Chapter 38 – The One Who Waits in the Shadows
"Hey guys… miss me?"
Amy's voice lingered in the air, light, almost playful, but there was something underneath it that didn't quite sit right.
Jian frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing just a little. "You?"
Xu Yan, who had just stepped out from behind Lin Su, blinked in confusion. "Wait… since when do you live here?"
Amy smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as if the question was too simple to answer. "Recently. I moved in not long ago."
Mei Lin's gaze sharpened almost immediately. She didn't say anything, but she didn't look away either.
Lin Su, on the other hand, kept her expression neutral. "That's… convenient."
Amy let out a soft laugh. "Isn't it? I guess we're neighbors now."
The word neighbors sat strangely between them.
Wen Jinhai didn't speak, but his attention shifted subtly, observing everything without interruption.
Amy didn't stay long. She had said just enough. She gave a small wave before turning back toward Block D, her heels clicking lightly against the pavement.
But the moment she turned away, the softness in her expression disappeared.
Amy hadn't always been like this.
She wasn't born into privilege, nor did she have the kind of backing that could open doors easily. Everything she had now—every opportunity, every step forward—came from knowing when to speak and when to stay silent.
And more importantly…
Knowing who to stand beside.
It started that night.
The private lounge.
The conversation that wasn't meant for her ears.
She had been there the entire time, standing just out of sight, listening without being seen.
Qin Shuying's calm voice.
Bai Lianhua's sharp remarks.
Tang Yueran's measured tone.
Amy didn't miss a single word.
She didn't interrupt. She didn't reveal herself. She simply listened.
Because sometimes, information was more valuable than presence.
When the three women finally stood to leave, Amy didn't move immediately. She waited.
Qin Shuying left first.
Bai Lianhua followed shortly after.
That left only one person behind.
Tang Yueran.
Amy stepped forward then, her movements calm, deliberate.
"Miss Tang," she called out softly.
Tang Yueran paused just as she was about to leave, turning her head slightly. Her expression didn't change much, but her eyes took in Amy in a single glance.
"I know who you are," Tang said simply.
Amy smiled faintly. "That makes things easier."
Tang didn't respond. She waited.
Amy didn't waste time. She stepped closer, lowering her voice just enough.
"I heard your conversation earlier," she said.
That alone should have been a mistake.
But Amy didn't stop there.
She said a few more things—carefully chosen, deliberate, and impossible to ignore.
Whatever she said…
It made Tang Yueran look at her differently.
Not as background.
Not as someone insignificant.
But as someone… useful.
Tang didn't ask her to repeat herself. She didn't question her motives.
She simply said, "Come see me tomorrow."
That was all.
From there, things moved quickly.
Tang Yueran didn't make empty promises.
Within days, Amy was given a small but noticeable role in one of the agency's ongoing projects. Not a lead, not even close but enough to be seen, enough to be remembered.
It wasn't about the size of the role.
It was about the door it opened.
And Tang had opened it, with that came access, connections. resources and money. Enough for Amy to make her next move.
She didn't hesitate.
The moment she heard that Lin Su and the others had secured a place in Golden Crest Residence, she made sure she wasn't far behind. It wasn't cheap.
Nothing about that estate was. But Amy didn't pay for it alone.Tang Yueran handled most of it. Quietly, efficiently.
No noise. No announcement. Just results.
And Amy understood what that meant. Nothing in this industry was free.
Not opportunities.
Not support.
Not even kindness.
There was always a reason.
And she was smart enough not to ask what it was, yet.
Back in the present, Amy stepped into her apartment in Block D, closing the door behind her.
The space was everything she expected—clean, modern, quiet.
A far cry from where she started.
She walked toward the window, looking out at the estate below.
Somewhere out there, they were settling in, getting comfortable.
Thinking they had finally found stability.
Amy's lips curved slightly.
"Let's see how long that lasts," she murmured under her breath.
She turned away from the window, her expression calm once more.
Whatever came next, She was already in position.