Trembling At A High Altitude

"How are things with you and Anna?" Mother Li called.

"Everything's settled, don't worry," Li Teng replied.

"You'll have to take good care of your sister from now on."

"Of course."

"Right, when you have free time, get in touch with Yin Yin, test the waters, after all, I feel she's not mad at you. If she were, she wouldn't have kept your sister's matter in mind. Boys need to take the initiative," Mother Li instructed.

"I will."

"Don't fob me off. Chat more on WeChat, show more concern for her, and then look for a chance to ask her out again. I think you two have a shot."

"Mhm, got it."

"This is the first time you and your sister are away from home, if you have any difficulties, you must tell me," Mother Li continued to advise.

"We're both grown-ups now, don't worry."

"How can I not worry! The weather's been a bit chilly recently, and you didn't bring a comforter. Is the one you have there enough?"

"It's enough, if it really gets cold I'll go back and get a comforter. Don't fret so much, just take good care of Dad."

"Alright."

After hanging up with Mother Li, Li Teng returned to his rented place.

Such a big house.

And it's all new furniture in a new house, truly comfortable to live in.

It's a pity it's rented.

Seems like I can't keep being a homebody forever, need to find a way to earn more money!

Only with enough money can I own my own house.

I feel like I'm not ambitious enough.

Although he thought this way, once Li Teng returned to his rented place and opened the luggage he brought, seeing the PSOX2 gaming console alongside his computer case, he immediately forgot all about his ambitions.

With cables plugged in, he started playing games.

Shen Mengying was really considerate, the account that came with the game console already had a multitude of games purchased and downloaded.

Even those not downloaded were found to be in a purchased state once he opened the games online.

Add up these games, and the whole setup's price reached tens of thousands of RMB.

And that might even be an understatement.

"This VR is really something, the new technology doesn't make me dizzy at all."

Li Teng happily began to play.

He knew the principle of indulging in play and neglecting work.

But still, playing was certainly more enjoyable than working.

Flipping through the game library, he even came across that type of VR game.

And since it's on a foreign server, there was no censorship.

Li Teng played until he couldn't help but get excited, and started singing,

"Follow my left hand, right hand, a slow motion..."

...

"They've arranged a place to rest in the lab, and they provide three meals a day. I need to cooperate with some training, so if it gets too late, I won't come back. I'll just rest in the lab," Anna called Li Teng to inform him.

"Can you manage on your own there? Do you think there will be any problems?"

"It's great! They're all very kind to me, there's nothing to worry about."

"Alright then, if you sense anything wrong, call me anytime. If you're not coming back, call me at least every few hours just to make sure you're safe," Li Teng instructed.

"Got it."

Before going to bed at night, Li Teng called Anna again to confirm her safety before lying down to sleep.

...

In the morning, as Li Teng was about to go out for breakfast, his phone rang. It wasn't Anna calling.

It was the landlord, Elsa, his former class president from high school.

"Hello, this is Elsa."

"Mhm, hello class president."

"Are you satisfied with the apartment? Is it comfortable to live in?"

"Very satisfied! Very satisfied!"

While continuing the conversation, Li Teng opened the door to his apartment, getting ready to head downstairs for some food.

Just then, the door of the neighbor across the hall also opened, and after a moment, it slammed shut with a 'bang!'

Li Teng jumped, caught off guard by the sudden noise.

What's up with the neighbor? Got scared and ran back inside after seeing me?

I mean, I'm pretty handsome, can't be that scary, right?

"By the way, monitor, which restaurant on the street below serves a good breakfast? I'm not too familiar with this area." Li Teng walked down the stairs and kept talking to the landlord Elsa.

"I'm on my way to work, and I'll be at your building in a moment. How about you wait for me, and I'll take you there?"

"Really? Monitor, you work around here?"

"Yes."

Once he was downstairs, standing on the street outside the complex, Li Teng looked around, but didn't see Elsa anywhere.

He took out his phone, about to check the news or something, when suddenly someone patted his shoulder from behind.

"Hello."

It was the landlord Elsa.

"Hello, monitor," Li Teng quickly put away his phone.

"Not familiar with the area? Let me show you around," Elsa said warmly to Li Teng.

"Sure, thanks, monitor." Li Teng looked at Elsa's beautiful face, and he felt very pleased.

It was his first time moving out of his parents' home to rent a place, and he met such a beautiful and enthusiastic landlord, who was also an old classmate. He was really lucky!

The negative reviews about landlords on the internet seemed completely unreliable.

Just outside the complex's main gate was a row of storefronts, including several small restaurants.

"This place makes delicious noodles, you should give it a try," Elsa recommended to Li Teng.

"Let's try this place today."

The two of them walked into the shop, where Elsa seemed to know the owner well, greeting each other enthusiastically.

After ordering two bowls of noodles, Elsa went out to another shop to grab some youtiao and mianwo. By the time she returned, the noodles were ready as well.

The two sat at a table outside the shop, eating and chatting.

"So, monitor, you work around here?" Li Teng looked for a topic to talk about.

"Over by the street, at Happiness Hospital. I work there as a doctor," Elsa pointed towards the distance.

"Oh? I remember now, you studied at a medical college. So, I can come to you if I need medical help?"

"Ha ha..." Elsa laughed.

"What's so funny?" Li Teng was puzzled.

"Didn't you know? We're a gynecological hospital, and I'm a gynecologist," Elsa answered Li Teng.

"Cough..." Now it was Li Teng's turn to feel embarrassed.

It turns out the two didn't interact much back in high school.

Now, reconnecting through renting an apartment and chatting over breakfast, they quickly became more familiar with each other.

"By the way, what kind of work do you do?" Elsa asked Li Teng.

"I... I create videos," Li Teng thought for a moment before answering Elsa.

"Video creation? Sounds very impressive!" Elsa admired.

"In plain words... I'm a video blogger," Li Teng said, a bit embarrassed since it was hardly what one would call 'impressive.'

"Oh, well, anyone who is into creation is pretty amazing," Elsa seemed not to understand much.

"I don't have much of a following yet." Li Teng didn't want to discuss the topic any further.

"What kind of videos do you make? You can come to our hospital when you're free to look for inspiration. With all the universities around here, during outpatient hours, you can hear all kinds of interesting stories from the female university students," Elsa suggested.

"Sure... but your gynecological hospital, isn't it a bit inappropriate for me to go there looking for inspiration?"

"Nothing wrong with that, I'm in charge there. You can wear a nurse uniform, and everyone will just think you're a nurse."

"A male nurse?"

"It's quite normal. Handsome male nurses are very popular," Elsa assured him.

"Alright, when I'm out of ideas, I'll go have a look around your hospital."

...

After breakfast, Elsa went straight to the hospital to work.

Li Teng, however, returned to his rental and continued to play games.

Half a day slipped away before he knew it.

"I didn't make any videos this morning, and my income is already so low. If this continues, how am I going to pay the rent?"

Taking off his VR headset, Li Teng felt somewhat depressed.

If he continued to play games like this, he was going to ruin himself!

Maybe he should go out and look for a job in the afternoon?

But what kind of job?

To be a nurse for Elsa?

That felt humiliating.

"Li, are you still drawing comics?" Li Teng's phone rang.

Looking at the number, Li Teng recalled that it belonged to an editor he had worked with when he used to draw comics.

"The content I draw is all that kind, it can't be published."

After graduating from college, Li Teng had done all kinds of jobs, written novels, drawn comics. Before he became a gaming video uploader, the comics he drew had earned him a good sum of money.

Unfortunately, what he was best at was drawing that kind of comics.

But when the regulations became stricter, he didn't dare to continue. If he did, he'd have to share a pot with many others.

"Hehe, I've joined a studio from the Island Kingdom. Your style fits theirs nicely, and they don't have that many restrictions. If you have time, draw a few pieces and let me show them. If they can use them, you can even earn foreign currency," the editor proposed to Li Teng.

"Really? I'll draw a few to try. I don't need foreign currency, you can pay me in RMB." Li Teng was worried about not making any money, and this job opportunity that came knocking, which also didn't require him to go out, couldn't be more perfect for a gamer homebody like him.

"Okay, send them to my same old email when they're finished."

"Are you in the country or abroad right now?"

"That's none of your business."

After eating lunch, Li Teng didn't play games anymore. Instead, he went back to his old home, found the tools he used to use, and after returning to his rental, he picked up his brush and seriously started drawing comics again.

Before he realized it, it was already dark outside.

He had drawn a few pieces but didn't know if they would suit their taste. He decided to send them to the editor first.

...

After he finished his work, Li Teng realized he was so hungry his stomach was sticking to his back.

He decided to go to the bathroom first and then go down to have dinner.

When he got to the bathroom, after flushing, he turned off the light and was about to leave when the light in the bathroom across suddenly turned on.

After a glance in the direction of the noise, Li Teng realized something wasn't quite right.

It wasn't just not right, it was very wrong.

He'd always lived at home before, where the bathroom window was very high and the closest house was far away, so Li Teng never had to worry about drawing the curtains whenever he bathed or flushed.

But since moving out from his home yesterday into this rented house, the design and layout, with four units on the first floor likely to save space, resulted in bathroom windows facing each other – only separated by less than a meter.

The bathrooms faced each other across the windows, and without curtains drawn, everything inside was in plain sight.

Additionally, the windows in this bathroom were very low, almost level with the toilet by the window, which is why the landlord Elsa had hung curtains on the bathroom window.

There were two layers of curtains: one was a thick dark curtain and the other was a thin light one.

At this moment, the curtains in the opposite bathroom were drawn.

But only the thin, light layer was down, not the thick, dark one.

After dark, with the light on in the opposite bathroom, everything inside became faintly visible.

Li Teng could clearly see a woman with long hair entering the bathroom, approaching the toilet, and sitting down.

Unfortunately, separated by the thin curtain, although he could see, he couldn't really see...

"Island Kingdom seems to favor this kind of content in comics." Li Teng decided to study the scene carefully and incorporate this blurred image into his comics.

Soon the female neighbor stood up, and Li Teng thought he saw something, but it was not clear.

After a while, the neighbor took the showerhead off the wall, as though checking the water temperature.

After testing the water, she began to shower.

Images began to form in Li Teng's mind, scenes that were very suitable to be turned into comics.

That damn thin curtain made everything look like mere shadows.

Li Teng clearly knew what his female neighbor was doing, but he could only see silhouettes and shadows.

That figure... absolutely incredible! If it were drawn into a comic, it would be a hit for sure!

This female neighbor is promising, worth further study.

He needed to find a way to get to know her.

After a while, the neighbor started bathing.

Li Teng saw her washing her hair, applying shampoo to her hair, both hands tangling through it.

At times like this, she must have her eyes closed, right? If he leaned out and quietly pulled open the curtains on that side...

No, what if she noticed him?

He couldn't do that.

Now was absolutely safe, she couldn't open her eyes for at least five minutes while washing her hair, could she?

No one would discover him.

Li Teng's body involuntarily leant out of the window.

Just at that moment, his phone suddenly rang, startling him greatly.

Damn it, who the hell was calling?

Wouldn't it expose what he was doing in the dark?

Li Teng quickly calmed down, while he turned on the bathroom light with one hand, answered the phone with another, and pulled down his pants facing the toilet, pretending he had just entered the bathroom to take the call.

It was his editor calling.

"The few comics you drew are of high quality! Everyone at the editorial office likes them! They very much suit their style," the editor's excited voice came through the phone.

"That's good," Li Teng let out a sigh of relief, looks like he finally had another way to make money.

"God Teng, keep it up, draw a few more tomorrow, finish up this series well, and you might have a hit on your hands!" the editor encouraged Li Teng.

"Mhm, mhm."

After hanging up the editor's call, Li Teng sneakily glanced over at the opposite side again.

Damn!

The lights on the other side were off.

He couldn't see the silhouette anymore.

Clearly, the call had startled her.

He glanced over again... no one was in the female neighbor's bathroom anymore.

Faint sounds of women chatting came from the living room on the other side, not quite clear.

It seemed the female neighbor had guests over.

Li Teng also took off his clothes and started bathing, only to remember in the dark that he hadn't had dinner yet.

Why bathe without having eaten dinner?

Just as he was about to leave the bathroom, the lights in the opposite window came back on.

Through the thin curtain, Li Teng saw a ponytail enter the bathroom.

She walked toward the toilet while talking to the people in the living room.

Her voice sounded young, at most in her early twenties.

When she reached the toilet, she sat down.

Alas, Li Teng could still only see the shadow.

A moment later, the ponytail stood up, turned her back to Li Teng's side as if she was pressing the flush.

Right then, a gust of wind came by, lifting the thin curtain.

In that instant, Li Teng saw clearly what was before him.

Then the wind stopped, and the curtain fell back into place.

"Damn curtains..."

The ponytail left the toilet, the light went out, and quietness returned to the bathroom across the way.

"Wind, wind is a great thing! Sticking out and lifting the curtain with my hand is risky, but I can create artificial wind!"

Thinking of the benefits brought by that gust of wind, Li Teng couldn't help but be flooded with ideas.

From now on, he had to work hard to train his lung capacity.