Jiang Sihan was really dumbfounded at the moment.
The man in front of him had said everything, could he still defend himself? Could he say that he had no intention of pursuing Luo Bei and that he was only doing chores to repay the Luo family?
In Jiang Sihan’s life, ever since he got into music, his dream and his focus had been on music. He didn’t really think about girls, and he had politely declined any girl who had expressed interest in him.
What was happening now?
He hadn’t said a word from beginning to end.
In fact, there was no topic for discussion between Jiang Sihan and Zhan Qi. Zhan Qi had made a big decision to give up on Luo Bei. He thought that even though he was not good enough for her, he had a sincere heart. But now, there was someone who was more sincere and hardworking than him. Did he have any other outstanding qualities to show? No, and coupled with Luo Bei’s indifference to him recently, he knew that Luo Bei was just giving him face. After all, they had grown up together. So, why continue to entangle themselves in this way?
He took the initiative to give up, saving himself some face, so that the two families could still interact freely in the future.
Now that he had said everything he needed to say, there was no point in continuing to drink with Jiang Sihan. He picked up a can of beer and stood up, paid the bill to the boss, and left, leaving Jiang Sihan staring at the table of braised dishes in a daze.
Although the weather is cold now, these braised dishes can’t be eaten tomorrow if they’re not refrigerated. With this in mind, Jiang Sihan sent a WeChat message to Luo Bei, asking her to come and help solve these braised dishes. In addition, there were some things he wanted to clarify with Luo Bei so as not to give her the wrong idea. That would be bad.
Luo Bei quickly came over.
She looked at these braised dishes, puzzled, and didn’t try to hide it. She asked directly, “Did you buy them?”
Could it be that Jiang Sihan was about to get out of trouble, so he decided to indulge himself?
Jiang Sihan wouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about his situation in front of Luo Bei. After all, he was really poor. They were friends now, and there was no need to pretend.
“No. It’s bought by Zhan Qi.”
He doesn’t have much money now, so how could he afford to indulge in a braised dish restaurant? These braised dishes may not be expensive in the eyes of others, and even considered cheap, but this meal cost over a hundred yuan. For Jiang Sihan now, it’s enough for him to live on for half a month. He couldn’t spend that kind of money.
The braised duck intestines and duck tongues here are the specialties, and Luo Bei felt too spicy after a few bites, “How do you know Zhan Qi?”
“I just met him today. He came to find me to drink, then he said a bunch of… pretty inexplicable things,” Jiang Sihan said.
Luo Bei was surprised, “What could you guys possibly talk about?”
Jiang Sihan felt a bit embarrassed and leaned in to whisper, “He said he likes you, and he seemed to misunderstand our relationship, thinking that me taking out the trash and mopping the floor every day was me pursuing you…”
Luo Bei : “….”
“He also told me that I can’t let you down, can’t hurt you.” Jiang Sihan pointed to the can next to him, “He was crushing it as he said those words.”
Seeing Luo Bei’s expression, Jiang Sihan continued, “You’re a good friend, but he must have misunderstood. You and Grandma Luo always bring me food and invite me to eat, and I feel bad about it. I see the trash in the hallway every day, and it’s getting more and more dirty. Grandma Luo is getting older, and you’re a girl. These dirty and tiring jobs are not suitable for you, so I thought I could help you guys with some of it.”
Luo Bei began to gnaw on the duck neck while holding back the spiciness and said, “Don’t take it to heart. I know about it too. But thanks to you, Zhan Qi can also figure it out. Otherwise, I would really worry about awkwardness between our families over time. As for what he said, don’t take it seriously. Next time, I will find an opportunity to explain it to him. We are just ordinary friends, and his misunderstanding is probably just gossip from people here. It’s just delaying me from finding a boyfriend.”
She knew that Jiang Sihan came to talk to her about this because he was afraid she would misunderstand him. That’s why he explained everything to her.
After hearing Luo Bei’s words, Jiang Sihan was relieved.
He can tell, Luo Bei doesn’t have any interest in him.
It’s alright though, he thinks Luo Bei is great in every way. She’s beautiful, kind-hearted, and has a good personality. He just feels like he’s nothing now, even Zhan Qi is feeling inferion, but he’s not even comparable to Zhan Qi. At least Zhan Qi can make money, but he, with just a dream, has no tomorrow, even having a problem fixing his meals. At least when he is capable of taking care of others, only then he can consider being in a relationship.
Both Jiang Sihan and Luo Bei didn’t express their feelings explicitly, but they came to an understanding.
They don’t have any romantic interest in each other, and they’re happy to be friends. As for being more than friends… it’s better not to do it.
Rumors cannot be stopped, but fortunately both Luo Bei and Jiang Sihan are easy-going people. Early the next morning, Jiang Sihan still went about his usual business of cleaning the hallway, and Luo Bei invited him over for breakfast like before. Their relationship remained harmonious.
Today is Saturday, and Luo Bei doesn’t have to work. She’s helping Grandma Luo clean the house while waiting for potential tenant to come and see the room next door. Zhao Pianpian has been coming over for meals with her child for months now, and Jiang Sihan also joins them. Grandma Luo loves having the house full of people. Because Luo Bei doesn’t usually come back for lunch on weekdays, Grandma Luo feels very lonely.
Whether it’s Zhao Pianpian or Jiang Sihan, they have always praised Grandma Luo’s cooking skills.
In fact, in Luo Bei’s eyes, Jiang Sihan had the potential to be a male lead or supporting male character. After all, he had a bright future, handsome looks, and a good personality.
Zhao Pianpian was the female lead in a romance novel, while Jiang Sihan was the male lead in a career-oriented rags-to-riches novel. Why did these two characters appear around her at the same time?
What’s going on with this world?
Luo Bei couldn’t understand the problem and didn’t bother thinking about it.
They hadn’t finished their meal when Grandma Luo’s old phone rang. It was the person coming to see the apartment saying they had arrived downstairs.
Without hesitation, Jiang Sihan put down his chopsticks and went downstairs to open the security door for them.
The person was a woman in her twenties, dragging a suitcase and accompanied by a young boy who looked no more than four or five years old.
Jiang Sihan’s striking appearance eased the woman’s impatience. “Can you help me with the suitcase? The apartment is on the third floor, right? Is there no elevator here?”
She was a woman and it was indeed difficult for her to drag the suitcase up to the third floor without an elevator. Jiang Sihan helped her carry the suitcase. Since he wasn’t the landlord and didn’t have much to say, he remained silent throughout the journey.
From the first floor to the third floor, during this short time, the woman’s complaints were almost non-stop.
She complained about the narrow corridor, the lack of an elevator, the poor lighting, and the dirty environment of the urban village.
Luo Bei waited for them at the door with the key in hand, and when Jiang Sihan came up, he passed a look to her, indicating that this woman was not easy to deal with.
The woman’s surname was Chen, and she was actually very pretty and has a fair skin. She wore heavy makeup and a strong perfume that had a pungent smell.
Now that the weather was getting colder, she still wore shorts with bare legs.
“Ms. Chen, is it?” Luo Bei politely asked.
“Yes, I want to see what the house looks like.” Ms. Chen stopped complaining for the time being, and Luo Bei led her in after unlocking the door.
“This is the living room, this is the master bedroom, this smaller room can be used as a study or a second bedroom…” Luo Bei introduced the rooms as she did many times in the past, “Over here is the bathroom and kitchen, furniture is included, so you can move in with just your luggage. As we discussed on the phone, due to the included furniture and appliances, we require a two-month deposit.”
“I won’t be living here for too long,” Ms. Chen flicked her hair, “My husband bought me a house in Lakeside Villas in the downtown area. If it weren’t for the renovation going on right now, I wouldn’t be renting.”
Luo Bei thought for a moment and replied, “The minimum lease is six months. Can you accept that?”
In about half a year, it will be graduation season, and the house will be easy to rent out. Usually, in this urban village area, the minimum lease term is one year, the Luo family is the only exception.
“Although I will only be living here for four or five months, I can accept a six-month lease. Worst case, I’ll just leave it vacant. Anyway, my husband is wealthy.”
Luo Bei fell silent for a moment and said, “If everything is okay, we can start signing the contract. I will take you to read the electric and water meters later. Also, the previous tenant has two months left on their internet plan, which you can continue to use. However, if you want to use it after two months, you will need to renew it yourself.”
Ms. Chen waved her hand, uninterested, “I don’t care about these small things, let’s just sign the contract.”
…Okay.
Anyway, it’s all explained in the contract.
As Luo Bei led Ms. Chen to Luo house to prepare to sign the contract, she caught a glimpse of the little boy who had been following Ms. Chen all along.
Now that the weather had gotten colder, the boy’s pants were noticeably much shorter, revealing his ankles. His sneakers were also dirty and worn, and his hair had not been cut in a while. Most importantly, he was wearing only a thin long-sleeved shirt.
Luo Bei hesitated for a moment and asked, “Ms. Chen, is this your son?”
Ms. Chen looked a bit uneasy, and although impatient, she nodded.
Luo Bei became even more suspicious and exchanged a glance with Jiang Sihan. They both saw confusion in each other’s eyes.
It was one thing for the mother to care about her appearance, but on such a cold day, giving her child so little clothing and clearly too-short pants seemed abnormal.
Luo Bei had also read about many news of child trafficking, and although this Ms. Chen did not seem like the type to be involved in such heinous activities, she still needed to be cautious.
With this in mind, Luo Bei said, “You see, we need to register the information of all tenants in our community, and if you bring a child, you generally need to provide proof of relationship.”
She’s observant
I like how she told a perfect reason to ensure that the boy wasn’t a kidnapping victim.