Chapter 167: Is This All You’ve Got Now?

After Mu Qingxue bought the apartment building, she did not unilaterally terminate the contracts of the other tenants.

Instead, she allowed them to continue their leases.

After all, Chen Xiaoyan had been neighbors with them for a while and they were familiar with each other. Furthermore, if she drove all the tenants away and left herself alone to guard the apartment, it would inevitably feel a bit lonely.

Mu Qingxue also wanted to move in to keep her company.

But perhaps because of his unfortunate childhood, Mu Rongchang did not agree; he refused no matter what.

The landlady moved out that same day. She very grandly called a moving company, and dozens of large men came to help her move.

By the looks of it, that auntie had made quite a lot of money from Mu Qingxue.

Later, Chen Xiaoyan poked around for information from Qian Renxue, and the result made her drop to her knees on the spot.

Good grief, she didn’t know until she asked—Mu Qingxue hadn’t just bought a single apartment building.

She had bought the entire neighborhood.

The neighborhood didn’t just have one apartment building; it had other buildings, some old houses, and so on. There were four independent apartment buildings in total, with hundreds of residents.

The tenants were almost all office workers who worked nearby.

If one wanted to buy these four apartment buildings, it was basically impossible without a bank balance measured in the hundreds of millions.

“Yaoyao, Sister Yaoyao, just tell me, how much did Qingxue spend?”

That evening at the dinner table, Chen Xiaoyan couldn’t help but ask Qian Renxue.

If she didn’t get a clear answer, her heart would remain stifled and blocked, and the food in her bowl would have no flavor at all.

It was tasteless.

“Sister Xiaoyan, it’s not that I won’t tell you, it’s that the Young Miss instructed me not to tell you,” Qian Renxue put down her chopsticks, looking somewhat helpless.

“What’s so secret about this that it can’t be said?” Chen Xiaoyan was quite puzzled.

“Perhaps the Young Miss is afraid that Sister Xiaoyan will have some negative thoughts.”

“What thoughts could I have?”

“People from two different worlds.” Chen Xiaoyan fell silent.

Was Qingxue… afraid that I would develop an inferiority complex after seeing so much money?

How could that be?

Would I, Chen Xiaoyan, be so pathetic?

What a joke.

Even if tens of millions were placed in front of me, I wouldn’t even blink.

“Also, Sister Xiaoyan, the Young Miss said there’s no need to calculate your rent anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Chen Xiaoyan didn’t react for a moment, looking confused.

“From now on, Sister Xiaoyan doesn’t have to pay rent.”

“Really?” Chen Xiaoyan was overjoyed.

Although with her current salary, a few thousand in rent was just chump change, a total piece of cake.

But getting a free ride was always sweet and made one happy.

The higher the value of the freebie, the more exciting the feeling became.

“Yes, the Young Miss would not lie.”

Chen Xiaoyan was very excited, but after the excitement passed, she suddenly snapped out of it.

She thought about whether it was a bit inappropriate for her to eat and live for free like this.

After all, if things went on like this, wouldn’t I be restricted by Qingxue in every way?

No, that absolutely wouldn’t do.

But Qian Renxue’s next words made her defenses crumble instantly.

“By the way, Sister Xiaoyan, log onto QQ and join a group.”

“What group?” Chen Xiaoyan instinctively picked up her phone and opened QQ.

Qian Renxue sent a temporary private message sharing a group called Happy Community.

“This is the neighborhood QQ group; all the tenants are in there. The Young Miss said that from now on, Sister Xiaoyan will be responsible for collecting the rent. You can dispose of the rent as you wish, or you can hand it over to her.”

Chen Xiaoyan’s eyes widened as she looked at Qian Renxue in disbelief.

She wanted to see a hint of playfulness in her eyes to prove it was a joke.

But the result disappointed her; Qian Renxue wasn’t joking at all.

“Didn’t you stay behind to manage the neighborhood and collect rent?” Chen Xiaoyan was profoundly confused.

“Of course not. As for the management, I will indeed handle it, but regarding the tenants’ rent, the Young Miss did not authorize me,” Qian Renxue replied with her hands spread out.

“Uh…”

“Forget it, it sounds like too much trouble,” Chen Xiaoyan shook her head and refused.

“It’s no trouble. Sister Xiaoyan just needs to show your QQ payment code in the group. I’ll handle delivering the receipts.”

“Then why not just have them pay you directly? Why have me collect it?”

“I don’t know, this was the Young Miss’s intention.”

Qian Renxue remembered the instruction Mu Qingxue had given her an hour ago.

Be sure to get her addicted.

Addicted?

Addicted to what?

Could one get addicted to collecting money?

Qian Renxue thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out the meaning behind Mu Qingxue’s words.

Two hours later.

Chen Xiaoyan lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking for several hours.

She felt something was very wrong.

Clearly, Qian Renxue had stayed behind, yet Mu Qingxue didn’t let her manage the rent, instead making Xiaoyan do it.

Isn’t this like taking off your pants to fart—completely unnecessary?

If it were anyone else, Chen Xiaoyan would probably suspect some kind of conspiracy.

But would Mu Qingxue harm her?

Chen Xiaoyan brushed it off with a smile, tossing the ridiculous thought out of her head.

“Beep beep.”

A message arrived on QQ.

She picked up her phone and saw it was Mu Qingxue.

Mu Qingxue: Xiaoyan, remember to get online tomorrow. You know the consequences of not being online (Super Double.jpg).

Seeing this sentence, the corner of Chen Xiaoyan’s mouth curled slightly.

You already waived my rent, and you’re still using a rent hike to threaten me?

Tsk, you think I’d be afraid?

Screen off, lights out, sleep.

Tomorrow, I’ll go into the game and beg Shen Qingqing for mercy.

Having not been online for two days, those Tianxiang sisters probably didn’t know how worried they should be.

Chen Xiaoyan slowly closed her eyes.

One minute… ten minutes…

Fifteen minutes…

She suddenly snapped her eyes open, and a faint Pink Light shot out from her pupils.

“Am I being kept as a sugar baby?”

In the darkness, a young girl’s confused voice echoed around.

The more Chen Xiaoyan thought about it, the more she felt she was being kept by Mu Qingxue.

She just wanted to pick up her phone and send her a message on QQ.

Collect rent?

I’m not doing it.

I don’t care about the free rent either.

I, Chen Xiaoyan, want to earn money in an upright manner, and then… and then…

Damn, what should I do after that?

As Chen Xiaoyan thought, she fell into confusion again.

My “little brother” is gone anyway, so what’s the point of earning money?

What use is it?

To buy a better tombstone for my little brother?

Chen Xiaoyan put down the phone and lay down with a peaceful expression.

Actually, thinking about it another way, being a freeloader seemed pretty good; I wouldn’t have to work hard anymore.

Working hard is so tiring; isn’t it sweet to just lie down and enjoy life?

***

Late at night.

At this time, everything was silent.

Chen Xiaoyan’s breathing was even, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned as if she were having a beautiful dream.

Her body emitted a faint Pink Light.

In the darkness, it was extremely conspicuous.

But as time passed, this Pink Light grew weaker and weaker, finally disappearing slowly into the darkness.

In the morning, seven o’clock.

Chen Xiaoyan stretched and got out of bed, preparing to wash up.

Just as she put on her slippers, her eyes froze. She reacted immediately, quickly pulling her feet back and lying back down on the bed.

Then she closed her eyes and spread her arms wide, striking a “star” shaped pose.

“Come on.”

Chen Xiaoyan grit her teeth, ready to welcome the imminent, excruciating pain.

That pain was also very cooperative; it came as soon as it was expected.

However…

That’s it?

Chen Xiaoyan did indeed feel a sensation of pain.

But this pain was only slightly stronger than a pinch; it couldn’t be compared to the agonizing pain from before.

“No way, are you this weak now?”

She spoke neurotically to the void, not knowing who she was addressing.