I Am Already A Queen

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Feeling Familiar

”If you ever dare to utter a stupid sentence like that again.” Jiang Chinan warned coldly, glaring at his friend with genuine hostility, ”I will personally beat you into the ground.”

”Okay, okay! My bad, man!” The friend immediately raised both hands in a defensive gesture. ”I was just blabbering. I won’t say it anymore.”

At that moment, Jiang Chinan spotted Jiang Yanna walking gracefully down the grand staircase toward the main school gate, flanked by her entourage.

”Sister Yanna!” Jiang Chinan waved his arm enthusiastically, his angry demeanour vanishing instantly.

Jiang Yanna smoothly glided over to stand before them, offering a sweet, gentle smile.

”Let’s go home, Chinan.” Jiang Yanna said softly.

”Hmm.” Jiang Chinan nodded obediently before turning back toward his friends. ”See you guys tomorrow.”

”See ya, bro.” The friends replied.

The Jiang Family’s primary luxury vehicle had already been idling patiently right outside the main gates. The two siblings climbed into the spacious, leather-lined back seat.

”Chinan... shouldn’t we wait a bit for Sister Meixia?” Jiang Yanna asked gently, her eyes wide with sisterly concern.

”Why on earth should we wait for her?” Jiang Chinan leaned back comfortably against the soft headrest, scoffing loudly. ”Besides, she already took off long ago.”

”She already left?” Jiang Yanna blinked in subtle surprise, a hidden calculation running through her mind.

”Yeah.” Jiang Chinan nodded casually, pulling out his smartphone. ”I saw her walk out earlier.”

”Oh... I see.” Jiang Yanna simply nodded, turning toward the partition glass to address the private driver. ”Uncle, let’s head straight home.”

”Yes, Second Young Miss.” The driver immediately shifted into gear, stepped on the gas, and drove the luxury car away from the campus grounds.

....

Meanwhile, Qiao Meixia hailed a private ride service to the prestigious Oakland Apartment Complex on the other side of the city. She asked the driver to pull up to the heavily guarded security checkpoint near the grand front entrance. As expected, the uniformed security officer raised his hand, signalling the unfamiliar vehicle to come to a complete halt.

Qiao Meixia rolled down the rear window and retrieved her high-tier black access card, holding it out for the security officer to inspect. After scanning the card and verifying both her personal biometric file and the validity of the keycard, the guard immediately stood up straight, offered a respectful bow, and opened the heavy iron gates to allow the car to enter.

”Young Miss...” The private driver said in awe as he drove slowly through the sprawling, ultra-luxurious residential grounds, ”Your parents must be unimaginably wealthy to purchase a residence in a legendary place like this.”

A few moments later, the vehicle brought her right to the entrance of one of the high-rise residential towers.

”I bought it myself.” Qiao Meixia replied calmly, her tone completely matter-of-fact, before opening the door and stepping out into the cool evening air.

The driver was left briefly stunned, staring at her back in total disbelief. However, he did not dwell too deeply on her extraordinary statement. In his practical mind, this wealthy young lady probably had a massive trust fund prepared by her elite parents, allowing her to make such expensive real estate purchases under her own name.

Qiao Meixia had zero interest in whatever assumptions the driver was making. She walked smoothly into the marble lobby and tapped her black key card against the elevator’s encrypted access panel.

Ding.

The polished metallic doors slowly slid open. Standing inside the spacious elevator cabin was a familiar figure. It was the exact same enigmatic man Qiao Meixia had encountered on the very first day she had moved into the apartment complex.

The man was momentarily startled when his eyes locked onto her face once again, but his composed, aristocratic expression quickly returned to normal. He gracefully stepped out of the elevator cabin just as Qiao Meixia stepped inside. Neither of them uttered a single word to break the quiet atmosphere.

The elevator doors slowly slid shut between them, severing their eye contact. Left alone in the lobby, the man let out a soft, helpless sigh. He had missed his opportunity to initiate contact yet again. He had genuinely wanted to strike up a casual conversation and get to know the mysterious young girl who lived on the upper floor.

For some strange reason, every single time he looked into those cold, indifferent eyes, an inexplicable, profound sense of familiarity washed over his chest. It was as though he had seen her somewhere critical before in his past. Unfortunately, no matter how rigorously he searched through his vast memories, he simply could not recall where or when that crucial encounter had taken place.

Qiao Meixia arrived at her private apartment, unlocked the heavy electronic door, and stepped into the quiet foyer. The moment she crossed the threshold, her gaze fell upon the neat stacks of unopened cardboard boxes still piled high in a corner of the spacious living room. She had been far too occupied with the chaos of the past few days to address her personal belongings.

Since she finally possessed a quiet window of free time this evening, she decided to methodically sort through everything. She opened the boxes one by one, carefully unpacking their contents and placing every item into its precise, designated spot. She arranged her specialised books neatly across the minimalist shelves, stored her high-end electronic equipment in the private study, and organised her daily necessities into their respective built-in cabinets with practised, silent efficiency.

Without her even realising the gradual passage of time, several hours quietly slipped away in total solitude. Suddenly, her phone rang, its vibrating melody shattering the stillness of the apartment. Qiao Meixia glanced down at the lit screen. The caller ID displayed Jiang Suhan’s name. Without overthinking the gesture, she swiped the screen to answer the call.

”Qiaoqiao, where on earth are you right now? Are you completely safe?” Jiang Suhan’s deeply anxious voice came through the speaker immediately, laced with undeniable panic.

”Huh?” Qiao Meixia blinked in subtle confusion, her tone flat. ”What do you mean?”

”Where are you at this exact moment?” Jiang Suhan asked again, his corporate composure failing as he struggled to hide the heavy worry in his voice. ”You are safe and unhurt, aren’t you?”

”I am fine.” Qiao Meixia replied calmly, her voice smooth and unbothered. ”I am currently at a friend’s place. You don’t have to worry about me.”

”Is that really true?” Jiang Suhan still sounded entirely unconvinced on the other end of the line.

”Yes.” Qiao Meixia answered without a shred of hesitation.

”It’s already getting quite late into the evening.” Jiang Suhan let out a long, audible sigh of relief before asking, ”When do you plan on coming back to the estate?”

”I am preparing to leave right now.” Qiao Meixia replied.

Coincidentally, she had already been planning to wrap things up and head back to the Jiang Residence before his call came through.

”Send me your exact location.” Jiang Suhan immediately offered, his tone leaving zero room for argument. ”I will drive over right now to pick you up.”

Qiao Meixia contemplated the offer for a brief fraction of a second. Since she did not have her own private vehicle on hand at the moment, having Jiang Suhan handle the transport would indeed save her the extra effort of hailing another ride.

”Alright.” Qiao Meixia gave a slight nod. ”I am at the Oakland Apartment Complex. You can pick me up from the main gate.”

”Understood.” Jiang Suhan answered instantly. ”Wait right there for me.”

The line went dead.

Qiao Meixia efficiently gathered all the flattened empty cardboard boxes she had just unpacked, stacked them neatly under her arm, and carried them out to the elevator bank to go downstairs. As the elevator descended through the high-rise floors, it came to a smooth stop on one of the lower levels. The polished metallic doors slid open.

The familiar man stepped inside the cabin. It was the exact same enigmatic neighbour she had encountered twice before in the lobby. He was slightly surprised to see Qiao Meixia standing inside again so soon. Before long, the elevator doors slid shut, leaving only the two of them occupying the quiet, enclosed space.

”You own the penthouse on the top floor, don’t you?” The man asked politely, offering a friendly, neighbourly smile. ”My name is Yin Jiehao. I reside on the twenty-eighth floor. Nice to meet you.”

Qiao Meixia offered zero verbal response. She simply stood there in total silence, staring straight ahead at the glowing floor indicator.

Seeing her remain completely silent and aloof, Yin Jiehao awkwardly pressed his lips together into a thin line, feeling a slight sting of embarrassment.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***