Nan Qi tapped her fingers on the screen, casually bookmarking a few rental listings.
In response, she merely uttered two cold words: “Not really.”
Tang Lian was quick on the uptake. “So you’re looking to rent, then.”
Nan Qi’s brow twitched faintly for a moment. She lifted her gaze to Tang Lian, her gemstone eyes flickering unconsciously with an alluring charm.
To Tang Lian’s senses, it struck like an exhilarating opening chord—like stepping into a room whose walls were painted with sweet orange blossom motifs, brimming with scents of citrus and lime. The instant Nan Qi looked her way, the frozen river thawed. Flowers bloomed in a flash, petals unfurling one by one, filling the space with a lingering fragrance that wafted and rippled into her subconscious. Tang Lian couldn’t help but yearn to explore and embrace her.
She knew her instincts were spot on.
“The rental apps out there are a real mixed bag—fake listings, shady middlemen, and sublessors everywhere. It’s tough to tell the good from the bad. If you want to avoid getting burned, it’s best to deal directly with the landlord or go through a friend.”
Tang Lian’s expression was earnest, betraying no hint of self-interest, though every word subtly nudged Nan Qi toward her.
Nan Qi pressed a hand to her brow, her gaze lingering on Tang Lian without shifting away.
Those eyes were too clear, too pure—their owner harbored no impure thoughts. Yet they were like fresh snow, effortlessly stirring the heart. Just being looked at like that by Nan Qi made half of Tang Lian’s body tingle with numbness.
Every cell in her screamed to claim Nan Qi for herself.
Her mind raced, and an idea sparked. “My friend has a place sitting empty right now. She’s overseas and asked me to find a suitable tenant. Her only stipulations? A career woman who values cleanliness and independence. Lawyer Nan, you seem perfect.”
At last, Nan Qi responded. “Where is it?”
“Not far.” Tang Lian’s lips curved into a radiant smile, her allure on full display.
Nan Qi quietly averted her eyes.
She pondered for a moment. There was no harm in going with Tang Lian to check it out.
Time was short; she needed to make a snap decision.
“I’ll send you some interior photos~”
Nan Qi was on the verge of nodding when Tang Lian abruptly shifted her tone, letting out a wistful sigh laced with accusation. “Oh no, I almost forgot—Lawyer Nan hasn’t approved my friend request yet.”
“It’s probably expired by now.”
For once, Nan Qi felt a twinge of guilt—the kind that came from accepting a favor. She had deleted Tang Lian’s request outright, leaving no room for it to expire…
She’d done so without a second thought. Who could have foreseen this turn of events?
“Add me again.” Nan Qi swiftly quelled that faint unease and opened her QR code scanner to add her as a friend.
But Tang Lian wasn’t satisfied with that. She wanted to etch herself more deeply into Nan Qi’s memory, not fade into some vague, dispensable shadow.
Sly as a fox, she circled back to Nan Qi’s offhand remark earlier, countering her initiative without missing a beat. “I remember you saying you don’t add people you don’t know. Hmm… are we acquainted now?”
She wanted Nan Qi to define their relationship herself, out loud.
Tang Lian had clearly inherited her aunt’s knack for never coming out on the losing end.
Nan Qi had rarely encountered anyone quite like her in life—like a wisp of light smoke that slipped silently into the heart, or a flag snapping brightly in the wind, vibrant and carefree. She found herself caught off guard, instinctively drawn to pull away from someone so vividly alive. Tang Lian was just too unique.
“Don’t call me Lawyer Nan anymore. Just use my name—Nan Qi.”
For some reason, even a perfectly normal form of address took on a strange flavor when it came from Tang Lian’s lips.
Feeling a touch of discomfort, Nan Qi corrected her preemptively.
Tang Lian chuckled. Nan Qi’s habit of nitpicking her name was eerily similar to Bo Ranying’s—birds of a feather, clearly.
“Oh, Nan Qi.” Having already glimpsed a crack in Nan Qi’s usual poise, she let the matter drop.
The next moment, Nan Qi’s voice carried a note of concession.
“…Close enough.”
Tang Lian’s smile widened further.
“Can I add you as a friend now?”
“Of course!”
Tang Lian pulled up her QR code and aligned it with Nan Qi’s scanner.
With a beep, she received a fresh friend request.
【Crayon Squinty-Eyes requests to add you as a friend. Approve?】
True to form, Tang Lian approved it immediately and fired off a barrage of house photos. The decor and furnishings were far more appealing than the ones Nan Qi had scrolled through the night before.
From there, things progressed smoothly. Li Xin had been Nan Qi’s last client of the day. With their meeting wrapped up and no urgent work left, Tang Lian whisked her off to view the vacant property.
A minor hiccup arose en route.
When they got in the car, Tang Lian made a beeline for the passenger seat without hesitation.
That gave her a closer look at details she’d overlooked last time.
The ashtray on the center console was shaped like a Cinnamon Dog—an adorably mismatched contrast to Nan Qi’s aloof demeanor.
Tang Lian stared at it thoughtfully. “I never pegged you for someone who’d buy something so cute.”
Nan Qi glanced in the direction of her gaze and saw the ashtray. “A friend got it for me.”
“Bo Ranying?”
“No wonder. It’s totally her style.”
The yellowish stains along the edges suggested it had seen years of use. Its owner must be quite sentimental, never bothering to replace it.
Tang Lian quietly mulled over the bond between Nan Qi and Bo Ranying.
The navigation voice filled the car in serene tones. Before long, they arrived.
The complex was called Hanhai Garden.
Tang Lian led the way with practiced ease, showing Nan Qi around the place. In person, Nan Qi fell for the two-bedroom unit with its garden terrace right away.
It sat near the riverbank, boasting expansive floor-to-ceiling windows with bright sills that offered sweeping views of the picturesque waterfront. At night, the fishing boats’ lights twinkled endlessly, a sight to behold. The warm wood-toned decor was simple yet timeless, with excellent soundproofing. The residents were straightforward—locals or long-term dwellers in a two-elevator, two-unit setup per floor. Cameras dotted the area, and it was just a four-kilometer drive to Shengqi Law Firm…
The real thing outshone the photos.
Nan Qi couldn’t find a single flaw.
The friend had entrusted the property entirely to Tang Lian, who handled the contract as well. It was priced at market rate, which Nan Qi had no issue with.
Ever efficient, Tang Lian drafted the agreement on the spot. They signed a one-year lease, and she handed over the keys.
“Thanks, Tang Lian. You really bailed me out of a jam.” Nan Qi’s gratitude was genuine.
“Just good timing. What’s your next move?”
“Moving.”
“Now?” Tang Lian blinked in surprise.
“Yeah. Tonight. We’ll move everything in, give it a quick clean, and I’ll settle right in.” Nan Qi was already reaching for her phone to call a moving company.
“Even pros might not be as efficient as doing it with help from someone you know. How about I tag along? I’ve got nothing going on tonight anyway.” Tang Lian seized the opening, eager for more time together.
Nan Qi was caught off guard. “Why go to all this trouble for me?”
“Call it a bribe to make sure you handle my aunt’s case properly!” Tang Lian flashed a grin and hurried to Nan Qi’s side, giving her arm a playful poke. “Come on, let’s head back to your old place and pack up.”
Nan Qi flinched uncomfortably at the light touch. Noticing, Tang Lian smirked to herself.
Nan Qi booked the movers while they headed back. Tang Lian pitched in with the packing, and the two of them made quick work of it.
The team arrived promptly. In just over an hour, everything was loaded up and transported back to Hanhai Garden.
But that wasn’t the end of it. The place had sat vacant too long, gathering dust everywhere. It needed a thorough cleaning before it was livable.
By now, night had fallen deep, and no cleaning services were available. They’d have to do a basic scrub themselves and crash.
Tang Lian saw it through to the end, helping Nan Qi tidy up.
For better mobility, they both shed their jackets and tossed their phones onto the sofa.
Nan Qi’s had been on standby all day, leaving it with barely any battery left.
She hadn’t cranked up the volume high.
The two were deep in the thick of cleaning—scrubbing away grime with gusto—when the walls muffled too many sounds. The faint phone ring went unnoticed.
On the sofa, the screen flashed incessantly with calls from the same number, interspersed with low-battery warnings. No one paid it any mind.
At last, the battery gave out. The screen went dark, and the phone shut down automatically.
