Chapter 75: The Fat Guy Moves

Qin Yuhan left, and life had to go on. 

Today was Meng Qiping's moving day. Although the fat guy said he didn't need help, Li Dong still came.

Meng Qiping rented a house right next to Jiang University, a red brick building.

After hauling their luggage up to the second floor, Meng Qiping opened the door, and a faint musty smell wafted out from inside.

Old houses always have this issue; no matter how you deal with it, if ventilation is poor, the smell lingers.

Meng Qiping looked a bit embarrassed and said, "There's nothing I can do; it's all I could manage."

Li Dong patted his shoulder and said nothing.

Upon entering, Li Dong took a quick look around. The room was small, a one-bedroom, one-living-room layout.

There was no kitchen in the room; the landlord had set up a small stove in the hallway to serve as a makeshift kitchen.

The room's ventilation and lighting weren't very good, but the bright spot was that the walls were freshly painted, making the space look a bit brighter.

Seeing Li Dong staring at the walls, Meng Qiping chuckled, "We suggested the landlord paint the walls. We were just waiting for the paint to dry; otherwise, we would have moved in earlier."

"Not bad, quite quiet," Li Dong nodded.

"Yeah, Ningnan and I chose this place for its quietness. And aside from us on the second floor, there's no one else. The room next door is used by the landlord as a storage room."

Seeing Meng Qiping grinning lecherously, Li Dong couldn't help but tease, "You two sure make a lot of noise. You specifically chose a place with no neighbors."

Meng Qiping laughed sheepishly but didn't deny it.

Just then, Cheng Nan arrived.

Cheng Nan had come with the girls from their dormitory. Girls are always more sentimental, and Li Dong noticed that some of the girls had red eyes.

Seeing Li Dong also there, Cheng Nan smiled, "I told you we didn't need your help. Why did you come?"

Li Dong raised an eyebrow, smiling, "From the way you said that, it sounds like you don't want me here?"

"Of course, we don't want you here!"

Cheng Nan laughed, "I can't compare to you. I was just worried you wouldn't be comfortable."

She said this, but from her expression, it was clear that Cheng Nan was very satisfied. Contentment brings happiness.

Before Li Dong could speak, Li Wan, surprised, asked, "Li Dong also rents a place outside?"

Li Dong was very low-key and had almost no presence in class. Aside from the people in 351, others barely knew he was no longer staying in the dorm.

Cheng Nan giggled and said, "He's renting a place at Wanyuan, a two-bedroom, two-living-room furnished apartment. I almost drooled looking at it."

"Wanyuan? Is that the Wanyuan Community? I heard the rent there is very high. Li Dong actually rented there?"

"Rich guy! If I had known, I would have gone after him earlier. I could have lived in Wanyuan now."

"..."

Li Dong remained silent, noticing the girls discussing him openly. He couldn't help but clear his throat.

The person involved is right here; could you be a bit more discreet?

Zhao Tingting, who had just mentioned pursuing Li Dong, grinned and said, "Li Dong, do you have a girlfriend? If not, let's consider each other. I also want to live in a big house."

Li Dong knew she was joking, so he just smiled and stayed silent.

Seeing him silent, the girls became even more unruly.

Li Wan teased, "Li Dong, Tingting snores when she sleeps. How about we date? I promise not to snore."

"Li Wan, I'm going to kill you! You're the one who snores, and you dare ruin my image!" Zhao Tingting, fuming, started tickling Li Wan.

Li Wan resisted, and the two immediately turned into a mess.

Seeing the commotion and the room being too small and crowded, Li Dong said, "I'll go out with Fatty for a walk and won't help you with the cleaning."

"Oh, still too shy? Pure little boy, just to my taste. I like you," Zhao Tingting said, letting go of Li Wan and starting to tease Li Dong again.

Li Dong rolled his eyes, saying nothing, and dragged Meng Qiping out of the room.

...

When they reached the hallway, Meng Qiping joked, "Zhao Tingting is quite good-looking. Why don't you consider her, Dong Ge? After all, your wife isn't here."

Li Dong glared at him and said nothing, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

Meng Qiping suddenly said, "Give me one too."

Li Dong was surprised and asked, "You've started smoking?"

Meng Qiping shook his head, then nodded and sighed, "The pressure is too much. I'm trying to see if smoking can relieve it a bit."

Li Dong didn't say much and handed him a cigarette.

Meng Qiping lit it, took a clumsy drag, and coughed for a while before stopping.

Then he fell silent. After a long pause, Meng Qiping finally said in a deep voice, "Dong Ge, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Meng Qiping hesitated, took a while to gather his courage, and said, "I know you have a company and know many people. Could you help me find a suitable part-time job?"

Li Dong looked at him, wondering why this usually lazy guy was suddenly looking for work.

Meng Qiping knew he had a company, which wasn't surprising. Li Dong asked, "Why? Are you short on money again?"

He had lent Meng Qiping 5,000 yuan just two months ago, and Meng Qiping had not asked for the 1,000 yuan he won from Chen Fang at the sports meet. Six thousand yuan, and Meng Qiping was already short of money again.

Moreover, he had his own expenses, which were even more than Li Dong's.

Meng Qiping's face showed embarrassment as he said with a wry smile, "I was getting by okay before, but now with renting a house and still owing you money, I can't keep delaying it."

"I tried finding a part-time job myself, but they didn't want me as a tutor. I'm not cut out for manual labor, so I'm asking you for help."

Meng Qiping was also feeling aggrieved. With his Jiang University credentials, it was unreasonable that no one wanted him as a tutor.

Li Dong felt like laughing but said, "Who told you to be both lazy and fat? Of course, people don't want you."

He then asked, "Are you the one paying for things while you and Cheng Nan are together?"

Meng Qiping's face turned even more embarrassed as he whispered, "Nana's family situation isn't great. Her dad passed away early, and her mom is a farmer and also takes care of her younger brother in high school. Do you think I can let her spend money on daily expenses?"

He paused, then laughed awkwardly, "And I told her that my family is rich, that I'm a second-generation wealthy person, and that a few thousand yuan is nothing."

Li Dong almost spat out his drink. This guy was something else!

Li Dong then seemed to think of something and lowered his voice, "You didn't lie to her about being a rich second-generation, did you?"

Meng Qiping quickly shook his head and explained, "I said that only after we started dating. At first, when we went out to eat or shop, she paid half. Later, I found out about her family situation and used an excuse not to let her pay."

Li Dong understood. Meng Qiping was also quite traditional in his masculinity.

However, considering Cheng Nan's poor family background, Meng Qiping's actions were not entirely unreasonable.

Li Dong thought for a moment. Since the fat guy had come asking for help, it wasn't right to refuse.

Besides, it wasn't a big deal. He said, "I'll keep an eye out for part-time jobs and let you know if I find something."

Meng Qiping nodded. Seeing Cheng Nan calling him from inside, he quickly threw down the cigarette butt and went back in.