My Gorgeous Neighbor Is Cooking Every Day - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

After confirming that the two of them were human and not ghosts, Xia Xingye asked: “Why are you here?”

Neither their workplace nor their residence was in this area, so there was no reason to run into them here.

Liu Xuantong pointed in a direction and said: “We wanted to go to that mountain to watch the sunrise.”

There was a mountain nearby where couples often went late at night to wait for the sunrise the next morning.

“What about you? Why are you alone? You should be with your friend, right?” Liu Xuantong asked.

Xia Xingye forced a smile: “We were together just now, but as we walked, we suddenly got separated.”

Liu Xuantong said with a hint of fear: “Don’t you think it feels like a Ghost Wall (being trapped by an illusion)?”

Xia Xingye observed her reaction and said tactfully: “Maybe you’re just too tired and seeing things.”

Feng Tinglan, however, said bluntly: “It is a Ghost Wall. We’ve been looking around here for half an hour.”

Hearing her say that, Liu Xuantong clearly shivered and leaned closer to Feng Tinglan. Xia Xingye, standing opposite Feng Tinglan, distinctly saw Feng Tinglan curl her lips.

Xia Xingye: “…”

Tricky couple. To get closer to her partner, she would even say things to scare people.

Xia Xingye really didn’t have time to play along with them.

Having been subjected to their public display of affection, Xia Xingye mumbled under her breath: “If Sister were here, she wouldn’t make me watch you two flaunt your affection.”

Liu Xuantong heard her and asked: “If she were here, what would you do?”

Her eyes were full of anticipation.

Xia Xingye was puzzled by her intense gaze and blurted out: “What else would I do?”

She had only subconsciously thought that if Jiang Yingyue were here, she wouldn’t feel so awkward. But why she wouldn’t feel awkward with Jiang Yingyue there, she hadn’t given much thought.

Hoping to see Xia Xingye realize something, Liu Xuantong sighed deeply and pretended to be profound: “You have a long road ahead of you.”

Xia Xingye: “…You’re just a little older than me, not that much older. You don’t need to act so mature.”

Liu Xuantong’s mouth twitched: “That’s not what I was trying to tell you.”

Xia Xingye was about to ask why when she heard a “crack” sound behind her, like someone stepping on a branch. She immediately turned around. There was no one behind her. Looking down, she only saw a branch broken into two.

“Was there anyone behind me just now?” Xia Xingye turned to ask the two behind her.

“No one,” Liu Xuantong shook her head and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you hear something?”

“You didn’t hear it?” Xia Xingye asked doubtfully.

Liu Xuantong and Feng Tinglan both shook their heads, both a little puzzled why Xia Xingye would ask that.

Xia Xingye pondered for a moment and said: “If you trust me, you can follow me.”

Although she didn’t have Jiang Yingyue’s abilities, she had been with Jiang Yingyue for so long, she could hear Little Jiang speak, and she had Jiang Yingyue’s protective talisman on her. Maybe she could lead the two of them out of here.

Having finally encountered someone she knew, Liu Xuantong tugged at Feng Tinglan’s sleeve without thinking: “Let’s follow her.”

Xia Xingye acknowledged her, and the two followed behind Xia Xingye.

Xia Xingye kept walking forward, following the direction of any sounds she heard. After walking for a while, when Xia Xingye snapped back to attention, she found herself standing in the middle of the road, with a speeding truck heading straight for her.

The truck driver didn’t seem to notice anyone in the middle of the road, and the vehicle’s speed didn’t slow down.

Liu Xuantong’s scream rang out. Xia Xingye snapped out of her daze and immediately tried to dodge, but her legs felt heavy as lead. Her mind knew to move, but her body wouldn’t obey.

She was knocked to the ground by an impact force. Xia Xingye saw stars from the pain and instinctively looked at the person lying on top of her.

Jiang Yingyue grit her teeth and looked at her. Sweat dripped from her forehead, down her chin, and onto Xia Xingye’s lips. Xia Xingye subconsciously licked it and reached up to wipe Jiang Yingyue’s sweat.

Jiang Yingyue swatted her hand away, stood up, stumbled twice, took a couple of steps to the side, and then looked at Xia Xingye, who was still on the ground: “Still not leaving?”

“Get up quickly!” Having just witnessed Xia Xingye almost getting hit by the truck, Liu Xuantong’s voice was still trembling. “You almost died!”

Xia Xingye finally registered what happened and got up. She didn’t have time to say goodbye to Liu Xuantong and Feng Tinglan and hurried to chase after Jiang Yingyue.

Jiang Yingyue appeared to be walking fast, but Xia Xingye didn’t have much trouble catching up. She quickly reached Jiang Yingyue and apologized subconsciously: “I’m sorry, Sister. I was distracted and made you worry. Please don’t be angry, okay?”

“Do you think I’m angry at you?” Jiang Yingyue stopped and looked at her quietly.

Jiang Yingyue’s face was extremely stern. Xia Xingye had never seen her like this. Even when they first met, though she found Jiang Yingyue quiet, she never thought she was cold. But now, Jiang Yingyue’s face was stormy, her brows tightly furrowed.

Xia Xingye felt anxious, muttering and pausing, wanting to say something but afraid that anything she said would upset Jiang Yingyue. In the end, she said nothing.

Jiang Yingyue didn’t seem to expect an answer. Seeing her silence, she turned and continued walking.

Xia Xingye could only follow closely behind her, feeling very wronged herself.

She was suddenly confused by a dirty entity and appeared in the middle of the road. She was scared to death and was still shaken. She lowered her head pitifully, still feeling wronged. She really wanted Jiang Yingyue to hug her and comfort her.

The two returned to the complex in silence and entered the elevator.

When they reached the door, Jiang Yingyue unlocked the door, went in, and locked it in one seamless motion, with no intention of letting Xia Xingye enter.

Xia Xingye, who had followed Jiang Yingyue to her door, was left outside. Her hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air. Opening her own door felt wrong, and not opening it also felt wrong.

She stood at the door, lost and forlorn, for a long time before slowly returning to her own door.

She fumbled for her key for a while, growing increasingly puzzled, until she finally realized that she had left her key inside Jiang Yingyue’s house.

Xia Xingye was briefly delighted. Since she had left her key inside Jiang Yingyue’s house, she could legitimately go find Jiang Yingyue.

But after only a second of happiness, she felt disappointed again.

She could go find Jiang Yingyue, but what would she say to her? Would going there now annoy Jiang Yingyue?

Xia Xingye had few worries growing up, but after meeting Jiang Yingyue, she constantly had many things bothering her.

She often sighed, wondering if it was because she was growing up.

She didn’t feel that being troubled while with Jiang Yingyue was a bad thing. Even if it was trouble, it was sweet trouble.

Xia Xingye stood for a while, then crouched, and then leaned against the wall. She thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out what to say to Jiang Yingyue after knocking on the door.

Should she happily tell Jiang Yingyue that she left her key inside? Or should she be worried? Or should she be sad?

No matter how she thought about it, no emotion seemed appropriate.

Xia Xingye was so distressed that she didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet, like an emotionless robot that couldn’t even walk properly.

Just as she was trying to mentally dismantle and reassemble herself, the front door suddenly clicked open. Jiang Yingyue stood in the doorway, looking at her.

Xia Xingye was too nervous to even speak. She could only stare straight at Jiang Yingyue, her face flushed with anxiety.

“Not coming in?” Jiang Yingyue asked.

Xia Xingye’s eyes widened in disbelief. She hesitantly pointed at herself and asked: “I can come in?”

“If you don’t want to come in, go back to your house.” Saying this, Jiang Yingyue was about to close the door.

Xia Xingye quickly stepped forward, blocking the closing door with the better part of her body. Frightened, Jiang Yingyue released the doorknob, frowned, and asked: “What are you doing? That’s dangerous.”

“I… I was afraid you would close the door,” Xia Xingye said honestly.

Jiang Yingyue said nothing, turned, and walked into the room.

Xia Xingye followed into the room, gently and cautiously closing the door. She turned and followed Jiang Yingyue, keeping a moderate distance.

Jiang Yingyue looked back and saw Xia Xingye following her. Assuming she was looking for an explanation, she pursed her lips and said: “I forgot you were behind me.”

She had been preoccupied with her thoughts. When she returned, she acted as she always did: entering and locking the door, completely forgetting that she wasn’t always alone anymore.

Now, she often had a little shadow following her.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Xia Xingye waved her hands repeatedly. “I didn’t say anything. It’s normal to forget I was behind you.”

Jiang Yingyue merely glanced at her and went back to her room.

Xia Xingye stood in the living room as if grounded. After a while, she retrieved the first-aid kit, placed it by Jiang Yingyue’s bedroom door, and knocked: “Sister, you should apply the medicine. It’s time to change the dressing.”

Inside the room, Jiang Yingyue didn’t know whether to be angry or happy to hear that.

Xia Xingye had nearly been in an accident, and Jiang Yingyue felt terrible.

If it weren’t for her, Xia Xingye wouldn’t be involved in all this messy stuff.

She was somewhat regretful and deliberately kept a cold face, hoping that Xia Xingye would take the hint and leave.

But Xia Xingye didn’t leave and continued to follow her.

Even after being locked out just now, she didn’t show any resentment and was now concerned about whether she had applied her medicine.

Faced with a Xia Xingye like this, how could Jiang Yingyue possibly stay angry at her? What she was angry about was herself for putting Xia Xingye in danger.

She had just finished dealing with the matter and thought everything was resolved, but she hadn’t expected there to be a loose end.

There were many people like Dong Yiyu whose fate was exchanged or who were manipulated, and the ghost that ambushed Xia Xingye just now was one that had been fully refined and exploited.

The ghost didn’t show its face. Instead, it created an illusion. Knowing it wasn’t a match for Jiang Yingyue, it tried to confuse Xia Xingye.

If she had been any slower…

Jiang Yingyue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The frustration in her chest eased slightly, but the suffocating feeling didn’t dissipate.

She didn’t dare to dwell on what would have happened if she had been any slower.

“Sister, did you hear what I said?” Xia Xingye’s cautious voice sounded outside. Compared to her usual vibrant voice, her voice was noticeably subdued and listless, like a puppy waiting to be petted on the head and praised for a job well done.

Jiang Yingyue hardened her heart, pretended not to hear, and went straight to the bathroom to wash up.

Xia Xingye waited for a long time but didn’t get a response from Jiang Yingyue. She paused, cautiously opened the door, saw that the bedroom was empty, but the bathroom light was on.

“Sister must have gone to take a bath and didn’t hear me,” she reassured herself. She simply placed the first-aid kit inside, returned to the living room, and lay on the sofa, staring lifelessly at the ceiling.

She blinked, took out the protective talisman, and held it up to look at it. The talisman seemed a little odd.

She knew she had encountered a dirty entity, but she hadn’t worried too much because she had the protective talisman from Jiang Yingyue.

She even thought the sound she heard was Jiang Yingyue helping her, which was why she followed the sound without any caution.

But it was too late to say anything now. The fact was that Jiang Yingyue was angry.

Xia Xingye was prepared to sleep on the sofa outside tonight, but when it was time to sleep, Jiang Yingyue opened the door and stood at the bedroom entrance, asking: “Not sleeping?”