Chapter 217: The Rental Apartment
The phone in Ning Chu’s coat pocket was vibrating incessantly. She gripped it tightly, worried that the buzzing would attract Zhang Shaoqing’s attention.
Good thing she managed to mute the ringtone in time.
Otherwise, she would be instantly exposed…
Moments later, Zhang Shaoqing put down his phone, mumbling, “Can’t get through? I hope nothing happened on the road.”
“She told me she’d arrive at the dorm around ten, maybe she’s just dozing off on the bus?”
“I see…” He turned to Ning Chu and, noticing her familiar facial features, scratched his head. “Are you guys looking for a rental? How big?”
“Can you help out?”
Zhang Shaoqing pounded his chest, confidently declaring, “Of course! It’s for my roommate’s happy sex life, right? Count on me!”
“Happy sex life…”
Ning Chu’s lips twitched. It was clear this guy mistakenly thought Wen Yang was about to move in with a girlfriend.
If Zhang Shaoqing helped with the rental, her risk of exposure would definitely increase…
But it was still better than staying in the dorm or bouncing around hotels with high turnover.
“Something more affordable… Everything else can be discussed, but safety is my main concern,” Wen Yang eagerly added.
“Alright, let me make a call and ask around.”
Zhang Shaoqing nodded, pulled out his phone, and dialed a friend’s number while continuing, “Leave the rental to me. How about we grab some barbecue afterward?”
“……”
Wen Yang was a bit torn and couldn’t think of a good excuse to refuse.
He couldn’t exactly let Ning Chu eat barbecue while wearing a mask, could he? That would be quite the challenge.
But Ning Chu quickly reacted, using her sweet, delicate voice, “Shaoqing… let’s do it another time. I still don’t have a place to stay tonight… I’ll treat you next time.”
“Alright.” Zhang Shaoqing had gotten through on the phone and started asking his friend about the rental. After a bit, he hung up with a grin, “I actually found one! It’s just a bit off the beaten path.”
“How far from our school?” Wen Yang asked.
“About a half-hour walk. It’s a residential building, monthly rent is seven hundred, one bedroom and one living room. Want me to drive you two to take a look?”
It’s a bit far, but the price is decent, and the safety of a residence is definitely better than a hotel.
Ning Chu and Wen Yang exchanged glances, nodding in agreement to visit the place first.
“I’ll head back to the dorm then. Don’t mind me,” Wang Jie chimed in.
“Alright, you head back.”
Once in Zhang Shaoqing’s small car, Ning Chu turned to look out at the passing scenery, nervously adjusting her mask to breathe easier.
It was autumn and winter, and with the large temperature variance, flu season was rampant; wearing a mask was quite normal.
“Hey, little sister!” Zhang Shaoqing asked while driving, “Why do you always wear a mask? Take it off and let us see what you look like!”
“I caught a cold…”
“She’s a bit shy.”
Ning Chu and Wen Yang answered simultaneously.
“Oh~” Zhang Shaoqing teased, “Wen Yang, you like little sister because she looks like Ning Chu, huh? Look at those eyes, they’re practically identical.”
“She’s my sister-in-law,” Wen Yang blurted, eager to clarify, “I didn’t even notice they had similar eyes.”
Ning Chu opened her mouth but helplessly closed it again.
She considered whether to play the “Ning Chu’s cousin” card, but she felt Zhang Shaoqing wasn’t that naive.
Plus, he had already pretended to be clueless when asking who Ning Chu was.
After a brief chat on the way, they arrived in about ten minutes at their destination, having easily traversed the half-hour walk.
It was a village, slightly off the main path, but way cheaper. There was even a bus stop nearby; students from several local universities loved renting here.
The rental place was a three-story building, with an electronic lock on the front door. The landlord lived on the first floor, while the second and third floors had several one-bedroom apartments available for rent.
It was labeled a one-bedroom and one-living room, but really it was a large bedroom with a sofa and TV squeezed in, serving as the living room area.
The bathroom was small but serviceable.
All the facilities were complete, and the decor wasn’t bad. With only four tenants per floor, it was far better than a tiny hotel with dozens of rooms on a single floor.
“What do you think? I think it’s pretty good.”
Ning Chu whispered to Wen Yang, “It’s a bit further from school, but there’s a bus; if I leave at seven-thirty every day, I should make it to class.”
“As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.”
“Then it’s settled!”
Wen Yang and Zhang Shaoqing began haggling with the landlord, discussing everything from monthly rent to the deposit and contract details. One was a penny-pincher, and the other liked to save his coins, successfully knocking fifty off the original seven hundred rent.
“Alright, six hundred fifty for rent, there’s an additional fifty for internet each month, and the cleaning fee is also fifty when moving out, plus a one-month deposit.” The landlord nervously added, “If the contract is fine, let’s sign?”
“……”
With Ning Chu’s accommodation problem solved, Wen Yang was in high spirits as he draped an arm around Zhang Shaoqing’s shoulders, promising, “Next time, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“Don’t mention it, just helping out!” Zhang Shaoqing elbowed him playfully, his gaze drifting to the girl who had begun tidying up, grinning slyly as he whispered, “Tonight, make sure to take your little sister down a notch! Don’t let an opportunity go to waste!”
“This…”
Despite lacking romantic experience, Zhang Shaoqing had loads of theories: “Just tell her the bus is out of service, and since I drove, how could she bear to have you walk back to school for half an hour?”
“And you know how girls are, spending the first night in a strange place, she’ll be scared. If you don’t leave, she might just oblige~”
“Don’t say anymore; I’ve done my part!”
Zhang Shaoqing patted Wen Yang on the shoulder and confidently walked out, leaving Wen Yang a bit stirred.
In the past, during their ambiguous phase, he would feel shy about any physical interaction with Ning Chu, but now they were officially dating.
Isn’t taking things to the next level completely normal?!
But it seemed Ning Chu, being a succubus, had mentioned wanting to wait until after marriage…
He still didn’t get why a succubus would have such conservative views on X.
Having tidied up the room a bit, Ning Chu stretched and plopped down at the bed’s end. She looked up, only to see Wen Yang standing frozen in front of the TV cabinet, “Why are you just standing there? There’s a sofa you could sit on!”
She stifled a yawn and flopped back on the bed, staring at the slightly tarnished ceiling, comfortably twisting her body to test the bed here.
Not bad at all, quite soft.
Finally, she could leave the boys’ dorm behind, no more walking on eggshells worrying about her roommates noticing, fearing it might accidentally evolve into an NP plot.
Just as she lay down, Ning Chu started to feel sleepy. She couldn’t be bothered to buy any living essentials; she didn’t even have sheets or quilts on the bed and was ready to make do for one night.
“I’m going to sleep. When will you head back to the dorm?”
“Uh… It’s late; the bus has stopped running.”
“What about Shaoqing?”
“He left quite some time ago.”
Ning Chu paused, turning to look at Wen Yang, who was sitting rigidly on the sofa.
He really thinks I have no idea what he’s thinking, huh?!
Though she had no practical experience, she used to be a man!
Feigning ignorance, she blinked her captivating peach blossom eyes and asked in distress, “What should we do then?”
Wen Yang looked at her, his face lighting up with anticipation: “How about I just stay here tonight? The place is big enough; I can just sleep on the floor.”
“I can help you tidy up and buy some living supplies.”
Seeing his eager expression, Ning Chu secretly chuckled but put on a hesitant face: “But…”
“I promise I won’t do anything!”
“You swear.”
“I swear!”
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