After spending half the day digesting the news, Shen Qian fell into a strange loop.
He paced back and forth in his room, stopping now and then to peer through the peephole at the hallway and check on any movement across the way.
But the apartment opposite was completely silent, without a sound.
He was both expectant and nervous. What should he say when they met? Should he pretend not to know her, or say something?
Shen Qian took out a mirror again, straightened his clothes, smoothed his hair with his hand, set his mouth at just the right angle, and practiced his smile a few times.
Then his face fell. Had he scared her yesterday?
Would he have left a bad impression?
What if she hadn’t recognized him at all?
At the thought of that possibility, Shen Qian sank into silence.
After the long flight, Ji Qingtang was exhausted, and after what happened last night, she walked into the apartment, didn’t even bother unpacking, and collapsed straight onto the bed.
The apartment was regularly maintained, so it was spotless—ready to move in with just a suitcase.
For several days, Ji Qingtang didn’t go out at all. When she was hungry, she ordered takeout; the fridge was stocked with all kinds of drinks. Day and night blurred together—she ate, slept, woke up, ate again, completely letting herself go.
She didn’t look at the news online. She knew Xie Yu would handle everything. She just felt so tired, so desperate to sleep.
So Ji Qingtang had no idea that a certain someone across the hall had been watching her for days.
After resting for a few days, Ji Qingtang put on a suit, applied refined makeup, and drove to the company.
Her trip to Germany this time was mainly to represent Ji Corporation in a partnership with Qiandang Group regarding the development of the latest batch of medical equipment—a project of great importance to her.
Because this was the first step into Ji Corporation.
What belonged to her, she would take back, down to the last cent.
Ji Qingtang arrived at the meeting room early, met with the other side’s team, and began waiting for the person in charge from Qiandang Group.
Just as she was starting to grow impatient, someone finally pushed open the meeting room door.
“I’m Shen Qian, founder of Qiandang Group and the lead director of this project.”
Shen Qian extended his hand, staring straight at Ji Qingtang.
Ji Qingtang was stunned. Wasn’t this the drunk pervert from across her hallway last night?
And Shen Qian… why did that name sound so familiar?
Even his face looked familiar.
In a flash of realization, Ji Qingtang looked into Shen Qian’s eyes and suddenly understood why he seemed so familiar.
This was Lu Xingye’s high school archrival—Shen Qian!!
Shen Qian stretched his hand out a little further. With so many people watching, Ji Qingtang suppressed her shock and shook his hand.
He gave only a light grip before politely withdrawing his hand.
Throughout the entire meeting, Ji Qingtang was in a daze, unable to make sense of the situation.
Her ex-boyfriend’s archrival had become her neighbor—and now her business partner?
After the meeting concluded with a preliminary plan settled, everyone dispersed.
When she reached the underground parking garage, Ji Qingtang discovered, to her dismay, that her car seemed to be out of gas.
Shen Qian appeared out of nowhere, walked up to her car window, and knocked.
Ji Qingtang rolled down the window and heard Shen Qian let out what sounded like a soft chuckle. “?”
“Need a ride home? We’re neighbors, after all.”
Why did it feel like her car running out of gas made him so happy?
“No thanks, I’ll just take a taxi.”
Shen Qian had already expected her to refuse, so he pressed on. “Consider it an apology for last night, then?”
Ji Qingtang still hesitated.
Shen Qian straightened up, and just as Ji Qingtang thought he’d given up and let out a breath of relief, she heard him say leisurely:
“If you won’t let me drive you home, then I won’t work with your company anymore.”
Ji Qingtang: “…”
She had never met anyone so shameless. Come to think of it, back in high school he’d been exactly this insufferable—he couldn’t stand Lu Xingye, and he couldn’t stand her either.
All these years, and he hadn’t changed one bit.
But there was nothing she could do—she had to win this partnership with Qiantang. Qiantang had plenty of options, but she had no other way out.
“Let’s talk this over nicely, then~” Ji Qingtang put on a polite smile, though there was a hint of gritted teeth in her voice.
She opened the car door and stepped out, standing in front of Shen Qian. “Fine, let’s go. Thank you, President Shen.”
After getting into Shen Qian’s car, Ji Qingtang turned her head to the side, watching the scenery outside the window without so much as a glance at him.
Shen Qian fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to say to break the awkward atmosphere, and gave a light cough.
“I…”
Ji Qingtang glanced at him, and Shen Qian inexplicably choked, unable to get the words out.
When they arrived at her apartment building, Shen Qian turned off the engine and stayed seated in the car. Ji Qingtang couldn’t figure out what he was getting at.
“You… don’t you remember me?” he finally said.
Ji Qingtang looked over, raising an eyebrow at those words. So he had recognized her too.
“Of course I remember. Lu Xingye’s arch-nemesis, the eldest young master of the Shen family.” She said it breezily.
Back in school, Shen Qian had often picked on Lu Xingye. Once, for some reason or another, they’d even come to blows. Back then, her heart and mind had been completely filled with her love for Lu Xingye, so naturally she’d known of this person.
But she’d heard he was sent abroad by his family right after graduating high school.
Yet those words were like a sharp blade, sinking inch by inch into Shen Qian’s heart.
He had so many identities, and not a single one of them had anything to do with her.
She’d even used “Lu Xingye’s arch-nemesis” as his only label.
Then again, it wasn’t really Ji Qingtang’s fault—the only point of connection between her and Shen Qian had always been Lu Xingye.
Shen Qian let out a soft breath. Should he be satisfied with that answer? She remembered him, but it seemed like whether she remembered him or not made no difference to her. To her, he was nothing more than an insignificant stranger.
If not for this work connection this time…
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Pretending not to care, he probed, “How are things between you and Lu Xingye?”
The moment those words left his mouth, the silence in the car became absolute.