Volume 1 Chapter 176
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 176: Grasshoppers On The Same Rope
“Ahhh!!”
A sharp scream abruptly tore through the still air, startling Vivian so much her entire body jolted, her heart seemingly skipping a beat. She instinctively hunched her shoulders, her fingers clenching her clothes tightly, a look of tension and unease flashing across her face.
This sudden sound instantly drew the attention of everyone in the room. Eve didn’t even have time to finish changing, wearing only a thin, slender camisole, she rushed out of the room in haste.
Her steps were as swift as a gust of wind, she even forgot to put on her slippers, her bare feet making a series of hurried sounds on the floor.
At the same time, Leah also rushed out from the kitchen in the first moment. Her actions were even more astonishing than Eve’s, to save time, she actually leapt right over the dining table! Her clothes fluttered slightly upon landing, stirring a breeze.
Pipimu looked at Qianzhi with a bewildered expression, clearly not fully grasping what had just happened.
She blinked in confusion, her gaze shifting back and forth between everyone before settling on Qianzhi, her face full of puzzlement: Why would Qianzhi, usually so gentle, dignified, and graceful, suddenly scream in such an uncharacteristic way?
Qianzhi’s face was somewhat pale, her chest rising and falling slightly, as if she hadn’t yet recovered from the fright just moments ago.
She opened her mouth, about to explain to everyone what had happened, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. She paused, as if swallowing them back instinctively, her eyes flickering slightly.
She couldn’t very well tell Eve straight out that she had just been trying to secretly touch the stockings Eve had just taken off, only to accidentally bump into someone else’s hand, could she?
That sort of thing was simply too embarrassing. It practically robbed her of the courage to explain.
If Eve found out, she would surely be considered a bad child and kicked out, right?
“Anyway, there’s someone hiding behind the curtain!”
Qianzhi, deciding not to dwell on it, simply stepped forward and without hesitation, yanked the curtain open.
Her movements were swift and forceful. The curtain billowed sharply in the air, stirring a slight breeze.
And the moment the curtain was pulled aside, Vivian, hidden behind it, froze, her heart seeming to miss a beat.
Instinctively, she raised both hands, tightly covering her face, as if that could make her vanish from everyone’s sight. Unfortunately, her presence was simply too strong. Just her utterly flustered appearance was enough to give her away completely.
Right now, the only thing she could do was bury herself like an ostrich, unfortunately, she didn’t even have a hole in which to bury her head.
“Sister An Wei?”
Leah looked at Vivian, who stood awkwardly behind the curtain, and slightly frowned, a note of puzzlement in her tone. She had never expected to see Vivian here, and in such a… somewhat indescribable way.
“Who is she?”
Qianzhi, meanwhile, looked at Vivian with complete incomprehension. She had never seen this face before and had no memory of her. Clearly, the other couldn’t possibly be some noble’s offspring, or she would have heard of her by now.
“Sister Qianzhi, this is Sister An Wei. She just moved in next door yesterday.”
Leah blinked. Seeing Qianzhi’s expression still held a touch of wariness, she hesitated before lowering her voice, leaning close to Qianzhi’s ear, and explaining softly, “That… Sister Qianzhi, she’s a bit special. She can’t speak…”
Qianzhi was slightly taken aback, her gaze unconsciously lingering on Vivian for a moment.
Leah cleared her throat and added, “She had a high fever as a child and lost her voice afterward. She’s a little mute. But she’s a good person.”
Hearing Leah’s explanation, the expression on Qianzhi’s face finally softened somewhat. Her previously tense emotions relaxed, even her shoulders loosening a bit.
So she was someone Leah and Eve knew. She had thought it was some sneaky thief…
However, although the misunderstanding was temporarily cleared up, a new question surfaced in her mind. Why was Miss An Wei, who lived next door, here in Eve’s room?
“I see. I thought it was a thief. Good thing the misunderstanding is cleared up.”
Qianzhi cleared her throat, her tone noticeably more relaxed, but her gaze involuntarily glanced towards the balcony.
The balcony window was open, and this room’s layout was connected to the one next door.
Theoretically, as long as the windows on both sides weren’t locked, one could easily travel between the two rooms via the balcony.
Qianzhi’s gaze lingered on Vivian for a moment. The longer she looked, the more uncertain she felt in her heart.
They had just returned from outside, so An Wei definitely hadn’t come through the main door.
In that case, there was only one possibility, she had slipped in from the balcony.
As for why she would do that… The image of herself secretly groping for Eve’s stockings surfaced in Qianzhi’s mind. Coupled with the scene just now where her hand had accidentally collided with An Wei’s, a suspicion gradually took shape.
Could it be that this Miss An Wei before her, just like herself, was captivated by Eve but too embarrassed to say it out loud, hence sneaking into the room secretly?
After all, Miss Eve’s charm was truly immense. That gentle yet powerful aura was like lamplight in the night, drawing people in irresistibly. Once ordinary people came into contact with her, they’d probably find themselves unable to resist being moved. Moreover, An Wei lived right next door and saw Eve every day, that influence would only be deeper.
At this moment, An Wei, being scrutinized by everyone’s gazes, seemed like someone had pressed pause on her. She stood there stiffly, utterly at a loss.
Her persona was that of a little mute. At a time like this, she didn’t even have the ability to speak up and defend herself. She could only stand there dumbly, her eyes shifting evasively, like a small animal cornered.
“So it’s an acquaintance. Good thing it wasn’t a bad person sneaking in.”
Qianzhi was the first to break the awkward atmosphere, her tone instantly becoming warm and friendly. She casually took An Wei’s hand, smiling as she said, “Perfect timing. Since you’re here, don’t leave. Stay and eat with us.”
“It was all a misunderstanding just now, all a misunderstanding… That, nothing really happened.”
She waved her hand nonchalantly, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
To be honest, she was greatly relieved, thank goodness An Wei was a little mute!
Otherwise, her earlier attempt to secretly touch Eve’s stockings would have been exposed on the spot. Thinking of this, Qianzhi couldn’t help but feel secretly grateful while also setting off alarm bells in her mind.
No, just to be safe, she needed to think of a way to ensure An Wei wouldn’t spill the beans about this. After all, the two of them were grasshoppers on the same rope now. If she capsized, she would definitely drag Qianzhi down with her…
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