My Neighbor Is a Rose-Headed Monster

- After clearing the Infinite Worlds at max level, Wen Ze retired. He sealed away his weapons, changed into casual clothes, and put on specially made glasses to hide the color of his eyes. His retirement began. His new home was in a residential neighborhood, where elderly folks played chess and chatted while children laughed and played. The neighborhood was old, but lively. Wen Ze was quite satisfied. One day, a new tenant moved into the vacant house next door. The newcomer dressed casually and liked growing flowers. When he greeted people, his voice was warm with a smile, and very pleasant to hear. The old houses had poor soundproofing, so Wen Ze could always hear what was going on next door. In the morning, his neighbor tended the flowers and pruned the branches. At noon, ginger and garlic hit the wok, filling the air with the sounds and smells of home cooking. At dusk, as the sun sank, he went for walks and chatted with people. The sunlight was gentle, and the days passed at an unhurried pace. The new neighbor was easygoing, gentle, and polite when he talked. The people around the neighborhood were quite fond of him. Wen Ze alone remained indifferent, offering no more than a distant, polite nod and smile whenever they met. At a banquet, Wen Ze ran into his neighbor, who had traded his usual casual clothes for a perfectly tailored suit. He was tall and slender. When he greeted Wen Ze, his voice held a hint of dismay. “You don’t seem to enjoy talking with me.” At that, Wen Ze looked up. His mismatched eyes glimmered faintly. The suit perfectly outlined the figure before him: tall, graceful, and composed. ...It would have been even better if there weren’t a vividly blooming rose on top of the suit. The rose was in full bloom, its silky petals layered upon one another, gleaming elegantly beneath the banquet hall lights. When the man bent down to speak to Wen Ze, the petals drew together sadly, huddling into a drooping little ball. It looked utterly heartbroken. Wen Ze pushed up his glasses with a helpless sigh. So really, he couldn’t be blamed. Talking to a rose was still a little too far ahead of its time. Blurb registered: 2024.03.31 Theme: .