Papas Hotel, inside He Qing's room.

"Miss Qin, I didn't contact you earlier, you won't blame me, will you?" He Qing asked with a smile.

"How could I? I just really didn't expect that Miss He would surprise me so greatly. I don't even know how to express my gratitude. I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, but I still feel like I'm dreaming."

Qin Ruojing said sincerely, and couldn't help but reflect, "Chu Ge's mouth, is it really blessed? How can he be so accurate with his words?"

Sitting inside the Audi A8, Chu Ge waited for Qin Ruojing to come out while pondering about He Qing's matters. He couldn't make sense of it after a lot of thinking and simply stopped overthinking it, assuming He Qing was just bored and happened to find Qin Ruojing pleasing to the eye, impulsively making such a move.

After waiting for the time it takes to smoke two cigarettes, Qin Ruojing returned to the car, looking exhilarated, indicating she probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

After dropping Qin Ruojing off, Chu Ge drove home. As soon as he entered the building, he saw a familiar figure at the elevator entrance — it was He Qing, who was supposed to be staying at Papas.

Chu Ge couldn't help but feel speechless. What's this He Qing lady up to?

Massaging his forehead, Chu Ge walked over to the elevator, "Miss He?"

He Qing turned and smiled, "Back so soon? I thought you'd be having a few more drinks to celebrate with your chairman."

Chu Ge rubbed his nose, "She wanted to, but I didn't agree. But you... what are you doing here? Don't tell me you were waiting here for me?"

He Qing smiled slightly, "Just happened to be waiting for the elevator. From today on, we're neighbors."

Chu Ge was taken aback, blinking, "Huh? Neighbors? Miss He, you're not kidding me, are you?"

He Qing curled her lips, "What do you think?"

Chu Ge shook his head, "I can't guess. How could an ordinary person like me figure out the mind of China's number one beauty?"

While the two were talking, the elevator arrived on the first floor. He Qing stepped inside, and whether she was joking or not, Chu Ge had to go home, so he followed her.

Once inside the elevator, He Qing closed the door and the button for the eleventh floor was already lit.

As the elevator ascended, Chu Ge glanced at the button marked 11, then at the silent smiling He Qing, recalling the scene he saw in the morning of room 110's door being meticulously cleaned.

The answer seemed obvious; He Qing wasn't joking. She had indeed become his neighbor.

Coming to terms with this fact, Chu Ge felt increasingly puzzled. After a few moments of silence, he felt it was necessary to get some clarity.

"Miss He, please stop playing charades with me. Why choose to be my neighbor over staying in a five-star hotel, and why help Tianjiao Film and Television instead of investing in Han Court Film and Television, even inviting so many big stars? I really can't figure out your reasons for doing this. These actions don't seem to bring you any benefits."

He Qing smiled and asked in return, "Isn't it true that in this world, many things don't offer returns proportional to their costs? Besides... do you think making or losing money matters significantly to me?"

Chu Ge looked at He Qing speechlessly; although he felt this answer didn't explain his doubts, he couldn't refute her logic.

"Ding"

The elevator arrived on the eleventh floor. He Qing stepped out, glanced at Chu Ge's unit 111, "Chu Ge, we're at your doorstep, aren't you going to invite your new neighbor in for a bit?"

It didn't surprise Chu Ge that He Qing knew he lived there. Considering her status, it was natural for her to investigate the surroundings for safety before moving in.

Initially intending to chat with He Qing further, Chu Ge nodded, "I should be polite then. But if people knew China's number one beauty is visiting my home, who knows how many men would be jealous."

Speaking as he opened the door, inviting He Qing inside.

He Qing entered and casually glanced around, expressing some surprise while looking at Chu Ge, "Your home is really clean? I didn't expect you to be so diligent."

Chu Ge smiled, "It's not too bad. Another neighbor helped me clean up. If I did it myself, though it wouldn't look like a pigsty, it definitely wouldn't be this clean."

"Well, you are quite lucky then."

He Qing also smiled, thinking of the nurse taking care of her brother. She felt rather envious of Chu Shiyao. It seemed she and Chu Ge had a pretty good neighborly relationship.

"Yeah, I just wonder if you becoming my neighbor is my good fortune as well, Miss He. Pardon me for asking, but could you tell me the real reason you're living in a place like this?"

To He Qing, this question from Chu Ge was somewhat of a mood killer, but she knew she had to give Chu Ge a reasonable explanation; otherwise, it would definitely affect her plans.

He Qing nodded and smiled somewhat helplessly, "Actually, I've felt quite exhausted in the past. Seeing you living so freely now, I really envy you. So I also want to experience being an ordinary person, feeling carefree and relaxed."

Chu Ge said nothing. He could understand He Qing's sentiment and waited for her to continue.

"Of course, as you know my status, as the saying goes, the tree desires calm but the wind won't stop. For safety reasons, being your neighbor means I won't have to worry about that anymore. Besides, when my brother's leg heals and he knows you're my neighbor, I'm sure he'll be pleased."

Chu Ge frowned, "Miss He, I'm not serving in the organization anymore. I have no obligation to protect you, right?"

He Qing smiled, "Chu Ge, just as you're no longer the overlord, I now just want to be an ordinary person. And like I said at the hotel earlier, I invited you and Miss Qin as a friend. I said that and I meant it."

Seeing Chu Ge's expression soften, He Qing added, "Of course, I'm not forcing you to do anything for me. I'm just discussing this with you as a friend and neighbor. After all, we're old friends."

Although He Qing didn't quite understand Chu Ge's temperament thoroughly, she knew enough. If she used her status to pressure Chu Ge, there would be no room for discussion.

If she mentioned compensation, the nature of the matter would change. Moreover, Chu Ge didn't seem very interested in money, so bringing it up might not be useful either.

Therefore, after much consideration, He Qing felt that using this friend-like negotiation tone was the most effective approach.

He Qing put a lot of effort and was willing to do so to let Chu Ge gradually accept her.

Indeed, it was exactly because of Chu Ge's emotional and unpretentious way that He Qing found herself falling for him unknowingly. Even after being apart for such a long time, those days together were still her most beautiful memories, which she finally couldn't resist. She specially came to the capital city to be by his side.

Faced with He Qing's expectant and slightly playful gaze, Chu Ge smirked, "I remember when we first met, you didn't welcome me at all. Now hearing you speak to me like this, I'm really not used to it."

He Qing blushed a little, "Back then, I didn't know you. Besides, I was about to take a bath with half my clothes off when you rushed in without a word, wrapped me in a bath towel, threw me over your shoulder, and ran off. In that situation, as a woman, how could I possibly welcome you?"

Chu Ge chuckled, finding the memory amusing, and his brow was finally smooth.

"Nonsense, in that kind of situation, where did I have the time to explain? If I ran any slower, both of us would've died there. Anyway, let's not dwell on the past. How long are you planning to stay here?"

There were very few people in the whole of China who dared to say "nonsense" in front of He Qing. Because of her excellence, those who dared usually didn't even get the chance. It seemed this was the first time she heard someone say that to her.

However, there wasn't a trace of displeasure in her heart right now. Instead, she found Chu Ge to be incredibly masculine, more and more convinced that her decision was right.

"To be honest, I'm not sure either. It could be a few days, or it could be a few months. You know I'm often not the one calling the shots. Anyway, I shouldn't trouble you too much. Just lend a hand, will you? Please?"

He Qing was hailed as the number one beauty in China. Her looks were naturally unrivaled. Although the title of "number one" was difficult to verify, if she claimed to be "second," it's hard to imagine any woman daring to call herself "first."

At this moment, her slightly playful and coy demeanor was like a character in an anime with starry eyes, making her even more charming. Even Chu Ge, someone who had dealt with all sorts of beauties for years, found it a bit hard to handle.

Rubbing his nose, Chu Ge chuckled and sighed, "Fine, seeing as you're so sincere, I'll reluctantly let you be my neighbor. But I don't get anything out of it at all. Why do I feel like I'm at a loss?"

"Chu Ge, you won't necessarily be at a loss. I know you want to keep a low profile right now and just live a simple life, so many things might not be convenient for you. But with me around, it's different. Anything you find inconvenient to do, you can ask me for help. I can't just take advantage of you for nothing, right? Doesn't this make it fair?"

Seeing Chu Ge finally agree, He Qing felt a weight lifted off her shoulders but outwardly waved a finger in front of Chu Ge with a playful smile.

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