That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 49

You don’t have to apologize, it was just my own one-sided wishful thinking.¹

Sun Wenya was pregnant?!

That news was truly shocking.

Yuan Yue clearly remembered Sun Wenya coming to the shop for some materials just two days ago. At the time, Sun Wenya’s attitude toward her had been unusually calm, and she had insisted that she would never bother her again. Thinking about it now, could it be that Sun Wenya knew she was pregnant and had decided to live a quiet and proper life with Xu Kai?

Whatever the reason, Yuan Yue was still happy for her upon hearing such shocking news. She couldn’t help but say to Xu Kai, “Congratulations, congratulations.”

Xu Kai thanked her politely, the joy of an expectant father radiating from his face.

“Congratulations for what?” Xu Ming had been busy exchanging pleasantries with Yuan Xi and couldn’t help his curiosity when he saw the two of them whispering as soon as they met.

Yuan Yue didn’t want to continue the topic. Since Xu Ming had interrupted, she took the opportunity to say, “Congratulations on your promotion!”

Xu Ming actually looked a little embarrassed, his eyes glinting behind his lenses. “Let’s find a place to sit first.”

Yuan Yue wasn’t really a fan of seafood, but not wanting to spoil everyone’s mood, she had to pretend to be engrossed in her food. She picked up a lobster leg and began to peel it with clumsy movements. At that moment, she suddenly thought of how good Yu Xi was to her.

In the past, whenever they ate shrimp, Yu Xi would always peel them for her first, dip them in sauce, and bring them to her lips. All she had to do was open her mouth to enjoy the delicious food. Now that Yu Xi wasn’t here, she had to do it herself and was only just realizing that peeling shrimp took some real skill.

As Yuan Yue wrestled with the lobster leg, she listened absently to the men chatting at the table. A hand suddenly reached out from the side, and a voice said, “I’ve peeled this one. For you.”

Yuan Yue shot her head up and saw Xu Ming, who was sitting opposite her, wearing gloves and holding out a piece of shelled lobster meat.

Yuan Yue froze. She didn’t reach out to take it, saying awkwardly, “You can have it. I just want to practice.”

Being rejected so directly, a flash of embarrassment crossed Xu Ming’s face. His outstretched hand froze in mid-air, unable to retract.

Yuan Xi had been deep in business talk with Xu Kai, but he suddenly noticed that something was off over here. He quickly picked up his chopsticks, snatched the lobster meat from Xu Ming’s hand, and said cheerfully, “If you two aren’t eating it, I will.”

The next second, the delicious food was in his mouth. Yuan Xi chewed it carefully, and after swallowing, he didn’t forget to comment, “Not bad. Hey, Xu Ming, if you’ve got nothing better to do, peel a crab leg for me next.”

Yuan Xi’s move was fast and precise. Xu Ming paused for a second before the situation dawned on him, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “If you want to eat, do it yourself. I can’t be bothered with you.”

Although Yuan Xi’s actions had been abrupt, they had successfully defused the awkwardness.

Yuan Yue pretended that nothing had happened and continued to peel her shrimp.

Having been given the cold shoulder, Xu Ming naturally didn’t dare to make another move.

The seafood feast was quite satisfying. Yuan Xi and Xu Kai were both businessmen, and the two hit it off immediately, chatting to their heart’s content. Because it was seafood, no one drank much. When they walked out after the meal, Xu Kai slung an arm over Yuan Xi’s shoulder, insisting they continue their chat in his car.

Sensing trouble, Yuan Yue squeezed between the two of them. “No way. My Gege² still has to be my driver.”

Xu Kai, his face alight with excitement, pointed to the silent Xu Ming standing nearby. “I’ll lend you my older brother to be your driver for today.”

What Yuan Yue had been worried about had happened. She had come out to stop them precisely because she didn’t want to be alone with Xu Ming, but she never expected Xu Kai to be so unhelpful.

Yuan Yue desperately tried to give a meaningful look to Yuan Xi, hoping he would save the situation. But Yuan Xi acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. His eyes were only on Xu Kai as he slung an arm around his shoulder and got into the car.

Yuan Yue cursed Yuan Xi a hundred times in her heart, but there was nothing she could do.

Xu Ming quietly approached her side and said softly, “Let me take you.”

Yuan Yue felt it would be too obvious to show her aversion right in front of him, so in the end, she had no choice but to get into Xu Ming’s car.

Xu Ming very gentlemanly opened the front passenger seat door for her. Yuan Yue hesitated slightly, suddenly remembering the promise she had made to Zhuang Xiaochen. She had said she wouldn’t have any more contact with Xu Ming. Wouldn’t sitting next to him be a bit too intimate?

Yuan Yue knew she was being overly dramatic, but she couldn’t convince herself otherwise. She said sheepishly, “I’d rather sit in the back. I get carsick easily in the front.”

The excuse was terrible. Feeling mortified,³ Yuan Yue quickly lowered her head, opened the rear door, and slipped inside.

After being rebuffed twice in a row, Xu Ming finally realized that Yuan Yue was deliberately trying to distance herself from him. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly as he gently closed the car door.

After the car started, Xu Ming asked her perfunctorily, “Am I taking you straight home, or?”

Yuan Yue hadn’t seen Yu Xi for half the day and really missed her. She thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go to the shop. It’s on the same street as that coffee shop from last time. You should remember the way, right?”

Xu Ming didn’t have that good of a memory. He smiled and said, “It’s okay if I don’t remember. I can use the navigation.”

At that, Yuan Yue said no more and sat back in silence. She opened WeChat and sent a message to Yu Xi. After waiting a few seconds without a reply, she figured she was probably busy.

Just as Yuan Yue was about to put her phone away, she suddenly heard the person in front say, “I was going to call you last night, but I was afraid I’d disturb you, so I had to ask your brother to pass on the message.”

He was probably talking about the invitation to dinner today.

Yuan Yue really had no common topics with Xu Ming. She knew he was just making small talk,⁴ but she couldn’t immediately think of a reply.

Seeing her silence, Xu Ming continued on his own, “Miss Yuan, do you hate me?”

Yuan Yue was startled and reacted extremely quickly this time. “No, of course not. I don’t hate you at all.”

Xu Ming took a moment to glance at her in the rearview mirror. Seeing her evasive eyes, he felt a wave of defeat, and his tone was tinged with disappointment. “But I feel like you’re always deliberately avoiding me.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. Yuan Yue was indeed deliberately avoiding him. Because she knew it was impossible, she didn’t want to give him any hope.

When Yuan Yue had agreed to meet Xu Ming last time, she was indeed harboring ulterior motives, only thinking of getting it over with. She had assumed they would have no more contact after he went back, but who would have thought that Xu Ming would be promoted to a job in the city and suddenly invite her to dinner?

Judging from Xu Ming’s behavior toward her at the dinner table, Yuan Yue couldn’t help flattering herself with the thought that he might have other ideas about her, which was why she had rejected him twice.

Yuan Yue had originally thought that coming to the dinner with Yuan Xi was a safe bet. After all, Yuan Xi already knew she was with Yu Xi, and she had been counting on him to help her. But the moment they stepped out of the restaurant, Yuan Xi had heartlessly abandoned her.

As Yuan Yue was lost in thought, Xu Ming saw that she had gone silent again and assumed she was tacitly agreeing. He sighed and said with a touch of emotion, “The first thing I wanted to do when I came to the city was see you. But since I’ll be working here from now on, I think we’ll have plenty of chances to meet.”

Xu Ming was actually glad she was sitting in the back; otherwise, he definitely wouldn’t have had the courage to say all that.

Yuan Yue snapped back to reality. She hadn’t expected Xu Ming to be so persistent. She was secretly alarmed, and her nervousness made her stutter. “Um… Xu-Xu Ming, let me be honest with you. I don’t have any feelings for you at all. I already have someone I like!”

It took Xu Ming a long moment to process the meaning of her words. He slammed on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road. He whipped his head around to look at her and asked uncertainly, “You’re not lying to me?”

Yuan Yue hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. His intense gaze made her flustered, and she turned her head away. “Why would I lie to you? I have someone I like, and I’m with her now. My Gege knows about it, too. You can ask him if you don’t believe me.”

To make her story more convincing, Yuan Yue brought up Yuan Xi.

Xu Ming didn’t respond for a long time after her confession. His thoughts drifted far away, back to the words Zhuang Xiaochen had said to him in the parking lot. Zhuang Xiaochen had warned him then that Yuan Yue already had someone she liked, but he had been blinded by resentment at the time and thought she was just playing tricks on him.

Seeing his dejected expression, Yuan Yue felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

Xu Ming pulled his wandering thoughts back to the present and gave a sad smile. “You don’t have to apologize, it was just my own one-sided wishful thinking.”

Yuan Yue had been open and honest with Xu Ming about her feelings. Although he didn’t hold her previous concealment against her, she still felt as if she owed him something.

They didn’t speak again for the rest of the trip. The uncomfortable atmosphere was only relieved when Xu Ming dropped her off at her destination.

Xu Kai and Yuan Xi had arrived earlier and were waiting out front. Seeing Xu Ming get out of the car, Yuan Xi extended an invitation. “Since you’re all here, how about I treat everyone to some tea inside?”

Xu Kai was naturally happy to agree.

Xu Ming had heard long ago that Yuan Xi had opened a hotpot restaurant in the city. Since he had made the trip today, he was also a little curious. He glanced in Yuan Yue’s direction but found that she wasn’t looking at him; she had already walked inside by herself.

Yuan Yue didn’t want to stand out in the sun. The moment she stepped into the shop, she saw a woman by the counter chatting with Xiao Min.

Yuan Yue found the woman’s back a bit familiar, but before she could place her, her attention was drawn to the woman’s strange posture.

Yuan Yue watched as the woman awkwardly supported her body with only one leg. She recognized who it was almost instantly, walked over, and said, “Is your foot still not better?”

Zhuang Xiaochen was looking down, studying the new menu. She looked up and saw Yuan Yue’s concerned face. “Miss Yuan, hello,” she said, delighted.

“Your leg…” Yuan Yue knew it was impolite, but she couldn’t help asking again.

Zhuang Xiaochen smiled faintly and downplayed it by saying, “I can still walk on one foot. It’s nothing serious. Thank you for your concern, Miss Yuan.”

She never thought this Zhuang Xiaochen could be so tough, running around everywhere with her foot injured like this. Seeing her extremely odd posture, Yuan Yue felt soft-hearted for a moment and said, “Let me help you over to a seat.”

It was rare for Zhuang Xiaochen to see her being so kind. She didn’t refuse the offer and let Yuan Yue help her to a chair. Just as she was about to sit down, three large men walked in through the door.

Although Yuan Xi was the tallest of the three, Zhuang Xiaochen’s eyes immediately fell on the man at the very back. She struggled to support herself and unconsciously cried out, “Xu Ming…”

Xu Ming looked over at the sound of his name. When he saw it was Zhuang Xiaochen, his expression changed, and he suddenly turned to leave.

Seeing this, Zhuang Xiaochen scrambled to chase after him, but in her haste, she knocked over a chair. The chair fell heavily onto her injured ankle. She let out a pained scream, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

“Xu Ming!” Zhuang Xiaochen shouted herself hoarse, fighting through the pain.

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The author has something to say:

This story is almost finished, what do you all think?

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