Chapter 62: Good Weather

“My friend…” Shang Zhitao turned around to look but didn’t see Luan Nian standing in the shadows. “My friend must have gone outside to wait for me. It’s fine, I’ll wait here for him. You go upstairs and pack quickly, we still have work tomorrow.”

“Can you manage by yourself?”

“I can.”

Shang Zhitao watched Sun Yuanzhu head upstairs and then turned back to see Luan Nian stepping out of the shadows. “Eh? I thought you weren’t here.”

Luan Nian glanced at her belongings but didn’t offer any help, instead turning toward the car.

“You’re not going to help me?” Shang Zhitao asked.

“Don’t you have hands?” Luan Nian tossed this comment over his shoulder as he got into the car, coldly watching Shang Zhitao struggle alone. She didn’t have much—two large suitcases and a big cardboard box. Living like a nomad in Beijing, she wouldn’t accumulate too many things. Like migratory birds moving twice a year, what was the point of buying so much?

Shang Zhitao exerted a lot of effort to load everything into Luan Nian’s trunk. He didn’t lift a finger to help. Once she got into the car, he started the engine and drove off.

His mood changed faster than flipping pages!

Even back home, Luan Nian still made Shang Zhitao handle everything herself. When she went downstairs to fetch her things, she noticed that the large box contained the items he had given her. She recognized them—he had sent them after all—and they were still unopened, with a thin layer of dust on top.

“You’re not using it?” he suddenly asked her, his tone somewhat abrupt.

“What?”

Luan Nian nodded toward the box. “The bag I gave you.”

“Oh, oh, oh.” Shang Zhitao repeated the sound a few times. “I’m saving it.”

Luan Nian could tell she was being evasive. The next day, while waiting at a red light on their way to work, he asked Shang Zhitao, “How much is your rent?”

“What?”

“How much do you pay for that room?”

“A little over a thousand yuan.”

“You can rent a place here. The rent will be one thousand per month.”

Shang Zhitao froze, surprised. Luan Nian’s place was so nice; even if he charged her two thousand yuan per month, she would have been willing! She actually considered it seriously before shaking her head. “Thank you, but I think I’ll still go rent a place.”

“Why? Because you don’t want to leave your roommates?”

“Yes.” Shang Zhitao nodded earnestly. “My roommates are really good people.”

Her heart was clear—her roommates were genuinely great people!

“Congratulations, you’ve found good roommates,” Luan Nian said indifferently, neither warm nor cold. Shang Zhitao couldn’t tell if he was truly congratulating her or mocking her.

On Saturday, they set out early to meet up with Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu. They were still in the same area, having pre-screened options online, called each place, and arranged viewings one by one. Finding housing was incredibly difficult. Online photos looked great, but when they visited the apartments, they found conditions worse than a pigsty. Occasionally, they found a decent place, only for the price to be sky-high.

It was just so hard. Shang Zhitao thought, renting a place is so difficult. I must buy my own house someday! Then I can invite my friends to move in with me, and we can eat and drink together.

The three of them wandered around North Fifth Ring Road all day. By evening, they were exhausted, the weather was cold, and they were hungry. They settled for a quick bowl of knife-cut noodles and agreed to continue looking the next day. As they parted ways, Sun Yu received a call from a friendly-sounding auntie. “Child, do you remember me? I’m your landlord, Auntie.”

“Yes, Auntie, hello.” The three exchanged glances, unsure why the landlady was calling.

“Have you found a place yet?” Auntie cut straight to the chase.

“Not yet, Auntie,” Sun Yu replied politely.

“If you haven’t, why don’t you come back and stay here? Same price as before.”

“Huh? Aren’t you worried about retaliation from the real estate agents?” Sun Yu asked.

“It’s alright. The police called today and said the issue has been resolved. The agents also called Auntie today, saying they’ve written a guarantee letter, provided ID copies, and left fingerprints. Not only will they not cause trouble, but they’ll also help keep an eye out. Their attitude was very good.”

“Alright, Auntie. Let us discuss and get back to you later, okay?”

This dramatic turn of events left the three of them laughing and crying at the same time. Sun Yu asked the others, “Should we move back in?”

“Yes!” Shang Zhitao suddenly felt extremely happy.

“Then let’s move back in!” Sun Yu nodded.

Seeing how delighted they were, Sun Yuanzhu nodded too. “Alright, we’ll stay here. But I have a small suggestion…”

“What?”

“Can we redecorate this place? Zhang Lei moved out, so I’ll cover his share of the rent because I want a separate study.”

“Good!” The girls knew they were taking advantage of Sun Yuanzhu, but they didn’t want to calculate too clearly—it was Sun Yuanzhu after all! If he paid more in rent, they’d take care of more daily expenses. In the end, living together with good friends was what mattered most.

Shang Zhitao was thrilled. As she entered the apartment humming a tune, Luan Nian was on the phone with Dr. Liang. Hearing her, he pressed the mute button and raised his head to glare at her. Quickly covering her mouth, Shang Zhitao pointed upstairs and ran off.

“Eh? Wasn’t there a girl humming just now?” Dr. Liang’s sharp ears picked up the sound immediately and questioned him.

Luan Nian pretended not to hear and continued, “My flight is next Sunday.”

“When do you return?”

“End of February. There’s a meeting at headquarters, and I’ll be reviewing two projects.”

“That’s great. You can spend more time with us.” Dr. Liang sounded cheerful, took a sip of water, and then said, “So, are you dating someone?” Dr. Liang never let Luan Nian divert the topic—she knew exactly how to handle her own child.

“I definitely heard a girl humming just now.” She affirmed once again.

“I don’t want to discuss this.”

“Why? If you’re dating, just say so. Are you afraid I’ll pressure you about marriage? Don’t worry, I won’t, and neither will your father. We only arrange blind dates because sometimes it’s hard to refuse the well-intentioned invitations from relatives and friends.”

“I don’t want to discuss this because I’m not dating.” Luan Nian paused. “I’m an adult.”

At this point, Dr. Liang understood—not dating, an adult. So it was just casual fun? Her son was finally indulging in some casual relationships.

“Isn’t this inappropriate? It’s not good for either you or the girl,” Dr. Liang commented.

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“Then handle it yourself. I’m hanging up.”

After ending the call, Luan Nian saw Shang Zhitao coming down with a glass of water. “Isn’t there a water dispenser upstairs?”

“Out of water.”

“Why were you so happy just now?”

“I found a place.”

Shang Zhitao drank a glass of water and placed the cup on Luan Nian’s bar counter. “I can move out tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I didn’t mean to make noise earlier; I didn’t know you were on the phone.”

“It’s fine.”

“As long as I didn’t cause trouble.”

Shang Zhitao pointed upstairs. “Then I’ll sleep now? I’ll leave early tomorrow morning since I need to unpack and settle in. It might take all day, so I’ll leave early to avoid affecting Monday’s work.”

“Mm.” Luan Nian grunted, offering no further words.

After going upstairs, Shang Zhitao packed her things, turned off the lights, and lay in bed. She heard Luan Nian talking on the phone—not on purpose. I’m not dating, I’m an adult, I’ll handle it myself. It was almost as if he directly told his mother that it was just a casual relationship.

Shang Zhitao thought Luan Nian hadn’t done anything wrong; he had simply spoken the truth. The warmth Luan Nian had shown her disappeared completely. It turned out it was all true—because we slept together, and when a woman he slept with got beaten, he naturally wanted to stand up for her to show his manhood. Or maybe it was just male possessiveness, not affection or love.

Early the next morning, she quietly moved her things downstairs. After some thought, she left a note on the pillow: Thank you for hosting me these past few days. Sorry for the disturbance. Polite and courteous.

The small truck Shang Zhitao hired transported her from Luan Nian’s neighborhood to North Fifth Ring Road. The surreal feeling from the previous days vanished. Standing at the entrance of the unit building, she felt like she was back in the real world. Her reality was here—in this authentic setting, surrounded by decay and chaos, but with good friends by her side.

Snow began to fall lightly. She stood downstairs for a while, marveling at how quickly the year had passed. She felt the year ended well, despite some dramatic twists and turns, but ultimately with a satisfying conclusion.

Sun Yu also returned with her belongings. Both burst into laughter upon seeing each other’s luggage.

“Never thought we’d circle back here. This must be our special connection to this place. I hired a mover.” Sun Yu pointed to someone approaching in the distance. “Let’s not tire ourselves out. At least I’m a partner in a nearly bankrupt startup company—I can afford this hundred yuan.”

“Well, at least I’m a courier employee at a top foreign enterprise. I’ll cover today’s meal costs—I can afford it.”

They exchanged smiles and headed upstairs.

Upon entering, they saw Sun Yuanzhu’s belongings already piled in the living room. He was assembling a bookshelf he had ordered online. He had also bought beautiful wallpaper, and the old sofa in the living room was gone.

“This…”

“Didn’t we agree to tidy up properly?” Sun Yuanzhu smiled, brushing the dust off his hands. “The two sun-facing rooms are for you both. I travel frequently and don’t need a sunny room. You two pick whichever you prefer.”

Such kindness from Sun Yuanzhu had to be accepted—it was just who he was.

The three played music softly, listening and tidying up their things quietly. Sun Yu sent Shang Zhitao a message: “Driven by my dwindling romanticism, I hope this scene, with all of us, lasts until we’re a hundred.”

Shang Zhitao cherished such moments too.

In this space and time, there were no people or things around her that made her feel pressured. Everything was simple.

Arranging this house made her feel a sense of belonging in this city for the first time.

Sun Yuanzhu sat in the warm sunlight in the living room, assembling the cabinet. The surroundings were cozy, as if in a beautiful dream.

They worked until evening, giving the home a new look.

Sun Yuanzhu pulled out a drawing and shared his plans with them.

“I want to place a long desk here where we can sit side by side and work.”

“Here, I want to put a few flower stands, add some potted plants, and keep a small fish tank. That way, the place will feel lively.”

Shang Zhitao raised her hand. “I have something I want to keep too.”

“What?”

“I want to get a dog.”

Seeing the other two widen their eyes, she nodded firmly. “I really want to get a dog as a New Year’s gift to myself. Does anyone here fear dogs?”

Both shook their heads.

“Then I’m getting a dog!”

Shang Zhitao clapped for her decision.