52: Chapter 52 Visit

Liu Yanran picked up the 'Letter of Intent to Purchase' she had just been reading, her fingertip lightly tracing the clause about 'Final Payment and Item Handover'.

She looked up at Qiao Yichen, who was already leaning against the sofa.

"If you plan to clear the final payment tomorrow, where should this cabinet be delivered?"

Qiao Yichen, who had been leaning back relaxedly, paused upon hearing this.

"Where to put the item..." he repeated, sitting up slightly. He tapped his knee unconsciously with his fingers, clearly thinking rapidly.

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I really hadn't thought about it in detail. My rental place is definitely out—the environment is poor, and it's too small."

He listed the various options in his mind:

"I was thinking, should I rent a safety deposit box at the bank? But such a large item definitely won't fit, and accessing it would be inconvenient. Or... rent a small warehouse in the suburbs? But those places have a messy environment, and security and management are issues. Failing that, maybe rent a temporary short-term apartment to store it for a while?"

Every plan seemed to have obvious drawbacks.

Liu Yanran listened quietly, scanned the living room once, then let her gaze fall back on his face, saying casually,

"If it really doesn't work out, just leave it here with me. The second bedroom is empty; it just has some unused things piled up. We can clear it out and put it there."

Qiao Yichen looked up at her, his eyes questioning: "Leave it here? Is that convenient?"

"It's no inconvenience at all." Liu Yanran had already put down the letter of intent and stood up. "Come take a look to see if the space is suitable."

He rose to follow, but his gaze lingered in the living room for a moment longer.

This seemed to be his second time visiting her home.

The first time was the night at the bar when he brought her home while she was semi-conscious. He had only hastily settled her on the sofa before leaving, consumed by post-event exhaustion and unable to spare attention for anything else.

The second time was now, when he was drawn in by the food on the coffee table and her beautiful legs.

Come to think of it, he had never properly 'toured' her residence.

Looking at it now with focus, the apartment was in a simple modern style, primarily using light gray, off-white, and natural wood tones, with clean, sharp lines.

There wasn't much furniture, but every piece had a distinct texture and was arranged thoughtfully.

The dark gray sofa he had just been leaning on had beige throw pillows and plush toys casually placed on it.

His gaze shifted to the TV wall: the light white sintered stone contrasted with the dark wood paneling, creating a cool and warm dynamic. On the black TV console below, decorative items were scattered artfully, along with two potted green plants.

Liu Yanran had already walked toward the hallway. Seeing he was still standing there, she stopped and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What are you spacing out for? Come see the second bedroom."

Qiao Yichen retracted his gaze, responded with an affirmation, and followed her.

Liu Yanran pushed open the door to the second bedroom, flipped the light switch, and stepped aside to let him in.

The room wasn't large, and its tidiness was somewhat surprising to Qiao Yichen.

Beige walls, light gray curtains half-drawn, a bed covered with a plain colored bedsheet, and a wardrobe in the same color scheme—that was all.

There were indeed two dark gray storage bins stacked in the corner, but they were arranged neatly, a far cry from the description of being "piled up with junk."

"You call this 'piled up with some unused things'?" Qiao Yichen walked in, looked around, and his tone carried a hint of a smile.

The space was sufficient; the corner was more than large enough to fit the Huanghuali cabinet. Moreover, the environment was dry and clean, far better than any option he had envisioned.

"What else should it be?" Liu Yanran leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed, watching him examine the room. "Do you need it to look like a warehouse?"

Qiao Yichen walked back to her side, his gaze naturally drifting toward the closed door across the hallway. "And this room is?"

"The study," Liu Yanran answered crisply. She paused, seeing the undisguised curiosity in his eyes, and a smile curved her lips. "Want to see it?"

Qiao Yichen immediately nodded; his desire to explore had been thoroughly piqued.

Liu Yanran didn't move, merely tilting her chin toward that door: "If you want to see, open the door yourself."

Qiao Yichen reached out, grasped the doorknob, and gently pushed it open.

The room was more crowded than he had imagined.

Three walls were occupied by custom walnut-colored bookshelves. The remaining wall was an entire floor-to-ceiling window. The curtains were fully drawn now, revealing the sparse city lights of the deep night outside, scattered like crushed diamonds on black velvet.

A laptop rested on the desk, and the entire room was permeated with a mixed scent of paper, wood, and a very faint ink.

This was clearly a space purely dedicated to reading and work.

He paced inside, his eyes sweeping over the bookshelves. The books were categorized very clearly: one side held weighty tomes on Marketing, Communications, and Consumer Psychology; the other side contained books on Economics, Finance and Investment, and Business Management, including many English originals. The books varied in age, and many had dense labels stuck on their spines, clearly indicating they were frequently consulted.

Then, his gaze stopped at an inconspicuous spot on the middle shelf. A row of books was neatly stacked there, and the titles on their spines made him pause slightly: 'Internal Medicine,' 'General Surgery,' 'Pathophysiology,' 'Diagnostics'...

Heavy medical textbooks interspersed with a few professional journals in the field of cardiology.

This style was completely out of place with the surroundings.

Qiao Yichen extended a finger, lightly tracing the spines of that row of medical books, then turned around to look at Liu Yanran, who was still leaning in the doorway watching him. A perfectly measured look of surprise and teasing appeared on his face:

"Ms. Liu, I didn't realize your scope of business was so broad? Marketing and finance weren't enough; now you're crossing over to study medicine?" He tapped that row of books with his fingertip. "Are you... preparing to take the physician qualification exam?"

His tone was relaxed, carrying a teasing implication.

Liu Yanran was amused by him and let out a light chuckle, finally walking in from the doorway. She went to the desk and picked up a pen lying there, fiddling with it.

"These? They are my father's 'legacy.'" She used a slightly joking term. "He's a doctor, in cardiology. These are his old textbooks and materials, revised many times, but he just couldn't bear to throw them away. When I moved to Hangzhou, he insisted on giving me several boxes, under the pretext of 'warding off evil spirits' [literally 'guarding the house']."

Qiao Yichen's fingers slid over those yellowed medical textbooks. He turned to look at Liu Yanran, curiosity in his eyes: "Uncle is a doctor... So when you were little, did you ever consider following in your father's footsteps?"

Liu Yanran played with the pen, leaning against the desk. She smiled upon hearing this. "I did think about it. When I was little, I thought the white coat looked incredibly impressive. There were medical books everywhere at home, and listening to my dad talk about cases was like listening to stories."

She paused, her tone becoming a bit lighter. "Maybe later, during my rebellious phase, when filling out college applications, I gritted my teeth and put down Economics at Fudan."

"Then how did you end up in Marketing later?" Qiao Yichen asked, leaning against the bookshelf as well, his posture relaxed.

"It was a twist of fate," Liu Yanran shrugged, placing the pen back in the holder. "I minored in Communications in college and found it more interesting than dry models. When I graduated, I got a few offers, thought Marketing was lively and creative, and dove right in."

"Never considered graduate school? With your university, there should be many opportunities for advanced study."

"I thought about it, and I took the entrance exam too." Liu Yanran looked toward the distant lights outside the window, her voice dropping slightly. "At that time... I was too restless and couldn't settle down, so I gave up on it later."

Qiao Yichen looked at her profile, recalling the scene a few months ago when he had just transferred to Chuangxing and met her for the first time in the company.

His first impression of her was stunning; she was indeed beautiful and intellectual.

Later, learning she was also a Director in the company made his jaw drop.

He had pieced together her background from fragmented chats with colleagues: a top student from Fudan, she joined Chuangxing right after graduation, rising from assistant to Director in just five years. She was capable and demanding, recognized throughout the company as a 'difficult but convincing' figure.

His gaze swept over this spacious study and the quiet night view of the high-end residential area outside the window.

"Becoming a Director in five or six years," Qiao Yichen spoke, his tone sincere, "is already very impressive."

Liu Yanran turned back, met his gaze, and smiled. "I was lucky, and I also met a company willing to give opportunities."

He nodded.