Zhang Ren was woken up by Xie Qi for the second time.
Xie Qi sat on the sofa in the living room with a blank expression.
Zhang Ren sat across from him, stifling a yawn with clenched teeth. “Second Master, what brings you here…?”
Xie Qi looked at him coldly.
Out of habit, he reached for the wooden bead bracelet on his wrist, only to remember that he had already given it away.
He rubbed his fingers together and said in a frosty tone, “Go to Night Market Street on Xiuping Third Road and buy a storefront.”
Zhang Ren: “?”
Not understanding his intention, Zhang Ren asked cautiously, “Why are you suddenly buying a store there, Second Master?”
Xie Qi was silent for a moment, his expression turning colder. “He wants to open a shop. Once you find the place, buy it and then rent it to him.”
“…Is it Mr. Qu?” Zhang Ren guessed.
“Mm.” Xie Qi responded indifferently. “Don’t let him know.”
Doing good deeds anonymously… Zhang Ren smacked his lips. That didn’t sound like something Second Master Xie would do, but wisely, he didn’t ask further. He simply nodded and said he’d handle it as soon as possible.
“Three days,” Xie Qi said as he stood up. With that, he leapt out the window as nimbly as a cat.
Zhang Ren: “…”
*****
Zhang Ren spent an entire day running around the night market street.
He found the best-located store and bargained with the owner for ages.
In the end, he had to offer triple the price before the owner agreed to sell.
“I’ll give you two days to clear the place out,” Zhang Ren said. “The ownership transfer can be done slowly, but you need to vacate the store first.”
The store owner thought to himself, Is this guy an idiot? Sure, the location was good, but paying triple was just ridiculous.
With that kind of money, you could get a better spot elsewhere.
But since the money was going into his own pocket, the store owner didn’t say anything and readily agreed.
“Oh, and put up a ‘For Rent’ sign tomorrow— make it eye-catching. If a young man with a cat comes asking, rent it to him at this price.” Zhang Ren held up his fingers to show a number.
The store owner’s mouth twitched.
The rent was a third below market price.
Rich people really had all kinds of weird games nowadays.
“Alright. Any other requests?” The store owner maintained a professional smile.
After all, the one with the money was the boss.
“Don’t reveal any information about me. I’ll give you an account number— have him pay rent to that account.”
The store owner kept smiling and agreed.
That same day, the popular breakfast shop suddenly shut down.
Workers came and went, dismantling and moving out the equipment.
The next day, a “For Rent” sign was put up in front of the store.
Qu Yanning went out again to search for a shop with his cat.
As he passed by the breakfast place, he noticed that the once-busy shop now had a rental sign out front.
He hesitated for a moment, then walked inside.
“We’re not renting,” the owner grumbled, waving off yet another curious visitor.
Since putting up the sign, tons of people had asked about it, and he was already sick of explaining.
Looking up, he saw another young man approaching.
He was about to brush him off again when he caught a glimpse of a cat peeking from the back of a tricycle parked outside— just a fluffy cat head poking over the edge, staring in.
The words at the tip of his tongue changed, and he quickly smiled. “Hey there, looking to rent a shop?”
Qu Yanning nodded, a little uncertain. “Are you really renting this place out?”
Renting? Hell no, I’m waiting for you specifically, the owner thought.
But out loud, he said, “Yes, take a look. Great location, great price. If it weren’t for a family emergency, I wouldn’t be renting it out.”
Qu Yanning looked around.
The space was wide, simply decorated but clean and tidy.
It was actually very nice— he just wasn’t sure about the price.
Seeing his hesitation, the owner offered, “I’m in a hurry to find someone. If you’re interested, I’ll rent it to you for nine thousand a month, not including utilities.”
“So cheap?” Qu Yanning was surprised.
He’d looked at plenty of shops recently and knew that one like this usually went for at least thirteen thousand.
The owner laughed internally.
Someone paid triple to buy this place just to rent it to you. If I could, I’d give it to you for free.
But he just said, “What can I say, family emergency. And it’s hard to find a tenant quickly.
If you want it, decide soon— this deal won’t wait. I’ve already booked my train ticket home for tomorrow.”
Qu Yanning hesitated. This felt like a deal too good to be true— like a pie falling from the sky.
He didn’t dare take it right away. He told the owner to wait, saying he needed to call a friend to discuss.
Chu Zhou came right over as soon as he got the call.
Qu Yanning had briefly explained the situation over the phone.
After arriving, Chu Zhou politely confirmed all the details with the shop owner again.
Everything seemed above board— it really did seem like a pie had fallen from the sky.
“Should we go ahead and sign the contract?” Chu Zhou asked.
The shop owner replied, “Of course. We’re all legitimate business people— things should be written down in black and white.”
Chu Zhou made the decision. “Alright, we’ll rent it.”
“Great! So, would you like to sign the contract now?” The shop owner asked with a warm smile. “If you’re sure about it, I’ll head out to print the contract now. I’ve got a train to catch back home tomorrow.”
Chu Zhou agreed, and the owner happily trotted off to a nearby print shop.
“Do you think it’s a scam?” Qu Yanning still felt the whole thing was just too perfect— like a setup.
Chu Zhou pinched his cheek and said, “Are you silly? We’re signing a contract, and we’ll only pay a month’s deposit after we get the keys. What could he even scam us for?”
“Besides,” Chu Zhou added, “this guy’s been running a business here for years. He seems reliable.”
“You’re right,” Qu Yanning said, nodding. “And the rent’s low, the deposit comes after we get the place— if it were a scam, there wouldn’t even be a way to get money out of us.”
The owner came back quickly with a standard online rental contract. Chu Zhou reviewed it carefully, making sure there were no traps, before letting Qu Yanning sign it.
The contract was made in two copies, one for each party.
“Here’s the key. I have to leave tomorrow, so just send the rent to the account listed in the contract.”
Qu Yanning took the key and tucked it away carefully, grinning so widely his dimples sank deep into his cheeks.
The shop owner, having completed his “performance” smoothly, found an excuse to leave. As soon as he stepped outside, he called Zhang Ren and informed him that everything was settled.
Inside the shop, Qu Yanning threw his arms around Chu Zhou excitedly. “Zhouzhou, we have our own shop now!”
Chu Zhou patted his head and grinned too. The two of them stared at each other, silly and happy.
Meanwhile, in the tricycle parked outside, Xie Qi was instantly unhappy.
He jumped down from the cart, trotted over to Qu Yanning, and began climbing up his pant leg.