The next day, Qian Fei told Yao Jingjing about her idea of renting out part of her apartment and asked her to keep an eye out for suitable tenants. Yao Jingjing asked how she planned to rent it and what price she had in mind. Qian Fei said, "I’ll keep the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom for myself. The other bedroom, study, and living room can all be rented out, with shared kitchen access. What do you think—is 3,500 a month too much?"
Yao Jingjing scoffed over the phone, "Any cheaper and you might as well go back to your hometown and grow cabbages! Can’t you toughen up and ask for 4,000?"
Qian Fei replied, "Forget it. 3,500 a month is enough for me. Who’d pay 4,000 to rent here when they could just get their own one-bedroom place?"
Yao Jingjing thought about it and agreed.
A few days later, while commuting to work, Qian Fei unexpectedly ran into Wang Ruohai at the subway station.
Counting the time, it had been nearly half a year since their breakup. During that period, Wang Ruohai had called her a few times, but only to discuss the apartment deposit.
When Wang Ruohai saw her, he froze for a moment before greeting her casually, adding unnecessarily, "My car’s restricted today due to the license plate policy."
Qian Fei took in his completely revamped appearance, feeling a pang of bitterness. His suit was from an expensive brand—clearly, his new girlfriend, the niece of some executive, was generous with him. He even had a car now. The saying was true: clothes make the man. With this makeover, Wang Ruohai looked undeniably dashing. He had always been good-looking, but now he was even more striking. Qian Fei suddenly wondered if she had really shortchanged him over the past five years, making him scrimp and save during what should have been their most vibrant years, living as frugally as an elderly couple without pensions.
But the person she had shortchanged the most was herself.
Wang Ruohai looked at her and asked, "Did you buy the apartment yourself?"
Qian Fei snapped, "None of your business!"
Wang Ruohai spread his hands and smiled. "Qian Fei, do we have to act like enemies just because we broke up?"
Qian Fei sneered. "Then what should I treat you as? My great benefactor? Thank you for falling for someone else?"
Wang Ruohai sighed. "Qian Fei, can you change the way you talk? If you keep this up, no man will be able to stand you!"
Qian Fei rolled her eyes and turned away. It was rush hour, and the subway was packed. Someone behind her, preparing to exit, jostled her, and she stumbled, nearly twisting her ankle.
Wang Ruohai pushed through the crowd, positioning himself in front of her, shielding her between himself and the subway wall—just like he used to when they commuted together every day.
Qian Fei couldn’t hold back anymore; her eyes burned with unshed tears. When the train stopped and the doors opened, she stepped out, even though it wasn’t her station yet.
Standing outside the carriage, she heard Wang Ruohai say, "Why do you have to be like this?"
As the doors closed and the train carried him away, Qian Fei finally broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
She had almost moved on, almost forgotten him—why did he have to reappear and stir her up again? Who cared about his post-breakup "let’s be friends" act? Who needed him to shield her from the crowd?
In the middle of the crowded subway station, she cried like a fool, unable to stop herself.A few days later, Yao Jingjing called Qian Fei: "One of my girlfriends, a former colleague who now works in the next building, mentioned that she has a new coworker who started last month—a girl. Oh, and I’ve met her once—quite pretty, works in finance. Since her job moved to the CBD area, she wants to find a place nearby to live with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend is in the same line of work as you, also in investment banking. Originally, the couple wanted to find a two-bedroom place for themselves, not sharing with anyone. But in this area, where are the cheap apartments? The girl is picky too—doesn’t like old buildings, and the new ones are crazy expensive. They haven’t found anything suitable yet. When I told them about your place, they weighed the options and thought the reasonable price and your presence were within acceptable limits. But the girl had one request: other than cooking times, could you stay in your room and not come out too often?"
Qian Fei gritted her teeth. "Fine! I’ll practice my invisibility technique in my room and won’t come out until I’ve mastered it fully—no disturbing humans before then! Anyway, tomorrow’s the weekend. Why don’t you bring them over to see the place?"
Yao Jingjing said, "Can’t do tomorrow. I’ve got a blind date with some rich guy. I’ll give the address to my friend and have her pass it on to the girl. They can take a cab there themselves—Shoucheng International is such a pretentious place, they won’t have trouble finding it!"
The next day, Qian Fei got up early and tidied the apartment thoroughly, moving all her belongings into her room. Around noon, she got a call—the girl coming to see the place had arrived at the complex entrance. She said there were too many buildings and she was a bit lost, so could Qian Fei come down to meet her?
Qian Fei grabbed her keys and hurried downstairs.
At the entrance, she saw a man and a woman, around her age, both strikingly attractive and dressed in trendy, stylish outfits.
The girl had a heart-shaped face, delicate as a palm, with long, wavy hair cascading down her back. She wore a short skirt, and her legs were slender and straight, like a model’s. The man was tall, incredibly handsome—almost like a celebrity—with a lean frame that made his clothes look effortlessly stylish.
Looking at them, Qian Fei felt like a frumpy housekeeper.
The girl introduced herself as Gu Lili, and the man was her boyfriend. He glanced at Qian Fei and gave a slight nod as a greeting. His somewhat aloof attitude made Qian Fei think he probably wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. She couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.
She led them upstairs.
Gu Lili chatted with her while checking out each room, while the guy just stood by the door, looking somewhat impatient.
Gu Lili tried to haggle: "Can the rent be any cheaper?"
Qian Fei hesitated. "This is really the lowest I can go. The apartment is new, and utilities like water, electricity, gas, and internet are all included. Honestly, I’m just looking for someone to help share the mortgage—I’m not trying to make a profit off this place. The initial price wasn’t high to begin with, so I really can’t go any lower."Gui Lili looked conflicted. "Is there any way you could be more flexible? It's not easy for us outsiders trying to make it in Beijing. I'm an only child—my family even sold our house to fund my overseas studies." She glanced at her silent boyfriend leaning by the door. "We originally planned to buy our own place after returning from abroad, but unexpected circumstances came up. His family can't support him anymore, and we have no one else to rely on—we can only depend on ourselves from now on. You know how it is in Beijing—without struggling for years, you can't afford a home here!" She spoke with growing emotion, grabbing Qian Fei's hand. "Could you possibly lower the rent a bit more?"
Qian Fei suddenly thought of her own struggles surviving in Beijing all these years, and her heart swelled with sympathy. In a burst of impulsiveness, she blurted out, "You're right, life is hard for everyone. How about this—let's set it at 3,000 yuan a month for now!"
Gui Lili immediately sealed the deal. "Qian Fei, you're such a kind person! When can we sign the contract?"
Qian Fei asked, "Do you both have your IDs with you? If so, we can sign now. Once it's done, I'll give you the keys, and you can move in anytime!"
Gui Lili happily reached out to her boyfriend. "Li Yifei, your ID!"
Hearing the name, Qian Fei's ears perked up.
Pfft! It was the same name as that famously beautiful national celebrity.
She watched as the man named Li Yifei slowly pulled his ID from his wallet. When he handed it to Gui Lili, he glanced at Qian Fei.
That glance carried a complexity she couldn't quite decipher.
While copying their ID numbers onto the contract, she noticed Gui Lili was the same age as her, while Li Yifei was a year older. She couldn't help but sigh.
At the same age, Gui Lili looked fresh and radiant, dressed exquisitely, while she had weathered into a tired housewife—just slapping on some Dabao moisturizer after washing her face was the most she could do for her skin.
But she comforted herself—she owned an apartment. Sure, there was a mortgage, but the big red property deed bore her name, Qian Fei, in bold print. In that regard, she was better off than Gui Lili. The thought brought her some solace.
Before returning their IDs, she took a closer look at their photos to confirm their identities. When she glanced at Li Yifei's ID, she noticed his registered address was in Beijing.
Casually, she asked, "Mr. Li, are you a local Beijinger?"
It struck her as odd that a local would rent instead of living at home.
Li Yifei looked up at her and nodded coolly. "Yes, why?"
Qian Fei suddenly sensed an awkward tension in the air.
She forced a smile to lighten the mood. "No reason, just making conversation!"
She mentally scolded herself for prying. Maybe the couple simply preferred renting for privacy—what did it matter to her? As long as the rent came in monthly, that was all she needed.
After signing the contract, Qian Fei handed the keys to Gui Lili and asked, "When are you moving in? Do you need any help?"
Gui Lili smiled. "We'll move in next week—no need for help, we've hired movers!" She added, "I'll transfer the first three months' rent to the account on the contract later. Make sure to check if it goes through!"Qian Fei said she wasn't in a hurry as she escorted the two into the elevator.
After returning, she called Yao Jingjing to tell her she had rented out the apartment.
Yao Jingjing was currently stuck in traffic in a taxi on her way to meet a wealthy suitor for dinner. When she heard Qian Fei had rented the place for just three thousand a month, she immediately exploded. "Qian Fei, are you out of your mind? Did your brain get waterlogged? Are there bubbles in your neural pathways? You actually rented it out for just three thousand!"
Qian Fei felt inexplicably guilty under the barrage and defended herself, "We're all outsiders trying to make it in Beijing—it's tough for everyone. If we can help each other out, isn't that a good thing?"
Yao Jingjing screeched, "Oh, so you're helping her out, but is she helping you? You work in investment banking—you should have better intel than me. Do you know her company is prepping for an IPO? Do you know her company's benefits are way better than yours? Do you know her boyfriend, who's also in investment banking like you, outranks you and earns way more? And here you are, feeling sorry for them! You're just a sucker!"
Qian Fei was so scolded that her head spun, and she fixated on the wrong detail. "If they're really doing that well, why don't they just buy their own place instead of renting?"
Yao Jingjing was exasperated. "Not everyone pinches pennies like you, barely eating, wearing rags, or having any fun—you're practically an ascetic! Those two spend all their money enjoying life instead of dumping it into bricks and mortar. You blind fool, you make me so mad! Look at how pampered and polished they are—do they really need sympathy from a penny-pinching old maid like you? Ugh, forget it, I'm done talking to you. You're ruining my mood for snagging a rich guy! Saint Qian, good luck surviving after paying your mortgage every month!"
Qian Fei did feel a little regretful, but since the contract was already signed, any rent increase would have to wait.
Suddenly, she recalled the look in Li Yifei's eyes when he was searching for his ID.
Had he been telling Gui Lili at that moment: Look at this chump—so easy to fool.
※※※※※※
After leaving the neighborhood, Gui Lili looped her arm through Li Yifei's and asked proudly, "Yifei, aren't I amazing? I managed to knock five hundred off the rent in the capital! That apartment could easily have gone for four thousand a month!"
Li Yifei snorted. "You barely flexed your skills. If the landlord had been a guy, you'd have turned on the cute-and-pitiful act—might've even gotten it for free."
Gui Lili stiffened at his tone. She yanked her arm away. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Li Yifei didn't coddle her. "It means I'm sick of you pulling that act. Today it was a female landlord, so I let it slide. But if you start doing that with other guys, we're gonna have a serious talk."
Gui Lili's eyes reddened instantly. "I only softened up a little when talking to my boss during the job switch—and you happened to find out that one time. Can you stop throwing it in my face?"
Li Yifei ignored her and walked ahead alone.
Wiping her tears, Gui Lili caught up and grabbed his hand. "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. I won't do it again. Let's not fight over this anymore, alright? Let's just be happy, okay?"Li Yifei glanced at her but said nothing.
"Yifei, let's buy a car first. That way you won't have to squeeze onto Line 1 for work!" Gui Lili said, looking at the sea of people in the subway.
Li Yifei scoffed, "Renting an apartment and buying a car—do you think that makes sense?"
Gui Lili lowered her head and fell silent.
Author's Note: Oh my, I didn't expect three more readers to send virtual gifts. You're all so kind ToT Thank you!
Universal Little White Jiang Jingjiu threw a hand grenade at: 2014-02-09 21:40:23
Universal Little White Jiang Jingjiu threw a landmine at: 2014-02-10 11:01:04
Cherish Manman threw a landmine at: 2014-02-10 11:37:43
Xiao Ci threw a landmine at: 2014-02-10 16:21:06
The story is set in 2012 and will span until 2013-2014. In 2012, the Shoucheng apartments near Shuangjing cost around 30,000 yuan per square meter. As for now... haha!
So many big authors have started new works recently—why did I choose this timing? I deeply regret it ToT Dear readers, please casually drop a flower or leave a footprint. Don't let Brother Nine lose too badly to other authors ToT
Also, I've asked on Weibo, but I'll ask here again for your opinions. What time of day do you usually read—morning, noon, afternoon, or evening? I'm tentatively planning to update daily at 8 PM. Is that okay? (Did the bolded words dazzle you? I feel like my integrity is about to explode, wahahaha!)
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