He Yining inexplicably thought of her earlier that day, lying languidly on the soft couch, sleeping soundly. He recalled the sensation of reaching out to wrap his arm around her slender waist, and the soft touch when he stroked her head...
This woman, clearly not that outstanding, had somehow left an impression in his mind. If, at first, he had taken a second look at her because she coincidentally had a flame-shaped birthmark on her collarbone, now he was used to keeping her by his side because she was different from other women. She didn't constantly try to flatter or fawn over him, nor did she give him that nauseating look of admiration and possessiveness.
She was like a gust of wind—light, carefree, and natural. When he needed her, she worked with intense focus, as if injected with adrenaline. When he didn't, she would quietly disappear into a corner where she couldn't be found. Being with her came with no burden at all. On the contrary, it was refreshing and soothing.
What a pity! If the woman he married were her, perhaps he wouldn't mind having a child with her...
Early the next morning, Shen Qi returned to the villa for a quick visit. She knew there were people watching her here, so no matter how busy she was, she had to show up from time to time. She packed up the leftover food from the fridge again, trying not to waste anything if she could help it.
Before Shen Qi could reach the building's entrance, a man rushed out from inside and bumped into her, scattering the items in her arms onto the ground.
"Ah, sorry! Are you okay?" The man immediately apologized upon seeing he had collided with Shen Qi, crouching down to help pick up the scattered items.
"I'm fine," Shen Qi said, also crouching to gather her things.
Suddenly, both of them grabbed the same book. The man exclaimed in surprise, "Hey? An English version of a 007 novel? You like 007? What a coincidence, I love it too!"
Shen Qi pulled the book back and nodded politely with a smile. She finally got a good look at him—a man of average height but pleasant features, around twenty-four or twenty-five, not much older than her.
"Do you live in this building?" The man's gaze lingered on Shen Qi's face, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"Yes. Thanks," Shen Qi replied, nodding at him before turning and walking away with her things.
Once Shen Qi was gone, the man immediately dialed a number. "Miss Feng, I've seen that woman. Don't worry, I'll make sure she falls for me! Yes, yes, rest assured."
After hanging up, the man stared at Shen Qi's retreating figure with a meaningful smile.
Back home, Shen Qi found that Shen Lu had already gone with Wei Wei to see the doctor. She rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. Then she planned to go out and buy some ingredients to cook a proper meal for her brother today.
As she stepped out of the elevator and before she reached the entrance, she ran into the man who had bumped into her earlier. Shen Qi merely nodded at him without intending to speak.
But he spoke first. "Going out? What a coincidence!"
"Yeah," Shen Qi replied.
"Ah, where are you headed? I can give you a ride?" Noticing Shen Qi's wary expression, he quickly added, "Oh, don't misunderstand. I just wanted to apologize for bumping into you earlier. Here's my ID and driver's license—I'm not a bad guy."
Seeing him actually pull out his ID and license, Shen Qi felt she might have been overthinking things. She smiled apologetically and said, "It's fine, I'm okay. You don't need to worry about it."
"Actually, I live in this building too. We're neighbors, and I don't want any misunderstandings between us." The man rubbed his hands together. "My name is Yu Bao. I'm twenty-five, and I work as a financial planner."
Shen Qi's expression softened. "I'm Shen Qi, a stylist."
"Ah, nice to meet you. We're neighbors now—hope you'll look out for me." Yu Bao gave Shen Qi a bright smile.
"You're too kind." Not wanting to waste more time, Shen Qi nodded and walked past him.
Watching her leave, Yu Bao rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "Pretty sharp, this little girl. But no matter, I've seen all kinds of women. Once I step in, there's no one I can't win over!"
Since moving into this building, Shen Qi had only exchanged brief nods with her neighbors, rarely engaging in conversation. This new neighbor felt a bit off to her—almost too enthusiastic. She decided it was best to keep her distance.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Just as Shen Qi returned home with her groceries and before she could change and start cooking, the power went out! Frustrated, she called the property management, who told her there was an issue with her electricity bill, so they had cut her power temporarily until they could investigate and restore the line. Left with no choice, Shen Qi decided to eat out.
As she stepped out, the door next to hers opened. Yu Bao poked his head out, feigning surprise. "Hey, you live on this floor too? What a coincidence!"
"Yeah," Shen Qi replied.
"Where are you off to? I heard the whole building's power is out due to some line issue. I was just wondering where to grab a bite—I don't know the area well." Yu Bao looked embarrassed. "I just moved to H City recently, and I'm totally unfamiliar with the roads here."
Shen Qi pointed to the adjacent building. "There are plenty of restaurants over there. If your budget allows, you could eat there for a whole month without issue."
"Really? Thanks so much! Are you heading out to eat too? Since it's such a coincidence, how about I treat you?" Yu Bao offered enthusiastically.
"No need, thanks," Shen Qi politely declined.
Yu Bao's face fell into a look of dejection. "I know, it's my fault. I'm annoying, always too eager and rubbing people the wrong way. I just wanted to build a good neighborly relationship, but I messed up again... It's always like this. I mean well but end up doing harm..."
Shen Qi took a deep breath. This neighbor sure talked a lot! Seeing Yu Bao so ashamed he seemed ready to doubt his own existence, Shen Qi felt a headache coming on and reluctantly said, "Alright, alright, I take it back. But let me treat you instead. You're new to H City, and it's pretty expensive here. Since you're unfamiliar, don't waste your money."
"Really? You're too kind! Thank you for treating me!" Yu Bao seized the opportunity, quickly closing his door and cheerfully standing beside Shen Qi, ready to go.
Shen Qi was at a loss for words. So he'd been all dressed and ready from the start. Oh well, since she'd agreed to treat him, she might as well go along with it. Consider it maintaining neighborly relations.