216. The Rental Apartment
Ning Chu’s mobile phone buzzed incessantly in the pocket of her coat. She hurriedly stuffed her hand inside, gripping it tight as if afraid the buzzing would draw Zhang Shaoqing’s attention.
Thank goodness she had turned off the ringer in time.
Otherwise, she’d be exposed in an instant…
After a moment, Zhang Shaoqing put down his phone, mumbling, “Can’t get through? What if something happened on the way?”
“She told me she’d arrive at the dorm around ten. Maybe she’s sleeping in the car and didn’t notice?”
“Oh…” He turned to Ning Chu, gazing at her familiar eyebrows, scratching his head. “Are you two looking for a place? How big?”
“Can you help?”
Zhang Shaoqing puffed up his chest, all confident, “Of course! For the sake of my roommate’s happiness! Leave it to me!”
“Happiness…”
Ning Chu’s lips twitched, clearly this guy mistook Wen Yang for thinking about moving in with his girlfriend.
If Zhang Shaoqing were to help find an apartment, her chances of being exposed would definitely go up…
But it was better than continuing to live in the dorm or those transient motels.
“Something cheap… Safety is the most important,” Wen Yang perked up, hastily listing his requirements.
“Got it, I’ll call and ask around.”
Zhang Shaoqing nodded, pulled out his phone, and dialed up a friend, while continuing, “Leave the apartment search to me, and let’s grab some barbecue afterwards?”
“…”
Wen Yang looked a bit hesitant, struggling to come up with an excuse to decline. Wouldn’t it be weird to eat barbecue with Ning Chu wearing a mask? And she couldn’t show her face—now that’s a tricky operation.
But Ning Chu quickly chimed in with her delicate voice, “Shao Qing… Brother, maybe another time? I don’t have a place to stay tonight… Next time, I’ll treat you!”
“Alright then.” Zhang Shaoqing’s call connected, and he started pacing while asking his friend about rental properties. After a while, he hung up, grinning, “Found one! Just a bit off the beaten path.”
“How far from our school?” Wen Yang asked.
“About a thirty-minute walk. It’s a private house, seven hundred a month, one bedroom and a living area. Want me to drive you guys to check it out?”
It was a bit far, but the price was decent, and the safety was better than a motel.
If it was a one-bedroom apartment near the school, it’d typically be around a thousand or so.
Ning Chu and Wen Yang exchanged glances, nodding to agree to check it out.
“I’ll head back to the dorm first. Don’t mind me,” Wang Jie said from the side.
“Sure, you can go back.”
Once they hopped into Zhang Shaoqing’s car, Ning Chu turned to the window, fiddling with her mask anxiously.
It was autumn-winter season now, with chilly mornings and evenings, so wearing masks wasn’t unusual during flu season.
“Hey there, sister-in-law!” Zhang Shaoqing grinned, driving and asking, “Why do you always wear a mask? Take it off, let’s see your pretty face!”
“I caught a cold…”
“She’s a bit shy.”
Both Ning Chu and Wen Yang replied at the same time.
“Oh~” Zhang Shaoqing teased, “Wen Yang, I bet you like sister-in-law because she looks just like Ning Chu, right? Those eyes are practically identical.”
“She’s my sister-in-law,” Wen Yang blurted, trying to maintain composure. “I didn’t even notice their eyes look alike.”
Ning Chu opened her mouth but then promptly shut it again.
She was considering whether to play the “Ning Chu’s cousin” card to dodge the confusion, but she knew Zhang Shaoqing wasn’t that easily fooled.
Besides, he had previously pretended not to know who Ning Chu was…
After chatting a bit, they arrived within about ten minutes; a spot that was a little far from the city.
It was a small village, but notably cheaper. There was a bus stop nearby, and students from the surrounding universities were known to rent there.
The rental place was a three-story building with an electronic lock on the main door. The landlord lived on the first floor, while the second and third floors had several one-bedroom units for rent.
To call it a one-bedroom meant a large bedroom with a sofa and TV crammed in—voila, the living room area.
The bathroom wasn’t big, but it worked.
The amenities were all there, and the decor was decent. With only four tenants per floor, it felt night-and-day better than those motels crammed with dozens of rooms.
“What do you think? I think it’s good!”
Ning Chu tugged at Wen Yang and whispered, “It’s a bit far from school, but there’s a bus. If we leave at seven-thirty, we should make it in time for class.”
“If you’re happy, that’s what matters.”
“All right, it’s settled!”
Wen Yang and Zhang Shaoqing dove into a heated negotiation with the landlord over rent, deposit, and contract details—one was a broke college kid, and the other was stingy with cash, managing to haggle the original seven hundred down to six hundred fifty.
“Alright! Rent is six hundred fifty a month, internet adds another fifty, there’s fifty for cleaning when you leave, and a one-month deposit,” the landlord clarified, adding slyly, “If everything’s cool with the contract, we can sign?”
“…”
With Ning Chu’s accommodation sorted, Wen Yang felt buoyed, clapping Zhang Shaoqing on the shoulder, “Next time, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“Ah, it’s no big deal; I just helped out.” Zhang Shaoqing elbowed him, eyeing the girl starting to tidy up, and with a smirk that could only be described as dodgy, muttered, “Tonight, make your move and seal the deal with sister-in-law! Don’t let my good intentions go to waste.”
“Uh…”
Wen Yang, despite lacking experience, found himself contemplative. Zhang Shaoqing had a whole theory ready: “Just tell her the buses stopped running, and you drove over to save her. Do you really think she could bear to let you walk back thirty minutes to campus?”
“Besides, you know how girls are. First night in an unfamiliar place? They’ll be scared stiff. If you don’t leave, she might just let her guard down~”
“Alright, that’s my two cents! Good luck!”
With that, Zhang Shaoqing patted Wen Yang’s shoulder and swaggered out the door.
Honestly, Wen Yang felt a stir of temptation.
Back when they were just flirting, he was all awkward with Ning Chu. But now, they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend!
Getting physical—it’s a normal thing, right?
But wait—wasn’t Ning Chu a succubus? Didn’t she say she wanted to wait until marriage?
He still couldn’t wrap his head around why a succubus family would hold such conservative views on X-related matters.
Ning Chu tidied up the room a bit and plopped down at the edge of the bed, stretching as she looked up, only to find Wen Yang standing there, stiff as a board in front of the TV cabinet. “What are you doing just standing there? There’s a sofa?”
She yawned, flopping back onto the bed and staring up at the somewhat worn ceiling, blissfully wriggling a bit to test the bed’s comfort.
Not too shabby, nice and soft.
Finally out of the boys’ dorm! No more worrying about being caught by her roommates or dodging the risk of an accidental NP plot twist.
Just as she laid down, she started feeling drowsy, and she couldn’t even be bothered to grab daily necessities. The bed didn’t even have sheets or blankets, she’d just have to make do for one night.
“I’m going to sleep now. When are you heading back to the dorm?”
“Uh… it’s late now, so the buses must have stopped running.”
“What about Shao Qing?”
“He left a while ago.”
Ning Chu paused for a moment and turned to Wen Yang, who was sitting upright on the sofa.
Does he really think I’m clueless about what’s on his mind?!
Even if he had no experience, he was still a man once!
To play oblivious, she blinked those captivating eyes and asked with mock confusion, “So what do we do now?”
Wen Yang’s face lit up with hope, “How about I just stay here tonight? There’s plenty of room, even sleeping on the floor would be fine.”
“I can help you tidy up the place, buy some daily necessities.”
Look at that eager expression on his face! Ning Chu couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly as she hesitated. “But…”
“I promise nothing will happen!”
“You swear.”
“I swear!”
