this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
In response to Xu Yao’s sincere request for safety, Lu Ye readily agreed to arrange it for her.
Xu Jing mentioned that Ji Zhengqing was on a business trip abroad that morning and that they would have to wait for him to return before they could hold the engagement banquet. He reassured Xu Yao not to worry about the online matters and suggested she take some time to rest.
Xu Yao planned to move into Haicheng Bay No. 1 herself. Xu Jing arranged for a driver to take her back. While the car was still on the road, Xu Yao’s phone vibrated again; it was another roommate, Qu Xi.
Seeing that name, Xu Yao’s eyes filled with pity.
In the book, Qu Xi was an ordinary working-class individual who had been rejected by a black-hearted entertainment company, wasting ten years of her youth. At thirty, she finally got a precious audition opportunity and decided to head north to Jing City for one last pursuit of her dreams, only to die in the basement she rented.
“Yao Yao, what’s going on? I just got back from the audition and saw your retirement post on Weibo! Don’t act on impulse!” Qu Xi said cautiously, fearing Xu Yao was having a mental breakdown. “How about we travel around for a couple of days to clear our minds?”
Xu Yao didn’t respond but instead recounted how Zhao Rumei had moved out that morning and asked Qu Xi to pack her things and come pick her up.
“Okay, got it,” Qu Xi replied readily, also advising Xu Yao not to take Zhao Rumei’s lease termination to heart.
With Zhao Rumei moving out, the rent for this three-bedroom apartment was a bit burdensome for Xu Yao and Qu Xi to share, so Qu Xi guessed that Xu Yao had already found a new place.
It would be nice for the two of them to rent a small two-bedroom apartment together.
Xu Yao instructed the driver to head to the shared apartment complex to pick up Qu Xi. Qu Xi had a pure, doll-like face and wore her bangs neatly, looking quite obedient. She was slightly nearsighted and stood at the entrance of the complex with her suitcase. It wasn’t until the black luxury car approached that she squinted to see the logo, instantly frightened into immobility.
Xu Yao hadn’t even given the driver a signal when the very perceptive driver had already opened the car door, kindly helping Qu Xi lift her suitcase into the trunk.
Qu Xi was taken aback by the attention. She got into the car and sat beside Xu Yao, noticing a tall, handsome man sitting in the front passenger seat, thinking he was a fellow carpooler.
Qu Xi gently and quietly touched the genuine leather seat cushion beneath her, her hands trembling.
Fearing that her excitement might lead to embarrassment, Qu Xi took out her phone and sent Xu Yao a WeChat message.
[Qu Xi: Ah ah ah ah my Yao Yao, what kind of divine luck do we have? We carpooled into a top-tier luxury car! I’ve seen this car online, it starts at eight digits!]
[Qu Xi: How could my behind be worthy of sitting in an eight-digit luxury car?! It doesn’t deserve it ah ah.]
[Qu Xi: No wonder the uncle can afford a luxury car, his personality is really nice, and he even helped me with my suitcase!]
[Qu Xi: Wuwuwu so cool, so this is how sweet the wind outside a fancy car is!]
Sitting beside her, Qu Xi frantically sent her a flurry of messages, so fast that Xu Yao could barely keep up. When words could no longer express her excitement, Qu Xi began bombarding Xu Yao with emojis.
She was so happy she could faint!
Xu Yao thought she would need to buy a car in a few days to make it easier to collect rent.
After a while, Qu Xi finally calmed down, rubbed her sore cheeks, and asked Xu Yao, “Yao Yao, where are we renting this time? It doesn’t have to be too big; actually, a small house has its advantages.”
“We’ll be there soon.” Xu Yao glanced at Qu Xi’s cheeks, and despite being a twenty one year old adult, she looked more like a fifteen or sixteen year old high school girl, smiling.
Qu Xi gazed blankly through the car window at the extremely grand entrance of the community ahead—Haicheng Bay No. 1.
The top residential area in Haicheng, with towering camphor trees lining the road and tall black iron railings in European style, the car drove right in.
Qu Xi felt a bit flustered, but seeing the back of the man in the passenger seat eased her nerves considerably.
This should be the destination of the carpool, right? Today was her lucky day.
Thinking this way, Qu Xi’s tension dissipated, and she excitedly sent another text to Xu Yao.
[Qu Xi: Hahaha Yao Yao, we hit the jackpot! We actually get to see inside Haicheng Bay No. 1! I wonder when we can live in such a luxury apartment ourselves.]
Xu Yao smiled and said, “Right now.”
Qu Xi was stunned for a moment: “Huh?”
The car stopped in front of a building’s lobby, the driver parked the car and got out to open the doors for Xu Yao and Qu Xi, while the property manager helped them swipe the entry door open.
Lu Ye pressed the elevator button first, letting the two of them in, and then asked Xu Yao, “Miss Yao, which floor will Miss Qu be living on?”
Qu Xi, who was secretly observing the elevator handrails made of genuine crocodile leather, was confused: “…………??” Which floor? Can we even choose?
Xu Yao thought for a moment: “Eighth floor, ‘8’ is prosperous.”
By the time Qu Xi followed her into 801, everyone was bewildered. What greeted them was an ultra-large living room of over a hundred square meters, with various high-end furniture in sight, and the bright decor style was very suitable for girls.
Qu Xi took half an hour to digest the fact that Xu Yao had taken on the ‘if I’m not popular, I’ll retire and collect rent’ top landlord script.
“You won’t be living here for free; you’ll still pay me rent,” Xu Yao never forgot her identity as a landlord, “The monthly rent is three thousand.”
“Qu Xi: “!!”
Xu Bodhisattva! Living Bodhisattva!”
The housing prices in Haicheng were extremely high; the small room in the three-bedroom apartment they had previously shared was already three thousand a month.
For a luxurious flat like Haicheng Bay No. 1, three thousand wouldn’t even be enough, even if you added a zero!
Xu Yao glanced at the time and walked towards the hallway:
“It’s getting late; you should rest well. I’ll go back and take a bath first.”
Qu Xi was stunned; she had thought this was Xu Yao’s home, and she would be satisfied if her friend let her stay in a guest room for three thousand at such a low price. But now… Xu Yao was leaving? This huge apartment was solely for her to live in?
Qu Xi was dazed for a long time until the sky gradually darkened, and she finally came to her senses. She decisively took out her phone and opened the camera to record: “Hey guys, what’s it like to be taken flying by a landlord friend? I know now!”
That night, a five-minute sharing video went viral on Red Note, with likes skyrocketing to tens of thousands!
In the video, Qu Xi frantically showcased Haicheng’s number one luxury community, the super large master bedroom, the high-end bathtub in the bathroom, and the six-meter high balcony with a view of the river just outside the glass door. Qu Xi thought it would be perfect for a barbecue night with a few friends!
[Wow, I’ve got material for dreaming tonight! Are there any more friends like this amazing landlord? I want one too.]
[Three thousand to rent a flat in Haicheng Bay No. 1, I wouldn’t even dare to dream this, wuwuwu. This isn’t collecting rent; it’s clearly just to avoid making the landlord feel awkward!]
[Emergency help needed! I beat up my best friend, and she still won’t admit she’s a landlord. What should I do?]
[Emmmm this blogger seems to be a little artist, and it seems like Xu Yao is her roommate. Could this landlord be Xu Yao?]
[Hahaha, is there really someone who believes Xu Yao’s nonsense about retiring to collect rent?]
Li Xiaoli, an ordinary girl who had just come to Haicheng to work, was sitting in a small house in the urban village eating instant noodles, enviously watching the video. She wouldn’t dare to dream like that; she just hoped to earn enough money to rent a better place, as the environment in the urban village was really too poor.
After the landlord friend video went viral on Red Note, Li Xiaoli continued to eat her instant noodles while clicking into Sheng Zhou’s Weibo, as she was a fan of Sheng Zhou and wanted to see if there was any response.
It seemed that Sheng Zhou had discussed it with Liu Yingxia, as they both responded together on Weibo.
[Sheng Zhou: Single.]
[Liu Yingxia: Single.]
Countless fans were moved to tears; they knew their brother/sister was single, and Xu Yao, that drama queen, was clearly spreading rumours!”
Xu Yao lived in the building opposite Qu Xi, in the best location of Haicheng Bay No. 1. The top-floor duplex villa was incredibly comfortable, complete with an extravagant open-air swimming pool.
Xu Yao contentedly soaked in a bath, leisurely applying skincare oil all over her body. Lu Ye was still on the phone, asking if she wanted him to arrange for a massage therapist to help relieve her fatigue, especially since she had been under immense stress from online harassment lately.
That evening, her fiancé, Ji Zhengqing, who was merely a tool for her inheritance, added her on WeChat but remained silent after the addition.
Xu Yao spent a few days in a state of dejection, but when she finally woke up naturally, the top chef Lu Ye had arranged had already prepared exquisite meals. She cozied up at home, playing games, and happily indulged as a spendthrift player for a few days.
Lu Ye appeared before her: “Miss Yao Yao, your issues with your former management company have been resolved, and you can now use your social media accounts freely.”
Great!
Having successfully terminated her contract with the trash company, she was now a bona fide ordinary person.
Many sharp-eyed netizens had clearly noticed this as well. Xu Yao’s reckless Weibo post announcing her withdrawal from the industry had not only gone unremoved by her company, but even her personal profile, which previously stated ‘Artist of Mars Entertainment,’ had vanished.
[Xu Yao’s company officially announced the termination! Wow, does Xu Yao really have the capital to terminate? Is she really going to use the script of ‘If I’m not famous, I’ll go home to inherit billions’?]
[Insider news: Mars Entertainment didn’t even dare to ask Xu Yao for compensation, and all her social media accounts have been returned to her! Suddenly, I kind of believe what she said; Sheng Zhou and Liu Yingxia can’t really be in a relationship, right?]
[Sheng Zhou and Liu Yingxia have already clarified, okay?? Who would believe a former eighteen-line now ordinary person over the parties involved? That’s just funny.]
Fans were genuinely naive; their older brothers and sisters were being slandered by Xu Yao. Why didn’t they dare to sue her for defamation? Go ahead and sue her! If they dare to sue Xu Yao, I’ll believe they’re fine!
Sheng Zhou and Liu Yingxia were indeed in a dire situation lately. Their relationship had suddenly been exposed by that foolish woman Xu Yao, and public opinion was very unfavorable for them. Several projects that were about to be finalized had suddenly been put on hold.
Fortunately, the variety show he valued the most, “My Home Life,” had no intention of replacing him. This show took place entirely in the residences of the guests, and many viewers loved to see the luxurious lives of celebrities, so the show had always been popular.
“Brother Sheng, the house you rented just informed us that the owner has changed, and they want you to add the new owner’s WeChat for rent payment,” the assistant reminded Sheng Zhou.
“Don’t add!” Sheng Zhou replied sharply, “Can’t you see I’m already annoyed?”
This luxurious apartment was the one Sheng Zhou intended to use for the show. He had forgotten to pay rent for a month in his previous rental, and it seemed the landlord had also forgotten about it. Since the landlord didn’t bring it up, he didn’t ask either, and it had dragged on for nearly half a year.
He decided to just pretend he didn’t know about it.
From this perspective, the wealthy landlord seemed very easygoing, so filming the show in this luxurious apartment would allow him to showcase his lavish lifestyle to fans without worrying about the production team damaging the place, since it was rented, he wouldn’t feel heartbroken.
*
Xu Yao was shopping in a high-end mall in Haicheng, followed closely by Lu Ye and the smiling, wrinkled mall manager, with bodyguards carrying large bags behind them.
Every time they passed a luxury store, the sales assistants looked at them with the eager eyes of someone witnessing the arrival of a god of wealth.
Lu Ye silently watched Xu Yao, who was strutting confidently in her newly bought eight-centimeter high heels. He approached her and whispered, “Miss Yao Yao, the gentleman called to ask if you have enough money to spend. If not, he can transfer some to you.”
Xu Yao had indeed spent quite a bit recently, so it was no wonder her brother was checking in on her. After all, he had finally found his sister, whom he had been waiting for twenty years.
However, Xu Yao shook her head: “No need.”
She was here to retire and enjoy life; she couldn’t always be her brother’s little parasite. She had her own sources of income; those hundred-plus properties were not just for show.
Xu Yao immediately turned to Lu Ye and asked, “Where can I collect rent now?”
Lu Ye took out his tablet to check and replied, “The village in the city is just about to reach the rent payment period, while the other rental properties in the school district will have to wait a couple more days.”
“Then let’s start with the village in the city.”
Lu Ye watched Xu Yao walk out in her high heels, thought for a moment, and waved to the mall manager: “Please arrange a luxury van for us.”
The two properties Xu Yao held in the village had excellent locations, but due to inferior infrastructure compared to nearby communities, the rent was much more affordable, making them a top choice for newly graduated college students.
Xu Yao knew that these two buildings in the village would eventually be demolished, causing their value to skyrocket, which was why she had secured them.
The roads in the village were narrow, and there was no underground parking, so when a luxury car drove in, it immediately caught the attention of passersby. Young girls excitedly took out their phones to snap pictures, encouraged by friends to ask for WeChat IDs.
A delicate, slender leg stepped down from the high heels, making those around realize that the wealthy also had daughters; a rich girl had arrived!
Xu Yao, dressed in the latest season’s long dress and wearing sunglasses, looked up at the two six-story buildings in the village, which had no elevators.
Collecting rent was no longer like before; now, payments could be made directly via WeChat transfer, except for a few tenants who might not know how to use smartphones and would need to be visited in person.
But the new landlord Xu Yao suddenly remembered that aside from the fixed rent, she also needed to go upstairs to check the electricity, water, and gas meters to confirm the costs!
Behind her, Lu Ye suddenly asked, “Miss Yao Yao, do you want to change your outfit first?”
Xu Yao turned her head in surprise, just in time to see a black luxury van driving towards them, stopping directly in front of them.
Lu Ye stepped forward and opened the car door with a flourish.
Inside the van, there were bright, refreshing short-sleeved T-shirts and shorts from various luxury brands hanging, a large bunch of keys on the left side, and a row of high-end slippers at the bottom, the most eye-catching pair even adorned with rhinestones!
Rent collection outfit for the landlady!
Xu Yao couldn’t help but give Lu Ye a thumbs up, praising his exceptional ability to take action.
Truly a leader of a professional rent collection team.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
going out to collect money would be a dream
–‘{@
Landlady slippers
With rhinestones all over it.
Damn, that’s pretentious!
All that’s missing now
Is her hair in hair curlers
And a cigarette.