And he had a face Jack knew all too well.

...

Bruce Wayne.

For a moment, Jack froze, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

"Good evening, Jack,"

Bruce greeted him with a smile.

This was a carefully planned "chance encounter."

He folded his arms and leaned lazily against the doorframe, his posture casual, his tone a touch of provocation.

"I just moved in today. I didn't expect you to be my neighbor. What a coincidence."

Jack didn't say anything, just staring at him motionlessly.

Bruce deliberately emphasized his tone and asked,

"Do you want to come in and sit for a while?"

He had expected Jack to be angry, furious, and perhaps even threaten him with a knife to get out of his territory.

However -

Jack suddenly threw the egg tart bag in his hand casually by the door and walked towards him quickly.

In the changing light and shadow, Bruce could see the expression on his face clearly.

His green eyes were shining, the corners of his mouth were raised, and his expression was happy and excited - just like a child who saw his most beloved toy.

Bruce became alert in an instant. He suddenly realized that Jack's silence just now was not because he was angry, but more like he was facing a huge surprise and couldn't react immediately.

"I really didn't expect...you to be so proactive, dear."

Jack's tone was soft and sweet.

He leaned forward, almost touching her.

"Bruce, do you know what this means?"

"..."

"It means that between us—"

he said slowly, the ending tone of each word rising.

"A truly intimate relationship is about to begin."

Jack grinned, showing his teeth, and a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I can't believe you're so eager to be in my life... Are you addicted to me, sweetheart?"

He moved closer, until they were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Jack said excitedly:

"I'm looking forward to it, I really am—"

"I can't wait! Just think about every day we're going to spend together, Bruce!"

"Will you help your poor neighbor fix the refrigerator, dear? Will you invite your neighbor to dinner with you? Do you want to try my grilled lamb chops?"

Bruce took a step back, the composure on his face gone.

Jack noticed this change, he raised his eyebrows, his smile remained unchanged, but his tone suddenly became gloomy, and he whispered: "

I remember I told you... not to interfere with what I do, but since you insist on coming-"

He paused for a moment, licked his lips, and said:

"I promise I will be a great neighbor, look forward to the future life... I won't let you get bored."

Then, he returned to his cheerful look, he raised his hand and poked Bruce's exposed chest muscle, tilted his head, and asked:

"Why are you still stopping here? Didn't you want to invite me in?"

"..."

Bruce frowned, pursed his lips, and silently pushed Jack.

The next second, he slammed the door shut.

He suddenly realized-

perhaps, he had made a serious mistake.