DLRC – Chapter 105 The New Neighbor

Two days later, Zhang Jianguo finally learned that Song Xia had agreed to divorce him—she came to tell him in person.

This time, she came alone, without Yu Wei by her side.

When her purpose became clear, both Li Juan and Zhang Jianguo were overjoyed. Li Juan hurriedly urged Zhang Jianguo to take Song Xia straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau. But Song Xia said, “Pay up. Otherwise, I’m not divorcing you.”

Something was different about Song Xia that day—her entire aura had changed. Even though she was alone, she exuded a powerful presence that left the other two stunned.

Zhang Jianguo finally realized—this woman had been holding back for a big move.

“I’ve been with you for thirteen years. I gave birth to two daughters for you, but I haven’t enjoyed a single day of comfort. If you don’t pay me, if you don’t compensate me, I’ll go to your workplace every day and raise hell. Don’t blame me then for tearing things apart.”

She sneered coldly at the two of them. “Your superiors probably care a lot about their employees’ conduct, don’t they?”

After a long standoff, Zhang Jianguo caved for the sake of his future. He handed over the money to Song Xia—in front of Li Juan, no less.

It was the first time he realized how much Li Juan could flip out over a thousand yuan—she nearly fought him over it.

That actually worked out nicely for Song Xia. Without her saying much, the two of them started turning on each other.

Song Xia walked away satisfied, cash in hand. Li Juan, fuming, tried to snatch it back, but Zhang Jianguo stopped her by force.

“Li Juan! What are you doing?! Once we give her the money, we can get married! Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?!”

“Zhang Jianguo! That’s a thousand yuan! And you just gave it to that tramp like it’s nothing?! That’s not a small amount!”

It was the first time Zhang Jianguo heard Li Juan say the word “tramp.” Before, even if she never called Song Xia by name, she only used “old hag.” Clearly, today’s events had pushed her too far.

“What else could I do? My workplace is already planning to discipline me because of us. If I don’t let Song Xia get some benefits, she’ll cause even more trouble!”

Ever since she had Zhang Jianguo under her thumb, Li Juan felt that all of his money belonged to her—and her son.

So when she saw him hand a whole thousand yuan to Song Xia, it felt like he was digging into her very soul.

That money wasn’t his—it was hers!

Giving that money to Song Xia was like carving flesh from Li Juan herself. Of course it hurt like hell!

Soon, another round of arguments erupted between the two of them. Zhang Jianguo couldn’t understand—why would Li Juan be so upset when he gave his money to Song Xia?

That thousand yuan had a huge impact. For the next two days, their arguments never stopped. The fights were so fierce that even the neighbors upstairs, downstairs, and next door could hear them.

Everyone was puzzled and shook their heads. “Weren’t they always lovey-dovey? They’ve lived here a year or two already and never argued before. What’s going on lately…?”

But no matter how much they fought, Zhang Jianguo still had to go to work.

After the divorce with Song Xia a couple days earlier, when he returned to the factory, Director Liu and the other leaders surprisingly didn’t say a word about it. Everything was eerily calm—so calm it felt as if Song Xia had never shown up that day.

Zhang Jianguo was in high spirits, ready to embrace a new chapter in life. But on the fourth day, he rode his bike to work in the morning, only to find all his belongings dumped outside his office.

Panicking, he pushed the door open—only to see a stranger sitting in his chair.

“Who are you?! Where are my things?! Who let you in here?! Where’s security?! How can anyone just walk in?!”

Then Liu Dalong strolled in with his hands behind his back, slowly and deliberately—and Zhang Jianguo finally understood…

He’d been demoted!

“No, this has to be a mistake! Director Liu, I didn’t do anything wrong! There’s no way I’m being demoted! What did I do?!”

Getting demoted was one thing, but they didn’t just demote him—they stripped him of all authority, making him an ordinary employee. The lowest rank possible.

Liu Dalong frowned, clearly unwilling to argue. He simply ordered him to pack up and leave. The higher-ups had already made their decision and picked his replacement. It was a unanimous decision from above—no one could change it.

Zhang Jianguo nearly fainted. Just a few days ago, he handed Song Xia a thousand yuan. Now he was being tossed aside?! It was unbelievable!

He still couldn’t accept it. Staring at the man sitting at what used to be his desk, he muttered in disbelief, “Even if I’m demoted, I should at least be deputy director… or worst case… a department head…”

Liu Dalong couldn’t help but laugh. “Zhang Jianguo! At a time like this, you’re still clinging to job titles?! What you should be doing is reflecting on your own mistakes!”

Zhang Jianguo was on the verge of panic. “But… Director Liu, my wife and I are already divorced. I’m single now! What did I do wrong?!”

“This has nothing to do with divorce!” Liu Dalong originally wanted to reason with him, but seeing how fixated he was on his job title and the divorce, he gave up.

“Enough. Go report to your new post. Find Xiao Zhao—he’ll take you to the new workshop.”

“No! Director Liu! Director Liu!”

Xiao Zhao, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward and blocked Zhang Jianguo. “Come on, Old Zhang. Time to get to work.”

Zhang Jianguo was unwilling—how could he accept going from Director Zhang to just “Old Zhang”? His heart burned with rage, so fierce he began to tremble.

He ran out of the factory like a madman, but once he reached the street, his vision blurred…

He wanted to find Song Xia, but he didn’t even know where she lived now…

It was over. Everything was gone.

For Song Xia, life in the new home truly began after she received that thousand yuan.

On the third day after moving in, once she had familiarized herself with the neighborhood, she invited Yu Wei and her son over for a meal.

Though she had never touched alcohol before, she drank two taels of baijiu by herself—and then collapsed on the bed.

The sensible Shu Le and Shu Ya brought the dishes into the kitchen to clean up. Yu Wei chatted with the two girls for a bit before taking Yu Hui home.

They had walked there. Song Xia’s new home was close to the dessert shop but not very close to Jiang Aihua’s courtyard, so Yu Wei had to go by the shop to get her scooter before taking her son home.

It was 8 p.m. by the time they got back. It was a little chilly outside, so after Yu Hui washed up, he lay on the bed to play with Xiaobai. Xiaobai had also just had a bath—otherwise, Yu Wei would never have allowed her son to bring it onto the bed.

“Huihui, Mama’s going down to take out the trash!”

“Okay!”

Yu Wei glanced at her happily playing son, then closed the door behind her and carried out two days’ worth of garbage.

If there was one inconvenient thing about living near Jiang Aihua’s place, it was taking out the trash.

You had to go to the alley next door, where there was a big communal pit for dumping garbage. Jiang Aihua was a clean freak and never allowed tenants to pile trash near her courtyard—especially in summer, when odors could easily develop.

Because of the situation, everyone could only diligently take the long way around to throw their trash in the bin next door.

As Yu Wei was heading out, she noticed the lights were on in the unit that used to belong to Song Xia—it seemed the new neighbor had moved in. She’d seen signs of someone moving in a few days ago, but it wasn’t until now that she realized someone was actually staying there.

Come to think of it, she didn’t even know whether the neighbor was a man or a woman, whether they were easy to get along with or not…

Too lazy to think about it further, Yu Wei grabbed her trash and headed downstairs. It was nearly nine at night, the streets were deserted, surrounded by residential buildings, narrow alleys everywhere, and the streetlights were pitifully sparse.

Even the short walk to the trash drop-off spot had to be taken carefully, or she risked stepping into a pothole.

As she walked, a biting wind whistled down her neck. She hadn’t thought much of it when she came down, but who would’ve guessed it’d be this cold?

After tossing the trash, Yu Wei rubbed her chilled hands together and began walking back. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, but just as she was passing the small alley next door, she heard a faint rustling sound.

She figured it was probably a stray cat or dog rummaging for food—nothing unusual.

But as she reached the alley’s entrance, she suddenly realized—it wasn’t an animal making that noise… it sounded like people!

At this hour, there really shouldn’t be anyone wandering outside. If it weren’t for the trash run, Yu Wei wouldn’t have come down either. Who could possibly be hanging out in a dead-end alley this late?

That alley was a cul-de-sac—there was no reason for anyone to be in there.

But just as she was about to leave, she heard a soft, sultry moan come from inside.

“Mm… not so rough…”

Yu Wei: “?”

Was that… gossip she smelled?

She immediately stopped in her tracks, leaned in toward the alley, and eavesdropped just a little.

She hadn’t expected to hear… a couple in the middle of that kind of thing!

“Oh my god…”

What!?

Yu Wei quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from making a sound. From inside, the teasing voices of a man and woman drifted clearly to her ears.

Though the woman’s moans were somewhat muffled, the surrounding area was just too quiet. Anyone walking by would definitely hear what was going on.

Seriously? Wasn’t the 1980s supposed to be a more “conservative” era? How were people this bold?

Yu Wei couldn’t believe it, but still stayed to listen. The sounds soon became so heated that she swallowed hard. As someone who’d never dated before, she really couldn’t take it anymore. She took two steps back, planning to pretend nothing had happened and make a swift exit.

Time to go!

But—huh?

Something warm suddenly pressed against her back, and the shock made her body jolt. She was about to scream—

But before she could, a large, hot hand covered her mouth firmly.

Yu Wei kicked and flailed in panic. The person behind her bent down and whispered close to her ear:

“It’s me. Don’t move.”

Her heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled back into her chest.

She furiously turned around and punched the shameless man hard.

Lowering her voice, she growled, “What are you doing here?!”

Huo Mingwang leaned down, their faces inches apart. “Working late. I was just about to head home.”

Head home? What was he doing “heading home” in her direction? That didn’t make any sense.

Suddenly, the air between them turned silent, while the wild couple inside the alley kept going, their steamy sounds making Yu Wei blush furiously.

Seriously, it was still the 1980s! Weren’t they afraid of being caught and charged with indecency?

Yu Wei’s cheeks burned. She tried to sneak away in the opposite direction, walking on tiptoe—only to have Huo Mingwang block her path with mischievous intent.

The couple in the alley was still at it. Huo Mingwang placed his hands on her shoulders, and his fingers brushed her neck, the warmth of his palms making her shiver.

The moans nearby made Yu Wei’s entire body feel hot.

She tried to escape his grasp, but Huo Mingwang pressed his arms down slightly, pinning her against the wall.

They were so close—he even had the shameless audacity to lower his head further, his breath falling warm and steady against her cheek.

Yu Wei tensed, afraid to make a sound. On instinct, she raised her knee, pressing it into his thigh.

The man’s overwhelming presence made her even more nervous, especially with the lewd sounds continuing in the background. Her heart pounded wildly.

She tilted her head up, and under the faint moonlight, saw Huo Mingwang’s deep, penetrating eyes staring right at her. They were beautiful, glowing like the dusk-lit sky, as though they could suck her right in.

Maybe it was just the dim light, but his eyes looked darker than usual.

“Huo Mingwang, what the hell are you doing?! Get out of the way!” she hissed, trying to shove him, but he didn’t budge.

She struggled a bit and lifted her arm to pry his hand off her shoulder.

Though he was holding her, he wasn’t using much force. Yu Wei barely pushed and his hand left her shoulder.

Then, to her surprise, he lifted his arm and used his slightly rough fingertips to gently stroke her cheek.

“Yu Wei… it’s been so many days. Are you still mad at me?”

Even worse—he didn’t even know why she was mad in the first place.

Yu Wei turned her head, dodging his burning breath, and made to leave. Naturally, he pulled her back again. But given the situation, she didn’t dare make a scene.

She kept resisting, but in a moment of distraction, Huo Mingwang leaned in and planted a feather-light kiss on her cheek.

Finally… after all these days, he had kissed her again.

Even if it was just her cheek, it felt to him like kissing the entire world.

“You’re shameless!”

Yu Wei growled and gave him a hard shove before bolting in the opposite direction. She didn’t care anymore if the couple in the alley heard her—she just wanted to get away from this suffocating man!

Huo Mingwang glanced once more into the alley. The wild couple was still at it, blissfully unaware of the commotion outside. Then he jogged off after Yu Wei.

Being pressed against the wall with Huo Mingwang had clearly been right in the path of the cold wind. Her body felt flushed from his closeness, but in truth, she had been freezing.

Now that she was running, Yu Wei suddenly shivered from the cold.

The wind was bitter and sharp—it almost froze her into an icicle on the spot!

The unlit path was especially hard to walk on. She tiptoed carefully, and soon Huo Mingwang caught up to her. Just as she was about to reach Jiang Aihua’s little yard, finally stepping into the light, she tripped over something on the ground.

In a flash, she fell forward, about to faceplant—but Huo Mingwang caught her by the waist just in time.

“Careful!”

Yu Wei took a moment to gather herself. He pulled her up, and she stood there, gasping, each breath visible in the frosty air.

“Come on, I’ll walk you upstairs.”

Huo Mingwang held her hand. She was still a little dazed, but his warm grip wrapped around her frozen fingers. On this bitterly cold night, the warmth was surprisingly comforting.

“No need, Huo Mingwang. Just go home already.” Yu Wei felt like she hadn’t been annoyed with him long enough, but since he’d just saved her, she didn’t know if she should give him the cold shoulder or not.

It just felt… awkward.

“I am going home,” he said with complete confidence, which made Yu Wei frown.

“Going home where?” He didn’t even live here. What nonsense.

Huo Mingwang didn’t answer, simply walked beside her. When they reached the stairwell, Yu Wei couldn’t hold back anymore.

“I said, it’s late—stop following me! We’re already at the stairs, I can go up myself!”

Huo Mingwang’s expression turned serious. “I really am going home.”

As if to prove his point, he suddenly let go of her hand and strode up the stairs. Under Yu Wei’s baffled gaze, he headed straight for the unit that used to belong to Song Xia.

“No way…” Yu Wei hurried after him, only to see the man casually pull out a key and unlock the door!

Yu Wei: “?”

“You’re kidding me, Huo Mingwang, you—”

But Huo Mingwang just gave her a calm glance and stepped inside. “Go to bed early. See you tomorrow.”

Click.

The door shut gently, leaving Yu Wei stunned in the hallway.

So now Huo Mingwang was… her neighbor?