Upon entering the apartment, Wang Qiqi was unsurprised to find the renovation in a chaotic state. Shi Man, however, showed a hint of disdain; it was unavoidable, as the girl was wearing a white dress today and insisted on capturing a perfect shot of it flowing gracefully. "The kitchen and the bathroom are done quite nicely, but the kitchen is my favorite part."

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Zhu Lina's apartment to feature an open-plan kitchen, though it was hardly a significant feature—just a row of cabinets. Installing sliding doors would only reduce the available kitchen space.

Zhu Lina nodded. "Yes, I've thought about it. We won't be doing much actual cooking anyway; the kitchen will mainly be for boiling water and making late-night snacks. There won't be much smoke or grease."

Shi Man wasn't interested in kitchen matters; she had already stated she wouldn't cook, so no one should expect her to. Besides the bedrooms, Shi Man cared most about the bathroom. She hurried in and exclaimed, "Oh, it's a shower stall!" She had secretly hoped that since it was in the north, they would have central heating, allowing her to enjoy long soaks in a tub during winter. It turned out that was just another dream dashed.

"There is a bathtub too, but the model I ordered is temporarily out of stock," Zhu Lina said, standing near the kitchen and consulting with Wang Qiqi about what to add to the new space. Even though their visit was just to look around and they couldn't buy anything yet, Zhu Lina felt an intense excitement imagining this place as her own little haven. After just a couple of sentences of discussion, they heard Shi Man's gasp from the bathroom. Zhu Lina initially worried something was wrong, only to realize Shi Man was complaining about the lack of a bathtub.

Shi Man visibly relaxed when she heard there was a tub. "That’s good, that’s good." After a pause, she added, "Actually, a shower is fine too."

"Then I won't buy the tub; it saves some money," Zhu Lina said, seeing through Shi Man's forced nonchalance and teasing her deliberately.

Shi Man instantly tensed up, but catching Zhu Lina's look of amused anticipation, she regained her composure. "That’s also acceptable. I'm indifferent; it was just a suggestion." She adopted an expression of total apathy.

Zhu Lina had planned to tease Shi Man a bit longer, but since the other girl wasn't taking the bait, she changed the subject. "There are three south-facing rooms and one north-facing room. The living room and dining area are in the middle. The north-facing room isn't very large, and among the south-facing ones, some are bigger than others."

"The largest south-facing room is yours," Shi Man declared quickly. Then, regarding the remaining two rooms, she first inspected all three south-facing rooms for comparison. After looking them over, she turned to Wang Qiqi. "Can I take the second largest one?"

Wang Qiqi had already seen the apartment. The second largest room was closer to the entrance, and Wang Qiqi wasn't overly pleased with it. "I'll take the smallest room. But Xiao Man, yours will be the room closest to the door, meaning if someone knocks, you'll have to be the one to open it." Wang Qiqi thought that since Shi Man was taking the second largest room, it was only fair to explain the ground rules to her.

"Thanks, Qiqi, I knew you were the best!" Shi Man had just started to cheer upon hearing Qiqi agree to let her have the second-largest room when she heard the news that wasn't so good for her. "Oh my god, Qiqi, you planned all along to take the room at the very back, didn't you?"

"Does that matter?" Wang Qiqi countered. "You know your room is at the front, so naturally, you’ll be the first to answer the door." Wang Qiqi walked back to the door of her assigned room and peered inside; she had only taken a cursory glance earlier, just getting a general idea of the space.

"It matters greatly," Shi Man stated seriously. "I take back my thanks. But even if I have to answer the door, I’ll choose this room." Shi Man weighed her options: Qiqi’s room at the back would likely be quieter, but the problem was its small size. Placing a one-and-a-half-meter bed, a small bedside table, and a wardrobe inside would be a tight fit, and the bed would have to be placed against the window, or there would truly be no way to fit those three essential items.

Zhu Lina paused to consider. "Actually, Qiqi, you could take the north-facing room. It’s quite large, and orientation isn't as crucial in the north." People in the south favored south-facing rooms because they got sun in winter, but the north has central heating.

"I like the sun. Even if there isn't much of it in winter, I still want to feel its power," Wang Qiqi insisted, showing her preference. "By the way, Lina, would you mind if I design my room in a Japanese style?" Wang Qiqi realized that unless she built a raised platform floor for storage underneath, her room would require either shrinking her sleeping area or sacrificing storage space. Wang Qiqi also wanted to squeeze in a small bookcase.

Japanese style? Zhu Lina pictured what she’d seen on TV—sitting directly on the floor. "Won't that be tiring for you to sit on?"

"Raised half a meter, so I can store my winter quilts and mats underneath, along with seasonal shoes and down jackets." As Wang Qiqi explained this, she felt it was absolutely necessary. She just wasn't sure if the construction workers could manage it. In her mind, it was essentially an inverted, slightly larger wardrobe, just built to withstand more weight.

Zhu Lina now understood that Wang Qiqi had already been strategizing how to solve the small room dilemma. "It's a good suggestion, but I don't like the idea of sleeping on top of a wardrobe," she said, regardless of the extra storage space.

"Me neither," Shi Man chimed in. Having been timid since childhood, she always felt like there were ghosts or spirits under beds. If sleeping alone, she would check under the bed multiple times to ensure nothing was there—a habit she still maintained.

"Then I'll talk to a carpenter myself," Wang Qiqi said. She wondered if a carpenter was present today. "If not, can you contact a good one?" Wang Qiqi didn't bring up payment; she knew that even if she did, Zhu Lina wouldn't accept any.

Zhu Lina asked the construction workers present, and indeed, no carpenter was there. "I'll call them first and ask them to bring a skilled worker over."

Because the renovation company was based in the city center, and they also needed time to contact a craftsman, Zhu Lina spent time explaining her requirements over the phone. The contact wasn't a specialist and wasn't entirely sure if this structure could even be built. Therefore, he needed to consult with a carpenter first and then arrange for one capable of the work to visit the site for detailed discussion.

Shi Man hadn't expected the renovation company to be so prompt. To her surprise, they were coming back that afternoon. "This renovation company is really good. The client calls, and they fly over immediately."

"That’s because my father is planning to acquire land in the capital to build houses," Zhu Lina explained, uncertain why the old man suddenly thought of building. "He said if his craftsmanship is good, he can recommend his renovation company to the house buyers, and his team will also handle the show homes."

Shi Man and Wang Qiqi understood why they were so eager. Whether they secured the large contract depended on whether the renovation of this apartment satisfied Zhu Lina or her father. "Qiqi, I bet the platform bed you want will definitely be done."

Wang Qiqi nodded, relieved. She had been worried about potential operational hurdles or whether the platform could support three people standing on it. Now, that was no longer a concern. "Then let’s go stroll around C University?" It was barely past noon; they had two more hours, and waiting around in an empty apartment for someone wasn't appealing.

"Agreed."

"No objections."

Shi Man had originally hoped to thoroughly explore C University, even if it was just a quick overview, just to walk through the School of Economics and Management where she and Zhu Lina would spend the next four years. However, she ended up having to postpone visiting the college she'd be attending for the next four years until orientation began. This was because the School of Economics and Management was near the North Gate, and the School of Finance was right next to it—which was good news, meaning they wouldn't have far to walk between classes.

"We aren't going to have to cross the entire campus, are we?" Shi Man thought about having to walk from the South Gate to the North Gate potentially two hundred times a year. Now she understood why she saw people cycling across the campus earlier. "We absolutely must buy some nice bicycles."

"You don't have to buy one. Didn't you say you’ve gained weight since the college entrance exams ended?" Wang Qiqi offered a very practical suggestion. "If you power-walk between the North and South Gates every day, losing weight will be easy." And it wouldn't require dieting—though Wang Qiqi kept this last part to herself. While Shi Man knew she had gained weight and dieting was a good option, she couldn't resist temptation whenever delicious food appeared.

"Forget it. I'd rather stay a little heavier," Shi Man stated her preference. "I won't give up my favorite food just to be slim, and I certainly won't force myself to run, which I dislike."

"Me neither," Zhu Lina said, agreeing with Shi Man's choice if she had to make it. "It's getting late. Let's take a couple of photos, and then we'll leave."

When Wang Qiqi and the others returned to Zhu Lina’s apartment, people were already waiting. Wang Qiqi was satisfied with their efficiency, though she hoped the carpenter they found was clever.

After Wang Qiqi reiterated her design requirements, the carpenter nodded, indicating he understood the job. "I've thought about it. If we make the whole thing out of wood, I worry about the structural strength. I propose we build a steel frame and clad it with wood."

A steel structure? Wang Qiqi didn't have strong objections. Although it felt a little strange, it was certainly better than having the platform collapse if three people stood on it later. "Safety first. But I want it to look like it’s entirely made of wood once people see it."

"That can be done," the carpenter said with relief after Wang Qiqi agreed to use steel as the main framework.

Wang Qiqi brought up the room design idea she'd suddenly conceived while touring C University. After careful consideration, the carpenter agreed, which also eased Wang Qiqi’s mind. If he could execute it to her satisfaction, even though her room's renovation cost would be the highest, she wouldn't need to buy large furniture, making it the most economical option overall. (To be continued.)