The 8th floor

Leonid chuckled quietly, a light laugh carrying a mix of sarcasm and indifference as he observed the sarcastic words spoken with feigned kindness by someone he didn't like.

But that quiet smile was only the beginning of Leonid's intrigue.

Inside the bedroom walls, Daniel lay on the bed, resting his head on Charlotte's lap. His labored breaths filled the heavy silence, while traces of tears were still etched on his cheeks.

Charlotte's cold fingers, slightly trembling, gently wiped away the last remnants of tears that slipped from his closed eyelids. She felt the warmth of his cheek under her touch, a blend of tenderness and helplessness seeping into her heart.

"How are you feeling now?"

Charlotte whispered softly, her voice tender, as her fingers gently ran through Daniel's hair. The natural blond of his hair seemed to gradually regain its vitality with each wash, leaving only a faint trace of the purple dye.

She waited patiently for Daniel's reply, but silence was his only response. In an uneasy and shy motion, Daniel buried his face in her clothes.

When Daniel refused to speak, Charlotte let out a faint sigh, barely audible, and began to gently pat his head.

She knew there was another hidden reason behind his sensitivity beyond her being in a relationship with a man, but his reasons remained a mystery to her.

Even so, Charlotte couldn't bring herself to be angry with him or ignore his pain. She knew, with absolute clarity, that Daniel held a special place in her heart a place that made her always want to protect him, even from his unspoken fears.

At that moment, she didn't need explanations or words. All that mattered was giving him a sense of safety, even through her gentle touch.

"Daniel… let me at least tell you the truth that Kaiser distorted with his reckless lies."

Daniel didn't respond at first to her soft voice. Although her warm whispers reached him and touched his heart, he remained silent.

But before despair could overwhelm Charlotte's fragile heart, he shifted back slightly.

"Did Kaiser lie to me?"

Daniel asked in a low voice, his gray eyes meeting her black ones, but the sadness in his expression was unbearable. His red nose from continuous crying and puffy eyelids reflected a deep pain that made her heart clench, as if she were about to cry with him for no apparent reason.

Charlotte stared at him, seeing his sorrowful face as though it were a masterpiece of pain. After a moment, her hand moved gently, brushing against his cheek with care, and she nodded, saying softly:

"Yes, but he didn't lie entirely. He told part of the truth but mixed it with some lies."

"What part did he lie about?"

Daniel's voice carried a mix of annoyance and doubt. All he clearly remembered was that Kaiser said Charlotte was in a relationship with a man who had just confessed his love to her, and that this man was nothing but a shallow fraud.

Charlotte didn't respond directly. Instead, she smiled and continued to stroke his cheek, saying:

"First, tell me, do you know who I'm in a relationship with? The one you call a shallow fraud~?"

Though she disliked hearing Leonid described in such words, it was amusing to add some excitement to their discussion.

"No."

Daniel replied without delving deep into his thoughts, always expecting that Charlotte would eventually date Kaiser, but there was someone else who had done so.

"Wait…"

After some thought, Daniel recalled seeing Leonid on the living room couch while being dragged by Charlotte toward her room.

"Do you mean the dead ghost?!"

Daniel exclaimed in shock as he suddenly sat up next to Charlotte. His wide eyes searched for an explanation, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Yes…"

Charlotte answered shyly, avoiding direct eye contact. She lightly raised her hands to fix Daniel's messy hair caused by his sudden movement.

"Well… how do I say this? But don't you think I have an amazing man~?"

Daniel stared at her in more disbelief, then frowned slightly, saying with clear sarcasm:

"Do you call the dead ghost amazing? He's so cold, domineering, and sharp eyed! Barely anything about him can be called amazing!"

Charlotte's chestnut lashes fluttered in surprise at Daniel's criticism. The strange nickname he gave Leonid was entirely unlike him, and besides, Leonid was no longer that cold and sharp person Daniel described.

Raising one chestnut eyebrow, she said seriously:

"First, you should stop calling people weird nicknames. Second, don't judge others based on their appearance."

Despite the serious look on Charlotte's face, Daniel didn't back down and quickly replied.

"But that man has real silver hair and pale skin, and he is cold and domineering. You were the one who told me that!"

Charlotte ignored his accusation, looked away as if she hadn't heard anything, and said:

"If you don't stop, I'll criticize your girlfriend."

Hearing Charlotte's words, Daniel's anger flared. He pointed a finger at her indignantly.

"There's no need to drag my girlfriend into this! Anyway, think about it, Charlotte. What if he's actually a ghost? Maybe he came back looking for something lost for thousands of years. There are legends that say—"

"That's enough! Talking behind others' backs is wrong!"

She interrupted him angrily, covering her ears. Charlotte quickly stood up from the bed in frustration and walked toward the door.

"I won't talk to you any further. I'm leaving."

"Wait! Charlotte!"

Daniel shouted after her, but he hurriedly followed her to the living room, where she turned to him angrily.

"You're an idiot, Daniel!"

"No, I'm not!"

Daniel quickly retorted, his expression reflecting his stubbornness.

"Yes, you are! Anyone who believes in legends and ghosts is nothing but an idiot!"

Charlotte stomped her foot on the floor.

"That's a baseless accusation from someone ignorant!"

Daniel shouted back at Charlotte, his face flushed with frustration.

"By saying that, you're accusing many people of being fools!"

He pointed at her accusingly, while Charlotte stood before him with fiery eyes of anger, ready to retaliate at any moment.

The argument had moved to the middle of the living room, where an unexpected audience had gathered to witness this unfolding drama.

Natalia, seated on the couch, stared at them with her mouth slightly open. She had never seen a real fight between the two before and was astonished at how a normal discussion had escalated into a heated confrontation.

Beside her, Kaiser narrowed his eyes, attempting to make sense of the situation. He tried to take the argument seriously, but all he could see were two little beavers quarrelling clumsily. It was too much for him to handle, and despite his efforts to suppress it, a quiet laugh escaped him.

"What's so funny?"

Natalia whispered angrily, glaring at him.

Kaiser pointed toward the two, barely able to contain his laughter.

"I just can't... All I see are quarreling beavers."

"Are you serious?"

Natalia raised an eyebrow in disbelief, sighing deeply as she turned her attention back to the escalating chaos. Charlotte and Daniel's shouting had reached a crescendo, as if the room itself might burst from their intensity.

Trying to remain composed, Natalia closed her eyes, but her patience quickly wore thin. She turned to Leonid, who was sitting quietly nearby. She expected to see him irritated or angry since he was now Charlotte's boyfriend and should logically share in her anger.

But to her surprise, the corners of Leonid's lips twitched ever so slightly, and his hand covered his mouth as if he was suppressing a laugh.

"Unbelievable..."

Natalia muttered, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Just then, Daniel's voice broke the tension.

"I'm sorry!"

His voice trembled, and tears glistened in his gray eyes again.

Charlotte shook her head softly, a gentle smile forming on her lips as she spoke.

"No, Daniel... It's my fault. I'm really sorry."

She gestured to herself with a small motion, then stepped toward him and embraced him warmly.

From the other side of the room, Natalia blinked in astonishment.

"Did they just make up... suddenly?"

She murmured, baffled by the abrupt shift. Beside her, Kaiser smirked.

"Of course, beavers must always hug it out."

Annoyed, Natalia slapped his arm lightly.

"Stop it! You're insufferable!"

But her attention quickly shifted back to Charlotte.

Charlotte...

Natalia thought silently, her green eyes clouded with an unspoken emotion.

Charlotte had such a kind heart so kind, in fact, that Natalia sometimes found herself envying her for it.

A faint glimmer of jealousy flickered in Natalia's gaze as she clenched her fists.

After five minutes of drama and tears, Daniel and Charlotte finally sat down on the couch. Charlotte seemed shy as she sat next to Leonid, while Daniel was on the other side. On the opposite couch, Natalia sat silently next to Kaiser, her hands clasped together as if trying to calm herself.

Leonid sat, staring at Charlotte's side profile. The redness of her cheeks reflected her shyness, but was she embarrassed by what had happened earlier, or was she shy because of him? Leonid wondered to himself as he slowly reached out to her hair.

He gently wrapped a strand of her silky chestnut hair around his finger and played with it softly. Whatever Charlotte thought of herself at that moment, Leonid couldn't help but enjoy seeing her flustered, glancing left and right.

Despite what had happened moments ago, Charlotte could already feel her heart pounding in her chest. Just sorting through the string of embarrassing events from today made her wish she could leave this planet altogether.

And now, she had to introduce Leonid to her friends, the very people who had also contributed to her embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte raised her hand, gesturing toward Leonid, who was still playing with her hair, and spoke in a formal tone, trying to mask her embarrassment.

"Well, let's forget what happened a moment ago, and let me introduce you to my boyfriend… who used to be my neighbor."