Rent and the Standards of a Salted Fish

"Rent" – the two words struck Su Wanqing's heart, which had just been warmed by Chaos Origin Qi, like two bolts of lightning quenched in ice!

The shame-induced blush from licking the bowl clean instantly vanished, replaced by a pallor as cold as the storm last night. The warm, comfortable feeling inside her body froze, her blood seeming to stop flowing. She abruptly looked up, her eyes meeting Ling Ye's calm, unfathomable gaze, which seemed to reflect an endless abyss.

The bizarre sight of the withered tree in the courtyard blooming instantly last night, the pitch-black short staff in the cloth bag that crushed her soul, and the terrifying aura of the small Chaos pot, the elite agent bleeding and unconscious in the bushes, and the heavy "Silence" that froze time and suppressed all sound... All the fearful memories, dulled by the brief deliciousness, surged back like a bursting dam, drowning her!

This walking Calamity... what kind of rent would he demand?!

Her soul? The Su Corporation she built with her own hands? Or... was there some earth-shattering secret buried beneath this multi-million dollar villa that she didn't know about, something that could attract a being like him?!

A colossal fear, like an icy giant hand, gripped her heart, making it almost impossible to breathe. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Her limbs, which had felt so full of strength moments ago, were now as weak as noodles. She opened her mouth, a hoarse sound escaping her throat, unable to form a complete syllable. In her beautiful eyes, only pure, despair-crushed panic remained.

Ling Ye seemed completely oblivious to her near-breakdown. He looked at Su Wanqing's suddenly paper-white face and terrified eyes, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, with a hint of... confusion?

These mortals... why are their emotions so volatile? She was practically snatching noodles just now, and now she's this scared? Can't understand.

He ignored Su Wanqing's near-fainting state and calmly surveyed the luxurious yet cold living room, as if assessing something. His gaze swept over the gleaming marble floor, the expensive leather sofas, the massive crystal chandelier, the high-tech smart home control panel... Finally, with clear disdain, it landed on himself.

That old, dark gray cotton T-shirt, the faded jeans, and... his bare feet (he had completely forgotten the ill-fitting old slippers).

"Tsk," Ling Ye made a clear, dissatisfied clicking sound with his tongue, breaking the suffocating silence in the living room. He reached out and tugged at the collar of his T-shirt, the fabric rubbing against his skin. "This material... still not good enough. Too rough, doesn't absorb sweat, and it... chafes."

His tone was flat, as if stating an objective fact, but it sent Su Wanqing's terrified mind into another brief spiral of confusion.

Material? Rough? Chafes? He's complaining about... clothes?!

Without waiting for her reaction, Ling Ye continued, his gaze returning to Su Wanqing's pale face, as if issuing a perfectly ordinary command:

"So, the rent is," he paused, his tone carrying an air of "I've already been very generous," "get me some more comfortable clothes and shoes."

Su Wanqing: "...???"

Her mind went blank, as if hitting a pause button. The expression of extreme fear froze on her face, her eyes filled with immense absurdity and incomprehension.

The rent... is... get him some more comfortable clothes and shoes?!

What is this?! A single glance could make an elite agent bleed and faint, he carries something that looks like a world-ending weapon in his bag, and the 'rent' he demands is just... a set of comfortable clothes and shoes?!

The immense gap in her understanding felt like missing a step and falling from a cliff into a pile of cotton! Absurd! Ridiculous! The height of absurdity!

Seeing Su Wanqing's still dazed expression, as if she hadn't understood, Ling Ye seemed to feel the need to be more specific. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall some distant, vague standard.

"Hmm..." he mused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "I want something... soft. Like... hmm..." He seemed to be searching his primordial warehouse for references, "Like the first batch of silk spun by the 'Nine Nether Cloud Silkworm'? Or... leather tanned by 'Chaos Fire Cotton Grass'? That way... it won't chafe when sleeping."

He tried his best to describe it, but clearly, these terms were gibberish to Su Wanqing.

Nine Nether Cloud Silkworm? Chaos Fire Cotton Grass? What the hell are those?! Su Wanqing felt her temples throbbing again. The request sounded simple, but the standard was harder to meet than climbing to heaven!

Ling Ye seemed to realize his description might not be understood. He gave up and offered a more "practical" standard. He tugged at his old T-shirt again, with clear disdain. "In short, much softer than this... much softer. It needs to be breathable, sweat-absorbent, and not chafe the skin."

He raised his bare foot again, tapping the cool marble floor (even though the underfloor heating was strong). "Shoes... also need to be soft. The soles can't be hard, like... like stepping on 'Primordial Breathing Soil'? Hmm... soft, warm, and very comfortable."

Primordial Breathing Soil?! Su Wanqing felt like she was suffocating. She had never even heard of it!

Seeing the growing bewilderment and despair on Su Wanqing's face, Ling Ye finally seemed to lose patience. He waved his hand, with an air of "I've already lowered my standards, why are you mortals still so troublesome?" impatience.

"Forget it," he concluded calmly. "Just look for that feeling. Comfortable is the key. If you can't find it..." He paused, his gaze calmly sweeping over Su Wanqing's pale face, then glancing out at the courtyard, where the tree, washed by the recent rain, appeared even more verdant, "...then chop down that tree in the yard, strip its bark, and I'll tan it myself."

His tone was extremely natural, as if he were casually saying, "If you can't find soy sauce, use vinegar instead."

"BOOM--!"

Su Wanqing felt a thunderclap explode in her mind! She whipped her head around to look out the floor-to-ceiling window! In the courtyard stood the ancient orchid, which had miraculously revived from a withered state under the influence of Chaos Spirit Tea, now blooming beautifully and appearing even more sacred and pure in the morning light and dew!

Chop it down?! Strip its bark?! Tan it?!

To... make clothes?!

"No! Absolutely not!" Su Wanqing screamed, almost shrieking! Her voice, distorted by extreme fear and absurdity, changed pitch! That tree... that tree had just experienced a miraculous revival last night! It was the only sign of life and witness in this cold, luxurious courtyard! How could... how could they chop it down just to make clothes?! It was worse than killing her!

The immense shock made her temporarily forget her fear, leaving only her instinct to protect.

Ling Ye was taken aback by her sudden, intense reaction. He looked at Su Wanqing's flushed face, her chest heaving with agitation, and her eyes fixed on the ancient orchid outside, like a mother beast protecting her young. His brow furrowed again.

These mortals... not only have poor tolerance and unstable emotions, but they're also attached to a mere tree? Can't understand.

"It's just a tree," Ling Ye's tone carried a hint of confused bewilderment. "We can plant another one." In his eyes, although the ancient orchid had absorbed a trace of Chaos Spirit Tea's aura and become tougher than an ordinary tree, it was merely "tougher," far inferior to the truly good materials in his cloth bag. Tanning its bark for clothes was indeed a "makeshift" option.

"Plant another one?!" Su Wanqing's voice rose higher, tinged with tears. "That's a hundred-year-old ancient orchid! A living miracle! How can... how can..."

She stammered, a sense of immense grievance and powerlessness washing over her again. Communicating with this "immortal" was harder than negotiating with aliens!

Ling Ye looked at her agitated state and seemed to find it a bit noisy. He rubbed his temples, with a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.

"Alright, alright," he said, as if dismissing a petulant child, his tone showing a perfunctory concession. "If you don't want to cut it, we won't. Then the rent..." His gaze returned to Su Wanqing, with an undeniable seriousness. "...clothes and shoes, get them soon. They need to be comfortable. Remember, comfort is the primary standard."

He emphasized "comfort" again, as if it were the most important law in the universe.

"I... I'll do my best..." Su Wanqing deflated like a punctured balloon, her voice weak, filled with exhaustion and despair. She felt like she had accepted an impossible mission. Much softer? Like stepping on some "Primordial Breathing Soil"? Where was she supposed to find that?!

Seeing Su Wanqing's listless expression, Ling Ye seemed to think the rent issue was temporarily resolved. He said no more, picked up his old cloth bag, and walked barefoot, his steps making soft slapping sounds, towards the massive floor-to-ceiling window of the living room. Outside, the air in the courtyard was fresh after the rain, and the plants were lush and green.

He stood by the window, calmly gazing at the city below the distant mountains, which was gradually awakening in the morning mist. The early morning sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, casting a faint golden hue on the damp buildings.

He watched with intense focus, as if admiring a peerless landscape. But Su Wanqing inexplicably felt that deep within his calm, unruffled gaze, there flickered an extremely faint... imperceptible... hint of disdain?

Disdain for this modern city he had just returned to...?

Just then, Ling Ye seemed to sense something, his gaze shifting slightly. He casually glanced towards the direction of the villa's courtyard gate. His eyes remained calm, but Su Wanqing keenly caught a hint of... impatience, more pronounced than his earlier disdain for the quality of instant noodle water, flashing across his almost imperceptible frown?

As if something... particularly "noisy" or "annoying"... was approaching.

Su Wanqing's heart leaped into her throat again!