Chapter 497 - 496: What-if: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 65

Chapter 497: Chapter 496: What-if: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 65

Shi Lan had just finished playing with Ping’an and was about to make lunch. But not long after she entered the kitchen, she heard a knock at the door.

On the gleaming living room floor, Ping’an was panting, its red tongue hanging out. Its round, emerald-green eyes, like glass marbles, darted toward the door. Seeing Shi Lan go to answer it, the cat remained where it was, too tired to move.

"Who is it?"

Shi Lan asked.

From the other side of the door, Jiang Xia’s cheerful voice rang out. "Hello, I’m your upstairs neighbor."

’Jiang Xia?’

Hearing the familiar voice, Shi Lan blinked in confusion. ’Why is he here at this hour?’

She walked over and opened the door, and the sight of Jiang Xia standing outside immediately dazzled her.

The young man wore a white T-shirt under a denim vest, with light-blue, loose-fitting jeans. A spiral silver chain hung around his neck. The whole look was cool and casual, radiating a youthful energy.

The moment Jiang Xia saw her, a smile spread across his face, his canine teeth faintly visible at the corners of his lips. His voice was pleasant and sweet, with a boyish charm. "Hi. I’m not disturbing you, am I?"

Shi Lan shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Jiang Xia pursed his lips, looking a little embarrassed. "It’s nothing major. I just wanted to apologize for last night. I promise I won’t disturb you again. And... I also wanted to say sorry about the water leak from before."

Shi Lan couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’So Jiang Xia really is He Hanshi’s cousin.’

They had both mentioned a water leak, but it had been a while now and her apartment was completely unaffected, so Shi Lan hadn’t given it a second thought.

She said, "It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Just be more careful from now on."

"Okay, okay! Right, since we’re going to be neighbors, we should get to know each other. I’m Jiang Xia!"

Afraid she might refuse, Jiang Xia blurted out his name all in one breath. Then, he looked at her expectantly with his big, dark eyes, awaiting her response.

He still didn’t even know his goddess’s name.

Shi Lan felt that Jiang Xia was trustworthy enough, so she didn’t feel the need to be guarded and willingly shared her name.

"My name is Shi Lan."

"Shi Lan? Shi Lan... I’ll remember that."

Jiang Xia mumbled to himself, a brilliant smile never leaving his face.

Perhaps seeing its owner chatting at the door for so long, Ping’an, who had been resting, trotted over curiously and began to affectionately rub against Shi Lan’s leg.

Jiang Xia’s gaze immediately fell on the cat, and a pang of jealousy soured his mood. Even his voice lost some of its earlier cheerfulness. "Is that your cat? It’s so clingy."

"Yes, he’s a good boy. His name is Ping’an."

Shi Lan scooped the cat into her arms. Ping’an nestled comfortably against her chest, resting its paws on her arm and looking at Jiang Xia.

Although the cat’s gaze was innocent and gentle, Jiang Xia couldn’t shake the feeling that it was taunting him.

’Not long ago, that kind of treatment was all mine.’

’Damn it, why can’t I be Shi Lan’s cat?’

Right now, Jiang Xia’s mind was completely filled with the thought of being Shi Lan’s cat. He was jealous that Ping’an could be so intimate with her, while he could only watch like a polite stranger.

Jiang Xia was grinding his teeth. Shi Lan found his expression growing stranger and stranger, and couldn’t help but ask, "Jiang Xia, are... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m great."

Jiang Xia suppressed his jealousy. Hearing Shi Lan say his name brought him a little satisfaction, but his words still came out tinged with sourness.

But at least this proved one thing: his recent experience of turning into a cat wasn’t a dream. The cat in Shi Lan’s arms, from its appearance to its name, was identical to the one he had become.

’If it happened once, it could happen again.’

At this thought, Jiang Xia felt a strange sense of anticipation. He wasn’t quite as jealous of the Ping’an in Shi Lan’s arms anymore. After all, without that cat, he wouldn’t have had the chance to be so close to Shi Lan.

Having been a cat once, Jiang Xia had forgotten one thing: as a human, he could pursue Shi Lan openly. If he won her over, he could still have that same intimacy.

Jiang Xia was suddenly eager to go back upstairs and get more sleep. His eyes swept over the apron tied around Shi Lan’s waist, and he said considerately, "Well, I’ll let you get back to it. I’m heading home."

"By the way, you don’t mind if I call you ’Sis’, do you?"

Jiang Xia looked at her with a soft, expectant gaze. He was verbally asking for her opinion, but his eyes made it clear he was going to call her that anyway.

He felt that calling her "Shi Lan" was too distant. He didn’t like it.

Shi Lan’s heart gave an unexpected flutter. Unable to handle the young man’s intense gaze, she averted her eyes slightly. After considering their age difference for a moment, she mulled it over. "Hm, I guess so. I’m 28, and you must be only 18 or 19. Calling me ’Sis’ is perfectly reasonable."

"Wow, and I thought you were only 20!"

Shi Lan was absolutely delighted by his flattery. She never expected Jiang Xia could be such a sweet-talker.

"Then I won’t keep you any longer, Sis. See you next time."

With that, Jiang Xia bounded cheerfully up the stairs, not giving Shi Lan a chance to object to the "see you next time."

Shi Lan shook her head with a helpless smile. As she closed the door and turned to go back inside, she caught a glimpse of her own smiling face in the entryway mirror and paused in surprise. Jiang Xia’s ardent gaze must have struck a chord in her heart, because the reflection staring back at her had the tender, shy blush of a girl with her first crush.

She quickly patted her cheeks. ’Good grief,’ she thought, ’Jiang Xia is almost ten years younger than me. What am I thinking?’

Still, no wonder everyone says you should date younger guys. Talking to someone so young was really different; it was as if she felt much younger herself.

Thankfully, her mind was only in a flurry for that one moment. Soon, her heart was as calm as still water again.

Shi Lan put the cat down and went back to the kitchen to get busy.

When Jiang Xia got back to his apartment, He Hanshi had already set the table with the food Assistant Chen delivered. He Hanshi glanced up at him. "What took you so long? Go wash your hands. It’s time to eat."

"Oh, okay."

Jiang Xia quickly washed his hands and sat down at the dining table. He Hanshi noted the overly joyous expression on his cousin’s face and narrowed his eyes impassively. "I told you to go apologize. What are you so happy about?"

Jiang Xia picked up his chopsticks and started eating in a hurry, mumbling through his food, "Cousin, that ’Sis’ downstairs is a knockout. Of course I’m happy to see a beautiful woman."

Hearing him use the word "Sis" was exceptionally grating to He Hanshi. His grip on his chopsticks tightened. "Wipe that frivolous look off your face. Besides, people who buy an apartment with a private elevator lobby do so because they don’t wish to be disturbed."

"I know, Cousin."

Jiang Xia’s eyes shifted. He was suddenly filled with regret. ’I forgot to get Shi Lan’s contact information!’ he thought. ’But that’s okay, there will be other chances.’

He was incredibly grateful that his cousin had let him stay here. It was all thanks to him that he’d been able to meet his goddess.

’Shi Lan, Shi Lan, Lanlan... hehe...’

Jiang Xia chanted Shi Lan’s name in his head, practicing the more intimate nickname for her as his ears quietly started to burn.

He Hanshi finished his meal with a grim expression. The moment Jiang Xia put down his chopsticks, he said, "I’m selling this apartment. You’re moving back to the dorms."