Chapter 53

When the two of them climbed up to the fifth floor along the stairs, they saw the door of the house opposite their own was wide open. Two men, one fat and one thin, were walking around in the room wearing only shorts. Upon seeing the two girls come up, they immediately stopped and then leered at their well-proportioned bodies, while waving at them with lecherous faces.

Du Haiqiong and Shen Liti, seeing this, showed deep disgust in their eyes and hurriedly opened the door, then slammed it shut with a loud bang.

"Damn, those two guys across the hall are getting more perverted! I really want to take a pair of scissors and cut off their junk!" Du Haiqiong gritted her teeth and said fiercely.

"You'd have to be capable of subduing those two perverts first!" Shen Liti pressed down on her slightly heaving, high and soft chest and rolled her eyes.

"But speaking of subduing, I think after I move out, you might as well find a man to share the rent. Preferably a strong man, who can scare those two perverts and make them stop showing off their disgusting selves every day!" Du Haiqiong suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, Haiqiong, there are already two wolves living across the hall, and you want me to introduce another one directly? What kind of bad idea is that!" Shen Liti rolled her eyes.

"Pfft, do you think I'm that stupid? We can introduce a wolf who isn't interested in women, like that spiritual man from earlier! Yes, a man like that spiritual man! Although he's not very muscular, he's still tall enough and should be able to scare those two perverts. Plus, you're always annoyed by rich bosses and second-generation rich and powerful people, right? We can use the spiritual man as a shield. This is called 'killing two birds with one stone,' clever, right?" Du Haiqiong became more and more pleased with her idea.

"Clever my ass! Do you think it's easy to find a man like that spiritual man? Besides, wouldn't it feel weird to live with a gay man?" Shen Liti rolled her eyes.

"That's discrimination against homosexuals. Besides, living with a gay man is better than being on edge every time you come home. As for finding one, isn't there a saying, 'nothing is difficult for one who sets his mind to it'? Leave this to me, I'll take responsibility for it!" Du Haiqiong patted her ample chest with a smile.

"Hey, Haiqiong, I'm warning you, don't do anything rash!" Shen Liti, seeing that Du Haiqiong seemed serious, glared at her.

"Alright, alright, I got it. Seriously, I don't know what era your thinking is stuck in!" Du Haiqiong rolled her eyes, but in her heart, she thought that if there was a suitable person after she moved out, she might really find a gay brother to keep the house!

"Hey, Brother Bin, why are you off work so early today?" When Xia Yunjie returned home, he saw his roommate Zhang Wenbin packing up his things with the door wide open, and couldn't help but be surprised.

Zhang Wenbin, 29 years old, had been in sales for six years. However, most of the money he earned was spent on women, leaving him with almost nothing at the end of the year. He was still living a day-to-day life, with no car, no house, no money, and no girlfriend.

"Back already? I was just thinking about calling you if you didn't come back soon." Zhang Wenbin turned around and smiled when he saw Xia Yunjie.

"Is there something going on?" Xia Yunjie asked curiously.

Although they were roommates, Zhang Wenbin, who worked in sales, was out most of the day and only came back to sleep at night, while Xia Yunjie's work schedule was the opposite. Their lives barely intersected, and Zhang Wenbin rarely had anything to do with Xia Yunjie.

"I'm going back to my hometown, so you'll have to find a new roommate before the lease expires." Zhang Wenbin put down his work and said.

"Back to your hometown? Why? Weren't you doing well here in Jiangzhou?" Although he wasn't particularly close to Zhang Wenbin, they had gotten along well as roommates, and Xia Yunjie felt a bit reluctant to see him go.

"Hehe, the company is expanding its business, and there's a severe shortage of personnel. By the way, didn't I go to my hometown in Jiangbei for a while last time? The company's leadership thinks I'm capable and familiar with the local situation, so they've decided to send me back to Jiangbei as the deputy sales manager to assist the sales manager in expanding the business in Jiangbei Province." Zhang Wenbin said with a beaming face.

"Ah, congratulations, Brother Bin!" Xia Yunjie smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Thanks! Once I'm done packing, let's go out for a drink." Zhang Wenbin said.

"Sure thing. By the way, when are you leaving? Do you need any help?" Xia Yunjie asked.

"Tomorrow. No need for help, I'm a bachelor and don't have much to pack. By the way, how's your work going? Interested in getting a laptop? I'm now a regional deputy sales manager, and the company has provided me with a laptop. This Lenovo I bought half a year ago for about 7,000 yuan. If you're interested, I can sell it to you for 5,000 yuan, and you won't have to carry it around." Zhang Wenbin pointed to the black Lenovo laptop on the desk.

"Really?" Xia Yunjie was a bit hesitant.

Computers were often referred to as the key to the 21st century. Xia Yunjie had indeed planned to buy a computer, as it could help him surf the internet, play games, and keep up with the times, learning new skills. However, he didn't have much money, and laptops were still quite expensive in 2003, so he hadn't bought one yet.

"Are you a bit short on cash? No problem, if you really want it, take it and pay me when you have the money. I trust you!" Zhang Wenbin, seeing Xia Yunjie's hesitation, said generously.

Zhang Wenbin's words reminded Xia Yunjie of the gold necklace hidden in the drawer of his bedside table. He smiled and said, "A bit tight, but it's not a big problem. You go ahead and pack, I'll go get the money."

"Good for you, looks like you're doing well at the bar! You've only been working for a month and already have so much money. You didn't become a gigolo, did you?" Zhang Wenbin, surprised by Xia Yunjie's money, punched him in the chest and said with a lecherous grin.

"Go away, you're the gigolo!" Xia Yunjie said irritably.

"Do you think I don't want to? If I were as tall and handsome as you, I wouldn't be running around in sales! Getting work every day and making money, tsk tsk, what a wonderful job!" Zhang Wenbin gave Xia Yunjie a dirty look and then said with a lecherous expression.

Xia Yunjie, seeing Zhang Wenbin's lecherous look, was speechless and retreated. As he retreated, he thought of the woman who had hinted at wanting to keep him. He shook his head, thinking, it seems that in this day and age, women can live off their looks, and men can do the same!

Xia Yunjie took the gold necklace and went out, selling it to a gold shop near the neighborhood for 4,800 yuan.

The next noon, Zhang Wenbin left, and Xia Yunjie had a new Lenovo laptop. The lease had about half a month left, and the internet subscription also had half a month left, so Xia Yunjie had about half a month to find someone to share the rent and internet fees, which was a reasonable amount of time.

In the afternoon, with nothing to do, Xia Yunjie stayed in the room and played with his new laptop. He had studied business assistance in vocational school and had learned some computer skills, mainly focusing on office software, but he wasn't very proficient in other areas.

Having a computer made Xia Yunjie's life more fulfilling, and time passed quickly. The whole afternoon felt like he had only been online for a while, posted a message on the 19th floor of Jiangzhou seeking a roommate, and played a bit of Heroes of Might and Magic. Before he knew it, the sun was setting, and it was time to get ready for work.

Just as Xia Yunjie was about to leave, the landlord, Lin Yumei, arrived. Lin Yumei was in her early forties and a native of the area.

"You must be Xia Yunjie, who shares the room with Xiao Zhang! I'm sorry, Xia, but I need to sell this house soon, so you'll have to find a new place to live as soon as possible. Can you move out in a week?" Lin Yumei explained her purpose.

Xia Yunjie hadn't expected that just after posting a message seeking a roommate, the landlord would come to reclaim the house. While it was the landlord's right to rent or sell the house, he was a bit annoyed that she only gave him a week's notice.

"The lease isn't up for another half a month, right?" Xia Yunjie asked.

"I know, and I'm not unreasonable. I'm a bit short on cash, and a friend is interested in this house, so I need to sell it quickly. I'll refund you half a month's rent as compensation." Lin Yumei said apologetically.

Seeing Lin Yumei's explanation, Xia Yunjie didn't want to make things difficult for her and said, "If that's the case, I'll try to move out within a week. As for the compensation, it's not necessary; just refund me the rent you owe."

"How can that be? I know you young people are just starting your careers and have many expenses. Life in the city is tough. Here's 500 yuan as compensation for your early move, and I hope you can..." Lin Yumei, surprised by Xia Yunjie's understanding and his modest attitude about money, looked at him with new respect and took out 500 yuan from her wallet, insisting on giving it to him.

Lin Yumei's actions made Xia Yunjie even more uncomfortable. He pushed the money away and said, "Landlady, this really isn't necessary. I promise I'll move out within a week."