Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Cici Is Already Poisoned
"Do you have a girl you like?"
Julian Nash tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. His assistant’s question from the car kept echoing in his mind.
’Do I like her?’
Julian Nash didn’t really know what it felt like to like someone.
He rolled over again, fumbled for his phone, and after unlocking the screen, instinctively tapped open his chat with Renee Jennings.
Seeing that she still hadn’t replied, a wave of disappointment washed over him, plunging him into darkness.
"Does she hate me?"
Julian Nash put down his phone. He felt drained of all energy, too listless to even sleep. It was as if he’d lost interest in the world itself.
He closed his eyes wearily.
After some time, his phone suddenly buzzed on the bed.
In the darkness, Julian Nash’s eyes snapped open. He swiftly grabbed his phone and unlocked the screen. His dull eyes instantly lit up, and the corners of his lips curved into a slight smile.
’She replied!’
’Ahhh, Renee Jennings replied!’
Julian Nash immediately sat up, grinning like an idiot at her reply.
After her shower, Renee Jennings sat on the sofa and played on her phone for a bit. It was only when she opened WeChat that she saw an unread message.
She tapped the screen a couple of times, jumping to the unread message. She saw that Sage’s owner had sent her a message.
[Hello, let’s get acquainted. I’m Julian Nash.]
’Julian Nash?’
Renee Jennings thought for a moment, her eyes focused, then replied: [Hello. I heard that name today, too. Turns out you have the same name as a top celebrity.]
After sending the message, her stomach growled a few times.
She hadn’t eaten enough tonight.
Renee Jennings switched to a food delivery app and chose a malatang with a river snail noodle soup base.
Before placing the order, she sent a WeChat message to Diana Jennings in her room to ask if she wanted some too.
Diana Jennings: [Are you hungry? I can go out and make you a bowl of noodles.]
Renee Jennings quickly replied: [No need, I’m just craving something. I want river snail noodles~~]
Diana Jennings had already thrown back the covers and was about to get out of bed. When she saw the message, she lay back down. [Okay, I’ll have a little too.]
She wasn’t actually hungry, but she wanted to eat with her sister.
Renee Jennings ordered two malatangs and picked out a comedy on the TV.
Her phone on the coffee table buzzed twice.
After she unlocked it, she saw Julian Nash’s reply, her beautiful eyes wide with shock.
Julian Nash: [It’s not the same name. I am the Julian Nash the netizens are talking about.]
Renee Jennings: [...It’s that much of a coincidence?]
Julian Nash: [It is~ I came across your live stream today and clicked in to watch. I didn’t expect you wouldn’t know who I am.]
Renee Jennings: [I don’t really follow the entertainment industry.]
Julian Nash: [Is there anyone in the entertainment industry you want gossip on? I can tell you.]
Renee Jennings stared at the message and blinked in confusion.
’Do I look like the kind of person who’s into gossip?’
To be honest, she didn’t know many people in the entertainment industry. Before, she had mostly paid attention to the rich second generation.
On the other end of the WeChat conversation, Julian Nash stared at his phone screen. As the seconds ticked by without a reply from Renee Jennings, he once again fell into a state of anxiety and unease.
’Did I say the wrong thing?’
’Will she think I’m a tasteless person?’
’I’m doomed!’
Renee Jennings didn’t know whose name to mention, so she just sent back a casual reply: [Then tell me some gossip about you.]
When Julian Nash saw this, he felt as if a little beast had charged into his heart—full of vibrant energy and a strange restlessness, running and leaping wildly, sending ripples across his soul.
’She wants to hear my gossip.’
’Does that mean she’s interested in me?’
The corners of Julian Nash’s lips lifted high into a smile, and he suddenly felt full of passion for the world.
[Hang on, let me think.]
After sending the message, he immediately switched to the chat window with his assistant: [What gossip is there about me? Send it to me, quick!]
His assistant forwarded him the trending topics he was on today: #JulianNashWatchesReneeJenningsStream#, #JulianNashReneeJennings#, #TopStarJulianNashAppearsInPetStreamerReneeJennings’sStream#
Julian Nash stared at the trending hashtags, and his cheeks suddenly felt hot.
’His name and Renee Jennings’s name, side by side... they look so good together.’
Renee Jennings was completely unaware of all this.
Her food delivery had arrived.
The two sisters sat at the dining table, opened two bottles of soda, and focused completely on eating their steaming hot river snail noodle malatang.
"Don’t eat it! Don’t eat it!" Blueberry leaped onto the dining table, meowing excitedly. "You’re not allowed to eat it!"
Confusion flickered in Renee Jennings’s eyes. "Why?"
Blueberry: "It’s poisonous! Cici is already poisoned!"
Renee Jennings was startled and frowned. "How do you know?"
Blueberry: "Because it stinks!"
Renee Jennings: "..."
She looked up and saw Cici in the distance, looking like she was about to throw up.
Bella and Pippi were also hiding on the balcony, not daring to come inside.
Blueberry even covered her own nose with a small paw.
Renee Jennings: "..."
’Okay, my bad.’
Animals have very keen senses. The smell must be especially pungent and unpleasant to them.
Renee Jennings quickly apologized, "Sorry, I forgot you guys can’t stand this smell. I’ll get rid of it right away."
Diana Jennings also realized what was happening. She put down her chopsticks, closed the lids on the takeout containers, and sealed them tight.
"You go to bed first, Sis. I’ll go downstairs and throw this out," Renee Jennings said, putting on a jacket and picking up the takeout bag.
"I’ll go," Diana Jennings said, reaching for it.
Renee Jennings pushed her hand back. "No, it’s fine, I’ll go. You should get back to your room and rest."
With that, she grabbed her keys and left.
At midnight, the area downstairs from the apartment building was silent.
Just as Renee Jennings got downstairs, she saw a familiar figure furtively emerging from Building Three.
’Old Hag Crawford?’
’What’s she doing sneaking around so late?’
Renee Jennings threw out the trash and watched Old Hag Crawford walk all the way to the complex’s main gate.
She thought for a moment, then called up to a tree, "Are there any little birds still awake?"
A little sparrow fluttered its wings and flew down in front of her.
"It’s Renee! You’re not asleep yet?"
Renee Jennings smiled. "I came down to throw out the trash. Can you do me a favor?"
Little Sparrow: "Of course! What do you need this sparrow to do?"
"See that heavy-set woman up ahead?" Renee Jennings asked, pointing at Old Hag Crawford’s back.
The Little Sparrow turned to look. "I see her!"
Renee Jennings: "Follow her for me. See where she goes and what she does, and I’ll treat you to a meal tomorrow."
"You got it!" the Little Sparrow chirped happily and flapped its wings to follow her.
Renee Jennings looked away and walked briskly back home.
She had previously thought of several ways to deal with Old Hag Crawford, but after consulting Sawyer, she’d been advised against them due to the risk of breaking the law.
Renee Jennings, of course, wasn’t going to do anything illegal, so she had temporarily shelved the idea.
After leaving the complex, Old Hag Crawford put on a mask and a hat. She was very cautious the whole way, as if afraid of running into someone she knew.
She arrived at a residential building across the street from her own complex and entered a rental unit on the third floor.
A white-haired old man saw her and immediately lunged forward to hug her portly frame. "You’re finally here! I’ve been thinking about you all night..."
