The moment Shi Man saw off Juliana, who was heading to work, she spun around and headed straight for Wang Qiqi’s room. “Qiqi, Qiqi, wake up! We’re going house hunting.” Shi Man hadn't been able to settle on a single idea the night before; she had dreamed of becoming a homeowner, decorating the entire place in the cutest pink imaginable—a veritable ocean of pink—and woke up laughing from the dream, unable to fall back asleep.

Wang Qiqi had been working on translation drafts until midnight the previous day. Because it had been so long since she’d done such mentally taxing work, it took her over an hour to finally unwind enough to slip into sleep. Just as she felt she had finally drifted off, Shi Man shook her awake. Groggily, she grumbled, “There’s a time for house hunting, too. What time is it? Please, just let me sleep a little longer. The houses aren't going anywhere.” Wang Qiqi wrapped herself tightly in the duvet and tried to go back to sleep. At that moment, sleep was paramount for Qiqi; while her head wasn't throbbing painfully, it certainly felt uncomfortable.

In the past, Wang Qiqi used to think being a translator was quite nice: work when you felt like it, rest when you didn’t. But once she actually took up the profession, she understood the bitter reality of it—it was all hard-earned money, grueling money. Every time she heard the envious whispers from people in her old classes, Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to shout out, If anyone thinks it’s so easy, I’ll introduce you right now and see if you can last!

Shi Man and the others were well aware of Wang Qiqi’s morning temper. At first, her reactions would startle them, but after trying a few times, they knew she was just trying to scare them. If they insisted on waking her, it would take five minutes, tops, before she’d surface, but the consequence was a sour mood for the rest of the day. Thus, unless something major was happening, Shi Man and the others wouldn't bother waking Qiqi. But today, Shi Man was in an unusually good mood and eager to get things sorted out quickly, so she shook Wang Qiqi relentlessly. Helpless, Qiqi could only rub her eyes and drag herself out of bed.

Wang Qiqi actually got up easily because she genuinely thought she had overslept. After she washed up and finished breakfast, she glanced at the clock and realized it was only seven-thirty. Seven-thirty? Wang Qiqi wondered if the clock had slowed down overnight, but that didn't make sense either; the clock had been accurate yesterday. It couldn't have just decided to stop working overnight.

Wang Qiqi looked over at Shi Man, who wore an expression of eager placation. Knowing it was the impatient girl’s doing, Wang Qiqi couldn't be bothered to argue. She walked back to her room and flopped straight onto the bed. Seeing this, Shi Man cried out, “Qiqi, you’re not planning to go back to sleep, are you? Han Tao is coming over soon!” Shi Man climbed onto the platform bed, preparing to pull the duvet off Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi clutched her blanket, determined to keep it from being yanked away. “I told Han Tao nine o’clock. What time is it now?” Sit like an idiot on the sofa waiting for someone to arrive? Wang Qiqi absolutely refused; she'd rather just snuggle back to sleep. “Wake me up at eight fifty.”

Seeing Wang Qiqi settle back to sleep, Shi Man could only sit helplessly beside her. It wasn’t that she didn't want to argue, but she felt Shi Man was too excited, too keyed up to even attempt sleep.

Wang Qiqi, noticing Shi Man sitting there, forced her eyes open. “Manman, rest a bit. Today is going to take a lot of energy.” The house isn't upstairs and downstairs; we’ll be running around constantly, climbing up and down. This is going to be exhausting work. Seeing how hyped up she was, Qiqi suspected this girl hadn't slept well last night either. With that level of energy, Wang Qiqi truly worried Shi Man’s legs would give out after just one morning of searching.

“It’s not tiring,” Shi Man thought. How tiring could looking at apartments be? Wang Qiqi had bought her house so easily before, wrapping it up in one morning. Shi Man assumed this would be just as simple, and Han Tao’s purchase hadn't taken long either—an hour, and the house was chosen. “Weren’t you and Han Tao done house hunting very quickly?”

The point wasn't invalid, but Shi Man had forgotten the effort Wang Qiqi and Han Tao put in before. They had spent an entire day posting small advertisements around the neighborhood and asked residents for two days about available properties. It was true that the time between seeing and deciding to buy the apartment was short, but they had invested considerable time finding that specific property. However, Wang Qiqi knew that no matter what she said, this excited child wouldn't listen.

Shi Man watched as Wang Qiqi promptly abandoned her and fell asleep, silently stewing. Go on, sleep. Such an important matter, and Qiqi can still sleep through it. Shi Man genuinely didn't know what to say.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao followed Manager Cui as they walked toward the first property scheduled for viewing. Shi Man, despite her initial burst of energy, felt a relentless wave of sleepiness washing over her. No, I can’t nod off now; this is the worst time. Shi Man pulled out the thermos she brought, took a sip of coffee, and felt her spirits lift slightly.

Although Han Tao walked ahead, he sensed something amiss with Shi Man’s recent sluggishness. He recalled how energetic she was that morning when he picked up Qiqi, even rushing to the front when they left. Why was she lagging behind now? Something was definitely off. “What’s wrong with Shi Man?”

Wang Qiqi turned her head slightly to look behind and caught Shi Man drinking coffee. “She’s been over-excited since yesterday. I bet she didn’t sleep well last night either.” Honestly, if she had managed to snatch an hour of sleep while Qiqi was sleeping earlier, she’d feel much better. Luckily, the girl listened to her and brought some coffee along, though Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how long that coffee would last.

“It’s her first time buying a house; it’s understandable,” Han Tao said, reminded of his own feelings when purchasing his first place. “I was also buying my first house last year. I can’t believe Shi Man is buying now, too. So, are you planning to settle down permanently in Jingcheng?”

Han Tao knew that Qiqi had originally intended to buy a house back in her hometown. However, after a long chat with him, Qiqi not only abandoned the idea of a hometown purchase but even sold a property she owned there. So, she probably had a decent amount of cash now—Han Tao estimated enough for two or three apartments.

Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. “Yes, you’re right. Since I won't have many opportunities to go back home, there’s no point in buying a place there. Besides, housing prices in Jingcheng are rising much faster than back home. For investment, you naturally go where the returns are higher.”

Han Tao bit his lip. “I’m also thinking of buying a place in Jingcheng once I save up a bit more.” At least Jingcheng has central heating in the winter, unlike his hometown.

“Mhm, this time I plan to buy a smaller unit,” Wang Qiqi had already decided. Since it was for renting out, smaller units were easier to lease, especially if they were simply decorated. “Oh, Auntie Cui, if I buy a property for rental income, can you help with the registration process?” Since she was buying here, there was no need to find a second agency for management.

Agent Auntie Cui was surprised she could earn two fees from the same transaction—such a great opportunity, she wouldn't pass it up. “No problem, no problem at all! Auntie will definitely find you a good tenant, and we can even give you a discount on the agency fee for the rental contract.”

Wang Qiqi realized that this seemingly easygoing Auntie Cui was actually quite sharp in her calculations. But even if she hadn't mentioned a discount, Wang Qiqi wouldn't switch agents. “Thank you, Auntie. Just help us knock down the purchase price when the time comes.” Thinking of the agency fees, Wang Qiqi was actually more concerned about the property price itself.

Amidst their conversation, and with Shi Man growing increasingly hazy, the four arrived downstairs at the first property.

Wang Qiqi really didn't like this apartment. It felt like a tenement building, lacking independent kitchen and bathroom facilities. That was an immediate disqualification. How much rent could such a place command later on?

After a quick look at the surroundings, Shi Man also shook her head, saying such a place wouldn’t do. “We need an independent kitchen and bathroom, right?”

Auntie Cui knew this unit had poor conditions, but the price was good. If they wanted places meeting their requirements, she admitted, “The price won’t be cheap; it will certainly be more expensive than these units.”

“The price isn’t the main issue,” Shi Man stated generously. “And it won’t be ridiculously expensive, right?”

Auntie Cui briefly wondered if she should put up the two properties she had been holding onto for a long time. These had been sitting with her for a while. She had originally planned to swoop in when the owners were desperate to sell, intending to flip them quickly, but instead, the properties had tied up her capital for over a year. Although she collected rent, she felt she could earn much more by selling them quickly, recouping her investment, and then immediately reinvesting.

Wang Qiqi and the others assumed Auntie Cui’s silence meant she was deliberating over which property would suit them best, so they stood still and waited. Shi Man took the opportunity to close her eyes and gather a little strength, wondering how many more places they would have to see.

If Shi Man had felt full of energy at the start, now all she wanted was sleep. She thought perhaps the Auntie only had listings they wouldn't like, and they should just go home, letting the agent return to her office to check for suitable listings and call them later, so she could rest up before viewing again.

Shi Man’s idea was sound, but after a moment of hesitation, the agent said, “I actually have two apartments in the neighboring complex. They are quite nice—around a hundred square meters, two bedrooms and one living room. The kitchen and bathrooms are spacious, and the living room too. They are also renovated…”

One hundred square meters? Wang Qiqi was immediately hesitant; it was too large. But when Shi Man heard the details, her drowsiness vanished. “Yes! Let’s go see them.” Of course, she asked about the price first, lest she fall in love with the place only to be shocked by the asking price.

“Five thousand per square meter.” Auntie Cui lowered the price slightly out of hesitation; she had originally intended to ask six thousand, but she truly didn't want to drag this out any longer.

Five thousand? Shi Man was startled by the number. “Let’s take a look.” Wang Qiqi, however, thought that at five thousand, it wasn't expensive for this area. In another decade, property values in this district would easily hit fifty thousand—a tenfold appreciation. That was definitely a good deal.