Chapter 28 "Beautiful Inside and Out"?

He Chunmei met her gaze and instantly understood. "Then we'll wait here. We're not working today anyway, and there's nothing to do at home."

Although her son and daughter were running fevers, there was nothing she could do besides worry. Besides, she was right outside her own home and could attend to any situation immediately.

Her husband Zhou Guangfu had gone out to buy medicine and supplies and hadn't returned yet, but there were still two elderly people at home.

"Miss, do you have any disposable paper cups at home?" Zhang Qiqi asked her sideways.

He Chunmei was taken aback. "Huh? Yes, I do. Why?"

Zhang Qiqi reached up to smooth her long hair over her shoulders and parted her red lips slightly:

"I still have a few packets of sour plum powder at home. I'll go down and get one, and you can mix it with water in the paper cups to help everyone cool off. My son is still in the apartment downstairs, and he's showing signs of a fever. I'm not comfortable leaving him alone down there, so I'll bring him up with me."

Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at her with admiration and envy.

"Oh my, miss, you're so young and already have a child!" said the young woman who had earlier reminded everyone about the illegality of blocking doors.

Another middle-aged woman clicked her tongue. "Exactly! Look at that slender waist—not an ounce of fat. And that face full of collagen—you'd never guess she's had a baby!"

It was so hot today that Zhang Qiqi was wearing a fitted, floral-print, strappy chiffon dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure.

"You really are as kind as you are beautiful, miss. Sour plum soup is perfect for beating the heat!" chimed in a woman in her fifties.

"Exactly! This is the kind of neighborly behavior we should all have—helping each other and overcoming difficulties together. Not like that selfish brat in 3201, who only cares about herself!! Let's see who'll help her when she's in trouble!!"

He Chunmei huffed angrily and couldn't resist turning to spit in the direction of Jiang Yan's door.

Zhang Qiqi listened to the praise, her joy evident in her eyes.

Once gossip starts, it's hard to stop.

"Let me tell you, if a woman gives birth to a son, it means the wife is smarter than the husband. But if it's a daughter, then the husband is smarter than the wife. There's scientific evidence for this! So Qiqi, you must be sharp as a tack and have your husband wrapped around your finger!"

"Your husband must have saved the galaxy in his past life!!"

The conversation quickly turned to Zhang Qiqi's husband.

"Qiqi, what does your husband do? How could he leave you and your child alone at home in this heat? And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen your husband." This came from the pregnant woman who had earlier claimed to see Jiang Yan leaving.

She usually had nothing to do but stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows and watch people coming and going in the garden.

She had seen Zhang Qiqi moving in, too.

But the distance was too great, and since Zhang Qiqi had been wearing a black dress at the time, the woman hadn't noticed the black mourning band on her arm.

With the pregnant woman's question, the others also looked at Zhang Qiqi curiously.

After all, it was quite intriguing—such a young and beautiful woman, yet her husband was never around.

"My husband is an ocean-going sailor. He's gone abroad on a voyage and hasn't returned yet." Zhang Qiqi naturally answered without hesitation, then frowned and sighed:

"Ah, with the global heatwave and those Blood Mosquitoes, who knows when he'll be able to come back."

"Wow, an ocean-going sailor! The pay must be amazing, and the best part is he's stuck on the ship with nowhere to spend it. So he earns the money while you stay home looking gorgeous? So jealous!" Someone once again cast an envious glance.

The others chimed in as well, and the atmosphere instantly became even hotter than the fifty-degree temperature outside.

Zhang Qiqi listened with a bright smile to all the flattery, but inside, she felt a storm of mixed emotions, wishing she could vanish on the spot.

"Alright, girls, you keep chatting. I'll go downstairs to get the Sour plum powder for everyone."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left.

The moment the elevator doors closed behind her, her expression instantly darkened.

The others continued their conversation, their voices growing louder.

He Chunmei glanced at the tightly shut doors of units 3202 and 3204 next door and suggested:

"Everyone, it's still early. Standing around here isn't doing us any good, and who knows when that brat will be back? How about this—most of us can wait inside my place, and we'll leave a few people here to keep watch. If the elevator stops on the 30th floor, they can call the rest of us. What do you think?"

"Sounds good!"

"Thanks, Chunmei!"

Already dazed from the heat and further swayed by the group's enthusiasm, they all agreed in unison.

-

By the time Jiang Yan returned near Repulse Bay, it was already past five in the afternoon.

The temperature had climbed to fifty-five degrees Celsius.

She stopped in a secluded alleyway near the residential area—one without surveillance or people—and stashed her motorcycle into her dimension.

From the dimension, she retrieved a large backpack she had prepared earlier.

This was the same backpack she had carried when leaving in the morning.

She knew that in urban neighborhoods, people rarely paid much attention to their neighbors.

Some next-door neighbors might not even exchange greetings all year.

But there were always nosy individuals who liked to observe in secret, especially on days like this—with extreme heat and Blood Mosquitoes attacking humans.

Moreover, the layout of Repulse Bay's buildings was unusual.

Everyone had to pass through the central garden when leaving, essentially exposing all their actions to public scrutiny.

The backpack was now stuffed with lightweight but bulky supplies—instant noodles, tissue boxes, and the like.

The side pockets bulged with two bottles of water.

She also made sure to carry two non-woven shopping bags, equally filled with supplies.

Anyone could tell at a glance that she had been out shopping.

Earlier in the morning, when she had left, the garden had been nearly empty.

Fully covered from head to toe, she had naturally gone unnoticed.

But now, the entrance was crowded with people hauling bags of supplies back home.

Cars heading to the underground garage streamed in one after another.

After a moment's thought, she removed her conspicuous heat-resistant hat and replaced it with a baseball cap and sunglasses to block the blinding sunlight.

Fully prepared, Jiang Yan braced herself against the scorching heatwave and walked toward the residential entrance.

As soon as she stepped into the residential complex entrance, "Thud!" A black dead bird plummeted from the sky.

Jiang Yan frowned slightly.

She glanced at the ground—several dead birds were scattered across the central garden.

There were some on the roads outside too, but noticeably more in the garden area.

Most likely, the high temperatures had caused dehydration and death.