CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 96: THE APPOINTMENT AND THE CONTRACT

"Hello, is this Mr. Ruan Xingwen?" the voice respectfully inquired from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, it’s me. And you are?"

"That’s good, you’ve previously contacted Zerui Real Estate and scheduled a meeting this morning to discuss the Binhu Bay Villa you won, correct?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"The previous manager was unexpectedly sent on a business trip today, and I’m the new project manager handling this for you."

"Okay, that’s good to know. I was about to reach out to you. When should we meet? When are you available?"

"I’m free anytime, you let me know what time works for you."

"How about ten thirty this morning? Also, I wanted to ask, after signing the contract, can I move in immediately?"

"The time works, but as for moving in..." the person on the phone hesitated, looking towards the boss for guidance on handling this situation.

The boss signaled for patience. Pulling a pen from his suit pocket, he jotted a few words on a scrap of paper:

"Agree to it."

Just then, Ruan Xingwen continued to inquire, "Is something wrong? Is it inconvenient to move in immediately?"

"Not really, it’s just that the house hasn’t been occupied since it was built, so there might be some dust. If you’re eager to move in, we can immediately contact a housekeeping service to clean it up."

The manager, tasked with the sudden call, improvised this explanation, earning a nod of approval from the boss across the desk.

Originally, Ruan Xingwen was worried about time constraints, but it seemed Zerui Real Estate prioritized him in everything. Is their service always this excellent? How could this be?

A bit strange.

Though it also avoided trouble. Now, there was ample time, plenty for Andy to return to the hotel and arrange matters.

But his hasty decision must have made things somewhat difficult for the other side.

So, Ruan Xingwen gently declined, "It’s no trouble for you. I’ll handle the cleaning myself when the time comes."

The person on the phone quickly responded, "It’s no bother, no bother at all. You can rest assured, this is part of our job. Feel free to raise any other requests you might have at that time."

The villa was an unexpected bonus. Besides the hurry to move in, Ruan Xingwen couldn’t think of any other requests.

And... are real estate companies’ services really this good nowadays? A villa given away in a lottery, and the service is so attentive, plus being open to requests?

Ruan Xingwen concluded internally:

Perhaps that’s why Zerui Real Estate remains a leader in the industry!

"Alright then, see you there."

"Just mention your name at the front desk when you arrive, and someone will lead you. Goodbye, Mr. Ruan."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up, Ruan Xingwen still felt a bit dazed.

During the call, Andy was pacing around, digesting food.

He didn’t quite understand what villa Ruan Xingwen was talking about. Now that the call was over, he had many questions.

"Ah Wen, who were you talking to? Are you moving? Where are you moving to?"

Andy rapidly fired off three questions.

"Yes, I’m moving. As for where, you’ll find out then. For now, digest well and head back to the hotel to sort out An Qi’s matters."

Ruan Xingwen replied one by one. As for who the person on the phone was... he forgot to ask, and they didn’t mention their name either.

"I forgot to ask their name..."

Andy looked exasperatedly at the innocent-looking Ruan Xingwen. How has Ah Wen grown up so steadily over the years, forgetting anything and everything?

"Alright then. I’ll go wash up."

Saying that, Andy moved towards the bathroom, but halfway, he turned back to ask something. Ruan Xingwen, understanding his intention, directly said:

"The toiletries are on the shelf by the sink, all new."

He then glanced at Andy disdainfully,

"How could you eat breakfast without washing up?"

Andy retorted loudly, "I washed my hands!"

Unexpectedly, Ruan Xingwen didn’t want to engage further, directly pushing him towards the bathroom,

"Go wash up already!"

Andy grumpily "hmphed."

"Bang."

Hearing the sound of the bathroom door closing loudly, Ruan Xingwen knew Andy was being a bit prideful.

But he didn’t pay it any mind; Andy would be fine shortly.

He swiftly cleared the table, stored leftover buns in the refrigerator, and cleaned the table before relaxing on the couch.

Suddenly, a projection appeared before Ruan Xingwen’s eyes, and he paused, staring blankly.

In that moment, Yun Jing’s familiar figure appeared on the screen.

Yun Jing looked at the frozen Ruan Xingwen with some confusion, wondering what was wrong with Xingxing.

"Xingxing?"

"Yun Jing!" Ruan Xingwen exclaimed in surprise.

The shout of "Yun Jing" was loud enough for Andy in the bathroom to hear.

"Ah Wen, who are you shouting at?"

Worried Andy might come out, Ruan Xingwen quickly replied,

"It’s nothing! I’m just looking at Weibo, continue washing up, no need to mind me."

"Oh!"

Seeing Andy hadn’t come out, Ruan Xingwen sighed in relief and turned back to Yun Jing, speaking in a hushed voice,

"You scared me; why contact me at this time?"

Realizing he almost caused trouble, Yun Jing looked a bit guilty,

"Sorry, Xingxing, I overlooked whether or not someone else was there."

"No worries, An An isn’t an outsider. But for now, don’t mention the Mountain and Sea Realm to him; I fear he wouldn’t handle it well."

Indeed, ordinary people would find it hard to accept such fantastical existences.

"Has something happened with Little Qilin?"

Ruan Xingwen anxiously asked.

Yun Jing quickly explained, "Not at all. I just wanted to tell you that the two of us can return tomorrow; Little Qilin’s training is almost complete."

"Tomorrow?!" Ruan Xingwen exclaimed in surprise.

Yun Jing nodded.

"That’s great! Is there anything I need to do?"

"No need. We have a special passage connecting to the real world. We’ll appear directly at home, undetectable by others."

"That’s good."

Reassured by Yun Jing’s words, Ruan Xingwen felt at ease.

"Where’s Little Qilin? Why isn’t it here this time?"

Ruan Xingwen had felt something missing earlier, realizing now it was that little darling.

Mentioning Little Qilin, Yun Jing’s expression visibly stiffened, then helplessly shifted the scene.

An all-too-familiar scene appeared before Ruan Xingwen.

Two Qilins, one big and one small, squatted on a small mound, their backs radiating a hint of sadness.

"What... what’s wrong with these two again?"

Finally, Yun Jing explained, "Since learning we’re leaving tomorrow, they’ve been like this all afternoon, unmoved by any persuasion."

Ruan Xingwen pondered and asked, "Can Senior Qilin enter the real world?"

"Yes. Not only can it enter the real world, but it can also transform."

Ruan Xingwen sensed there was going to be a caveat to Yun Jing’s words. Sure enough, Yun Jing continued, "But it requires a large amount of spiritual energy to maintain. Given my current state, it probably wouldn’t make it to your home before being sent back to the Mountain and Sea Realm by the barrier."

"Barrier?"

This was a term Ruan Xingwen had heard of but never experienced.