Chapter Nine: Stay at My Place

Ji Leqing’s words left me speechless; I could only admit that she truly understood me.

If Lin Xingfan hadn’t happened to see my medical report, perhaps I wouldn’t have told him until the day I was dying. It was just a terminal illness, after all—why burden so many people with it? Habitually clutching the medicine bottle in my hand, I looked at Ji Leqing. "I'm sorry, I..."

"Stop. You’ve apologized to me too many times." She shook her head. "But I really didn't expect you to ever lock horns with Xu Zhixia. Isn't she your one true love, your life itself?"

Why did she have to bring up Xu Zhixia again? Feeling a wave of irritability, I cut her off. "I am determined to divorce her. My love for her has been completely exhausted, and I don't want to waste what little life I have left on her."

Ji Leqing nodded noncommittally, though I knew she didn't believe me, just like Lin Xingfan.

"By the way, why did you ask to meet me here?" I looked up at the Bijiang Mansion behind her. Unlike Xu Zhixia’s standalone villa, Bijiang Mansion was located in the heart of the city, right next to Tianhai’s largest economic district—a place where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

"Get in the car first. I don't want to get a ticket." I thought she was taking me somewhere else to talk, but instead, she drove straight into the residential complex. The barrier scanned the license plate and lifted automatically, accompanied by a mechanical voice: "License plate recognized: [Tian A·Y0824]. Welcome home, dear resident."

A resident?! I was stunned. The annual revenue of Jianxia wouldn't even be enough to pay the property fees here, let alone buy an apartment. Ji Leqing was actually a resident of Bijiang Mansion? Didn't she say back in college that her family just ran a small business? Where had she struck it rich?

The car pulled into the underground parking garage. Through the windows, I saw top-tier luxury vehicles everywhere; Rolls-Royces were as common as heads of cabbage.

"You're a resident here?" Ji Leqing parked the car, her hand pausing as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "No, I'm renting."

"Renting?"

"Yes. Let’s go upstairs and talk."

***

I followed Ji Leqing into the elevator, which stopped at the thirtieth floor. When the doors opened, I thought I had walked into a high-end international hotel. From the wall tiles to the floor, everything exuded a low-key but impossible-to-ignore luxury. And this was just her foyer.

Walking into the living room, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the entire Tianhai city center. Although I had climbed out of the mountain villages to escape poverty and even possessed a modest fortune, I felt utterly ridiculous in the face of this level of wealth.

I sat on the sofa, feeling somewhat constrained, until Ji Leqing handed me a glass of warm water. "Given your current condition, try to avoid drinking anything other than plain water."

"Bijiang Mansion costs over three hundred thousand per square meter. How did you end up renting a place here?" I couldn't help but ask. The moment the words left my mouth, I felt they were invasive. I was about to apologize when Ji Leqing spoke.

"It belongs to my college professor. She went to live with her children, and when she found out I was looking for a place, she rented it to me at a discount." She changed the subject, perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere. "Let's not talk about this. You want to divorce Xu Zhixia—have you thought about your arrangements?"

"I told Xu Zhixia I’d move out within three days. I haven't found a place yet, so I was planning to sleep at the office for a few days." Although moving out was something I had considered, setting such a short deadline had been a fit of anger. I really was the type to burn my own bridges when I lost my temper.

"Sleep at the office? Are you afraid your employees don't know about your divorce, or that you're dying?" She shook her head. "How about this: stay with me. I can supervise your medication and treatment, and it’s right next to the subway, so it's convenient for you to go anywhere."

I refused without a second thought. "No, a man and a woman living together—it wouldn't look good for you. If it comes to it, I'll just stay with Lin Xingfan." Then I realized I had spoken too soon. Housing prices in Tianhai were absurd. Although Lin Xingfan was a resident physician at a top-tier hospital, he had only just saved enough for a down payment this year, and to cover the renovation costs, he was currently living in staff quarters. There was no room for me there. It seemed there was no better solution than accepting Ji Leqing’s offer.

Ji Leqing sensed my hesitation and added, "It’s not a handout. This place is eight hundred square meters; it’s a waste for me to live here alone. You coming here helps me split the rent and utilities." She looked at me. "My professor rents it to me for five thousand a month. You can cover half, how about that?"

A ten-square-meter room in downtown Tianhai cost at least five thousand. Renting half of an eight-hundred-square-meter luxury flat in Bijiang Mansion for twenty-five hundred? I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing. By sharing with Ji Leqing, I could save a bit more money to leave for Lin Xingfan and my mother. After a moment of thought, I agreed.

***

"I'm sorry to trouble you. Will your boyfriend mind..."

"Pfft—" Ji Leqing burst into laughter. She laughed until her shoulders trembled and tears welled up in her eyes. It took her a while to stop, and she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "If I had a boyfriend, would I be looking for a roommate? Jiang Jian, is that how you see me?"

"I'll take you back. Call me when you've packed your things, and I'll come pick you up."

"No need, I’ll take a taxi."

Ji Leqing raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid we’ll get into a fight if we run into each other?"

I was too embarrassed to look at her. I knew Xu Zhixia’s attitude toward Ji Leqing wasn't out of love for me, but out of a refusal to let me turn my attention to someone else. But I didn't want Ji Leqing to suffer because of me.

After sitting at her place for a while, she watched me take my medicine before I hailed a taxi home.

A scent of smoke and charcoal drifted from the villa's backyard, mixed with the smell of spices and grilled meat. I heard Xu Zhixia and several men cheering and laughing. Had she brought that group of male models home?

It was none of my business. I walked straight to the front door, but my fingerprint failed to register. It seemed she had deleted my access; she really meant to leave me out on the street. After several failed attempts, the door lock triggered an alarm, startling the partygoers in the backyard.

Xu Zhixia, surrounded by male models wearing nothing but swim trunks, walked to the front yard.

"Oh, look who’s back. Isn't this CEO Xu’s dog? Or should I call you 'Cuckold Brother' or 'Chromosomal Rage Brother'?" The speaker was a young, slick-haired male model, probably fresh out of college—a wet-behind-the-ears brat. The one I had fought was missing; I had lost my temper that day and hadn't held back, so he was likely still in the hospital.

Xu Zhixia had changed her clothes, washed her hair, and her makeup was exquisitely applied—she looked like a different person from the drunken mess she had been. She wore a black-and-purple bikini that revealed large patches of smooth, fair skin. The sparse fabric covered the essentials while tightly outlining her curves, exuding an alluring, half-reluctant temptation. Her prominent breasts, rounded hips, and long legs were visually arresting, enough to make any man's blood boil.

"Jiang Jian," she said, her voice cold. "I gave you a chance to apologize, and you didn't cherish it. It's too late for regrets now."