Chapter 22

Jing Chen was taken aback by Xi Shi’s sharp maneuver, then let out a low chuckle.

His intention had been to secure a better living arrangement for Xi Shi, which was why he had his assistant list the apartment with an agency and offer it to Xi Shi at a steep discount. The WeChat user named "Zhou" was, in fact, his assistant. Everyone had assumed it would be a simple matter, never expecting Xi Shi to be so incredibly vigilant.

Being vigilant was a good thing, though; at least he wouldn't be easily swindled in the future.

Realizing he had bungled the situation, the agent tried to salvage it, saying, "I swear there’s nothing fishy going on. This apartment is just being rented to you at that price, and I won't give you any trouble when you move out later."

Xi Shi remained unmoved. "Sorry for the trouble today. Let’s go take a look elsewhere."

"..." Seeing that he couldn't be fooled, the agent could only stammer, "Well, if you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime."

After leaving the apartment, the agent kept looking back as he walked away.

Jing Chen, however, was in a rather good mood. Usually, Xi Shi appeared a bit dim-witted and head-over-heels in front of him; seeing this clever, sharp-witted side of him felt quite refreshing.

"Still want to keep looking?" he asked, seeing that Xi Shi didn't leave immediately.

"Yeah. I have an appointment with another agent. She has a newly renovated place. The rent is a bit high, so I hadn't considered it, but after seeing that last one, I feel like nothing else will satisfy me. I guess I’ll just have to pay the premium."

Jing Chen remarked, "It’s newly renovated; it might have formaldehyde."

"I checked the screenshots of the chat between the agent and the landlord. The renovation was finished before summer break. It just didn't rent out because so many seniors moved out over the summer. It was rented once after school started, but the tenant defaulted at the last minute. Combined with the high rent, it’s been sitting empty."

A flicker of admiration crossed Jing Chen’s eyes. His considerations were comprehensive. From an employer’s perspective, if this house hunt were a secret interview, Xi Shi had just passed with a perfect score.

"Big brother." Xi Shi suddenly leaned in close, looking into his eyes.

Jing Chen: "What is it?"

"That look in your eyes is extraordinarily capitalistic. I feel like I can smell the soul-crushing scent of corporate life rising off me."

Jing Chen: "..."

The intuition was spot on, but he wasn't allowed to have it again next time.

They waited a while, and the second agent arrived. She looked quite young, likely having just graduated from university, and couldn't help but blush when she saw the two handsome men.

She took them to see the newly renovated apartment. It was a two-bedroom unit; aside from the fact that the second bedroom had less natural light, it didn't look much worse than the luxury three-bedroom unit they had just seen. Of course, the details couldn't compare—Xi Shi was certain that the bed in the master suite of the previous apartment alone cost enough to cover months of rent here.

However, this place had the advantage of being brand new and unoccupied. Aside from the high rent, it was flawless.

"Is there any room for negotiation on the rent?" Xi Shi asked.

He truly felt the price the agent had quoted was too high. He was wealthy—a classic "rich second generation"—and even if the rent were fifty thousand a month, he wouldn't feel the burden. But that didn't mean he was willing to be a sucker.

The agent, clearly still new to the workforce and lacking experience, said honestly, "If you are sincere about renting, Mr. Xi, I can talk to the landlord and get you the same price as the previous tenant. I can guarantee this is the absolute lowest price; the last tenant haggled with the landlord for a long time to get it."

Xi Shi asked, "How much?"

The agent named a figure, six hundred lower than the listed price. One had to admit, she was a tough negotiator. Of course, it was still quite expensive.

Xi Shi and Jing Chen exchanged a look. Jing Chen nodded at him, and knowing this was the lowest it would go, Xi Shi said readily, "Alright, go ahead and talk to them."

The agent immediately called the landlord. There was no telling how the negotiation went, but the call lasted nearly ten minutes. When she returned, her eyes were a bit red and her voice sounded nasally; Xi Shi suspected she had been scolded by the landlord for being too transparent.

However, the result was good news: the landlord had agreed.

Since the landlord wasn't in Yanjing, Xi Shi signed the contract with the agent, to be mailed to the landlord for their signature later. Once all the formalities were completed, Xi Shi changed the code on the electronic lock and officially took possession of the apartment.

He hired a cleaning service to come by, then went out for dinner with Jing Chen.

"Let’s go have that Ferris wheel dinner that’s been so popular lately," Xi Shi said, his mood brightened by crossing a task off his list.

Jing Chen had no objections.

The World Trade Center, where the Ferris wheel restaurant was located, was near the school. They drove there and entered through Gate 3, which was closest to the restaurant.

Just as they reached the entrance, Jing Chen’s footsteps suddenly faltered.

Xi Shi, holding his hand, noticed he stopped and turned to ask, "What’s wrong?"

"Let’s use a different entrance." Jing Chen said, pulling Xi Shi and walking quickly away.

"Huh? Oh." Xi Shi was confused, but asked curiously, "What exactly is wrong?"

"Ran into someone I’d rather not see," Jing Chen explained in a calm, flat tone, while speeding up his pace.

"I see."

So, even someone like Jing Chen had people he didn't want to encounter? Xi Shi was dying of curiosity to see what kind of "eccentric" it was, but Jing Chen pulled him into his arms. Xi Shi was usually the proactive one; seeing Jing Chen take the lead for the first time made him feel wonderful, and he didn't look back.

"Brother Huo, who are you looking at?" his classmate asked, noticing Huo Siyi constantly glancing at the entrance.

Huo Siyi frowned. While he had been mindlessly playing on his phone, he thought he caught a glimpse of two people out of the corner of his eye—one looked like Xi Shi, and the other looked like his... father. But they had vanished in a flash, and by the time he looked closely, they were already far away. They had appeared intimate and close.

Huo Siyi looked away again. He must have been mistaken. Their clothing and behavior were nothing alike. His father was a workaholic and a stubborn man who could scare away admirers with a cold glare; it was impossible for him to be that intimate with anyone.

The boy held in the man’s arms might have been Xi Shi, though, as several days of observation led him to believe Xi Shi was already taken. Huo Siyi suppressed the urge to run over and check, instead pulling out his phone to send a message to Xi Shi.

***

Xi Shi and Jing Chen veered toward Gate 2. As they entered, Jing Chen kept a wary eye on his surroundings. It wasn't that he didn't want Huo Siyi to see him with Xi Shi; it was just that... their current relationship wasn't exactly honorable. As a father, he had his pride. Being "kept" by a college student—who happened to be his son's classmate—was truly a bit shameful.

Xi Shi noticed his vigilance. Jing Chen always gave off an air of effortless composure, no matter where he went; even in high-end settings, he never seemed intimidated. It was as if everywhere were his home turf. This was the first time he had seen Jing Chen so unsettled.

Xi Shi said with a grin, "Brother, why are we acting like we’re having an affair? You wouldn't happen to be married and afraid of being caught, would you?"

Married? No. But he did have a son.

Jing Chen thought for a moment and said, "I lied to you. I did see a family member just now, but not a partner. I’ve always been single."

Hearing "I lied to you," Xi Shi’s heart skipped a beat. When Jing Chen finished the sentence, Xi Shi couldn't help but raise his fist and playfully punch him.

"Damn, you scared me to death! You should have just said you were hiding from family; I wouldn't have blamed you." Xi Shi knew their relationship wasn't exactly above board, and it was perfectly normal for someone not to want their family to know they were being "kept."

"Apologies." Jing Chen’s attitude in admitting his fault was excellent.

Xi Shi wasn't truly angry. He grabbed Jing Chen’s hand and said, "I’ll lead the way, you keep watch. If anything looks off, tell me immediately. Let’s go!"

The two of them looked around suspiciously until they reached the Ferris wheel restaurant. Xi Shi provided his reservation number, and the waiter led them to a newly arrived empty cabin. They hurried inside.

Once the door of the cabin closed, both of them let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. Xi Shi clutched his chest and said, "I finally understand why so many people like having affairs. It’s so thrilling."

"..." Jing Chen pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his palms. It was a bit *too* thrilling; he hadn't even been this unsettled when negotiating billion-dollar projects at the conference table.

"Wow, the view here is really nice." Xi Shi looked around.

The cabin was decorated in a romantic and beautiful style, with a flower rack adorned with pink roses and white curtains overhead. The cabin shut out the noise of the outside world, soothing music played from the speakers, and a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table gave off a pleasant fragrance.

Jing Chen looked out the window as well. As the cabin slowly rose, the view gradually opened up, bringing an indescribable sense of relaxation.

"Oh, time to order, time to order! Brother, order whatever you want, don't be shy."

Jing Chen said, "Alright."

A single loop on the Ferris wheel took 1,314 seconds. During the first loop, customers scanned the code on the table to order, and the kitchen prepared the food. Once the first loop finished, the waiter would bring the freshly made meal into the cabin, and they would enjoy it during the second loop.

Xi Shi took out his phone and scanned the QR code. It was a Western restaurant. Xi Shi ordered a few things he liked, and after Jing Chen finished ordering, he clicked submit.

After ordering, it was time to "flirt" with Jing Chen. Just as Xi Shi was about to put his phone away, he saw unread messages on WeChat. One was from Huo Siyi, the other from Xi Yue.

*Junior:* "Senior, what are you doing? Want to play basketball?"

Xi Shi replied, "Not tonight, I'm out eating with someone," then checked Xi Yue’s message.

*Xi Yue:* "Second brother, I just told Mom and Dad that you’re bringing Huo Siyi over! They’re so happy! Good luck, we’re waiting for your good news."

Xi Shi’s hand turned pale as he gripped his phone—he was furious. He hadn't even agreed to it, yet Xi Yue had already told his aunt and uncle. He couldn't imagine how disappointed they would be if he didn't bring Huo Siyi.

Xi Shi bit his lip. His cousin really knew how to manipulate him; she always knew exactly where his weak spots were and always hit the mark.

Just as Xi Shi was grinding his teeth in helpless rage, a slender hand covered his phone screen. It was Jing Chen.

Xi Shi looked up, dazed, and saw Jing Chen looking at him with worry. "What’s wrong?"

"I..." Xi Shi desperately wanted to pour out all his frustration and grievances, but what would be the point? It would just be one more person sharing his helplessness. He didn't want to ruin such a good date, so he shook his head and said, "Nothing, just saw something unpleasant."

Saying this, he tossed his phone on the table, leaned over to Jing Chen’s side, and sat against him. He pouted and said, "Your sugar daddy is unhappy and needs a kiss from his baby to feel better."

"..."

Jing Chen typed something on his phone, sent it, put the phone down, and lowered his head to kiss Xi Shi’s lips.

The sunset’s afterglow spilled in through the glass window, landing on the two of them as their lips intertwined. They were like any ordinary couple, twisting and lingering in this Ferris wheel that symbolized romance.

Meanwhile, Huo Siyuan, who had just finished a day of work, exhausted and aching, was preparing to go out and have some fun, when he received two WeChat messages that made his smile vanish.

*Uncle:* "Ask Xi Shi what kind of trouble he’s running into and find a way to help him."

*Siyi:* "Senior seems to have really fallen in love. Help me think of a way to break them up."

Huo Siyuan: "............"

No. His uncle was the richest man in the country; what problem could there possibly be that he couldn't solve? Why was he dragging him into the middle of their little couple’s drama! And his cousin—not to mention that he didn't know how to break people up, even if he did, would he dare?

*Would he dare?*

At that moment, Huo Siyuan just wanted to blow up the Earth. There was nothing left in this world worth lingering for; let it all end.