Two Faced Lover - Chapter 3
3: Renting a Room
The cicadas chirped noisily, and the scorching sunlight slanted through the window, glaring and burning.
Long eyelashes trembled slightly under the sunlight, brows furrowed. Bo Mingyan impatiently lifted her arm to block the light falling on her eyelids with her forearm.
She couldn’t remember what time she had fallen asleep. Exhausted, she hadn’t even showered—just stumbled upstairs and collapsed onto the bed.
Fragmented, blurry memories flooded her mind like a tide.
From encountering a drunken, tearful stranger at the bar’s entrance, to that song in the taxi, and finally ending with that inexplicable kiss on the sofa.
Bringing a stranger home and even kissing her—it was so absurd it felt like an illusory dream. Yet, the lingering sensation made Bo Mingyan acutely aware that none of it had been a dream.
She shouldn’t have impulsively brought that person home.
Oh, and that person was still sleeping on the sofa downstairs.
Bo Mingyan moved her arm away, combed her fingers through her hair, and forced her eyes open. Once adjusted to the light, she swiftly sat up, put on her glasses, and got out of bed.
After descending two steps, Bo Mingyan suddenly froze.
The sofa was empty, the thin blanket neatly folded into a square. The room was small enough to take in at a glance—the drunk girl had woken up at some point and left.
Good. That saved them the awkwardness of facing each other sober.
Bo Mingyan turned back upstairs, changed the bedsheets, did some light cleaning, then grabbed fresh clothes and went downstairs to shower.
As she passed the sofa, her gaze swept over the coffee table. She took a few steps back and stopped in front of it.
There were things on the table that didn’t belong to her—thirty yuan in cash and a sticky note with a WeChat ID and a message:
[Thanks for letting me stay. This is all the cash I have. You can add me, and I’ll transfer the rest to you :)]
Did she think this was a hotel?
One impulsive decision was enough. Bo Mingyan had no interest in unnecessary social interactions. Lowering her eyes, she crumpled the sticky note and tossed it into the trash.
The shared bathroom was occupied, and the water pressure in her shower was weak, the temperature fluctuating between hot and cold.
Such was life in a group rental—either move out or endure it.
After blow-drying her hair, Bo Mingyan made herself a cup of coffee, opened a pack of crackers, and browsed rental websites on her laptop.
The company was located in Baima District, the downtown area of Nanquan City. The shared rentals nearby were all like the one she was currently living in. Fully furnished small apartments for solo rent started at over five thousand yuan—far beyond Bo Mingyan’s current financial means.
She sighed.
Just as she opened another rental site, Lu Yo called.
Lu Yo: “I sent you three rental listings. Did you check them out?”
Bo Mingyan answered truthfully, “No, I’ll look now.”
Two minutes earlier, Lu Yo had sent three screenshots.
The first two were for one-bedroom apartments, priced at four thousand and four thousand five hundred respectively. The last one was for a secondary bedroom, priced at just fifteen hundred.
Lu Yo asked, “What do you think? If you’re interested, we can go see them this afternoon. Are you free?”
The listings looked decent from the pictures. Bo Mingyan replied quickly and succinctly: “Yes. What time? Where should we meet?”
“…” Lu Yo paused, then laughed. “You sound in a hurry?”
Bo Mingyan: “The neighbors put on a nightly ‘passionate show.’ I can’t take it anymore.”
Lu Yo laughed for a while before saying, “Meet at the subway station in half an hour. I’ll show you the way.”
Bo Mingyan: “Okay.”
Lu Yo: “We’ll check these three today. If none work, I’ll look for more tonight.”
Bo Mingyan hated inconveniencing others and silently prayed she could settle on one today.
After hanging up, she changed clothes, applied light makeup, and left her room.
The neighbors across the hall were at it again.
For a moment, Bo Mingyan felt like imitating last night’s drunk girl—banging on the door and yelling. But the thought was quickly replaced by imagined consequences.
She turned and slowly closed the door behind her.
By 4 p.m, Bo Mingyan had viewed the first two apartments with Lu Yo.
The first was in an old alley, with no security and a shabby environment. The second had a nice neighborhood, but the apartment was half-finished.
Seeing Bo Mingyan’s dissatisfaction, Lu Yo explained, “Nanquan is practically a first-tier city now. In Baima District, cheap rentals are either old and run-down or semi-finished. Otherwise, you’d have to share.”
“I know. I couldn’t even find old or semi-finished places on my own.” Bo Mingyan said gratefully. “Let me treat you to dinner tonight.”
Lu Yo: “A new singer is auditioning at the bar today. I need to head back early.”
Bo Mingyan: “No problem. Whenever you’re free.”
They boarded the subway and found a corner to stand in.
Lu Yo brought up the last shared rental: “This one’s in Bishui Yuntian. Good security, nice environment, and close to your company—just two stops away.”
Bo Mingyan was surprised. “Only fifteen hundred?”
“Yeah, but the landlord’s requirements are… unique.” Lu Yo muttered, turning on her phone screen. “Damn, it didn’t send. Let me resend it.”
[1. The landlord is a stunning beauty with high standards. Only local, attractive, calm, introverted women aged 25-30 with no bad habits and good chemistry need apply.
2. If bringing family or friends over (regardless of gender), prior approval from the landlord is required. Late returns or overnight absences must be reported in advance.
3. The landlord doesn’t go home for New Year’s and hates being alone, so the roommate must also stay during the holidays.
4. If the landlord approves, the tenant must rent for at least one year.]
At the third requirement, Bo Mingyan raised an eyebrow.
Lu Yo: “The demands are weird, but I feel like they’re tailor-made for you.”
Bo Mingyan smirked, suddenly curious about this “stunning beauty” landlord.
Yet, when they arrived at Bishui Yuntian, Bo Mingyan didn’t get to meet the landlord.
They were greeted by a short-haired woman who introduced herself as the landlord’s friend, surnamed Gu.
“The landlord’s away on a business trip. She won’t be back until Monday night.” Little Gu said, glancing between them. “Which one of you is renting?”
Bo Mingyan: “Me.”
Little Gu asked, “Did you read her requirements?”
Bo Mingyan nodded. Lu Yo added for her, “She’s 28, meets the age requirement, has no bad habits, doesn’t go home for New Year’s. The only thing left is whether she meets the landlord’s ‘chemistry’ standard.”
Little Gu chuckled. “Mind if I take a photo to send her? No point wasting your time if she’s not interested.”
Bo Mingyan: “Not at all.”
Little Gu snapped a picture of Bo Mingyan. Two minutes later, she opened the door. “She’s fine with it. Take a look and see if you like the place.”
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the living room with warmth. The apartment was spacious. Past the entryway, to the left was a T-shaped kitchen, fully equipped but seemingly unused—some plastic seals were still intact. Further in was the secondary bedroom.
The secondary bedroom was larger than Bo Mingyan’s current rental, furnished with a bed, desk, and wardrobe. The curtains on the bay window were a beautiful aqua blue, offering a view of Nanquan’s bridge.
Next to it was the bathroom, and across was the master bedroom. Around the corner, opposite the kitchen, was the dining and living area, separated by a fish tank wall. The living room had a massage chair beside the sofa, an embedded TV, and a laundry room to the right. Further right was an enclosed balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows, decorated with flowers, a swing chair, and a plush sofa.
The entire place was impeccably furnished, almost brand-new.
Bo Mingyan couldn’t help but ask, “Is this a new apartment?”
“Yeah, she just moved in last month and hasn’t stayed much.” Little Gu said. “If you decide to rent, utilities are split 70-30. She’s sensitive to temperature and loves baths, so water and electricity will be higher.”
Bo Mingyan glanced at Lu Yo.
Lu Yo gave her a thumbs-up, mouthing the word “Perfect.”
Bo Mingyan turned to Little Gu. “How do I pay the rent and deposit? When can I sign the contract? I’d like to move in soon.”
“Hold on, let me ask her.” Little Gu typed on her phone. A moment later, she retrieved a contract from the master bedroom. “If you’re in a hurry, you can sign now and move in tonight. It’s a one-year lease, no deposit. Just transfer the rent to the account on the contract.”
Bo Mingyan signed without hesitation and transferred the rent.
The process was so smooth that Lu Yo couldn’t help asking, “The rent’s so low. There must’ve been others interested. Why didn’t she rent to them?”
“If I weren’t free after returning from abroad, I wouldn’t have bothered showing the place. The others didn’t pass because her standards are ridiculously high.” Little Gu said, handing Bo Mingyan the contract and keys. “You’re the first person she’s ever said ‘yes’ to.”
Bo Mingyan asked, “What does the landlord look like?”
Little Gu: “Sorry, I don’t keep photos. Here’s her contact. She might have pictures on her social media.”
On the way back, Bo Mingyan added the landlord as a friend.
Her profile picture was a backlit silhouette, smoke curling from her lips.
Her username was odd: [Still Had to Add Me]
Her social media showed only one post—visible for the last three days.
That night, after the landlord refunded the excess rent, Bo Mingyan packed her things and moved into the new apartment.
Cleaning and organizing took so long that the next day, Bo Mingyan was sluggish at work. She bumped into a colleague and got drenched.
“Sorry, sorry!” The colleague fumbled an apology.
Bo Mingyan calmly grabbed tissues to blot the water. “It’s fine. It’ll dry soon.”
Realizing Bo Mingyan wasn’t as unapproachable as she looked, the colleague struck up a conversation. “I’m Ava, a designer from the haute couture team. Everyone’s been talking about you.”
Bo Mingyan opened the previous designer’s unfinished proposal. “Oh?”
Ava: “They say you’re mixed-race, super pretty, with an impressive resume—prestigious school, graduation collection featured in V Magazine, walked major runways, won the Most Influential Design Award, and worked at ME Studio.”
“That’s exaggerated. I’m not that impressive,” Bo Mingyan said with a faint smile. “At ME, I was just an assistant.”
“Oh, so that’s why you came back to China instead of staying with a big brand.” Ava mused. “But it’s not entirely exaggerated. Getting into V Magazine, walking runways, and winning that major award—in this company, only Little Meng could rival you.”
Bo Mingyan’s hand paused on the mouse.
Meng Xuran, founder and design director of Qingmeng, was Fu Junxue’s younger sister—the same person who had coaxed her with, “Don’t be scared, I’ll sing for you.”
From Fu Junxue, Bo Mingyan had heard bits about Meng Xuran—how she’d studied fashion design in college and won countless awards at a young age.
Ava: “Speak of the devil.”
Bo Mingyan followed Ava’s gaze.
A woman stepped out of the elevator, dressed in a tailored beige suit, posture upright, neck long and fair, features serene and aloof.
A far cry from the tearful, clingy drunk from the night before.
Beside her, Ava whispered,
“Don’t let Little Meng’s friendly looks fool you. She’s actually… ice-cold.”
Unconsciously, Bo Mingyan arched an eyebrow.
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