Chapter 44: Renting a House

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Renting a House

Xiao Heqing, having overheard their conversation, spoke through the iron fence. "Wenwen, did you just say you aren’t planning to go to high school with us?"

Han Wenwen let out an awkward chuckle. Fortunately, Xiao Heqing hadn’t misunderstood the second half of her sentence. She scratched her head and said, "It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that my grades are poor... I probably won’t make the cut."

The enthusiastic Xiao Heqing didn’t think this was a big deal. She bypassed the iron fence, taking a wide detour to run over to Han Wenwen’s side.

Clenching her tiny fists, she looked both confident and nervous. "If your grades are bad, I can tutor you! As long as I give you remedial lessons every day, you’ll definitely be able to test into high school! We’re best friends, how could we ever separate?!"

Han Wenwen stared at her best friend, feeling a bit helpless. She thought that it would be wonderful if things were truly that simple.

Lin Zhengran caught a glimpse of the expression hidden beneath Han Wenwen’s smile, as if he could already foresee the outcome.

Sure enough, from that day onward, Xiao Heqing began carving out time in the dorms and during the weekends to frequently tutor Han Wenwen. On the surface, Han Wenwen studied earnestly to avoid letting down Xiao Heqing’s enthusiasm, but her grades remained stagnant.

Of course, this was partly because Han Wenwen genuinely wasn’t cut out for studying. Furthermore, she knew that getting good grades would still be useless to her. What she needed right now was to become self-reliant, and this harsh reality severely distracted her.

So, when over a month passed and the final exam results for their transition into the eighth grade were released, Xiao Heqing saw that Han Wenwen’s grades had only improved by a negligible margin. She was so anxious she almost cried.

Han Wenwen spent an entire evening consoling Xiao Heqing in the dorm, promising that she would definitely study hard from then on. Only then did Xiao Heqing barely manage to calm down.

During the summer break before eighth grade, Han Wenwen did not return to their hometown in the South with Xiao Heqing. Instead, she made an excuse, claiming her uncle had come up north, so she needed to stay here for a while before going back. Thus, Xiao Heqing had no choice but to take the high-speed rail back alone.

One day, as Lin Zhengran went downstairs to buy some things, he passed by the residential area’s gate and happened to run into a certain little fox asking the security guard, "Sir, what is the phone number of the landlord around here? I’d like to rent an apartment and ask about the price."

Just as she finished speaking, she spotted Lin Zhengran walking out of the complex. The two locked eyes from a distance. With a rare look of shock on her face, Han Wenwen gave him a smile and then turned around, intending to flee.

Lin Zhengran called out to stop her. "I know a residential complex where the rent is very cheap, and it isn’t too far from the school. It might be a bit small, but it could be perfect for you."

Han Wenwen halted her escape and turned back to look at Lin Zhengran in surprise. She confessed her poverty truthfully, holding up five fingers. "But my budget is only five hundred yuan."

"No wonder you can’t find a place to stay," Lin Zhengran said, having expected as much. "But that’s enough."

Ever since his Charm Value displayed by the system had reached forty half a year ago, Lin Zhengran had noticed something: no matter who he spoke to, as long as he didn’t impose upon them, they would easily feel inclined to help him.

Consequently, Lin Zhengran led a rather quiet Han Wenwen to a residential complex called Brocade Splendor City. They tracked down the landlord and asked if it was possible to rent a place for just a month to start.

When the landlady first saw that it was two kids looking to rent an apartment, she naturally refused. "Get an adult to come talk to me. Besides, it absolutely won’t work without a deposit. I’ve never done business like this."

Han Wenwen sighed, having guessed it would turn out this way.

Who knew that the moment Lin Zhengran opened his mouth, everything would change? "Miss, we’re students attending Xin Cheng First High School, and we’re also locals..."

He gave a few simple reasons. Han Wenwen thought it was useless. Even with her sweet talking, she hadn’t been able to find a place that didn’t require a deposit over the past few days. Yet, surprisingly, after hearing Lin Zhengran’s words, the landlady took a strong liking to the handsome young boy.

"Oh my, such a sweet-talking handsome boy, even calling me ’Miss’." The landlady chuckled, covering her mouth. "Alright, alright. Seeing as you two are so young, we can skip the deposit. However, an adult still has to be the one to sign the contract."

Han Wenwen was astonished that the woman had actually agreed. Lin Zhengran hadn’t even said much! How did he do it?! Catching on quickly, she nodded in a hurry, feigning a surprised tone. "That’s no problem, I just need to let my uncle know. It’s just that it’ll take a few days for him to get here."

Lin Zhengran immediately followed up. "Miss, could we stay here for a few days first, and then have an adult come sign the contract later?"

The landlady continued to laugh. "Easy, it’s all easy to arrange. Since a handsome boy like you asked, how could I not do you a favor?"

Lin Zhengran smiled. He thought that this ability was quite useful. "Thank you, Miss. You’re so kind."

The landlady giggled bashfully at the compliment. "What a sweet talker."

She found them a relatively safe vacant room. It was a single room of over thirty square meters, consisting only of a bathroom and a bedroom. However, it was spacious and clean, furnished with a basic wooden bed, a desk, and a chair. There was a security camera right outside the door, ensuring safety.

The landlady handed the keys to Lin Zhengran. "Have your adult come find me to sign the contract within a week. Once it’s signed, you can stay as long as you want."

"Alright. Thank you, Miss."

After the landlady left, extremely pleased and walking on air from all the flattery, Han Wenwen blankly took the keys from his hand.

"From now on, this is your room," Lin Zhengran said.

Standing beside Lin Zhengran, she surveyed this little apartment that belonged entirely to her. She let out a laugh of disbelief, an indescribable gleam shining in her eyes. "You’re amazing, Lin Zhengran!" she exclaimed. "Do you know that lady? Otherwise, why would she be so accommodating?"

Lin Zhengran was brief and to the point, his expression calm and his heart steady. "It’s probably because I’m handsome and have a sweet mouth."

Han Wenwen froze for a second before bursting into laughter. She nodded, tilting her head with a beaming smile. "You are very handsome, Lin Zhengran. The most handsome out of all the boys I’ve ever met."

Han Wenwen lay flat on the wooden bed, devoid of any bedding. Gazing at the spacious and cozy room, she took a deep breath of the stable, freeing air. "I feel so happy. For the first time in my life, I have a room of my own."

Lin Zhengran sat on the edge of the bed frame. "It’s just a rental. You didn’t buy the house."

Han Wenwen closed her eyes and smiled. "You don’t understand what I’m thinking, Lin Zhengran. There are some things that only I can truly comprehend."

Lin Zhengran blurted out, "Having been deskmates for so long, I can still roughly guess. A little fox like you absolutely hates owing people favors. That’s why, back when you were living at your uncle’s house, you never felt any sense of belonging. You always felt like you owed them. Not to mention the girls’ dormitory."

Hearing this, Han Wenwen opened her eyes and looked at him in shock. The wish she had written during the Heart Connection Festival actually flashed through her mind.

"I hope my future man will know what I want."

Turning to look back at her, Lin Zhengran continued, "This does count as a room exclusively yours. It’s just... a bit temporary. But at least you’re free now."

After listening to his complete sentence, a blush suddenly appeared on Han Wenwen’s cheeks. The words "Mr. Right" surfaced in her mind.

But she snapped out of it in an instant. Realizing the glaring blind spot in his words, she quickly sat up in confusion. "Wait, how do you know about my uncle?!"

Feeling a bit sheepish, Lin Zhengran revealed the truth. "Actually, on the day we ran into each other at the supermarket last year, I happened to be passing by that street and overheard a bit of your conversation. I just never told you. You still remember that day, right?"

Her foxy eyes slowly widened. For the first time, she felt as if she had absolutely zero disguise in front of someone else. He had actually known about all those things the entire time.

Subconsciously wrapping her arms around her upper body to protect herself, Han Wenwen blushed. "How can you be so bad, Lin Zhengran..."