After rejecting the black card that symbolized his confinement, Lin Yang felt a brief and somewhat childish sense of victory. However, that was immediately followed by more urgent, realistic pressures. He could not continue living here; every extra day felt like he was consuming the precious oxygen brought by his rebirth.
Contacting Sister So and checking his savings were only the first steps. Finding a place of his own, far away from Li Chenzhou, was the key to his escape plan. He began filtering listings on a rental app using his old phone.
The location could not be too remote; it had to be convenient for reaching future film sets. The rent could not be too high; he could not afford it. The security could not be too lax; he still carried the title of “Mrs. Li,” even if it was just an empty name, and he had to guard against unnecessary trouble. Once he added these filters, the number of suitable listings dwindled to almost nothing.
He scheduled viewings for three apartments that seemed to fit his requirements over the weekend. He gave Butler Chen a simple reason: “I want to find a quiet place to read. Occasionally, when friends visit, there will be a place to sit. It isn’t good to disturb President Li’s work at home all the time.”
Nothing could be read from the butler’s wise, aging eyes. He merely stated respectfully that he would arrange for the driver, Old Yang, to provide transportation, and reminded Lin Yang to stay safe.
On Saturday morning, Old Yang drove the understated yet incredibly expensive black sedan and dropped Lin Yang at the entrance of the first residential complex. The agent was a young man who had been waiting enthusiastically.
“Hello, Mr. Lin! You have great taste. This apartment is an incredible value, and the landlord is eager to rent. The price is negotiable!”
The agent spoke fluently, leading Lin Yang into a minimally decorated one-bedroom apartment. Facing south, it had excellent light. Although small, it was clean and tidy, and the community environment was quiet. Lin Yang liked it almost instantly. It was exactly like the independent little nest he had imagined.
“It’s quite nice,” Lin Yang said, suppressing his satisfaction and asking as calmly as possible. “Can we discuss the rent further? How is the deposit paid?”
The agent beamed. “No problem! I’ll talk to the landlord again and try to get you the lowest price! Please wait a moment!” He stepped onto the balcony to make a call.
Lin Yang paced the room, already mentally planning where to put his desk and greenery. A few minutes later, the agent returned with a stiff and awkward smile. “Um, Mr. Lin, I am so sorry. The landlord just called. He said his son suddenly decided to return to the country. This apartment is no longer for rent.”
Lin Yang was stunned. “Not for rent? But didn’t you just say he was eager to rent it out?”
“Plans change, plans change,” the agent stammered, rubbing his hands. “I’m truly sorry for making you come out here for nothing. How about I show you another unit in the same building? The layout is a bit different, and the rent is slightly higher.”
A strange feeling flickered through Lin Yang’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it. He just felt a sense of regret. “Fine, let’s see the other one.”
The other layout was indeed awkward. The window faced a narrow courtyard and the light was dim. Lin Yang gave up after one look.
“No worries, Mr. Lin, we have alternatives! The one in the second complex is even better!” The agent tried to recover, enthusiastically leading him to the next location.
The second apartment was in an older complex, but it was full of life, with supermarkets and restaurants downstairs. It was a loft with an artistic feel that Lin Yang liked very much. This time, he was smarter and asked directly, “Does the landlord have any sudden changes in plans for this one?”
“Don’t worry! The landlord’s family has emigrated and authorized our company to handle everything. It’s absolutely stable!” the agent promised.
Just as Lin Yang was inspecting the bathroom fixtures, the agent’s phone rang again. He picked up. “Hello? Manager Wang? Yes, it’s me. I’m showing the loft in the Xingfu complex. What? Signed? Yesterday? That’s impossible; it’s still in the system. Oh, Xiao Zhang signed it but didn’t enter it? I see.”
The agent hung up, looking even more miserable than before. “Mr. Lin, my colleague just signed this place out yesterday and forgot to mark it in the system. This is my error, entirely my fault.”
Looking at the agent’s apologetic posture, the strange feeling in Lin Yang’s heart resurfaced, clearer this time. Once was a coincidence, but twice? He suppressed his suspicion and spoke coolly. “There’s a third one. Let’s go straight there.”
The third unit was a new apartment slightly further from the city center. It was fully furnished with brand-new appliances, and the rent was within an acceptable range. Lin Yang didn’t dare hold much hope. Sure enough, just as he expressed satisfaction and was ready to pay a deposit on the spot, the agent’s phone rang again “right on time.”
After finishing the call, the agent’s expression was no longer just awkward; it was bordering on panicked and confused. He looked at Lin Yang and said cautiously, “Mr. Lin, the landlord said he doesn’t want to rent it anymore.”
“The reason?” Lin Yang’s voice turned completely cold. He was almost certain now; this was no coincidence.
“He didn’t give a reason. He just said he won’t rent it and is even willing to pay a penalty for breach of contract.”
The agent was also completely baffled. He had never encountered such a bizarre situation in his entire career. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the polished floor, but Lin Yang felt a chill rising from deep within. Who was it? Who was manipulating everything behind the scenes? The answer was obvious. In this city, only one person had the power and the motive to do this.
On the way back, Lin Yang leaned against the back seat and stared silently at the passing cityscape. Old Yang glanced at him several times through the rearview mirror, appearing as if he wanted to speak, but he ultimately remained silent. Beyond the magnificent cage, there seemed to be a larger, invisible net closing silently as he tried to fly away.
That evening, Lin Yang had no appetite. He ate a few bites of food and prepared to go upstairs. Just as he stepped onto the stairs, a deep, cold voice came from behind him.
“I heard you went out to look at houses today?”
Lin Yang’s footsteps paused, and his heart skipped a beat. He turned around and saw Li Chenzhou sitting on the living room sofa. He held a financial weekly in his hand and wasn’t looking at him, as if he were just asking a casual question.
How did he know? Did Old Yang report back? Or were there people of his among the agents?
“Yes,” Lin Yang responded as calmly as possible, pushing down the turmoil in his heart. “I wanted to find a quiet place to read.”
“I see.” Li Chenzhou turned a page, the paper making a slight rustling sound. His tone was as casual as discussing the weather. “The penthouse in the building across the street is vacant. The security is handled by the same company, which is much better than the complexes you visited. The code is 0907.”
Lin Yang snapped his head up to look at Li Chenzhou. The man was still looking down at his magazine, his profile hard and devoid of expression, as if he were merely providing an insignificant suggestion.
0907 was the date of their wedding.
A chill instantly crept up Lin Yang’s spine. It really was him! Those landlords’ mysterious changes of heart and those perfectly timed “already rented” units were all his doing! He hadn’t just rejected the divorce agreement; he was blocking every possible exit! Even wanting a small space of his own was not permitted!
The so-called “apartment across the street” was nothing more than moving from one cage to another that was larger, closer, and easier to monitor! Anger and humiliation intertwined, nearly crashing through Lin Yang’s composure. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails bit into his palms. He wanted to question him loudly, to tear apart this facade of calm. But he knew he couldn’t.
In the face of Li Chenzhou’s absolute power, his anger and questioning would only seem ridiculous and weak. Ultimately, he said nothing. He gave Li Chenzhou a long, cold, and distant look. Then, he turned and walked up the stairs, his steps heavy.
Li Chenzhou raised his gaze from the magazine, watching Lin Yang’s disappearing back. His eyes were as deep as the night, his emotions unreadable. He put down the magazine, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
“Cheng Wei,” he said in a low voice. “Buy every property he looked at today.”
On the other end, Cheng Wei sounded unsurprised. He simply responded efficiently, “Yes, President Li.”