Chapter 26: A New Home
The SUV drove through the bustling streets, weaving between the tall buildings.
Colorful signs, vibrant advertisements, and the continuous flow of vehicles created a modern urban civilization that seemed perfectly in sync, giving one the illusion that the world remains eternally unchanged.
The place Wan Yue was taking Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao to was said to be a heritage and cultural preservation area in the old town of District J, a significant part of the historical and cultural accumulation of City C. In the midst of rapid real estate development, it was one of the few areas designated as a no-demolition zone for commercial properties.
As the road gradually narrowed, the buildings transitioned from skyscrapers to low, traditional residences. Finally, they stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley where motor vehicles were prohibited, and the group continued on foot.
The alley was quite narrow, flanked by traditional-style grey-tiled white walls, with various local cultural relief sculptures embedded into the wall. Behind the low walls were rows of old houses, each with their own courtyard.
From the outside, both the alley and these individual courtyard residences had been carefully repaired with municipal funding, preserving their aged style while incorporating exquisite modern details.
“… Five years ago, my close friend whose ancestral home is right here. Her ancestors passed away recently, so taking advantage of the opportunity to return home for the mourning, she intends to rent out this ancestral house. In local terms, it means maintaining the house with the warmth of life. She doesn’t care much about the rental price, as long as the tenants can be trusted.”
After walking hundreds of meters into the alley, Wan Yue led the two women to a red-painted wooden door of an individual courtyard.
The door was not locked; as it pushed open gently, a tall and beautiful woman in a black dress with long straight black hair was quietly sitting at an elegant little stone table, reading.
As Jiang Yao entered the small courtyard, she began to look around, surprised that such a quaint and luxurious individual residence still existed in the center of a bustling urban area.
Jiang Yan, on the other hand, turned her gaze towards the woman in black at the stone table, whose eyes met hers just as she glanced over.
The woman had light makeup, and judging from her appearance, she seemed to be under thirty—a graceful and composed beauty with bright, clear eyes.
At the moment their eyes connected, a hint of surprise flickered in the depths of the woman’s eyes, as if she felt a sense of familiarity.
In that eye contact, Jiang Yan seemed to resonate with something, and her feet involuntarily came to a halt.
“Wan Jie is here, come have some tea together.”
The woman in black withdrew her gaze, put down her book, and slowly stood up, gesturing to invite the three of them over.
“Mom!”
A little girl of about six or seven years, adorably dressed in a black princess dress, ran out from an inner room and clung to the woman in black, curiously observing the unfamiliar faces in the courtyard.
The exquisite and adorable little lady, reminiscent of a fine porcelain doll, made Jiang Yan glance at her a few more times.
Following closely behind was a tall young man in a suit, who brought out a tea tray, smiled slightly at everyone, and placed the tray on the stone table.
“This is my close friend, you can call her Sister Xiao Min. This is the Jiang sisters, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao.”
Wan Yue unceremoniously sat down first, jokingly squinting at the young man pouring tea: “Yang Nie, you and your wife should just move back to City C, then you can come to my place for drinks every day!”
“Ha ha, you all chat, I’ll take Meng Xi for a walk outside.”
The young man smiled softly, non-committal, and took his daughter’s hand to leave the courtyard, giving space to Wan Yue and the others.
“How about it, Xiao Min?”
Once the young man exited, Wan Yue turned to the woman in black and asked, “The child I just brought out plans to help at my store, and is very disciplined in her personal life.”
“Hmm, since she was introduced by you, I’m very assured.”
The woman in black looked at Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao again, nodding slightly: “Give me two days to get things organized, and you can move in. The rent is twenty thousand a year, is there any problem with that?”
For such a luxurious individual courtyard plus a three-bedroom layout, only twenty thousand a year for rent!
The woman’s calmness and generosity left Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao utterly bewildered, nearly making them drop the teacups in their hands. At this moment, they could only nod quickly in gratitude.
“Jiang Yan, you’re the older sister, right? … Hmm, you seem a bit too tense; you should relax a little.”
With business wrapped up efficiently in under two minutes, the woman in black personally refilled Jiang Yan’s cup, her beautiful eyes sparkling, hinting at a smile.
“Jiang Yan, if you get a chance, you can ask Sister Min here for advice; her throwing skills are quite remarkable, and I’m in awe.”
Wan Yue watched the slightly peculiar atmosphere unfold with a smile, hinting at something.
Wow, she’s so skilled? Even the old hag feels inferior? Isn’t she an ordinary person?
Jiang Yao was stunned; she even thought about revealing her true nature right on the spot to investigate further. However, just as she prepared to tune into her senses, she felt that Jiang Yan’s hand was firmly pressing down on her knee under the table.
“Thank you for trusting us, Sister Xiao Min. This house, my sister and I will take great care of it… Um, I also need to sort out my current rental, so we’ll head out first, and thanks again, Wan Jie!”
From the moment Jiang Yan laid her eyes on the woman in black, she fell into a strange state of chaotic guessing and anxiety.
That gaze, which seemed to penetrate her soul in an instant, held an invisible, icy blade within, unraveling her disguise and leaving her defenseless.
Not daring to maintain any more eye contact with the woman in black, Jiang Yan felt an inexplicable tension and immediately got up, pulling Jiang Yao along as they exited the courtyard.
Jiang Yan’s seemingly impolite behavior made Wan Yue and the woman in black laugh in surprise.
“Wan Jie, I’ve met many interesting people at your store, but these two today are even more intriguing and remind me of some past events.”
Once there were no outsiders, the woman in black changed her expression, her tranquility and elegance quietly fading as her demeanor became increasingly relaxed. She unexpectedly pulled out a pack of cigarettes from somewhere, took one out and lit it, then casually tossed another one to Wan Yue.
“Hmm? Tell me your thoughts.” Wan Yue said, putting the cigarette between her lips, her eyes squinting with a smile.
“That Jiang Yan doesn’t quite seem like a woman… Hehe, enough of that, let’s go to your store tonight for drinks. If not, in a few days, I’ll be heading back to City S. This past half month has been suffocating!”
The woman in black suddenly burst into loud laughter. Not far away, the tall young man who had just been preparing to reenter the courtyard with his daughter saw his wife and Wan Yue smoking leisurely without a care, and quickly stepped back to close the door.
If his daughter saw her mother smoking, would they give birth to another little rogue in the future?
“Haha, your man really lacks ambition!”
Wan Yue laughed until tears streamed down her face.
……
With Zhao Peng’s help, in just a few days, the resell of the cold snack cup was successfully completed. On July 14th, after paying half the deposit to break the lease, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao officially moved into their new home.
Located in a traditional cultural alley protected by municipal regulations, it was very quiet. The exquisite little courtyard and three-bedroom layout were a bit old but exceptionally well-maintained, fully furnished with appliances.
Collapsing onto the wide main bedroom bed, Jiang Yao felt so comfortable that she almost moaned. They had packed until midnight at the old rental, and with the early move to the new house, she couldn’t help but long for a nice nap.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yan curiously wandered from room to room, admiring the traces left by time.
Now, she and Jiang Yao had effectively chosen to depend on Wan Yue, no matter how beautifully the latter spoke to consider their pride; it couldn’t change the reality.
Wan Yue’s personal strength was beyond doubt, with resources that were unfathomably deep, and the other finally unraveled one of her inner knots.
To truly live freely and safely, one must first know what they are, and second, have the strength to protect their current life. The brutality of the vampire world had been witnessed enough in recent days; she didn’t want to become the next Tan Jie.
“小尧, stop lounging on the bed, get up and help clean again. We need to set up the appliances we brought, and go out to buy some household items. We need to tidy the house in these few days; you’re starting work at Wan Jie’s store next Wednesday.”
“Slap!”
“Ah!”
A direct slap landed on the lightly golden-haired girl’s bottom, the tender feeling lingering a few seconds and easing Jiang Yan’s tense, repressed mood.
