Chapter 19 Who is the Landlord?

One evening a few days later.

Yu Ling was returning home from work. She had just stepped out of the elevator and was reaching for her key when the door to 1601 opened. A young woman in a silk home dress, her hair loosely tied up, and a gentle demeanor emerged, clutching a beautifully wrapped gift box. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Yu Ling, and she gave her a friendly smile.

"Hello, are you Miss Yu from 1601?" The woman's voice was soft and pleasant.

"Oh, it's me." Yu Ling was a little surprised and stopped.

"Great! I live next door, my last name is Su." The woman stepped forward and handed the gift box to Yu Ling, her smile apologetic. "I'm so sorry, the delivery guy got the wrong address and sent this to my house. I saw the recipient was Yu Ling, and the address was 1601, so I thought it must be yours."

Yu Ling looked down at the gift box. It wasn't large, but the packaging was exquisite: a dark blue, hard cardboard box tied with a silver-gray ribbon. Emblazoned on the ribbon was a minimalist, elegant, gold-stamped Hermès logo. A printed delivery slip was taped to one corner of the box. The recipient was indeed her, and the address was 1601.

Hermès? Yu Ling was stunned. She hadn't bought anything this expensive recently. Could it be that Zhao Chen bought it?

"Thank you, Miss Su!" Yu Ling quickly took the box. It felt heavy in her hand and had an extraordinary texture.

"You're welcome. It's just a small favor." Miss Su smiled, her eyes lingering on Yu Ling's face for a moment, with a barely perceptible inquiry and friendly curiosity in her eyes. "You've just moved here not long ago, right? I haven't seen you before. I'm Su Wan, and my husband's surname is Gu. We run a small business." She introduced herself naturally, with a friendly tone.

Gu? Yu Ling vaguely remembered Zhao Chen mentioning that their next-door neighbor worked in finance. He seemed like a low-key wealthy individual.

"My name is Yu Ling, and I've been here for almost three months." Yu Ling responded politely.

"Hello, Xiao Yu." Su Wan smiled and nodded. Her eyes swept over the plastic bag with the convenience store logo on it and the ordinary commuter suit Yu Ling was wearing. Then she looked at the conspicuous Hermès gift box in her hand. There was no contempt in her eyes, but rather a kind of tolerance. "Come visit us often in the future. I'm pretty bored at home alone."

"Okay, Miss Su." Yu Ling responded, and she had a good impression of this gentle neighbor.

Su Wan exchanged a few more pleasantries and then turned back to 1602. Yu Ling also opened the door and entered the room.

Zhao Chen hadn't returned yet. Yu Ling put the groceries she'd bought from the convenience store into the refrigerator, then took the heavy Hermès gift box and sat down on the living room sofa. She untied the ribbon and opened the box.

Inside was a neatly folded silk scarf. The pattern on the scarf was Hermès' classic Jungle Love theme, vibrant and exotic. The silk felt as smooth as a second skin. Next to it was a small card, with Zhao Chen's fluent and powerful handwriting on it:

Lingling:

Passing by the window, I thought this color suits you very well.

Zhao Chen

Yu Ling's fingers brushed against the smooth, cool fabric of the silk scarf, and her heart felt like it was being gently scratched by a feather, a tingling warmth spreading across it. This man was always like this, quietly infiltrating her life, wrapping the most simple intentions in the finest material possessions.

She picked up her phone, wanting to text Zhao Chen to thank him. Her fingertips hovered over the screen for a moment, then finally let go. She carefully folded the scarf and returned it to the box. Her eyes fell on the plastic bag with the convenience store logo, and she remembered Su Wan's gentle, tolerant gaze when she'd met her at the door earlier...

An indescribable complex emotion welled up in her heart. In this neighborhood, in this "ordinary" fortress that Zhao Chen had carefully constructed, she felt like an intruder, or like a carefully nurtured...canary?

This idea came to a head on a weekend afternoon a few days later.

Yu Ling and Zhao Chen were both at home, enjoying a rare moment of rest. Warm sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room. Zhao Chen, wearing a small whale-shaped apron, was in the kitchen, researching a new recipe. Yu Ling, curled up on the sofa, reading a book, the gray-blue blanket draped across her lap. Next to her was the fruit and flower tea Zhao Chen had brewed for her, served in a Bernardaud bone china cup.

The doorbell rang.

Yu Ling stood up and opened the door. Standing outside was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, carrying a sophisticated insulated box. He looked capable. Behind him was a young assistant in a uniform, pushing a small flatbed cart.

"Hello, Ms. Yu." The middle-aged man smiled appropriately and bowed slightly. "I am the manager of Yushanfang, my surname is Zhou. The afternoon tea ordered by Mr. Zhao has been delivered." He gestured to the insulated box in his hand and the assistant's cart covered with a white tablecloth and equipped with three-layer dessert stands.

Yushanfang?! Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat. It was the city's top-tier, members-only, legendary private restaurant. It was said that even the mayor had to queue up to reserve a table! Their afternoon tea was notoriously exquisite and hard to come by!

"Please come in." Yu Ling quickly made way, still shocked at when Zhao Chen made the decision.

Manager Zhou and his assistant moved the things in swiftly, spread a white tablecloth on the large wooden dining table in the restaurant, and then, as if performing a solemn ceremony, arranged the three-tiered gilded enamel dessert stand, the matching bone china tea set, and the crystal plates filled with various exquisite desserts one by one.

Swan-shaped puffs, macarons dotted with gold foil, mousse shaped like roses, and crystal clear shrimp dumplings and steamed buns... each one is as beautiful as a work of art, exuding an enticing sweet fragrance and heat.

"Mr. Zhao, Ms. Yu, afternoon tea is ready, please enjoy." Manager Zhou placed the last item, stepped back respectfully, and left quietly with his assistant, as if he had never appeared.

Yu Ling looked at the luxurious dining table, which was comparable to the presidential suite in a five-star hotel. Then she looked at Zhao Chen, who came out of the kitchen wearing a whale-shaped apron and carrying a plate of freshly baked scones that smelled of butter...

The huge contrast left her speechless for a moment.

Zhao Chen placed the scones on the table. Seeing Yu Ling's dazed expression, he smiled gently, his tone as relaxed as if he were saying, "I bought a cup of milk tea downstairs." "Yushanfang's new afternoon tea set is a trial coupon a friend gave me. Don't waste it. Try their scones; they're absolutely amazing with clotted cream and jam."

As he spoke, he picked up the bone china teapot very naturally and poured a cup of fragrant Darjeeling black tea for Yu Ling.

Sunshine, delicious food, and love. Everything seems too good to be true.

Yu Ling picked up a warm scone, smeared it with thick clotted cream and strawberry jam, and put it in her mouth. It was crispy, sweet, and melted in her mouth, so delicious that it made her want to sigh. But the restless doubt in her heart, like a bubble under the water, bubbled up again.

"Zhao Chen." She put down the scone she had taken a bite of, raised her head, and looked directly at the man opposite her who was elegantly cutting a piece of rose mousse. Her voice was not loud, but it was filled with unprecedented seriousness. "Tell me the truth."

Zhao Chen paused in his cake-cutting and looked up at her. His amber eyes looked exceptionally clear and gentle in the sunlight.

"This place we live in," Yu Ling said, looking around the sun-filled living room, brimming with understated luxury. Her eyes swept over the top-brand furniture, appliances, and tableware, finally landing on Zhao Chen's face. "Security has suddenly been upgraded to special forces level. My neighbors drive Rolls-Royce Phantoms, even the wrong package from the property management turns out to be Hermès, and even afternoon tea is delivered by Yushanfang... Is this really just... 'the landlord has extensive connections'?"

She paused, took a deep breath, and asked the question that had been lingering in her heart for a long time clearly and word by word:

"Who is your 'landlord'? Or rather... who are you?"