Jiang Ruoqi's brows remained furrowed, but she still smiled politely at the agent.
"Of course. Including the two apartments we saw earlier, these listings are all in high demand. If you decide, please contact me promptly." The agent didn't push, staying calm and respectful, though the white shirt under his standard suit was wrinkled like pickled vegetables. "Or you can tell me any other requirements. If I find new listings that suit you, I'll let you know."
"Okay, I'll trouble you later. Thank you."
Watching the agent leave first, Jiang Ruoqi slumped her shoulders and let out a long sigh. Meng Shang had been quietly observing from the sidelines. Now, seeing her dejected, he couldn't help asking, "What's not to your liking?"
Jiang Ruoqi answered vaguely, "Can't really say."
"I lived in a small apartment in Gangcheng too—only fifteen ping." Seeing Meng Shang's puzzled frown, she quickly explained, "The unit of measurement is different there. One ping is about 3.3 square meters, so my apartment was around fifty square meters—about the same size as the first two-bedroom-one-living-room we saw. To be honest, that apartment had everything: price, location, size, and orientation. But I don't like dark, dingy hallways. When I went upstairs and saw the cement stairs covered with ads for drain unclogging services, I was immediately reminded of Gangcheng. Actually... I don't really like Gangcheng."
"In the city center, there are indeed more old houses. The earlier batch were Shikumen lane houses, but after demolition, they've been replaced by commercial complexes and office buildings. There aren't many options near your company, but if you don't like them, we can look further."
"Why don't you ask me why?" Jiang Ruoqi turned to face Meng Shang. "I was all ready to continue."
Meng Shang sighed helplessly, reached out, and asked for Jiang Ruoqi's empty coffee cup, then tossed it into a nearby trash can. "Then... why don't you like Gangcheng?"
"Let me think how to say it." Meng Shang found it a bit amusing. "Didn't you say you were ready?"
Jiang Ruoqi didn't respond. She wrinkled her nose and looked up at Meng Shang. He immediately conceded: "Alright, take your time thinking."
Satisfied, Jiang Ruoqi nodded, thought seriously for a moment, and then replied, "I went to Gangcheng for college because my biological father—whom my mother divorced over a decade ago and I hadn't seen since—lived there. But when we met again, he was successful and had a new family. Moreover, my stepmother was backed by old Hong Kong capital, and my father didn't have much say in that blended family. So I've always felt that if I came back, it was for independence and freedom, for the feeling of a stable home that I want."
"That's why I don't like this kind of serviced apartment either. It feels like staying in a hotel. On a business trip, the whole room has nothing that belongs to me except my suitcase. Pack up and you can immediately move on to the next place."
Jiang Ruoqi glanced back at the apartment building. Even in the clear daylight, the lobby's white fluorescent lights were on. A uniformed girl sat at the front desk, and the air was filled with a cheap floral freesia scent. At first glance, it really did look more like a hotel lobby.
"I guess I'm just not good at taking advice. I know these apartments are the most suitable, but because of my own stubbornness, I can't bring myself to weigh the pros and cons."
Meng Shang withdrew his gaze, his peripheral vision falling on Jiang Ruoqi. She was staring into space, her lips curved slightly, but it didn't convey joy—only a faint melancholy. Since it involved family and personal matters, Meng Shang could only listen silently; he had neither the standing nor the right to offer advice. Besides, when it came to family relationships, he had his own share of troubles.
"What kind of place do you want to rent?"
Meng Shang thought for a moment. Since he had agreed to help Jiang Ruoqi with the apartment hunting, he would see it through. For the sake of his youthful friendship with Su Yansheng, and also for his own slightly underhanded calculations.
Jiang Ruoqi couldn't articulate it clearly either, only instinctively contrasting it with her life in Gangcheng: "It doesn't need to be big. Preferably mid-to-high floor, with a view that when you open the window, you don't see a wall of other buildings."
This requirement was a bit stringent for Xinhai, but Meng Shang seemed to have an idea.
"Would you consider a commute time of over an hour?"
Jiang Ruoqi looked at him sideways, her head tilted in confusion. Meng Shang continued to explain: "There are apartments for rent in the complex where I live. It's a high-rise building with elevators, high greenery coverage, and there's a park and subway station nearby. It's just a bit far from your company. If you're interested, we could go take a look."
"Dr. Meng is inviting me to 'enter his home'?"
The smile on Jiang Ruoqi's lips deepened, but her eyes held a hint of scrutiny. She quietly observed, noting that Meng Shang was as usual—aside from the necessary explanation, he wouldn't say anything extra.
Meng Shang let out a helpless sigh, his eyelids slowly closing and opening, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ruoqi.
Alright, fine—let's just say he was shy again. Jiang Ruoqi backed down first: "Since Dr. Meng suggested it, of course I have to go take a look."
"Then I'll get the car. Wait for me here."
"Sure."
Jiang Ruoqi watched Meng Shang walk toward the underground garage. Once his figure disappeared, she immediately pulled out her phone from her bag and messaged Ada.
[Seven]: SOS! Ask your husband for me—has anything happened to Meng Shang lately? In debt, short on money, or some family emergency?