CHAPTER 172: CHAPTER 172: ENTERING HIS APARTMENT

This was the first time anyone saw Vivian Langdon lose her elegance.

Was it because she couldn’t accept defeat?

Vivian quickly realized her mistake and secretly felt annoyed.

She lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, "Everyone is really passionate about this selection competition."

"It’s just the first round. My strategy today was more about conserving strength. It seems Senior Sister gave it her all. Very well, this will make the subsequent matches more exciting."

Vera Sheridan looked at Vivian with calm eyes, her voice steady, "Alright, I look forward to your performance in the next round."

The girls all looked at her in unison.

Her entire demeanor appeared calm and low-key, yet exuded an inner regal aura.

...

The audience gradually dispersed.

Rosalind Morgan and Mrs. Langdon exited through the VIP door, and as they turned a corner, they happened to run into Noah Grant coming out of the opposite exit.

The man was tall and upright, dressed in a dark suit, with broad shoulders and long legs, making him stand out in the crowd, causing gazes to linger around him.

Mrs. Langdon’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but slow her steps, sincerely praising, "Your Noah is truly extraordinary."

It’s a pity that her eldest daughter got married the year before last.

At present, in The Capital Circle, when it comes to looks, ability, and prospects, there’s no one else who can match him.

Rosalind’s lips carried a trace of pride, her gaze always following her son, "Among my three sons, Noah has always stood out the most since he was young."

At this moment, Noah Grant was on the phone with Vera Sheridan.

As he walked toward the parking lot, he glanced at his watch, "Vera, I have to rush to a meeting now, so I can’t wait for you."

The representatives from the Grestin investors just landed to conduct an on-site inspection of the Capital Bay project.

In the changing room, Vera sat on a bench, listening to his words, feeling a slight disappointment.

Considering it, since that night she delivered food to the office, they hadn’t seen each other for three days.

"Mm, focus on your work. What about tonight? Are you busy?"

Noah paused his steps, his Adam’s apple moving, "I have to entertain the investors tonight, it’ll probably be late."

Vera lowered her eyelids lightly, "Alright."

Then she remembered something and added, "Did you prepare liver protection pills? It’s best to take one before the social event."

On the other end, Noah sensed her concern, his voice warm and deep, "Alright, I’ll have my assistant prepare them."

The call ended.

Vera put down her phone, while beside her, several young girls, just out of the shower, were chattering about where to celebrate tonight.

"My boyfriend booked that super-hard-to-get-into restaurant!"

"That’s nice! My parents said they’re coming to pick me up for a feast at home!"

They had all passed the first round of selection.

On the other side, Vivian had just stepped out the main door and saw a Hongqi L5 parked by the roadside. She instinctively tightened her grip on her bag strap, then put on a smile as she walked over to open the car door of the co-driver seat.

Sitting inside the car, she glanced at the two distinguished ladies in the back, apologetically saying, "Aunt Grant, Mommy, I’m sorry, I made some mistakes today..."

Rosalind recalled the scene earlier, unsure whether Vivian truly made a mistake or whether Vera was just lucky, so she gently said, "You were only a point away from a perfect score; it was already very impressive."

However, she felt a bit uneasy inside: Could Vivian’s ballet really be inferior to Vera’s?

Vivian picked up her thermos cup only to find it empty, "Mommy, do you have any water? I need to take some painkillers."

Mrs. Langdon handed over a bottle of mineral water, asking with concern, "Vivian, are you alright?"

Vivian pursed her lips, "It’s just bad luck; my period started just before going on stage..."

Rosalind breathed a sigh of relief, "So that’s why you weren’t feeling well, and yet you still nearly got a perfect score. That’s already remarkable. Keep it up in the next round!"

Vivian gripped the water bottle tightly, but her smile widened on her face, "Aunt Grant, I won’t let you down!"

...

Vera was the last to leave the changing room.

After the hustle and bustle, the long corridor was empty.

She didn’t go home but instead turned into an empty rehearsal hall.

The enormous mirror reflected her solitary figure.

She changed into her ballet shoes, turned on the music, and began dancing a classic segment from the ballet piece "Giselle."

The second round would assess the contestants’ understanding and interpretation of classical style pieces.

In the training room, Vera demanded perfection with each leg lift and each stretch, as if trying to evaporate the indefinable void and thoughts within her along with her sweat.

After dancing for two or three hours straight, she went to take a shower and then returned to her spacious and quiet apartment.

Lucky meowed and brushed up against her. She picked it up, cuddled with it for a while, made it cat food, and cleaned its litter box.

As night fell, Vera cuddled with Lucky on the sofa.

The projection screen was on as she held the remote, flipping through movies, seemingly indecisive, unable to make up her mind, eventually hitting play on an old movie, but she was frequently distracted, unable to immerse herself.

Outside, the night deepened, and neon lights glowed.

Vera’s gaze unconsciously drifted to the clock on the wall, whose hands silently moved towards ten o’clock.

She picked up her phone and stared absentmindedly at the name "Senior Grant" in the recent calls.

After a while, she turned off the TV, got up, put on a trench coat, and left.

The lights in the pharmacy downstairs were still on. She walked in, intending to get some herbal ingredients for a hangover remedy. She could only remember casco, so she searched online before picking up cassia seed, dried tangerine peel, ebony plum, and more.

In the elevator, she pressed "28."

At Noah Grant’s apartment door, she entered the code he had given her before and went inside.

The sensor light at the entrance illuminated, casting light over the minimalist, black, white, and grey-toned space, which was so neat it hardly resembled a lived-in home.

This was her first time visiting his place.

Vera removed her shoes and walked barefoot on the soft carpet, her gaze subconsciously wandering, but she stopped abruptly upon sweeping past the living room.

On an entire plain white wall hung a huge ballet photo.

The picture was of her... frozen in a moment from four years ago, during her first starring role in "Giselle."

Not far from it, facing the photo, there was a single black leather sofa.

Vera looked at that sofa, picturing Noah sitting there alone, looking at her photo... the corners of her lips slowly curled up.

She went into the kitchen to cook hangover soup for him.

Soon, the small clay pot on the stove began to bubble, giving off the unique sweet, sour, and slightly bitter scent of casco, ebony plum, and dried tangerine peel.

After making the soup, she curled up on his sofa, quietly waiting for his return.

...

Noah Grant, smelling of alcohol, got into the elevator without thinking and pressed "27," arriving at Vera’s apartment door, he rang the doorbell.

But there was no response for a long time.

The hallway was silent, only the faint hum of the corridor lights.

He glanced at his watch; it was past eleven.

At this hour, Ms. Sheridan, who had a regular routine, should have been asleep already.

The light in the deep-set eyes of the man slowly dimmed.

He stood outside the door quietly for a few moments before turning, rubbing his brow wearily, dragging his heavily intoxicated body toward the elevator.

...

Vera waited a long time for Noah’s return, past eleven o’clock, and perhaps he wasn’t coming back tonight, or maybe he went back to The Grant Family.

She got up, stomped her numb legs, walked to the entrance, put on her shoes, and left.

In the elevator lobby, the left elevator was going up from the 27th floor, and the right elevator was coming down from the 29th floor.

When the elevator door opened, she walked in.

At the same time, the left elevator opened.

Noah came out and caught a glimpse of a figure stepping into the adjacent elevator.

Inside the elevator, Vera pressed "27," and the doors began to close...

Just as they were about to shut completely, a black leather shoe forcefully wedged into the gap!

Realizing someone wanted to enter, she quickly pressed the open button.

At this moment, the elevator door slowly opened...