The landlady’s sudden visit had clearly thrown Bai Xia’s plans into complete disarray.
Of course, it wasn’t that she worried about not finding another place to live; after all, her purse was quite full these days, and she certainly wasn’t unable to afford a better house.
It was simply because it was too much trouble.
As someone afflicted with a terminal case of chronic laziness, moving house undoubtedly ranked among the most troublesome tasks in Bai Xia’s estimation.
After all, setting aside the challenge of finding a satisfactory home within a short timeframe, there would then be the arduous process of organizing and cleaning, not to mention the inevitable discovery of missing necessities.
Even the mere thought of it made Bai Xia feel a profound sense of vexation, but life was unpredictable, and there was simply nothing to be done.
Her landlady’s family troubles were clearly not something she had wished upon herself, so while the impact on Bai Xia was undeniably frustrating, ultimately, it was an unavoidable situation.
Since there was no turning back, Bai Xia couldn’t even be bothered to complain; she simply settled onto the sofa, activated her Skycomm, and found a rental platform online.
After locking in her location, she began searching for nearby properties.
However…
‘What a hassle, indeed.’
Pages upon pages of densely packed housing information scrolled before her, yet as Bai Xia opened each detailed listing, she couldn’t help but frown.
Suhua’s land prices were far from cheap, a truth she was now experiencing firsthand.
While there were many houses available, they were either exorbitantly priced or their environments failed to meet her standards.
Some even felt inferior to her current modest dwelling, which, despite its flaws, at least offered a degree of quietude due to its somewhat secluded location.
After scrolling back and forth for quite some time, Bai Xia happened to glance at the clock and slapped her forehead with a sudden realization.
‘Damn it… I completely forgot that guy is still waiting for me in the game!’
Having spent well over half an hour lost in thoughts of housing, Bai Xia was suddenly reminded of Tian Zheng, who was still in the game.
She rubbed her forehead in exasperation, then, after closing the rental platform, shuffled in her slippers towards her bedroom.
****
Upon logging back in, Bai Xia had expected Tian Zheng to have already returned to the city.
To her surprise, however, the moment she appeared online, his figure instantly caught her eye.
Bai Xia was somewhat taken aback, and Tian Zheng, who appeared to be communicating with others via in-game chat, spotted her at once.
Closing his chat window, he walked over and inquired, ‘Did you run into some trouble?’
‘Eh…’
Bai Xia, who had initially braced herself for a complaint about the wasted time, paused, slightly stunned.
After a brief hesitation, she recounted the events she had just experienced.
Pulling her down to sit on the nearby grass, Tian Zheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing her story, a thoughtful expression settling on his face.
‘So, your landlady’s family emergency means she has to sell the house you’re renting, which in turn means… you’re homeless?’
‘What do you mean, homeless!’
Although it was technically true, Bai Xia still bristled at the blunt declaration.
She didn’t forget to add, with a touch of apology, ‘I was looking at rental listings and lost track of time. Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Boss.’
‘It’s fine.’
The man waved his hand, genuinely appearing unconcerned.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked, ‘And the house? Did you find a new one?’
‘If only it were that easy to find something.’
Bai Xia sighed softly.
‘Suhua truly lives up to its reputation; good houses are clearly beyond the reach of us ‘poor folk.”
‘Suhua, you say?’
Tian Zheng stroked his chin thoughtfully, falling silent for a moment as if deep in consideration.
Then he spoke again, ‘Do you have any specific requirements for a house?’
Bai Xia cast a suspicious glance at him, but then, considering that with his connections, he might actually be able to help, she decided against hiding anything.
‘Actually, my requirements for a house aren’t very high: clean, quiet, and livable is all I need. Of course, bigger would be even better. Hmm… perhaps I should add a kitchen? And ideally a large bathtub; baths are simply the best. Then, a spacious balcony would be nice too, so I could plant some flowers and plants when I’m bored…’
As she spoke, her ‘requirements’ quickly morphed into a description of her ideal little cottage.
She swiftly realized this, however, and hurriedly shook her head, casting those fanciful thoughts aside.
‘In short, just a place with a bit more space and a quieter environment. I don’t really care much about the decor. So, Boss, do you have any recommendations?’
The man listened attentively until she finished, then, after a moment of thoughtful silence, slowly said, ‘I can indeed find a few good places to live in Suhua, though I’m not sure if they’ll meet your exact requirements.’
‘Eh… really?’
Bai Xia was stunned, utterly unprepared for her boss to actually be able to find her a house here; she hadn’t held much hope at all.
Seeing her expression, Tian Zheng likely understood her thoughts, and said with a hint of helplessness, ‘They’re just places I think are decent. Whether you’re satisfied, Bai Xia, you’ll probably have to see for yourself to know.’
‘…It’s not going to be one of those super-expensive ones, is it?’
In a sudden flash of realization, Bai Xia remembered that the man before her was a bona fide magnate.
Any place he introduced her to would surely be far from cheap.
Noticing her apprehension, the man smiled. ‘Don’t worry. I know the landlords there. If you tell them I sent you, they’ll definitely give you a satisfactory price.’
‘Really?’
Bai Xia remained somewhat skeptical, but then she considered that her meager self wasn’t worth Tian Zheng deliberately deceiving her.
‘Still don’t believe me? How about this…’
Just as Bai Xia hesitated, Tian Zheng’s tone suddenly shifted.
‘As it happens, I’m in Suhua these days too. Give me your address, and I can take you to see the houses directly this afternoon. What do you say?’
‘Wait, Boss, you’re in Suhua!?’
Bai Xia’s surprise was understandable; after all, this seemed far too coincidental.
Tian Zheng, however, appeared unfazed, chuckling softly. ‘There’s been a slight issue with the branch company in Suhua recently, so I came to handle it. I hadn’t expected you to be here as well, Bai Xia.’
‘Is that so? Why do I keep feeling like something isn’t quite right?’
Observing Tian Zheng’s expression, Bai Xia pondered for a while but ultimately couldn’t pinpoint anything amiss.
She could only attribute it to her own oversensitivity or simply an extraordinary coincidence.
Yet, upon closer reflection, Suhua was, after all, a major international metropolis.
Thus, even amidst its vast population, it wasn’t entirely impossible for them to appear here simultaneously.
Pushing her doubts aside, Bai Xia still felt a profound hesitation.
‘Um… since you’re here for work, Boss, wouldn’t helping me find a house be too much trouble for you?’
‘How about you just tell me the location and contact information, and I’ll go see it myself?’
Bai Xia was already immensely grateful that Tian Zheng was providing her with information.
And since it was coming from her boss, even if she wasn’t entirely satisfied, she would naturally still need to go and see it.
However, for him to personally take her to see it, even in the same city, Bai Xia genuinely felt it was too much of an imposition.
‘It’s nothing.’
At this moment, the man revealed a more unyielding side.
Waving his hand dismissively, he stated casually, ‘It’s a day off today, and I have nothing to do anyway.
‘Besides, if you don’t settle down quickly in real life, you won’t be able to play the game with peace of mind, will you?’
‘Since that’s the case, don’t refuse. It’ll be a good chance to meet in person.’
‘A day off today?’
Instinctively, Bai Xia opened her system’s time display, feeling a pang of confusion.
It wasn’t a holiday, nor was it the weekend; what kind of ‘day off’ was this?
Nonetheless, the man’s words were not wrong.
Between finding a house, moving, and then the inevitable organizing and renovating afterwards, even if everything went smoothly, she clearly wouldn’t be able to spare any time for games in the coming days.
If she wasted any more time on house hunting, this brief golden period for beginners in the game would likely become entirely out of her reach.
At this thought, Bai Xia rubbed her cheeks.
While she harbored some resistance towards meeting in person, Tian Zheng had helped her so much that seeing him in real life didn’t seem like such a big deal.
After all, she was a true loli (TL Note: A Japanese slang term for a young, cute girl) both inside and out, not some ‘internet transvestite’ (TL Note: A derogatory Chinese slang term for someone who pretends to be a different gender online, often to deceive others for money or attention) trying to swindle people out of their money.
Since there was nothing to fear, the young woman finally nodded in agreement after a moment’s thought.
‘Alright then! But, Boss, you’ll drive to pick me up? Won’t that be too much trouble…’
‘It’s fine. Just tell me your address. Conveniently, if you find a place you like, I can even help you contact a moving company.’
‘That convenient?’
In that instant, Bai Xia felt as though the person standing before her was nothing short of a personal assistant!
‘It was practically a one-stop service: introducing houses, picking her up, and even arranging the moving company if she was satisfied after viewing…’
‘Why do I keep feeling like something’s off?’
She mumbled to herself, a prickle of unease running through her.
It seemed so incredibly simple to find another suitable residence, yet she couldn’t shake a strange sensation.
How to describe it… it was precisely because everything felt *too* natural, *too* convenient, that it struck her as peculiar.
‘But no matter how I look at it, there doesn’t seem to be any downside for me, does there?’
First, she would immediately find a new place, eliminating the need for Bai Xia to waste time and energy searching house by house.
Second, since Tian Zheng was introducing it, he surely wouldn’t try to trick her; even if it wasn’t perfectly ideal, it wouldn’t be bad.
Finally, thanks to Tian Zheng’s connections, she would also receive a satisfactory price.
‘So, no matter how I look at it, Bai Xia stands to gain!’
‘That’s right, no matter how I look at it, I’m the one who benefits.’
With that thought, Bai Xia dismissed her lingering suspicions.
She glanced at Bear Cub Village (TL Note: The name of an in-game location or dungeon) in the distance, feeling a touch of helplessness.
It seemed this somewhat daunting dungeon would have to wait for another time; after all, with Tian Zheng logging off soon to pick her up, she couldn’t clear it alone.
Bai Xia didn’t dwell on it, however.
After telling Tian Zheng her address, she logged off as well, then, checking the time, slipped into the washroom to freshen up.
After all, she couldn’t possibly go house-hunting in her pajamas and slippers.
****
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The moment Qin Zheng logged out of the game, he pulled out his Skycomm and dialed a number.
Before the other party could even speak, he cut straight to the point: ‘How many vacant properties under my name can be found in Suhua right now?’
–Uh–
The person on the other end was likely caught off guard by the question, hesitating for a moment before replying, –Properties? Uh… hold on, Boss, I’ll have someone look into it.–
–No need. Find the property with the best environment in the new district and have someone prepare it. Complete it within two hours.–
Without waiting for a response, the man ended the call directly.
Then, he lightly pressed his wristband. ‘Zero, prepare to depart.’
‘Understood, Master. Route imported. Vehicle preparing…’