Of course, the houses in Long Island and the Upper East Side were beyond their wildest dreams.
The center of Manhattan, where Times Square and Fifth Avenue were located, was too noisy to live in.
Thanks to its convenient public transportation, the Metropolitan Opera House would be a good choice. There were many apartments for students in that area. There was also Fordham University, which added an academic, sophisticated style to the surrounding area. Besides, there was no dangerous part of town there.
It took the residents half an hour to get to the New York University by bus. It was indeed a good choice!
The three of them arrived at John’s small apartment. After washing quickly, Qin Guan changed his clothes to satisfy John’s request.
Visibly cheap clothes made John, who was a fashionable guy, feel ashamed.
Qin Guan appeared again in J Clothing, which made his picky friend smile.
They had Mexican roast chicken for 7.5 dollars downstairs and started their long journey of seeking a house.
In order to select a house in such a big city, they had to ask help from a real estate agency.
Agencies were not their first choice because of their high fees. Fortunately, the gods in the US were similar to those in China.
After several houses, Cong Nianwei and Qin Guan made a preliminary choice. The house-owners understood the demands of students very well. The house was perfect for a single person or a couple, and the good neighborhood it was in was another selling point.
There were also different choices of luxury suits and shared rooms to satisfy various demands.
In a few hours, they had decided on an apartment. It would take them only three minutes to walk to the bus stop from there and 10 minutes to get to college by bike.
We like it.
The administrator of the building was an old American lady. She seemed to be familiar with students. After receiving the first month’s rent, she gave the keys to the two foreign lovers.
John was relieved to be done with that.
Feeling embarrassed, Qin Guan urged John to call back his agent, who had called John many times during that short time.
John was about to leave, but he still looked worried about them. He took their luggage to Qin Guan's apartment. "Do you remember my number? There is a public phone in the corridor. Call me if you need anything."
Qin Guan smiled. "Got it. Don't worry about me. I’ll call you later."
"Qin Guan?"
"What?"
"Can I live with you as your friend?"
John showed his strong arms to Qin Guan and cast a soft glance at him. "I could be the bottom."
Bang! Cong Nianwei had hit him on the head with a pan.
That naughty boy had to be punished on a regular basis.
"Please! Spare my life!"
John scurried off like a frightened rat, laughing loudly.
Joseph, a tenant who had just returned with a loaf of bread, had witnessed the violent scene. The golden-haired German dropped his key in fear.
Are those my new neighbours? They seem even more terrible than the crazy French guys. I better keep some distance from them.
Trying to look calm, he squatted down to pick up his key.
Cong Nianwei failed to catch up with John and went back to their apartment leisurely, still holding the pan in her hands.
The doors of the other apartments were slightly open.
"Our new neighbor seems lively."
"Is he gone?"
"Yes. Let’s clean the apartment as soon as possible, or we’ll be sleeping on the floor."
"Thank god we followed my mother’s instructions. I saw a supermarket nearby. Let’s go grocery shopping."
"Okay."
Joseph’s hands started shaking again. Chinese! They’re speaking Chinese! Now it all makes sense! They come from a mysterious, ancient country. That's why that petite girl was able to defeat a strong American man using only a pan!
It seems like Wonder Woman is living in the apartment across the hallway!
All the doors were shut silently. The new couple seemed awful!
Cong Nianwei and Qin Guan had no idea about this. They were too busy trying to get used to their new environment. From then on, that small apartment would be their new home and their warm harbor in the US.
There was a small open-area kitchen in the living room. The cooking utensils were ready to use, but there was no food.
They decided to go to the supermarket first. They would cook at home and have their first meal in the US!
The two of them headed to their destination. When they disappeared down the staircase, their neighbors finally opened their doors.
Two boys with brown hair appeared. One was fat, and the other was thin, but their faces were very much alike.