◎Feeling at Home◎
After leaving work, Su Yun went with Yang Ximing to check out a few apartments, but none of them proved satisfactory.
Returning home and finishing his shower, he lay in bed to continue searching for housing online using his iPad. Hearing his phone vibrate, he picked it up and felt a slight tightness in his chest the moment he saw the sender’s name.
Why would it be Si Yan?
Having had no contact for so many days, he had assumed the other man had completely forgotten about him.
What could Si Yan possibly have to say?
He sat bolt upright, running through a few possible scenarios in his mind before finally poking open WeChat with his finger.
SY: “Still busy? Are you free this weekend?”
This question fell outside Su Yun’s estimated range. Cupping his phone in both hands, his thumb instinctively began picking at the edge of the silicone case.
Could Si Yan still be dwelling on the portrait request?
That wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility.
Since Si Yan loved photography, he likely had specific scenery or models he desperately wanted to capture, which would explain why he cared about and attached importance to the portrait request.
He had finally managed to shake off his feelings of dejection, and he didn’t want to stir up ripples again because of Si Yan anytime soon. Besides, asking for a portrait had merely been the sole excuse he could conjure up in a moment of panic.
Yet Si Yan’s face was genuinely stunning. If he could actually draw it…
“Ah.” He threw his head back onto the bed, kicking his legs a few times and messing up the sheets, before reason ultimately reclaimed the upper hand.
Yun: “Still busy, no time this weekend.”
Yun: “I might be busy for quite a long time.”
With Si Yan’s consummate elite aura, he was probably quite busy himself; after a short while, he was bound to forget all about the portrait.
Thinking this, he hoped Si Yan would simply let the matter drop.
However, the message Si Yan sent back didn’t look like that at all.
SY: “Then we’ll make plans when you’re free.”
SY: “Take care of your health even when busy.”
Make plans when free again?
Su Yun scratched his head helplessly, worrying that he might suddenly receive another message from Si Yan someday. He replied: “Okay, I’ll reach out when I have time, but it might take a long time.”
Si Yan replied instantly: “Alright, no rush.”
Blinking, Su Yun tossed his phone aside. The state of mind he had only just sorted out over the past few days began descending into chaos once more.
What on earth was up with this Si Yan?
Why did he give off such a not-quite-straight vibe?
Could Si Yan possibly be the omnivorous type who swung both ways?
Due to his overwhelming thoughts, his sleep quality took a massive hit.
In his dream, Si Yan turned his head slowly, looking at him with a cold expression as he said, “I am waiting for you.”
And he himself was inexplicably wearing a full set of women’s clothing.
Near noon, Su Yun groggily crawled out of bed. While brushing his teeth, Yang Ximing bolted out of his room like a hyperactive monkey: “Su Yun, the boss says he found us a place.”
With foam in his mouth, Su Yun finally regained a shred of spirit, his eyes curving.
“Look.” Yang Ximing displayed the floor plan on his phone screen to Su Yun.
Glancing at it, Su Yun quickly finished brushing and took the phone. “This is an apartment in Jiuzhang Yazhu?”
They had toured this residential complex just yesterday; it was a high-end estate located a mere ten-minute walk from the company, featuring round-the-clock butler services downstairs, where the property management fees alone amounted to a hefty sum.
Naturally, this complex hadn’t been in their initial consideration set; it was only when they grew thoroughly disheartened from apartment hunting that they let themselves be coaxed by the agent into taking a look.
While the apartments were fantastic, they far exceeded their budget.
“Yeah, the boss said a friend of his bought it for investment purposes. Since it’s sitting empty anyway, he might as well rent it to us cheap,” Yang Ximing said.
“How much is the rent?” Su Yun asked.
Yang Ximing quoted a figure roughly half the market rate. “And property fees are completely waived, plus it comes with a parking space.”
“Huh? That good?” Su Yun marveled. Monthly parking spots near the commercial district were notoriously expensive.
“Seems the owner is an insider at that real estate company,” Yang Ximing recalled.
“Isn’t this rent a bit too cheap, though?” Su Yun calculated; it precisely matched the housing subsidies the three of them received, combining the company allowance and their monthly housing fund stipends.
That felt entirely too coincidental.
“Want to go take a look first?” Feeling somewhat suspicious himself, Yang Ximing asked, “It wouldn’t be good to brush off the boss’s kindness without checking, right?”
Calling up Jiang Yiyi, the three of them headed over to Jiuzhang Yazhu together.
They were greeted not by an agent or a landlord, but by the estate’s residential butler.
The apartment was indeed exceptional: four bedrooms, two living rooms, large and small balconies, a shared bathroom, and an en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom.
The furniture and appliances were completely complete and move-in ready, looking brand new without the slightest trace of previous habitation.
The overall lighting was abundant, and standing on the balcony offered a view of the bustling commercial district alongside a river winding around it. Across the water sat numerous lively streets, which must present an utterly stunning night view from the balcony once evening fell.
Just imagining it made Su Yun feel relaxed.
“Ah, is this really an apartment I get to live in?” Completely captivated by the place, Jiang Yiyi wore an obsessed expression as if eager to move in right that second.
“Should we just accept the boss’s kindness?” Yang Ximing probed Su Yun covertly.
Su Yun pondered it: if they continuously failed to find a suitable apartment, Fang Ke would keep worrying on their behalf. Given that, accepting this goodwill while continuing to apply for company dorms, moving out once a dorm became available, seemed like the most sensible route.
“Alright, so we’re renting it?” Su Yun solicited the opinions of his two future roommates.
“Renting!” Yang Ximing and Jiang Yiyi chorused in unison.
The landlord proved wonderfully accommodating, rushing over that afternoon to sign the lease. He was a middle-aged man whose attitude toward them was absurdly friendly, wearing a beaming smile as if he weren’t renting to three corporate slaves, but rather welcoming three gods of wealth.
Once the landlord and butler departed, the trio stared at each other in bewilderment.
“Do you think he has some kind of dirt on our boss?” Yang Ximing hadn’t quite recovered. “When he shook my hand and smiled, I thought I had signed the wrong purchase contract, the kind three times higher than market value.”
“Me too,” Jiang Yiyi said in a daze. “I honestly thought I was the landlord.”
“Maybe he’s just a well-mannered person,” Su Yun offered, though even he didn’t believe it. “Maybe the boss really does have something on him.”
Later, the three of them called Fang Ke to inform him the lease was signed, asking if his relationship with the landlord was unusually close.
Fang Ke gave two proud hums. “Adult matters, kids shouldn’t pry.”
The three exchanged glances. Sure enough, something fishy was going on.
The next day, Su Yun and Yang Ximing packed up their essential belongings and drove to Jiuzhang Yazhu.
The elevator carried them up to the 25th floor, where their rented apartment was located.
Stepping out revealed a layout of two households served by a single elevator bank, with their unit being Room 2501 on the far left.
Jiang Yiyi had arrived before them. Hearing the noise, he pulled the door open and spread his arms to welcome them: “Surprise!”
“Not surprising at all,” Yang Ximing dragged his luggage into the entryway. “No confetti or music, bad review.”
“Can a housewarming gift basket count?” Jiang Yiyi helped bring Su Yun’s things inside.
“What housewarming gift basket?” Yang Ximing grew curious.
“Ta-da!” With a grand flourish, Jiang Yiyi directed their attention to a towering pile of snacks stacked on the dining table.
“And this.” He turned toward the refrigerator behind the dining table.
Pulling open the fridge door revealed neatly arranged rows of beverages and fruit.
“Whoa, all good stuff.” Pulling out a canned drink, Yang Ximing inspected it before putting it back. “Why spend so much? This must have cost a pretty penny, I’ll pay you my share.”
“Heh, I didn’t prepare it. The butler who showed us around yesterday said all new residents get one. Since the landlord never moved in here previously, this big gift fell to us, and the landlord agreed,” Jiang Yiyi explained. “The butler also said they hope to give us a feeling of being at home.”
“Oh, as expected of a luxury estate; even the property services are this attentive.” Yang Ximing fished out a drink to crack open.
Su Yun strolled over to the balcony. Even in daylight, the urban scenery unfolding before him was gorgeous, making him anticipate living here moving forward.
Each of them picked a guest bedroom, leaving the master bedroom free to serve as a walk-in closet, which left both shared bathrooms available for use.
Su Yun’s room sat adjacent to the master bedroom, outfitted with basic furniture that hit the mark perfectly.
The bay window offered a fine view as well, and he planned to lay down a soft mat so he could read or draw there, even if such leisure time might prove scarce.
Monday proved even busier than usual, yet Su Yun remained in high spirits thanks to settling his housing situation.
After finishing dinner at the cafeteria that evening, he strolled to a nearby supermarket to pick up supplies, stopping by a high-end wine boutique close by to select a bottle of mid-to-high-grade sparkling wine intended as a thank-you gift for Fang Ke.
Accepting the wine without demur, Fang Ke smiled and said, “I brought you guys over, so I have the responsibility to get you settled.”
Appreciative of Fang Ke’s care, Su Yun spent the time leading up to the weekend putting together the preliminary proposal for the new map.
Finding the proposal satisfactory, Fang Ke instructed him to upload the documentation to OA and reply to the prior sign-off.
“Once uploaded, have Mark notify Departments 2 and 3. Quitting time means team building, and you notify Department 1,” Fang Ke said while staring at his computer screen, rushing to clear his pending tasks.
To foster inter-departmental relations, KG allocated a building budget to each department every quarter, requiring at least two departments to join forces for team building to qualify for reimbursement.
This session paired them up with the modeling center.
Hearing instructions to notify Departments 2 and 3, Yang Ximing’s expression turned subtle. Reluctantly rising to his feet, he muttered under his breath, “I really don’t want to go to Department 2.”
“Did they give you a hard time recently?” Su Yun asked.
“Not really, just that a few people are difficult to deal with and engaging with them is exhausting,” Yang Ximing leaned in to whisper. “Especially Shi Yingchuan, the team leader of Department 2. You should watch out for him from now on.”
Su Yun disliked office politics, but he understood not everyone shared his mindset, especially since Department 2 carried a genuinely poor reputation marked by heavy cliquishness.
Nodding in acknowledgment, he said, “I know.”
While waiting for the elevator to head out, he idly tapped open WeChat to browse his Moments, only to find Si Yan topping the feed.
When they had first added each other on WeChat, he had checked Si Yan’s profile, but the other man had set his posts visible for only the past six months, leaving the page completely blank.
Having zero posts for half a year, someone suddenly posting made Su Yun linger out of curiosity.
The attached photo displayed a spread of food shot with professional techniques, featuring a magnificent platter composed of sausages and hams as the visual centerpiece, accompanied by various sliced breads.
This looked very much like German culinary style.
Recalling Si Yan’s striking, mixed-race features, Su Yun wondered if Si Yan possessed partial German heritage.
He glanced at the accompanying text: “Heading back to City S after eating.”
The tone was cold and rigid, fitting Si Yan’s initial impression to a tee.
It also struck Su Yun that this emotionless Moments post resembled a trip report rather than a lifestyle update.
Reporting an itinerary to whom?
The tall, long-haired beauty popped into his mind.
His mood abruptly darkened once more.
“What are you looking at? So engrossed.” Fang Ke’s voice rang out beside him.
Su Yun blanked his screen. “Nothing.”
Observing his flustered demeanor, Fang Ke chuckled teasingly, “Checking out handsome guys?”
“Average handsome guys don’t catch his eye,” Yang Ximing chimed in. “Too bad KG has no one particularly handsome except me.”
Rolling his eyes at the remark, Fang Ke was suddenly derailed by a stray thought. “There is one exceptionally handsome guy. I’ll bring him around for you guys to see sometime, though his personality is reclusive and he practices the Path of the Heartless, so he’s not a match for Elliot.”