Chapter Twenty-Three: The Tranquil Fragrance Pavilion

The shrill ring of the phone jolted Zhang Wei from his slumber. Still groggy, he fumbled for his phone on the bedside table and glanced at the caller ID—it was none other than Zhang Yuxia, his very first landlord.

Rubbing his temples to force himself awake, Zhang Wei pressed the answer button and greeted, "Hello, Sister Zhang."

"Zhang Wei, I hope I'm not disturbing you by calling this early," Zhang Yuxia inquired.

"Not at all, I just woke up myself," Zhang Wei replied, though the truth was otherwise.

"Zhang Wei, are you free today? I was hoping to ask you for a favor," Zhang Yuxia said.

"Of course, Sister Zhang. Just let me know what you need, and I'll ask our manager for some time off," Zhang Wei responded enthusiastically.

"No need to go through all that trouble; it won't take much of your time. You can do it during your break," Zhang Yuxia replied.

"Murong Xuan is opening her new restaurant and invited me to attend the opening ceremony, but I can't make it back to Beijing right now. So I'd like you to go on my behalf," she explained. "While you're there, check the restaurant’s layout, renovations, and facilities to see if they're in line with management regulations. If you notice any illegal construction, make sure to let me know. If the authorities investigate, the landlord could be held responsible."

"Don't worry, Sister Zhang! I'll handle it for you and give you a call after work tonight to report back," Zhang Wei said with a smile.

"Good, I know I can count on you. You should be heading to work soon, so I won't keep you," Zhang Yuxia replied, pleased with Zhang Wei’s attitude, and ended the call.

"Take the money, resolve the trouble," Zhang Wei muttered to himself as he set down the phone.

On the day Zhang Yuxia handed over her property, she had given Zhang Wei a red envelope with more than three thousand yuan inside—almost two months of his base salary. In essence, he had received advance payment for his services, so he naturally felt obliged to help her out.

It wasn’t a difficult task anyway—just a matter of dropping by Murong Xuan’s restaurant, offering congratulations, and checking for any illegal structures. As long as the business was legitimate, Zhang Yuxia could have peace of mind.

After the call, Zhang Wei checked the time on his phone. It was already past eight. He yawned, struggled out of bed, dressed listlessly, and freshened up before hurrying off to the Zhongtong office.

Thanks to Zhang Yuxia's call, Zhang Wei was up much earlier than usual, and when he arrived at the Zhongtong office, only Wang Min and Wang Jianfa were there; the rest of the colleagues had not yet arrived. Zhang Wei greeted the two out of habit, and Wang Jianfa responded warmly.

Wang Min, on the other hand, snorted and shot Zhang Wei a glare, clearly still holding a grudge over yesterday’s events. Zhang Wei didn’t take it to heart—after all, he hadn’t suffered any loss—so he walked to the fingerprint attendance machine in the back to clock in, then turned on his computer and logged into the Homemate system.

He performed all these tasks with practiced ease. Before long, other colleagues began trickling into the office.

At nine o’clock, led by their manager Xu Ming, the agents of Zhongtong gathered at the storefront for the morning meeting. These meetings consisted of reciting poems, telling jokes, and playing games. After about ten minutes, everyone returned inside to start the day’s work.

Yesterday, Zhang Wei had signed a sales contract, but as there were various formalities pending, the follow-up would be handled by the company’s professionals at headquarters. Zhang Wei’s only job now was to sit back and wait for his commission.

Real estate agents have three main ways of finding clients. The first is walk-in clients—front desk reception. The second is online clients, where agents post property listings and ads on the internet, prompting interested parties to call. The third is community outreach, which involves setting up signs or handing out flyers within residential complexes.

The second method, online clients, was somewhat unique. Agents would post listings on sites like 58.com, Ganji, or SouFun, maintaining their online portals daily—which required a monthly fee.

Today, Zhang Wei was not assigned to front desk duty, and he’d already finished managing his online listings. That left only community outreach as a way to attract clients.

He gathered a list of properties for rent or sale within the neighborhood, filled out the "Agent Outing Log" with his departure time and reason, informed Wang Jianfa, and then stepped out of the Zhongtong office.

Being a real estate agent could be busy or idle, but it depended largely on one’s own initiative. Like now, Zhang Wei could just as easily sneak into a basement room for a nap, and Manager Xu Ming would be none the wiser.

However, to make real money in this business, diligence was key—slacking off was self-deception, and would only leave him with a paltry base salary at the end of the month.

After leaving the office, Zhang Wei wandered through Yayuan community but saw no sign of potential buyers. Unconsciously, he found himself under Building Five when a sudden burst of firecrackers echoed down the street.

Covering his ears and frowning, Zhang Wei looked up to see that the firecrackers were being set off outside Murong Xuan's restaurant. Suddenly, he recalled Zhang Yuxia’s call that morning—it must be the day of the grand opening.

Since he was already nearby, Zhang Wei decided he might as well stop in now, inspect the place for any illegal modifications, and fulfill Zhang Yuxia’s request, saving himself from worrying about it later.

He stopped by a nearby flower shop to buy a congratulatory floral arrangement, then made his way to Murong Xuan’s restaurant. At the entrance stood two stone lions, lending the place an air of majesty. A rosewood plaque with gold lettering was mounted above the door, bearing the name "Jingxuan House."

"This woman is really something—of all the names she could have chosen, she just had to use her own," Zhang Wei quipped to himself.

As Zhang Wei approached the entrance to Jingxuan House, a hostess in a fitted cheongsam stepped forward with a bright smile. "Welcome, sir."

"Is Murong Xuan here?" Zhang Wei asked, his eyes involuntarily sizing up the hostess. She was tall—at least one seventy-two—and with her heels, she matched Zhang Wei’s own height. Her long, fair legs moved gracefully beneath the high slit of her dress, making Zhang Wei linger on the sight for a moment longer.

"The manager is entertaining guests in the main hall. Please, follow me," the hostess replied with a charming smile, leading him through the doors.

As soon as he entered, Zhang Wei spotted Murong Xuan in the main hall. Her long hair cascaded over her fragrant shoulders, lending her a seductive air. She wore a form-fitting black dress that accentuated her curves, paired with slender black heels—a vision of both allure and elegance.

"Miss Murong, congratulations on your grand opening! Wishing you prosperity and success!" Zhang Wei said, handing her the floral arrangement with both hands.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Zhang," Murong Xuan replied with a smile. "I know how busy you are, so I didn’t send you an invitation for the ceremony, but I’m surprised and honored you came in person."

Zhang Wei felt a hint of reproach in her words, as if implying he had shown up uninvited. His expression darkened, and he replied with some displeasure, "Actually, I had no idea you were opening today. Sister Zhang called me personally and asked me to convey her congratulations, so I’m just here on her behalf."

"Oh, so you’re here for Sister Zhang! If I’d known, I would have sent you an invitation," Murong Xuan said with a smile.

"No need for formalities, Miss Murong. I just dropped by to offer my congratulations and deliver the flowers. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave," Zhang Wei replied, sensing her coldness. Since he’d already visited and could now report back to Sister Zhang, there was no need to linger.

"Liu Li, please see Mr. Zhang out," Murong Xuan instructed with a polite nod, then moved past Zhang Wei toward the entrance to greet other guests.

"Yes, Manager," the tall hostess replied.

Zhang Wei shook his head, feeling that Murong Xuan was deliberately avoiding him, perhaps distancing herself because of their previous pretense at being a couple. Though she remained courteous, there was an unmistakable sense of keeping him at arm’s length.

Just as Zhang Wei turned to leave, he saw Lin Hongwen enter the restaurant. "Xuan Xuan, congratulations on your opening! Wishing you all the best!" As soon as he spoke, Murong Xuan’s expression changed. She forced a smile, but her eyes flickered over to Zhang Wei.