Chapter 4, Section 04: "Cohabitation Agreement."...

Pei Shuwen made a preliminary judgment on Lin Chaoyue's personality, knowing that although she was not the kind of hopeless rich second generation.

So he's not in a hurry.

After work, I took a shower before returning to the living room.

The expected course of action is to begin a new round of 'negotiations'.

But the girl had fallen asleep at some point. Her high ponytail had come loose and hung down lazily. She was half-curled up, her slender wrists supporting her chin, and the beads hanging from them had slipped down to her forearms.

He stood in front of her, just enough to block the light from shining on her face.

The sleeping girl was unaware of the changing light and remained in her rather 'well-behaved' sleeping position.

Pei Shuwen had his phone clutched in his hand the whole time, and it rang just then. He answered it immediately but didn't say anything.

A hurried voice came from the other end: "I just found out! That little brat from the Lin family is having a blast abroad! She's probably not someone to mess with. Do you think she'll be able to get the job smoothly? I hope she doesn't turn our law firm upside down!"

Pei Shuwen knelt down, picked up the 'employment agreement' that had fallen on the floor, and turned to the last page.

The last blank page was already signed with the name 'Lin Chaoyue', the three characters clean and elegant, far more demure than the person herself.

There was only a rustling sound on the other end of the phone, but no reply from Pei Shuwen. Zhao Huai'an's heart skipped a beat, so he tentatively asked, "You're not with that little devil, are you?"

Pei Shuwen said softly, "Mm."

Zhao Huai'an suddenly lowered his voice: "Did you send over the documents that your assistant printed? Did it cause you any delays?"

"No delay, I can start work smoothly."

"That strong? That little brat didn't cause any trouble or run away?"

They didn't cause any trouble, but judging from the door not being closed properly, they were probably planning to run away. As for why they didn't run away, it's not hard to guess.

Whether he can bring down the law firm remains to be seen, since he was in the wrong for coaxing people into signing the papers.

Lin Chaoyue's new residence is downstairs from Pei Shuwen's house.

Having been shocked by the series of events yesterday, she accepted the result very calmly.

Since the 'contract of servitude' has already been signed, living next door isn't a big deal.

But when Lin Chaoyue finally adjusted to the time difference and got out of bed, she vaguely saw the stairs next to the study door, and suddenly she changed her mind...

The clattering sounds of people climbing the stairs, along with the forceful pushing of doors, made Pei Shuwen, who was about to eat lunch, stop what she was doing.

Has she woken up?

He looked up and saw Lin Chaoyue wearing only a cartoon nightgown, her slippers were on backwards, her hair was messy, and although her eyes were swollen, they were wide open, making her look like a frightened, ruffled kitten.

After their eyes met, Lin Chaoyue couldn't help but let out a sharp scream: "Aaaaaah, you pervert! How come our two houses are connected! Why isn't this door locked! Are you up to no good and trying to take advantage of me?!"

Faced with Lin Chaoyue's 'accusations'.

Pei Shuwen remained as calm as ever, which made it seem as if she were being unreasonable.

Pei Shuwen glanced at Lin Chaoyue, who was standing there with her hands clenched tightly, ignored her 'dissatisfaction', got up and served her another bowl of rice, placing it opposite her, and also added a pair of chopsticks.

Pei Shuwen: "Haven't eaten yet? Sit down and join us?"

The invitation came very naturally, as if they were very familiar old friends.

It has to be said that this trick worked very well, especially when Lin Chaoyue smelled the aroma of food in the house and noticed the exquisite stir-fries on the table not far away, she became completely quiet.

She was very hungry. Extremely hungry.

She'd been jet-lagged and slept like a log for the past two days, barely waking up, otherwise she wouldn't have only just realized that her house and Pei Shuwen's house were connected.

The only thing she ate after waking up was the honey toast she had taken from the international flight. But the toast on the European and American flights was too sweet, sickeningly sweet, so she only ate two bites before throwing it in the trash.

Lin Chaoyue swallowed hard. After struggling internally, she finally sat down opposite Pei Shuwen without any backbone, her questioning tone much weaker.

"You still haven't explained how the upstairs and downstairs floors are connected?"

Pei Shuwen poured her another glass of juice: "Eat first, we'll talk after you've eaten."

"oh."

She nodded silently, picking up her rice bowl while reassuring herself: Pei Shuwen lives here and won't run away, but the food will get cold if she doesn't eat it soon...

Pei Shuwen's cooking skills were truly excellent and quite extravagant. She prepared four dishes and a soup for herself, and each dish was delicious and visually appealing. Throughout the meal, she kept her head buried in her rice bowl, as if she had forgotten about what had just happened.

Pei Shuwen had already noticed that Lin Chaoyue's personality was somewhat complacent and easygoing.

But judging from her appearance, she was even more confused than he had imagined. He didn't know how such powerful families as Zhong and Lin could raise a daughter with this kind of personality, but he was afraid that this problem would have to be corrected if she was sent to him.

Pei Shuwen put down her chopsticks after finishing her meal.

Upon hearing the voice, Lin Chaoyue immediately looked up: "Are you finished eating?"

They are quite good at reading people's expressions.

However, he had a meeting in the afternoon and didn't have time to beat around the bush with her: "Well, it is indeed necessary to clarify the house issue with you, but I didn't bother you these past two days because you've been adjusting to the time difference."

Lin Chaoyue unconsciously sat up straight and put down her chopsticks. She suddenly had a bad feeling.

Pei Shuwen ignored Lin Chaoyue's nervousness and said to herself, "I've talked to Aunt Zhong, and she wants you to live in the law firm's staff dormitory directly. However, the dormitory conditions are relatively simple, and it's a four-person room. I guess you won't be used to it."

A four-person room? Really? Lin Chaoyue realized she had underestimated Ms. Zhong's ruthlessness. She had never lived in a four-person room when she was in university in China.

I was shocked and a little sad.

This time, she absolutely didn't want to eat anymore. She even lowered her hands from the table.

Seeing that Lin Chaoyue was 'frightened' by just one sentence, Pei Shuwen softened his attitude: "This community is relatively close to Juntian Liangmu. I bought a duplex originally, and I'm giving you the downstairs floor so it will be more convenient for you to go to work later."

"The door you just pushed open has its lock on your side. You can lock it if you find it inconvenient. I don't usually use that door."

"If you still find it inconvenient, you can apply for dormitory accommodation directly with the human resources department after you join the company, and they will take you to the new accommodation."

"Any other questions?" Pei Shuwen asked her.

Lin Chaoyue discovered that her sixth sense was indeed very accurate, and it was always right, even when it was bad. Pei Shuwen had already said so much, what other questions could she possibly have? Her parents had not only suspended her credit card, but also ordered everyone in her small circle not to lend her any money.

She's practically penniless now.

The only valuable things are the wines I have collected abroad, but those wines haven't been airlifted back yet.

Lin Chaoyue, being very pragmatic, replied, "No problem."

"I have one more question."

"What?" Lin Chaoyue was puzzled.

She's all fine, so what else could Pei Shuwen possibly need?

Soon, she saw Pei Shuwen take out the 'cohabitation agreement' that he had shown her that day.

Lin Chaoyue: "..." What's going on? Wasn't it supposed to be a choice between marriage and a job? Is this a change of heart?

Pei Shuwen ignored Lin Chaoyue's barely concealed thoughts and pushed the agreement in front of her: "Look, I've revised this agreement, and it's a bit different from the one you saw the other day."

Lin Chaoyue opened the agreement in front of her with some skepticism and began to read it reluctantly.

Last time she only glanced at it quickly, but this time she was clearly much more attentive.

Then Lin Chaoyue discovered that it was more of a cohabitation contract than a 'cohabitation agreement'.

For example: 'During the employment of Yu Juntian Liangmu, Party B has the right to use the 3rd floor of Building 1 in Tianhe City. After leaving the company, Party B must move out within seven days and restore the room to its original condition'; 'During the cohabitation period between Party B and Party A, each party shall use their own floor and shall not trespass without cause... Party B shall respect the other party's right to privacy...'

Although most of the demands listed were directed at her, none of them were too excessive, and since she was living under someone else's roof, she could barely accept them.

Until she turned to the last page and saw the last item of the terms and conditions.

What's going on?

“No…” Lin Chaoyue’s fingertip landed on the line in the middle of the agreement, her expression indescribably complex: “What does this line mean?”

"What?" Pei Shuwen was surprised to see that Lin Chaoyue's face, which was originally only fair, was now flushed. He looked over quickly, his gaze sweeping over the spot where her fingertips had landed, and he understood immediately.

Pei Shuwen: "It means exactly what it says. Based on our current relationship, I think you should temporarily stop having some unnecessary romantic relationships to reduce most of the trouble. Of course, I don't object if you just want to have a normal relationship, but you may need to think about how to get past your parents. I have no obligation to cover for you."

Lin Chaoyue is just lazy, but she's not stupid. If she can't even understand this, then she's wasted her life.

This is clearly a blatant warning. She'll probably find out about her relationship with Pei Shuwen without hesitation, and combined with the ridiculous rumors coming back from abroad, her bank card will probably never be unblocked.

And what did he mean by that? When has she ever had a non-normal relationship?

Lin Chaoyue had reason to suspect that Pei Shuwen had also heard some rumors about her.

She gave a forced smile: "Don't you also rule out the possibility that you've exaggerated?"

After careful consideration, Pei Shuwen said, "If necessary, I will most likely prioritize protecting my own rights. I hope you can understand."

The man's frankness startled Lin Chaoyue. She wanted to negotiate, but before she could speak, she realized she had no bargaining chips at all.

In the end, all I could do was forcefully say, "I'll think about it."

This is a phrase that often comes up at the negotiating table, but the person who says it is often the weaker, more compromising party.

Pei Shuwen knew perfectly well that this time would be no exception.

He calmly stood up and casually tossed out a sentence: "I'm not sure when I'll be back tonight. Sign the agreement and leave it in my study. Remember to do the dishes."

Lin Chaoyue thought that he was certain she would sign, as if he could see right through her. This feeling was terrible.

For once, the usually lazy Lin Chaoyue mustered up her fighting spirit, thinking that she couldn't just give in like this! She had to struggle a little longer.

Lin Chaoyue reached behind her and took out her phone from the hood of her nightgown.

[Brother Cong, give me some gold coins! I need to buy my freedom.]

[Yuebao, stop messing around. I'll transfer money to you one minute, and the next minute my husband, Lao Li, will cancel my card. Besides, you probably wouldn't even care about the little bit of money I have; it wouldn't even be enough for you to buy a few bottles of wine.]

Why don't you ask Weng Yao? She has multiple payment channels; she might be able to help you out.

She did want to find Yao Yao, but Yao Yao was busy with her violin tour recently, and she didn't dare tell Yao Yao about being scammed, for fear of affecting Yao Yao's performance.

Oh dear... Is fate going to kill her?

She simply refused to believe it...

A short while later, Li Cong received another message from Lin Chaoyue.

Please check the balance of this bank card for me [image].jpg

[Wow, Yuebao's got guts! She made money so quickly. Wait, I'll have you check it out for her right away.]

Lin Chaoyue wasn't in the mood for banter. She searched through her phone but couldn't find a single usable SIM card, so she could only pin her hopes on the one Pei Shuwen had given her.

Lawyers are such a noble profession, their salaries must be quite high, right?

That's enough for her to travel to the Northwest first; we'll talk about everything else when she gets back...

Five minutes later.

A message popped up in the dialog box.

Where did you get this card? It's even more shabby than mine.

【What's the meaning? 】

Li Cong didn't say anything, but directly sent over a screenshot of the account balance. Lin Chaoyue looked at the balance and fell silent instantly...

--

Pei Shuwen was in a discussion meeting when he received Lin Chaoyue's message.

He rarely deals with personal matters while working. Zhao Huai'an was talking to him about something important when he saw him looking down at his phone, so he leaned over and glanced at it as well.

"The bowl is broken? The new housekeeper we hired?" The picture on the phone showed a bowl broken all over the floor.

"no."

After casually replying to Lin Chaoyue's message, Pei Shuwen continued to look at the contract in his hand.

Lin Chaoyue never expected that washing a dish would lead to breaking Pei Shuwen's bowl.

She was thinking of giving him a gift and then taking the opportunity to bring up her salary, but he directly said it wasn't necessary and didn't even give her a chance to speak.

After finishing her tidying up, Lin Chaoyue thought it over and decided to call Pei Shuwen.

She seriously doubted she would survive the following week with that little money.

The meeting is still ongoing.

Before the contract details for the cooperation with Tenghui Group were finalized, Pei Shuwen's phone lit up. Uncharacteristically, he didn't hang up but instead announced a ten-minute break before continuing.

This was not like Pei Lu's usual behavior, and the conference room fell silent instantly.

After Pei Shuwen pushed open the door and went out, a commotion arose behind him, which even Lin Chaoyue on the other end of the phone could hear.

"Are you busy?" Lin Chaoyue asked somewhat guiltily.

"I'm busy, is there something you need?" Pei Shuwen had been using all his patience on Lin Chaoyue lately; if it were anyone else, he would have hung up immediately upon hearing this opening line.

"It's nothing, just that agreement. I signed it and put it in your study... I've also cleaned up the broken dishes." She had never worried about money before, and hesitated for a long time before deciding how to say it.

But the other side clearly didn't have the patience to wait for her.

Pei Shuwen glanced at the time: "There are still eight minutes and forty seconds before the next meeting starts. I suggest you get straight to the point."