What am I even thinking?
Ugh…
Xu Qingrou’s face flushed slightly as she silently scolded herself for being shameless. Yet under Cao Cheng’s persistent coaxing, she ultimately agreed to accept his help.
However, after she agreed, Cao Cheng found himself in a bit of a dilemma.
Although all of Xu Qingrou’s savings added up to a decent amount, it still wasn’t truly that much. With the current housing prices in Magic City, it was impossible for newly developed properties to meet all her requirements unless they were second-hand homes.
Cao Cheng had originally thought of secretly adding some money and casually buying a place for her. After all, it would belong to him in the future anyway.
But after thinking it through, he dismissed the idea. There was no need to go that far.
Besides, wasn’t the house she was currently living in perfect? It met all her requirements, and he wouldn’t need to prepare anything in advance. Moreover, this place had originally been arranged specifically for her.
With that in mind, Cao Cheng spoke, “Qingrou, I’ve thought about it carefully. Most newly developed properties probably won’t meet your requirements. There are a few that might work, but your budget isn’t quite enough.”
“How about I lend you some—”
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Xu Qingrou interrupted immediately. Her tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal.
She had already visited most of those developments herself, so she roughly knew the prices. Even if she combined all her money, it wouldn’t even cover half the cost of those houses.
And as she had thought before, how would she ever repay him?
Cao Cheng sighed as if helpless, putting on an expression of guilt for being unable to help her.
Seeing this, Xu Qingrou’s soft heart was stirred.
“Xiao Cheng, it’s not that I don’t want to borrow from you. It’s just that I’ve seen those houses you mentioned, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to repay you if I borrow that much,” she explained quickly.
“It’s alright. If you can’t repay it immediately, you can take your time,” Cao Cheng replied.
Xu Qingrou shook her head. “Forget it. Those houses aren’t meant for ordinary people like me.”
Since she had already made her stance clear, Cao Cheng naturally stopped there. After all, he never truly intended to lend her money to buy a house. Everything he said before was just polite talk.
His real goal was to sell her this house.
He casually asked, “What about second-hand houses? Qingrou, have you considered those?”
Xu Qingrou’s eyes lit up. “I have. I even registered with several agencies, asking them to contact me if suitable properties come up.”
“Then I’ll help you look as well.”
This time, Xu Qingrou was genuinely happy and quickly thanked him.
Cao Cheng waved his hand, not revealing his true intention. Instead, he continued chatting with her, gradually closing the distance between them.
He couldn’t just tell her right away to buy this house. That would be far too obvious and would only make her suspicious. It would be better to wait a couple of days before bringing it up. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
After finishing the meal, they sat together for a while longer.
“It’s getting a bit late, Qingrou. I should be going,” Cao Cheng said after glancing at the time. Honglangman should be opening around now.
“It’s not even nine yet. Why don’t you stay a little longer?” Xu Qingrou looked outside. The sky wasn’t fully dark yet.
Although her rational mind told her she should let him leave, she still wanted to spend more time with him. Besides, she had just moved here and didn’t know any of the neighbors, so there was no need to worry about gossip.
Without thinking too much, she blurted out the subtly suggestive invitation.
Only after saying it did she realize what she had implied. But the words were already out. Even though she regretted it, she could only force herself to remain calm as she looked at Cao Cheng, silently hoping he wouldn’t agree.
Cao Cheng naturally understood the meaning behind her words. While he felt pleased, he also couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Why does it sound like she’s even more eager than me? Could it be that tonight I’ll really spend the night with her?
[Ding! Xu Qingrou has subtly invited the host to stay overnight. Please make a choice.]
[Option 1: Although Xu Qingrou invited the host to stay, she immediately regretted it afterward. Maintain your original decision and leave. Reward: Xu Qingrou favorability +2.]
[Option 2: Go along with it, stay, and find various reasons to remain overnight. Once it gets late, make a move. With the host’s current physique, success is guaranteed… (Reminder: Xu Qingrou’s favorability may increase, but it could also drop to zero.) Reward: Villain Aura +2.]
Hearing the system prompt and looking at Xu Qingrou’s shy expression, Cao Cheng curled his lips.
She really knows how to act.
He thought she genuinely wanted him to stay, but it turned out her words didn’t match her heart.
As expected, a woman’s words were never fully trustworthy.
Moreover, he still needed her to deliver a fatal blow to the Child of Destiny, Chu Fan.
After some thought, he reluctantly chose the first option.
“It’s getting late. I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll contact you once I find a suitable house or get news about your son,” Cao Cheng said, then added, “If you need any help here, feel free to contact me.”
With that, he turned and left.
“Xiao Cheng, be careful on your way…” Xu Qingrou let out a quiet sigh of relief, yet she also felt a hint of reluctance as she walked him to the door, watching until his figure disappeared near the elevator.
Returning to the empty room, she stood alone and sighed softly.
Yes, she felt lonely again…
At the same time, she regretted not trying harder to keep him just now.
But regret was useless. She could only begin cleaning up the dining table.
As she picked up the dishes and chopsticks Cao Cheng had used, that familiar feeling of being watched suddenly descended on her again.
At the same time, the couple upstairs seemed to start their “fight” in perfect unison.
Listening to the sounds coming from above and looking at the utensils in her hands, a scene from earlier that day suddenly surfaced in her mind.
She clearly remembered it was a young couple she saw while buying groceries.
They were holding hands as they walked beside her. The girl stared eagerly at the beef, clearly craving it. But after seeing the price, she hesitated and pulled the boy away, saying, “Let’s go look somewhere else for something tasty.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
The boy was puzzled. “Didn’t you love beef? Why not buy some?”
“I don’t eat beef,” the girl said with a smile, though her thoughts were written all over her face.
The boy glanced at the beef, then at her, sighing helplessly. “Are you trying to save money for me?”
The girl fidgeted for a moment before nodding softly.
The boy pulled her into his arms, his tone both helpless and gentle. “It’s only 40 per 500 grams, it’s not that expensive. You don’t need to save money like this.”
“But… after our wedding, all your money…” the girl began.
“Fool,” the boy interrupted her.
“It’s just a few portions of beef. If you want it, just buy it. You don’t need to save money for me. Besides, do you not trust me…?”
“I do, I trust you. Husband, you’re the best,” the girl said, cutting him off with a cheerful smile before tiptoeing up to kiss his cheek.
“In public, what are you doing?” the boy complained, though he still kissed her back.
Then the girl clung to him, acting spoiled and asking for more kisses.
The boy grumbled a few more times, but in the end, he still indulged her.
Xu Qingrou had been standing nearby.
To be honest, while she felt a bit embarrassed, she was even more envious.
As a beautiful woman who had been single for many years, deep down, she longed for a partner like that.
Not someone who spent the whole day working only to return at night to an empty bed.
She had lived like this for over a decade. Although she had grown used to it, in the long, silent nights, loneliness still crept in from time to time.
Thankfully, it had been daytime then. Otherwise, she would have gone straight home…
In the past, the faces that filled her imagination were vague and random. But now, Cao Cheng’s face appeared clearly in her mind without her even trying.
After all, in all her years, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, the one who stirred her heart the most, and the one who treated her the best.
It wasn’t that she had never considered finding someone else before, but Chu Fan had strongly resisted it. On top of that, she didn’t truly like any of those men. At most, she just wanted someone to get by with.
Later, when Chu Fan went missing, her days were too busy, and her nights were consumed with thoughts of how to find him. Her worry for him had suppressed her loneliness.
But after meeting Cao Cheng, that loneliness could no longer be suppressed. Instead, it grew stronger and stronger…
Now, looking at the dishes in her hands, a strange and absurd thought suddenly surfaced in Xu Qingrou’s mind.
…