Restrictive Zone

RA 2 - Falcon

After the summer solstice, the temperature gradually rose.

The quiet community was free from the pestering noise and air pollution of the bustling city, and only the transient whistling as the scheduled trains crossed bridges into the distance could be heard.

Jiang Chijing didn't use to like summer days. The glaring sunlight and sticky sweat stains repulsed him. He basically would never go out under the hot sun to exercise, and even the convicted felons in prison would taunt him for having skin so fair that he didn't appear in the least bit like a prison staff.

However, just this summer, Jiang Chijing suddenly had a change of heart for the season.

It wasn't for any bone-deep reason than that the hotter the weather grew, the more generous the neighbour living across the street became.

In the past, his neighbour would typically change into plain indoor clothing after coming back from work. The loose and comfortable short-sleeved white shirts hid his enviable figure, the sight flat and insipid for Jiang Chijing, peeping in on the sly.

But in recent days, in light of the rising temperatures, the neighbour opposite started to go around topless in his house.

There was actually once when Jiang Chijing witnessed for himself—his neighbour, topless, in an apron as he seared steak. If it weren't for Jiang Chijing self-professing to be a voyeur with a bottom line, he would have whipped out his phone to secretly photograph this visual delight.

Had everything passed as normal, these uneventful, voyeuristic days would have gone on indefinitely; but there was a day after work that Jiang Chijing discovered that his neighbour was behaving a little abnormally.

Southside Prison was situated in the city outskirts, no more than a ten-minute drive from Jiang Chijing's house.

Jiang Chijing would clock off work punctually at five o'clock every day, whereas that social elite would only return home at nine or ten in the night.

Today, as usual, Jiang Chijing parked the car in the private garage in his yard. But when he got out of the car, he heard the sounds of boxing from across the street, more intense than ever before.

He almost thought that his ears were mistaken, even purposefully going up to the bedroom to secretly peek over through a crack in the curtains. The other man really was boxing.

And this was unusual, for today was a working day.

What was even more abnormal was that the hands of the man weren't wrapped in white bandages. Every fist caused the sandbag to rock. Rather than practice, this looked more like a venting session.

His expression was also different from usual. A ferocious scowl was present between his brows and his gaze wasn't on the sandbag but trained on a certain spot ahead, like his mind was elsewhere as he boxed.

It shouldn't be anything good, Jiang Chijing thought to himself.

The man's agitation was palpable. Jiang Chijing involuntarily started to guess what had happened.

Perhaps he had lost his job, which was why he would be boxing at home in the early evening of a working day. As for why he lost his job, maybe he had sexually harassed a colleague...

Hang on, why did his mind leap to sexual harassment?

Just because his neighbour oozed sensuality didn't mean that he could tag indecent stereotypes onto him.

Jiang Chijing retraced his steps, contemplating what reasons there could be for this social elite to lose employment. Right then, the man opposite suddenly stopped, holding his two fists before his chest, inspecting his hands.