Chapter 5. They're just young punks; they'll calm down after a few more hotel stays…

Gao Wen's life during this period has been both fulfilling and terrible.

Not only do I have to take on part-time jobs everywhere, but I also have to use my free time to find a place to live.

Houses are hard to find in this area.

Even if she's willing to spend a little more money, properties are still in high demand, or they're the kind of apartments she simply can't accept.

They are also easily scammed by unscrupulous intermediaries.

Before encountering this disgusting agent, an even more unscrupulous agent tricked her into paying a deposit of two thousand yuan, but after much haggling, she never saw the apartment and lost a thousand yuan for nothing.

The commute was exhausting, and being scammed again left Gao Wen feeling utterly disheartened.

She thought about it and felt a little scared. She was really brave to go looking at houses with a real estate agent so late at night. She must have been desperate.

Gao Wen sat on a bench in the residential area.

Fang Han walked over from the convenience store not far away.

He was holding a bottle of milk. He walked up to Gao Wen, unscrewed it, and handed it to her, saying gently, "Have some."

"Thank you, senior." Gao Wen took it; it was still her favorite brand, and the milk was warmed up.

Fang Han sat on the other edge of the chair, with a space between them, maintaining a proper boundary.

Gao Wen had taught two classes in a row, and rushed over as soon as get out of class was over. She was indeed thirsty and drank several mouthfuls of water.

She held the milk bottle, looking down at it.

Suddenly, a neatly folded small umbrella appeared before Gao Wen's eyes.

"It would be a shame to throw it away, so I'm returning it to you." Fang Han took out her small umbrella from somewhere.

Gao Wen paused for a moment before reaching out to take it, her tone tinged with guilt and gratitude: "Thank you, senior."

This umbrella is really useful; she likes it very much.

Fang Han pursed his lips, crossed his arms, rested his elbows on his thighs, leaned forward slightly, looked at the big tree in front of him, and explained, "My senior brother lives in this community, and I'm here to help him with some work-related matters."

Gao Wen: "Oh, is that so? Is it resolved?"

She knew that he was a very warm-hearted person, with no messy social life, a simple social circle, but many friends.

"Yeah, I was busy all night," Fang Han smiled, "but it's finally resolved."

Gao Wen nodded.

Then, neither of them spoke, and there was another period of silence.

It was late, and there were few people on the road. All around were the sounds of insects chirping, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

Fang Han raised his hand, frequently checking the time on his sports watch.

Gao Wen noticed his movement and turned her head to ask, "Senior, are you in a hurry to go back? Are you pressed for time?"

"No, I'm not in a hurry," Fang Han denied repeatedly, then his thin lips moved as he looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Gao Wen chuckled and pointed out his worry: "It's 11:20. Even if I take a taxi, I won't make it back to school in time."

The dormitory had lost power and was pitch black; it would be difficult for her to get back.

She knew Fang Han so well. Even though he had clearly seen her looking for an apartment, and she had just told him that he had caught her, he didn't interfere or ask any questions.

Even though he cares about her, he doesn't want to embarrass her; he is truly a very considerate person.

"What should we do then?" Fang Han was indeed worried about this.

Gao Wen reached out and patted the bag next to her: "I've been working late these past few days, so I only brought clothes and toiletries. If I can't make it back in time, I'll just find a hotel to stay in for the night."

Speaking of this, Gao Wen felt a pang of heartache.

She has high standards. She's picky and can't stand the poor hygiene of small hotels. Better hotels are expensive, and staying in one hotel means losing two days' worth of part-time work money – all for nothing.

Taxi fares cost money, hotel stays cost money, and she even got scammed while looking for a place to live. Gao Wen felt bitter and depressed.

"Staying in a hotel is fine, just remember to lock the door at night." Fang Han felt a little relieved, then gave him a few more instructions.

Upon hearing this, Gao Wen turned to look at Fang Han and suddenly asked, "Senior, is the master bedroom still available for rent?"

When Gao Wen asked this, Fang Han met her gaze, his expression somewhat unnatural, and subconsciously replied, "Yes, do you want to rent it?"

After saying it, he felt that it made him seem too eager and ill-intentioned, so he added, "I can help you find other properties; there are quite a few rentals in this area."

Fang Han didn't understand why Gao Wen lied to him that she didn't need to rent a house, but secretly went around looking for one.

Since she didn't actively seek to rent it, she must have her reasons.

He didn't need to put her in a difficult position.

“Oh,” Gao Wen nodded, “I can tell you don’t welcome me.”

"No," Fang Han said hurriedly and anxiously, trying to explain when he heard her misinterpretation, "I really didn't mean that, how could I—"

Before he could finish speaking, he met Gao Wen's clear, watery eyes. Her eyebrows were arched, and she smiled, clearly teasing him.

Fang Han's expression softened, but his heart pounded like a drum. He forced a steady voice and said, word by word, "If you're willing, you're welcome anytime."

Gao Wen took a sip of milk and said slowly, "I don't really want to owe you too much, but if I can't find a place to rent soon, all my part-time work will be for nothing. I'm not making any money, I'm so busy, I can't even make ends meet."

Even if she lives a little further away, the hotels she finds acceptable cost four or five hundred a day.

I have to get up before dawn to put on makeup, rush to take a taxi to work, and in the end, I have nothing left.

Gao Wen felt that she could hardly go on living like this; she was too tired.

She desperately needed to rent a house and have a place to stay.

"What's there to owe?" Fang Han turned to look at her, frowning in disapproval.

"I've been looking at houses for so long, and I've never found one that's both so cheap and so good. And why isn't such a good property rented out?" Gao Wen asked, her dark eyes fixed on Fang Han.

Fang Han's lips tightened unconsciously, and his cheeks involuntarily heated up, as if he had been struck by an electric current. His heartbeat, which had finally calmed down, started pounding violently again.

Under Gao Wen's burning gaze, he honestly confessed: "I have a spare tablet that he needs. When he heard that I was looking for a place for you, he offered to lower the rent as a way of offsetting it."

After Fang Han finished speaking, he said softly, "Even if the rent isn't reduced, I'll still give him the tablet. You don't need to feel like you owe me anything. Once the contract expires, you can move out when you find something more suitable."

“Okay,” Gao Wen said knowingly, smiling and giving him a thumbs up. “You’re generous and a good person.”

That's what she thought too. She wanted to take a break and catch her breath before slowly looking for a place to live. It's only been two and a half months. Fang Han is very busy, and so is she. If they don't make a fuss, they probably won't have much contact.

Fang Han: "......"

His reading comprehension skills are quite good, but at this moment he couldn't discern whether it was praise or criticism.

"Are you hungry?" Gao Wen asked.

"Are you hungry?" Fang Han asked with concern.

"..." Gao Wen nodded with a smile, "Yes, I'll treat you to dinner. Would you like to come with me?"

Finding an apartment has been her top priority lately. Once she figured it out and resolved this major issue, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Gao Wen was busy today and only ate a piece of bread for dinner. She is in a good mood now, and although she only eats a low-fat meal for dinner, she suddenly has a craving for something to eat.

"Sure." Fang Han never refused her.

The two walked side by side toward the entrance of the residential area.

The orange light elongated their shadows, and amidst the chirping of insects, their conversations and low, clear laughter were occasionally heard.

Even in the early hours of the morning, the neon lights in this bustling area were still as bright as day.

The two entered a chain late-night snack restaurant with a retro decor and individual open private rooms, which Gao Wen found very satisfactory.

"Please take a look and see what you'd like to eat. Here's a menu, or you can order by scanning a QR code." The waiter brought over tea, snacks, and fruit, greeting them with a smile.

"Thank you." Gao Wen saw Fang Han scan the QR code, so she reached out and took his phone, placing it aside.

Her movements were so fast that Fang Han stared at her in a daze.

Gao Wen shoved her phone into his hand and raised her voice, "Last time we agreed that I would treat you, but you beat me to it again. This time it has to be me who treats you. Consider it as if you found me a place, otherwise I'll feel bad and won't be comfortable living there."

“I’m doing quite well with my part-time job, and I earn more than I do at my regular job. You don’t need to worry about me not being able to afford this small amount of money.”

Fang Han looked at the phone that was handed to him, smiled and nodded, "I understand."

"Hmm." Gao Wen pushed his foldable phone further away and looked down at the menu, trying to figure out what she wanted to eat.

Fang Han's attention wasn't on the menu at all; he could feel the lingering warmth of her on the phone, so intense that his palms were slightly sweaty.

He glanced at Gao Wen out of the corner of his eye. She was looking down at the menu, her slender, fair fingers gliding lightly across it, studying it intently.

The shop was bustling and noisy, but Fang Han could clearly hear his own heart pounding. He could never control the flutter in his heart when he was with her.

"Senior, what would you like to eat?" Gao Wen leaned forward and suddenly looked up to ask.

Fang Han's breathing became erratic, and he couldn't help but smile as he said, ".....Let's get the signature dish, the taste can't be bad."

"That's true."

......

This time, Fang Han didn't try to pay the bill with Gao Wen; she kept her eyes on him the whole time. His phone lit up, and he instinctively reached for it, but seeing Gao Wen's gaze, he chuckled and withdrew his hand.

Besides, Gao Wen had already said that, and he didn't want her to feel bad about it.

Everything he did was simply out of a desire to help her and do what was best for her.

It was quite late after we finished our late-night snack.

At this hour, Gao Wen's biological clock had long since passed. As soon as she walked out of the late-night snack shop, she kept yawning, and her eyelids felt heavy.

She could only find a hotel nearby.

Fang Han was worried about her being alone, so he went with her.

"Hello, could you please give me your ID card?" the receptionist greeted with a smile.

"Here you go." Gao Wen handed over her ID card.

The receptionist glanced at her, then at Fang Han beside her, and politely reminded her, "For couples checking in, both of your ID cards are required."

Upon hearing this, Gao Wen and Fang Han were both embarrassed and confused. Gao Wen felt her face burning and her mind going blank.

Even in her previous life, she and Fang Han had never shared a room together.

"She lives alone, I don't live there. I'll walk her to her room and wait for her to go in before coming down," Fang Han explained calmly, his hands clenching slightly as his breathing became erratic.

"If you check in, we need to enter your information. This is our job, so please understand," the receptionist said with a smile, as if she had seen it all before.

Gao Wen opened her mouth, about to say something, when the receptionist smiled and handed her the room key with both hands: "Eleventh floor, 1105. The elevator is on the right, go straight ahead. Have a pleasant stay."

".....Thanks."

As Gao Wen took the room key and walked towards the elevator, she could still feel the receptionist watching her from behind. The receptionist seemed to sigh helplessly, as if to say: "Just a young girl, she'll calm down after booking a few more rooms."

Gao Wen felt inexplicably embarrassed and awkward, to the point that she and Fang Han felt somewhat uncomfortable in the elevator.

Fang Han wasn't much better off. After exiting the elevator, he deliberately slowed down a step to keep a distance from Gao Wen. When he reached the door, he was a good two steps away from her.

As Gao Wen opened the door and went in, Fang Han couldn't help but remind her again: "Remember to lock the door from the inside. Call me if anything happens."

These words made Gao Wen, who was eager to enter, slow down and lean out halfway to say to Fang Han, "Senior, I understand. You should go back now."

"Hmm." Fang Han didn't linger and turned to leave.

"Bang--"

Fang Han stopped his hurried steps only after the door behind him closed. He turned around and stared at the door with burning eyes for a long time.

The thought of Gao Wen moving in to share an apartment and the two of them seeing each other often made Fang Han feel exceptionally happy, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Behind the door, Gao Wen leaned against it, her hands cupping her face. Thinking about what the receptionist had just said, she felt utterly ashamed and indignant. She was both angry and embarrassed. She walked to the bed, threw herself onto it, buried her face in the covers, and muttered, "What the hell was that?!"

A note from the author:

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Sorry, this chapter has been revised several times, so it's a bit late.

I'll send out 100 red envelopes.