My organs are too abstract.

Chapter 85 The Neighbors on the Fourth Floor

A man and a dog stared at each other across a narrow, dimly lit corridor. The air around them seemed to freeze, and an awkward atmosphere spread silently.

The stray dog ​​opposite Xu Yuan looked up at him, its dark pupils revealing a hint of human-like fear. Then, a fawning smile appeared on its face as it crouched down and tiptoed back half a step.

"Is this a mockery of me?"

Xu Yuan looked at its ambiguous, mocking expression, coupled with its stealthy, cunning posture that was exactly the same as his own, and his face immediately darkened: "What level do you have, daring to use the exact same posture as me?"

He immediately strode forward, raised his hand, and gave the black dog's round buttocks a light kick.

"Awooo————"

The black dog staggered in pain, then immediately tucked its tail between its legs and backed away, its ears drooping, tongue lolling out, and wagging its tail obediently, looking like it was begging for mercy.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan's anger subsided considerably. He looked down at the stray dog ​​and, for some reason, found its face increasingly repulsive and irritating, which only fueled his anger.

On second thought, he realized that he had started the trouble first and was in the wrong. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and quickly went back into the house, took an unopened sausage, peeled off the skin, and handed it to the dog.

""

The dog was slightly taken aback, looked up at him in surprise, its eyes full of doubt. After hesitating for a few seconds, it cautiously approached, picked up the sausage, and quickly retreated to a safe distance of a few steps away, watching Xu Yuan warily.

Xu Yuan stepped forward, completely ignoring the dog's panicked eyes, squatted down, and angrily rubbed its head, secretly frowning as he pondered, "Strange, could it be that my invisibility ability doesn't work on dogs? It only works on people?"

As he rubbed the dog, he suddenly frowned and slapped it lightly on the head: "How long has it been since you took a bath? You don't feel comfortable to touch."

"?"

The dog, which had been gradually relaxing, froze instantly, its dark face filled with unprepared bewilderment.

Just then, a soft "click" sound came from deep in the corridor, the sound of a door lock turning and a door being pushed open.

"Has someone gone out?"

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously pulled the stray dog ​​into his arms, covered its mouth with his hand, and quickly shrank into the shadowy corner of the corridor, quietly looking ahead.

A tall figure slowly walked out. The man was wrapped tightly in a heavy, dark long coat, and his physique was robust and strong, clearly an adult male.

The high collar of her coat completely covered most of her face, revealing only her eyebrows and eyes. Her brow bones were deep and her eye makeup was heavy, showing obvious signs of careful and glamorous makeup. Her rugged figure and delicate makeup were incompatible, giving off an eerie sense of incongruity.

Xu Yuan was shocked and thought to himself: How could such a strong man wear such heavy makeup?

Just imagining that heavily made-up, rugged face sent chills down his spine and made him feel uncomfortable all over.

The man seemed oblivious to Xu Yuan in the shadows, standing quietly at the entrance of the corridor for a moment. His gaze swept across the corridor, and when he caught sight of a certain room, his expression subtly changed. He then silently turned around, retreated back into the room, and closed the door.

"He didn't seem to see me, so my ability should be fine." Xu Yuan stared at the other person's disappearing figure, thinking quickly. "And he didn't even notice the dog in my arms. Maybe my ability can also hide living things around me? If that's the case, my ability becomes even more interesting."

He was secretly delighted, but a hint of confusion arose in his mind when he recalled the fleeting look in the other person's eyes: "Was he looking in the direction of my room just now?"

"Is he watching my house?" Xu Yuan glanced at his half-open door and wondered to himself. But then he thought it might just be a coincidence. Maybe the other person was watching his neighbor's house. After all, the woman in that house looked very strange.

The thought had barely formed when the door on the other side was pushed open again.

A woman of about thirty years old carrying a birdcage walked out slowly.

Her makeup was exquisite and glamorous, her figure slender and graceful, and her well-fitting long dress accentuated her elegant posture. However, strangely, her entire face was numb and stiff, her eyes were empty, and she showed no emotion whatsoever, like an exquisite doll.

The strangest thing was the giant birdcage she was carrying.

Inside the cage was not an ordinary bird, but a large rooster with bright plumage and a bright red comb. The rooster was full of energy, its small, beady eyes darting around as it warily scanned the entire dimly lit corridor, as if it were investigating its surroundings.

The woman stood quietly for a moment, when the rooster in the cage suddenly sensed something, raised its head, and let out a clear crow. The woman's empty eyes flickered slightly, and without saying a word, she slowly turned around, carrying the birdcage, and pushed open the door to go back inside.

"That rooster—it seemed to be staring at my house just now." Xu Yuan stared intently at the closed door, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Could it be—"

Upon hearing this, the stray dog ​​he was holding tensed up instantly, showing obvious nervousness, as if afraid that he would see something.

Then, Xu Yuan stroked his chin and asked himself suspiciously, "Could it be that it's unwilling to be trapped in a cage, yearns for freedom, and wants me to be its new master?"

The dog's expression relaxed, and it nodded slightly.

"You can understand me?" Xu Yuan looked surprised and looked down at the dog in his arms.

The dog's face stiffened, and it immediately composed itself, its eyes becoming incredibly clear. It then gently rubbed against Xu Yuan's arm, pretending that it was just an unintentional touch.

"So you didn't understand?" Xu Yuan shook his head in disappointment, continuing to rub the dog's head while pondering excitedly, "What do you think about stealing it? That way I'd complete the 'petty thievery' achievement, and maybe even unlock some exclusive status!"

The stray dog ​​said, "And look, this chicken is so big, it looks delicious—oh no, I mean, easy to raise."

Xu Yuan got more and more excited as he spoke: "It's so pitiful being trapped in a cage. Why not bring it to my home and give it freedom? I can also liberate its mind and teach it new things. For example, what is 'Big Plate Chicken,' how to make Kung Pao Chicken, and how to prepare braised chicken pieces—"

He was speaking with great enthusiasm, almost drooling, when just then, the door to the next room opened again, and he quickly composed himself.

An elderly man dressed in a dark priestly robe, who looked very much like a priest, slowly walked out, carrying a heavy cross that was taller than a person. He placed the cross in front of his house, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and prayed softly for a moment. A solemn atmosphere quietly filled the corridor. After the prayer, he bowed, put away the cross, and went back into his room.

Xu Yuan, holding the stray dog ​​in his arms, quietly huddled in the shadows, taking in all of this.

"These neighbors, none of them seem quite normal?" Xu Yuan was puzzled. Looking at the stray dog ​​in his arms, he sighed, "It seems like only you and I are normal."

However, Xu Yuan didn't care. As long as they didn't interfere with him, he never cared what others were doing.

Xu Yuan glanced at the half-open door of room 401. Seeing no movement for a while, he casually remarked, "Your master doesn't seem to care much about you. He doesn't even let you take a bath. I think you're quite perceptive. Why don't you come and work for me from now on?"

Follow you?

The stray dog's face instantly turned green.

The image of Xu Yuan talking about braised chicken and braised chicken pieces was still echoing in his ears. If he followed this person, how could he possibly survive?

At that point, we might have to boil the dog to determine who's the hero!

It suddenly burst out with all its strength, pushed off with all four limbs, and darted out of Xu Yuan's arms. With its tail between its legs, it rushed back to 401 in a panic, and cleverly nudged the door with its nose, slamming it shut with a click.

"It can even close the door, how clever is that?" Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment.

He didn't take it to heart; he was just teasing the dog out of boredom.

He leisurely returned to his house, ate dinner, and was about to play a couple of games to relax when his right ear suddenly started to itch for no reason, as if something was gently scratching inside.

"What's going on?"

Xu Yuan frowned, his face full of confusion.

The next instant, a line of pale yellow characters appeared out of thin air.

[Your right ear has detected some potential anomaly and is requesting activation of the awakening process.]