That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 1

Ex-girlfriend gets married; The bride isn’t her.

Scorching summer.

A hot beauty walked out of a Sichuan-style hot pot restaurant called “Joyful Reunion.” A sassy, sexy little white camisole cinched her slim waist, and denim hot pants short enough to reveal the tops of her thighs showed off two long, slender, pale legs. Her delicate features were tastefully outlined with light makeup. This was Yuan Yue¹, the younger sister of the restaurant’s owner.

The midday sun was at its most vicious, and Yuan Yue had the kind of constitution that couldn’t stand the heat. Though she was dressed lightly, the moment the sun baked her exposed skin, she hissed in pain. For a split second, she wanted to retreat back into the air-conditioned restaurant, but she thought better of it and held back.

To have to go out in this heat… it was practically murder.

Exhaling a hot breath, Yuan Yue shielded her face with a hand to keep her makeup from melting and hurried toward the parking spot where a brand-new, gleaming black, domestically produced Volkswagen was parked.

She opened the door, got in, and was about to buckle her seatbelt when she looked up and her gaze froze. Her makeup had a flaw—faint dark circles that ruined the aesthetic. Yuan Yue frowned and rummaged through her purse for her makeup kit.

After a satisfying touch-up, she looked at the flawless little face in the mirror, her captivating eyes shining brightly from beneath the makeup. Yuan Yue squeezed out a smile of satisfaction, shoved everything back into her bag in one go, took a deep breath, and started the car.

The traffic wasn’t too bad at this hour, but Yuan Yue didn’t feel like driving fast, letting the car crawl along lazily. As the cool air gradually filled the car’s interior, her restless heart began to calm down.

Half an hour later, Yuan Yue pulled over to the side of the road. Her gaze passed through the front windshield to a luxury hotel not far away, her eyes filled with indecision.

After soaking in the cool air a bit longer, Yuan Yue turned to rummage through the handbag on the passenger seat. From a chaotic pile of things, she fished out a gold-foil wedding invitation. She opened it, and the jarring words leaped into view. She took a ragged breath.

It was a wedding invitation. The bride and groom were Sun Wenya² and Xu Kai³. The former was her ex-girlfriend; the latter had nothing to do with her at all.

Apparently, Sun Wenya had delivered this invitation to the restaurant in person. The staff had described her as dressed like a flower branch showing off⁴, with exquisite makeup, a rosy complexion, and glowing with vigor, her face radiating the joy of a bride-to-be. Unfortunately, Yuan Yue hadn’t been there at the time—and it was a good thing she hadn’t been. Sun Wenya hadn’t been willing to wait, and so they had ultimately missed the chance to meet.

How long had it been since they’d last seen each other? Yuan Yue couldn’t remember anymore.

Her fingers, adorned with a meticulous manicure, pinched the gold-foil invitation. Yuan Yue scoffed. After all these years, it was a rare thing for Sun Wenya to still remember her.

When she first received the invitation, Yuan Yue had thought she would be sad, that she would grieve, but she hadn’t. If she had to describe any emotional fluctuation, it was probably numbness. Looking at the invitation again now, she suddenly found it a bit ironic.

Sun Wenya was getting married. Of course, the person she was marrying couldn’t be her; the country’s current laws didn’t allow it. But for her to marry a man—that was something that surprised Yuan Yue a little.

Why would a lala⁵ marry a man? Had she changed her orientation and fallen for men, or did she have reasons she couldn’t speak of?

Whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with her anymore. I’m just here to attend this absurd wedding as an old classmate and old friend, Yuan Yue comforted herself.

Closing the invitation, Yuan Yue started the car again and drove up to the hotel entrance. Following a valet’s directions, she found a spot and parked.

After changing into a pair of beautiful high heels she had specially prepared, Yuan Yue got out of the car, passed through the festive hotel entrance, and went directly up to the second-floor banquet hall.

She saw a familiar figure at the registration desk at the hall’s entrance. Yuan Yue discreetly steadied her breathing, and on her stiletto heels, swaying her slim, water snake⁶ waist, she walked over with a casual air to greet the person. “Hey, Wenjing.”

The girl called Wenjing looked to be in her early twenties. She was petite with a sweet face and was wearing a strapless white tulle dress. When she turned and saw Yuan Yue, she froze for a few seconds before crying out in surprise, “Yueyue-jiejie⁷! You’re finally here!”

Sun Wenjing⁸ was Sun Wenya’s younger paternal cousin.

Seeing the now graceful and elegant Sun Wenjing, Yuan Yue couldn’t help but marvel that truly, a girl changes eighteen times by the time she’s grown⁹. She handed over a red envelope¹⁰, her face fixed in a smile she had practiced for a long time. “How could I not come after getting the invitation?” Her eyes flickered to Sun Wenjing’s corsage. “Are you a bridesmaid?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sun Wenjing said, unable to hide her excitement. She grabbed Yuan Yue’s hand, then belatedly noticed that her outfit was a bit different from everyone else’s. A camisole and shorts—wasn’t that a little too casual? No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like proper wedding attire.

But her suspicion lasted only a second before she said happily, “It’s so great that you could come! Yueyue-jiejie, please, head inside first. I’ll go tell my sister you’re here right now!”

Yuan Yue’s expression shifted slightly. She grabbed Sun Wenjing’s arm in return, her smile unwavering. “No need, Wenjing. I just came to drop off a red envelope, and then I’m leaving.”

“You’re leaving now? So soon? But the wedding hasn’t even started, and my sister hasn’t even seen you yet,” Sun Wenjing said, completely taken aback.

Yuan Yue had no intention of explaining. She tossed out a perfunctory “I have something else to do,” let go of Sun Wenjing, and left without a backward glance.

“Hey, Yueyue-jiejie, wait!”

Ignoring Sun Wenjing’s calls from behind her, Yuan Yue clattered down the stairs on her ten-centimeter heels. She had come and gone in a rush, with no thought for whether she looked chic or not.

She burst out of the hotel in one breath. The car’s interior hadn’t completely lost its cool air yet. Yuan Yue sat down inside and let out a long sigh. Replaying her actions just now, she thought maybe she’d been a bit petty. But if she had seen Sun Wenya in a wedding dress, she was afraid she wouldn’t have been able to handle it, that it would bring back all sorts of memories. It was better to leave before things got out of control.

She invited me, so I came. The gift money was delivered, and on the back of the red envelope, she had clearly written her blessings for her. That was enough. It wasn’t that she couldn’t let go; she just felt there was no need to see each other again.

Once her emotions had settled a bit, Yuan Yue fastened her seatbelt, inserted the key, and prepared to start the car when she suddenly heard a voice calling her. “Yuan Yue!”

The voice pierced through the glass, so familiar, yet so strange.

Yuan Yue’s heart skipped a beat. She followed the sound and looked out to see Sun Wenya, holding up her cumbersome wedding dress, running toward her car. Her white figure was as pure and moving as an angel’s, something to be admired only from a distance.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. Yuan Yue didn’t dare linger for another moment and quickly started the car.

In her haste, she forgot to even change her shoes. Yuan Yue crashed into the flower planter in front of the hotel. The planter was fine, but the car was probably scratched. She couldn’t worry about that now. Using every ounce of driving skill she possessed, she straightened out the car and slammed on the gas.

Sun Wenya’s voice gradually faded. Yuan Yue forced herself to look straight ahead, not to glance at the rearview mirror at the sad, disappointed figure shrinking in the distance. She clenched her jaw, her eyes glued to the road ahead, thinking only of escaping as fast as she could.

She didn’t dare stop until she was a long way off. Yuan Yue caught her breath and got out to check the damage. When she saw an unsightly scratch on the front of the car, she couldn’t help but curse under her breath.

Looks like I’ll have to check the almanac¹¹ before going out from now on. What an unlucky day!

This car was a new car Yuan Yue had bought with her own hard-earned money. She never expected it to have a problem on its first day out. The scratch wasn’t very obvious, but it was still upsetting to look at. She had no choice but to drive the car to a 4S dealership¹² for repairs.

The dealership where she’d bought the car was quite far from the city center. When Yuan Yue arrived and consulted with the staff, they told her she could go through insurance and wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket. Only then did she feel a little better.

They told her to come pick up the car tomorrow. Yuan Yue said thanks and left.

The ground was covered in yellow mud. Yuan Yue wobbled precariously on her high heels, nearly twisting her ankle several times. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, she waited by the roadside for over ten minutes without seeing a single taxi. Then she remembered the news report saying this section of road was currently under repair and was closed off up ahead. No wonder she hadn’t seen any other cars on her way here.

The nearest subway station was also a kilometer away. If she walked there in these heels, her legs would probably be shot tomorrow.

The sun overhead was unbearable. Yuan Yue was covered in a sheen of sweat. At the end of her rope, she decided to head back to the 4S dealership to find a glass of water and figure something out.

As she was walking back, a silver BMW passed by her. The window rolled down, revealing a fat-headed, big-eared¹³ middle-aged man inside. He smiled at her and said, “Miss, need a ride?”

He probably saw her predicament and stopped to offer help. A flicker of joy went through Yuan Yue’s heart. But when she noticed the man’s gaze brazenly raking over her from head to toe, finally landing with a lecherous fixation on her long, pale legs, a feeling of disgust rose up in her. Her face turned cold. “No, thanks.”

After sending the creep away, Yuan Yue continued walking back toward the dealership. Another silver BMW drove out.

Yuan Yue was afraid it was another creep, but the car itself drew her gaze.

This new BMW model was a hot seller recently, worth several hundred thousand. Yuan Yue had had her eye on it too, but she was short on cash and couldn’t bring herself to buy it. She hadn’t bought one, but her big brother Yuan Xi¹⁴ had bought an identical one.

It would be a real shame if such a nice car was paired with a creep. Yuan Yue subconsciously wanted to verify, her gaze shifting from the car’s body to its interior.

She didn’t see any fat-headed, big-eared creep. Instead, she saw a beautiful woman who was a sight for sore eyes.

Beautiful women were so much easier on the eyes. It was just that she was a bit far away and couldn’t see clearly. Yuan Yue fanned herself with one hand and squinted as she approached the car.

The road was uneven, and the beauty was driving extremely slowly. As the car was about to reach her, Yuan Yue calmly walked over and bent down to knock on the window.

The car seemed to hesitate for a moment before the window slowly rolled down, revealing the beauty’s true face.

Yuan Yue gasped internally.

Even though she was used to seeing many beautiful women, this car owner’s appearance still left Yuan Yue deeply shaken. The woman had a pair of impossibly beautiful eyes that, when they looked at you, were like a deep, bottomless sea. She looked like she might be of mixed-race heritage. She didn’t seem to be wearing much makeup, yet her sculpted features were sharp and exquisite. Her skin was so good you couldn’t see a single pore even at this close distance. She had a high-bridged nose, and her lightly pressed, thin lips were a pale color, their shape incredibly sexy.

Her eyes shifted. The beauty’s face was expressionless as she glanced coolly at the seemingly dumbstruck Yuan Yue outside her window. She parted her lips and asked, “Can I help you?”

Her cool, textured voice was like a clear spring, injecting a trace of refreshment into the sweltering heat. It had an indescribably unique charm that was particularly captivating.

It was one thing to be beautiful, but for her voice to be so pleasant too…

Yuan Yue was stunned for a few seconds before realizing the beauty was talking to her. She quickly wiped the lovestruck expression off her face and said with a beaming smile, “Hello. I’m so sorry to bother you, but the road ahead is under construction, and my car broke down and is still being repaired. I’ve been waiting for ages but can’t get a taxi. Could I trouble you to give me a ride to the nearest subway station? If it’s convenient.”

Being hit on by the side of the road was a common occurrence for Yu Xi¹⁵. Normally, she would refuse directly, but the person in front of her was a pretty little thing who was easy on the eyes. She suddenly hesitated. Her deep, captivating, sea-like eyes swept over, quietly sizing up Yuan Yue.

The way she looked at people was very direct, so direct it left you nowhere to hide, but it wasn’t lecherous at all. Instead, it seemed to carry a sort of quiet inquiry.

Yuan Yue straightened her back and calmly accepted the scrutiny. For the first few seconds, she was composed, but as time went on, her face couldn’t help but grow warm. It couldn’t be helped; she’d always been gay. Being stared at so nakedly by such a great beauty in broad daylight… any normal lāzi¹⁶ would crumble.

“Ahem—” Yuan Yue cleared her throat, a little unnaturally.

Yu Xi stopped her assessment, her gaze returning to Yuan Yue’s face. After a few seconds of fixation, she suddenly asked, “That guy’s car just now, why didn’t you take it?”

Huh? Yuan Yue didn’t understand why she was asking that. She thought for a moment, then blinked at her and said, “Because I like beautiful women!”

“Like beautiful women?” Yu Xi repeated her words, the tip of her tongue flicking lightly as if savoring the meaning behind the phrase.

Who doesn’t like sweet talk? To catch a ride, Yuan Yue didn’t hesitate to lay on the flattery. She genuinely thought the driver was beautiful—a beauty whose temperament and looks were both so superior and unique that she had never seen the like. Besides, she liked women herself and was a total face-con¹⁷, so she was just speaking the honest truth.

Yuan Yue had to bend over to meet Yu Xi’s eyes from inside the car. Maintaining this posture while wearing high heels on uneven, muddy ground was torture. The muscles in her calves were pulled taut, but she kept a smile on her face the entire time. She felt that no one could refuse her sweet smile.

A hint of interest appeared in Yu Xi’s calm, placid eyes. She looked Yuan Yue over again, the corner of her mouth lifting in a slight curve. She relented, “Get in.”

“Thank you, thank you!” Yuan Yue eagerly hurried around to the other side, opened the door, got in, and dutifully fastened her seatbelt.

Yu Xi started the car.

There was a strong smell of leather in the car, mixed with a faint, elusive fragrance that was very pleasant. Yuan Yue rarely wore perfume, so she guessed the scent was coming from Yu Xi. She turned her head to look at her and was more and more amazed the longer she looked. How could someone be so beautiful without makeup?

It was too quiet in the car. Since she was bumming a ride, Yuan Yue felt she should say something. She searched for a topic. “Is this car new, too?”

Because of the poor road conditions, Yu Xi was focusing most of her energy on driving. She kept her eyes on the road ahead and gave a faint “Mm.”

“It smells so good. What perfume do you use?”

“I don’t. It came with the car.”

“Oh.”

Noticing the car fragrance bottle on the dashboard, Yuan Yue sheepishly shut her mouth.

The beauty was beautiful, alright, but she seemed a bit cool and aloof…

Seeing that Yu Xi was cold and uninterested in conversation, Yuan Yue decided not to ask for a snub and lowered her head to fiddle with her phone.

Once the car got onto the main road, the speed picked up. Yu Xi silently drove her to the subway entrance. Before getting out, Yuan Yue thanked her again solemnly. Yu Xi looked indifferent, her tone light. “You’re welcome.”

The subway ride home was quick. Unable to stand the heat, Yuan Yue bought a bottle of ice water from a small newsstand on the roadside and drank it as she walked. She took out her phone and called Yuan Xi. “Ge, I’m a little dizzy. I’m not coming to the shop this afternoon.”

Yuan Xi asked worriedly, “Did you drink too much?”

“What drinking?” Yuan Yue asked, confused.

Yuan Xi: “Didn’t you go to a friend’s wedding today? I thought you were dizzy from drinking too much.”

Yuan Xi didn’t know she had just gone to drop off a red envelope and left. Yuan Yue said with some irritation, “I didn’t drink. It’s just too hot, and I don’t feel well, so I don’t want to go in. Okay, that’s all, bye-bye.”

She hung up first.

Yuan Yue knew Yuan Xi was just concerned about her, but she grew impatient the moment she heard the word “wedding.” Hot and stuffy, her temper was inevitably a bit foul.

The sun was fierce. Yuan Yue couldn’t help but quicken her pace as she walked into her residential complex. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her. She stopped and turned to see a familiar silver BMW.

And inside, the ice-cold beauty, Yu Xi.

Wasn’t this the person who had just dropped her off at the subway?

Could it be that she lived in this complex too?

It’s fate!

Yuan Yue was both surprised and delighted. She raised a hand to wave at Yu Xi, but just as her hand went up, she saw the BMW turn, whoosh past her, and disappear in an instant into the entrance of the underground parking garage.

Uh… looks like the beauty didn’t notice her.

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