This Director Is Not To Be Trifled With - Chapter 10
“What do you mean maybe like?” Jiang Chen looked completely confused. In her eyes, either you liked someone or you didn’t where did maybe even come into the equation?
Fair enough. Song Xian was more or less the same. None of her relationships ever lasted more than three months. People called her a love expert, but in reality, she was just an emotional rookie.
Jiang Chen sighed, “Ah! Looks like I’m not the only one suffering for love. That’s a relief.”
Song Xian: “Get lost!”
Song Xian: “Since real life is so full of troubles, how about we…”
Jiang Chen: “Great minds think alike.”
The two dove into a thrilling gaming marathon, completely immersed and forgetting their worries along with the time and even to eat. By around 1 p.m., with their stomachs staging a full protest, Song Xian finally ordered takeout.
Xiao Yutong was originally in her study handling some work stuff when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see a delivery guy.
“Hello, here’s your food,” the delivery guy politely handed her the bag.
“I didn’t order anything,” Xiao Yutong said warily, only cracking the door open slightly.
“Are you… ‘DreamLover1’?” The delivery guy could barely contain his laughter while reading the name.
Xiao Yutong: “…” DreamLover1? What kind of dumb name was that?
Suppressing a laugh, she said, “Could you double-check the order, please?”
The delivery guy looked over the receipt and read out the apartment number. “No mistake. This is for 1601. Maybe a friend ordered it for you?”
A friend? Xiao Yutong ran through the list in her head only Jiang Lan would send her food. Maybe she was worried she hadn’t eaten again. She had kicked that habit already, and had told Jiang Lan multiple times. Why couldn’t she remember?
Xiao Yutong brought the food inside and snapped a photo, sending it to Jiang Lan.
Xiao Yutong: Thanks for the love, Queen Jiang, but I’ve already eaten.
A reply came back quickly:
Jiang Lan: ??? [confused]
Xiao Yutong: Didn’t you send the food?
Jiang Lan: Definitely not me I just landed.
So it wasn’t Jiang Lan. Could it be Liu Qianwen? No way she was busy with her wedding. She wouldn’t care whether Xiao Yutong had eaten or not.
Could it be…?
She dialed the number of the person who popped into her head.
“Hello, baby!” came a woman’s voice with a tone straight out of another era.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me baby? I’m thirty now,” Xiao Yutong said, a touch exasperated. She’d always had a bit of an issue with the word “baby.”
Mom: “You’ll always be my baby, no matter how old you are! What else would I call you?”
Xiao Yutong: “Okay, okay. Serious question did you send me food?”
Mom: “Food? What food?”
So not her mom either. Then who the hell was it? She glanced around the living room, suddenly getting a chill down her spine. Thank god it was daytime otherwise, this would’ve been seriously creepy.
Mom: “Didn’t I tell you to eat less takeout? Oh right, remember my wedding next month. Dress up nicely and be sure to come!”
Xiao Yutong: “Got it. Hanging up.”
How many weddings was this now? She’d lost count. Ever since she turned eighteen, this kind of thing happened regularly. Apparently, this time the groom was a young guy her own age.
Sometimes she really admired her mom… and sometimes she just felt bad for her.
Right after hanging up, the doorbell rang again.
Who now?
She opened the door. It was Song Xian.
Song Xian: “I came to pick up the food. I typed the wrong apartment number.”
So the takeout was Song Xian’s. She claimed she’d accidentally put in the wrong unit, but Xiao Yutong was sure she did it on purpose.
She handed over the food, but Song Xian didn’t seem like she wanted to leave.
Xiao Yutong gave her a once-over. If she was ordering delivery, shouldn’t she be staying in? Why was she dressed up like she was going out on a weekend?
Not interested in making small talk, she asked, “Anything else?”
Song Xian hesitated for a moment, just about to speak when Xiao Yutong slammed the door shut.
Song Xian stood there for a few seconds, then headed back upstairs via the stairs.
Twenty minutes earlier, the two of them had waited forever for the food. When it never came, they called the delivery guy, who insisted it had already been delivered. Song Xian suddenly realized she had typed in Xiao Yutong’s apartment number by mistake. 1601 instead of 1701.
Since the food was marked as delivered, that meant Xiao Yutong was home.
Perfect she had an excuse to go downstairs and see her.
But then she noticed she was still in her pajamas, hair a mess, one pant leg rolled up to her knee, and dragging her slippers.
She couldn’t let Xiao Yutong see her like this! So she rushed back in, changed into something nicer, fixed her makeup, and then went downstairs to knock on her door.
She had wanted to ask where Xiao Yutong had gone that morning. But that door slam? Ouch. Oh well Xiao Yutong probably wouldn’t have answered anyway.
Still, just seeing her was worth it. She looked so homely today loose lounge clothes, hair down, no makeup, still gorgeous. Alluring. Tempting.
If Jiang Chen hadn’t been waiting, she might’ve pushed that door open and gone in.
Jiang Chen teased: “You dressed up just to pick up food? What, your downstairs neighbor hot or something?”
Song Xian admitted: “Yeah. She’s beautiful.”
Jiang Chen: “No way. I need to go check her out.”
Panicked, Song Xian grabbed Jiang Chen and pinned her back to the couch. “Don’t. The neighbor is Xiao Yutong.”
Jiang Chen: “What? Your boss and your one-night stand lives right downstairs?! Are you kidding me? I need a moment to process…”
Jiang Chen: “Girl, your life is more dramatic than a soap opera.”
Jiang Chen: I think you’re falling in love.
After lunch, Jiang Chen gamed a bit longer before heading out. Song Xian tossed the dirty clothes into the washer and crashed on the couch. She hadn’t slept well the night before and ended up napping until nearly 5 p.m.
Since she didn’t bring the dryer, she had to hang the laundry on the balcony. After putting up her jacket, she hand-washed her underwear from the morning.
It was windy. Clothes whipped everywhere. She clipped everything down with extra pins, and surprisingly, they dried within an hour.
But when she went to bring them in one pair of underwear was missing.
She searched the balcony. Nothing. Did it fall?
She leaned over the railing to check. Living on the 17th floor, she couldn’t see much below. Standing on tiptoe, she spotted it her underwear was hanging on the railing of the balcony below.
Song Xian: “…”
Of course it had to be underwear. Why not something else? Her skin wasn’t exactly thin, but this was still super embarrassing.
Forget it. She could just leave it.
But that was Xiao Yutong’s place. And that particular pair… well, Xiao Yutong had helped take it off that night and even complimented how sexy it was.
There was no getting out of this.
She gathered her courage and knocked on Xiao Yutong’s door.
“What now?” Xiao Yutong cracked the door just a bit. Since that night’s kiss, she didn’t open up fully anymore.
Song Xian: “I dropped something. Can I come in and get it?”
“What is it?” Given Song Xian’s recent behavior “accidentally” sending food, now dropping something Xiao Yutong didn’t buy it. No one was that clumsy.
Song Xian hesitated. “…Uh…”
Xiao Yutong sighed. “Do I look that easy to fool?”
Song Xian gave a wry smile. “Director Xiao, do I look like I have nothing better to do?”
Xiao Yutong, deadpan: “Yes.”
She added, “Wait here. I’ll get it.”
Song Xian suddenly had an idea. She wanted to see Xiao Yutong’s reaction when she realized it was underwear.
With a mischievous grin: “Okay~”
Xiao Yutong was really overdoing it she even tried to shut the door while going to retrieve it.
Moments later, she returned. Hair tied up, face red all the way to her ears. She bit her lip, flustered, voice shaky: “You better come get it yourself.”
Song Xian: “Director Xiao, are you afraid of me or something?”
Before she could finish, Xiao Yutong snapped, “Forget it then.”
As she started closing the door, Song Xian quickly wedged her foot in. Luckily, Xiao Yutong didn’t slam hard otherwise, her foot would’ve been toast.
Once inside, Song Xian didn’t head straight to the balcony. Instead, she looked around. The living room was tidier than before probably because Xiao Yutong had cleaned recently.
She finally had a proper look. The decor was similar to 1701. Elegant furniture, thoughtfully arranged. A few framed art pieces. That sofa she’d slept on it before. Quite comfy. Cuddling Xiao Yutong on it would be even better.
She was already drifting into fantasy.
Xiao Yutong sat in the lazy chair near the balcony door, holding a book, lounging in her sleep dress. Bare legs. Sunlight draped over her, glowing under the setting sun.
A sight to behold.
Song Xian: Xiao Yutong, do you even know how tempting you look right now?
After staring for a while, she finally retrieved the windblown underwear and tucked it into her pocket.
Not wanting to leave so soon, she made up a reason.
“Director Xiao, where did you buy this chair? Send me the link I want one too.”
She moved closer as she spoke, eventually sitting beside her.
Xiao Yutong, eyes still on her book: “Don’t even try. Take your stuff and go.”
She was older, wiser. She knew exactly what Song Xian was thinking.
Song Xian never intended to hide it. She reached for the book. “Director Xiao, you’re holding your book upside down.”
She wasn’t reading. Feeling flustered, she quickly flipped the book and glanced at the text. Then realized Song Xian had tricked her.
Song Xian shrugged innocently. “Well, now it is upside down.”
Xiao Yutong prided herself on her self-control. If she’d been fooled that easily, it only meant one thing she hadn’t been reading at all.
As Song Xian leaned in, their lips nearly touched.
Xiao Yutong swallowed nervously.
“Song Xian,” she said, steady but soft. “I’m not some naive girl at a bar you can charm with a wink. I’m thirty. I’ve seen too much. I admit, you’re very attractive but I don’t want to get too entangled.”
“So, Song Xian… stop trying to seduce me.”