88: Chapter 88 is this set.

The air in Jiangcheng was muggy and hot, but Su Xiaoxi couldn't feel it at all; all her attention was focused on that hand.

This was the first time since coming to Jiangcheng that she truly sat in a car and looked at the city.

Although the hotel was in the city center, she had only seen it through the glass of her room before; through a layer of glass, the city was like it had been framed—it looked good, but it always felt like something was missing.

Now the car window was open, and the hot wind poured in, carrying the unique scent of the city.

Mixed with the smell of scorching asphalt and the raw, green scent given off by the roadside leaves after being baked by the sun, it finally made her feel like she had truly arrived in a new place.

But her mind wasn't on the city at all right now.

It was that hand.

The hand pressed against her thigh.

It was that kind of... shameful yet undeniable expectation from her leg proactively leaning toward it.

The first apartment was in a very new residential complex in the center of Jiangcheng.

Jiang Chen parked the car in a surface parking space at the entrance of the complex.

When he turned off the engine, his hand finally moved away from her leg, naturally pulling back to push open the car door.

Su Xiaoxi sat in the passenger seat without moving, taking several deep breaths, waiting for the heat on her face to subside a bit before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out.

She looked down at her thigh.

A distinct warmth still lingered on that patch of skin, along with the faint, ethereal sensation left by his thumb brushing against it.

She pulled her skirt down to cover her thigh, but she couldn't cover the chaotic feelings in her heart.

Her legs felt a little weak.

It wasn't an exaggeration; they really were a bit weak.

But she still tried her best to walk normally, staying half a step behind him.

A woman wearing a light gray suit skirt jogged up to meet them, holding a stack of folders in her hands.

The smile on her face seemed measured with a protractor—the curve was just right, neither too enthusiastic nor too cold.

On such a hot day, her makeup was still perfectly intact, without even a drop of sweat on her forehead; she was clearly a professional.

“Hello, Mr. Jiang. I am Zhou Min from Hengyue Real Estate. You can just call me Xiao Zhou.”

Her gaze quickly swept between Jiang Chen and Su Xiaoxi.

When she saw Su Xiaoxi’s still-flushed face, the curve of her smile didn't change at all, her professional poise expertly hiding any guesses she might have had.

Jiang Chen gave a nod as a greeting.

Zhou Min led them into the complex, introducing it as they walked.

“This complex was delivered the year before last. The greenery rate is thirty-five percent, and the property management is Vanke. Management is very strict; outsiders must register to enter and exit, and the elevator requires a key card. Privacy is excellent.”

Su Xiaoxi followed behind Jiang Chen, quietly observing the surroundings as they walked.

The roads in the complex were paved with dark gray stone tiles, the greenery on both sides was neatly trimmed, and the lawn was lush and green, still standing tall under the scorching sun.

There were several osmanthus trees; of course, they hadn't bloomed yet this season, but the leaves were thick and glossy, clearly well-maintained.

The building facades used dry-hung stone and dark aluminum panels, which looked very high-quality, completely different from the tile-covered residential buildings she had seen in the county town.

Stepping into the elevator lobby, the cool air from the air conditioning hit her face, instantly drying the thin layer of sweat on Su Xiaoxi's back, making her so comfortable she almost sighed.

Zhou Min swiped the card and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor.

The elevator ran very quietly, with almost no vibration, only a faint hum from the vent overhead.

“This apartment has a construction area of one hundred and twenty-six square meters, with three bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms. It has north-south ventilation and is delivered fully furnished. The owner has provided basic furniture and appliances, so you can move in immediately.”

Zhou Min's tone was steady, as if stating indisputable facts.

The elevator doors opened, and Zhou Min walked in front, taking the passcode for the electronic lock out of her bag and stepping aside as she entered it.

The moment the door opened, Su Xiaoxi was immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.

The Jiangcheng skyline spread out before her eyes, the glass curtain walls reflecting the piercing sunlight, and the distant river looked like a grayish-blue silk ribbon.

But overall, this apartment was fairly standard.

The interior design was a cold-toned gray, minimalist style; the living room was spacious and the bedrooms were square, with no major flaws, but nothing particularly outstanding either.

Jiang Chen walked around the house once without saying much.

Su Xiaoxi followed behind him, secretly watching his expression, but she couldn't tell anything.

The second one was a penthouse duplex in a mid-rise building. It was larger and more luxuriously decorated; the master bedroom alone was bigger than Su Xiaoxi's entire room back in her hometown.

But Jiang Chen stood on the balcony for a while, said, 'It faces west, too much sun in the afternoon,' and left.

By the time Zhou Min took them to see the third one, she was clearly a bit apprehensive.

As she walked, she said, “This one is on the first floor of a garden house. It has a small yard. The style is a bit different from the first two; it might be more suitable for... people who like peace and quiet.”

Jiang Chen didn't respond.

The moment Zhou Min swiped the door open, Su Xiaoxi's first reaction wasn't to look at the living room, but to look out the window.

No, to look at the yard.

The yard's walls were covered with trumpet creepers, their orange-red flowers blooming in full glory under the July sun like a field of burning clouds.

The yard wasn't large, just a simple square with a preservative-treated wood deck; in the corner stood a loquat tree, its canopy providing a patch of deep green shade.

A few withered leaves lay on the ground beneath the tree, and the afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting shimmering spots of light on the wooden floor that swayed like ripples on water.

Su Xiaoxi stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the yard, and suddenly froze.

It wasn't because of luxury, but because... it reminded her of her grandmother's yard when she was a child.

Although it was much smaller and the plants were completely different, the feeling was the same.

There were trees, sunlight, and a small, open-air space of one's own where one could breathe fresh air.

Looking at the river view from the high-rise apartments was certainly impressive, but those windows were all sealed shut; even if they could be opened, the wind on the eighteenth floor wouldn't make anyone want to stay by the window for long.

But with this yard, you could just push open the door and walk out; your feet could touch the ground, your hands could touch the leaves, and you could look up to see a whole sky that hadn't been sliced up by glass.

Jiang Chen didn't carelessly swipe at the countertops like he had before.

He walked into the yard, stood on the wooden deck for a while, checked the height of the walls, and then looked at the boundary between the yard and the complex's public greenery.

Then he turned around, his gaze sweeping across the living room, dining room, and the master bedroom with the floor-to-ceiling window.

He stood in the center of the living room, his fingers lightly tapping twice against the seam of his trousers.

Su Xiaoxi noticed this movement.

He hadn't done this in the previous two apartments.

“Does the yard have independent drainage?” he asked Zhou Min.

Zhou Min nodded quickly. “Yes, the previous owner renovated it. Both the drainage and waterproofing have been redone. You see that perimeter around the corner? That's the drainage apron. The yard is about ten centimeters lower than the interior, so there's no need to worry on rainy days.”

Jiang Chen looked at the layout of the pipes in the kitchen and bathroom again and asked a few questions about the property management's restrictions on yard modifications and moisture-proofing for the first floor.

Zhou Min answered them one by one, getting more enthusiastic as she spoke, sensing that he was finally starting to seriously consider the apartment.

Su Xiaoxi stood to the side, not quite understanding what they were talking about, but she noticed that Jiang Chen was asking very detailed questions.

It wasn't that he was being nitpicky; he was confirming practical matters he cared about.

“What’s the monthly rent for this one?” Jiang Chen asked.

“Because this is a garden house with a yard, the rent is slightly higher. The monthly rent is eight thousand five hundred.”

Zhou Min's tone became a bit more cautious when she mentioned the figure.

Jiang Chen glanced at the yard; the sunlight was shining on the trumpet creepers, and the orange-red petals were a bit wilted from the heat, but that vigorous vitality still hit him in the face.

“This one,” he said.