Rong Jiqiao’s body stiffened.
Hearing Duan Yan speak in such a calm tone about something like that made her entire face burn red.
Him… him… him…
It wasn’t as if she and Duan Yan had never done that sort of thing before.
He had always had plenty of energy in that regard.
And counting her previous life, they had been separated for far too long.
If Duan Yan really wanted it, she honestly might not be able to get into the mood right away.
Because the clearest memory in her mind was still that cold, mocking expression on his face after he had learned the truth.
Fortunately…
Duan Yan didn’t seem to have that intention.
“The environment outside in places like urban villages is basically all the same,” he said in a low, slightly hoarse voice. “The ones with better renovations are usually formaldehyde houses.”
Rong Jiqiao blinked in confusion.
“Don’t settle,” Duan Yan continued, loosening his grip and letting her sit up. “Since you already told the landlord we’re not renewing the lease, then next month we’ll look for a better place.”
Rong Jiqiao straightened up and looked at him.
“A better place means higher rent.”
“It’s fine. We won’t share anymore,” Duan Yan said casually. “We’ll rent a one-bedroom apartment. The two of us can live there.”
She hesitated. “But…”
“I’ll be able to afford it,” he interrupted calmly. “Don’t overthink it. I’m going to wash up.”
Rong Jiqiao frowned slightly, still struggling internally.
She really couldn’t accept living in an urban village.
If she also found a job, then sharing rent shouldn’t be a problem.
Anyway, it would only be a few months. Once Duan Yan returned to the Duan family, she would go back to her hometown.
With that thought, she nodded reluctantly.
Her face looked like she had swallowed something bitter.
Fine… she really couldn’t endure that kind of suffering.
…
After Duan Yan finished showering, Rong Jiqiao was already half asleep.
Her phone vibrated.
Dazed, she reached out and picked it up.
A message popped up on the screen.
An unknown number.
Only one line:
“Haven’t contacted me for so long. Found someone new?”
Rong Jiqiao was instantly jolted awake. Her heart skipped a beat.
Duan Yan had just finished preparing to dry his hair when he noticed the sudden change in her expression.
“Whose message is it?”
She quickly turned off the screen, her palms breaking out in sweat.
“No… no one. Just an ad.”
Duan Yan didn’t ask further and turned on the hairdryer.
Rong Jiqiao stared at the black screen, her fingers trembling.
She reopened the message and deleted it.
She knew exactly what kind of tone that was.
It had to be one of the wealthy men she had tried to “encounter” at those upscale places.
But in her previous life, no one had ever sent her messages like this.
For a moment, she couldn’t make sense of it.
She ran through everyone she had met in her mind, but couldn’t lock onto anyone suspicious.
To be honest, with her looks, she could still attract wealthy men.
But she was picky—she didn’t date older men, she didn’t date ugly men, and she refused to be a mistress.
Those three conditions already eliminated most of her options.
Young, rich, and handsome men were surrounded by beautiful women. Whether in terms of family background or education, those people were all high-quality.
Compared to them, she didn’t really stand out.
So until the truth about her deception with Duan Yan was exposed in her previous life, she had never managed to “secure” anyone.
Suddenly, she thought of the genuine Chanel bag the second-hand dealer had mentioned.
She frowned, trying to recall carefully.
…Had she ever received a branded bag from someone before?
No.
She had only just been reborn—so what exactly had changed, causing this deviation from her previous life?
While she was thinking, her phone vibrated again.
“Baby, you’ve gotten cold. You don’t even reply to me anymore.”
Rong Jiqiao: “……”
She quickly deleted and blocked the number in one go.
Duan Yan, seeing how startled she was, also realized this wasn’t just a spam message.
He reached out.
“Let me see your phone.”
Rong Jiqiao’s heart pounded like a drum.
“See what?”
Duan Yan said nothing, just held his palm out.
She bit her lip and tightened her grip on the phone.
The air between them turned heavy and still.