Good Day Apartment!
Fan Qiuming walked out of the café, his mind still lingering on the matter of Mao Shiyi. Moments ago, he had swept his spiritual sense over her and discovered something that set her apart from others.
But as he was not familiar with her, he chose not to mention it.
Returning to the restaurant, Fan Qiuming placed a piece of steak before Mian Xiaomiao.
“If you keep running around like that, I won’t look after you anymore. Hurry up and eat!”
“Miao, miaow~”
Mian Xiaomiao looked aggrieved, but the allure of the steak quickly made her forget Fan Qiuming’s words, and she began devouring it eagerly.
“Sigh… I hope you understood.”
Fan Qiuming gazed at Mian Xiaomiao, though he didn’t really expect her to comprehend. As long as she didn’t run off again, he’d be content.
“Brother, why were you gone so long?”
Fan Qiulin, who had been waiting for over ten minutes in the restaurant, asked curiously.
“Mm…”
Fan Qiuming forked a piece of steak and took a bite.
“It’s a bit of a story. Xiaomian ran into that maid café just now, and inside…”
He recounted the events to Fan Qiulin in detail, omitting only the fact that he had noticed Mao Shiyi’s peculiarities—she wouldn’t believe him anyway.
“Well done! That sort of scum deserves a good lesson.”
Fan Qiulin brandished her fork and knife, animated and brimming with pride for Fan Qiuming, much like a mother delighted by her son’s achievements.
“But… do you think they’ll keep causing trouble for that girl?”
She suddenly turned to ask him.
“I have no idea. I can protect her for a moment, but not forever. It’s up to her luck. If she meets me again, I’ll help; if not, she’ll have to leave it to fate.”
Fan Qiuming didn’t want to involve himself further, his mind set on uncovering the secrets of the Divine Ruins. With that thought, he swallowed the rest of his steak in one bite.
“That makes sense.”
Fan Qiulin nodded.
“Brother, how long are we staying here?”
Her eyes were filled with anticipation, fixed on him.
“At least two months—however long you want, as long as it’s before school starts.”
Fan Qiuming didn’t hide this from her.
“So long? That means I can play for ages!”
Upon hearing they’d stay two months, Fan Qiulin’s eyes sparkled.
“Then I must plan carefully. There are plenty of attractions in Pengcheng; I want to explore them all slowly.”
“We need to find a place to stay first. We can’t live in a hotel every day—my wallet won’t survive that long.”
Fan Qiuming stood to pay the bill.
“Are you done eating? If you are, let’s go find a place. We can plan our outings later.”
“Yes, I’m finished!”
Fan Qiulin wiped her mouth.
“Let’s go then! Here, hold onto it—don’t let it run off again.”
Fan Qiuming handed Mian Xiaomiao to her and pushed the wheelchair out of the restaurant.
All the way, he kept an eye out for furnished apartments available for short-term rent.
A rental sign caught his eye, and Fan Qiuming examined the address and conditions listed.
“Wait… this one seems pretty good.”
---
He stepped closer to read the apartment rental ad.
“Tian Tian Hao Apartment for rent. Reasonable price, great lighting, furnished, ready to move in… Qiulin, what do you think?”
Fan Qiuming asked her opinion.
“Should we check it out first?”
She suggested tentatively.
“Let’s take a look. I don’t expect to find the perfect place right away.”
Clearly, he wasn’t holding out much hope.
Following the address, the two arrived at Tian Tian Hao Apartment, but couldn’t locate the specific unit for rent. They called the number on the ad, hoping the landlord would show them around.
“Hey, brother, do you think this place is reliable? The ad says it’s in such a good location. Why would the landlord rent it out?”
While waiting, Fan Qiulin’s curiosity was undiminished.
“Who knows? Maybe the landlord is wealthy and owns more than just this property.”
Fan Qiuming shrugged.
“Maybe.”
“Hello, are you Mr. Fan Qiuming?”
The landlord arrived, and upon seeing them, asked directly.
“Yes, and you’re the landlord?”
Fan Qiuming sized him up, noting from his belly that he was likely affluent—such a physique came only with millions to spare.
“Yes, the apartment’s ahead. I’ll show you.”
He beckoned them forward.
Fan Qiuming followed as the landlord led them to the apartment.
“This is the unit for rent. Let me show you inside.”
The landlord pulled out a large bunch of keys, searching through them one by one.
“Not this one, not this one… where is it? Oh! Right, this is the one…”
As he finally found the key, Fan Qiulin’s eyes widened like copper bells.
“Brother, when will we have so many properties ourselves?”
She gazed at the apartment, her words full of envy.
“Don’t dream. Making sure you don’t sleep on the street is already good enough.”
Fan Qiuming brought her back to reality, pushing the wheelchair inside with the landlord.
“This apartment is spacious, over one hundred and fifty square meters. If it’s just the two of you, it’s more than enough: three bedrooms, two living rooms, one kitchen, two bathrooms. Every room has a balcony, and the lighting is excellent.”
After touring the apartment with the landlord, both siblings nodded in satisfaction.
“We’ll take it, but we’ll rent for no more than three months. Is that alright?”
Fan Qiuming explained their situation.
“No problem. People without money can’t afford this place, and those with money wouldn’t bother renting. Getting it rented at all is lucky.”
The landlord agreed readily.
“Here are the keys. Rent can be transferred via WeChat. If you need anything, I’ll be off now.”
He handed the keys to Fan Qiuming and left, seemingly with important business elsewhere.
“Brother, are we really going to live here? Tian Tian Hao Apartment—the name even sounds auspicious.”
Fan Qiulin looked at the building from outside.
---
“It’s decent! The apartment is furnished, the price is fair, and you saw how nice it is inside. The landlord’s pleasant, too. Saved us a long search.”
Fan Qiuming sighed in relief.
“Hey, are you staying here too, you creep?”
A familiar voice called out. Fan Qiuming turned to see the girl from the maid café—her name was Mao Shiyi, that unusual girl.
“Why can’t I live here? And calling me a creep isn’t fair—I did save you, remember!”
Fan Qiuming retorted.
“Besides, it wasn’t on purpose, and I apologized already.”
But Mao Shiyi ignored him, turning to Fan Qiulin.
“So this is your sister? She’s beautiful. Such a pretty girl, pity she has a creepy brother…”
“This is my sister, Fan Qiulin.”
Fan Qiuming introduced her.
“And I’m not a creep, little one. Mind your words!”
“Bleh, mind your own business. He—tai…”
Mao Shiyi stuck out her tongue at Fan Qiuming, then addressed Fan Qiulin.
“Hello, I’m Mao Shiyi, your neighbor next door. I’ve met your brother before—he did save me, but he took advantage of me at the same time!”
Mao Shiyi introduced herself, airing all of Fan Qiuming’s misdeeds.
“Hello…”
Fan Qiulin replied politely, her shyness evident.
“Sorry about my brother. I’ll keep an eye on him from now on!”
At that moment, the kitten behind Fan Qiuming mewed.
“Miaow~ Miaow~” as if introducing itself to Mao Shiyi.
“Oh, what a cute kitten! What’s its name?”
The sight of the kitten made Mao Shiyi’s girlish heart overflow; she paid no heed to Fan Qiuming.
“Its name is Mian Xiaomiao, or Xiaomian for short…”
Fan Qiuming replied helplessly.
“That’s settled then! Please keep your brother in check, so he’s not so lecherous in public. Thanks… Xiaomian, see you next time! Bye!”
Mao Shiyi’s voice betrayed her annoyance with Fan Qiuming, but she was gentle with Mian Xiaomiao.
With that, she turned and entered her apartment without a backward glance.
“Brother, did you hear that? Don’t be so creepy—she’s even complained to me!”
Fan Qiulin glared at him, her expression a mix of exasperation and disappointment.
“I wasn’t! I just held her hand a little longer, that’s all. She exaggerated!”
Fan Qiuming protested. Who could endure being called a creep by a girl?
“I don’t care. You’d better behave from now on—no more flirting around outside.”
“Alright, alright… I won’t anymore. I’ll listen to you.”
Fan Qiuming was about to wheel Fan Qiulin inside when Mao Shiyi called out to them…