Chapter 38.2: I'm the Ex-Boyfriend
Ren Yan quickly took them to an upscale apartment complex
not far from Chu Qianmiao's original rental.
The gatekeeper was kind enough to help them move their
luggage on a cart.
Entering Ren Yan's beautifully decorated three-bedroom
apartment, Chu Qianmiao felt she'd underestimated the "dispensable
rent." Three or four thousand yuan wasn't enough; it had to be at least
seventy or eighty million.
A high-end leather sofa dominated the living room, with a
natural marble coffee table in front. There were two bedrooms and a study, and
each of the bedrooms was a king-size bed. Their size made it seem like sleeping
alone wouldn't do the bed justice; it would be worth it if someone else could
compose a wonderful nocturne together. The study was even more outrageous.
Besides an entire wall of bookcases and books, there was also a desk made of
what looked like huanghuali wood and four office chairs. The whole thing made
Chu Qianmiao want to run away.
Gu Miaoyu, the expert, took a quick look at the decor and
whispered to Chu Qianmiao, "This apartment costs at least 11,000 yuan per
square meter."
Chu Qianmiao wanted to drag Gu Miaoyu out to a hotel; living
here was simply too stressful for her. She and Gu Miaoyu stood in the middle of
the room, afraid to sit on the sofa, lie on the bed, or even touch the desk.
Ren Yan comforted them, "Relax. I bought a few more
when houses were cheaper. This is just where I'm not living anymore. I've moved
to a better place, so there's no need to be so reserved and afraid to touch
anything."
After his "comfort," Chu Qianmiao and Gu Miaoyu
nearly fell to their knees.
The incident continued to ferment online.
Aside from cooperating with the industry association on the
necessary investigations, Gu Miaoyu usually stayed at Ren Yan's apartment. On
weekends, Chu Qianmiao stayed at home with Gu Miaoyu.
The house had been bustling these days. Besides Ren Yan,
Zhou Shuqi and Shao Yuan had also come over, along with their two other
roommates. They were there to help Gu Miaoyu write a statement exposing the
truth.
Chu Qianmiao felt that even the size of Beijing seemed
smaller than they were—it turned out Zhou Shuqi and Shao Yuan were roommates.
Shao Yuan was Gu Miaoyu's sales manager and a direct junior of Ren Yan's; Gu
Miaoyu was her childhood friend, Ren Yan's partner, and a former junior whom he
had forgotten.
The feeling of everyone's connections being connected was
truly bizarre.
Shao Yuan and his two roommates were constantly busy, while
Zhou Shuqi occasionally wandered off, constantly circling Chu Qianmiao.
But unfortunately, before he could say a few words to Chu
Qianmiao, Ren Yan summoned her to the study. His excuse was a high-sounding
one: "Chu Qianmiao, come here! I need to write a response to Hanhai Home
Textiles' feedback."
Chu Qianmiao entered the study, carrying her laptop. Ren Yan
stood just inside the study door, facing outward, glanced at Zhou Shuqi, and
slowly closed the door.
Zhou Shuqi angrily walked over to Shao Yuan and said,
"Look, look at Sima Renyan's intentions. How sinister! He's deliberately
trying to break up the heartfelt conversation between me and my senior!"
Shao Yuan looked up from his computer, glanced at Zhou
Shuqi, and said, "Wake up! Your senior doesn't have you in her
heart."
Chu Qianmiao sat at the center of the expensive desk, and
Ren Yan moved a chair to sit across from her.
Their arrangement was similar to that at Jialeyuan, but the
distance between them was much closer.
Chu Qianmiao could even smell a faint, refreshing scent from
Ren Yan, a pleasant one. She raised her eyelids and glanced at him subtly.
Although it was the weekend, he still wore a shirt and suit,
but no tie. The collar was unbuttoned, slightly open, and the line of his neck
extended neatly downward, subtly tucked into the collar, giving him a very
abstinent look.
Chu Qianmiao thought absentmindedly how much more pleasing
this man was when he wasn't talking or getting angry with her. But as soon as
he spoke, all the conversation and all the fantasies ended.
For example, right now—
"Chu Qianmiao."
"Here!"
"Do you have any feedback on my face?"
"..."
She thanked him for not asking directly: "What are you
looking at? Try looking again!"
The phone on the table kept dinging, a notification that
someone had sent a video call request.
Chu Qianmiao wanted to answer it, but in her panic, she
clicked "Connect."
Tan Shen's face suddenly appeared on the screen, and his
greetings to her came flooding back:
"Miao!"
"Why did you take so long to answer?"
"Are you happy to see me?" He said this while
flirting with his hair.
"Where are you?"
"The bookshelf behind you is so cool!"
"Hey, why haven't you changed your profile picture
yet?"
"Ah! Oh, that's not what I came to talk to you about.
Let's get down to business, Miao!"
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
So noisy...
She slowly looked up at Ren Yan, who was still staring
intently at the computer screen. Perhaps it was because the feedback was too
difficult to answer, but his brows furrowed slightly.
She first took her phone off the table and whispered to Ren
Yan, "Senior, can I video chat with a friend?"
Ren Yan's brows furrowed slightly, already slightly
furrowed. He said nonchalantly, "Whatever."
Chu Qianmiao waited a moment, seeing that he showed no sign
of avoiding her. Tan Shen's call, a different voice, continued to blare from
her phone.
She simply took her phone back to the table and started the
video chat.
Anyway
It's nothing shameful.
She said to Tan Shen, "Alright, now you can get to the
point."
Tan Shen leaned in closer to the phone screen. Even at this
close distance, his large head didn't diminish his sunny, handsome demeanor.
"Qian Miao, this is it. I saw online about your
childhood friend being cyberbullied!" Tan Shen said, staring at the
screen.
Chu Qian Miao saw the tiny image of herself in the upper
right corner of the video and exclaimed, "Huh?" Her mouth widened in
surprise. "No way! This is so famous? It's spread abroad? Oh my god, are
we going to survive?!"
Tan Shen made two stroking motions with his hands.
"Don't panic. Touching the fur won't scare him!"
"I saw it on a domestic website. Calm down!"
Chu Qian Miao breathed a sigh of relief.
Tan Shen continued, "I just saw a bunch of people
spreading the good news online. They said one of the murderers, Gu Miaoyu, and
her scoundrel roommates have been kicked out by the landlord and are now
nothing more than pariahs." He paused, then interrupted, "I'm here to
criticize them for you. I say you're the scoundrel roommate! All your roommates
are scoundrels!"
"..." Chu Qianmiao was at a loss for words.
"After I finished criticizing her, he came over to ask,
'So, how are you doing now? Do you have a place to live? If not, I can lend you
my apartment!'"
Without waiting for Chu Qianmiao to speak, he chattered on,
"So, now that I'm handsome, have a Beijing hukou, and own a house, are you
rekindling your love for me?"
Chu Qianmiao heard a click from the other side. Ren Yan
dropped his pen.
Chu Qianmiao: "..." She gave Tan Shen, who was
watching from the other side of the camera, a speechless expression.
Yeah, you don't just have a house; you're also sick.
Narcissism and a chatterbox!
"Thank you! But don't bother. Senior has already lent
his apartment to me and my childhood friend."
Tan Shen's voice suddenly rose an octave: "Senior? Who?
Which senior?"
"Ren Yan???"
"Miao, don't live in his place. Live in mine. You have
to live in mine!"
Chu Qianmiao interrupted Tan Shen, afraid he'd talk too fast
and faint before he'd have time to catch his breath. "Why do I have to
live in your place?"
Tan Shen leaned closer to the screen, his eyes dark and
affectionate, his voice hoarse. "Because I'm your ex-boyfriend, but he's
not!"
Chu Qianmiao heard the soft scraping of a chair leg across
the floor.
Ren Yan finally couldn't stand it anymore and stood up,
opened the door, and left.
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