### 455. The Hidden Rich Roommate
Xiong Da’s family had seemingly lived in this urban village for generations. He occupied a four-story building, with the downstairs split into rental apartments for young workers, while his family resided in the upper two floors.
“How much is your rent?”
“A single room is fifteen hundred.” Xiong Da pushed open the door, leading several people into the small courtyard.
Lin Nan took a deep breath, glancing at Chen Yao with anticipation.
Chen Yao shrugged, “My family isn’t that rich.”
“Okay then.”
Though his family owned a two-story house in the county, along with an old bungalow in the countryside and an unfinished wedding house in the provincial city, all combined probably didn’t match the value of this little building.
After all, the house in the provincial city wasn’t in the city center, still under mortgage, and the property prices there were actually a bit lower compared to here.
“If your house gets demolished, wouldn’t you become a millionaire in no time?” Tu Junhui glanced at the floor space of the building with awe, “Mind if I take a trip to Thailand and marry you?”
“Scram.”
The first two floors had been divided into a bunch of single rooms, leaving only a corridor and stairs. Once they climbed to the third floor, Xiong Da pulled out a key and unlocked the door.
The interior resembled any ordinary residential building; mostly white, with an overall European style.
As soon as the door opened, a cat dashed out, meowing, and soon after, a middle-aged woman emerged from the bedroom. Seeing the guests, she simply nodded as a greeting before going to the coffee table to pour herself some water.
Xiong Da moved inside, pulling out some pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet, “Take off your shoes before coming in.”
Lin Nan curiously examined the room; there wasn’t anything too special about the decor, except for the gigantic television that caught her eye.
She slipped on the slippers and glanced back at Xiong Da’s mother.
The aunt shared a resemblance with Xiong Da, sporting a typical short curly hairstyle of a middle-aged woman, but her physique was robust—almost like the landlady from a kung fu movie.
Turns out, she really is a landlady.
“Are they all your classmates?” The aunt swept her gaze over the three behind Xiong Da after filling her cup, a slight smile appearing on her face.
“Yeah, they’re my roommates.”
“Roommates?” The aunt’s eyes landed on Lin Nan.
Xiong Da replied nonchalantly, “She’s the girlfriend of my roommate.”
“We’re planning to go have fun on Zhongshan Street, and we’ll come back to see you,” Xiong Da maintained his icy demeanor even with family around, “And I need some cash—my money’s all in Alipay, too lazy to withdraw from the bank.”
While he was saying this, Tu Junhui leaned in to whisper to Lin Nan, “A couple of days ago, he ordered a figurine and now he can only afford to eat with Huabei. He’s too scared to ask for money from home.”
“How much did he spend?” Lin Nan probed.
“Over a thousand? Not too much, still less than Chen Yao’s kn*fe.”
“Huh?” Lin Nan looked bewildered at Chen Yao, who had a dark expression on his face, “What kn*fe?”
Chen Yao quickly shook his head in denial, “Don’t listen to his nonsense; I’m not the kind of guy who hoards controlled weapons, am I?”
Tu Junhui, noticing Lin Nan was in the dark about this, couldn’t help but smirk even wider, “You don’t know? Chen Yao plays CS:GO…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a slap landed on the back of his head, cutting off his words. Chen Yao wore a threatening smile, warning him, “Watch what you say, or you might wake up not knowing where you are tonight.”
“Not a problem, just take me out for late-night snacks tonight.”
Lin Nan was even more confused now, staring at them both in shock.
What’s with these two? Are they starting a secret deal? Clearly, Chen Yao is hiding something from me!
Watching the playful banter, the aunt didn’t comment much, turning to lead Xiong Da into the bedroom to get some money. With her gone, Tu Junhui felt a lot more relaxed, chased around the living room by Chen Yao.
Lin Nan settled into the spacious sofa, grabbing the air conditioner remote from the coffee table. She turned on the floor-standing unit, yawned, and leaned back on the couch, turning to watch the chaotic scene of the two still messing around.
“Alright, alright, what if Xiong Da’s mom finds out and kicks us out?”
“Isn’t it Chen Yao who keeps chasing me?” Tu Junhui hustled up to the air conditioner, enjoying the cool breeze.
Chen Yao sat down next to Lin Nan, his face dark. When he turned, the curious look in his girlfriend’s eyes made him helplessly scratch his nose and explain, “It’s just a skin in the game, similar to LOL.”
“Is it expensive? The most expensive LOL skin is only 199, right?”
“It’s not expensive, I bought it for fifteen hundred.”
Seeing Lin Nan’s expression change, he quickly added, “Now it can sell for eighteen hundred okay?! Last semester’s leftover pocket money…”
“Wasn’t I at your house then? You didn’t tell me you spent that much money?” Lin Nan frowned, visibly annoyed, “And you can sell it?”
“Sure! It’s like making investments, way better than saving it in the bank! Plus, I can play with it, and when the price goes up, I can sell it for profit. It’s great!”
“Don’t listen to him; the ones that didn’t make money are just hidden losses.” Tu Junhui chimed in, exposing Chen Yao’s shady math, “The price of these things is like the stock market—one wrong move and you’re deep in the red.”
If this were a rental apartment or a dormitory, Chen Yao would have already grabbed a bottle of water to hurl at him.
Is he secretly hoping for a breakup between him and Lin Nan?
“This is my only hobby,” Chen Yao sighed. He doesn’t smoke or drink, just plays games and occasionally spends a bit of money, “And besides, I’ve made around a thousand after playing with these items for a few years.”
With that logic, Lin Nan’s disapproval lessened quite a bit.
Thinking about it, while LOL skins are nice, they can’t be sold or traded. It never bothered her before, but now knowing that other games allow buying and selling skins for profit made her feel like she wasted her money on LOL skins.
Xiong Da had also convinced his mother to give him cash. He felt a rare smile break out on his usually frosty face as the realization dawned that the “rich kid” actually made sense.
Who knew that the seemingly calm guy could be so reckless with money?
But he is a rich kid; his shelves are filled with figurines. If we consider each figurine worth a thousand, his collection would likely exceed ten thousand in value.
“Come, let me show you my figurine cabinet.” Xiong Da suddenly felt bold, scanning the room before directing them to a small study next door.
Standing in the corner of the study, like someone showcasing their beautiful spouse, he looked at the enormous clear cabinet taking up an entire wall, “Isn’t it stunning?”
Tu Junhui approached it, his face full of envy, practically pressing his face against the glass, “Whoa! So many limited edition figurines! Can you spare me a couple?”
“Is this an ACG character figurine? I remember seeing the promotion; only five thousand sets were released.” Chen Yao stood next to Lin Nan, crossing his arms, “I think it was over a thousand when it launched, but now it should be worth two thousand, right?”
Lin Nan stared wide-eyed at the myriad figurines, unsure of their value but couldn’t help asking, “How much is all this worth?”
Oh no, I might’ve missed out on a rich roommate!
Maybe it’s not too late.
She gazed at her phone, contemplating whether to introduce Chen Yao to her wealthy cousin.
With this kind of money, who knows, maybe he could change her cousin’s s*xual orientation.
—
### 456. My Wife is So Cute
Back when they lived in the dorms, whether it was Chen Yao, Tu Junhui, or Xiong Da, the word “poor” was all they ever said.
If they saw someone buy something for a few dozen bucks, it was always, “Rich kid!” In those moments, Lin Nan realized just how poor she truly was, while her roommates casually had living expenses of two to three thousand each.
She understood Chen Yao better than the others, but she thought his family’s restaurant was just a small roadside stall until she visited them early this year and met his uncle and aunt, only to find out it was a big hotel!
Xiong Da had a bunch of collectible figurines on his bookshelf, hinting at wealth, but he was always low-key. Who would’ve guessed this guy had a whole cabinet of legitimate figurines, all priced in the thousands?
His little building probably earns over ten thousand in rent each month. She wasn’t sure about his parents’ jobs, but they couldn’t be low-paying jobs; otherwise, how could they afford to buy him figurines?
As for Tu Junhui…
After leaving Xiong Da’s house, Lin Nan couldn’t help but eye Tu Junhui.
Last year, he purchased a new laptop, but apparently, he financed it over a year, scrimping and saving each month. He didn’t exactly look rich.
“Why are you looking at me? My family is poor compared to Xiong Da’s.” Tu Junhui sighed, “Looks like I’m the brokest of them all.”
“For someone with three thousand in living expenses, you shouldn’t self-deprecate.” Lin Nan couldn’t resist teasing, “If you’re poor, what does that make me?”
“You’re the big shot marrying into wealth! You may not have cash, but Chen Yao does!”
Xiong Da, sporting a poker face, chimed in, “Come on, Tu Junhui, stop pretending. When I visited your place last time, I got lost! Your butler took half an hour just to find me.”
“Right? His garden spans thousands of acres, and he usually flies out by helicopter.” Chen Yao added, “His bed is over a hundred square meters, with a mattress made of solid gold! His bathroom is bigger than mine!”
“Oh, such humility,” Tu Junhui modestly replied, “Let’s keep this under wraps, or I might get kidnapped!”
This was their usual banter, while Lin Nan trailed behind, unable to chime in.
Initially, she had found their exaggerated remarks amusing, but she soon realized they were all just making it up on the spot.
Since Xiong Da lived nearby, he led the way to the subway station, and in just over ten minutes, they arrived.
Walking through the station’s corridor, Lin Nan glanced around at the advertising on both sides, noticing it looked quite like what she’d seen online.
As she exited the tunnel, a vast underground world opened before her eyes, and her curiosity piqued as she observed the bustling crowd and the ceiling above, secretly wondering if it would one day collapse in an earthquake.
It was like when she was a kid, sitting beneath a fan, always questioning if the fan would one day drop and chop off her head.
“Let’s go, buy your tickets.” Chen Yao suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her along, muttering, “And you, stop daydreaming! What are you staring at?”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting lost?”
“Is this my first time on the subway? Isn’t it okay to look around?” Lin Nan felt a bit embarrassed but quickened her pace to keep up with Chen Yao, trying to sound tough, “I’m an adult; how could I get lost? Even if alone, I know I can just use a ride-hailing app to get home!”
“Sure, sure, you’re so smart,” Chen Yao replied nonchalantly.
He took Lin Nan to the ticket vending machine, fumbling with the controls while Lin Nan peered over shoulder, trying to make sense of it all.
She pointed at one of the buttons indicating a one-yuan ticket, asking, “What if I buy a one-yuan ticket but end up needing a four-yuan ride? Can they kick me out?”
“They won’t let you through the exit.” Chen Yao turned to Xiong Da, “Got any cash? Four people means sixteen bucks.”
Who knows why, but this city’s buses allowed mobile payments, yet the subway ticket machines didn’t seem to have any QR codes.
Otherwise, Xiong Da wouldn’t have been able to use that excuse to ask his mom for cash.
After buying tickets and passing through the turnstiles, they descended one more level. Finally, Lin Nan saw the underground railway she had only seen online.
Though it was her first time, she had seen enough videos to feel somewhat comfortable as she observed the unfamiliar environment with wide eyes.
There weren’t many people waiting for the subway as it wasn’t rush hour, so there were no crowding issues.
She had heard there were many perverts on the subway.
There was even some adult-themed material based on such themes.
But Lin Nan had only ever heard of it; she had never thought about downloading anything.
The train arrived punctually, and Lin Nan followed Chen Yao aboard, quickly finding a row of empty seats to sit down. She raised her gaze to the promotional videos playing on the wall.
“Wow, there are ads everywhere!” That was Lin Nan’s first impression. From the moment they entered the subway station, advertisements lined the walls, and even on the train, various ads were visible. Even as the train moved, the ads remained displayed on the walls outside.
Thank goodness the train didn’t look like a bus plastered with ads; otherwise, that would be a bit overkill.
“I’m feeling a bit sleepy.” The train moved smoothly, and as soon as Lin Nan sat down, she began yawning nonstop.
Chen Yao glanced at Lin Nan beside him, then shifted a bit closer, resting his shoulder next to hers, “Want to take a nap?”
“Sure.” Without much thought, she leaned her head on Chen Yao’s shoulder, squinting at the screen across from her, the sleepiness taking over.
“Let’s wait until we get to the inn before we nap.” Tu Junhui said nonchalantly, lounging with his arms behind his head, inspecting his leg hair out of boredom, “Once we’re at the inn, we can sleep until six before heading out to have some fun at night.”
Last time his leg hair got forcibly trimmed when he had to wear women’s clothing, so now it was growing back, but it felt annoyingly prickly.
No wonder they say shaving hair is not recommended, especially in sensitive areas.
After whining about his leg hair, he proposed, “After we stroll around Zhongshan Street, let’s check out a bar too?”
“I’m not going,” Chen Yao swiftly rejected, “I agreed with Lin Nan not to drink.”
“You’re such a whipped man, losing your dignity as a man.”
Chen Yao huffed, tilting his head defiantly, “That’s right, I am whipped!”
d*mn, that’s just sour.
Tu Junhui grimaced at his reaction and then turned to Xiong Da, “What about you? Let’s go charm some girls so we aren’t constantly fed lemons by these lovebirds!”
Xiong Da, sitting calmly beside him, was still focused on his mobile game. Initially, he planned to refuse, but hearing “girls” made him nod unexpectedly, “Sure.”
“Tonight, we’ll charm a few girls and head back to the inn!” Tu Junhui shot a glance at Chen Yao, “Then we’ll flaunt our love in front of you!”
“Okay.”
Chen Yao replied nonchalantly, keeping his head down with his right hand gently resting on Lin Nan’s head, careful that she wouldn’t wake up with a jolt as her head drooped.
Still, my wife is so cute.
