Chapter 26: Ordinary Neighbors

After saying that, Wen Jiu fell silent, not wanting to continue the conversation.

As soon as Xu Xinying sat down, she kept steering the topic toward Gu Zehuai. Anyone with eyes could see her intentions.

Lin Youqi originally planned to do something to help Gu Zehuai and Wen Jiu get closer, but with Xu Xinying present, he had no choice but to give up.

Xu Xinying brought up their childhood the most.

“Ah Huai, do you remember when we were in middle school? Back then, Pei Yi was so timid she’d scream at the sight of a little bug.”

Pei Yi couldn’t help but interject, “Hey, we’re just chatting, why are you exposing my secrets?”

But almost immediately, realizing something, Pei Yi glanced at Gu Zehuai and fell silent.

Hearing Xu Xinying’s words, Lin Lehan rolled her eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling.

Looking for things to say when there’s nothing.

After a few more remarks from Xu Xinying, both Gu Zehuai and Lin Youqi remained indifferent, and even Shen Mengxia, who was usually out of the loop, sensed the awkwardness.

Unable to join in Xu Xinying’s conversation, Wen Jiu and Shen Mengxia sat to the side, drinking and chatting.

The two of them discussed finding an excuse to leave early, or else the situation would just get more uncomfortable.

As they debated what excuse to use, Gu Zehuai stood up first and said, “I’m heading out.” He then looked at Wen Jiu and asked, “Do you want to go? I’ll give you a ride.”

Wen Jiu nodded, pulled Shen Mengxia to her feet, and after saying goodbye to the remaining group, followed Gu Zehuai out.

Gu Zehuai felt that if he stayed any longer, he’d be sick to his stomach.

If not for Wen Jiu and Shen Mengxia—he didn’t want to make them uneasy—he would have left the moment Xu Xinying entered the private room.

With four people left in the room, Lin Lehan soon called a friend and went downstairs to drink.

And Xu Xinying, thoroughly ignored by the two remaining, found a random excuse and left.

Pei Yi and Lin Youqi quickly parted ways and went home.

At the entrance of the bar, Gu Zehuai asked the two, “Are you heading home now? I can give you a ride.”

Then, something occurred to him, and he apologized to Wen Jiu: “Sorry for bringing you here and letting you have such an unpleasant experience. I didn’t think it through.”

Wen Jiu shook her head, signaling it was fine, then turned to Shen Mengxia, “Xiaxia, do you want to go out for a bit more, or head home?”

Shen Mengxia could already tell something was different between the two and was eager to question Wen Jiu, so she quickly said she’d go home with her.

“Jiujiu, let’s hang out at your place! I haven’t been there since you moved. It’s still early—we can chat.”

Gu Zehuai nodded, “Wait here a moment, I’ll get the car.”

Once he left, Shen Mengxia couldn’t hold back and immediately asked about Wen Jiu’s relationship with him.

When Wen Jiu said they were just neighbors, Shen Mengxia grinned foolishly, already picturing scenes from a novel.

Wen Jiu knew exactly what was running through her mind—reading too many novels made her imagination run wild.

Noticing a car approach, Shen Mengxia guessed it was Gu Zehuai’s and quickly whispered to Wen Jiu, “Tell me everything when we get back.”

Wen Jiu nodded helplessly.

Soon, Gu Zehuai’s car stopped in front of them. The two got in the back seat together, whispering secrets along the way.

The car soon reached the underground garage of the apartment complex, and the three went up in the elevator together.

In the cramped elevator, Shen Mengxia could tangibly feel the pressure radiating from Gu Zehuai.

They had played games together, and Gu Zehuai seemed friendly enough, yet he still felt hard to approach.

Shen Mengxia stood in the corner, pulling Wen Jiu close, while Gu Zehuai stood on Wen Jiu’s other side.

The height difference between the two made Shen Mengxia internally squeal with delight.

After getting out, Wen Jiu thanked Gu Zehuai and said goodbye.

“Thank you for the ride. Next time, dinner’s on me.”

Gu Zehuai smiled, “It was on the way, no trouble at all. I’ll look forward to that dinner, then.”

Wen Jiu smiled and nodded, taking Shen Mengxia’s hand as they entered the apartment.

As soon as the door closed, Shen Mengxia put on a stern face and said, “Come on, confess everything and maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

Wen Jiu mumbled a small defense, “It’s just as you saw—ordinary neighbors, just friends.”

Shen Mengxia grinned, “Don’t I know you, Jiujiu? If a guy didn’t interest you, you wouldn’t even say hello, let alone act like this. Jiujiu, I’ve seen right through you, so just admit it.”

Wen Jiu stopped pretending and shared her true feelings, “Actually, I do feel something for Gu Zehuai, but I don’t know if it counts as liking him. We haven’t known each other long. At first, I only noticed him because of his looks, but as we spent time together, I realized it wasn’t just his appearance that drew me in—he’s got something inside too.”