Chapter 72 The Forthright Landlord

“How much?”
“Fifty thousand… a month?”
The chubby one practically squealed, drawing glances from everyone nearby.
Sister Wang, the middle-aged woman who had just tried to persuade Xiaomei, looked at the three of them and couldn’t help but shake her head.
“That Xiaomei, showing a property at Tomson Riviera to two students.”
“I really don’t know what she’s thinking.”
Xiaomei explained to Xu Ze,
“This unit has 150 square meters of usable space, three bedrooms, one living room, two bathrooms, and a spacious balcony with an excellent view.”
“All the furniture is brand new. The owner is a young woman in her twenties; she only lived here for a month before moving out.”
Listening to Xiaomei’s introduction, Xu Ze nodded in satisfaction.
From the photos, the place really did look impressive—the décor suited a young woman, and the community itself seemed lovely.
Although the price was steep.
After studying the pictures for a while, Xu Ze asked, “Can we see it now?”
Xiaomei was taken aback; Xu Ze genuinely seemed interested in taking the place.
She glanced at the chubby one again, then nodded, “I have the key, but I need to call the owner first. She’ll have to inform the security desk before we can get in.”
Two minutes later, Xiaomei returned from her call and said, “Let’s go. I’ve spoken with the owner—she’s made arrangements, so we can head over now.”
The three of them left the agency.
A young man sneered,
“Xiaomei is actually taking two students to see Tomson Riviera~”
“If any two students could afford to rent at Tomson Riviera, we’d have met our sales targets long ago!”
The others laughed along.
Sister Wang immediately snapped,
“Have you all finished your call quotas for the day?”
“Gossiping about your colleague instead?”
“Xiaomei may not have sold a unit yet, but she’s already rented out more than a dozen. And what about you?”
“Can’t land the big ones, and look down on the small ones!”
Sister Wang seemed to be a team lead; after her rebuke, everyone quieted down.
The young man who had spoken first muttered under his breath,
“As if she could rent out a Tomson Riviera unit to two broke students in off-brand tracksuits.”
…
It took just twenty minutes by subway from the agency to Tomson Riviera.
After registering, they entered the community.
“Wow, no wonder this is considered a luxury development,”
the chubby one whispered to Xu Ze as they walked.
“The women who live here are all so pretty—look, that one with sunglasses looks just like a celebrity!”
Xu Ze reminded him,
“Watch your eyes, you’re looking a little creepy. Security here is strict—be careful or they’ll have you thrown out.”
Chastened, the chubby one tried to rein himself in, though he still snuck glances at the attractive women passing by.
Five minutes later, the three of them entered the apartment.
As soon as they stepped inside, the chubby one exclaimed,
“Oh my god, this balcony is huge—and what a view!”
“The furniture looks brand new too!”
“And this sofa—how is it so white? Aren’t they afraid of it getting dirty?”
Xiaomei explained, “The owner says that although the sofa looks white, it’s made with some imported material that’s resistant to stains.”
Xu Ze looked around; from what he could see, the place was even better than in the pictures.
The furnishings and décor looked practically untouched.
What the owner said was probably true—the apartment looked barely lived in.
After checking the plumbing and electricity, Xu Ze made his decision.
“I’ll take it.”
Xiaomei was surprised, “Don’t you want to see a couple more options?”
Xu Ze asked, “Within a kilometer of the Third Hospital, is there a better complex than this?”
Xiaomei shook her head, “Not that I know of.”
“Then that’s settled.”
The location and environment were ideal; there was no need to waste more time.
Thinking about how his aunt could walk to work from now on, Xu Ze felt certain she’d be delighted.
By now, Xiaomei was sure that Lei Zi’s friend was a rich kid—one of those truly wealthy ones.
Xiaomei took out the contract, already signed by the owner.
“One month’s deposit, three months’ rent upfront. The owner said if the furniture breaks on its own, she’ll pay for repairs, but if you break it, you’ll have to pay.”
Xu Ze nodded, then asked, “Any other requirements? Like no pets or anything?”
Xiaomei shook her head, “No.”
Good, the owner seemed straightforward as well.
Soon Xu Ze signed the contract and transferred the rent for three months plus a deposit, totaling two hundred thousand. The apartment was his.
Half an hour later, Xiaomei returned to the agency and removed the listing from the company website.
Just then, a female colleague complained loudly,
“Xiaomei, why did you take down the Tomson Riviera listing? Did you make a mistake?”
“I have a client who wants to rent a unit there for his daughter. Put it back up—this is my biggest client, don’t mess this up for me!”
Her voice drew the attention of their colleagues.
Sister Wang heard as well and hurried over, giving the girl a pointed look before quietly asking Xiaomei,
“Xiaomei, did you click the wrong button? Since there’s a client in a rush, maybe you should restore the listing.”
Xiaomei replied in confusion, “I didn’t make a mistake. I just rented it out.”
“Rented out?”
Everyone in earshot exchanged glances.
The listing had only been up for two days—how could a fifty-thousand-a-month apartment rent out so quickly?
Sister Wang was stunned, then uncertainly asked,
“To those two students from earlier?”
“Yes,” Xiaomei nodded.
“My goodness.”
There was a collective gasp.
“Are students these days really that rich?”
“Xiaomei’s luck is incredible!”
“Yeah, this deal alone will net her at least ten thousand in commission—twice her base salary.”
The young man who had mocked Xiaomei earlier now felt his face burning.
That evening,
Xu Ze stood at the entrance of Third Hospital, waiting to pick up his aunt after work.
The December night wind was already biting,
But even after waiting for a long while, Xu Ze showed no impatience.
This was his first time meeting family in this new life; the long-lost warmth left him feeling both awkward and nervous—
And, above all, cherishing it.
After another fifteen minutes, his aunt’s slender figure finally appeared before him.
“Sorry, sorry—a patient came in at the last minute, and I had to work overtime,” she apologized.
Song Xiaoqing wore a black-and-white checkered knit jacket, a fitted black skirt, nude stockings, and knee-high leather boots.
“Auntie, aren’t you cold?” Xu Ze asked with concern.
She smiled, looping her arm through his,
“As long as I’m holding onto my handsome superstar nephew, I’m not cold at all!”