Xu Ze glanced at the number on the door—008—and smiled faintly. This would be his home from now on. He took out his key, gently unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
Once inside, he carefully scanned his surroundings. The apartment was noticeably larger than Sun Linfei’s, featuring three bedrooms and two living rooms. The pure white walls, modernist décor, and impeccable furnishings left Xu Ze thoroughly satisfied.
It was clear that the old man had put a lot of thought into giving him a pleasant surprise. A warm feeling welled up in Xu Ze’s heart—the old man had been incredibly kind to him.
With quiet excitement, Xu Ze explored each room of his new home. The master bedroom was spacious, with a large floor-to-ceiling window and a balcony that seemed to overlook North Lake. Two sets of curtains—one white, the other beige—lay gracefully draped on the floor.
The room was simply yet comfortably furnished: a plush bed, a large wardrobe, and a wooden desk with an elegant LCD computer on top. Everything was just as perfect as Xu Ze had imagined.
He walked over to the bed, flopped onto the soft mattress, and let out a contented sigh before rolling over and letting out an excited shout.
“Ahhh…!” After a few more whoops, he finally managed to release some of his pent-up excitement. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked around happily before springing up to check the wardrobe. As expected, it was empty.
If the wardrobe had been fully stocked, Xu Ze would have had to admit… the old man was downright insane.
But then again, the old man had given him a shopping card for Bailian. Xu Ze patted his pocket and sighed softly. The old man really had thought of everything.
The other two rooms were slightly smaller—one was a guest room with a similar setup to the master bedroom, while the other was a study with a small Japanese-style tatami mat. The bookshelf held a selection of classical literature, both Chinese and foreign, along with a dozen or so medical textbooks.
The spacious kitchen was fully equipped with all the necessary appliances. Aside from a few daily essentials, Xu Ze only needed to bring his clothes to move in.
Checking the time—7:30 p.m.—he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pale gold card, smiling. It looked like he had some shopping to do today.
After a moment’s thought, he took out his phone and called Sun Linfei. Though she was only his girlfriend in name, he couldn’t think of anyone else to accompany him on a shopping trip. Going alone would be downright awkward.
Fortunately, her sweet voice soon answered. “Oh? My dear boyfriend is calling me? And he’s taking the initiative? How rare! Tsk tsk…”
Knowing that bantering with her would drag things out, Xu Ze cut straight to the point. “Got time? Need a favor.”
“Huh? You need my help? That’s weird. What’s up?” Sun Linfei giggled, clearly curious.
“I need to buy some things. Thought I’d ask my girlfriend to come along,” Xu Ze replied with a smile.
“Sure! You’ve always been the one accompanying me on shopping trips. Guess it’s my turn to play the girlfriend role.” She sounded amused but agreed readily. “You at school? Want me to meet you at the gate?”
“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Xu Ze said before hanging up.
Sun Linfei walked downstairs and stood at the entrance, scanning the area. Just as she started to wonder where he was, a sleek sports car a short distance away honked twice.
Blinking in confusion, she saw a familiar figure lean out from the driver’s seat and wave at her.
“…Xu Ze?” She froze for a second before walking over in disbelief.
As she approached, the guy inside flashed her a smug grin, confirming it really was him. Stunned, she circled the car twice before finally sliding into the passenger seat. She turned to scrutinize him, her eyes wide. After a long pause, she asked, “Did you win the lottery or something?”
Xu Ze wasn’t surprised by her reaction. He simply chuckled and shook his head. “Nope. A gift from the old man.”
“Old Man Tang gave you this?” Sun Linfei’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“Yeah. Who else would drop this kind of cash on me?” Xu Ze shrugged and turned the steering wheel, driving out of the complex.
Sun Linfei stared at him for a long moment before exhaling sharply. Then, with a mischievous grin, she ventured, “You’re not… Mayor Tang’s secret love child, are you?”
Xu Ze paused, an image of the man he’d often seen in newspapers and on TV flashing through his mind. After a beat, he laughed and shook his head. “Nah. Mayor Tang and I look nothing alike.”
“Huh. For a second there, I thought I’d hit the nail on the head.” She shot him a suspicious glance before giggling. “If you two weren’t so different, I’d seriously be questioning things right now.”
Xu Ze smiled faintly. “Don’t overthink it. I just saved the old man once and cured a tricky illness for him. When I ran into some trouble later, he took me in as his godson.”
“You saved Old Man Tang? And cured his angina?” Sun Linfei’s jaw dropped as realization dawned. “No wonder he took such a liking to you. It all makes sense now.”
“Exactly. You think he’d spoil me like this just because I’m good-looking?” Xu Ze grinned at her stunned expression.
“With a car like this, Xu Ze… you’ve really hit the jackpot.” She shook her head, half in awe, half in amusement.
“I know, right?” He laughed along with her.
…..
The Maserati glided smoothly into the underground parking lot. As they stepped out, Sun Linfei gave the car another lingering glance before blurting out, “Let’s swap cars tomorrow.”
“Sure.” Xu Ze agreed without hesitation, then added with a smirk, “But maybe wait a few days. If I start driving your car every day, people will really think I’m a kept man.”
“Serves you right!” She covered her mouth, giggling. “With that face of yours, you’re practically made for it. Didn’t you jokingly ask me to ‘sponsor’ you before? This fits perfectly.”
Still bantering, they headed to the first floor. Sun Linfei finally remembered to ask, “So, what do you need to buy?”
Xu Ze rubbed his head, then pulled out his phone and examined it. “A new phone, for starters. This one’s a secondhand piece I bought for 200 yuan. If I’m driving a sports car but still using this, people will definitely call me a poser.”
Sun Linfei took one look at his battered, peeling phone and burst into laughter. “Oh my god, you know how ridiculous that looks?”
Xu Ze grinned and deadpanned, “Hey, this thing still works perfectly fine. I could probably sell it for 100 tomorrow.”
Sun Linfei, who had just managed to stop laughing, clutched her stomach and wheezed, “You’re terrible!”
Bailian’s electronics section was expansive, but they quickly found the prominent Nokia counter.
As they browsed, the saleswoman, noticing Xu Ze seemed to be the one shopping, smiled and recommended two newly released smartphones in the 1,500–2,000 yuan range. “These are pretty popular with students. Good price, good features—see if you like them.”
Sun Linfei glanced at the two BlackBerry-style models—not her taste—and turned to Xu Ze with a teasing grin. “Well, Young Master Xu? If you buy one of these, you’d better stick to driving my car. A phone like this doesn’t match your ride. At your level, even if you’re not getting a Vertu, shouldn’t you aim a little higher?”
Before Xu Ze could reply, a snide voice cut in from the side. “Vertu? Please. An E71 would already be pushing it for him. You really think he can afford a Vertu?”
A guy nearby smirked and tossed his phone onto the counter with a clatter. “Here, take a look. Not a Vertu, but it’s an iPhone—cost me over 7,000. This is what a real phone looks like.”
Xu Ze and Sun Linfei exchanged bewildered glances. Was this some kind of joke? A cliché straight out of a bad drama? Someone was actually flaunting an iPhone in front of them?
After a beat, Xu Ze smirked and nodded at Sun Linfei before turning to the saleswoman. “Miss, could you show me your most expensive phone, please?”
The saleswoman hesitated, glancing between Xu Ze and the show-off beside them. But seeing Xu Ze’s calm smile, she quickly retrieved a sleek device from the display case. “This… is our latest limited-edition model.”
