Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Clearing Out the Rental Apartment, Returning the Keys

"What?"

’What the heck? Lu Yunque?’

"The Lu Family auction."

’The Lu Family auction! Lu Yunque!’

Only then did Yun Zijin remember. No wonder the voice had sounded a little familiar.

"Oh, it’s Mr. Lu. What a coincidence! So, Mr. Lu, do you prefer to have it mailed or handed over in person?"

"I have a few things I’d like to discuss with Miss Yun, so let’s meet in person."

Lu Yunque hadn’t forgotten that Yun Zijin still held the deed to the West Suburb Land.

"Alright. When and where?"

"This afternoon. 3:00 PM, at Xiyu Cafe."

Yun Zijin had nothing but time on her hands, so she agreed without hesitation.

After hanging up with Lu Yunque, Yun Zijin heard a noise from the stairwell outside. She poked her head out and saw her neighbor from across the hall.

The apartment across the hall also belonged to their landlady. The two of them would occasionally go out to eat or shop together.

Over time, they had grown close.

"Zijin! You won’t believe it, but I just saw a Porsche downstairs! That Ice Plum Powder color went straight to my heart. I’m so jealous!"

As Lu Lanqi spoke, she naturally pulled Yun Zijin toward the window to look down.

’Is it possible that the car is actually mine?’

However, Yun Zijin didn’t say this out loud. After all, Lu Lanqi probably wouldn’t believe her even if she did.

"If you’re so jealous, then work hard and earn the money so you can afford one yourself someday." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

’What’s the point of envying others when owning it yourself is so much better?’

"Easier said than done! When it comes to saving, buying a house definitely comes first!"

Buying a house in Dijing was no easy feat.

"Don’t overthink it. You’re the first one here. Take whatever you like in this room, aside from the furniture and appliances that came with the apartment."

Yun Zijin’s offer was incredibly generous.

"Are you serious? I remember you spent ages picking all this stuff out. I’ve been dying to get a lot of these for myself!

Are you moving far away? You’re not taking any of it?"

Lu Lanqi naturally assumed that Yun Zijin was moving to a different rental for work, but it was really strange to move without taking anything.

"Pretty far. This stuff is a pain to move. I saved all the links, so I can just buy it all again if I have to!

Hurry up and pick. I’ll help you move some of it while I have time."

’Xingyu Mansion really is pretty far from here.’

"I want this! I’ve been eyeing your beanbag sofa for ages. And that set of dishes! When I went to look for them, your model was already sold out."

Lu Lanqi walked around the apartment, gathering a pile of things in her arms.

"Lu Lanqi! I saw that beanbag sofa first!"

Yun Zijin and Lu Lanqi had just moved the items into the hallway and hadn’t even had a chance to bring them into Lu Lanqi’s apartment when they heard someone call her name.

The voice was so shrill that Yun Zijin felt the urge to cover her ears.

"Um... it’s first come, first served. I already said so in the group chat.

There’s still other stuff in the apartment, why don’t you take another look?"

Peng Jingjing had a classic case of "princess syndrome," so Yun Zijin and Lu Lanqi usually didn’t hang out with her.

She hadn’t said a word in the group chat earlier, so they thought she was too proud to take any of the leftover items. They didn’t expect her to be the second one back.

And now she was fighting Lu Lanqi over the beanbag sofa. Yun Zijin was speechless.

But she was moving out anyway and didn’t want her things to cause bad blood between Lu Lanqi and the other tenants in the building, so she decided to step in and handle it.

"No! I don’t care about the other stuff. I want that beanbag sofa!"

It wasn’t so much that she didn’t care for the other things, but rather that the beanbag sofa was the most expensive item Yun Zijin owned.

Because she had wanted something extra comfortable, Yun Zijin had rigorously researched all sorts of types, carefully compared them, and read through reviews and Q&As before buying it.

Good quality naturally came with a higher price.

Yun Zijin had saved for a long time before she could bring herself to buy it. She’d nearly had to live on scraps for a while just for this beanbag sofa.

"I made it clear in the group chat: first come, first served! Besides, you never said you wanted it in the chat. Lanqi was the first one back, so if she wants it, it’s hers.

It’s my stuff, and I’ll give it to whomever I want. If you don’t care for anything else, then don’t bother looking. I’m not particularly inclined to give you anything anyway."

Lu Lanqi gave Yun Zijin a thumbs-up, then took out her keys, opened her door, and moved all the things she had chosen inside.

She was no pushover who would give up her things just because of a few words from Peng Jingjing.

’She expected people to just hand her things without even asking? What a dreamer for someone so plain.’

"You! Both of you! I took time off work to rush back here! Do you have any idea that I lost my pay for the day because of this?!"

Peng Jingjing’s face was full of indignation, and she shot Yun Zijin a hostile glare.

If it weren’t for this beanbag sofa, why would she have been willing to come back at the cost of her day’s wages?

"As if anyone here didn’t take time off to come back. Who can you blame but yourself for being a step too slow?

And let me tell you, I am not giving this beanbag sofa to you!"

Just as Lu Lanqi finished speaking, someone else returned.

This time it was a guy who lived on the floor above Lu Lanqi. Hearing them arguing, he hesitated, unsure if he should go up.

’A drama with three women... a weak man like him couldn’t possibly stop it.’

"Deng Ming, you’re back? My things are all packed up. You can’t take the landlady’s furniture or appliances, but everything else is fair game. First come, first served, until it’s all gone."

Even though Yun Zijin was a girl, she had a minimalist style, so most of her things were perfectly fine for a guy to use.

Deng Ming nodded, carefully sidestepped Peng Jingjing, and quickly slipped through the door to pick out what he needed.

In the end, Deng Ming took a hairdryer, a small low table, and a floor lamp.

Seeing Deng Ming also emerge with things, Peng Jingjing grew anxious. Forgetting her earlier conflict with Yun Zijin and Lu Lanqi, she charged through the door and began to sweep up the remaining items.

Watching from the doorway as Peng Jingjing grabbed anything and everything she saw, Yun Zijin was completely dumbfounded.

’Was this the same ’princess’ who was obsessed with being prim and proper from head to toe?’

Over the next hour, people trickled back one after another. Before long, the apartment was cleared out, with only a few lonely items left behind.

Since they had all taken time off work, everyone headed back to their offices after grabbing their items.

After everything was cleared out, Yun Zijin contacted a cleaning service, had the place cleaned from top to bottom, and then took videos and photos before she was satisfied.

By the time she finished, it was already noon. Yun Zijin washed her hands, found a nearby restaurant for lunch, and then drove back to Xingyu Mansion.

She had to meet Lu Yunque in the afternoon, so Yun Zijin took a shower to wash off the smell of dust from the cleaning.

At 1:30, she set off in her car.

The Xiyu Cafe that Lu Yunque mentioned was near the Lu Group Building.

When Yun Zijin arrived, it was still thirty minutes before 3:00 PM.

Instead of waiting in Xiyu Cafe, Yun Zijin got out of her car and wandered around the area, looking for a place where she could spend her five million.

At 2:50, Yun Zijin finally stepped into Xiyu Cafe, and Lu Yunque arrived at the exact same moment.