98: Renting a Room - Part 4 (Bonus Chapter)

Su Ning also raised her phone and took a short video while walking around the living room and the two bedrooms.

Almost simultaneously, the phone in Jiang Ye's pocket vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a WeChat message from Yaoyao:

"Bro, look, I found a place~~~ What do you think? The environment isn't bad, right? [Video]"

Jiang Ye looked up at Su Ning, who was standing calmly in the living room, then down at the coquettish, wavy-lined "Yaoyao" in WeChat, thinking this scene was absolutely perfect.

Suppressing a laugh, he replied: "Yeah, looks pretty good, quite clean."

Yaoyao's message immediately followed: "Mhm, if you say it's good, Bro, then it must be good~"

Yaoyao: "Sigh, it's just a bit expensive... The monthly rent is 5,000... But to better protect Brother's Yaoyao and have a safe, comfortable environment, it's worth the extra cost! Let's go with this place~"

Brother's Yaoyao... Brother Ye: "..."

Brother Ye: "As long as you're happy."

After looking around again, Xiao Huang tentatively asked: "Miss Lin, Miss Su, what do you think of this place? Are you satisfied?"

Lin Wanxing smiled and looked at Su Ning: "Miss Su, what do you think?"

Su Ning also smiled back, her tone becoming more familiar: "Sister Wanxing, you can just call me Su Ning or Xiao Su. I think it's quite good, what about you?"

Hearing Su Ning's initiative to close the distance with her address, Lin Wanxing understood her intention and said to Xiao Huang:

"We think it's fine. The monthly rent is 5,000, right? Then let's go back to the shop to handle the formalities?"

Xiao Huang and Manager Wang exchanged a glance, both showing excited expressions.

Today was truly a good day—both groups of clients were so straightforward!

"Yes, yes, no problem! Then let's head back to the store now to sign the contract."

They quickly returned to the Real Estate Agency store.

Since both properties were under exclusive commission, there was no need to wait for the owners. Manager Wang and Xiao Huang directly took them into two separate small signing rooms.

Lin Wanxing and Su Ning briefly discussed in the adjacent room and quickly reached an agreement: Su Ning would take the master bedroom with the balcony, paying 3,000 in monthly rent; Lin Wanxing would take the secondary bedroom, paying 2,000.

They would split the property management, utilities, gas, and internet fees equally.

Jiang Ye's procedures were completed even faster—checking the contract, filling in information, and paying the fees all in one go.

One month's deposit plus three months' rent, plus half a month's agency fee, totaling 63,000—he paid it all directly by scanning the code.

While printing the payment receipt, Manager Wang asked Jiang Ye for his ID card to photocopy and archive.

Just as Manager Wang took it to photocopy, Su Ning from the adjacent signing room happened to get up to pour water and inadvertently glanced at the ID card in his hand.

"Jiang Ye... Ye?"

Su Ning was slightly stunned and instinctively tilted her head.

Why does this guy's name also have the character "Ye"? What a coincidence?

She couldn't help but peek over at Jiang Ye again—Jiang Ye was unzipping his jacket, planning to fold the contract and put it in his inner pocket.

Through the open jacket, Su Ning suddenly saw the shirt he was wearing inside—that Versace shirt she was all too familiar with, the one she had given as a "tribute" to "Brother Ye"!

Boom—!

In an instant, Su Ning felt an electric current shoot from the top of her head to her heels, as if all the blood in her body had frozen!

All the previous doubts, speculations, and those seemingly coincidental details, like scattered puzzle pieces, were now completely connected by the name "Jiang Ye" and this Versace shirt!

And all the fragments pieced together pointed to a highly likely yet unbelievable conclusion.

Su Ning was completely stunned, her mind blank, standing there dazedly, not even noticing the water spilling from her cup.

Lin Wanxing, who was next to her confirming the property fee payment method with Xiao Huang, saw her holding the cup motionless with a changing expression and nudged her curiously:

"Su Ning? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Su Ning snapped back to reality, stiffly shook her head, and forced out a smile uglier than crying:

"N-no... nothing, maybe a bit of low blood sugar, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy."

Lin Wanxing said with concern: "Do you want some sugar water? I have chocolate in my bag."

"No, no, I'll be fine after a moment."

Su Ning waved her hand, forcing herself to calm down, but her heart was still pounding wildly in her chest.

She sat back down, her mind already a complete mess.

Could it be... just a coincidence?

Is it possible that "Brother Ye" doesn't actually have "Ye" in his name, and it's just a randomly chosen online alias?

But... having "Ye" in his name might be barely explainable, but add that Versace shirt and the spending power he's shown... the probability of such a coincidence is just too low!

If he really is Brother Ye, then he must have known long ago that "Yaoyao" is her, Su Ning—after all, they've met more than once, and she even sent him photos!

But why has he been pretending not to know? Why hasn't he pointed it out?

He's clearly so lecherous, so eager to "hook up." Knowing her real identity and address, shouldn't he be more actively pushing for an "offline meetup"?

Could it be... he has some deeper scheme?

A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Could it be because she was rude and even threatened to complain when he delivered the package, so he's holding a grudge and deliberately going through all this trouble to get back at her?

Wanting to stand her up on Christmas Eve, making her lose face in front of the whole guild, losing both face and money?

But as soon as this thought emerged, Su Ning dismissed it herself.

Surely not, right?

She was just bluffing at the time and didn't actually complain.

And judging by his speech and demeanor, he doesn't seem like the childish type who would go through so much trouble and spend so much money over such a small matter.

Then why on earth?!

Su Ning irritably grabbed her hair, the more she thought, the more confused and angry she became.

Especially when she thought about all those extremely cringey things she said, like "Brother this, Brother that," "I'm your good baby," "I want to fall asleep listening to Brother's breathing," weren't said to a virtual world "sugar daddy," but to this acquaintance she's met several times, had conversations with, and is even about to become neighbors with... she felt waves of social death, so embarrassed she could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with her toes!

Even!

She even watched those embarrassing little movies with him over voice chat! And even sent him intimate underwear!!

Ahhhhh!!!!

This bastard! Pervert! Scheming dog!

Su Ning cursed through gritted teeth in her heart, wishing she could immediately rush over, grab Jiang Ye by the collar, and demand an explanation.

Soon, both sides' procedures were almost complete.

Jiang Ye signed the contract, got the keys and receipt, didn't linger, and smiled as he greeted Lin Wanxing and Su Ning:

"Coach Lin, Miss Su, the procedures are almost done, right? Then I'll head off first. I still need to go back and pack, moving tomorrow."

Lin Wanxing nodded politely: "Alright, goodbye, Mr. Jiang."

Su Ning, however, kept her head down, mumbled an "Mhm," and didn't dare look him in the eye.

Jiang Ye didn't mind, said goodbye to Manager Wang, and turned to leave the store.

Lin Wanxing and Su Ning also quickly signed the co-renting contract, added each other on WeChat, agreed to contact each other again on Sunday to move in together, then said goodbye at the store entrance.

Watching Lin Wanxing get into a taxi and merge into the traffic, Su Ning stood in place, her mind in turmoil.

She bit her lower lip, still feeling she should confirm one last time.

What if... it really is just a coincidence?