Crossroads

Chapter 290

When fate turned sour, it felt like a cascade of misfortune crashing down all at once.

Carrying two bags of garbage to dispose of on the ground floor, Stephanie noticed quite a few male neighbors stealing glances at her as she rode the elevator. She felt self–conscious and uncomfortable the entire way.

Underneath her long, dark green wool coat, she only wore a light purple silk nightgown. It was winter, and though she thankfully hadn’t completely lost her wits, she remembered to throw on a long coat. The modern style and color of the coat made her look even more radiant, with rosy lips and bright eyes. Despite her appearance, she felt deeply troubled.

She had no money, no phone, and no bra. Worse, she had forgotten to bring her keys.

Stephanie wondered if other renters faced such ridiculous mishaps. Glancing down at her feet in shabby flip–flops, she couldn’t help but sigh.

She walked through the complex, feeling utterly embarrassed and questioning how she had managed to get through the past few years.

Maybe the slight fever was clouding her mind.

For the first time. Stephanie fastened every button of her coat before seeking help from the property management. But her bad luck hadn’t run its course.

“Miss, I’m new here and don’t know where the spare keys are. Could you wait a bit?” said the new property manager.

“How long do I have to wait!” she looked at him and asked instinctively, crossing her arms and pulling her coat tighter in embarrassment. “Could you call someone? I’m in a bit of a bind.

Though the young manager didn’t understand her predicament, since it was a request from a beautiful girl, he agreed to resolve it as quickly as possible, even shyly offering her a seat in the property office to wait.

“No, thank you,” she replied, deciding to wait in her apartment instead.

Seeing a group of returning office workers waiting for the elevator at 10 PM, Stephanic wisely decided to take the stairs to avoid the crowd

glanced down at her chest

lazy cleaning lady. Her footsteps echoed as she climbed. each

climb, so she

snack and wouldn’t return for at least an hour. ‘So I have to wait at

much, she might end up

to come to my

her step, she suddenly bumped into someone. Startled, she

a hazy, yellow glow, and she couldn’t be sure if he was a

was abrupt and familiar,

as she exclaimed, “Why

He turned and continued

second. She looked to her left and saw her room, 402.

lunatic from 502!” she recalled, her tone complex, and quickly followed

in front of apartment 502, he turned to look at her, clearly displeased by her calling him a lunatic. His eyes

hesitated on the stairs, stopping about

uncomfortable, but she mustered the courage to ask. “Why

anxiously waited for his response. She had suspected the resident above her might be someone she knew, and she had considered it might be him,

with an indescribable emotion, nervousness, confusion,

taking out his key to

are you living here?” she pressed, his

that someone like him would randomly choose to live in this old apartment complex. He could have taken over the whole area

changed. Stephanie was just an ordinary person now. She didn’t have the confidence to hope he was

between her and the truth, and she desperately wanted to

have been him caught off guard, yet

no emotion and pushed open the door of 502 ignoring her

with his sharp, cold eyes, asked,

now felt like mocking if she had been pushed

cared about deeply, he

that out of the blue. A thought flashed through her mind. It seemed

and likely never would

watching him. This man seemed so distint from