Dai Lijun sat on the plane, his gaze constantly darting toward Wang Qiqi’s carry-on bag. Honestly, back at Shi Man’s place, Dai Lijun hadn't stopped trying to find the negatives, but the problem was he’d searched for a long time and couldn't find any unused film, which left him quite frustrated. He wondered if Qiqi was carrying them with her all along.

Wang Qiqi paid no mind to the man beside her’s internal turmoil. “Han Tao managed to find you a place—it’s with the same landlord as mine.” In truth, Han Tao hadn’t been able to find a place either, but he’d mentioned it to the landlord. The landlord couple had considered it for a long time before agreeing. There was little choice; Dai Lijun was only staying for two months, which was too short for some people’s liking. Furthermore, Han Tao and his wife had left a good impression on the elderly couple, and they guaranteed they would keep things clean, otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to rent it out.

When Dai Lijun heard he’d be living near Han Tao, the anxiety in his heart suddenly vanished, and his eyes went wide. “No way.” Wouldn't that mean he could mooch meals every day? And if he had any issues, he could still have those all-night talks with Han Tao just like they used to back home? The mere thought made Dai Lijun incredibly happy.

Compared to Dai Lijun’s elation, Wang Qiqi wasn't nearly as cheerful. There was no helping it; with Dai Lijun living downstairs, it was convenient for him, but Wang Qiqi could foresee many things coming her way. For instance, if his room wasn't tidy, she’d probably have to clean it herself. Never mind asking him to clean; some things he wouldn't have time for even if he wanted to clean. On top of that was his shameless audacity; Wang Qiqi could sense he would certainly pester her into cooking delicious meals for him, and if she refused, he would put on a pitiful expression, and her man’s heart would soften.

Since some things were unavoidable, Wang Qiqi decided it was better to set the conditions upfront. “I can occasionally help you clean, but you need to know the landlords have very high standards for cleanliness. It’s one thing if you leave your things lying around in your room, but you must pay attention to the common areas. Also, if you want to share meals with us, remember to chip in for groceries. Hmm, the costs must be split evenly.” Wang Qiqi mused internally: Didn’t her labor count for anything?

Regarding the terms of sharing a roof, Dai Lijun had absolutely no objections. He had been planning how to persuade Wang Qiqi, and he hadn’t expected her to bring it up first. He genuinely felt his personal charm must be exceptional.

“Don’t read too much into it. It’s just that I’d rather set the rules first than wait for you to bring it up. We’ll do things as agreed,” Wang Qiqi said coolly from the side. “Alright, we still have a few hours before we arrive. I’m going to sleep now.”

Although they had only stayed at Shi Man’s place for a few days, Wang Qiqi felt like a month had passed. Firstly, her man had truly made the company his home. Even though she’d asked him before to come home every day, Wang Qiqi estimated he only returned to shower. From the limited calls, she could hear his voice sounding more exhausted each time, indicating the immense pressure of his work. Secondly, ever since Shi Man and Song Yao reconnected via email, she had thoroughly visited all the relatively unique little shops. Though it was tiring, the results were quite good. At least she discovered a few genuinely excellent shops—cheap and quite unique, and most importantly, not mass-produced. Wang Qiqi found a few items she liked, bought them, and then mailed them back as samples via express delivery, a sort of test run.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” Dai Lijun wasn’t offended. Even though they were friends, accounts had to be settled clearly. He then pulled out a book from his bag and started reading. He knew Shi Man and the others had been very tired these past few days, but he also desperately wanted to complain: why was it that when two people were shopping and earning money, he had to be the miserable laborer who couldn’t even protest? If he showed the slightest sign of reluctance, Wang Qiqi would simply pat her camera, making Dai Lijun really want to throw the camera away and ruin all the film. But he didn’t have the guts; that would invite serious trouble. Thus, when he heard they could finally leave, Dai Lijun truly sang a silent song in his heart, What a fine day this is. His movements to pack his luggage were swift.

Dai Lijun pushed the luggage cart, following Wang Qiqi out of the airport arrival hall, and habitually scanned his surroundings. He didn’t see any familiar faces. “Han Tao really didn't come to pick us up?” Han Tao had emailed earlier saying he wouldn’t be meeting them. Dai Lijun had assumed he would come to greet them like Feng Xuanxiang, but nobody was there. Then he watched Wang Qiqi confidently walk toward one side, making him wonder if Han Tao had driven over. But then he thought that wasn't right; Han Tao didn't have a driver's license, and even if he had a domestic license, he couldn't drive in the States.

Wang Qiqi hadn't walked far before spotting a taxi and immediately hailed it. “He’s not coming to get us. Besides, I know the way.” Last year, Wang Qiqi and Shi Man had gone out for a spin and returned home by themselves after landing. She wasn't unaware of where they were staying; there was no need to delay important matters. “If Han Tao came to pick us up, he’d have to work overtime tonight.”

Dai Lijun let out an “Oh,” then smartly placed the luggage into the trunk. Wang Qiqi was already settled in the back seat. After Dai Lijun got in, she fluently told the driver their destination.

As the car traveled, Dai Lijun’s mouth gaped wider and wider. “Heavens, there are so few houses here!” He had initially thought the neighborhood where Feng Xuanxiang lived was quite nice, but the environment here seemed even better than Feng Xuanxiang’s place.

“Mmm. The security in this neighborhood is quite good; after all, most residents are in the IT industry. The only drawback is that it’s not easy to get to a supermarket.” For foreigners, this wasn't an issue; the environment was the main concern. But for Wang Qiqi, who had neither a car nor a bike, it was a problem. Fortunately, there was a bicycle; otherwise, Wang Qiqi felt going to the supermarket would feel like a country bumpkin entering the city. Just as Dai Lijun was looking around like a country bumpkin, the car finally stopped. Wang Qiqi thanked the driver and opened the door to step out, only to find the man still sitting dumbfounded in the car. “Hey, dummy, we’re here. You’re not planning to stay in the car, are you?”

Dai Lijun pouted. “Of course I know we’re here. My legs are just a bit stiff from sitting, so I was a little slow moving.” Dai Lijun stiffly exited the taxi, retrieved his luggage, and stared at the building before him. “This is where I’ll be living.” Good heavens, it was gorgeous.

Wang Qiqi hummed in response and headed toward the exterior stairs to go up. “The landlord couple went to Europe to visit their daughter. We'll have to wait for Han Tao to return for the key.” The landlords had originally planned to leave at the end of the month, but something unexpected came up, advancing their trip. “It’s possible you won’t even see the landlords before you report to school.”

When Dai Lijun heard the landlords were absent, his mouth stretched wide, almost connecting to his earlobes. “You don’t mean… the entire bottom two floors will be mine alone?” Good lord, this was too fortunate. Wouldn’t that mean he was renting almost the entire house for a fraction of the rent? This was almost too good to be true.

Wang Qiqi affirmed with a hum. “Even though you’ll be living alone, that means more cleaning. Also, apart from the common areas like the kitchen, living room, lounge, and bathroom, you stick to your room. Although there are no surveillance cameras here, you still need to be careful. And do not touch their personal belongings.” Foreigners place a high value on privacy, plus, if it weren't for Han Tao’s connection, this elderly couple would never have rented out rooms in their house, considering the potential complications.

Dai Lijun mumbled an acknowledgment. He was in a good mood and paid no attention to Wang Qiqi’s nagging. Besides, he wasn't an overly curious person; he would definitely not snoop through the landlord's things. “Don’t worry, Tao told me. For the next little while, I’ll be working overtime non-stop. I expect this place will really just be like a hotel for me.”

Seeing that Dai Lijun hadn't really taken it in, Wang Qiqi sighed inwardly. Forget it; she’d just have to be careful herself. But the dummy wasn't curious; he wouldn't go rummaging through things, would he?

When Wang Qiqi pulled out the key and opened the main door, Dai Lijun, dragging his suitcase, flew inside. “Wow, this place is huge! There’s even a terrace…” Dai Lijun knew he had permission to explore freely. He dropped his case and started touring room after room.

“Qiqi, your man’s clothes haven’t been washed either!” Dai Lijun exclaimed loudly after entering the bathroom and spotting a few items in the wicker basket beside the tub.

Wang Qiqi could only offer a wry smile. Han Tao didn't know she was coming back; he hadn’t even managed that small chore, had he? “Help me carry them to the washing machine on the terrace and wash them for me.” Wang Qiqi felt like a long-suffering mistress. She glanced around the room; there was already quite a lot of dust. Just as she expected, the refrigerator contained nothing but some bread, water, and a few bottles of beer—the classic single man's provisions.

When Wang Qiqi opened the cabinets, she unsurprisingly saw a thick layer of dust covering the cookware and dishes. Some were still in the packaging from when she had wrapped them up before leaving last year. This showed that when Han Tao first moved in at the beginning of the year, he definitely hadn't cooked at all. Wang Qiqi felt quite annoyed thinking about it; the man had promised he wasn't mistreating himself and had even cooked a few meals.

While Wang Qiqi was feeling irritated at the cabinets, Dai Lijun was trudging over to the terrace, miserably carrying Han Tao's discarded clothes. “Brother, oh brother, I’ve never washed clothes for my own parents, yet here I am washing yours for you.”

When Dai Lijun reported that he had placed the clothes into the washing machine, Wang Qiqi met him by tossing several rags at him. “Help with the cleaning, then.” (To be continued)