Love in the Fast Lane - Chapter 41 - A Flurry of Activity

The place Tang Ning found this time was conveniently close to Mo Zihan’s residence. The residential community was quiet, located in a newly built faculty housing area of the university. The owner had plenty of properties; this one had just been renovated and immediately put up for rent online. Tang Ning found the price acceptable, and after a visit, he immediately decided to rent it.

Even though she hadn’t seen the scene, Mo Zihan could vividly imagine Tang Ning’s pained expression when he had to fork out the money. It’s worth noting that the rent for half a year was quite substantial, almost a quarter of the money Tang Ning had just received. No wonder the cheapskate was in agony; he’s someone who would agonize over buying a pair of socks for several minutes!

Following Tang Ning all the way up to the ninth floor, Mo Zihan was exasperated that he refused to take the elevator, claiming it was unsafe. Mo Zihan was fuming-Dear God, it feels like a vacuum was draining my energy away, and now I have to walk up nine floors?

“This place isn’t far from your place. If something comes up, you can say it’s a company affair and go back to enjoy your comfort,” Tang Ning said with a smile at the door.

Mo Zihan’s face fell immediately, feeling displeased. “Hey, what do you mean by that? I haven’t even moved in, and you’re already trying to kick me out? That’s too much. If you keep talking like this, I’m not moving in. There’s simply no need.”

In reality, both of them understood clearly. They were both nervous and looking for topics to break the current and upcoming awkwardness. However, the chosen topics were not ideal.

Upon opening the security door, there was another wooden door inside. As Mo Zihan changed into the cotton slippers from the shoe rack, she asked, “Have you changed the keys and locks? Does the contract itemize everything inside the house? We don’t want to end up getting scammed when we move out.”

Tang Ning was puzzled, “The homeowner looked like they were doing quite well. Would they really care about scamming us out of a few yuan?”

Mo Zihan rolled her eyes, “Haven’t you heard the saying that the poorer people are, the more generous they seem? That’s being poor and generous. The richer they are, the tighter they get. That’s called managing the household wisely, get it?”

The living room’s furniture and decor were quite nice, with a teal floor and warm-colored walls. Though the space was small, in this city, such a house gave a particularly cozy feeling, especially in winter.

The master bedroom was immediately to the side when you entered. Mo Zihan darted inside to check it out. The bed already had a new mattress, the sheets and blankets were still unopened. It was evident that this room was reserved for family guests. It even had a bathroom, making it very convenient.

The other bedroom was diagonally opposite the entrance, on the same plane as the balcony. It had already been set up; a large bed took up less than a third of the room. The floor was carpeted, and the mattress and bedding on the bed were already in place. A large lavender pillow was carelessly thrown at the head of the bed.

“Did you get all this done this morning?” Mo Zihan asked Tang Ning, who was leaning against the doorframe.

Tang Ning responded, “Yes. The homeowner didn’t provide bed linens, and all the kitchen utensils were newly bought this morning. Check if there’s anything else missing, so we can get it early.”

Mo Zihan rolled her eyes. “You’re a smart person, so how come you’re such an idiot when it comes to household matters?”

Tang Ning was taken aback, “What do you mean by that? I think it’s pretty much all here. Is there something I missed?”

Mo Zihan scoffed, “Did you think of the groceries and water in the fridge? Open the fridge, and oh boy, it’s empty. Is this how you live? Even though you just moved in in the last couple of days, do you not eat? Knowing you, you’re not the type to eat out every meal, so you’re giving yourself away.”

Tang Ning smacked his forehead. “You’re right. Clearly, you’re more adept at this. Hold on, let me take notes.”

“No need. I took the afternoon off. I’ll take care of it. You just need to be the mover.”

Tang Ning was puzzled, “There shouldn’t be that much stuff, right?”

Mo Zihan pointed at the lone pillow on the bed and retorted, “Your emotional intelligence needs work. Just one pillow? That’s too obvious. And what about sleeping on the floor tonight? Did you buy anything for that?”

Tang Ning rubbed his nose, “That shouldn’t be necessary. There’s a carpet, and I tried it. It’s soft enough.”

Mo Zihan shrugged. “If you’re not afraid of waking up with a limp and people noticing, fine, I’ll agree with your youthful energy theory.”

Great, more money to spend.

Tang Ning sighed inwardly. Of course, Mo Zihan could tell that this cheapskate was getting stingy again, so she chose to ignore him. She moved to the kitchen and bathroom, taking a mental note of several essential items that needed to be bought. Finally, she clapped her hands in satisfaction. “Alright, I don’t need to go to the company this afternoon. You go buy groceries, and I’ll tidy up the kitchen.”

“Cooking our own meal? You’ve saved me a meal-what a saint!” Tang Ning said happily.

Mo Zihan wasn’t amused. “Dream on. Saving you money? In your next life, maybe. Since you asked me to help, we need to be responsible, right? It’s obvious this kitchen has never been used. Tomorrow, when your parents come and see, they’ll think the kitchen has never been cleaned, and they’ll blame me. Do you think I’m okay with being scolded on your behalf? No way. You go buy groceries, I’ll get to work. And don’t forget, you owe me a big meal, a big one, understand?”

After Tang Ning left, Mo Zihan suddenly felt as if she was really settling in here.

How is that possible? I’m just here to help, just to help, understand?

Rolling up her sleeves, for the first time ever, Mo Zihan voluntarily started doing household chores.

She was indeed a lazy person, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to handle household chores. On the contrary, Mo Zihan was very good at them and could cook excellent meals. However, she hadn’t done any of that since leaving home.

She used up more than half a bottle of dishwashing liquid, and the kitchen became much brighter. But when she tried to light the stove, it wouldn’t start. There was no gas.

Mo Zihan shrugged. That’s not her job to fix.

Tang Ning walked in carrying several large bags. Mo Zihan was dumbfounded. “Are you planning to move the entire farmers’ market into our home? This much food is enough for seven or eight people for three or four days-wait, there’s a variety but only a bit of each. Are you throwing a banquet or what?”

Tang Ning handed her a damp, clean towel. “Wipe your face. You’re sweating. As for the food, we need some for our meals today and some for tomorrow, and we’ll finish it all by tomorrow afternoon. Take a break, I’ll handle the rest.”

Mo Zihan snorted. “What do you mean you’ll handle it? I’ve already cleaned everything. Take a break and go get the gas cylinder. Turn left when you exit the residential community, it’s right there. I’ll handle picking and washing the vegetables. I’m not good at heavy lifting.”

Tang Ning clicked his tongue and blurted out as he headed out the door, “This feels like real life.”

Mo Zihan was momentarily stunned. She wiped her face and squatted on a small stool to pick the vegetables, still mulling over his words. After a while, she muttered to herself, “It really does feel like real life.”

Wait, something’s off. I’m just here to help, not to live here. Besides, even if this is life, it’s their life, not mine. Why am I getting so carried away? Stop it, stop it. No more wild thoughts.

They didn’t finish eating until two in the afternoon. Mo Zihan, thinking of the soft new bed, climbed up and took a proper nap. She woke up around four and saw Tang Ning, covered in sweat and carrying bags of stuff. She found out that this guy had actually taken the opportunity to move out of his old apartment.

“Why don’t you vacate your place too?” Tang Ning suggested as he crouched down, organizing his stuff. He didn’t see Mo Zihan’s face turn red in an instant. “You have to pay rent this month anyway. Once my parents leave, the bedroom here will be free.”

“Are you inviting me to live here?” Mo Zihan asked, almost bewildered.

Tang Ning nodded matter-of-factly. “Of course, why would I lie to you?”

In a daze, Mo Zihan agreed, surprisingly excited. “Alright then, but remember, I might delay paying rent and sometimes freeload.”

Tang Ning tightened a screw on a cabinet. “I’m your meal ticket, after all.”

Ugh, what a slip of the tongue!

Just then, the cellphone on the coffee table buzzed loudly. Without looking up, Tang Ning said, “Can you check that for me? It’s probably a call from home. My parents should be on the train by now.”

Startled, Mo Zihan almost lost her balance and fell to the ground.