My Landlady Feels Like a Beautiful Ghost

The idiot shrugged, letting the topic drop, and pointed towards the door.

“Let’s go grab a bite? I’ll head to the blind date after we eat. It’s scheduled for the afternoon.”

“No thanks. I need to crash.”

“Seriously, bro? I’m going out to help your girl, and you’re just gonna crawl back into bed?”

“I’m usually asleep by now. You know that.”

“At least eat something first.”

You’re so annoying. Are you my mother? It’s been years since anyone nagged me like…

Knock—knock, knock—

The knocking cut off our conversation.

From the rhythm—one knock, then two—I knew who it was.

I hurried over and opened the door. Standing there was a beautiful woman.

She wore a simple, clean white knit top, black stockings, and a black knee-length skirt. It was a cozy, homemaker-style outfit.

But she wasn’t a homemaker. She was my landlady, Ayane Hane.

She was the beautiful woman I’d mentioned seeing around, the one who lived next door.

She was still wearing an apron and holding a tray with a full meal for two.

“Sister Ling,” I called out.

Seeing me at the door, she smiled. “Hehe, I figured you were awake with all the noise over here.”

“Sorry, was this guy being too loud? I’ll make sure he shuts up permanently.”

“It’s fine. I just made too much breakfast. Why don’t you and your friend share it?”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy.”

“We will.”

“Well, I won’t disturb you then.”

“Alright.”

No extra words needed. Only affirmative answers worked with Sister Ling. It was the rule for communicating with her and the fastest way to end the conversation.

Sister Ling handed me the tray, gave a little wave, and closed the door again.

I let out a breath.

The idiot came up beside me, looking from the tray in my hands to me, then draped an arm over my shoulder.

“So, bro, you’ve been hiding quite a bit, haven’t you?”

“You’re overthinking it. She brings me breakfast sometimes.”

“She said she made too much, right? But this doesn’t look like leftovers.”

True. The tray had a full meal for two. I knew Sister Ling lived alone. Making double would be weird.

That was just an excuse. Judging by the timing, she’d probably made it fresh for me. The rice was still steaming.

“Who is she, bro? How do you know a beautiful married woman like this?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Sister Ling isn’t married. Her full name is Ayane Hane. She’s my landlady, and she lives next door.”

“Huh? She’s the legendary landlady?”

“Yeah.”

“Last time you said she was older than you, I pictured some old woman in her forties or fifties. I didn’t expect this…”

Even the idiot was surprised, his gaze still fixed on the now-closed door, muttering to himself.

“I mean, bro, your beautiful landlady’s looks and figure are top-notch, but the most impressive thing is ‘that voice’…”

Just as expected, the idiot noticed too.

Unless someone was deaf, anyone with normal hearing would be captivated the first time they heard Sister Ling’s voice.

When I first heard it, I was dazed, thinking it was some celestial being’s voice… And it truly was a “heavenly voice.”

“She’s an incredibly beautiful woman, already ultra-rare quality, and with that voice… In a game, that’s a must-pull character.”

Gotta say, true.

“Man, what garbage ASMR have I been listening to all this time… Is this what they mean by ‘the sound of nature’…”

Let me reiterate: the idiot wasn’t exaggerating.

Sister Ling’s voice was that beautiful. It was truly the kind where you just want to kneel and listen.

Her normal speaking voice was already better than other girls’ strained, fake cute voices.

The idiot’s description was pretty accurate. “The sound of nature” fit perfectly.

“Is she some famous voice coach or singer? If she sang, she’d be huge.”

“Maybe.”

That was the best answer I could give.

I was pretty picky about music.

As picky as I was about lewd pictures.

My NetEase Music level had long since hit ten. I’d listened to over twenty thousand songs, but I’d favorited only two hundred.

My taste was all over the place, but since I was deep into 2D culture, I listened to more female vocals.

If Sister Ling sang… I’d favorite every single one. I’d probably even buy physical albums.

The idiot suddenly teased.

“Ever thought about hearing that sweet voice of hers in bed?”

“Forget about breakfast.”

I shot him a look, shrugged his arm off my shoulder, and carried the tray inside.

The idiot quickly followed.

“Ahem, I’m just thinking about your happiness, bro.”

“Happiness my ass. I told you, she’s my landlady.”

“But I’ve always wondered. You were dirt poor, bro, then suddenly you rent this place… I think you’re the one being kept.”

“Can you stop steering the conversation that way?”

I set the tray on the table, and the idiot sat across from me.

I handed him a pair of chopsticks and a spoon as I continued.

“She just feels sorry for me living alone, so she looks out for me a little.”

“Seriously?”

“Why would I lie?”

“Then tell me, how much is the rent here?”

“Twelve hundred.”

“Twelve hundred?! You’re telling me she’s renting you this place—in this residential area inside the Fourth Ring Road, close to the subway and schools—for twelve hundred a month?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Twelve hundred isn’t monthly. It’s yearly.”

“Huh?!”

The idiot froze, spitting out a mouthful of rice.

Damn, that’s disgusting.

“How the hell is that not you being kept? Who would believe that?!”

“Believe it or not, it’s not.”

“Oh, so an unmarried, beautiful, wealthy, sweet-voiced, caring, totally wifey-type older sister rents you a place in this location for the low, low price of a hundred a month, even makes you breakfast… This rice is delicious…”

After swallowing the food in his mouth, he pointed his chopsticks at me and practically shouted.

“And you’re telling me she’s not keeping you?!”

“Huh???”

His reaction was expected. Reality was absurd. Sister Ling and I were just landlord and tenant. Nothing more.

But the idiot didn’t believe it at all. Looking pained, he reminisced.

“I remember asking you to stay in my villa. Plenty of empty rooms. But no, you wouldn’t. Now a beautiful woman keeps you, and you come running.”

“And now you’re into another woman. Bro, you call me a scumbag, but you’re just as bad.”

“I told you, Sister Ling isn’t keeping me. She just ‘took me in.'”

“What’s the difference?”

There didn’t seem to be one. He wasn’t there, so it was hard to explain…

I thought for a moment, choosing my words carefully, and finally said.

“The difference… Let’s put it this way. In her eyes, I’m like a stray cat or dog someone abandoned, forced to live on the streets, pitiful and helpless. Get it?”

“She wants to train you like a pet? I wouldn’t have guessed. Such a pure appearance hiding a perverted side, and she’s not even married…”

“No… Tch, forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”

As expected, people couldn’t truly understand each other.

But seeing my irritation, the idiot finally seemed to grasp something, pointing at his temple.

“Oh… so she has a screw loose? Something wrong up there?”

“That’s harsh, but… yeah, something like that.”

“I knew it. She seemed pretty normal, though.”

“She’s normal, actually. Just a bit different with people she ‘picks up’… Probably has to do with her past. I don’t know, and I haven’t had a chance to find out.”

“So has she taken in other people like you?”

“I don’t know. But in the three months I’ve been here, I haven’t seen any other tenants.”

Maybe before me, there were others she’d “picked up.” But they probably angered her and got scared off.

Probably by saying something “negative” in front of her.

That was forbidden.

I’d done it once, and seeing that smile that didn’t reach her eyes grow increasingly terrifying, I immediately realized that was her “reverse scale.”

Her state in those moments was very similar to someone I’d known before, so I understood how to handle it.

“By the way, she probably won’t target you, but I should warn you anyway.”

“Go on.”

“If you ‘happen’ to run into her, and she ‘just happens’ to offer to do something for you, you ‘absolutely’ cannot refuse.”

“What happens if I do?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I finished every last grain of rice in my bowl, cleaned up the dishes, put down my chopsticks, and warned him.

“Just… don’t court death.”

As long as you didn’t test that boundary, Sister Ling was easy to get along with.

She liked taking care of people, was very considerate. Like the idiot said, it was basically like being kept.

It was great. Who wouldn’t want to be kept by a beautiful older sister?

But because of her peculiarity, I couldn’t see her as a woman.

She was more like a kind “female ghost” to me.

And even the kindest ghost has a cruel side.

Ayane Hane was a living “female ghost.”