My Roommate Lover - Chapter 18 - I Am the Boss

“Boss He, if you ever run into a problem you can’t solve, just give me a call. I’ll be there whenever you need,” Jia Simiao handed He Runxi a phone number, leaving him with a cryptic message that He didn’t take seriously. Compete with me? He thought to himself, watching from his shop as Jia Simiao and Zhang Xixi sold chilled watermelon. With so many customers buying every day, making a thousand or so wasn’t a problem.

Now that this spot had been developed by Jia Simiao and Zhang Xixi, all He Runxi needed to do was drive them away. Even if he spent 2,000 yuan to hire a couple of people, he’d still make a tidy profit.

Five hundred yuan to buy me off? He wondered as he walked into the shop. Could it be fake money? Why else would Jia Simiao and Zhang Xixi hand it over so easily? He took out the bills, feeling them with his fingers and even running them through a counterfeit detector. They were genuine.

These young folks, fresh out of school, are so easy to fool, he chuckled. But then, his hands started itching. He scratched his left hand with his right, and then his right with his left. The more he scratched, the itchier it got, until his hands were nearly raw.

What on earth is happening?

His wife panicked and rushed him to the hospital. They visited several major hospitals, including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and the First People’s Hospital, consulting the Dermatological Department. But the doctors found nothing wrong with his skin. This left He Runxi and his wife bewildered. If there was no problem, why was he itching so badly?

Even a few dermatologists were stumped, insisting his hands were fine. They suggested it might be psychological and advised seeing a psychologist for treatment.

Do I not know if I’m sick or not?

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so they saw a psychologist. The expert said it wasn’t a psychological issue but possibly a nerve problem.

A nerve problem? Come on, that’s just calling us crazy! He Runxi was furious, nearly getting into a fight with the psychologist. This ordeal dragged on until the next afternoon, when He Runxi accidentally scratched his arm, and it started itching too. The worst part was when he went to relieve himself and had to use his hands.

What kind of torture is this?

Tears welled up in He Runxi’s eyes. What could he do? His wife reminded him, “Remember that young man named Jia? He said if you had any unsolvable problems, you should call him. Maybe he did something to you?”

It must be him. It had to be him.

No wonder he insisted on handling the five hundred yuan before giving it to me.

He Runxi wasted no time calling Jia Simiao. After hearing Jia’s tone, he understood. He had underestimated him, thinking he was a pushover, only to find out he was a porcupine, hurting himself in the process. Comparing one’s life to a shop, which is more important? Life, of course.

When Jia Simiao and Zhang Xixi arrived, He Runxi was practically on his knees. Jia Simiao said calmly, “I heard you wanted to sell the shop. My girlfriend and I are here to sign the contract.”

He Runxi’s hands were raw and bloody. “Could you relieve the itch first? I’ll sign the contract right after.”

Jia Simiao replied, “Could you sign the contract first? I’ll relieve the itch right after.”

“I’ll sign!” Every minute delayed was another minute of agony. He Runxi finally realized he was dealing with someone formidable. He signed the contract, handing it over to Jia Simiao.

The contract clearly stated that the shop was now sold to Jia Simiao for 500,000 yuan, payable whenever he had the money. Jia Simiao, not wanting to be too harsh, added a clause allowing He Runxi to reclaim the shop if the debt wasn’t settled within a year. With the ancestral house of Jia Family as collateral, there was no worry.

The ancestral house of Jia Family? He Runxi was delighted. With that as security, he was at ease.

Jia Simiao applied some powder to He Runxi’s hands, and miraculously, the itching vanished. This left He Runxi amazed. Is this traditional Chinese medical science? It seems more mysterious than Western medicine.

Zhang Xixi asked, “Boss He, what do you plan to do with the things in the shop?”

He Runxi, now wary of Jia Simiao, glanced at him and quickly said, “My wife and I have a clothing store on the pedestrian street. I don’t need the stuff here. If you find it useful, keep it. It’ll save me the trouble of clearing it out.”

Jia Simiao smiled, “Thank you, Boss He.”

In truth, He Runxi wasn’t losing much. He had long heard rumors about his wife having an affair with another man, and this gave him an excuse. Besides, he thought the flower shop wasn’t making much money.

Jia Simiao offered him a cigarette, chuckling, “Boss He, I’m sorry for the trouble. If you ever need my help, just let me know.”

Boss He grinned, placing the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it for Jia Simiao. “Brother, I guess we’re… well, we got to know each other through this. Since you’re doing business on Xuefu Road, I should warn you. This area is under Master Hu’s protection, and there’s a protection fee. I’m worried you might clash with him. I’ve heard Master Hu has a few lives on his hands, quite ruthless.”

Jia Simiao laughed, “I won’t cause trouble unless someone causes trouble for me. If Master Hu’s people come, I’ll just pay them.”

What a blatant lie! If someone causes trouble for you, you endure it? When I caused trouble for you, you didn’t endure it at all. In fact, you nearly stomped me out. Jia Simiao had indeed given him a chance, but he pushed his luck. Who could he blame?

Boss He chuckled awkwardly, “Right, right, you’re not the troublemaking type. I’m just giving you a heads-up. Besides, no matter how tough Master Hu is, compared to the Qing Gang and Hongmen Gang, he’s nothing.”

Jia Simiao asked, “Oh? Are there Qing Gang and Hongmen Gang forces in Nanjiang City?”

Boss He shook his head, “I wouldn’t know. We’re just small fry. How could we know about the Qing Gang and Hongmen Gang? Their businesses and venues are nationwide, but they’re very low-key. It’s best for outsiders like us not to pry. The less you know, the better.”

Jia Simiao smiled, “Thanks for the warning, Boss He. We’re just small fry. Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t provoke them.”

Boss He chuckled, “Right, right. Well, you get busy. My wife and I are heading to the pedestrian street. If there’s anything, let’s grab a drink.”

This man was truly a smooth operator. Despite the grudge with Jia Simiao, he could still chat and laugh. Whether he was pretending or not, his composure was impressive.

Zhang Xixi walked around the shop, pleased. To curry favor with Jia Simiao, Boss He left behind the large freezer, a transparent drink fridge, and tables and chairs. In essence, Boss He sold the shop to Jia Simiao for 500,000 yuan and walked away with nothing.

Boss He wasn’t worried about Jia Simiao running off. In fact, he hoped he would, with the ancestral house as collateral. If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have dared to scheme against Jia Simiao. The phrase “One Imperial Physician in Court, Three Tanhua Out of Court” was known throughout Nanjiang City.

The shop was about thirty square meters, with a small rest area inside, a double bed, a TV, a toilet, and a sink. Zhang Xixi walked around, growing more delighted. “Jia-Ge, I’m the boss lady now.”

“Then who’s the boss?”

“You are.”

Zhang Xixi said, “You earned this shop, so you’re the boss.”

Jia Simiao laughed, “So I’ve been promoted?”

Zhang Xixi giggled, “Even if you get promoted, you’re still my Hardworking Bro. Let’s get to work. We need to tidy up the shop so tomorrow we can invite Jun’ao and Ziyu over. When we open, we should set off some firecrackers to celebrate.”

Jia Simiao, infected by her enthusiasm, laughed heartily, “Alright, let’s get busy. When Tang Ziyu gets out of school tonight, we’ll give her a big surprise.”

The flowers didn’t mean much to Jia Simiao and Zhang Xixi. Zhang Xixi suggested throwing them away, but Jia Simiao refused. It’s money, after all. How could they just throw it away? They decided to sell some at a discount today, and if they didn’t sell out, they’d give them away with purchases tomorrow.

Buy watermelon, get flowers.

Zhang Xixi laughed, “Great, our business is growing bigger and bigger.”