Chapter 106
In the afternoon, Lin Ting brought over a rental agreement, which was covered with densely written rental terms.
Chen Zhiyi picked it up and read it word by word. "The first clause is that rent must be paid during the rental period, at ten thousand per day!" When he read this, his voice rose sharply, and he looked at Lin Ting with an incredulous expression.
Lin Ting smiled, she was doing it on purpose, "What? You think it's too expensive?" She crossed her arms and raised her chin toward the door, "Then hurry up and move out."
Chen Zhiyi smiled and leaned closer, "I wouldn't care if you had a few more zeros."
Lin Ting immediately stepped aside, creating a safe distance, and asked, "Then why were you so surprised just now?"
"Aren't renting a place usually done on a monthly basis? Why do I have to pay by the day? I don't mind paying by the year."
“I have a problem. If the lockdown is lifted tomorrow, you should move out.”
Chen Zhiyi understood; it meant he wouldn't give him a reason to stay an extra day.
How do I transfer money? WeChat transfer?
Lin Ting took out a bank card. "Let's pay today's rent first."
Chen Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, thinking he could take this opportunity to add her back as a WeChat friend, but he was wrong.
When Chen Zhiyi tried to transfer money but couldn't, he looked up at her and asked, "It says the account name is incorrect?"
"Losing Qin Wei's name."
"This isn't your card?" Chen Zhiyi blurted out, then suddenly realized something. More than surprise, he felt regret. He asked incredulously, "So you've been using other people's cards for the past few years?"
No wonder the private investigator couldn't find any spending records of Lin Ting. She had anticipated that someone would try to find out about her, so she had already avoided it and thought of a countermeasure.
She was prepared never to see herself again in her life.
Lin Ting remained silent, clearly acquiescing.
Chen Zhiyi's heart suddenly pounded with pain, and he was so upset that he couldn't speak for a moment.
Han Ming's words were absolutely right. How utterly incompetent must I have been to cause such great harm to the woman I love, to the point that I have to cover up all traces of myself?
Seeing his solemn and guilty expression, Lin Ting didn't want to argue with him about this. How she wanted to live her life was none of his business.
"What if you don't want to transfer it?" Before he could finish speaking, a message popped up on his phone: a transfer of 5 million yuan. She stared at him in shock. "Are you crazy? Transferring so much? You're the only one with money?"
Chen Zhiyi took out his bank card and placed it in Lin Ting's hand. "Unfortunately, the daily transfer limit for this card is 5 million. The money in the card should be enough for me to live here for ten or twenty years without any problem. In the future, my income will also be directly deposited into this card. I will renew the lease indefinitely."
Lin Ting shook off the card, knowing his ability to pester people, but he didn't expect him to be this persistent.
Chen Zhiyi continued reading, "The second rule is that you are not allowed to enter any room without permission."
Puzzled, I asked, "Then where will I sleep?"
Lin Ting pointed to the living room sofa and the balcony, "Choose one."
Chen Zhiyi chuckled, rubbing his forehead. "Since you think I'm pitiful, you should at least give me a blanket."
Qin Wei couldn't bear to watch any longer and said weakly, "Brother Chen, you can sleep in the same room as me. It's winter now, and it's too cold to sleep in the living room."
Chen Zhiyi put his hand under the table and gave Qin Wei a thumbs-up, which Qin Wei smiled with narrowed eyes.
The two looked like close buddies, which showed how deep their friendship was.
Lin Ting took out a pen and changed it, "You are not allowed to enter my room."
Chen Zhiyi: "Are you afraid I'll peek at you? But what part of your body haven't I seen? Three years isn't a long time, I remember it very clearly."
Lin Ting's face flushed red. He was very good at saying vulgar things in a calm tone, "Watch your words, there are children here."
"He's almost twenty years old, he's not a child anymore, he knows everything he should know."
"Shut up."
Chen Zhiyi: "The third point is that we will not interfere with each other's work and life."
Lin Ting: "During the day, we'll have separate areas. You'll be in the living room, while I'll be in the bedroom and that other room."
Chen Zhiyi peeked through the crack in the door and saw that it was pitch black inside. He assumed it was a storage room. "You don't need to hide from me and lock yourself in the storage room. Don't worry, I won't disturb you while you're in the living room."
Qin Wei explained, "That room is where my sister films videos and does live streams; she works every day."
She even showed Chen Zhiyi Lin Ting's video account, saying, "This is my sister's video account; she's super popular."
With over eight million followers, he's definitely a top-tier short video blogger. In just a few years, the self-media landscape has been reshaped, with short videos featuring quick reflexes and TikTok gaining popularity, making everyone a potential director and actor.
Chen Zhiyi, with his academic background, has strict requirements for video shooting. He is indifferent to the various short videos that flood the internet at night, seeing them as nothing more than the public's self-entertainment. Therefore, he has not downloaded these apps and does not pay attention to them.
Although "Little Ears" has already taken the lead in short dramas, it is also being released on mainstream video websites and is a horizontal short drama. Some people in the company have suggested that we could focus on vertical short dramas and release them on these short video apps, because what the masses like is the most profitable.
But Chen Zhiyi had not agreed. At this moment, he really wanted to pry open her brain to see if it was full of shit. If he had paid attention earlier, he would have seen Lin Ting's video account. Although she was wearing a mask and only showing her profile or her hand in the videos, he recognized her at a glance.
To put it bluntly, he would recognize her even if she were reduced to ashes.
What a waste of those three years!
Filled with regret.
Lin Ting put her phone away, her tone dismissive, "It's not as professional as yours, no need to keep an eye on it."
Chen Zhiyi choked up for a moment, then changed the subject, "Why did you choose the name Teacher Ye Zi?"
Lin Ting looked at him coldly, "Because I want to. If I wanted to, I could also call her Teacher Flower or Teacher Grass."
So there was no special meaning behind it, and Chen Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't interfere with whatever you do, I will only support you unconditionally. I went abroad to study directing a couple of years ago, so I have a more professional understanding of video camera movement, shot composition, transitions, lighting, etc. I also directed a drama myself. If you can't handle it all by yourself, I can help you with the filming."
Thinking back to the learning goals they set together three years ago—one to study directing and the other to study fashion design—only he achieved them. He kept saying he couldn't live without her, yet he was still doing just fine and hadn't given up on anything he wanted to do. Lin Ting couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating.
"No need. My video shooting is just a small-scale operation, and I don't need the professional skills you've worked so hard to learn."
The repeated use of "you" made Chen Zhiyi feel a pang of sadness, but he didn't dare to say anything, afraid of provoking her again.
The agreement also states, "No one is allowed to pry into your private life; be careful to avoid prying into others' privacy when making phone calls; showers must be done separately, with specific times for each shower specified; be mindful of your clothing, no exposed shoulders or knees, etc. Additional clauses may be added at any time as circumstances change, and Lin Ting reserves the right of final interpretation."
It's a very good rental agreement, with everything clearly defined.
Without hesitation, Chen Zhiyi signed the document, obeying without question.
Just then, Lin Ting's phone rang, and Chen Zhiyi glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was "Han Ming".
Lin Ting caught this glance and pointed to the third rule, "No prying into other people's private affairs, and be careful to avoid prying during phone calls."
Chen Zhiyi pursed his lips, got up and walked to the balcony, but his ears were still perked up.
Han Ming: "I saw the package wasn't signed for. Didn't you go pick it up?"
Lin Ting: "Our area is also under lockdown, we can't get out."
Han Mingxin's heart tightened. "Then?"
Lin Ting: "It's okay. We can't go out anyway, and we don't need masks at home. For disinfection, we still have white vinegar and moxa sticks at home. Burning them will also work."
Han Ming: "What about the food and supplies at home?"
Lin Ting: "We can hold out for a while now."
Han Ming: "I just saw on the news that the higher authorities have required that the basic living needs of residents be met during the lockdown. I think some convenient measures will be introduced, but the conditions will be a bit tough."
Lin Ting: "It's nothing."
Although the voice was soft, he tried to listen and managed to catch some of it. The cloying, nagging tone made Chen Zhiyi very annoyed.
He deliberately picked up a small succulent from the flower stand next to him. It was pink and soft, and looked so cute that you just wanted to destroy it.
So, he let go, and the flowerpot crashed to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces.
Han Ming heard that too, "What was that sound?"
Lin Ting quickly explained, "It's nothing." Then she glared at Chen Zhiyi.
He acted as if he hadn't seen it, and instead shouted loudly and seriously, "Xiaowei, bring the broom over, the flowerpot is broken."
It was undoubtedly intentional. Lin Ting gritted her teeth and stared at Chen Zhiyi. Chen Zhiyi feigned grievance, pointed to a puddle of broken mud on the ground, and then lifted his foot, the meaning clear: "It needs to be cleaned up, what if you hurt your foot?"
Lin Ting felt like he had punched cotton; he was angry but couldn't get going.
Han Ming recognized the voice, but still wanted to confirm, "Is there anyone else at home?"
Lin Ting didn't want to hide it. She didn't mind others knowing Chen Zhiyi was staying at her place, but she minded people misinterpreting their relationship. She really didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. "Yes, Chen Zhiyi is staying at my place temporarily, but he has to pay rent."
It clearly shows the relationship between the landlord and the tenant.
Han Ming knew perfectly well what Chen Zhiyi was thinking, "If it's just a temporary residence, why not rent somewhere else?"
Lin Ting: "It's a long story. In short, the timing was unfortunate. He came in right at the time of the lockdown and couldn't get out, so the neighborhood committee arranged for him to stay at my house."
"..."
The call suddenly ended, and neither of them knew how to begin.
Lin Ting: "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."
Han Ming: "Take care of yourself. I won't be able to visit you as often during this time."
Lin Ting: "You too."
Han Ming: "You still haven't answered the question I asked last time. Remember that, I've been hoping to get the answer I want."
Lin understood, and remembering my question meant she remembered me. "I remember," she said.
Han Ming breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
One didn't want to go into details, and the other was too embarrassed to ask further; the boundary was there.
Chen Zhiyi cleaned up the broken flowerpots and found new ones to transplant the succulents into. He thought that after the call ended, Lin Ting would come to question him, but she didn't; she went back to her room.
He felt an indescribable sense of loss; he would rather argue and bicker than have her ignore him.
Du Yuan and Zhang Ke made a video call.
After the call connected, Du Yuanxian spoke first: "You've arrived at your new home? Let me see what kind of mansion it is that made our CEO Chen so eager to buy it back at such a high price?"
Du Yuan didn't know about Chen Zhiyi's house purchase at first. He heard it from the company's finance manager, who said that Chen Zhiyi bought an old, dilapidated house at a price higher than the market price, which no one understood. But when Du Yuan heard that it was in Nancheng, he understood. He knew that was Lin Ting's hometown, and sure enough, he had gone to pursue his love.
Chen Zhiyi turned the camera around and looked around the living room.
Zhang Ke immediately recognized that this was not room 301. Chen Zhiyi had entrusted her with the task of buying the house, and she had entrusted it to a real estate agent. Although she hadn't inspected the property in person, the agent had sent her photos.
She wondered, "Did I go to the wrong place? This isn't 301."
Chen Zhiyi nodded, "Yes, this is 302 across the street. I'm currently staying at Lin Ting's house."
Du Yuan was surprised, "What?"
Chen Zhiyi explained the whole story to them.
Hearing this, Du Yuan burst into laughter, "You're trying to take advantage of your proximity and go straight to the heart of the enemy! This sudden outbreak has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for you."
Chen Zhiyi: "Don't talk nonsense. Right now, everyone is both anxious and in awe about the epidemic."
Du Yuan patted his mouth, realizing he'd misspoke: "Okay, I was just kidding. So what are you planning to do next? Force it? No, you two already did that three years ago, so how about a drunken one-night stand to solve the problem at its root?"
Chen Zhiyi glanced at Lin Ting's room door, thankfully it was closed. "Can you watch your mouth? My affairs are none of your business."
Du Yuan: "Okay, just don't get drunk in front of me again."
Chen Zhiyi changed the subject and asked Zhang Ke, "How's the current filming situation?"
"Filming has stopped; we're staying in the hotel."
"Okay, remember to keep in touch with the director and producer and make sure they reassure the staff. Tell them not to worry that the company will cover any lost work time."
Zhang Ke: "Okay."
Chen Zhiyi further instructed Du Yuan: "The company's return-to-work time is yet to be determined. Wages will be paid as usual during the holiday so that everyone can rest at home with peace of mind. If the lockdown lasts for a long time, we will think of countermeasures to see if we can implement a work-from-home model."
Du Yuan gave an OK sign in front of the camera.
Chen Zhiyi: "Then I'll hang up for now. If anything happens, please post it in the group chat to communicate at any time. This could be an unknown but arduous and protracted battle, so we need to be fully prepared."
"good."
After the call ended, Chen Zhiyi received a WeChat message from Han Ming: "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" The five short words were filled with deep resentment.
Chen Zhiyi immediately retorted, "What? Do you think I research biotechnology and create viruses?"
"You can only blame fate. You and Lin Ting were just strangers who met by chance, while we were destined to be together."
After sending the message, I immediately blocked you. That line, "Who considers you a brother? I hated you the moment I saw you," really hit home.
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