The longer Zhong Suian looked, the more the figure resembled him.
But that made no sense.
Why would Zhong Yaoran be here?
She wanted to take a closer look, but the bus had already traveled too far away for her to see clearly.
After some thought, Zhong Suian sent him a message.
Third Brother, what are you doing right now?
Coincidentally, Zhong Yaoran had just arrived for the moving job.
Their van, along with a large truck filled with furniture, had been stopped at the entrance by security.
According to the property management’s regulations, every outsider entering the community had to register and undergo inspection.
It would be easier if a homeowner accompanied them.
Without one…
The foul-smelling guard sat in his chair with one leg crossed over the other.
Unlike the flattering attitude he had shown Ye Qiaoqiao earlier, he now looked at the workers with open contempt.
“What are you here for?”
The contractor, Master Li, hurried forward.
“Sir, we’re here to move furniture for a homeowner.”
“It’s for Villa No. 9 in Dongxing Royal Residence. We already reported it to property management.”
“Could you please open the gate for us?”
“Moving for a homeowner?”
The guard looked him up and down before sneering.
“You say you’re here for a homeowner, so I’m supposed to believe you?”
“Where’s your proof?”
Master Li patiently pulled a slightly wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket.
“Look, this is the document issued by property management. It even has the official seal.”
“Go away.”
The foul-smelling guard slapped his hand aside.
“What’s the use of showing me this?”
“It could be forged!”
“You poor people have the most tricks. Maybe you found some random piece of paper and want to sneak inside to scout the place.”
“I don’t care.”
“Either call the homeowner right now, or go back where you came from!”
Standing behind the others, Zhong Yaoran looked down at the message from his sister.
He felt slightly guilty, but still told a small lie.
I’m busy training. What’s wrong?
The moment he sent the message, a young worker beside him spat quietly.
“Bah. That bastard definitely wants a bribe again.”
Master Li had clearly dealt with this before.
Seeing the situation, he reluctantly pulled out two packs of expensive cigarettes and handed them over.
“Sir, working in this heat must be difficult.”
“We really are here to work for the homeowner. Could you please make an exception?”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate to disturb the homeowner at noon.”
The guard’s expression improved considerably once he received the cigarettes.
He waved his hand.
“Fine, fine. Go in.”
“But only this once. Be careful with your work!”
“This is a high-end community, so naturally we take security seriously.”
“I’m only following the rules. Don’t say I was making things difficult for you.”
The two vehicles finally entered the community one after the other.
Unfortunately, to protect the homeowners’ privacy, they could only park outside the entire Dongxing Royal Residence section.
Vehicles could not proceed farther without verified license plates.
That meant the furniture had to be carried the rest of the way by hand.
The driver parked in the designated area.
Zhong Yaoran jumped out of the van with the other workers.
When the truck’s doors opened, they revealed rows of carefully packaged furniture.
Master Li reminded everyone,
“Be careful with your hands and feet.”
“These are all expensive items. A single piece costs more than one month of your wages!”
The chubby boy struggled with a huge cardboard box until his face turned red.
“Zhong Yaoran, come help me!”
“This box is insanely heavy!”
Zhong Yaoran hurried over and grabbed the other side.
Together, they carried it down from the truck.
The tall, thin worker wiped the sweat from his face.
“Hey, look at this!”
He pointed toward a large box nearby.
Printed clearly on its surface was a uniquely designed lounge chair shaped like a tennis ball.
The tall worker carefully stroked the packaging and clicked his tongue in admiration.
“A tennis-shaped chair and a small sofa?”
“Could this homeowner also be a tennis fan?”
The chubby boy suddenly exclaimed,
“Whoa, look at this!”
“Isn’t this the same massage chair used by that tennis champion?”
“It’s especially useful for athletes like us!”
A furniture-store employee who had come with them smiled.
“I heard the homeowner’s older brother plays tennis.”
“She specifically chose these pieces as gifts for him.”
He pointed toward several boxes that had not yet been unloaded.
“There are another two or three items over there.”
Hearing this, the tall worker sighed.
“We all play tennis, so why is the difference between our lives so enormous?”
He stared longingly at the furniture.
“Some people live in mansions and use premium furniture.”
“Meanwhile, we’re doing physical labor under the May sun…”
The chubby boy was exhausted and drank half a bottle of water in one go.
“That’s just how unequal life is!”
“If only I had such a wonderful younger brother or sister too…”
The two looked envious and began imagining an easy life.
Zhong Yaoran did not join their discussion.
He merely wiped away his sweat in silence.
“Stop complaining.”
“Having work is already good enough.”
“Alright, enough!”
Master Li wiped his sunburned face.
“Stop daydreaming and get back to work!”
“Standing around in the midday heat—aren’t you hot?”
…
Meanwhile, Zhong Suian and the others had already followed the route provided by Ye Qiaoqiao and entered Emerald Lake Court.
After receiving Zhong Yaoran’s reply, Zhong Suian’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
She must have been mistaken.
The moment they entered Emerald Lake Court, they saw two neat rows of plane trees lining the broad road.
European-style villas stood at regular intervals of around a dozen meters.
Although the neighborhood looked somewhat compact, it was still located in one of Hai City’s most valuable districts, where every inch of land was precious.
It was already an excellent development.
After another four or five minutes, the bus stopped in front of a blue villa.
Everyone eagerly got off and crowded around Ye Qiaoqiao, showering her with praise.
“I didn’t expect Emerald Lake Court to be so huge!”
“This house must cost more than ten thousand yuan. Qiaoqiao, your parents treat you so well!”
“Wow, your home is beautiful!”
“The garden must be dozens of square meters!”
“The villa is even blue. That’s so unique!”
“I thought Qiaoqiao would prefer pink!”
No one noticed Ye Qiaoqiao’s expression stiffen when they mentioned the color blue.
She quickly adjusted her face and waved modestly.
“It was only a little over eight thousand yuan.”
“It wasn’t that expensive.”
Then she gave Zhong Suian a pointed glance.
“Compared with some people’s so-called mansions, it must be far inferior.”
Someone immediately snorted.
“What mansion?”
“Even her access card was fake. I’m sure the house is also made up!”
Ye Qiaoqiao’s smile grew smugger.
She unlocked the door with her fingerprint and passcode.
“Everyone, come inside.”
“The renovations aren’t finished yet, so please don’t mind.”
The students entered the foyer while laughing.
However, when they saw the interior, the air seemed to freeze.
The living room was completely empty.
There was not even a decent piece of furniture.
The walls were still rough and unfinished.
Everyone who had entered full of anticipation exchanged awkward looks, unsure what to say.
Only two girls closest to Ye Qiaoqiao forced out a few compliments.
“Wow, the layout is… really nice.”
“It’s spacious too. Once the renovations are done, it’ll definitely look beautiful!”
“Hey, Qiaoqiao, do you also enjoy gaming?”
“This seems to be an esports room. That chair looks expensive!”
“Mm… I like it.”
Ye Qiaoqiao’s smile appeared stiff.
She quickly changed the subject.
“Weren’t we supposed to film a video?”
“The sunlight outside is perfect. Let’s shoot in the garden.”
Watching the scene, Zhong Suian found it amusing.
The others might not know, but she understood perfectly well.
Neither the villa’s blue exterior nor the gaming room reflected Ye Qiaoqiao’s preferences.
Everything had been chosen according to what her younger brothers liked.
The Ye family claimed they had bought her a villa, yet she could not even renovate it according to her own wishes.
How pathetic.
At that moment, the red-haired boy suddenly slapped his thigh.
“Hey, haven’t you all forgotten something?”
“We still haven’t visited Zhong Suian’s house!”
“We’re not in any hurry to start filming.”
“Why don’t we go there now?”