Chapter 33

She had come specifically to pick Nan Qi up from work. With Nan Qi too busy to join her, what was the point of going to eat hotpot alone? It would be putting the cart before the horse.

“I’ll go with you!”

Nan Qi was forced to halt her steps. She had been about to sidestep around her when Bo Ranying’s voice made her pause.

“To look at houses,” Bo Ranying added, emphasizing the words.

Nan Qi hadn’t expected Bo Ranying to say something like that. She furrowed her brow thoughtfully and decided there was no harm in having her tag along. “Alright then, let’s go.”

Bo Ranying stepped aside and fell into step beside Nan Qi, walking out shoulder to shoulder with her.

As they left, the office area was still bustling with lawyers immersed in their work. They appeared focused and methodical, but in truth, many had divided their attention to observe the pair.

Bo Ranying paid no mind to the stares or what others might think.

Her gaze remained fixed on Nan Qi’s profile, comparing today’s scene to last year’s. The more she thought about it, the chillier her heart grew.

She had come to pick Nan Qi up from work, and they were nearly at the law firm’s entrance, yet Nan Qi hadn’t once thought to introduce her to her colleagues—not even with a casual smile and a line like, “My good friend is here to pick me up, so I’m heading out on time today.”

Nothing of the sort.

Yuan Jin happened to emerge from the break room with a cup of latte in hand. She ran into Nan Qi and Bo Ranying walking side by side.

Thanks to her photographic memory, she instantly recognized Bo Ranying.

The boss’s closest “friend,” Miss Bo—she’d seen her before.

Was this another instance of Miss Bo coming to pick up the boss after work? With Miss Bo taking the initiative, the boss must be over the moon inside.

Clocking out on time and rejecting the rat race.

Yuan Jin’s eyes couldn’t help drifting between the two women. Beyond her personal interest in Nan Qi, she particularly admired how well they complemented each other—whether in build, temperament, or looks. They exuded an effortless warmth, as if they were perfectly in sync, one within the other. The two might not notice it themselves, but as an outsider, she was keenly aware.

Yet something felt off about them today.

Yuan Jin observed closely.

The boss’s expression was cool and detached, her eyes straight ahead without a hint of excitement. Most tellingly, she wasn’t walking arm in arm with Miss Bo; there was half a person’s width of space between them, as if she were deliberately keeping her distance.

Miss Bo, for her part, lacked the playful coquettishness from their first meeting. A dark cloud seemed to hang over her head as she trudged beside the boss, her demeanor listless.

This pairing didn’t resemble longtime close friends. It felt more like a couple who’d quarreled and were ignoring each other.

But that guess seemed absurd when applied to Nan Qi and Bo Ranying.

The thought had barely surfaced before Yuan Jin dismissed it inwardly.

Still, no better description could shake the feeling that struck her as she watched them walk side by side.

Nan Qi drove in silence, concentrating on the road until they arrived at the appointed neighborhood right on time.

The sky still held a faint glow, enough to make out the surrounding streetscape.

No matter what Nan Qi thought, Bo Ranying stuck close after getting out of the car, looping her arm through half of Nan Qi’s and leaning on her as they walked.

The agent was a young man in his early twenties, his chin sporting patchy stubble. He greeted them enthusiastically upon sight.

His gaze flicked between the two before settling on Nan Qi’s attire, identifying her as the one he’d scheduled the viewing with.

With a cheerful grin, he handed over bottles of water he’d bought ahead of time and began his pitch. “The places you’re interested in, sis, are all in nearby complexes. I’ve got the keys from the landlords already. Shall we start with this one?” He pulled up photos on his phone to show them.

It was a loft-style two-bedroom apartment.

Nan Qi had no objections. “Sure.”

They took the elevator to the building’s floor.

The twelfth story held around seventy or eighty units, staggered neatly in place.

The agent punched in the code, chattering all the while about its perks. “Password lock—no worrying about forgetting your keys. Super convenient. Nice ceiling height too, great natural light, and not so high up that you’d feel short of breath.”

As he spoke, the door clicked open. He flicked on the light switch.

Warm yellow light flooded the room.

Nan Qi stepped inside, with Bo Ranying close behind, trailing her as they toured the interior.

The space was split into two levels: living room, kitchen, and bathroom on the first; bedroom and walk-in closet upstairs. Standard layout.

It had a north-south orientation for cross-ventilation. Though it was getting dark and they couldn’t test the lighting, such layouts usually offered excellent daylight.

Bo Ranying watched Nan Qi’s expression carefully, gauging her interest.

From her own perspective, no matter how glowingly the agent described it, she found fault with everything. Nothing could compare to the home she and Nan Qi had shared for years.

“A duplex is so inconvenient. Need to go downstairs in the middle of the night for the bathroom? Winters are bad enough dragging yourself out of a warm bed—now you’d have to climb stairs too?”

“No balcony either. Drying bedding would be a hassle—haul it up to the roof?”

“With so many units per floor, elevators must be a nightmare. It took nearly ten minutes just now; imagine mornings. One slip-up and you’d be late for work.”

Bo Ranying couldn’t rein in her emotions, rattling off complaints nonstop. Nan Qi didn’t interrupt, so she must agree. Emboldened by the support, Bo Ranying grew even more vehement.

Sweat beaded on the agent’s forehead, nearly forming black lines. His praises couldn’t keep pace with her rebuttals.

Even with a silver tongue, he couldn’t argue back. Her points were spot-on, objective flaws that hit the mark.

It was only natural to nitpick when it came to one’s future living situation. Rentals weren’t snap decisions.

Nan Qi and Bo Ranying clearly shared a close bond; Bo Ranying was deeply invested in the viewings. With Nan Qi specifying a two-bedroom rental, the agent naturally assumed they planned to live together.

He’d dealt with all sorts of clients and kept his composure.

Unfazed by their dissatisfaction, he calmly led them to the next properties.

The remaining options were standard apartments in nearby residential complexes—flat layouts without elevator waits or stair-climbing woes.

But Bo Ranying found new flaws.

“Poor soundproofing. Walking here, I heard kids practicing piano, neighbors chatting, cars and children downstairs, even cooking from next door. Outside noise carries right in—how could anyone sleep?”

“Open kitchen means oil splatter everywhere. The smell clings to furniture; white pieces would yellow over time.”

“Weird layout. Feels cramped and oppressive the moment you step in.”

“No surveillance on the floor—major security risk.”

“Street-facing, opposite a school with ongoing renovations across the way. No peace day or night.”

“The landlord’s petty and haggling—tough to deal with.”

After viewing them all, Bo Ranying hadn’t found a single satisfactory option. She repeatedly highlighted defects, feigning casualness while deliberately steering Nan Qi away from committing.

By the time they left the last one, night had fully fallen, the deep blue sky turned inky black. Her watch read nine o’clock.

Linxi’s nightlife was just kicking off. Streets blazed with lights, thronged by stylish young people and clusters of middle-aged men laughing boisterously, all radiating lively energy.

Nan Qi felt a touch awkward. As they parted, she told the agent she’d give him an answer tomorrow.

Once he was gone, Bo Ranying sidled up to Nan Qi, pressing close and rubbing her flat stomach. “Little Qi, I’m starving.”

After touring for so long, Nan Qi must be hungry too.

Nan Qi’s cool gaze flicked over her face. “Mm. What do you want?”

Whatever the reason, Bo Ranying had accompanied her all this time. As friends, she couldn’t send her home hungry.

Bo Ranying pondered briefly. “It’s late—mostly street food or snacks out there, not appealing. Why don’t we hit the supermarket, grab ingredients, and cook at home?”

“You mentioned wanting crucian carp tofu soup before. I’ll buy fish and make it for you.”

Nan Qi replied, “Whatever makes you happy.”

Agreement granted.

They drove to the upscale supermarket near home, heading straight to the seafood section. Bo Ranying meticulously selected a plump crucian carp from the tank—perfectly balanced fat and lean—then weighed old tofu and gathered the rest of the ingredients before joining Nan Qi in the produce aisle for vegetables.

Bo Ranying still remembered the response Nan Qi had promised to give the real estate agent, but she had no idea what Nan Qi had ultimately decided.

While they picked out vegetables, she kept indirectly probing.

“Little Qi, what did you think of the houses you looked at today?”

“Just okay,” Nan Qi said indifferently, her eyes fixed on the vegetable price chart.

Bo Ranying pressed further, more carefully this time. “I mean… about those flaws I pointed out—what do you think?”

Noticing Bo Ranying’s paranoid attitude—as if every bush and tree were an enemy—Nan Qi found it amusing, yet also a little sad. She had already made up her mind to let go, so what was the point of Bo Ranying bringing it up again?

Over all those years, Bo Ranying had rarely spared her any extra concern. It was too late now anyway; Nan Qi didn’t need it anymore.

Treating her like any ordinary friend, Nan Qi chatted calmly with Bo Ranying.

“The flaws you pointed out were spot-on—they really are the problems with those places. I thought they were good observations.”

“So, do you still want to rent one of them?” Bo Ranying’s tone was blunt and urgent. She even nervously snapped off the stem of a bunch of water spinach.

She rarely felt this anxious. Her feelings toward Nan Qi had always been so certain.

But these past two days, Nan Qi had put her through so much. An inexplicable panic gripped her—the fear that Nan Qi was about to drift far away from her.

It felt just like the Barbie doll that had kept her company all through childhood. One day, her mother suddenly gave it away. Bo Ranying came home to hear the news, too late to get it back.

Nan Qi shook her head. “I’m not happy with any of the houses I saw today.”

Bo Ranying brightened at once. “See? I told you our place is great. The environment’s perfect, it’s so comfortable to live in—no need to move at all.”