novelraw Chapter 40 - Housewarming Party – Why Did She Show Up?
Chapter 40 - Housewarming Party – Why Did She Show Up?
Chapter 40. Housewarming Party – Why Did She Show Up?
Despite her groggy, feverish haze, Bai Xiyi had heard, and memorized, every word of her parents’ conversation.
She slept from morning until night, ate a little, then crashed again until dawn.
Now, replaying their words in her mind, her expression darkened.
“Invite me to tour their new home? As if!
It’s just an excuse to humiliate me in front of everyone. Hah! No way I’m going!”
She took a deep breath and seized the moment while her parents were out grocery shopping to slip away.
Back in her car, her phone rang.
“Mingyue? You’re finally done with work?”
“Lunch meetup? Sure, no problem!”
“Alright, let’s meet at the Bund in two hours.”
Hanging up, Bai Xiyi felt her energy surge back.
She returned to Beiya Bay, showered, slipped into a stunning outfit, and applied flawless makeup.
An hour later, she strode into a Bund café, where a radiant woman, her equal in looks and poise, greeted her with open arms.
“Xiyi! You’re here!”
“Has it really been two years?”
Bai Xiyi huffed. “Exactly! And you’ve been back in Shanghai for half a month, yet you’ve been ‘too busy’ to see me!”
Mingyue grinned and slid a coffee toward her. “Don’t be mad. You know how it is with Jinxiu. Mom barely managed to build it into the country’s only luxury brand before handing me the domestic operations. It’s been chaos!”
“But now that things are settling, here I am!”
Bai Xiyi took a sip, her mood lifting slightly. “Hmph. At least you’ve got some conscience left.”
Mingyue leaned in. “So, where’s your husband?
Out of all our friends, you married first, and to such a successful guy. How’s the high-society wifey life treating you?”
At the mention of Ye Chen, Bai Xiyi’s smile faltered.
She stirred her coffee, her voice carefully neutral. “That ‘high-society life’ is over. We’re divorced.”
Mingyue’s eyes widened, curiosity burning, but she held back. Now wasn’t the time to pry.
“Being single’s not so bad. Freedom, flexibility… no compromises,” she offered instead.
Bai Xiyi nodded. “True. My life’s simpler now. No overthinking, just hanging out with friends.”
“Speaking of which, don’t tell me you’re still single after two years?”
Mingyue smirked. “Proudly single since birth!
I’m my own spark, unmatched and unbothered.”
Bai Xiyi raised her cup in salute. “Respect!
Why settle for mediocre men anyway?”
They chatted for hours, lunch, shopping, laughter.
As evening approached, Mingyue suddenly asked, “Got plans tonight?”
Bai Xiyi blinked. “No. Why?”
“Well… I’m staying at Tianyue Mansion now, and my upstairs neighbors are throwing a housewarming party. Since we’ll be sharing elevators forever, skipping it might be awkward.”
“Wanna come with? The couple seems nice.”
Bai Xiyi almost refused, but then realized she’d just be scrolling her phone alone otherwise.
“Fine. Free dinner it is.”
Mingyue winked. “With us there, we’ll outshine everyone!”
Bai Xiyi smirked. “Obviously. Two goddesses in one room?”
Arm in arm, they headed to Tianyue Mansion.
—
Tianyue Mansion – Penthouse, Building 3
The new home was fully set up. Bai Xiyan had hired an event company to transform the spacious living room into an elegant fusion of Chinese-Western buffet-style dining.
As the final touches wrapped up, Ye Chen stretched. “Babe, send one last reminder, party starts at six sharp.”
Bai Xiyan, lounging across his lap, tapped out messages. Finally, she called her parents.
Thirty minutes later, the elderly couple arrived first. Bai Xiyan gave them a tour.
“It’s cozier than Zhongliang First Residence’s layout, more like a real home,” Bai Cheng noted.
Lin Meizhi pointed at a room. “A nursery? When are you two planning for kids? Do it soon, your dad and I aren’t getting any younger!”
“And a dog room? Pets are great for children later,” Bai Cheng added.
“Four hundred square meters is plenty. Bigger isn’t always warmer,” Lin Meizhi agreed.
Soon, Bai Xiyan’s close friends trickled in, followed by the socialites Ye Chen had rescued the day before, each bearing small gifts: potted plants, trinkets, tokens of goodwill.
Bai Xiyan pulled her mother aside. “Is… is my sister coming?”
Bai Cheng scowled. “That girl! Came home sick, made us nurse her, then sneaked out this morning without a word!”
Lin Meizhi crossed her arms. “No idea where she went!”
Just then,
Ding-dong.
A classmate near the door opened it.
There stood Mingyue and Bai Xiyi, arms linked, each holding a gift.
Every head in the room swiveled toward them.
Silence.
Then,
“…What’s she doing here?!”