Chapter 2: Moving Out Overnight
The news in the community group chat were still updating rapidly.
【Wait, we actually have this many celebrities in our neighborhood?】
【No big stars, but there are definitely a few internet influencers and minor celebs.】
【Who did she piss off? How did they even find out where she lives??】
【Must be some extreme fan. Those people have all kinds of time and tricks.】
Shen Youwei stopped reading the group chat. She suddenly remembered the delivery guy she ran into in the elevator. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back now… the more she thought about it, the more suspicious he seemed.
Could that have been the fake delivery guy they were talking about?
A wave of fear swept over her. What if the bag he was carrying had a knife hidden inside?
“Miss Shen, sorry to bother you. We’re from property management.” Someone knocked on the door suddenly. Shen Youwei was so startled she jolted upright. She took a deep breath before walking over to check the video intercom.
Once she confirmed their identity, she opened the door. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, the police have a few questions for you,” the property staff said, gesturing to the person beside them.
The man showed Shen Youwei his badge and said, “While reviewing surveillance footage, we noticed the suspect rode the elevator with you. We’d like to ask about what happened at that time.”
Shen Youwei froze. What he said basically confirmed her suspicions. “So it was him? Did you catch him yet?”
“Not yet. That’s why we’re gathering as many clues as possible.”
“Oh…” Shen Youwei suddenly felt the weight of responsibility and began to recall the moment carefully. “He was wearing a helmet and a mask, and kept his head down the whole time, so I couldn’t see his face clearly. But he wasn’t very tall, about this height.”
She gestured for the officer: “I’m 1.72 meters tall. He was probably around 1.75 at most.”
The officer noted it down and asked, “Would it be okay for us to get your contact info? If we catch him later, we might need you to come to the station for identification.”
“Sure, no problem,” Shen Youwei nodded, then hesitated a little. “Will he be able to see me?”
“You’ll be able to see him. He won’t see you.”
Relieved by that, Shen Youwei gave them her number. After answering a few more questions, the officers left. She saw them out, then opened a bottle of milk for herself and sank into the couch.
What a crazy day. She needed that milk to calm her nerves.
Although the residential community tried to suppress the news, it still ended up trending online—and it didn’t just trend, it exploded all the way to the top of the hot search.
There were now two empty milk bottles sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Shen Youwei curled up on the couch, scrolling through Weibo.
【So scary… people really shouldn’t casually post pictures of their windows. Some folks can actually figure out where you live from that!】
【They even pinpointed her floor… what kind of scary tech is this…】
【It feels like people nowadays are so extreme. Even if they don’t like someone, there’s no need to come to their door and stab them, right? 【terrified】】
【Looks like there are a few little idols and influencers living in this neighborhood.】
【I heard Shen Youwei lives here too, and it’s even the same building!!】
【What kind of intentions does the person who exposed Shen Youwei’s address here have?】
【If I were Shen Youwei, I’d move out overnight 【goodbye】】
Shen Youwei jumped up from the sofa, put down her phone, and started packing her bags.
Halfway through packing, someone suddenly knocked loudly on her door. The force startled Shen Youwei so much she almost went to the kitchen to grab a knife for self-defense.
“Youwei, are you home?”
Just as Shen Youwei was heading to the kitchen, a woman’s voice came from outside. She stopped, turned around, and went to open the door. “godmom, why are you here?”
Xie Mingqiu, wearing a long brown trench coat, stood outside the door. When Shen Youwei opened it, she looked her over from head to toe. “Are you okay? I saw the trending news and came over specially to pick you up.”
“Pick me up?” Shen Youwei was a little confused. “Pick me up where?”
“Of course, to our place. I don’t feel at ease with you living here alone.” Xie Mingqiu urged Shen Youwei inside. “Hurry and finish packing now, so we can make it home in time for dinner.”
Before Shen Youwei could answer, Xie Mingqiu had already slipped off her shoes and come inside. She visited regularly enough that the property management knew her, and Shen Youwei always kept a pair of her slippers at home.
When they entered the living room, Xie Mingqiu saw several suitcases spread out on the floor. She paused and then turned to Shen Youwei: “You’re already packing? No wonder—we really are like godmom and daughter, thinking alike.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
She was packing because she planned to stay at a hotel.
“godmom, actually, I already booked a hotel…”
“Why book a hotel? Hotels are so expensive, why waste money?” Xie Mingqiu said as she started helping her pack. “Our home is so big, isn’t it more comfortable to stay there? And it’s not safe for you to live alone in a hotel. The reason that girl today escaped safely was because a friend happened to be at home, right?”
“That’s true, but moving in with you would be too much trouble for you all…”
“What trouble? You’ve lived with us before,” Xie Mingqiu said, finally stopping to look at Shen Youwei. “Besides, Shanyan has returned to the country. You haven’t seen each other in three years, this is a good chance to reunite.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
She really didn’t want to move there.
“Stop dawdling and hurry up with your packing.”
“Oh, okay.” With Xie Mingqiu’s urging, Shen Youwei moved to pack again.
But ever since Xie Mingqiu mentioned “Shanyan,” her mind had been elsewhere.
She knew Guan Shanyan had returned to the country.
Even though she had blocked all of his contact information, she had registered a secondary Weibo account. Whenever she felt upset, she’d log in just to curse at Guan Shanyan a few times.
…Well, that was the plan at first, anyway.
In the past three years, Guan Shanyan had been doing very well abroad. Not only had he earned recognition from internationally renowned designers, but his recent collection at a major fashion show had also received glowing reviews.
This time, he returned to China reportedly to prepare for launching his own clothing brand.
“You’re pretty much packed, right?” Xie Mingqiu straightened up and looked at the three large suitcases in the living room. “If you need anything else later, we’ll come back and get it.”
Dragging her suitcase, Shen Youwei made one last attempt to resist. “godmom, maybe I should just stay at a hotel…”
Xie Mingqiu tilted her head and looked at her. “Is there someone waiting for you at the hotel that you’re so eager to go?”
Shen Youwei: “…”
Her car was parked in the underground garage. The two of them loaded the three large suitcases and got in. Shen Youwei was driving, GPS was on, and Xie Mingqiu sat in the passenger seat. She glanced at the navigation and chuckled, “It’s been so long since you’ve been home that you don’t even remember the way?”
“Uh…” Shen Youwei raised her hand to adjust the black-rimmed glasses she had just put on and tried to save face. “I’m mostly checking traffic conditions.”
She and Guan Shanyan had been neighbors since they were little, growing up together in a neighborhood near Lize Park. Later, the area went through redevelopment, and the old houses around Lize Park were transformed into modern flats and luxury villas.
Both the Shen and Guan families bought new homes on the original site, so they still lived in the same neighborhood. But since Shen Youwei’s parents lived abroad long-term, and she couldn’t be bothered to renovate the place alone, she left the house empty and rented another place to live.
“When do you plan to renovate your house?” Xie Mingqiu asked. “You said before that it was too much to handle alone. Now that Shanyan’s back, he can help you supervise the renovation.”
“Uh, I think he’s probably pretty busy too.” Shen Youwei slowed the car and stopped at a red light. “Anyway, my parents are coming back at the end of the year. We’ll deal with it when they return.”
“Fair enough.” Xie Mingqiu nodded, then seemed to recall something. “They ran into Shanyan while they were abroad, did you know that?”
“Yeah, they happened to be there during the big fashion show. They even went to watch and bragged to me about it for two whole days.”
Xie Mingqiu burst out laughing. “She sent me a video too. It really was stunning. It’s fine—next time, the two of us will go abroad together to see a show.”
“Sure,” Shen Youwei replied with a smile of her own.
After they reached the neighborhood, Shen Youwei followed Xie Mingqiu’s directions and drove into the underground parking garage. After making a few turns inside, Shen Youwei spotted someone standing in the distance.
He was wearing a black, fitted turtleneck with his hands in the pockets of a pair of beige casual trousers. When he noticed a car approaching, he lifted his eyes slightly and looked in her direction.
Even though there was still some distance between them, Shen Youwei’s heartbeat quickened the moment he looked over. Maybe he recognized the car—he straightened up a little, and the contours of his upper body were even more defined under his clothes.
Shen Youwei pressed her lips together. No wonder he’s an internationally recognized designer—his outfit looked effortless but was clearly full of subtle, calculated details.
“It’s Shanyan. He came down to wait for us,” Xie Mingqiu also spotted Guan Shanyan and directed Shen Youwei to park in the space next to him.
Once the car was parked, Xie Mingqiu got out first. “The trunk is full of luggage—come help us carry it.”
Guan Shanyan glanced toward the driver’s seat, then walked to the back and opened the trunk. Shen Youwei stayed in the car for a few seconds before getting out and helping Xie Mingqiu pull the suitcases from the back seat.
Guan Shanyan lifted two large suitcases out of the trunk and closed the lid. “You packed this much?”
Dragging her suitcase, Shen Youwei avoided looking at him. “It’s all clothes. I need them for work.”
“Exactly. She’s a fashion blogger—of course she has a lot of clothes,” Xie Mingqiu chimed in, then motioned for the two to head upstairs. Her eyes paused briefly on Guan Shanyan’s hair. “Did you wash your hair just now?”
“…It was on the way, so I did it.” Guan Shanyan hauled the two suitcases to the elevator and pressed the button. Three people plus three large suitcases filled most of the spacious elevator. As it ascended floor by floor, Guan Shanyan and Shen Youwei didn’t say another word.
Standing between them, Xie Mingqiu sensed something was off. “What’s with you two? It’s only been three years—how did you get so distant?”
Neither of them responded. After watching them for a moment, Xie Mingqiu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Don’t tell me… you had a fight?”
The elevator suddenly felt even quieter than before, and Xie Mingqiu’s gaze toward the two of them grew more scrutinizing.
Shen Youwei curved her lips into a small smile and said to Xie Mingqiu, “Nope.”
She had only confessed to him, and then got rejected—nothing more.