Chapter 8

Maybe she should have checked the almanac before going out today.

As she was heading upstairs, she ran into her neighbor again in the elevator.

It was quite late, and Wen Tang had just gotten out of the car at the apartment entrance, while the driver took Ke Xin and Yang Yang home separately.

When the elevator came up from the basement, the door opened, and there was Zhou Jingyu once again.

What a coincidence!

Meeting three times in two days, it seemed they were fated to keep running into each other in the elevator.

Wen Tang flicked her long hair and stepped inside, deliberately standing close to the new neighbor to prove she wasn’t afraid. This allowed her to scrutinize Zhou Jingyu thoroughly.

She didn’t hide her gaze as she took in Zhou Jingyu. This morning, she had already been captivated by him, and seeing him again in the evening only confirmed that his looks were truly to her taste. Whether it was his aloof brows, his thin lips, or even the strands of his hair, everything about him was pleasing. He had no aggressive aura, and his clean, gentle appearance made people let down their guard. He perfectly matched her aesthetic.

But Wen Tang knew this was just an illusion.

Her neighbor’s personality was definitely not as pleasant as his looks. She had already experienced his sharp tongue yesterday.

Despite her blatant scrutiny, Zhou Jingyu didn’t even flinch, which was an extraordinary display of composure.

“Hey.”

Wen Tang, annoyed by his apparent indifference, decided to speak up.

Zhou Jingyu, who had driven back from work in just over ten minutes, once again encountered the new neighbor on his floor in the elevator.

The new neighbor seemed difficult to get along with, but that was irrelevant to him.

Faced with Wen Tang’s direct provocation, Zhou Jingyu finally turned his head. He looked at her with calm, unperturbed eyes, as if she was of no concern to him.

This made Wen Tang feel uneasy. Having been a star for many years, she was accustomed to being the center of attention.

He was really good at pretending.

“Do you know who I am?”

Suppressing the urge to frown, Wen Tang lifted her chin arrogantly and asked.

The frequency of their encounters was so high that it was hard not to suspect it was intentional.

It couldn’t just be a coincidence. It had to be deliberate.

Had he deliberately made things difficult for her yesterday, and engineered their meeting to catch her attention?

If that was the case, everything made sense.

Yes, that must be it!

Wen Tang thought she had figured it out, and her arrogance grew. Her gaze towards Zhou Jingyu now carried a sense of superiority.

Zhou Jingyu looked at this extraordinarily beautiful woman. Though her looks were stunning, her thought process seemed unusual?

He looked at her and was certain he didn’t recognize her.

Calmly, he asked, “Who are you?”

He acted like he had never seen her before.

Wen Tang didn’t believe it.

He was still pretending!

She was very confident in her own fame.

She took a step back, feigning fear, and said, “You’re not trying to pretend not to know me just to get my attention, are you?”

At that moment, the elevator doors opened.

“You’re really scary.” Wen Tang hurriedly stepped out, walked a few paces to a safe distance, and then turned around to warn Zhou Jingyu, “Stay out of my way from now on, and keep your distance!”

Then she quickly went back home, as if something terrifying was chasing her.

What did she mean by that?

Watching Wen Tang’s hurried departure, even Zhou Jingyu, who was indifferent to everything, couldn’t help but frown.

Wen Tang returned home, her heart still racing, and patted her chest.

With that appearance, who would have thought he was such a creep!

If it were someone else, it wouldn’t matter, but to have him as her neighbor? Was he aware she lived here and bought the apartment next door on purpose?

Just thinking about it was suffocating.

In times of trouble, a normal person would want to find someone to confide in.

Wen Tang took out her phone.

[ Candy: I just met a creep in the elevator, it was so scary!! ]

[ Candy: Waaah, Senior Brother, I’m so scared.]

Is it too much to act a little spoiled in times like this?

Wen Tang had no mind for anything else at the moment. After sending the messages, she sat on the sofa, waiting for Gong Yue’s reply.

Her two cats, hearing her return, had different reactions: the black cat jumped into her lap, while the white cat gave her a cold glance and continued licking its paw on the shelf.

As Zhou Jingyu walked through the door, he received a message from his matchmaking partner.

He paused after reading it.

[ Y: Did you report it to the police? There are cameras in the elevator, get the property management to retrieve the footage and then report it.]

[ Y: If you encounter a creep, don’t tolerate it. Girls need to learn to protect themselves.]

These were the longest messages Gong Yue had ever sent her, and it was two sentences!

Wen Tang felt somewhat reassured after receiving this.

[ Candy: It’s okay, Senior Brother, no need to call the police. I’ve warned him, and he won’t dare to do it again.]

[ Candy: I’ve learned some self-defense techniques. I’m really good at it!]

[ Y: Hmm.]

……

When Wen Tang was filming, she wasn’t just working on set. There were usually other commercial activities or advertising shoots, and she would also promote new dramas and participate in variety shows when necessary.

Liu Meifen always kept her schedule packed.

Throughout the year, Wen Tang spent nearly 300 days immersed in her work on film sets, truly a model worker. She had several dramas airing every year, and if they were released closely together, she would dominate the screens.

For a young and popular actress like her, managing to get eight hours of sleep a day was already quite a feat.

After February, Wen Tang’s schedule became packed with various activities, and she began working non-stop. Despite this, she still made time to send messages to Gong Yue whenever she could.

He wasn’t in the studio yet and would join a month later. During this time, if she could successfully win him over, it would be a huge surprise when he finally joined the set~

However, this task proved to be quite challenging.

Wen Tang noticed that Gong Yue, despite being a minor actor, seemed even busier than she was.

Messages sent during the day went mostly unanswered, with his response rate noticeably increasing after 8 p.m.

He had excellent manners. Whenever he had time, he never showed impatience, no matter how much she chatted with him. If he was busy or didn’t want to talk, he would politely and tactfully let her know.

Every conversation with him felt like a refreshing breeze.

At the same time, Wen Tang realized that no matter how much effort she put in, she couldn’t sway him; he remained unaffected and distant.

Yet, the more unresponsive he was, the more she wanted to pursue him. It became her daily anticipation and pleasure!

Flirting with Gong Yue had become her greatest expectation and joy!

One day, Wen Tang, invited by her boss, attended a high-profile soirée after finishing her shoot.

Her agency, Juxing Media, had her under contract, and she was currently its top star and biggest cash cow. Her boss, Qi Xiuyuan, was in his late thirties, a second-generation wealthy individual with significant family assets. Instead of taking over the family business, he used the money to start Juxing Media. Now, the agency is renowned in the industry and one of the most sought-after companies for aspiring actors.

For an artist, attending social events like these was often the most tiresome part of the job, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

The power of capital was unimaginable to ordinary people. Making appearances in front of influential figures had no downside.

Accompanying Qi Xiuyuan and mingling with various big shots in the capital circle, Wen Tang’s smile was almost frozen. At this event, the name she heard the most was Zhou Jingyu.

He was said to be the current president of Shengling Group, only twenty-eight years old, and had just returned from France.

He was also attending today.

However, this was irrelevant to Wen Tang. Shengling Group’s business scope was extensive but didn’t touch the entertainment industry. Brand endorsements and advertisements were not for her but for other celebrities.

After meeting everyone she needed to, Wen Tang sneaked into the lounge to take a break.

After several days of intense work, she could fall asleep even while sitting. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep, but she vaguely heard two girls enter.

They were just here to touch up their makeup and didn’t intend to rest. While doing so, they chatted.

“Zhou Jingyu is truly extraordinary. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. I had heard he was good-looking, but I didn’t expect him to be this stunning!”

“Oh, it’s not that impressive. It’s just okay.”

“Just okay? Qingqing, your standards are ridiculously high! Aside from his looks, his current status and position—who among his peers can compare? Didn’t your grandfather push for a match between you and him? What’s the status of that? If you could become his girlfriend, it would be the envy of all those fake friends!”

“……Haha, what’s there to follow up on? He rejected my WeChat request.”

“Seriously? He has no discernment?”

……

“Just a WeChat rejection. He hasn’t seen or interacted with you, so he doesn’t know your worth. Qingqing, don’t lose heart. Men like Zhou Jingyu are as rare as a hen’s tooth. Missing out on him is like missing out on an opportunity that won’t come again! Plus, with the connections your grandfather has, you still have a slim chance—though it’s a slim chance, it’s still worth pursuing! People like us can’t even dream of reaching them. I tell you, don’t worry about your pride; pride doesn’t matter! Happiness must be pursued by yourself. And I saw you staring at him earlier; can you honestly say you weren’t moved?”

“……I’ll think about it.”

……

Earlier at the banquet hall, Wen Tang had only heard that Zhou Jingyu, despite his youth, wielded significant power and was a sought-after figure in the business world. She hadn’t expected him to be so handsome as well, truly capturing the hearts of many young women.

After another ten minutes or so, Wen Tang slowly walked out of the lounge.

She had originally intended to see what the renowned Zhou Jingyu was like but ended up missing him.

There was no such thing as a perfect-looking man; however, Wen Tang was very selective. In her lifetime, there had only been one person who could make her eyes linger…… and that person seemed to be seriously ill, so it was better to forget about it!

Or maybe, those two women were just seeing him through rose-colored glasses. Was his appearance really so extraordinary?

Wen Tang’s interest waned. Seeing that it was about time, she greeted her boss and prepared to leave early. However, her luck took a turn for the worse when the driver who was supposed to pick her up got into a collision on the way and couldn’t come. She had no choice but to hitch a ride with someone else.

But who should she hitch a ride with?

As Wen Tang pondered this, a familiar figure suddenly flashed before her eyes.

She was taken aback.

……Her creepy neighbor?

Why was he here?!