Chapter 50
Cheng Yanjin had never taken anything to heart like this before.
In order to get Lin Langyi out of that cramped corner of the lounge as soon as possible, he was countless times glad that he had chosen the house in Dingpu Community.
All the boards used in the whole-house customization are high-grade environmentally friendly brand materials that meet ENF standards, are formaldehyde-free, and are ready for immediate occupancy.
Although he was at the temple, his mind was still preoccupied with the house. Even though he had paid an agent and a designer to complete a series of measurements and drawings, he still couldn't rest easy and reviewed everything carefully. Since it was his first time doing something like this, he consulted many friends to avoid any pitfalls.
Xiao Pucheng and Yuan Chuyu were naturally his primary mentors. In addition, since Yuan Fei was considered half a core employee of Ying Shan Lake after the design competition, Cheng Yanjin also brought in Yuan Yinghe, who used to pick up and drop off his sister every day.
He found it too troublesome to ask each person for their experience, so he created a separate group called "Love Nest," invited the three of them, and posted the final draft of the whole-house customization he had discussed and agreed upon with the designer in the group.
Starting May 25th, I'll be in seclusion for a month: [Do you guys have any suggestions? It's a place for Lin Langyi and me to live in. Our requirements are: aesthetically pleasing yet practical, cozy yet spacious. There's no upper limit to our budget.]
Xiao Pucheng stared wide-eyed at the huge words "Love Nest" in the group name, with two bright red hearts placed before and after them, looking very cheerful. He wondered if he could be so foolish as to "pat" Yuan Chuyu and make him come out and take a stroll in the group.
Yuan Yinghe spoke first.
Someone said: "You should ask Lin Langyi for her opinion."
I asked, and she said she's been too busy lately, so she told me to take full responsibility and she had no objection.
After sending that message, Cheng Yanjin was still not satisfied and forwarded his chat history with Lin Langyi to show off their affection: After Pearl finished speaking, she sent a cute cartoon emoji that said "I'll listen to you," which completely charmed him. He stared at the GIF and smiled like an idiot for a long time.
He didn't care whether the other three people in the group understood what he meant, and directly spoke up: "Men really need to pay more attention to these things. If they can't even handle something as simple as decorating a new house, how can they be a reliable husband!"
Xiao Pucheng watched nervously for a while and found that Yuan Chuyu had not posted a single comment in the group from beginning to end, so he could only grit his teeth and step in himself.
Xiao Cup Frappuccino: [What's wrong with you? Doesn't living together mean even less freedom? We can always think about buying a house later, right?]
This time, Cheng Yanjin didn't reply for a long time. Just as Xiao Pucheng was smugly sending a private message to Yuan Chuyu, saying, "I still have to remind him not to forget his original intentions," several messages popped up in the Love Nest group chat.
She didn't bother me much after that, probably after the bulk market incident. Her family's problems were resolved, so she was busy and didn't have time to bother me anymore.
But I actually feel a little uncomfortable with it.
[Last time I had dinner with Shi Qi and his group, they said that wives who don't check up on their husbands, go through their phones, or punish them by making them kneel on a keyboard after coming home late don't love their wives. They said that wives who are magnanimous and forgiving are heartless. So I think I made a mistake before.]
I'm planning to live with her. I'll come home earlier in the future, and if I really have to come home late, I'll bring her along to eat and play together. That way, she'll feel more at ease.
I think she's a good person now. The temple is so quiet; sometimes I really miss her.
A long! long! essay!
I want to express my heartfelt feelings!
Xiao Pucheng dared not read any further. He immediately exited the chat, clicked into his chat with Yuan Chuyu, and quickly retracted the sarcastic and boastful remark he had just made.
That's it, Jin Gou is finally starting to get it.
Yuan Chuyu still did not respond, neither in the group chat nor in his private chat with Xiao Pucheng.
Cheng Yanjin didn't find anything unusual. After all, Yuan Chuyu was in charge of Yingyuan and was always busy, unlike himself who just held Cheng's shares without doing anything. So it was perfectly normal for Yuan Chuyu not to reply immediately.
He continued to update the progress of their love nest in the group chat. Today, he had the agent schedule the gas connection and smart network system installation. Tomorrow, he would install the ceiling, lay the flooring, and seal the windows. In just five or six days, the furniture had already been moved in.
He didn't arrange all the furniture according to the designer's final design because some of the furniture needed to be custom-made to size, which would take time. He wanted Lin Langyi to move in as soon as possible so she wouldn't have to make do in that cramped lounge anymore.
He moved in all the essential furniture first, and even temporarily converted the entire children's room into a live-streaming studio. The adjacent walk-in closet was turned into Lin Langyi's dressing room, with a huge milky-white European-style dressing table.
The sofa and coffee table in the living room haven't been customized yet. Only the bed in the master bedroom, as well as the home furnishings in the bathroom and kitchen, are all in place. There's also the dining table and wardrobe, which were rushed out after a large sum of money was paid.
He didn't mind that some of the furniture wasn't a set; he could just buy other replacements first, which wouldn't affect Lin Langyi's use. The complete set could be replaced later once it was finished; at worst, he would just be buying an extra set of furniture.
Then came all kinds of home appliances.
In short, everything Lin Langyi needed was provided, while other items and home furnishings that should be in a household and were not in such a hurry were postponed.
Practicality is the most important thing. This is for her to live in, and we can add to it little by little later.
There is ample time.
Cheng Yanjin's WeChat was finally no longer filled with group chats for organizing parties. The number of WeChat messages from various designers, home decorators, and manufacturers gradually increased and frequently appeared at the top of his chat list.
Lin Langyi didn't care about the house. Sometimes he would ask her for her opinion, and eight out of ten times she would say "okay," "whatever," or "good." In the end, he still had to make the final decision.
He felt a little wronged, especially since he hesitated and repeatedly chose a dressing table for her, and even inquired about sales volume and after-sales service. As a result, he received a compliment from the designer: "You are the most caring and responsible husband I have ever met."
This statement did not make him happy, because the designer's next sentence was, "In general, women choose things like dressing tables and walk-in closets themselves, and some will even come to personally select their favorite lamps, wallpapers, and curtains."
Cheng Yanjin held his phone, staring at the message, and sulked for a long time.
What do they know! Lin Langyi is just too busy, not that she doesn't care!
She cares about him a lot!
He was sullen for a while, then went to the Love Nest group for comfort.
Psychology suggests that if you want to dissuade your best friend from breaking up with a bad boyfriend, you shouldn't keep saying "he's so bad," because that will make your best friend subconsciously recall the good things about her boyfriend, thus creating a psychological suggestion that "he's not bad to me."
So, to persuade your best friend to break up, you have to keep emphasizing that "he's really great," and then pick out two trivial and insignificant advantages to praise, so that your best friend, who is already angry, will refute his huge flaws that are not even in the same league, thus making your best friend decide to break up quickly on her own.
Xiao Pucheng felt he should be able to make full use of this theoretically validated psychological technique.
Unexpectedly, this little trick only works on normal people, and has absolutely no effect on those who are terminally ill or in the late stages of being love-struck.
Xiao Pucheng thought carefully for a long time but couldn't find any merits in Lin Langyi that he couldn't boast about, so he could only honestly praise her a couple of times: "Lin Langyi is beautiful..."
Cheng Yanjin quickly chimed in, his interest piqued: "Yes, you didn't know, did you? That idiot Guo Yan, who watches female internet celebrities and those suggestive videos all day, came to me at dinner that night to brag, but when he saw Lin Langyi, his eyes practically popped out of his head, and he kept asking around whose fan she was."
"That day, once I saw Lin Langyi, I couldn't pay attention to anyone else. If I could go back to that night, I would definitely gouge out Guo Yan's eyes and look at them, look at your grandpa! He should take a piss and look at himself in the mirror."
Xiao Pucheng: "...She has a good personality and doesn't fuss over trivial matters."
Cheng Yanjin continued, "That's right. I only realized how many friends she had after I got to know her better. Both boys and girls loved to hang out with her. She really has a great personality."
"I get angry when I argue with other people, but when I argue with her and she yells at me... it feels pretty good..."
Xiao Pucheng: ...It's all over, we're really done for.
Seeing that the group was about to start praising Boss Lin in every way again, Xiao Pucheng couldn't help but resort to his old trick and start pointing out her shortcomings: "But she has a strong personality."
Cheng Yanjin sent messages even faster this time, one after another flooding the screen; one could almost picture his fingers flying across the keyboard as he typed.
"So what if I'm assertive? I'm assertive too. We're a perfect match, a powerful family."
"Besides, being strong means you won't be bullied."
Xiao Pucheng: "She's also domineering towards you."
Cheng Yanjin said without hesitation: "I'll make her assertive!"
Alright, pointing out the pros and cons won't save someone who's obsessed with love.
Cheng Yanjin, completely oblivious, was still happily showing off their affection: "You guys don't know, but sometimes her assertiveness is the kind of sudden surprise. Like last time I scraped my hand on the stair plank, she pressed me down and kissed me to change my bandage..."
"Can you please stop commenting on a girl all the time in a group of men?" Yuan Chuyu suddenly appeared in the group chat, each word icy cold. "Have you gone crazy from being locked up? Have you forgotten the rule you set for your own gatherings where men don't talk about women?"
The group chat suddenly fell silent.
Xiao Pucheng dared not utter a sound, and Yuan Yinghe remained silent.
Cheng Yanjin, however, was in a good mood lately and everything looked pleasing to the eye. He immediately changed his tune: "Okay, okay, let's not talk about it. So, Brother Yu, you finally have time to look at your phone? Help me see if this bedside table looks better with rounded corners or square legs?"
"This is placed in the master bedroom that Lin Langyi and I share."
Yuan Chuyu, a man of few words, replied: "I don't know."
Cheng Yanjin said with concern, "I remember the bedside table in your room was quite nice. I'll go take a look next time and have them make a sample."
Yuan Chuyu has stopped replying.
Cheng Yanjin teased someone in the group chat: "Ying He, have you been picking up and dropping off Yuan Fei at Ying Shan Lake a lot lately? If it's convenient, could you sign for the furniture for me when it's delivered? I can't go out, and Lin Langyi is busy too."
Yuan Yinghe readily agreed.
"I have a spare key in the locker in the security room corresponding to the door number. The password is 1602, which is the door number."
Yuan Yinghe: "Okay, call me if you need anything."
*
Lin Langyi called a moving company to move all her personal belongings to apartment 1602 in Dingpu Community. When she went to get the key from the locker as usual, she found a document in the mailbox next to it asking Ms. Lin Yingshanhu to sign for it.
She was a little confused. She had never lived in this house before, and she couldn't even say the exact address right away. How could documents suddenly be sent here?
She opened the package as she rode the elevator. Inside were the complete purchase contract, property certificate, and other relevant documents. There was also a set of keys at the bottom of the file.
Lin Langyi thought it was from 1602, so he casually took it out, only to find that the key was completely different from the one he had.
More importantly, someone had attached a fluffy, miniature black kitten to the keychain, with a small white patch on its front paws, and it would meow when its tail was pinched.
She paused, a bad feeling slowly rising in her heart.
Upon opening the property certificate, it was indeed found that this was an apartment in the building opposite Dingpu Community.
The name of the homeowner was clearly listed as hers alone.
The fully transparent elevator continued to ascend floor by floor. She turned around quickly and looked across the street, thankfully not seeing any lights on in that apartment.
She had just breathed a sigh of relief when she pulled out her phone, ready to confront him.
The elevator opened with a "ding," and before turning to leave, she glanced at the apartment below.
A tall, slender man leaned against the balcony, revealing a section of his pale, thin wrist. The living room behind him was brightly lit, obscuring his face in the darkness, except for the sharp, defined lines of his jawline visible through the interplay of light and shadow.
She stopped completely in her tracks.
When the time came, the elevator doors closed again.
Lin Langyi stared at the opposite side without moving. After a while, she found someone in the list and sent them a question mark.
Almost simultaneously, the wooden tiered flower racks displaying flowers and plants on the balcony gleamed.
The person finally moved lazily.
He glanced at the light source, pulled his legs back, straightened his upper body, and reached out his arm to hook the phone.
Backlit, the hand with its distinct knuckles appeared even longer and more beautiful.
He turned on the screen, illuminating one eye, and as he lowered his eyelids to look down at the information, a long crease appeared at the corner of his eye.
He finished typing with one hand, quickly turned off his phone, and continued to prop his elbow up with his chin as he looked at her.
Y: [All the keys are with you, and the house is only registered in your name. It's your house.]
Pearl: ?
Y: [If you have a fight and are unhappy, you can go back to your own home.]
Y: [It's okay if we don't argue.]
Pearl: [So you bought a set downstairs too?]
Y: [No, this is a client's home. I did originally want to buy it, but after thinking about it, I decided against it.]
Y: [I know you don't want to see me...]
Lin Langyi's temples twitched. She stopped talking, turned around, pressed the elevator button, and walked out without looking back.
She held the entire set of housing information in her hand. It wasn't appropriate to leave these things in her and Cheng Yanjin's house, lest he ask too many questions.
After much thought, I'll have to slip it into the office when I respond to Shanhu tomorrow.
Just as Lin Langyi threw the entire file folder onto the dining table, Cheng Yanjin called via video call.
She took the call, bent her knees and placed them on the chair, leaned back, and silently pushed the file bag backward with her other hand.
"Are you going to do a live stream today?"
"Okay, let's test it out later."
Cheng Yanjin called her from his bed. The lights in the room had been turned off long ago, and the dim light was only enough to make out the upper half of his face.
Lin Langyi stared at the person in the small video frame, but in her mind floated another eye that was backlit and indistinct.
She curled her fingers and silently flicked open the file bag that could never have accidentally wandered into the video. The fluffy kitten rolled around once, its tail drooping softly on the table.
"Do you like the house?" he asked again.
Once inside, Lin Langyi's mind was filled with the house across the street that had seemingly fallen from the sky. She had no interest in taking a stroll around. All she could do was smile and nod, saying, "I like it."
The person in the video was visibly happy, because while lying down, his long hair, which had been confined for almost a month, was bent up and sticking out in a somewhat adorable way.
"I have to go now, I need to test the equipment too." Seeing that he had nothing else to do, Lin Lang took the initiative to end the conversation, "You should go to sleep early too."
Cheng Yanjin nodded, his hair rubbing against the pillow with a soft "rustling" sound.
The video call ended, but he was wide awake. He skillfully opened the live streaming app, clicked on the first result in the search bar, and started watching Ying Shan Lake Pearl's live stream.
Lin Langyi has been so busy lately, and he's been locked up, so it's really hard to see him. Luckily, he can catch a glimpse of his face in the live stream.
The products launched by Yingshanhu for the competition have been well received. If the purpose of live streaming in the past was to increase sales, now the purpose of live streaming is to make Yingshanhu a well-known brand.
Because it aspires to be selected as one of the second batch of national characteristic towns, Yingshanhu has long responded to environmental protection policies such as the "Five Waters Co-Governance" initiative and undergone transformation. Once cash flow from the bulk commodity market arrived, it expanded rapidly, perfectly aligning with mainstream trends. Consequently, the town government and relevant departments in City A have placed considerable hope in Yingshanhu, providing some policy support and preferential treatment.
The number of viewers in the live stream was unprecedented, and Cheng Yanjin's newly registered account was like a drop in the ocean, submerged in the numerous bullet comments.
He rested one hand behind his head, with a neckband-style earphone around his neck, watching Lin Langyi promote Yingshan Lake and pearl products on his small phone screen.
With more people, the chances of encountering argumentative individuals are also higher.
Some accounts kept using the live stream to promote "same products at lower prices" elsewhere, which quickly led to arguments with some of their fans.
Normally, a live stream room has a team, but today Lin Langyi changed the venue for her first live stream, and she was all alone. She didn't have the energy to manage the team, so she just focused on introducing the content herself.
She remained calm, but Cheng Yanjin was anything but calm.
He couldn't stand a single dissenting word. Seeing those troublemakers nagging, his years of gaming speed finally kicked in. For every insult someone else hurled, he could unleash ten, each one different. Soon, the chat was flooded with "666".
Those accounts temporarily disappeared and stopped appearing in front of him, but Cheng Yanjin was still furious and wanted to curse again, only to find that his account had been reported and banned for using too much vulgar language.
He was dumbfounded. Now he could only watch anxiously from the sidelines. He was worried that the troublemakers in the live stream would come back after he could no longer speak. He quickly got out of bed and went straight to Chu Hong's room to wake him up. He then registered a new account using Chu Hong's phone number.
Chu Hong sat on the bed, still dazed, clutching the blanket. He stared blankly as Cheng Yanjin, full of energy, registered an account, logged back in on his own phone, and then tossed the phone to him.
"elder brother?"
"It's okay." Cheng Yanjin pressed him back down, pulled the blanket over him completely, and patted Chu Hong's face through the blanket. "Go to sleep, I'm leaving."
He walked towards his room, his attention focused on the live stream, where an account called "Black Butterfly is a Pretty Kitten" was managing the flow.
This person didn't utter a single swear word when speaking, and his tone was gentle and calm, leaving no room for criticism. Yet, he subtly steered the pace, and soon the chaotic little episode from before was over.
Cheng Yanjin clicked into the "Black Butterfly Shell" account and found that the account had a very high level of intimacy, indicating that it was a loyal fan, which made his liking for it increase once again.
That's what you call a true fan.
He used his newly registered alternate account to add this "Black Butterfly Shell" as a friend, only to find that the other party had set it to not add friends.
Cheng Yanjin thought for a moment, then clicked on the "Black Butterfly Shell" avatar and zoomed in. It was still completely black. He adjusted the brightness to the maximum before realizing that it was a kitten's black cat ears.
He glanced at the nickname again and understood:
I own a cat.
Cheng Yanjin had heard that people who own cats and dogs are particularly loving and loyal. He thought this big fan seemed really nice and didn't want to miss this opportunity to win over and support Lin Langyi's fan club. So, he could only settle for second best and send her a private message first:
"You also have excellent taste in Yingshan Lake pearls? Can we add each other as friends?"
The message had been sitting in the input box for five minutes without being sent. Cheng Yanjin felt that these few words were more difficult than writing an 800-word essay when he was in school.
He returned to his room, sat on the edge of the bed and thought about it, feeling that his approach was not very "professional".
He's now someone who's read his own fan page from beginning to end, so he knows what fans are like on a daily basis. He also knows that big fans don't open up to each other easily. To become a friend, one must first show loyalty and demonstrate absolute understanding of the idol in order to gain fan status.
Most importantly, how could a fan who buys pearls be male?!
These kinds of accessories, like pearl waist chains and jingling floral patterns, are definitely things girls like.
Cheng Yanjin first deleted his usual opening line "brothers" and awkwardly typed "sisters" instead.
After pausing for seven or eight seconds, he followed behind with a livid face, accompanied by three or four cute emojis holding hearts.
He started lying: "Sister, I also really like Ying Shan Lake's pearls. I've had an account for a long time, ever since Miss Lin started streaming. I'm at the same 'Beloved' level as you, but I got banned for swearing. The person who swore just now was me, and I got banned too. I see you're also at the 'Beloved' level. Can we add each other as friends? If anyone causes trouble in the live stream, we can fight back together."
Wow! They even use technical jargon! That'll make them blend perfectly into the fanbase!
After typing this, Cheng Yanjin felt satisfied that it was somewhat presentable, but the most important part was yet to come.
Why would a big fan believe a new fan based on just a short essay? They must have some exceptional qualities.
For example, it attracted a wealthy woman who could spend thousands or even tens of thousands of albums on the artist.
Cheng Yanjin placed a huge order directly in the live broadcast room.
After the order was placed, before the "Black Butterfly Shell" could react, Lin Langyi had already reacted.
She repeatedly reminded the account that "not a puppy, but a big, fierce dog" to make sure they had filled in the correct quantity when placing the order.
Cheng Yanjin waved his hand and typed: "That's right, support the streamer."
After posting this, the other viewers in the live stream understood and started spamming "Number One on the Ranking" and "Rich Woman". Cheng Yanjin got carried away by the praise and placed another order.
"Shop rationally! Shop rationally!" Lin Langyi waved and gestured repeatedly at the camera. "Thank you for your love and support. As long as you are here, Ying Shan Lake will continue to dedicate itself to bringing you all kinds of different products."
There must have been a spotlight in front of her, so when she looked at the camera, it looked like a whole sky full of stars had fallen into her pupils.
Cheng Yanjin felt that she could see directly into his heart through the camera lens.
She said, "I've always been here, and I hope you've always been here too."
With a "thud," Cheng Yanjin loosened his grip, and the phone fell directly onto his abdomen. The only source of light was gone, and the room was plunged into darkness.
He paused for two seconds, raised his arm to cover his eyes, and lay silently for a while.
Her clear voice continued to come from the phone. He lay on the bed listening to her tell her story. He didn't know how long he rested before he picked up his phone again and sent all the orders to "Black Butterfly Shell".
Less than five minutes later, the other person replied with "Mm" and then sent a friend request.
Cheng Yanjin finally got his wish and added this big fan of "Black Butterfly Shell" as a friend.
The person on the other end wasn't coy or pretentious; they immediately handed over a whole table, clearly listing every product that had appeared in the live stream, complete with screenshots and brief descriptions.
How is this any different from writing down an actor's achievements?
Cheng Yanjin was filled with respect and immediately felt that he had not chosen the wrong person.
Another image followed, showing Lin Langyi's live stream schedule, which was quite clear.
Hiss... Cheng Yanjin gasped. It seems he's not a fan of Ying Shanhu, but a die-hard fan of Lin Langyi.
Black Butterfly Shell is a beautiful kitten: [Sometimes I have things to do at night and can't keep an eye on things right away.]
Cheng Yanjin immediately pictured a meticulous older sister in his mind. Something to do tonight? Maybe she's married and has to take care of household chores tonight.
After all, male fans are mostly just shouting slogans and getting freebies. If an idol has a predominantly male fanbase, they're doomed. But if female fans make up the vast majority, then they're invincible. This is because female fans are generally dedicated to their idol's success and genuinely want them to have a bright future.
Not a puppy, but a big, fierce dog: [I know, sis. I'm free at night these days, I'll keep an eye on things.]
The other party isn't replying again.
Cheng Yanjin clicked on the product introduction image, and the more he looked at it, the more impressed he became. Finally, he politely sent a message: "Sister, thank you for your hard work. If there's a chance in the future, like when we talked about giving away free food and accommodation to lucky customers visiting Yingshan Lake during the live stream, I'll treat you to a meal and take you on a three-day tour of City A. Satisfaction guaranteed."
After a long pause, the other end coldly replied: "No need, I'm also from City A."
Cheng Yanjin felt even more connected and enthusiastically sent another message: 【What a coincidence! Maybe we've even bumped into each other on the street before.】
The other party stopped replying.
Cheng Yanjin then realized that the live stream had ended.
No wonder, that's why the big fan also promptly went offline.
It's alright. Cheng Yanjin felt that he had done another good deed for Lin Langyi today. With such a big fan, she would definitely get the qualification to visit in the future. Even if she didn't, he would pay for a ticket for her himself.
It won't be too late to thank them in person later as a member of Lin Langyi's family.
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