Chapter 28: “Beautiful and Kind-Hearted”?

When He Chunmei met her gaze, she immediately understood. “Then let’s just wait here. We’re not working today anyway, and there’s nothing much to do at home.”

Her son and daughter both had fevers, but aside from worrying, there wasn’t much else she could do right now.

Besides, she was right outside her own door, so she could take care of things if anything happened.

Her husband, Zhou Guangfu, had gone out to buy medicine and supplies and hadn’t returned yet, but both of their parents were still at home.

“Big sister, do you have any disposable paper cups?” Zhang Qiqi turned to her and asked.

He Chunmei was taken aback. “Uh, yes, I do. Why?”

Zhang Qiqi brushed her long hair over her shoulder and parted her red lips to say,

“I still have a few packs of sour plum powder at home. I’ll go downstairs and bring one up, and you can make a refreshing drink for everyone with the paper cups. My son is still in the apartment, and he’s showing signs of a fever too. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone downstairs, so I’ll bring him up with me.”

As soon as everyone heard this, they all looked at her with admiration and envy.

“Oh my, miss, you’re so young and you already have a child!” said the young woman who had earlier reminded everyone that blocking the door was illegal.

Another woman clicked her tongue. “Exactly! Look at that slim waist, not even a hint of a belly. And your face is so full of collagen—you don’t look like someone who’s had a baby at all!”

It was so hot today that Zhang Qiqi was wearing a fitted, floral, spaghetti-strap chiffon dress that perfectly showed off her slender figure.

“Girl, you really are beautiful and kind-hearted. Sour plum drink is the best thing to beat the heat!” a woman in her fifties chimed in.

“That’s right! This is how neighbors should act—helping each other out and getting through tough times together. Not like that brat in 3201, who only thinks of herself and hogs everything! Let’s see who’ll help her when she gets into trouble!”

He Chunmei, still fuming, finished her rant and even turned to spit in the direction of Jiang Yan’s door.

Zhang Qiqi listened to everyone’s praise, her joy barely concealed in her eyes.

Once the gossip started, it was hard to stop.

“Let me tell you, if a woman gives birth to a son, it means she’s smarter than her husband. But if she has a daughter, it means the husband is smarter than the wife—there’s scientific evidence for this! So Qiqi, you must be super clever and totally able to handle your husband!”

“Your husband must have saved the galaxy in his past life to marry someone like you!”

The conversation quickly shifted to Zhang Qiqi’s husband.

“Qiqi, what does your husband do? How could he leave you and your child at home in this heat? Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your husband,” said the pregnant woman who had earlier mentioned seeing Jiang Yan go out.

She liked to stand by her floor-to-ceiling window and watch people coming and going in the garden.

She’d seen Zhang Qiqi moving in, too.

But it was from a distance, and since Zhang Qiqi had been wearing a black dress at the time, she hadn’t noticed the black mourning band on her arm.

The pregnant woman’s question drew everyone’s curious gaze to Zhang Qiqi.

After all, she was so young and pretty, yet her husband was never around—it was hard not to be curious.

“My husband is a deep-sea sailor. He’s out at sea overseas and hasn’t come back yet,” Zhang Qiqi replied smoothly, then sighed with a frown:

“Sigh, with these global heatwaves and all those bloodsucking mosquitoes, who knows when he’ll be able to come home.”

“Wow, a deep-sea sailor! That pays really well, and he’s stuck on a ship with nowhere to spend money. So he earns the money and you get to stay home and be beautiful—so jealous!” someone exclaimed, looking at her with envy.

Others chimed in, and the atmosphere in the hallway was even hotter than the fifty-degree heat.

Zhang Qiqi listened to all the flattery with a beaming smile, but inside she felt a mix of emotions and wished she could disappear on the spot.

“All right, ladies, you keep chatting. I’ll go downstairs and get the sour plum powder for everyone,” she said, not waiting for a response before turning to leave.

As soon as she stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, her expression changed instantly.

Meanwhile, the others kept gossiping, their voices growing louder.

He Chunmei glanced at the doors of 3202 and 3204, which had remained tightly shut, and suggested,

“Everyone, it’s still early, and standing here isn’t a solution. Who knows when that brat will be back? How about this: most of us come wait in my apartment, and we take turns keeping watch here. As soon as the elevator comes up to the 30th floor, we call the others. How’s that?”

“Good idea!”

“Thanks, Chunmei!”

Everyone was already dizzy from the heat, and after being swept up in the group mood, they all agreed in unison.

*

By the time Jiang Yan returned to the area near Shallow Water Bay, it was already past five in the afternoon.

The temperature had climbed to fifty-five degrees Celsius.

She stashed her motorcycle in her space in a deserted alley near the complex, where there were no people or cameras.

Then she took out a large backpack she’d prepared earlier.

She’d left with this backpack that morning.

She knew that in city apartment complexes, neighbors usually didn’t pay much attention to each other.

Some people barely exchanged greetings all year.

But there were always a few busybodies who liked to watch from the shadows, especially on a day like today, with extreme heat and bloodthirsty mosquitoes attacking people.

Besides, the layout of Shallow Water Bay was odd.

Everyone had to pass through the central garden to leave, which meant all your comings and goings were on full display.

Her backpack was now stuffed with instant noodles, tissue boxes, and other light but bulky supplies.

The side pockets bulged with two bottles of mineral water.

She also carried two non-woven shopping bags, each filled with various supplies.

Anyone could tell at a glance she’d been out shopping for supplies.

That morning, she’d left early, and the garden had been almost empty.

She’d been covered from head to toe, so no one had noticed her.

But now, there were clearly more people lugging big bags of supplies home at the entrance.

Cars were lining up to enter the underground garage.

She thought for a moment, then took off her strange, eye-catching heat-protection hat and swapped it for a baseball cap and sunglasses to shield her eyes from the glaring sun.

All set, Jiang Yan braced herself against the wave of heat and headed for the entrance.

Just as she stepped through the gate—“Thud!”—a black dead bird fell from the sky.

Jiang Yan frowned slightly.

She glanced at the ground and saw several dead birds scattered around the central garden.

There were some on the street outside too, but clearly more inside the garden.

Most likely, they’d died of dehydration from the heat.

Special note: Some bizarre plot points, comments, or character settings are purely for story purposes and are not intended as negative references or guidance."