Chapter Twenty-Six: Seeking Help

Zhang Wei left Jingxuan Residence filled with frustration. Glancing at the time, he realized it was already past ten o’clock. Without noticing, he’d been away from the shop for an hour. Worried that Xu Ming might be looking for him, Zhang Wei decided not to continue his community promotions and headed back to the Zhongtong branch.

Upon returning, he updated the property listings on 58.com, manually refreshed all the advertisements, and made over a dozen follow-up calls to key properties. By the time he’d finished, it was already half past eleven. Just as he was about to invite Wang Jianfa to lunch, his phone buzzed with a text message.

When Zhang Wei checked his phone, he was surprised to see a message from Wang Min. Looking up, he spotted her sitting not far away in the front row—she could have spoken to him directly with just a turn, so why the secrecy of sending a message?

Based on his analysis, something was definitely up. Opening the text, he saw that Wang Min was inviting him to lunch at a nearby eatery, saying there was something she needed to discuss, and asking him not to mention it to anyone else.

As Zhang Wei pondered what Wang Min might want with him, he heard her clear her throat softly. She turned, shot him a pointed glance, and without waiting for his reaction, walked out of the Zhongtong office.

“Well, this is interesting,” Zhang Wei chuckled softly. He wasn’t the type to be afraid of a woman in broad daylight, so naturally, there was no reason not to accept the invitation.

Shortly after Wang Min left, Zhang Wei followed and arrived at the small restaurant where they had agreed to meet. He found Wang Min already seated in a corner where two fans provided a welcome coolness.

Wang Min was quite the beauty, and her presence brightened the humble restaurant considerably. Customers would occasionally steal glances at her, undoubtedly making their meals all the more enjoyable.

“An invitation from the beautiful Miss Wang—I’m honored!” Zhang Wei said with a smile as he rolled up his sleeves and took the seat across from her.

“I said I wanted to have lunch with you—I never said I was treating you. We’re going Dutch,” Wang Min huffed.

“No need for that. I’ll treat you,” Zhang Wei replied nonchalantly. With this month’s income totaling eighty thousand yuan, he hardly minded picking up the tab for one meal.

“Suit yourself. After all, you just closed a big deal. Even if I tried, I couldn’t eat you into poverty,” Wang Min said, her tone sour at the thought of Zhang Wei taking a sale from under her nose.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Zhang Wei asked.

“Last night you mentioned wanting to rent an apartment. How many bedrooms are you looking for?” Wang Min inquired.

“It’s just me, so a one-bedroom will do. Do you have a suitable listing?” Zhang Wei replied.

“At the moment, one-bedrooms in Xiaoqiun are around forty-five hundred, and two-bedrooms are about fifty-five hundred. Renting a two-bedroom is much more economical,” Wang Min analyzed.

“That’s true. With a living room, kitchen, and bathroom split between two people, the cost would decrease. The only issue is I have no one to share with,” Zhang Wei said, glancing at Wang Min, curious about her sudden interest in his housing situation.

“I could share with you,” Wang Min blurted out after a moment’s hesitation.

“You... Aren’t you worried people will find out we’re living together?” Zhang Wei asked in surprise.

“Even if we’re in the same apartment, it’s two proper bedrooms with a living room between us. That’s a lot better than the wooden partition I have now,” Wang Min sighed.

“That’s true. Even sharing an apartment, we’d be farther apart than in our current rooms. The living room is bigger than our two rooms combined, and the soundproofing and security are miles better than flimsy boards,” Zhang Wei agreed with a laugh.

“Alright, we’ll split the rent evenly. I’m willing to share the place,” he said after some thought, seeing no downside for himself.

“Half the rent is too much for me. I don’t have that kind of money,” Wang Min admitted, her eyes flickering with embarrassment.

“How much can you contribute?” Zhang Wei asked.

“A one-bedroom is forty-five hundred, a two-bedroom is fifty-five hundred. I’ll pay you the difference—that way, you won’t lose out,” Wang Min offered.

“So, you’ll pay just a thousand? Then it’s no different from me renting a one-bedroom alone. I’d still have to share the bathroom, kitchen, and living room, and you’d be getting a great deal. Are we really that close?” Zhang Wei retorted.

“I won’t use the living room, and I’ll handle all the housework. Just think of it as hiring a live-in maid—what’s not to like?” Wang Min countered.

“You’ll do the laundry and clean too?” Zhang Wei perked up. Keeping a larger apartment clean was already a concern—he’d even considered hiring a cleaner once a week. If Wang Min took on the chores and did his laundry, that was a pretty sweet deal.

“Everything else is fine, but I won’t touch your socks or underwear,” Wang Min stipulated after a brief pause.

“Deal,” Zhang Wei agreed after a moment’s thought. There was really no downside—most men would kill for the chance to live with a beautiful woman who also handled the housework.

“It’s settled,” Wang Min said happily. Renting a basement room cost her five hundred a month, but sharing an apartment with Zhang Wei would only be a thousand, and the living conditions were worlds apart. Of course, she was delighted.

With the cohabitation arrangement sorted, the next step was finding an apartment—hardly a problem for two seasoned agents. Each began mentally calculating their next moves.

Lunch was simple and cost barely over ten yuan. Afterwards, the two returned separately to the Zhongtong office, arousing no suspicion. Only Wang Jianfa complained to Zhang Wei for not inviting him to lunch, but Zhang Wei brushed him off with a casual excuse.

That afternoon, two clients visited the Zhongtong branch—one was handled by Li Lin, the other by Guo Bin—leaving Zhang Wei with nothing to do. His online listings didn’t attract any new clients either. Promoting in the community was still the most reliable way to find leads, and Zhang Wei did happen upon a prospective client while out that afternoon.

However, using his mind-reading ability, Zhang Wei realized the client’s buying intentions were weak—they were merely gathering information and wouldn’t even leave a contact number. Not wanting to waste time on unreliable prospects, Zhang Wei didn’t even bother handing over a business card.

The day slipped by without much incident. As evening fell, Zhang Wei realized nothing promising was likely to happen. Only then did he recall Murong Xuan’s promise from that morning to introduce him to a buying client. After a moment’s thought, he decided to give her a call.

“Ring... The number you have dialed is currently busy. Please...” Zhang Wei dialed Murong Xuan’s number and found it would ring at first, but then the call was immediately cut off.

As an experienced real estate agent, Zhang Wei made over a hundred calls a day and was familiar with every trick. This was clearly Murong Xuan deliberately hanging up after seeing his call, rather than actually being on another line.

“Damn, that woman’s standing me up again,” Zhang Wei muttered, tossing his phone aside in frustration.

The banquet at Jingxuan Residence was set to begin at half past seven, but when Zhang Wei tried calling at six, Murong Xuan was busy preparing the restaurant. Upon seeing it was Zhang Wei, she immediately hung up, unable to answer and not even considering inviting him to the banquet. If anyone asked about their relationship, it would only bring her trouble.

The evening flew by in busy preparation. As seven o’clock approached, the guests began to arrive in succession—most were businessmen from Beijing and Hong Kong, bearing gifts to congratulate Murong Xuan on her restaurant’s opening.

While greeting guests at the entrance, Murong Xuan suddenly saw a black A8 pull up outside. The familiar license plate made her face turn cold as she cursed under her breath, “That Lin Hongwen is such a leech—clingy and annoying. I just got rid of him this morning, and here he comes again.”

Many of her guests were from Hong Kong, and with the city being so small, the upper-class social circle was even smaller—everyone knew each other, if not intimately then at least by reputation. Murong Xuan knew for a fact that several guests recognized Lin Hongwen. If word got back to Hong Kong that Lin Hongwen was pursuing her in Beijing, malicious gossip would surely follow, possibly even reaching her closest friends. No matter how she tried to explain, it would be impossible to clear her name.

“Xuanzuan!” Lin Hongwen stepped out of the car in a sleek black tailcoat and bowtie, waving to Murong Xuan as he strode toward Jingxuan Residence, a bouquet of roses in his arms, clearly playing the role of ardent suitor.

“Damn it, just what I was afraid of,” Murong Xuan fumed, gritting her teeth and wishing she could have the kitchen staff tie him up and keep him away.

“That’s it—I’ll call Zhang Wei,” she thought desperately. If she’d known Lin Hongwen would come back that evening, she never would have brushed Zhang Wei off or refused his call. But it was too late to regret now; all she could do was hope Zhang Wei would help her through this ordeal.