Chi Qingya didn’t dare speak to the landlady, Bai Huizi, whose presence always radiated a mature and imposing aura.
Whenever she saw Bai Huizi, she instinctively felt a wave of inferiority.
So ever since she brought Su Li home, she had left all dealings with the landlady to Su Li herself.
Even though she was the actual tenant of the room.
But now that Su Li was gone, the responsibility of communicating with Bai Huizi inevitably fell back on her.
Chi Qingya’s eyes furtively scanned Bai Huizi, once again overwhelmed by the other woman’s proud figure and mature demeanor.
Bai Huizi’s silver hair, like quenched steel wire, was twisted behind her ear, a crimson cigarette butt clenched between her full lips.
Her slender fingers holding the cigarette pressed into creamy flesh, the pearl-like nails showing three crescent-shaped red marks beneath them.
The deep purple body-hugging dress stretched taut over her full waist and hips, the silk fabric creaking softly as it strained.
Her chest heaved with quick breaths, sending waves of breathtaking motion.
The hollow of her collarbone held ash that trembled softly with a mocking smile.
When smoke billowed from her nostrils, the snow-like chin wrinkles shimmered with pearly luster.
The mint-scented irritation wafted onto Chi Qingya’s face.
Beneath the deep purple dress, her legs were wrapped in creamy satin, standing poised.
Crystal high heels arched her instep into a stunning crescent.
The soft flesh of her inner thighs was pinched by stockings into honey-colored furrows, the thin skin catching the hallway light like melting amber slowly dripping.
At her knees, a web of rose-colored capillaries spread along the plump curve of her calves.
When her heels lifted, the calf muscles stretched into elegant silver strings, and the ankle bones faintly appeared beneath black fishnet stockings like pearls submerged in wine.
Every time her heel tapped the floor, the curve of her entire leg visibly quivered, stirring a continuous wave from her full thighs to slender ankles, like a silk river awakened by moonlight suddenly gaining liquid bones.
“Why have you been pressing the doorbell for so long without opening the door? Don’t you know it’s rude to keep others waiting outside?”
“Did no one ever teach you basic manners?”
“Are you deliberately giving me attitude?”
“First of all, our relationship is purely landlord and tenant. I’m not your teacher, so I have no obligation to teach you these basic things.”
“Secondly, if you don’t want to live here, you’re free to find another place.”
Bai Huizi’s tone was icy cold.
She wasn’t usually this harsh, but seeing Chi Qingya’s face reminded her of Su Li and her younger sister.
Though Chi Qingya stood by the door, Bai Huizi could still see through the crack the mess inside the room—the chaotic aftermath left behind.
Chi Qingya reminded her so much of that troublesome, disobedient younger sister!
Just thinking that even she herself hadn’t really enjoyed Su Li’s services—often freeloading off her—made her tone even more resentful.
What kind of person was Chi Qingya to expect to enjoy Su Li’s services alongside her?
A mixture of emotions swirled inside her, making her words sharper than usual.
During the past twenty minutes, she had called Chi Qingya more than once, but no one had answered.
If it weren’t for the takeout bags at the door proving someone was inside, she might have left long ago.
Maybe it was because of Su Li that she waited so long—just to meet Chi Qingya.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I thought it was someone else coming.”
Chi Qingya lowered her head, apologizing repeatedly, not daring to meet Bai Huizi’s eyes.
She looked like a child caught in wrongdoing, constantly mumbling apologies.
Her already low spirits sank even further.
If only Su Li were here, she thought. If Su Li were here, she wouldn’t have to face this.
“Do you think it’s okay to be this rude to just anyone?”
“Does other people’s time not matter? Do you think you can just waste it?”
“When your parents come to see you, would you keep them waiting outside for twenty minutes like this?”
Bai Huizi continued.
If this were her own younger sister, she guessed she would have already shown a look of disgust and walked away by now.
She felt herself growing irritable, and Chi Qingya’s downcast expression only made her mood worse.
It felt like a complete waste of breath to keep talking, especially since it seemed pointless.
Seeing no reaction from Chi Qingya, Bai Huizi’s anger flared further.
Chi Qingya stayed silent, standing stubbornly by the door.
“If you don’t want to live here anymore, just tell me. We can terminate the lease. I’ll refund any extra rent you’ve paid and won’t ask for your deposit. Just leave.”
Bai Huizi said irritably.
Just standing at the door for a short time had already tested her patience.
She couldn’t understand how Su Li had tolerated it all.
She glanced inside the room at the mess everywhere, finding no place to even stand, while Chi Qingya was dressed nicely, which only fueled her disgust.
People come to your home but don’t clean up the room first—they clean themselves instead.
That was disturbingly similar to her annoying younger sister.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Chi Qingya kept her head bowed, apologizing.
She had always been like this with Su Li, and Su Li never got angry.
Besides… if she didn’t want to wait, she could have just left instead of standing outside the door.
Seeing Chi Qingya’s half-hearted apologies, clearly unaware of her own mistakes, Bai Huizi frowned deeply.
She stubbed out her cigarette impatiently and said, “Step aside.”
Only then did Chi Qingya take a few steps back and look at the mess inside, making way for Bai Huizi.
“You’re already an adult and can’t even handle your own affairs, always causing trouble for others.”
“I thought you were a university student, a young lady who would care about cleanliness. I figured since you came to university from the village alone, not fitting in well with other classmates and having no place to stay, I softened and let you live here.”
“I never expected you to be like this.”
“No wonder people say ‘pitiful people always have hateful traits.’ I didn’t believe it before, but now I understand a little.”
Bai Huizi said disdainfully.
There wasn’t a single clean spot to set foot in the huge room.
Just thinking about it made her annoyed.
After finishing up matters at the Old House, she had rushed over from her hometown overnight just to see Su Li, barely resting.
Now she was faced with such a disgusting sight.
Shoes were scattered haphazardly on the floor, some still muddy from outside, clashing wildly with the room’s style.
The bed was piled high with bedding, so thick it was impossible to recognize the original colors or shape.
Various snack wrappers and tissues were scattered about, forming small hills.
The desk was an even worse sight, with books and notebooks stacked messily, takeout containers still with leftovers, emitting an indescribable stench.
Even the chair was piled with worn clothes, some crumpled, and in the corner were several plastic bags full of trash.
Who would have thought such a refined female university student outwardly could have such a chaotic, disorganized private room?
She’s been renting for such a long time, and she’s never seen a room this filthy and messy.
“Do you know, just because of your nonsense, the people downstairs have already filed complaints with me?”