ATPN Chapter 10
by VolareRealizing he had acted too eagerly, Yu Zhanrong inexplicably calmed down. He paused for a moment before saying, “The milk tea shop is just a part-time job for me. The schedule isn’t that rigid. I can just tell the manager in advance.”
Song Baiyan nodded in agreement and then sent a message to the landlord about viewing the apartment tomorrow.
“Then… what about the rent? This complex shouldn’t be cheap, right?”
Purple Fragrance Garden was one of the best complexes near Hua University, with convenient transportation and a good environment.
Song Baiyan didn’t deny it. Apartments in such prime locations were indeed not cheap. He held up a number with his fingers, successfully shattering Yu Zhanrong’s superficial calm once again.
“!!!! 6,000?? For a studio apartment?” Yu Zhanrong’s expression froze inch by inch as he instinctively clutched his pockets.
Highway robbery! That’s so expensive!
“No, the one next door is a two-bedroom apartment.”
Yu Zhanrong hesitated, still clutching his pockets. Originally, he wouldn’t have cared where he lived, but now that there was a better option, he didn’t want to settle.
Moreover, for him, the apartment wasn’t the main point, it was the neighbor. Everyone understands the principle of “being close to the water gets you the moon first.”
The moon wasn’t so easily obtained. Yu Zhanrong glanced at the moon beside him, having finally gotten the chance to get close.
But right now, all his assets combined were only a little over 20,000. That little bit was only enough to pay for rent, and tuition and living expenses were still a problem.
What to do?
The young man was worried about money, his brow furrowed tightly.
“I know the landlord. I should be able to get a lower price. Do you want to rent it? Or there’s another one in the next building, a studio apartment. The price would be lower.”
“I want to rent it, this one.” Yu Zhanrong gritted his teeth. “You can’t catch a wolf without putting out a cub. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
From a long-term perspective, a two-bedroom apartment would be easier to plan for. In the future, if he were to pursue a career in voice acting, he would definitely need a separate recording studio.
At worst, he’d just find another part-time job.
The next morning,
Song Baiyan took Yu Zhanrong to see the apartment next door. The overall decorating style was similar to Song Baiyan’s home, but with more warm tones, creating a much softer atmosphere.
The landlord was a young couple. Due to the husband’s job transfer to another city, they were thinking of renting out the apartment.
The couple were both easy to talk to. Their only requirement was that the tenant take good care of the apartment. The price was negotiable.
Seeing that it was a young man who came, and that he didn’t seem like the sloppy type, and hearing that he was Song Baiyan’s junior, they felt even more at ease.
After communicating, both sides were very satisfied. Before leaving, the couple even gave Yu Zhanrong a pot of mint they had been growing.
Yu Zhanrong happily accepted it, stroking the mint leaves with affection. He liked growing small potted plants like mint and succulents; he had some at home as well.
The rental was settled just like that. In the end, it was rented for 5,000 yuan a month, with a deposit of one month’s rent and payment for the first two months. After signing the contract and making the payment, Yu Zhanrong looked at his dwindling balance with melancholy.
In a little while, he might have to live on air.
“The landlord still needs to clean up a bit here. You should stay at my place first, and move in a few days.”
“Okay.” Yu Zhanrong had no objections. “Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Song Baiyan familiarly patted his head and teased, “This ‘Senior Brother’ wasn’t called in vain, huh?”
Yu Zhanrong looked up, his eyes sparkling as he smiled, too embarrassed to say that his Senior Brother was the best in the world.
It was almost lunchtime, and Yu Zhanrong had to go to his part-time job at the milk tea shop in the afternoon. The two of them just grabbed a bite to eat downstairs in the complex.
Yu Zhanrong frowned, as if performing some pre-meal ritual, very seriously pushing the carrots in his tray to the side, picking out the celery, and then slowly removing the garlic and ginger slivers.
This series of actions made Song Baiyan’s eyes twitch. He only ate the eggs in the carrot and egg stir-fry, only the meat in the celery and meat stir-fry, and didn’t eat ginger or garlic.
So picky? No wonder he’s so thin.
After finally finishing all this, Yu Zhanrong began to eat properly, taking a few bites of rice and then grabbing the milk tea next to him for a sip, before continuing to eat.
Song Baiyan wanted to sigh. He had never seen anyone eat rice with milk tea. This kid was really worrying. If he were his, he’d get a beating.
Unable to watch anymore, Song Baiyan reached out and ladled a small bowl of soup for him. “Drink some soup, this tastes good.”
Yu Zhanrong wanted to say no thanks, that he was fine with just milk tea, but seeing the soup already pushed in front of him, he silently retracted his hand reaching for the milk tea.
Silently staring at the soup in the bowl for a while, he didn’t even know where to start with the spoon. Yu Zhanrong secretly glanced at Song Baiyan again.
Song Baiyan saw his resistance and hesitation and understood when he saw the coriander floating in the soup.
Song Baiyan reaffirmed: Raising a kid was indeed not easy. He resigned himself to taking the bowl back, and using serving chopsticks, he picked out all the coriander for him, bit by bit.
After confirming that there was no more coriander in the soup, he gave it to him, and then continued to eat, sighing throughout the whole process, without saying a word, his expression natural.
Yu Zhanrong blinked, and blinked again, before he could believe that this scene was real.
Song Baiyan, picking out coriander for him.
This was Song Baiyan!
What had he done to deserve Song Baiyan personally picking out coriander for him?
In the past two days of being together with Song Baiyan day and night, Yu Zhanrong had been greatly impacted, spending each day in flattered surprise. The stern and serious Senior Brother in his memory was actually handsome and gentle, and no one could resist his charm.
Yu Zhanrong sighed as he drank the soup, glad that he hadn’t settled for the apartment in the next building because of the expensive rent.
After staying at Song Baiyan’s house for another two days, the apartment next door was finally cleaned up.
A few days ago, Yu Zhanrong had dragged a suitcase into Song Baiyan’s house. Now, he was dragging the same suitcase into the apartment next door, officially becoming Song Baiyan’s neighbor.
On the day of the move, Song Baiyan filled his refrigerator to the brim, with no shortage of food or drinks, and there were two boxes of snacks next to it.
Yu Zhanrong leaned against the refrigerator, his nose stinging.
“Gonna cry?” Song Baiyan found a cup from somewhere and held it under his eyes. “Come on, Senior Brother will catch them for you.”
His pretense failed in a second. Yu Zhanrong rubbed his nose and took a half-step back. “I’m not.”