"..."

Just as Yan Huan was pondering over Bai Yi’s name and the fluctuating feelings it invoked, Sakuragi Hitomi followed up on An Le’s earlier attack on Ye Shiyu.

"It’s all in the past, and the President has just recovered and been discharged today, so let’s avoid bringing up events that might stir up bad memories, shall we?"

Upon hearing this, An Le furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Sakuragi Hitomi.

[Sakuragi Hitomi: 23%]

Their attitude was evident from the level of favorability they held towards Ye Shiyu.

Hence, although both were there for Ye Shiyu today, their demands were starkly different.

Sakuragi Hitomi merely wanted to address the issue of Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan living too close, while An Le aimed to dig up Ye Shiyu’s dark past and destroy her utterly.

It might be said to be a sort of understanding, as Sakuragi Hitomi’s thoughts coincidentally aligned with Yan Huan’s strategy.

"Well, it’s nothing. We were just looking at housing listings then..."

"Housing listings?"

Wang Yulu paused slightly, perplexed.

"Yes, at that time, I was still living in the South District, and commuting to work in the Jinghe District put quite a bit of pressure on me every morning."

Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu beside him and continued to explain,

"Though Ye International also has employee dorms, those are usually reserved for permanent employees through a lottery. It feels inappropriate for us to move in directly via connections, so we thought about renting nearby."

Seeing Yan Huan and Sakuragi Hitomi’s narratives aligning, An Le fell silent, refraining from further attacks.

Generally speaking, whenever Yan Huan spoke, she would cease to counter.

However, contradictions objectively existed, sometimes not addressing them didn’t mean they vanished.

The longer Yan Huan spent with An Le, the more he recognized this truth.

"Renting in the North Sea District, or a villa?"

Wang Yulu’s query was reasonable, and at that moment, sensing Yan Huan’s gaze, Ye Shiyu seemed to understand what he meant.

She glanced at Yan Huan, then at the silent An Le and Tong Yingying across from her.

After pondering for a moment, she softly spoke,

"Because An Le is also working at the Golden Lion Group’s contracted manga studio this summer, commuting back and forth is quite stressful...

"Sister Tong is actually a PE teacher at our school and has been living in the South District as well.

"Since we all know each other, it might be best to rent a nearby place together..."

Upon hearing this, An Le and Tong Yingying were mildly shocked.

Clearly, they hadn’t anticipated she would speak in such a way.

Wang Yulu glanced worriedly at Yan Huan, softly saying,

"You all really trust my Xiao Huan too much... Regardless, you’re all girls, and he’s a boy. It’s inappropriate for mixed-gender cohabitation to live together..."

So, Yan Huan’s mom was very traditional?!

"..."

Upon hearing Wang Yulu’s words, Sakuragi Hitomi, An Le, and Tong Yingying momentarily averted their gazes.

Evidently, these words were spoken far too late.

"Since Xiao Huan and I live so close, I’ve found a suitable housing source. I’ll invite An Le and Tong Yingying to move in.

"That way, we can commute together, and they can drop by anytime..."

As Ye Shiyu spoke, Sakuragi Hitomi raised her eyebrows, and An Le and Tong Yingying finally understood what Ye Shiyu was proposing, showing surprised expressions.

Ye Shiyu, being extraordinarily astute, instantly grasped that they all came here aggressively due to concerns about living opposite Xiao Huan.

Now, she directly suggested that if they were worried, they could move in too.

Though she hadn’t necessarily found a suitable house, saying she did took away the concern of rent, as she would cover it.

"..."

Sakuragi Hitomi happily took a sip of tea, while An Le and Tong Yingying had varied reactions.

[Sakuragi Hitomi: 31%]

[An Le: -91%]

[Tong Yingying: 3%]

However, Ye Shiyu’s words indeed had an effect, judging by the changing favorability ratings.

"Well, that’s great! Living nearby will be lively since Auntie has nothing much going on lately..."

Wang Yulu remained unaware of the intricacies behind the scenes, while Ye Lan scanned the group of girls, showing a look of irritation.

Unlike Wang Yulu, who perceived them simply as Yan Huan’s "good friends," Ye Lan knew of the ambiguity in their relationships.

Now, she was uncertain whether to inform her best friend of this matter.

Since she couldn’t even manage Shiyu herself, perhaps it’s best left to Yulu to worry about.

With her supervision, it should be fine...

Right?

"Buzz~"

The sound of a pressure cooker venting from the kitchen filled the air, and Wang Yulu’s expression changed immediately as she rose to check.

"You guys continue chatting. I’ll go check on the food."

"Auntie, let me help you..."

An Le glanced at Ye Shiyu once more, remaining silent for a moment before following Wang Yulu into the kitchen.

Aria was still watching cartoons, showing no interest in their discussion.

And Sakuragi Hitomi got up to find the bathroom, leaving the living room noticeably emptier.

"..."

Yan Huan smiled subtly and exchanged glances with Ye Shiyu.

Feeling his smile, Ye Shiyu blinked.

They hadn’t had the chance to converse because, a moment later, Yan Huan turned towards Tong Yingying, inviting her, 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Come on, Sister Tong, shall we check out the rooftop upstairs?"

"...Sure."

Accepting his invitation, she stood up and followed Yan Huan out.

"Click~"

"Whoa, weren’t we heading to the rooftop? Why are we here?"

Ascending the stairs, they arrived not on the rooftop but in Yan Huan’s room.