The Aftermath and a Heart-to-Heart

Amidst the whispers and pointing fingers of the neighbors, He Manyu fled in disarray.

After she left the complex, Grandpa Fan forcefully shut the door.

‘That ‘eel’ woman is now on my list,’ the old man muttered. ‘She won’t be allowed in again.’

With the matter resolved, Bai Jingjing did not rush back inside, choosing instead to linger and chat with her neighbors.

“Thank you, Aunt Zhang, and Grandpa Wang… Grandpa Wang, you should really go back and rest.”

He had nearly strained his back wielding his cane earlier, so it was safer for him to be careful.

“I’m fine, my body’s still sturdy,” Grandpa Wang insisted, yet he leaned on his cane as he slowly made his way home.

Other neighbors gathered around, chiming in, “Jingjing, don’t take this to heart. She won’t dare come back.”

“Exactly. No one will believe the nonsense that woman spouted. You don’t need to worry.”

Bai Jingjing smiled, replying to everyone, “Okay, no problem. Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Auntie.”

After exchanging a few more words, the onlookers gradually dispersed, heading back to their own homes.

Xia Chu had remained hidden in the stairwell, observing everything with bated breath.

When He Manyu had been ranting downstairs, Xia Chu had been convinced they were doomed, yet the situation had unfolded entirely differently.

The onlookers, far from being swayed, had instead subjected He Manyu to a torrent of moral condemnation.

Xia Chu had moved into the complex several years ago, leading a reclusive life and even paying all her bills online.

She had rarely interacted with her neighbors, feeling as though she knew none of them.

Yet, Bai Jingjing seemed to get along effortlessly with everyone, and each person knew her, as if Bai Jingjing were the matriarch of Unit 1, Building 2.

Watching He Manyu being driven away, Xia Chu’s heart finally eased, though an indescribable mix of emotions stirred within her.

She had never imagined the problem would be resolved in such a manner.

Without Bai Jingjing, she truly wouldn’t have known what to do today.

Xia Chu couldn’t help but recall that day, a little over two weeks ago, when she had confided in her best friend about feeling down.

Her friend had suggested she experience the joy of yuri (TL Note: A Japanese term, ‘yuri,’ referring to a genre focusing on romantic relationships between women, often used in Chinese web novels to describe sapphic love.) to lift her spirits.

And so, she had brought Bai Jingjing home.

Watching Bai Jingjing from a gap in the building, chatting and laughing with the neighbors, Xia Chu was filled with many emotions.

It wasn’t until the girl waved goodbye to the neighbors and turned to head back that Xia Chu was startled.

‘Oh no, I’m about to be discovered.’

She quickly spun around, darted into the elevator, pressed their floor, and frantically jabbed the door-close button.

However, just as the elevator was about to ascend, Bai Jingjing arrived at the door and pressed the “↑” button.

Consequently, the recently closed elevator doors slowly reopened, and inside, Xia Chu and outside, Bai Jingjing, their beautiful eyes met.

“…”

“…”

Both were equally stunning beauties, both possessed equally slender, elegant legs, and both had equally ample curves, with only a slight difference in age.

These two remarkably similar beauties stood face to face, so close, like a pair of biological sisters.

…Or a mother and daughter.

“Bai Jingjing, I, um,” Xia Chu stammered softly, her eyes darting around, “came down to check on you.”

The elevator walls were adorned with celebrity advertisements, but none of the stars were as beautiful as Bai Jingjing, nor did they possess her figure.

At least, that was Xia Chu’s opinion.

“Mm,” Bai Jingjing responded noncommittally, stepping lightly into the elevator. “Perfect, we can go up together then.”

The elevator began its ascent, and Xia Chu felt her own heart plummeting as if in freefall.

In the small, enclosed space of barely a square meter, the girl’s soft form pressed close to her, and the air was thick with the sweet scent of coconut milk.

It felt like a dream, yet also entirely real.

“Bai Jingjing, um, the person who came today,” Xia Chu whispered, “my mother, she…”

But Bai Jingjing shifted, lightly brushing her arm with her own soft curves, and in the process, gently grazed Xia Chu’s ample bosom.

“It’s alright,” she said. “Let’s talk about it when we get home.”

Home…

Xia Chu’s beautiful eyes grew slightly red, and her cheeks flushed.

Her eyes teared up because Bai Jingjing had uttered the word “home,” a word that brought a strange sense of peace.

Her face flushed because her curves had been brushed by Bai Jingjing’s, leaving a faint, tingly sensation.

The elevator chimed, announcing their arrival at their floor.

Time to go home, back to their initial bliss.

Both were now intimately familiar with this home.

Upon entering, Xia Chu first poured herself a glass of water, sipping it slowly.

In the elevator, amidst her emotional stirrings, Bai Jingjing’s curves had brushed against hers, so… she needed a little hydration.

Meanwhile, Bai Jingjing retrieved the mop and began cleaning the path from the entrance, through the hallway, to the center of the living room.

Xia Chu noticed the unusual sounds from her direction. “Bai Jingjing, are you… mopping?”

“Yes.”

The girl didn’t even lift her head, grasping the mop and vigorously cleaning the floor, erasing the faint footprints.

By the time Xia Chu finished her water, Bai Jingjing had also finished mopping.

The stretch of floor from the door, through the corridor, to the living room’s center was impeccably clean.

All traces of He Manyu’s presence today had been wiped away, as if she had never been there.

“Alright, the filth has been cleaned up,” Bai Jingjing said, putting the mop away and walking back into the living room. “Xia Chu, what did you want to say?”

“It’s about, well, today’s incident.”

Xia Chu hesitated, on the verge of explaining, yet unsure how to begin.

Moreover, sitting on a chair to speak felt strangely unsettling, like a rootless duckweed adrift.

“How about we talk in bed?” Bai Jingjing suggested. “If you get tired, you can just sleep.”

It was quite normal; lying in bed often felt more conducive to heart-to-heart conversations, offering a peculiar sense of security.

She had discovered this when chatting with patients at the hospital; some things could be discussed sitting down, but others absolutely required lying down.

Bai Jingjing understood Xia Chu’s feelings perfectly.

“…Mm.”

On the soft, familiar large bed, Xia Chu and Bai Jingjing lay on their sides, facing each other.

Their curves also faced each other.

“The person who came today, my mother, her name is He Manyu.”

Lying down like this, Xia Chu felt an immediate sense of groundedness.

“…After all these years, I never expected her to suddenly seek me out. I didn’t realize it was just to ask me for a favor,” she murmured softly. “And it involves illicit operations.”

“Not helping her was the right choice,” Bai Jingjing comforted. “By letting her in, you’ve already shown her respect… you’ve been very understanding.”

She had listened at the door for quite some time.

Although she had only caught snippets of their conversation, she had already learned some details from Luo Xuan beforehand, so hearing those words, she had largely understood the situation.

He Manyu, incapable of saving her own failing company, shamelessly sought help from the daughter she had previously disdained, hoping to secure a corporate support quota from a foundation.

She spoke of life-changing opportunities, but if the illicit operations were discovered, wouldn’t Xia Chu’s life be ruined?

Furthermore, the fact that He Manyu had the audacity to ask Xia Chu for help indicated that her company surely did not meet the standards.

Is she worthy? Does she deserve it? This grant!