Chapter 18: Chapter 18 You can live here!

The two arrived at the location of the small villa, not far from the Global Financial Center, which was just a three-stop bus ride away.

"Weren't we going to the financial center? Why are we here instead?"

Liu Qiao'er looked at the exquisite villa in front of her and asked in confusion.

"I'm currently homeless, so I need to find a place to stay, right?" Ye Ling said.

"Oh, that's true," Liu Qiao'er nodded her little head.

Ye Ling had already contacted the landlord, a woman who appeared to be in her fifties, currently standing at the door looking out.

"Hello, are you Auntie Fang?" Ye Ling greeted with a smile as he walked up.

Auntie Fang sized up Ye Ling with some disbelief.

She had thought that someone who could afford to rent a villa here would, if not driving a luxury car, at least have their own car, wouldn't they?

It was unexpected that he had come by taxi...

However, Auntie Fang was elderly and didn't have any thoughts of looking down on others; she immediately nodded with a smile, "You must be Xiao Ye, right?"

"Yes, Auntie Fang, my name is Ye Ling," Ye Ling said with a smile.

Auntie Fang glanced at Liu Qiao'er standing behind Ye Ling and said warmly with a smile, "This must be your girlfriend? She's really beautiful. Apart from those celebrities, this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful girl."

"Haha, thank you for the compliment, Auntie Fang~"

A fool wouldn't take advantage of a good deal, so naturally, Ye Ling didn't clarify anything.

Liu Qiao'er felt somewhat shy.

How annoying, throughout the day, she had been mistaken several times as this guy's girlfriend...

Liu Qiao'er sneakily glanced at Ye Ling's profile, suddenly realizing that he seemed quite handsome, with narrow eyes, a tall nose, and slightly thick lips...

His facial features were well-defined, and with his height of 1.85 meters, he truly wasn't inferior to those male stars on TV.

For a moment, Liu Qiao'er found herself staring.

"Girl, have you had your fill of looking?"

Suddenly, Ye Ling's teasing voice rang out in her ear.

Liu Qiao'er was momentarily stunned, and her face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears.

"I know what you're thinking; it's undeniable that I'm very handsome," Ye Ling said seriously.

Liu Qiao'er's lips curved up, and she rolled her eyes at Ye Ling, saying coyly, "Vain fool!"

"Let's go, shall we see if the new house meets the approval of a great beauty?" Ye Ling said with a laugh.

Liu Qiao'er followed Ye Ling into the villa in a daze, wondering in her heart what Ye Ling meant by his words.

He spoke of a new home, not 'my new home'...

The villa had two floors; the downstairs had no bedrooms and consisted of a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a large balcony.

The balcony featured a huge floor-to-ceiling window with several rattan chairs inside, exuding a vintage vibe.

The second floor contained three rooms and a large hall, all decorated in a European style with complete household appliances, ready for immediate move-in.

Outside the villa, there were some plants and trees, and although it was summertime, the grass was green, flowers were blooming, and the fragrance wafted in.

Overall, Ye Ling was quite satisfied, as it was several hundred times better than the 20-square-meter dump he had before.

"This place... isn't cheap, is it?" Liu Qiao'er asked quietly.

Hearing this, Auntie Fang laughed and said, "This is the city center of Donghai City, and close to the Global Financial Center, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold."

"How much is the rent per month?" Liu Qiao'er asked.

"Since my son is taking me to live in the United States, and this house would be vacant anyway, I've decided to rent it out. As long as you can take good care of it, it'll be 80,000 a month," Auntie Fang said.

"80,000?!"

Liu Qiao'er's mouth dropped open instantly.

She had grown up in an ordinary family: her father went to sea, her mother stayed at home, and they earned less than 10,000 yuan a month. After expenses and paying for her brother's schooling, it was great if they could save a few thousand.

Liu Qiao'er could hardly believe that a month's rent here was almost what her father made in a whole year.

"Ye Ling, do you... do you have that much money?" Liu Qiao'er asked.

After all, she had seen the house Ye Ling rented before, which clearly didn't look like it belonged to someone with money.

"I don't have money now, but I will have it soon. However, I can afford to pay a month's salary upfront," Ye Ling said with a smile.

"But... but 80,000 yuan a month is too expensive," Liu Qiao'er said with concern.

Aunt Fang laughed instantly, "Little girl, you really are thrifty! Actually, renting this place out for 80,000 yuan is even on the low side. If it weren't for you two young ones looking like decent people, I really wouldn't want to rent it."

Aunt Fang was good with words; she had actually noticed that Ye Ling and Liu Qiao'er were not in a romantic relationship.

However, Ye Ling obviously had feelings for Liu Qiao'er, and with Aunt Fang saying so, Ye Ling naturally was happy and definitely willing to rent.

Liu Qiao'er's cheeks turned red again, and she didn't say anything more.

"Aunt Fang, I only have enough for one month's rent. How about this, if you're not in a hurry, leave me your bank account number, and once I've made some money, I'll transfer it to you," Ye Ling said.

Ye Ling smiled, "Of course, it won't go past the rent due date."

"Is that so..."

After thinking for a moment, Aunt Fang said, "Alright then."

After giving Aunt Fang 80,000 yuan, she gave Ye Ling the keys and left.

Ye Ling and Liu Qiao'er were left alone in a room on the second floor.

Ye Ling looked around, while Liu Qiao'er stood there with blushing cheeks.

So far, she had never been alone in a room with a man before.

The atmosphere felt somewhat ambiguous, and Liu Qiao'er pursed her lips, speaking in a quiet voice, "I... I'm going to go."

"Hm? Where to?" Ye Ling asked.

"To look for a job," Liu Qiao'er finally found an excuse.

"Is that so..."

Ye Ling thought for a moment, then asked, "Where do you live?"

"On Park Street," Liu Qiao'er said. "Why do you ask?"

"Park Street? Isn't that quite far from here?"

Ye Ling said, "Look, the Global Financial Center is just a 3-stop bus ride from here. If you work at the Global Financial Center, it'll be much more convenient for you. If you don't mind..."

"You could stay here!"

Liu Qiao'er was startled and quickly said, "No need, no need, I can go home. It's just an hour by bus, and it's summer now, so it won't be too dark when I get home." Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Yes, it won't be dark now when you go home, but what about later? In the winter, you'll have to wake up an hour earlier. After work, you'll still have to take an hour-long bus ride. Isn't that too much trouble?" Ye Ling said.

"Doesn't your friend's place have dormitories?" Liu Qiao'er asked with a blushing face.

Stay with a man? And one she barely knew for less than a day?

Although she felt that Ye Ling wasn't a bad person, but this... this was too embarrassing!

"Big beauty, those who work here are at least white-collar workers; do you think they'd live in dormitories? They usually rent houses."

Seeing that Liu Qiao'er was wavering, Ye Ling added, "With your looks, you're bound to be hassled by men wherever you go. If you live here, I can protect you."