1 Chapter 1-New City I

"Boss, get me one more order of the wonton noodle soup!" shouted a customer near the door.

"Right away!" Boss Gao shouted back, pointing to a nearly empty bag of wontons. Stirring the soup by the stove, Lu Xiyun caught the gesture and headed towards the storage room, where the ingredients were stored.

Locating the freezer containing the bags of wontons, Lu Xiyun encountered a minor problem. His expression shifted to a slight frown as he attempted to open the lid. Despite exerting full strength for almost three minutes, the lid remained firmly closed.

Out of nowhere, a tap on his shoulder startled Lu Xiyun, causing him to jolt. Turning around, he saw the other waiter, Du Ping standing there.

Du Ping explained, "The boss told me to see why you are taking so long."

Noticing both of Lu Xiyun's hands firmly gripping the freezer lid handle, Du Ping surmised that it was probably stuck once more. He directed Lu Xiyun to make way and, taking charge, exerted all his strength to pull the lid. After a 15-second effort, the lid finally yielded.

While grabbing a bag of wontons from the first row, Du Ping spoke to Lu Xiyun. "The freezer door tends to get stuck occasionally. The boss saw it's still doing its job, so there's no plan to replace it." Catching a glimpse of Lu Xiyun, who had a blank expression, Du Ping shut the lid and walked back to the kitchen, with Lu Xiyun trailing right behind him.

Placing the bag on the counter, Du Ping resumed his task of cutting green onions. Meanwhile, Lu Xiyun stirred the soup a few more times before adding the noodles.

With dinner rush hours approaching, a stream of customers flooded into the noodle restaurant. Boss Gao, Du Ping, and Lu Xiyun were so occupied that they didn't even have a moment to take a sip of water.

At last, 10 p.m. arrived. The entire crew tidied up the restaurant for closing. Boss Gao secured the door, and the trio headed to the back alley, where they opened the door to the stairs leading to the second Boss Gao was the owner of the two-floor building. While its exterior displayed signs of wear, with chipped paint and fading colors, it was considered decent in the local area. The first floor hosted a cozy noodle restaurant, designed in the fashion of an open kitchen commonly found in old neighborhoods. The second floor consisted of an apartment complete with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms. The smaller bedroom was used for lodging for employees.

The boss pointed to the bathroom, looking at Lu Xiyun. "Xiao Lu, you can go wash up first. I'll heat up the leftover dishes from yesterday."

"Mn." Lu Xiyun gathered his shower supplies in his room and headed to the bathroom. The full-length mirror inside reflected a 1.5m teenager with black hair, loose strands framing his face. Long eyelashes fluttered as he blinked those brown eyes, and faint blue veins adored his pale skin. His slender frame revealed a noticeable underweight condition, lending to a younger appearance.

As Lu Xiyun showered, Boss Gao and Du Ping talked in the kitchen. "Boss, have you let Xiao Lu know about your decision to sell the building?"

"Not yet..."

Boss Gao, a long-time resident of the neighborhood at the age of 58, had endured the loss of his wife in a car accident, leaving him with a daughter. Despite his daughter's efforts to convince him to join her in W city after her marriage, Boss Gao resisted, holding onto the memories of his wife within their home.

A week ago, Boss Gao's daughter visited to convince him to move to W city. Initially leaning towards refusal, the daughter surprised him with the news of being a grandfather, emphasizing her desire for the family to be united.

After thoughtful consideration, Boss Gao decided to relocate to W city, eager to be close to his daughter and soon-to-arrive grandchild. Recognizing the passage of time, he saw this as a fitting moment to retire.

The following day, Boss Gao found a real estate agent to promptly sell his building, prioritizing a quick sale over market value.

Boss Gao released a sigh. "Tomorrow, the restaurant will close early. I'll inform Xiao Lu later in the evening. Xiao Lu has only just arrived, and he needs to leave already."

---

Three months prior, Boss Gao finished tidying the restaurant. As he prepared to lock the door, he noticed an individual seated beside it. The person was curled up like a ball, with their head resting in their arms, adorned in a dark blue sweater, black jeans, and grey sneakers. Despite the very worn-out condition of the clothes, it was evident that the owner had made an effort to maintain their cleanliness and tidiness.

Boss Gao, concerned about the person's well-being, inquired if they were unwell. Calling out multiple times, there was no response. Faced with no other choice, he gently tapped the individual on the shoulder.

Startled, the individual jerked, revealing a young teenager who lifted his gaze. Judging by his facial features and build, he seemed to be approximately 14 to 15 years old. His expression bore furrowed eyebrows, and his gaze conveyed a mix of fear, caution, and confusion. Now, his hands, initially resting on his knees, tightly clutched onto his jeans.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you need me to call your parents?"

"..."

The young teenager merely stared at Boss Gao. Undeterred, he repeated the question, but there was still no response. Scratching his head, he decided to squat in front of him.

"I'm not sure why you're sitting here, but it's late. You should head home. Your parents might be worried. It's not safe to linger around at night."

Still met with silence, Boss Gao was on the verge of giving up when the teenager slowly moved his right hand. Pointing his index finger to his ear and shaking his head, he conveyed his inability to hear.

"Ah, no wonder," Boss Gao realized. The young teenager couldn't hear. Naturally, he couldn't respond because he didn't comprehend the spoken words.

---

As long as Lu Xiyun can remember, his ability to hear has been limited to rare instances of exceptionally loud noises.