Chapter 5: Living Together

An elderly man wheeling a shopping cart passed behind Zhang Xingxu, glancing at Wen Dong twice with a peculiar expression. The wheels made a faint sound on the smooth marble floor, blending into the stillness of the early morning, adding a subtle layer of tension to the silence between the two at the doorway.

Zhang Xingxu took a half step back to look up at the door plate, then lowered his gaze to verify the address Wen Dong had sent him on his phone.

No mistake.

Wen Dong kept her eyes fixed on him, seemingly really expecting him to slap her twice.

She was dressed in pink pajamas, her hair tangled and messy, with impressions left by the strands on her face, and her eyes slightly unfocused—clearly just waking up.

Zhang Xingxu nodded slightly. "I'm here to see the apartment."

Wen Dong snapped out of her daze, as if someone had just pressed the power button on her, and quickly pulled the half-open door fully open. "Sorry, please come in."

After pouring water for Zhang Xingxu, she went straight into the bathroom without looking back, leaving him with, "I'll wash my hair, just ten minutes."

Zhang Xingxu stood holding the paper cup in the entranceway, motionless for a moment.

To his left and right were the shoe cabinet and a miscellaneous cabinet. On the miscellaneous cabinet hung a square mirror with French vintage floral patterns framing it. Next to it was a small handmade woven basket filled with colorful hair clips—the star-shaped clip she wore yesterday was in there.

The entrance directly faced the master bedroom door, which was ajar, slightly opened by the breeze. Behind the door hung a Donald Duck plush, peeking out with half its head visible.

The living room was on the right side of the entrance, modest in size. Facing the semi-open kitchen was a beige three-seater sofa. Beyond that was a balcony with excellent lighting, featuring tall windows and a bar counter separating the balcony from the living room. Outside, the greenery filtered through the glass, extending the feel of spring indoors.

Below, on a wooden shelf, sat several pots of flowers and plants, their leaves shriveled and withered beyond recognition.

The overall decor was warm and cozy—small but exquisite.

Yet... it was a bit messy.

The throw pillows were askew, and the sofa was piled high with various stuffed toys in all sorts of strange poses, as if they had just survived a chaotic battle.

Against the wall in the living room stood a cabinet with a lotus graffiti painting—simple lines, childish style—with the large characters "Good Luck Lotus" written underneath.

Next to the graffiti hung a New Year painting of the God of Wealth. A small plastic fruit tray, toy-like, contained raisins, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. On the sofa lay a husky plush, kneeling and facing the direction of the God of Wealth.

The clothes Wen Dong changed out of yesterday were in the laundry hamper behind the sofa; her skirt was left half-hanging on the hamper, its hem dragging on the floor.

The built-in washing machine was running, occasionally making some noises.

After a while, the folding door of the bathroom opened from inside. Wen Dong emerged, wrapped in a dry hair cap, water still dripping from her eyebrows, her eyes red-rimmed.

She wiped her stinging eyes with a tissue and walked into the living room.

Seeing Zhang Xingxu standing by the balcony, she crumpled the tissue and tossed it into the trash, then went to open the fridge without looking back. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Zhang Xingxu: "Yes."

Wen Dong paused mid-reach for a yogurt but took two bottles anyway. "You’ve had a brief introduction to the apartment from You You, right?"

She handed him a yogurt; Zhang Xingxu intended to refuse but his actions outpaced his thoughts. He raised his hand to accept it and said, "Thank you."

Remembering her earlier question, he asked bluntly, "Where can I see Lezhi Mountain?"

He had just spent several minutes looking out the window. The balcony was enclosed; beyond the greenery lay the balconies of the opposite community. The apartment was on the seventh floor, limiting the view. Further out stood the city center’s towering mist-shrouded trade buildings. There was no sign of any mountain.

Wen Dong recalled that in the rental info she had edited for Yu You, there was a mention of that.

She took a sip of yogurt, shuffled in slippers, and opened the door next to the master bedroom, beckoning Zhang Xingxu. "Here."

The guest bedroom was still small. After placing the bed, wardrobe, and desk, little space remained.

But the window opposite the entrance was large. A slender jasmine branch stretched up to the windowsill. Across stood another residential building, also seven stories, but slightly offset in position, allowing a view upward toward distant mountains shrouded in mist.

Wen Dong stepped onto the balcony and pointed to one of the peaks. "That’s Lezhi Mountain."

"The Lecheng area is like this year-round—lots of fog, you never get a clear view," she explained.

She stepped aside to let Zhang Xingxu out. As she took a half step back, she accidentally tripped over a bamboo chair, causing the jasmine on it to sway precariously, about to fall. Zhang Xingxu reached out and steadied the flowerpot.

Wen Dong clutched the railing, wincing as she rubbed her knee, brow furrowed, and asked Zhang Xingxu, "What do you think?"

Only then did Zhang Xingxu look up to view Lezhi Mountain.

It was too far; only a vague outline of the mountain was visible.

"When will the fog clear?" he asked.

Wen Dong squinted, looking out. "When the sun comes out, usually around eight or nine in the morning. If it’s cloudy, it might not clear until noon or afternoon."

Zhang Xingxu withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, scrolling through his phone silently, then turned to go inside.

"Hey? You don’t like it?" Wen Dong followed him, worried.

Just as she took a big step forward, she failed to watch her footing. Her right leg hit the corner of the chair squarely with a loud crash. The flowerpot shattered straight onto the balcony floor.

Wen Dong bent over, clutching her knee in pain, grimacing.

Damn chair leg!

She had already told Yu You to get rid of that chair, but here it was, having hit her twice in one morning, each time with pinpoint accuracy!

Zhang Xingxu turned at the sound.

The ceramic pot lay in shards, black soil scattered everywhere.

Wen Dong hopped in pain, covering her knee like performing a one-legged stance, spilling her unfinished yogurt.

The jasmine had only one bloom left, while three underdeveloped buds trembled on the ground, yellowing leaves signaling impending death.

Zhang Xingxu glanced at Wen Dong again and silently extended his hand.

Wen Dong caught it, about to leap, but his firm, muscular arm flexed, supporting her elbow, almost lifting her off the ground, escorting her back from the balcony to the bedroom.

Wen Dong was stunned. He crouched, gathering the broken shards piece by piece, scooping the soil together and righting the jasmine.

The nape of his neck revealed a patch of pale skin, as clear as distant mountain mist, yet sharper, right before her eyes.

After picking up the fragments, he stood and asked, "Is there any newspaper?"

Caught off guard, Wen Dong blinked and pointed outside the door. "No, there isn’t. But there should be some delivery boxes in the shoe cabinet by the entrance."

Zhang Xingxu found a small cardboard box to hold the shards and tidied up the balcony.

He glanced back to see Wen Dong still watching him. Just as he was about to suggest she buy a new flowerpot soon, Wen Dong asked, "Are you really not reconsidering?"

Zhang Xingxu lowered his gaze to the jasmine, seemingly refusing and changing the subject: "I’m going to wash my hands."

While washing, Wen Dong hobbled out clutching his unfinished yogurt.

The bathroom was next to the kitchen, small with a narrow corridor. The washbasin and mirror were outside, visible from the living room sofa.

Wen Dong stretched her neck, peering at Zhang Xingxu’s reflection.

She was slightly nearsighted and hadn’t put on her glasses after washing her hair, so everything she saw had a soft-focus effect.

Zhang Xingxu lowered his eyes, his curly hair obscuring his eyebrows, less intimidating when not making direct eye contact.

He seemed to have changed his jacket, though it remained black with a white "Z" logo on the chest—something Wen Dong hadn't seen before.

Water ran as Zhang Xingxu washed his hands. Wen Dong looked away, rolling up her pant legs to check her knee. It was indeed reddened and nearly bruised through the skin.

Feeling concerned, a faint scent of soap drifted to her nose.

"You can apply some safflower oil," Zhang Xingxu said.

His hands were still dripping. Wen Dong quickly pulled two tissues for him, not wanting water to dampen the woven carpet.

She asked in return, "If there’s no safflower oil, is menthol balm okay?"

Zhang Xingxu was silent for a moment. Wen Dong thought he might not know, so she made an "OK" gesture and explained, "It’s that kind of universal balm, a small round tin about the size of a coin with a tiger on the label. Can you use that?"

Zhang Xingxu dried his hands. "No."

"Alright, I’ll order takeout then." She jumped up to find her phone, searched the living room but couldn’t find it, then bounced into the bedroom.

Zhang Xingxu glanced at his hiking backpack by the entrance, then looked toward the guest bedroom.

Wen Dong came out without closing the door. From the windowsill, the deep green outside was visible, with Lezhi Mountain shrouded in white mist.

Outside was an old, dilapidated chair, its leg missing a chunk and propped up with wood, along with the recently fallen jasmine plant.

And the apartment’s owner seemed indifferent to the fate of that flower.

Not just that one flower, even the succulents on the balcony looked barely alive.

Was this person a plant killer?

He turned back to glance at the God of Wealth hanging behind him.

Seems like the God of Wealth was here to take care of you.

Wen Dong unlocked her phone and saw a message from Yu You.

After replying, she switched to the delivery app, typed in "safflower oil," and was stunned by the many options that popped up. Holding her phone, she hopped out. "Which brand of safflower oil is it?"

Zhang Xingxu was just at her bedroom door, startling Wen Dong.

"How’s the rent calculated here?" he asked.

Since it involved money, Wen Dong’s frozen mind suddenly kicked into gear and she almost blurted out: "Rent is one month’s deposit plus three months’ payment upfront, totaling six thousand yuan. Water and electricity are paid individually but are included in that amount, along with property fees, so you don’t need to worry about those. But broadband fees are extra; the speed is 200M, and if you find it slow, you can arrange another provider."

She spoke rapidly in one breath, then paused to gauge his expression. Seeing no change, she continued, "The room is the one I just showed you."

"The living room, balcony, kitchen, and bathroom are shared spaces and need to be cleaned on a rotating schedule. Both bedrooms have small balconies, so please don’t hang clothes in the living room to maintain aesthetics. The washing machine is also shared but cannot be used for intimate clothing or socks. Is that acceptable to you?"

Wen Dong observed his expression as she spoke.

He remained impassive but softly hummed in acknowledgment at the end. "Can I pay the rent via WeChat?"

"Of course." Surprised by how readily he agreed, Wen Dong pulled out her QR code. "Add me as a friend."

After verification, she looked up at him. "So your name is Zhang Xingxu."

"Yes."

His WeChat ID was peculiar—just "1874"—and his profile picture was a tree, something typically chosen by middle-aged people.

Wen Dong created a group and added a note to his contact info.

As soon as he accepted the friend request, he sent a transfer.

Quite straightforward.

Wen Dong happily accepted the payment, about to flirt a little and say something nice, but her eyes froze on the amount transferred—

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t mistaken and widened them. "Wait, you’re not a buddy! Why did you transfer twenty-four thousand?"

Zhang Xingxu raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t it one month deposit plus three months’ rent?"

"I said a total of six thousand! Not six thousand per month! Did you hear wrong?" Wen Dong said, about to transfer back. She keyed in eighteen thousand, but a large hand covered the screen and pressed confirm.

Zhang Xingxu: "Consider it an advance payment. The rent will be deducted from this."

Wen Dong was stunned. He’d released her hand and picked up his bulging hiking backpack, walking into the room.

At the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back. "But I do have a request." He pointed toward the living room. "Move that painting into the bedroom and hang it there."

Wen Dong followed his gaze. It wasn’t the God of Wealth painting?

"That’s the God of Wealth!"

Why did he want it out of the living room where it brought in money?!

Zhang Xingxu said calmly, "I know."

Then he closed the door, leaving her outside.

Wen Dong looked down at the transfer amount and took a deep breath, a smile on her face as she hobbled toward her God of Wealth.

Considering the twenty-four thousand yuan, letting you be the God of Wealth for a day isn’t much to ask.

Wen Dong carefully packed away the painting, her mind filled with regret.

She recalled when she first got the painting and put it in her room. Yu You had called her stingy and insisted she hang it in the living room so everyone could prosper. How had it come to this with Zhang Xingxu... the exact opposite?

Perhaps the God of Wealth clashed with itself.

Wen Dong silently stored the painting and, before leaving, popped a sunflower seed from the "offering" into her mouth.

Not bad—it tasted quite good.