Song Youman pinched Xia Wan’an’s face and woke her up from her nap. 

Xia Wan’an pouted and reluctantly opened her eyes, still half-asleep. Her dark, adorable eyes glistened with drowsiness. “What?” 

“I said, where were you last night and this morning?” Ai Jiang repeated the question. 

Last night and this morning… She was in Han Jingnian’s office. Could it be that Ai Jiang found out something? 

Xia Wan’an’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt a bit guilty for no apparent reason. 

However, upon further reflection, she realized it was unlikely. She hadn’t revealed any flaws, and even considering Ai Jiang, who had just joined the company and was unfamiliar with the surroundings, she couldn’t have possibly discovered anything. Moreover, anyone who knew about her relationship with Han Jingnian was either from the Han family or one of his trusted associates. 

With these thoughts in mind, Xia Wan’an blinked her eyes, pretending to have just realized what Ai Jiang was asking, and asked with a puzzled expression, “I was at home, where else would I be? What’s wrong?” 

Ai Jiang replied, “It’s nothing.” She shook her head, lowering her gaze to hide the glimmer in her eyes. Could it be that the phone she saw in Han Jingnian’s office this morning wasn’t Xia Wan’an’s? 

“Just yesterday evening and this morning, I happened to run into someone who looked a lot like you.” 

“If it just looks similar, there’s no need to mention it. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s really her,” Song Youman interjected. “Besides, if Wan’an had gone out to play, she would have definitely called me, right, Wan’an?” 

“Mmm,” Xia Wan’an nodded. Seeing that Ai Jiang didn’t say anything else, she leaned on Song Youman’s shoulder and closed her eyes again. 

Watching the two intimate girls in front of her, Ai Jiang’s fingertips, resting on her lap, unconsciously gripped her clothes. 

Their relationship was really good… so good that even though she had been friends with them for six years, she still felt like an outsider to them… 

An inexplicable jealousy rose from the depths of her heart. So much so that her voice, when she spoke again, carried a trace of bitterness she hadn’t even noticed herself. “You two are really close!” 

Song Youman, who had a big heart, didn’t think there was anything wrong and casually said, “Yes, we are! Wan’an and I have been close since childhood. We’re closer than real sisters. Ai Jiang, you don’t know this, but if I were a boy, Wan’an would be my wife by now… Hehe, my little Wan Wan, give hubby a kiss…” 

As Song Youman reached out her hand to grab Xia Wan’an, Xia Wan’an dodged and giggled. She then glanced thoughtfully at Ai Jiang, as if she had sensed something. “Ai Jiang, we’re also very close to you!” 

Ai Jiang replied, “I know that. You’ve both been very good to me.” 

Xia Wan’an smiled and, as if she had remembered something, took out two small boxes from her bag. “Oh, by the way, these are gifts I bought for you both during a business trip to Hong Kong a while ago.” 

Song Youman and Ai Jiang each received a box. When they opened them, they found delicate gold bracelets inside. 

Facing the two cheerful thank-yous, Xia Wan’an smiled, her eyes forming crescents. 

When the waiter started serving the dishes, Ai Jiang excused herself to go to the restroom. 

Seeing her walk away, Xia Wan’an took out another velvet box from her bag and discreetly placed it in Song Youman’s bag. “This one is for you. You mentioned that you liked it last time, so I got it for you. Also, don’t let Ai Jiang see it.” 

“Why?” Song Youman asked curiously, her mouth full of food. 

“I’m afraid she might overthink it. Besides, Ai Jiang isn’t like us; she doesn’t have to worry too much about spending money. Giving gifts is always reciprocal, so if we give her gifts, she’ll have to give us gifts in return. So, when we choose gifts later, you can pick something a bit more affordable so that she doesn’t feel too pressured… Also, let’s not talk about buying expensive things in front of her. It’ll save her from feeling uncomfortable, and it’ll prevent her from feeling like she doesn’t belong with us.” 

“Oh, I see,” Song Youman said, although she didn’t fully understand the intricacies of the girls’ world. But she knew that Xia Wan’an’s reasoning was likely correct, so she nodded in agreement. 

Worried that Ai Jiang might overhear their conversation, Xia Wan’an didn’t say much more and quickly changed the topic. However, both she and Song Youman failed to notice that Ai Jiang had returned from the restroom and had been listening to their entire conversation, word for word. 

They didn’t want her to know about their conversation, so she acted as if she hadn’t been there and went to the restroom. 

Inside the restroom stall, Ai Jiang’s usually timid and gentle expression turned cold. 

To put it nicely, they were considerate of her, but to put it bluntly, they looked down on her… 

Thinking about this, Ai Jiang reached out, took off the gold bracelet Xia Wan’an had just given her, and tossed it into the trash. 

They both came from well-off families and had received better upbringing since childhood. Naturally, they had more common ground and better relationships than she did. But back then, she had befriended them by deliberately taking advantage of their superior backgrounds. To enter their circle, she had to depend on them. Only by relying on them could she meet people from the upper class, just like how she had entered the Han family this time. During her job interview, she had intentionally called Han Jingnian in front of the other applicants… 

Ai Jiang closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and another one. When she had calmed down, she forced herself to suppress her nausea. Bending over, she reached into the trash and picked up the gold bracelet once again. 

She carried the gold necklace to the sink and washed it thoroughly for a while. After wiping it with a tissue, she put it back on her wrist and returned to the dining area. 

Han Jingnian had arrived, and when she approached, he looked up and greeted her, “Ai Jiang.” 

Ai Jiang pursed her lips, blushing shyly, and then extended her wrist in front of Han Jingnian. “Look, it’s from Wan’an, isn’t it pretty? I really like it!” 

… 

The Han family mansion. 

The spacious dining room was filled with a variety of dishes. 

At the large marble dining table that could accommodate more than ten people, only Han Jingnian sat alone. 

T/N Note:
Hello, everyone!
I’m excited to tell you that you can now access advanced chapters on the website itself. Long Hours Translations coins is now available!  ╰(▔∀▔)╯
There are currently 10 advanced chapters out now for live next door to you. So if you want to read advanced chapters (and support me hehe) now is the best time to buy coins as Long Hours in now on promo, doubling the coins you buy, for its first 2 weeks release of the feature, along with Halloween, All Saints and All Souls (hayo to all the christians out there!).
>>Check this out for more information<<

Also, there will be an advanced chapter posted everyday, while free chapters will still be MTW(Or shall I make it two days a week? |ω・）).