Chapter 72 Part 2

…

Chi Nuan didn’t know when she fell asleep. When she woke, daylight streamed in. Little Wutong lay beside her head, grinning at her with his missing front tooth.

Chi Nuan rubbed her eyes. Gu Ningzi was gone.

“Auntie Gu left.” Little Wutong said. “She saw you sleeping, so we didn’t wake you.”

Fortunately, it was the weekend—no work. Chi Nuan looked up counter contacts for door brands, booked a replacement, and before she finished the call, the workers arrived to measure.

Chi Nuan: “…”

By afternoon, the new door was efficiently installed. Chi Nuan took a photo and sent it to Gu Ningzi. Only that evening did Gu Ningzi reply: “Oh.”

…

A new week.

“Oh my god, Nuannuan, your luck is terrible! What kind of mess is this? —Hey, stop singing… Zhou Damao! I’m talking to you, stop singing, it’s so annoying!!” Du Min tossed her sunflower seeds aside, lunged forward, and turned off Zhou Damao’s microphone. She turned back to chat with Chi Nuan. “I heard debt collectors don’t just use lunatics—they use AIDS patients, ethnic minorities too… anyway, they do whatever they want. Regular folks can’t fight them! …That guy across from you is such a scum. His wife’s followed him through eight lifetimes of bad luck!”

Chi Nuan sighed.

Zhou Damao couldn’t sing anymore, so he squeezed in to chat with them. “Hey, Special Assistant Chi, I deliberately didn’t invite Gu Ningzi today. You two are boss and subordinate now, right? Didn’t want you to feel awkward. See how thoughtful I am? Wouldn’t a wife with a guy like me be super happy?”

Du Min: “…”

Chi Nuan wanted to laugh but held it in.

Du Min: “Are you annoying or what? We’re talking serious stuff, and you’re butting in for attention?”

“…” Zhou Damao looked at her speechless. “You won’t let me sing, then say I’m butting in when I chat. Judge this, Chi Nuan— is there anyone like you? We’re not even married yet. Once we are, who knows how you’ll treat me.”

“Who’s marrying you?” Du Min waved her arms like swatting flies.

Zhou Damao rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll go out for a smoke.”

He slapped his thigh and stood to head out of the karaoke room. Du Min grumbled hatefully, “Smoke, smoke, smoke! All you do is smoke! Every time we say you’ll quit after we have kids, you light up again. Liar!”

Chi Nuan laughed for real this time. On one hand saying no marriage to Zhou Damao, on the other already planning quitting smoking for kids—Du Min was such a tsundere.

Zhou Damao opened the karaoke room door just as Xu Dan walked in. “See who I came with?”

Zhou Damao stepped back a few paces, revealing the person behind Xu Dan. Du Min jumped up from the sofa. “A-Wen!”

Xue Wen smiled before speaking, her curved brows and eyes turning toward Du Min. “Hi~”

The group sat together chatting. Du Min asked Xue Wen how long she’d stay in Yuncheng this time. Xue Wen said, “My hand’s injured. I’ll be resting for a while.”

She made her living with her hands, so everyone immediately asked what happened.

“It’s fine.” She flipped her palm to show them. “Just can’t use much strength. Perfect chance for a vacation.”

“That’s good. All these years, we’ve never gathered like this. Back then, you were always treating us to food and drinks.” Xu Dan reminisced. “I still remember that English song you sang. What was it? Drove me crazy. Quick, sing it for us again while you can!”

“That one…” Xue Wen took the microphone Xu Dan handed her. “Haven’t sung it in years. Forgot the words.”

Du Min and Xu Dan smiled at Xue Wen. Xue Wen looked at Chi Nuan, who smiled back at her.

The prelude to If You and Me rang out. Du Min said to Zhou Damao, “A-Wen sings amazingly. It’ll make you feel inferior.”

Zhou Damao covered Du Min’s mouth and pushed her back.

As soon as Xue Wen started singing, Xu Dan clutched her face in rapture. But after a few lines, Xue Wen cracked up. “I really don’t remember it.”

She set the microphone on the coffee table.

They chatted and sang, and time flew by. Leaving the KTV, Zhou Damao and Du Min took Xu Dan, while Xue Wen walked with Chi Nuan to the back parking lot.

Xue Wen said to Chi Nuan, “You haven’t changed a bit all these years.”

Chi Nuan: “…Really?”

Xue Wen held a cigarette to her lips, her mouth corner slightly upturned. “Yeah.”

They looped half the parking lot. Chi Nuan reached her car first and said goodbye to Xue Wen. Xue Wen’s cigarette wasn’t lit. Then she lowered her head and took it down. “You’re still with her?”

Chi Nuan: “Hm?”

Xue Wen smiled. “Gu Ningzi.”

Earlier at the KTV, when everyone mentioned Chi Nuan working as Gu Ningzi’s assistant, Xue Wen hadn’t said anything. Chi Nuan hadn’t expected her to ask suddenly.

Xue Wen: “I could tell back then. You and her—you really like her, right?”

Chi Nuan looked at Xue Wen and smiled.

Xue Wen smiled too. “See you. Let’s hang out sometime.”

Chi Nuan: “Sure. Bye.”

Chi Nuan picked up Little Wutong and went home. As he climbed the stairs, Little Wutong recited ancient poems to Chi Nuan. On the third floor, the resident heard his voice and opened the door. “Xiao Chi.”

“Hello, Uncle.” Little Wutong politely stopped with Chi Nuan.

The third-floor resident pointed upstairs. “The place sold. Now we can all sleep soundly—especially you. Oh man! Couldn’t even think about it—that night was terrifying!”

Chi Nuan: “Sold?”

“They cleared everything out today. Granny downstairs asked, and that’s what she said—they sold it.”

Chi Nuan: “Sold so fast? Weren’t they refusing before?”

“Either scared straight or good price—who cares? Key is we’re safe now, right?”

“Yeah…” Chi Nuan led Little Wutong upstairs, unlocked the door, and entered. As she closed it, she glanced across the hall.

The door stood tightly shut.

One worry settled. Chi Nuan closed the door.