Xia Ning started brainstorming, thinking about how she should respond if Shu Qilan struck up a conversation with her.

While she was lost in thought, Shu Qilan, struggling to drag the bucket, brushed past Xia Ning without glancing at her.

Xia Ning: "..."

It turns out Shu Qilan didn't recognize her new look at all!

As a low-key bystander, Xia Ning watched with mixed feelings as Shu Qilan took a few steps and then got into trouble.

Xia Ning felt that Shu Qilan might have more of a protagonist's aura than her, at least she had that old-fashioned, melodramatic heroine vibe.

First of all, she fits the unchanging law of novel protagonists: wherever she goes, trouble arises and endless problems emerge.

No sooner had Shu Qilan put down the bucket and stood there catching her breath than she was surrounded by several people.

The middle-aged woman at the head of the group said with a forced smile, "Xiao Shu, you already have so much water at home, why are you still coming to fetch more?"

That aged tea aroma was so strong that even the smell of sweat couldn't mask it.

Xia Ning quietly hid under the shade of a tree not far away. Going home was not as important as watching a show!

Speaking of her brother Jian Yuan, according to Jiang Yuan's retelling last time, Jian Yuan has also moved to their neighborhood. How come Shu Qilan is leaving to fetch water alone?

As Xia Ning thought this, she couldn't help but look up at their apartment building and saw a figure in the window on the sixth floor.

Without a doubt, it must be Jian Yuan who was observing from the shadows.

With her two hundred hours of reading experience on Tomato Novels, Xia Ning instantly imagined their conversation.

—Woman, you just need to stay at home and be taken care of by me.

—No, I won't be a canary! I can live perfectly well on my own without your help.

—Hmph, with your delicate hands, can you even lift a bucket of water?

—I may be gentle, but I am not weak. Jian Yuan, just you wait, I can get the water back myself.

—Okay, you said it yourself, so don't come crying to me later.

...

"Hehehe." Xia Ning couldn't help but chuckle.

She could already picture Jian Yuan, dressed in a neat three-piece suit, arms crossed, chin slightly raised, humming "Interesting woman" in the sweltering heat of over forty degrees Celsius.

OH MY GOD!

Please give her the opportunity to see the live version.

Xia Ning regretted it again; she hadn't activated her ability to see and hear things from afar.

While wildly imagining things, Xia Ning also pricked up her ears to eavesdrop on the female lead's movements.

The middle-aged woman, Yunyun's mother from group 601, pointed out in one sentence that Shu Qilan was the big spender on bottled water in the group. People who were originally too embarrassed to ask for water suddenly felt like they had been given a royal sword and were standing on the moral high ground.

“Hey girl, if you have so much water, don’t fight with us for it. There are six of us in my family, and we have trouble even getting enough to eat and drink with just two buckets of water a day. You don’t seem to be short of water, so why don’t you share some with us?” an older woman said matter-of-factly.

An old man nearby chimed in, "That's right, that's right! Young people shouldn't be so selfish. Water is for saving lives."

His son said sourly, "The water from the waterwheel is hardly worthy of your 12,000 yuan price tag."

The other middle-aged man remained silent, only leering at Shu Qilan. This girl didn't look like a rich person; such expensive water was probably a gift from a sugar daddy. He wondered how much it cost per night.

Shu Qilan's thought process was abnormal, but she wasn't stupid. She could tell what these people were up to as soon as she heard it.

She likes to help others, but that doesn't mean she's willing to be blackmailed.

“I didn’t steal anyone’s water. This is what I deserve. I have bottled water. Does that mean that people who bought their own water don’t have the right to take more?” Shu Qilan turned to Yunyun’s mother. “Aunt Yun, I know you’re angry that I couldn’t borrow the dog from the 802 family, but I tried my best. You can’t force someone if they don’t want to.”

Xia Ning thought to herself, "Why is my house number more noticeable than me?!"

A hint of unease flashed across Yunyun's mother's face: "What does this have to do with dogs? Didn't your family collect a lot of water and food a few days ago? Even if someone else is short of water, you can't be short of it too."

A small gasp rippled through the crowd, and the way people looked at Shu Qilan changed.

Those who can still buy water and food now are definitely not ordinary people; you wouldn't guess that this young girl has such a powerful background.

Shu Qilan harbored resentment and vowed never to help 601 again; it was utterly ingratitude. Unfortunately, they lived right across from each other, making it impossible to guard against them.

It would be great if 601 could be moved.

Brother Jianyuan will definitely have a way.

Shu Qilan bit her lower lip. No, she couldn't ask Jian Yuan for help.

Jian Yuan will definitely take this opportunity to demand that she obey, and then take the opportunity to make some demands...

Recalling the unfinished kiss from that day, Shu Qilan's cheeks flushed.

Even with the player's bonus, Shu Qilan, who still looked fresh and fair, still blushed quite noticeably, but everyone assumed it was from the heat, except for Xia Ning, who connected with her brainwaves.

On the sweltering summer day, Xia Ning shivered violently.

To be honest, Xia Ning dislikes Yunyun's mother more than Shu Qilan. At least Shu Qilan has a purpose in doing things, either to gain favor or to improve her reputation. 601 is really petty and selfish, harming others without benefiting herself.

Yunyun's mother revealed that Shu Qilan had bought more supplies, thinking that everyone would now pressure her to "share" the water source even more. Unexpectedly, the others changed their tune.

The middle-aged man spoke first: "What kind of skill is it for you to bully a little girl? Girl, don't pay attention to them, I'll help you carry it back."

The woman rolled her eyes and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I think you're the one with ulterior motives, staring at that girl with a lecherous look! Girl, I was just joking. You're so pretty, be careful of men. I'm strong, I'll help you carry her home."

Middle-aged man: "Hey, how can you talk like that, old lady!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!