this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
Half a year!
Damn, that’s half a year, not half a month!!
Since Sheng Zhou was not the male lead in the original text, but merely the female lead, Liu Yingxia’s ex-boyfriend, his daily life had not been detailed by the author. Therefore, Xu Yao had no idea that this guy had been in arrears for half a year.
Xu Yao said decisively, “Quick, check to see if there’s been a mistake.”
Although she found Sheng Zhou disgusting, Xu Yao didn’t intend to slander him or create a misunderstanding. It was also possible that he had paid but it just hadn’t been recorded in the rent collection’s electronic form.
Lu Ye’s face darkened as he immediately arranged for the rent collection team to investigate the records, checking WeChat, Alipay, and bank transfer records.
About twenty minutes later, Lu Ye’s face had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. He hesitantly reported, “Miss Yao Yao, Sheng Zhou rented your luxury apartment 3-1102 at Haicheng Shangpin a year and two months ago, but he indeed hasn’t paid rent for six months.”
They had scoured all the accounts, and there had been no income related to Sheng Zhou during these six months.
Xu Yao fell silent: “…”
After all, he was a top celebrity, yet he could actually do something like this1. Xu Yao felt as if her worldview had been shattered at that very moment.
Xu Yao looked Lu Ye up and down, curiously asking, “Did you not have any reaction when you didn’t receive the rent? The key point is that it’s been six months!”
Six months worth of luxury apartment rent! Just thinking about it made Xu Yao’s heart ache! This was all their Xu family’s money; it was her hard-earned money from quick transmigrating 999 times!
Lu Ye, with a guilty expression, said, “It’s because the luxury apartments we rented out at Haicheng Shangpin have their rent paid mostly quarterly or bi-annually, but our initial agreement with Mr. Sheng Zhou had the rent paid monthly.”
Ir was likely because Sheng Zhou’s payment schedule was different from other tenants at Haicheng Shangpin that they later mixed it up, thinking he was also paying bi-annually, leading to such a significant error.
Xu Yao raised her hand to gently rub her forehead, feeling somewhat speechless. Indeed, being a landlord wasn’t that easy; collecting rent was genuinely hard work, encountering all sorts of oddities every day!
Xu Yao carefully reviewed the rental contract. It should be due to the monthly payment; the luxury apartment at Haicheng Shangpin originally had a monthly rent of 320,000 yuan, but the contract stipulated 350,000 yuan yuan per month.
Xu Yao recalled Sheng Zhou’s variety show trailer and truly admired his courage and audacity.
Xu Yao considered herself to have a good temper. She allowed tenants to have difficulties and could forgive them for temporarily forgetting to pay rent, but to forget for half a year? That was clearly intentional. Impressive!
After returning home, Xu Yao flung her rent collection slippers at the entrance, sat down on the sofa, and entered Sheng Zhou’s personal phone number on her phone, dialling it.
Sheng Zhou was still shooting a magazine these days and was set to participate in a variety show shoot tomorrow. Such high work efficiency was truly commendable.
Sheng Zhou was wearing the season’s latest high-end gray suit, skilfully posing for the camera as the photographer frantically searched for angles, the camera clicking away.
Suddenly, the ringtone of his phone, tucked in the pocket of his suit, rang out. Sheng Zhou immediately walked out of the studio as if jolted by electricity.
The photographer: “?”
Did he say to stop? They were in the middle of a shoot!
Recently, Sheng Zhou was in great distress. Was this how it was going to end with Xia Xia? He was truly unwilling to accept it. He could accept if it were because of their own issues, but he couldn’t accept breaking up because of an outsider like Xu Yao.
He was afraid that Liu Yingxia would suddenly remember to call him, so he kept his personal phone close at hand, ensuring he could receive her call at the first moment.
When he saw it was an unknown number, disappointment flickered across Sheng Zhou’s face. When he answered, his disappointment deepened as a pleasant voice came through: “Hello, Sheng Zhou, this is Xu Yao, you owe…”
Sheng Zhou furrowed his brows tightly. He didn’t know whether or not Xu Yao had decided to let loose after being criticized online. She had previously sent him cheesy love messages and now was even directly calling his phone number.
Sheng Zhou also didn’t know how Xu Yao found out that his luxurious mansion in Haicheng was rented. Fortunately, there weren’t many fans of hers, but he feared she might call to threaten him.
Sheng Zhou didn’t even give Xu Yao a chance to say any more. His handsome face was filled with impatience, and after decisively hanging up, he added Xu Yao to his phone’s blacklist, ensuring she had no way to contact him.
Xu Yao: “…”
Xu Yao looked at Lu Ye and the others: “Call again.”
Lu Ye immediately dialed Sheng Zhou’s number again, but to their surprise, the other party had turned off his phone, clearly treating Xu Yao as a calamity.
Xu Yao was extremely impressed. After considering for a moment, she said, “Find out where Sheng Zhou is right now, and go find him directly.”
Xu Yao knew that Sheng Zhou would be participating in the variety show ‘My Home Life’ tomorrow, but as far as she knew, this show was live-streamed, and she had already retired from the industry. Such rental disputes could be resolved privately.
Unless it was absolutely necessary.
Sheng Zhou’s schedule was public and Lu Ye and the others quickly found out that he was currently shooting the cover for a well-known magazine. Xu Yao decisively instructed Lu Ye and the others to arrange a car to go to the shooting location.
As Xu Yao got into the luxury car she had purchased a few days ago, she hadn’t even fastened her seatbelt when she received a call from her brother, Xu Jing.
This wealthy brother of hers was always busy, and they didn’t have many opportunities to talk or meet.
The two siblings chatted for a bit, and Xu Jing reminded her, “Zhengqing will be back from his business trip in a few days.”
Xu Yao nodded, understanding her brother’s implication. She didn’t care much about this fiancé who was merely a tool for inheriting the family fortune; she would just follow the rules.
Seeing Xu Yao accept it so easily, Xu Jing felt a bit more at ease and asked with a smile, “What are you up to now, Yao Yao?”
Xu Yao couldn’t help but vent her frustrations: “Brother, someone owes us money—half a year’s rent! I’m currently on my way to collect it.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing’s brows furrowed. At his level, even a luxurious mansion in Haicheng didn’t concern him, but just because he could let it go didn’t mean others could.
Xu Jing took the documents handed to him by his secretary and gently reassured her, “Yao Yao, you’ve worked hard. If you need help, just let me know.”
Xu Yao didn’t decline and asked, “Brother, do you know the property management company for Tai’an Community—Tiansheng Property? I need to contact them.”
Xu Jing didn’t know about Tai’an Community, but he was familiar with Tiansheng Property. It was a mid-tier property management company in the country—not high-end, but not too shabby either.
As for having his sister contact them?
Xu Jing chuckled lightly, “Yao Yao, handle your own matters first. I’ll have the president of Tiansheng Property contact you shortly.”
Xu Yao saw that they were about to arrive at the shooting location through the car window, thanked Xu Jing, and hung up.
The weather was exceptionally nice today, with a clear blue sky and gentle clouds, a refreshing breeze blowing without any heat.
Xu Yao got out of the car wearing a long floral dress, calmly walking towards the shooting studio. She had already grown accustomed to the astonished gazes of passersby at her luxury car.
Not far away, a passerby excitedly took photos with her phone and immediately turned to send a message to her best friend: “I just saw Xu Yao getting out of a million-dollar luxury car! She’s really so thin and fair in person!”
Her friend, however, was quite alert: “Babe, isn’t the building you’re at the one where Zhou Zhou is shooting his magazine cover? What’s Xu Yao doing there?”
The girl paused, feeling that Xu Yao’s intentions might not be pure. She looked up at the building in front of her, realizing that Xu Yao couldn’t possibly be collecting rent in such an office building.
Could it be…
The two of them simultaneously speculated through their screens: “Is Xu Yao going to find Zhou Zhou?!”
Meanwhile, in the photography studio, Sheng Zhou had finished his shoot. The photographer, looking at the gallery, wanted Sheng Zhou to take a few more shots, but Sheng Zhou was feeling a bit displeased, casually scrolling through Weibo.
He was browsing through his super topic when he saw a new post with a picture that shocked him to his core.
Xu Yao came?
She came to the studio to find him?
For a moment, Sheng Zhou somewhat understood why Xu Yao had chosen to retire from the industry; only by retiring could she pursue him without restraint. If she were still in the industry, would she dare?
He had to leave! He had to leave quickly!
To avoid this pursuer, Sheng Zhou disregarded the photographer’s pleas and immediately took the elevator down to the underground parking lot with his assistant.
But once in the car, Sheng Zhou changed his mind and insisted, “Go to the film crew nearby for Xia Xia’s shoot this afternoon.”
Sheng Zhou could no longer endure the days without seeing Liu Yingxia. He could almost picture her smiling at him when he closed his eyes, especially after receiving that harassing call from Xu Yao; his heart felt like it was being tormented.
He had to see her!
He had to see her today!
The assistant was frightened and advised repeatedly, “Brother Zhou, isn’t it inappropriate to see Sister Xia at this stage? If you get photographed, it would be really hard to explain.”
Sheng Zhou’s expression instantly darkened, and he replied coldly, “If I said we’re going, we’re going.”
The variety show would start tomorrow, and the chances of seeing Liu Yingxia would decrease even more. He had to see her.
The little assistant couldn’t argue with Sheng Zhou and could only sit quietly with slumped shoulders, praying not to be photographed.
The nanny car drove out of the underground parking lot and sped away.
Xu Yao went to the studio but found it empty; where was Sheng Zhou?
The magazine staff looked at Xu Yao with a gossipy expression.
Xu Yao rubbed her temples in frustration; Sheng Zhou was quite good at hiding.
Little 6 popped out, expressing concern: “Host, you’re working too hard.”
Xu Yao feigned weakness: “If you think I’m struggling, then increase my pension a bit.”
Little 6 nodded obediently: “Hmm, detecting that the host’s retirement life is quite tough, Little 6 will apply to the Quick Transmigration Bureau for a higher pension this month. Please hang in there, host!”
Hearing this, Xu Yao felt a bit better, but it unfortunately didn’t last long; she was completely speechless at Sheng Zhou’s odd behaviour.
# Xu Yao suspected of pursuing Sheng Zhou to the studio #
[Entertainment Early News: Latest gossip, a certain internet celebrity pursues a male artist in the industry to the studio, with the male artist escaping frantically. [Image][Image][Image]]
The images showed Xu Yao entering the building from behind and the nanny car of Sheng Zhou driving away.
Sheng Zhou quickly responded to this—
[Sheng Zhou v: Thank you for your affection, but my heart is only for work.]
Xu Yao: “???”
Are you seriously that delusional?
[Did Xu Yao really chase Zhou Zhou to the studio? This is too crazy! Xu Yao is definitely turning love into hate!]
[Is Xu Yao getting slapped in the face? Previously spreading rumors about Sheng Zhou and Liu Yingxia being in love, but it turns out she has feelings for Sheng Zhou herself. What else could she be doing at the filming location besides pursuing Sheng Zhou?]
[So happy! Spinning in place with joy, I knew Zhou Zhou only has work in his heart, not women~]
[Although Sheng Zhou did respond, his response is too polite, right? XY is currently an internet celebrity, so he’s basically mentioning an internet celebrity at the top of his Weibo account! Too damaging to his image.]
[Speechless at Sheng Zhou +1]
[You guys upstairs2, shut up! If you were constantly harassed by someone like Xu Yao, you would retaliate too! Hope it doesn’t affect Zhou Zhou’s variety show tomorrow.]
……
Xu Yao almost laughed at these comments; she was quite shocked at how narcissistic Sheng Zhou was.
Lu Ye frowned as he read, asking, “Miss Yao Yao, should we start arrangements to send a lawyer’s letter to Sheng Zhou?”
Once the lawyer’s letter arrives, Sheng Zhou will definitely obediently pay the rent for the past six months. The Xu family’s ‘Pizza Hut’ legal team is very intimidating, so they aren’t afraid of Sheng Zhou being uncooperative.
Xu Yao lowered her gaze to admire her crystal manicure and smiled calmly, “No rush, I haven’t collected the rent yet.”
Lu Ye looked at Xu Yao’s calm profile and suddenly realized that Xu Yao and Xu Jing really had a lot in common; the angrier they got, the calmer they became.
Xu Yao said lightly, “If he doesn’t want to resolve it privately, then he can’t blame me.”
Xu Yao smiled and reminded them, “Get up early tomorrow to collect rent from Haicheng Shangpin.”
–
Xu Yao returned home leisurely. Qu Xi came over after finishing her scenes for the day, and Xu Yao only told her not to worry and to seize this opportunity.
Qu Xi was still a bit dazed, not quite understanding what opportunity Xu Yao was referring to. Did Yao Yao think the short drama could become a hit?
After coaxing Qu Xi back home, Xu Yao received a WeChat message from her fiancé, who was merely a tool for her inheritance.
[Ji Zhengqing: Miss Xu, is there anything I can help you with?]
Clearly, Xu Yao’s situation with Sheng Zhou had reached this fiancé, who was about to go on a business trip back to the country.
Xu Yao was about to say no, but then realized that this fiancé was deliberately trying to contact her, as it would be awkward if they were not familiar with each other when they got engaged.
[Xu Yao: Do you know any property companies that are reliable and not too expensive?]
[Ji Zhengqing: Yes.]
After chatting for a bit, Xu Yao ended the conversation, citing the need to rest early, and played a few games before going to sleep.
The next day, Xu Yao woke up early, simplified her makeup, and had Lu Ye prepare the rental contract and the transfer records for Sheng Zhou’s rent.
Just as Xu Yao was about to head out, someone rang the doorbell. It was several staff members who were panting while dragging dozens of suitcases.
Seeing Xu Yao’s puzzled expression, the staff explained, “Miss Yao Yao, these are the property certificates of your various properties. They have all been processed.”
Previously, when Qu Xi visited her home, she was quite curious about one of the huge empty rooms and what it was for. Xu Yao actually planned to use it to store her mountain of property certificates.
The staff dragged the suitcases into the designated large room, opening each one to reveal stacks of bright red property certificates that were dazzling to the eyes.
These are all her little empires!
After considering for a moment, Xu Yao decided to take the property certificate for the luxury apartment in Haicheng Shangpin that Sheng Zhou was renting.
The appearance of these property certificates didn’t have too much difference; the only difference being the building numbers inside, making them easy to confuse.
“Are you ready, Miss Yao Yao?” Lu Ye’s steady voice came from the door. Hearing this, Xu Yao quickly grabbed a property certificate for Haicheng Shangpin and then had Lu Ye put all the documents into a transparent folder.
Xu Yao took out her phone and entered the live broadcast room of ‘My Home Life’ variety show, smiling slightly, “Let’s go!”
*
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:
The highly anticipated ‘My Home Life’ variety show finally began, with countless fans flooding into Sheng Zhou’s live broadcast room at the first second. The online viewership far surpassed the other four guests, leaving netizens in awe of the top star’s ability to attract fans!
The director watched the soaring online numbers, grinning from ear to ear, feeling it was worth the huge investment to invite the top star Sheng Zhou!
Most fans came for Sheng Zhou while some netizens were purely curious about what the interior of the luxury apartment in Haicheng Shangpin looked like, as such opportunities to see it were quite rare.
As soon as Sheng Zhou appeared, he was quite eye-catching. He wore a pink long-sleeve T-shirt, a floral apron wrapped around his waist, and slides on his feet, waving his hand and saying, “Hello everyone, good morning.”
“Have you all had breakfast? I’m just about to make some.”
[Ahhh, Zhou Zhou is so handsome! He looks so fresh in his home attire! Is he planning to make dumplings? How down-to-earth!]
As the camera moved to the kitchen, the viewers gasped even more.
[Oh my gosh, is this a mansion? The kitchen is so big! Ten chefs could cook at the same time without feeling crowded, right? And there’s even a western kitchen island for juicing, I’m so envious.]
[Just the kitchen is bigger than my master bedroom… Not everyone in the entertainment industry can afford a luxury mansion in Haicheng, Sheng Zhou is indeed impressive.]
[The kitchenware is all top-notch global cooking tools, sob sob sob, did you see that ‘ordinary’ white refrigerator? It’s worth over three hundred thousand yuan…]
[!! A refrigerator worth over three hundred thousand?? Oh my gosh, is this the world of the rich?]
In addition to the live stream camera following Sheng Zhou in real-time, the production team also filmed other scenes for later editing, slowly panning the camera from the kitchen to the living room.
There were quite a few staff members on site, but in this mansion, it didn’t feel crowded at all.
In the incredibly spacious living room, there were elegantly curved high-end soft sofas, and the sunlight streamed in through the 270° large floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the generously wide balcony where unknown exotic plants were planted.
The knowledgeable staff secretly admired the decor; previously, some had criticized Sheng Zhou’s taste as being very ordinary, but now it seemed his mansion’s decor was quite sophisticated, filled with understated luxury.
After this variety show, it’s likely that no one would dare to criticize Sheng Zhou on this point anymore.
Sheng Zhou fished the dumplings out of the pot and said to them, “The dumplings are ready, director and everyone, let’s eat together.”
After all, in front of the camera, Sheng Zhou knew how to put on a show.
[Sob sob sob, Zhou Zhou is amazing! He’s so busy with work yet can cook so well, I can smell the aroma through the screen.]
[? No way? He just bought a few bags of frozen dumplings, boiled them in water, and then they’re ready to eat. Even my six-year-old can do that; fans don’t need to praise SZ for being a great cook, right?]
[Wow, look at the tableware! This brand’s tableware is exclusively supplied to the royal family of X country; it looks plain but is actually super expensive!]
The comments in the live stream varied, but the vast majority were quite positive.
When Sheng Zhou invited them, the director and the others naturally had to show some respect.
“Ding ding ding—”
Just as they sat down and quietly observed the tableware, a series of doorbell rings echoed from outside, causing them to exchange surprised glances.
Sheng Zhou looked at the production team, secretly thinking it was an arrangement by them. As the owner of the mansion, he immediately got up and walked towards the door to open it, with the camera following closely behind.
Of course, a mansion wouldn’t have a regular door lock but a professional smart lock with a display screen on the wall that clearly showed the outside view.
When Sheng Zhou saw the figure on the display screen, his expression suddenly changed.
Xu Yao?!
Today, Xu Yao was dressed in a gentle flesh-pink knitted camisole paired with a shawl cardigan, followed by a few people, among whom the tall bodyguard was the most eye-catching, making Xu Yao appear even smaller.
Xu Yao looked exceptionally beautiful today, truly stunning. Sheng Zhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at Xu Yao on the display screen, his mind racing—
Had Xu Yao already liked him to this extent??
He avoided her yesterday at the filming studio, so today she simply came to his door?
Seeing that no one opened the door, Xu Yao calmly continued to press the doorbell, the ringing echoing one after another.
The viewers in the live stream also saw this scene immediately, and the moment Xu Yao appeared, the atmosphere became lively, with the online viewership skyrocketing!
[??? Xu Yao? Oh my gosh, Xu Yao is a stalker, right? She chased him all the way to Zhou Zhou’s doorstep!]
[If I had Xu Yao’s shamelessness, how could I not pursue my crush??]
Some viewers were just enjoying the spectacle: [A woman pursuing a man is like a thin layer of gauze3; Xu Yao is really beautiful, and she matches well with Sheng Zhou. Why doesn’t Sheng Zhou just give in? The girl is being so proactive.]
[I’m done, I’m really done. Just yesterday, Sheng Zhou rejected her on Weibo, and she actually came again. I’ve never seen someone like Xu Yao before; if she’s already retired from the industry, she should stop clinging onto him already, right?]
The production team was even more excited; Xu Yao was truly their good partner, creating buzz for them, and it was a huge surprise for them!
Sheng Zhou quickly thought of Liu Yingxia, fearing that she might misunderstand after seeing the live stream. He began to curse Xu Yao for being too high-profile in pursuing him, but he couldn’t show it on camera, so he smiled and said, “I should open the door and explain things clearly to Miss Xu.”
Amidst the barrage of comments praising “Sheng Zhou is such a man,” he opened the luxurious double doors.
Xu Yao shook her sore fingers lightly; this guy finally opened the door.
Sheng Zhou said gently, “Xu…”
Xu Yao didn’t glance sideways, directly walking past Sheng Zhou into the house, with Lu Ye following closely behind.
Sheng Zhou’s smile froze on his face: “??” She just walked in like that?
[Although Sheng Zhou would politely invite her in and then reject her, Xu Yao walking in directly is really rude. No wonder Sheng Zhou doesn’t like her; such a waste of a pretty face.]
[Trespassing into someone’s home, Sheng Zhou should just call the police. Women like this shouldn’t be given a good face; otherwise, they’ll take advantage of it.]
[This situation seems complicated; Haicheng Shangpin is a high-end luxury community in Haicheng, comparable to Haicheng Bay No. 1. The security guard wouldn’t just let an outsider like Xu Yao in. I sense there’s going to be a big show today; I’ll call my best friend to come and watch.]
Sheng Zhou hurriedly followed, “Miss Xu, thank you for your affection…”
Xu Yao sat down on the sofa, and Lu Ye stood behind her with his hands behind his back like a gatekeeper. She rested her chin on one hand and calmly interrupted him, “Mr. Sheng, are you misunderstanding something? I’m here to collect rent.”
The entire mansion fell silent in an instant, as everyone pondered over Xu Yao’s words—“collect rent.”
Yesterday, Xu Yao had replied to a netizen saying that Sheng Zhou’s mansion was rented, but at that time, not many people believed it. However, today, Xu Yao showing up in person carried a different meaning to the audience. Was she here to provide solid evidence??
With a single sentence from Xu Yao, the live stream room was thrown into chaos, the barrage of comments flooding the screen to the point where it was almost impossible to see!
[What the hell? The mansion is really rented? Just yesterday, I was complaining about how Xu Yao knew that Sheng Zhou’s mansion was rented—was it because it was hers? Is she the landlord?]
[Not necessarily, she might just be collecting rent for someone else, but… is it really rented??]
[My God, is Sheng Zhou so thick-skinned? Pretending that a rented mansion is his own? I woke up this early just to see his mansion, and he pulls this?]
The entire barrage was questioning whether Sheng Zhou was really renting. This was truly the biggest twist of the day!
Previously, the whole internet was crazily marketing Sheng Zhou’s luxurious mansion in Haicheng, yet it turned out to be rented? Rented!
There was nothing shameful about renting; who hasn’t rented a place these days? But Sheng Zhou’s team had always promoted this mansion as one he purchased!
Isn’t that lying?
Some fans with a strong sense of morality found this fact hard to accept.
The production team was somewhat dumbfounded. When they saw Xu Yao appear, they thought there would be a big explosive moment today. It seemed there indeed was—but this explosive moment made the director feel it might affect their show—WTF!!
The director’s mind was racing; he even wanted to grab Sheng Zhou and shout at him, why did he deceive the production team??
[Is Xu Yao out of her mind? Even if it’s really rented, does she need to come collect rent now? I remember rent is usually paid half a month in advance, right? Is it necessary to chase after someone because of rent? It’s really disgusting.]
[Exactly, I also rent, and when it’s time to pay, I’m usually busy. The landlord wouldn’t come knocking on my door; I just go over when I have time.]
Xu Yao didn’t seem to intend to let Sheng Zhou off the hook. She changed her posture to scrutinize him and continued, “I added you on WeChat with the note ‘landlord,’ and you blocked me. I called you, and you blocked me. I tried to find you privately to pay the rent, and you ran away,” Xu Yao spread her hands helplessly, “So I really had no choice but to come directly to your front door.”
Sheng Zhou: “…”
Sheng Zhou’s facial expression was about to collapse. His ominous premonition was too strong. He even wanted to rush up and cover Xu Yao’s mouth to stop her from speaking, but the bodyguard standing behind her, like a mountain, made him hesitate.
In the next moment, Xu Yao stared into Sheng Zhou’s eyes, which were gradually shrouded in despair, and firmly said the one thing Sheng Zhou least wanted to be exposed: “Mr. Sheng, please pay me the half a year’s rent you owe.”
Owe!
Half a year!
Rent!
Listen to these words!
Xu Yao gave a signal and immediately, an employee came forward with Xu Yao’s payment code, smiling sweetly, but the words that came out made Sheng Zhou feel like he was facing a venomous woman, just like Xu Yao: “Hello, Mr. Sheng. You owe Miss Xu Yao a total of 2.1 million for half a year’s rent, 60,000 for property management fees, and 120,000 for utilities, totaling 2.28 million.”
The entire venue: “……”
2… 2,28 million yuan??? Such a crazy amount?
Silence fell, and no one dared to speak at that moment; it was so quiet that even the sound of the wind rustling the curtains could be heard.
The news was too explosive, and it was hard to react in time.
The mansion is rented…
The mansion is suspected to belong to Xu Yao…
These could be overlooked, and even the manager present began to think about how to spin this in the future—renting is down-to-earth, even top-tier stars rent, just like ordinary fans!
But the key point, the key point is that Sheng Zhou owes rent! Owes, rent!!
And it’s been half a year, over one hundred eighty days!
Fans went crazy!
The online viewership of the variety show skyrocketed from several million to tens of millions. It was peak commuting time on a workday, and many office workers were crammed into the subway.
Almost every time one turned their head, they could see young people nearby wearing headphones, all watching Sheng Zhou’s live stream, the subway filled with exclamations of “What the hell.”
[My best friend is going crazy. So, Sheng Zhou’s mansion is rented, and he owes rent? A top star in the entertainment industry owes rent?? My worldview is shattered.]
[I took Sheng Zhou as a role model, and it turns out he owes rent? Has he capsized?]
[Am I the only one wondering about Sheng Zhou’s utility bills? 120,000 for half a year, averaging 20,000 a month—how outrageous. Is he using that much water and electricity in a mansion?]
[Tsk, as expected of one of Haicheng’s top mansions, with a property fee of 10,000 a month—6664, I can’t even earn that much in a month, haha.]
[Hahaha, where are those who mocked Xu Yao as a little rich woman? This house in Haicheng is hers! I’m thrilled!]
Of course, there were also fans who wouldn’t believe it: [I don’t believe it; right now, it’s just Xu Yao’s word! Whatever she says is true? I will always believe in Sheng Zhou.]
At this moment, Sheng Zhou’s mind was in a daze. His head was buzzing, and he was completely frozen in front of the camera.
Under the lens, every expression of Sheng Zhou could be captured, and all the onlookers could clearly see his flushed face gradually turning pale.
A few days ago, Xu Yao had added him on WeChat, even noting herself as the landlord. At that time, the internet was trending with the cheesy pickup line, “I am your landlord, the owner of your heart,”…
Yesterday, she called him but he blocked her.
Xu Yao had even come to find him yesterday, and he had run away, even hanging her on his Weibo page…
Sheng Zhou suddenly realized that Xu Yao had actually given him many chances, many opportunities to resolve this privately without being exposed! It was he who didn’t take them.
Thinking of this, Sheng Zhou could hardly control his expression; it was clear he regretted it.
[I’m so embarrassed for Sheng Zhou. Xu Yao isn’t chasing him for love; it’s to collect a debt!!]
[I’m still looking at Sheng Zhou’s Weibo from yesterday; I’m digging out a set of Haicheng’s top mansion with my toes5!]
[Other than 666, I don’t know what else to say.]
[I put myself in the situation and thought, if someone owed me 2.28 million in rent for half a year and didn’t pay, I’d be tempted to kill them. I’m cursing like crazy; thank goodness Xu Yao can hold it in.]
“Are you going to pay the overdue rent or not?” Xu Yao was feeling a bit anxious; it had been almost ten minutes since she had waited for his response, and she still had to meet with the property management company’s CEO today, so she didn’t have time to waste with Sheng Zhou.
“Lu Ye,” seeing that Sheng Zhou still wasn’t speaking, Xu Yao called out, clearly stating, “Call the police.”
“Understood, Miss.” Lu Ye immediately took out his phone.
Sheng Zhou felt like his head was about to explode; he instinctively lunged forward, “Don’t call the police!”
Lu Ye swiftly raised a foot and kicked Sheng Zhou aside, preventing him from getting close to Xu Yao.
Sheng Zhou stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. He was in a sorry state, beads of sweat forming on his handsome forehead due to his nervousness and fear. The thought of being taken to the police station made him feel like it was all over. He looked at the stunned crowd and the dark camera lens, and the words that were about to spill from his lips were stuck, no matter how hard he tried.
Sheng Zhou was like an ant in a hot pan, completely flustered.
His actions made many fans feel disheartened. Not allowing the police to be called was just confirming that Sheng Zhou indeed owed rent, right? Otherwise, why would he be afraid of the police? It would be better to go to the police station and settle it there.
Xu Yao rested her chin on her hand, watching the spectacle with interest, “Why don’t you want to call the police?”
Sheng Zhou stuttered, repeatedly mumbling, “I… I…”
Xu Yao, that malicious woman, was forcing him to personally admit it!
At that moment, Sheng Zhou truly regretted it. Two million was really not much; for a top star like him, it was merely pocket change. He had just suddenly thought of taking advantage of the situation, thinking he could avoid paying.
Xu Yao raised her eyebrows, urging, “Call the police.”
Sheng Zhou felt both ashamed and irritated, tears almost forced out by Xu Yao. He barely managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, “…I’ll pay, I’ll pay.”
What nice landlord? It was all a lie; they just wanted to fatten the sheep before slaughtering it!
The fans were stunned: “……”
This sentence was a roundabout admission that Sheng Zhou, the top star, was indeed in arrears with his rent.
All his previous insistence was just a joke!
Sheng Zhou fumbled for his phone, and his manager rushed over, immediately grabbing his hand and whispering in his ear, “Wait a moment, don’t act rashly.”
If Xu Yao was indeed commissioned to collect the rent, such a large sum of money without any written agreement—who would dare to hand it over so directly?
And if Xu Yao was truly commissioned to collect the rent, her aggressive attitude just now would definitely attract haters; she was just a sycophant riding on someone else’s power!
Sheng Zhou suddenly came to his senses. Right, at this point, he could only try and minimize his losses; at the very least, he couldn’t let Xu Yao step on him to gain more popularity.
“I want to see the property certificate!”
Not only did Sheng Zhou want to see the property certificate, but even the netizens were very curious.
Wasn’t Xu Yao just a little rich woman collecting four hundred thousand yuan in rent every month? Could she really own a top luxury property in Haicheng? Whether she was just a sycophant or not could be determined with just a glance at the property certificate.
Xu Yao chuckled; she had long known about Sheng Zhou’s tricks and had prepared the property certificate in advance!
Xu Yao raised her hand and clapped in the air: “Bring it here.”
Lu Ye took out a red booklet from a transparent bag and placed it in Xu Yao’s outstretched palm.
[Wow, Xu Yao looks so cool in this pose!]
[I can’t even express my feelings right now; I want to jump into the screen and beat Sheng Zhou to death. Five years of my feelings…]
[Suddenly understand why Xu Yao withdrew from the industry; who would want to struggle in the entertainment circle when they can afford a luxury apartment in Haicheng?]
[Emmmmm, the only thing I have in common with Xu Yao might just be the red cover of the booklet, crying.]
Xu Yao covered the property number and unit number, facing Sheng Zhou directly, and said just two words: “Pay up!”
Sheng Zhou: “…”
Xu Yao gradually noticed that their expressions were a bit off. Sheng Zhou looked like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Xu Yao curiously asked, “Is there a problem?” How could a government-issued document have a problem? Impossible!
Lu Ye gently reminded, “Miss Yao Yao, it seems you’ve taken the wrong property certificate.”
Huh?
Xu Yao quickly turned the red booklet around to check for herself. The property unit number indeed stated it was a top luxury property in Haicheng, but there was an issue with the building number.
After all, there were too many red booklets, and each line was quite similar; only the minute numbers had slight differences.
At that moment, the entire live stream exploded!
[??? Impressive! Too impressive! This property certificate belongs to the most luxurious apartment in Haicheng! Do you know the penthouse king? This one is the best unit in that building, with a perfect layout and excellent lighting.]
[Over a thousand square meters? I almost dropped my snack.]
[Wow, this unit actually belongs to Xu Yao? This one can reach four hundred million! She is indeed a rich woman; she actually has two luxury apartments in Haicheng!]
[Oh my god, even if Xu Yao took the wrong one, I still wouldn’t dare to doubt that this unit isn’t hers!]
Xu Yao took the wrong property certificate; the one she had was the most expensive luxury apartment in Haicheng…
Clearly, they were all property certificates, yet the wealth was palpable.
Lu Ye immediately said, “Miss Yao Yao, I’ll arrange for someone to bring the correct property certificate right away.”
Just a few minutes after Lu Ye made the call, the property manager entered the room with an employee after knocking on the door.
The employee hurriedly handed the bright red property certificate to Xu Yao: “Miss, I just realized you took the wrong one while organizing your property certificates, so I rushed to bring it to you.”
So that’s why it arrived so quickly.
Xu Yao was very satisfied and planned to give her a bonus later.
This time, there was no mistake; everyone clearly saw that this luxury apartment in Haicheng belonged to Xu Yao in black and white—a government-issued property certificate. Even the most stubborn fans had nothing to say, sitting dumbfounded in front of the screen, as if all their strength had been drained.
Xu Yao sincerely apologized, “Sorry, I have too many houses and took the wrong certificate.”
Everyone: “……”
[……Xu Yao really knows how to show off.]
[I suddenly understand why Xu Yao could let Sheng Zhou owe rent for half a year; she probably forgot because she has too many houses!]
[So… Sheng Zhou really owes rent, and it’s been half a year? Confirmed!]
[This is a hammer blow! Sheng Zhou’s character is really too bad.]
[Unfollowing, I’m completely unfollowing him. I’m so poor I can barely afford to eat, yet I still pay my rent on time, but Sheng Zhou, a top-tier celebrity, earns so much money and still owes rent? I’d have to be an idiot to still be his fan!]
#MyHomeLife#
#ShengZhouOwestoXuYaoSixMonthsRent#
#ShengZhouXuYao#
#ShengZhou’sAverageMonthlyUtilitiesAre20000#
#Unfollowing#
#ShengZhouEntitledMan#
Top celebrities truly live up to their name. In just half an hour, nearly half of Weibo’s trending searches were occupied by him, each followed by the tag ‘breaking.’
This was Sheng Zhou’s realm!
Sheng Zhou’s Weibo follower count was plummeting, while Xu Yao’s was skyrocketing.
The rumors about Sheng Zhou’s luxurious mansion being fake and Xu Yao pursuing Sheng Zhou being fake were all debunked. Only the fact that Xu Yao is a wealthy woman was true!
A middle-aged man in a formal suit who couldn’t hide his protruding beer belly. His hair was slicked back with what looked like hair oil, gleaming under the light. Seeing the overwhelming amount of gossip online, he exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Xu Yao is actually in my community?”
He was Mr. Yang, the CEO of Tiansheng Property Management. However, he wasn’t interested in the downfall of any top celebrity; he only knew that Xu Yao was currently in their Haicheng Shangpin residential complex.
Tiansheng Property Management held an awkward middle-ground position in the property management industry and Mr. Yang didn’t know why the richest man, Xu Jing, would have him contact Xu Yao.
However, Mr. Yang dared not offend Xu Jing. He originally intended to call Xu Yao to schedule a meeting, but upon discovering she was already in Haicheng Shangpin and seeing that her rent had been collected, he figured the matter was resolved. He immediately instructed his personal butler to take him to find Xu Yao.
After receiving permission, Mr. Yang followed the personal butler to the entrance of the luxurious mansion Sheng Zhou rented, ignoring everyone else, his face creased with a smile, incredibly enthusiastic, “Miss Xu Yao, hello, hello, I’m Yang Guofa, CEO of Tiansheng Property Management…”
Xu Yao apologetically interrupted, “Mr. Yang, I’m a little busy right now, please wait a moment.”
Yang Guofa’s smile didn’t falter; he clasped his hands together, “Okay, okay, Miss Xu, please go ahead, I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Yang Guofa smiled and retreated, moving to the elevator lobby beside the entrance to admire the greenery.
The screen was immediately filled with question marks!
[?????]
[WTF, is Xu Yao so amazing? Making the company CEO wait? Has she not finished up with her business here yet?]
[Tiansheng Property Management, that’s not small potatoes either. That CEO is worth at least several billion, right? He waits when she says wait. The CEO is so obedient.]
Sheng Zhou didn’t care about any property management CEOs. He was about to go crazy. He could almost imagine how terrible the online comments about him would be, yet even in this situation, Xu Yao didn’t seem to intend to let him off the hook?
Sheng Zhou fought back tears, his expression furious as he glared at Xu Yao, and growled, “I’ve paid the rent. I’m feeling unwell and want to suspend the show. Please, everyone get out!”
The director’s heart was ablaze with anger. Upon hearing Sheng Zhou’s words about suspending the show, the director could no longer hold it in, his vision blackening as he fainted.
Good job, Sheng Zhou, you really did it! You’re such a jerk!
The rest of the crew rushed forward, applying pressure to his acupoints and slapping his cheeks, repeatedly shouting, “Director, are you alright? Hold on!”
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
Xu Yao sighed, thinking the director’s acceptance capacity was too low. She looked up and stared at Sheng Zhou as if he were an idiot, “Me, get out? I’m the landlord! The rent you paid is the rent you owed me, okay?”
Sheng Zhou was speechless, and no one else on the scene dared to even speak up or offer a word in support. Everyone just wished they could find a hole to crawl into.
Sheng Zhou didn’t understand what Xu Yao was trying to do, especially since he still had a month’s security deposit.
Xu Yao stared at Sheng Zhou’s pale face, her words clear and distinct, “According to the rental contract, you breached the contract for six months. Please pay me 30% of the penalty for liquidated damages, totalling 630,000 yuan. Also, please move out of my house within three days and restore it to its original condition, otherwise, I will see you in court!”
i feel like the public scrutiny and standard for chinese celebrities and the ones in my country (australia) and the western world are so different. the way this would be a total non issue in my own country xD
and as said before, next release will be in two weeks (this 10k chapter was a bit insane. the chapter was named ‘three in one’ and i was wondering what sort of relevance that title had with the chapter, but then realised the author probably stuffed three chapters into one, hence the title QAQ orz)
- this statement has more of a cultural context. celebrities in china are expected to be role models and need to ensure that they’re following the law and abide by strict moral conduct and that they lead by example. hence why xu yao would be so surprised about a top star like sz owing half a year’s worth of rent. just look at examples of fan bingbing’s tax evasion, etc. celebrities are incentivised to do the morally right thing as there is often huge public backlash as well as government crackdown and outright bans if they don’t. ↩︎
- you’ll often see ‘upstairs’ or ‘level xx’ in comment threads since they refer to the previous comment in the thread as ‘upstairs’ or level xx corresponding to their place in the thread ↩︎
- “when a woman pursues a man, it’s as easy as a layer of gauze between them; when a man pursues a woman, it’s as difficult as a mountain between them” is a popular but vivid saying. This saying means that in the emotional life and marriage of men and women, it is very easy for a woman to pursue a man, since if she is determined to win him, it is easy to win, because a layer of gauze can not only make it vague, but also can be easily broken through; on the contrary, it is as difficult for a man to pursue a woman as going through earth’s different layers ↩︎
- internet slang for awesome/respect ↩︎
- from the phrase ‘digging out a three bedroom apartment with my toes’ — an exaggeration used to describe embarrassment, awkwardness or shame. simply put, when people are embarrassed, they can’t help but curl their toes ↩︎