Chapter 29 The New Neighbor

No sooner had Xu Anan stepped into her home than she received a call from her boss, who criticized her article on Bai Anhao: “Do you even understand? For a genius writer like him to fall from grace, you should ask if he’s resigned to it, why he’s ended up in such a sorry state.”

“And his rival just won the Chinese Literary Award—ask him how he feels about that!”

Berated so harshly, Xu Anan rubbed her ears. Her expression remained cold as she replied, “I submitted those questions. Didn’t you approve them?”

Her boss was momentarily at a loss for words. He had only skimmed the questions at the time, not caring much for the washed-up Bai Anhao. Who could have predicted that, because of the recent bullying scandal, attention on Bai Anhao would soar?

With the heightened attention on Xu Anan, more people naturally read her work. The magazine, of course, wanted to seize the chance to ride this wave of popularity.

He sounded irritable: “Forget it, I’ll handle this matter for you.”

“How?”

Beep, beep, beep…

Before Xu Anan could get an answer, her boss hung up. She despised this man—Zhang Jicheng was filling in for Xue Shengnan, who was on holiday, but Zhang Jicheng had always been careless and irresponsible. Were it not for the recent bullying incident that brought the magazine a surge of attention, Zhang Jicheng would have continued to idle away.

Ring, ring, ring!

Seeing Jiang Yu’s name on the caller ID, Xu Anan hesitated before answering. They’d just parted ways not long ago; she worried Jiang Yu might have noticed something earlier.

“Where are you?” Jiang Yu’s first words were blunt.

“At home. Why?”

“I just saw a woman who looked like you.”

“Oh? Did you call out to her?”

“You’ve seemed busy lately. I can never find you when I try.” Of course, Jiang Yu didn’t admit that he’d actually approached the woman, only to realize he’d mistaken someone else for Xu Anan—a woman with a similar figure, strolling with a man. How could he ignore that?

“Come with me to a party tonight. There’ll be reporters present. Dress nicely.”

“Are you picking me up?” Xu Anan asked without thinking. After all, taking a taxi would cost money.

Jiang Yu refused without hesitation: “You live in the west end, I’m in the east. Do you think I’d go out of my way? Just take a cab, and remember—be there by nine. Don’t be late.”

Xu Anan rolled her eyes dramatically. She hadn’t expected Jiang Yu to pick her up anyway. No expectations meant no disappointment.

At that moment, a commotion sounded from the apartment across the hall. Curious, Xu Anan peered through the peephole and saw movers coming and going. The apartment opposite hers had been vacant for as long as she’d lived there. At last, someone was moving in—but who would it be?

With time to spare, Xu Anan decided to shower and nap before the evening party. But the doorbell rang. Wrapped in a towel, she went to answer it, first checking through the peephole.

A burst of color greeted her eyes—a woman dressed in flamboyant clothes. Could this be her new neighbor?

Xu Anan opened the door. “You—”

She froze mid-sentence. It was Ning Xiyue!

Ning Xiyue glanced her up and down. “Tsk. Opening the door like that—if it were a man, wouldn’t you both already be in bed?”

“Do you need something?” Xu Anan glanced toward the door opposite. It was shut; the movers had already left—presumably, the move was finished.

Ning Xiyue ran her fingers lazily through her hair. “Unfortunately, I’m not living across from you but directly upstairs.”

“Let’s get along from now on.”

“And you really should put some clothes on. If those movers see you, who knows if they can control themselves.”

Learning that Ning Xiyue lived upstairs left Xu Anan speechless. She’d have preferred her across the hall. If Ning Xiyue decided to stomp around at night, how was Xu Anan supposed to sleep? She was certain Ning Xiyue would do just that.

Bang!

A loud crash came from above. Xu Anan started, clenching her fists. Was it already beginning?

Fortunately, things quieted down afterward, and Xu Anan hurried to her room to get some rest—she’d need her energy for the party with Jiang Yu that evening. She had a premonition that something was bound to happen, so she’d best be prepared.

At precisely seven o’clock, Xu Anan was ready. She turned before the full-length mirror, satisfied with what she saw—a short black cocktail dress with a graceful curved neckline that accentuated her slender waist and alluring, fair legs. A touch of light makeup enhanced her delicate yet vibrant beauty.

Tonight wasn’t a particularly important occasion, so Xu Anan kept things simple. Whether Jiang Yu would be pleased was not her concern; she never dressed to please a man.

No sooner had she opened her door than she ran into Jiang Yu and Ning Xiyue coming downstairs.

Jiang Yu, surprised to see her, immediately grew angry. “Xu Anan, I said I wouldn’t pick you up—are you following me on purpose?”

“Yue’er doesn’t know the way, so I came to fetch her! Can’t you be more understanding and stop making a fuss over nothing?”

Xu Anan nearly laughed. She gave a soft, derisive snort. “Jiang Yu, I live here. You didn’t know that?”

Jiang Yu flushed with embarrassment. He’d completely forgotten Xu Anan’s address. But even so, he’d never apologize.

As tension thickened, Ning Xiyue spoke gently, “Anan, actually—”

“The party starts at nine, doesn’t it? Let’s not waste time,” Xu Anan interrupted coldly, stepping into the elevator.

Ning Xiyue shot her a glare.

Though the elevator was spacious, the three of them somehow felt cramped.

“Wait.”

Just as the doors were about to close, a large, well-defined hand reached in, making them slide open again.

All three stared in surprise. The man who entered was none other than Jiang Li!

“Uncle!”

Perhaps recalling the punch he’d received earlier, Jiang Yu shrank back in fear, pushing Xu Anan in front of him—a truly spineless move.

Xu Anan and Ning Xiyue thought the same thing: how useless.

Jiang Li raised his eyes, aloof and proud, exuding an air of cold nobility. He didn’t spare Xu Anan so much as a glance, simply turning away to stand at the front. The chill he radiated kept everyone at a distance.

The elevator felt even more crowded. Xu Anan, her nose nearly brushing Jiang Li’s back, with two people behind her, felt like the filling in a sandwich.

She tried to edge to the right—she had no wish to be Jiang Yu’s shield—but just then, the elevator jerked violently. The lights flickered, and Ning Xiyue let out a terrified scream, flinging herself straight at Jiang Li!