Chapter – 61
“Doesn’t that mean you didn’t eat either, sis?”
Ning Xuechu stopped what she was doing, her puffed cheeks looking like a little hamster.
An Jianqing found it cute and couldn’t help poking them, smiling as she said,
“My work wasn’t complicated. The other side arranged everything well — I already ate before coming back.”
Ning Xuechu didn’t dodge. She glared at An Jianqing accusingly, then lowered her head and kept eating.
She was truly starving. In less than ten minutes, she finished her late-night meal.
An Jianqing handed her a cup of warm water and asked with a smile,
“Were you tired today? Did anyone make things difficult for you?”
“No…”
Ning Xuechu took a sip and shook her head.
“That’s good. I was worried you wouldn’t adapt.” An Jianqing’s expression was gentle.
Ning Xuechu froze slightly. She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt An Jianqing seemed to be hiding something.
Maybe it had something to do with Qiu Mengxi.
She’d been busy all day and hadn’t had time to think, but now that she was idle, her thoughts grew restless.
She pressed her lips together and hesitantly asked,
“Sis… did your cooperation talks go smoothly?”
“Mm, everything went well,” An Jianqing replied.
They had the advantage in this collaboration. It was already settled — the secretary could have come to sign the contract. She personally came only because she worried Ning Xuechu would be nervous on her first business trip.
“You’re amazing, sis,” Ning Xuechu praised with a smile, while wondering how to ask her real question.
After thinking for a while, she still couldn’t figure it out.
Seeing her frowning as if troubled, An Jianqing asked proactively,
“Xuechu, what’s wrong? Did something bother you?”
“No, no…”
Ning Xuechu waved her hands quickly, blinked, and said,
“Sis, I want to ask you something. You can’t get mad, okay?”
“What question?” An Jianqing asked with a smile.
“Promise me first, okay?” Ning Xuechu pouted slightly, her soft tone tinged with a bit of coquettishness.
An Jianqing laughed and nodded.
“Sis… today I met Miss Qiu. She said she’d come to see you. Did she?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her heartbeat sped up — thump, thump — echoing in her chest and stimulating every nerve.
She unconsciously tensed, waiting for an answer.
“No,” An Jianqing replied calmly.
Ning Xuechu looked unconvinced and blurted out,
“You two are so close — how could she not come?”
The jealousy in her words went unnoticed even by herself.
An Jianqing paused for a moment, then smiled in understanding.
With Ning Xuechu’s intelligence, she must have noticed her former admiration for Qiu Mengxi. Asking this now was probably because she was worried — afraid she’d “repeat the same mistake.”
“She’s probably still out having fun,” An Jianqing said lightly.
She lowered her gaze, unwilling to discuss Qiu Mengxi further. The past was already over; there was no need to pay attention to anything about her anymore.
Besides, today was only a coincidence.
Seeing her avoid the topic, Ning Xuechu felt irritated.
An Jianqing’s evasiveness meant she must be hiding something — but she had no proper standing to question her.
She was only a “younger sister,” not a “girlfriend.”
If she were the girlfriend, she definitely wouldn’t let An Jianqing talk to those messy people.
Thinking this, anger showed on Ning Xuechu’s face.
An Jianqing didn’t quite understand but didn’t ask. She tidied up the food trash and said,
“Xuechu, rest early. Tomorrow will probably be busier. You need to stay energetic.”
“I know…” Ning Xuechu replied pitifully.
Seeing An Jianqing about to leave, she hurried after her, grabbed the trash from her hands, and smiled,
“Sis, you worked all day — go rest. I’ll throw it away.”
“No need, I’ll do it on the way,” An Jianqing said.
Before she finished speaking, Ning Xuechu had already gone out the door.
An Jianqing had no choice but to let her.
There was a large trash bin beside the elevator. After throwing the garbage away and coming back, Ning Xuechu saw An Jianqing still standing at her doorway.
“Sis, why haven’t you gone to rest yet?”
“I’m going now,” An Jianqing smiled.
This was a VIP floor. Ordinary people couldn’t come up — only people with status stayed here — so there were no cameras in the corridor.
It was late. Even for just taking out trash, she felt a bit uneasy.
After all, many Alphas were staying here, mostly on business trips, and drinking was unavoidable.
If she ran into a drunk Alpha, it wouldn’t be good.
An Jianqing walked to the next room and opened the door. As she turned her head to speak to Ning Xuechu, she saw through the gap Qiu Mengxi approaching with the smell of alcohol.
Ning Xuechu saw her too and stepped in front of An Jianqing.
“Miss Qiu, do you need something?”
“I’m looking for Jianqing, not you,” Qiu Mengxi said, eyes raised in disdain.
Although she smelled strongly of alcohol, her gaze was clear — she wasn’t drunk.
“My sister needs to rest. Whatever it is, say it tomorrow,” Ning Xuechu said firmly, her usually gentle features showing rare sharpness.
An Jianqing was slightly surprised.
Watching Ning Xuechu stand in front of her, unafraid of a high-level Alpha, she suddenly felt like the child had grown up — she could already protect her.
“Move,” Qiu Mengxi said impatiently.
Ning Xuechu didn’t budge.
“If you take another step, I’ll call the police and security. If this gets big and your fiancée finds out, don’t blame me.”
Hearing the threat, anger appeared on Qiu Mengxi’s face. She glared fiercely at Ning Xuechu, then turned and left.
