Chapter 64

A blue BMW SUV slowly glided across the street from the car wash. The high-end one-way tinted film specially added to the car blocked the outside view of the driver, making it barely possible to discern that it was a woman.

The car wash workers had a keen eye. They might not recognize a rare AMT manual transmission car, but they knew all about such luxury brands: "Wow! An X6, it must cost over a million, and it's so rare to see a blue one!"

"Chen Sanliang! Look at your skinny frame, and you still can't recognize a good car? This is an X6M, just the M version starts at 2.5 million, and it's an officially authorized modified car. Do you know what this is called? Monte Carlo Blue, it's extremely rare for a regular BMW! Get lost! You should follow Bage more often to broaden your horizons. He's the one who has driven these good cars. Last time..."

"Really, it looks different, doesn't it? The X6 has been to our shop before, but this one looks different. Is it here to get washed? Why is it moving so slowly across the street? Chen Sanliang! Go ask if they want a wash!"

However, before the young receptionist could be urged to go over, the blue BMW X6M revved up again, its deep roar echoing as it quickly disappeared at the end of the street, leaving the car wash workers drooling and sharing photos of the car on their phones.

Bage also took out his phone to take a photo. At this moment, he felt he should have brought that high-end phone that supposedly cost nearly ten thousand yuan, as it might have taken better pictures. The cheap straight phone in his hand had even lower pixel quality than his previous knockoff phone.

He wasn't just putting on a show. What good phone could a car wash worker have? It would only draw unnecessary attention. He preferred to be unremarkable and not noticed, as it made life easier. If the gang led by Uncle Cheng had noticed him back then, things wouldn't have been so easy to resolve.

But at this moment, as Zhou Xiaoli opened the door, Bage hurriedly chose to take a photo.

Zhou Xiaoli stood at the door, unusually quiet, unsure if she was processing Bage's business proposal or if she didn't like the eclectic country-style decoration.

Indeed, it was quite unique. The original three-bedroom, two-living room layout had been significantly altered. The entire living room and kitchen were opened up, and even a study was connected, creating a spacious open space. It didn't resemble a typical apartment in a high-rise building. A large central island kitchen was in the middle of the house, with solid wood cabinets, surrounding cabinets, appliances, chandeliers, and wall hangings, giving a sense of clutter and complexity. There were no traditional living room sofas or TVs, just a few large carpets, platforms, and cushions. An oval American oak dining table was the centerpiece, and from Bage's limited experience, it should have been a set for an eight-person villa, somehow ending up in this apartment.

No wonder many people didn't like it. Two-thirds of the apartment's area had been turned into a kitchen and dining room, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms taking up the remaining space. It didn't fit most people's expectations, and anyone who bought it would likely have to completely renovate it, discarding the old fixtures. It was indeed a bit of a lemon.

But Bage liked it. As he took photos, he asked, "Are the furniture and appliances included in the total price?"

Zhou Xiaoli, who had been unusually quiet, stood with her arms crossed by the door: "Yes, do you really like this house? You didn't even include the table in your photos, it's completely impractical. The house would need to be three to five times larger to make sense." She paused, "And the seller is quite strange. She asked that the decoration not be changed. She said she needs money to go abroad but plans to buy it back in a few years, even if it costs more."

Bage laughed, "This person has good taste. The decoration is beautiful and well-thought-out. Can we see the bedrooms?"

Zhou Xiaoli, still in her high heels, clicked on the antique tiles as she walked in: "It's beautiful but impractical. The owner entrusted the house to us while she went to Beijing to handle her visa. She's in a hurry. If you really want to buy it, you can negotiate the price with her. Not many people want this house, and a similarly priced unfinished unit would be better for renovation."

Bage nodded, "Alright! I'll buy it. Help me negotiate the price. You're better at it. Just let me know when the paperwork is done."

Zhou Xiaoli finally composed herself, "Are you... living with your wife?"

Bage was direct, "Don't pry. There's no wife. Don't mind the kids at the car wash. As you said, money in the bank is just sitting there. It's better to invest in real estate. At least the owner said she'll buy it back later. Living here for a few years and making a profit isn't bad, but she seems confident she'll make money abroad."

Zhou Xiaoli's usually sharp tone returned, "Who cares! Just a casual question. The point is, where did you get the money? This isn't normal! Give me your phone, let's exchange numbers."

Bage casually handed over his phone. "Can't I have made some money abroad?" He entered the bedroom and liked it even more. There were no excessive decorations, just white walls, antique tiles, a large wooden bed, and a wardrobe. The other bedroom was similar but with a smaller bed. Both bathrooms were clean, with a faint feminine scent but not cluttered. Bage decided, "Let's go back. I've decided to buy it. Even if we can't negotiate the price, I'll still buy it. I don't need to look at other apartments."

Zhou Xiaoli quickly tapped on the cheap phone, which didn't seem to belong to someone with 800,000 yuan in savings. There were few saved numbers, and no wife or feminine names. She stored her number, carefully input her name, and connected her phone before looking up at Bage's eyes, "Aren't you afraid I'll negotiate the price and not give it to you?"

Bage took the phone, "If you want to take that kind of money, go ahead." He looked around the appliances, satisfied. What he liked most about the house was the overall color scheme: "The website you gave me was great. I stayed up until midnight last night looking at it. There were many categorized styles of decoration, especially the country and Mediterranean styles, which were very beautiful. If I hadn't done my homework last night, I wouldn't have liked it so much today."

Zhou Xiaoli stood by the dining table, absentmindedly touching the rough wooden surface, her eyes following Bage's movements, "Do you really understand interior design?"

Bage shook his head, "I didn't before, but I learned a bit from the boards you made. I just know what I like and don't like. The key is that I looked at the decoration pictures you recommended last night. The differences in styles aren't that hard to understand. I really like this country style. It's natural and comfortable. Last night, I saw some decorations that looked beautiful but seemed impractical. Just touching them would make them dirty." As he said this, Bage subconsciously thought of the young lady, who felt that even a speck of dust shouldn't dirty her.

Zhou Xiaoli, well-versed in the industry, said, "Some are just show units for new developments, designed to deceive. Although I think this house is also a bit deceptive, it's a bit messy and doesn't look great. There's just something indescribable about it." It was rare for her to criticize a property she was selling.

Bage laughed as he left, "That's because you lack experience. This person has probably been abroad. Foreign decorations are often like this. Maybe her dream was to buy a villa, but without the money, she decorated this apartment according to her interests. It's really nice and beautiful!"

As the black girl passed the full-length mirror with a classical frame, she glanced at it, "Should I really dye my hair chestnut?"

Bage turned and looked her up and down, "Yes, really. Don't think that dark skin means you need dark hair to contrast. That just makes everything look dark. I think lighter hair would make you look more elegant. Dark skin is a feature. Do you not like makeup? A bit of blush would look nice."

Zhou Xiaoli's expression changed from annoyance to surprise and disbelief, "Really dark? You... did you wash cars abroad?" Which car washer knew so much about these random things?

Bage nodded indifferently, "Many girls abroad start wearing makeup from a young age. They have coarse pores, so it's a basic etiquette. After returning to China, I saw one..." He almost mentioned the young lady but decided against it, as it was too extreme: "Actually, there are many ways to work. You work hard, but I suggest you don't push yourself too hard. Stay calm..."

Zhou Xiaoli opened her mouth, "You make it sound so easy..." and fell silent, following him downstairs, but she looked at his back more often.

A car washer going abroad, riding a broken motorcycle but having 800,000 yuan to buy a beautiful apartment, all these contradictions didn't make sense.

What was the key point here?

Zhou Xiaoli kept asking herself.