What the Heck!

"Come on, what's the lowest you can go? Give me a number!" Shen Yi frowned, his face full of impatience as he urged the landlord.

"Fourteen hundred for rent, plus a four-month deposit," the landlord said, his eyes darting around like a shrewd merchant, calculating how to squeeze out a bit more profit. As he spoke, he secretly observed Shen Yi's expression, trying to catch any sign of hesitation.

"Let's go. No point wasting time here," Shen Yi said, pretending to leave as he stepped toward the door. "They're treating us like fools," he muttered under his breath, deliberately quickening his pace to pressure the landlord into realizing he wasn't someone to be easily fooled.

"Wait, wait, wait! Let's talk some more. Don't leave in such a hurry!" The landlord panicked when he saw Shen Yi actually leaving and hurried to stop him. He reached out as if to grab Shen Yi back, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.

"So there's still room for negotiation?" Shen Yi stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow slightly, his gaze filled with scrutiny. He knew the landlord was getting anxious, which meant there was still room to haggle.

"I'll give you a number. Take it or leave it," Shen Yi said, standing tall and speaking with confidence, as if he had everything under control.

"Alright, let's hear it," the landlord sighed helplessly, his smile stiffening. He knew he had met his match.

"Thirteen hundred for rent, two-month deposit!" Shen Yi said decisively, his eyes locked on the landlord, not missing any subtle change in his expression.

"No way! At least three months!" the landlord tried to push back, raising his voice in an attempt to make Shen Yi compromise.

"Two months, or forget it," Shen Yi said firmly, not budging an inch. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression cooling as he pretended to turn away again.

Seeing Shen Yi's unyielding attitude, the landlord felt a pang of frustration. He cursed inwardly, knowing that if the apartment hadn't been vacant for so long, he would never agree to such outrageous terms. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally gave in.

"Fine! Two months it is, but no late payments for rent or utilities, or else you know what'll happen!" the landlord said, his face twitching with pain as the fat on his cheeks jiggled.

"Of course," Shen Yi replied with a satisfied smile. He had already noticed that the apartment had been vacant for a while, with dust settling everywhere, so the landlord must have been eager to rent it out. Still, the initial demand for a three-month deposit had shocked him. Paying six months' rent upfront? That's ridiculous! he thought to himself, feeling a bit proud of his successful negotiation.

"Do we have to pay the property management fee?" Shen Yi asked, not wanting to lose out on the small details.

"Five hundred for the property fee!" the landlord said, a glint of cunning in his eyes as he tried to squeeze out a bit more money.

"Come on, man, the property fee for this place is at most a hundred," Shen Yi said with a cold laugh, seeing right through the landlord's scheme. "Do you really think I don't know the market?" He crossed his arms, his eyes filled with confidence.

The landlord's face fell, but he tried to play it cool. "Fine, a hundred it is!" he said with an awkward laugh, inwardly annoyed that his little plan had been exposed.

"Pfft!" Lu Xinyi couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes curving into crescents. She found the back-and-forth between Shen Yi and the landlord quite amusing.

The landlord glanced back at Lu Xinyi, then gave Shen Yi a thumbs-up, enviously saying, "You're a lucky guy, buddy!" He couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, thinking how Shen Yi had such a beautiful girlfriend and was so good at haggling.

"Alright, I've transferred the money—four thousand one hundred, including two hundred for utilities," Shen Yi said briskly, signing the contract. He didn't even think about the one-year lease or the penalty for breaking it early, as he had no plans to move out anytime soon. He took the contract, carefully reviewed it, and then tucked it into his bag.

Meanwhile, Shen Yi's fourth sister, Lu Xinyu, had started to sense something was off. She was a university lecturer in the Chinese department, and Shen Yi had worked hard to get into Jiangzhou University just to be near her. After starting college, Shen Yi had made it a habit to bring her lunch every day. But today, she had waited in her office for hours, her stomach growling, and Shen Yi still hadn't shown up. At first, she thought he might have been delayed by something, but by nearly 1 p.m., he was still nowhere to be seen!

Furious, she stormed out of her office, her high heels clicking sharply against the hallway floor. She made her way to the computer science department at Jiangzhou University and, relying on her memory, found Shen Yi's advisor—Wang You. Wang You was a man in his thirties, slightly overweight, with a receding hairline.

"Professor Wang, I wanted to ask if Shen Yi attended class today?" Lu Xinyu asked with a sweet smile, her dimples showing. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with expectation.

Her smile caught the attention of all the male teachers in the office. Wang You gulped, his expression turning into that of a lovestruck fool, which instantly wiped the smile off Lu Xinyu's face. She inwardly cringed, her expression turning cold.

Wang You finally snapped out of it and glanced at the attendance sheet. "Professor Lu, Shen Yi didn't attend class today. He skipped," he said, winking suggestively. "Are you here to—" Before he could finish, Lu Xinyu's icy glare cut him off.

Lu Xinyu's face turned cold, and without another word, she turned and left the office, leaving Wang You sitting there in confusion as the other male teachers chuckled.

"Shen Yi, how dare you skip class!" Lu Xinyu was genuinely angry. She had initially thought Shen Yi had simply forgotten to bring her lunch, but now she found out he had skipped class! As she walked, she couldn't help but think about how Shen Yi had changed—he wasn't like this before.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Shen Yi's number.

"Hello, Lu Xinyu, what do you want?" Shen Yi's voice came through, sounding tired and slightly out of breath. He was carrying bags in one hand and holding the phone in the other, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Lu Xinyu was puzzled. Why was he out of breath? Could it be...? Her cheeks flushed as she quickly stepped into an empty classroom. Her heart raced, and her face turned red as some inappropriate images flashed through her mind.

"Hello? Lu Xinyu, if you're not saying anything, I'm hanging up. I'm busy," Shen Yi said, his voice tinged with impatience. He was in the middle of moving things and didn't have time for small talk.

"You're busy?! What are you busy with? You skipped class for this? Shen Yi! I'm so disappointed in you!" Lu Xinyu raised her voice, her tone full of accusation as she gripped her phone tightly.

Shen Yi, who was carrying bags of groceries, paused and glanced at Lu Xinyi, who was also helping him move things. Even though the phone wasn't on speaker, Lu Xinyu's voice was loud enough for Lu Xinyi to hear. They had just returned from a nearby store, stocking up on household items.

What the heck is Lu Xinyu's problem? Shen Yi thought to himself, a wry smile on his face.

"Shen Yi! Answer me!" Lu Xinyu's voice trembled with anger.

Shen Yi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Lu Xinyu, do I need your permission? Who do you think you are? What does it matter to you if I skip class? Oh, wait—you're not mad about me skipping class, are you? You're mad because I didn't bring you lunch! Do you even remember how you used to look at me with disdain every time I brought you food? How can you even call to yell at me?" Shen Yi was truly fed up. Was it really such a big deal that he hadn't brought her lunch? He set the bags down and took a deep breath.

Lu Xinyu was stunned. Shen Yi yelled at me? Has he lost his mind? He's always been so obedient to me. Why is he acting like this today? She opened her mouth to retort but held back, remembering her position as a teacher. "It's not about the lunch. I'm mad because you skipped class to... to do that kind of thing! Are you really throwing away your education for this? I'm so disappointed in you!" She thought Shen Yi had skipped class to fool around with some girl, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

"Huh? What kind of thing?" Shen Yi was confused, his brow furrowed in bewilderment.

Beside him, Lu Xinyi's face turned red. She understood what Lu Xinyu was implying and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.

"You know what I mean! Doing...!" Lu Xinyu's voice trailed off, too embarrassed to say the words out loud.

"Doing...? Oh, come on! Lu Xinyu, you—" Shen Yi was shocked. What the heck! She actually went there! His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Here, let me prove it to you. Listen to who I'm with. Am I 'doing' anything with her?" Shen Yi put the phone on speaker and handed it to Lu Xinyi. He shook his head, feeling that Lu Xinyu's assumptions were utterly ridiculous.

Lu Xinyu frowned. Is he going to make me listen to him and that woman? How disgusting... She shuddered, her heart filled with disgust.

"Hello? Xiao Yu, it's me," Lu Xinyi's elegant and unique voice came through the phone. She took the phone, her tone calm and gentle.

Lu Xinyu immediately realized her mistake. "Big... big sister, I... I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

"You shouldn't apologize to me. You should apologize to Shen Yi," Lu Xinyi said coolly. She glanced at Shen Yi, a hint of amusement in her eyes.