Chapter 278

He became tense at the girl's threats, yet maintained his usual nonchalant demeanor. It was hard to imagine that such a person was a forty-year-old adult. However, he clearly cared about Hua Xin's suggestion. The family he had finally managed to build couldn't afford any more mistakes in this matter. His sole purpose was to get the money, completely sever ties with this "daughter," and run away. What surprised him, however, was that... Hua Shanming had initially thought this might be a difficult thing to do. After all, based on his remaining memories, Hua Xin shouldn't even be able to have a conversation, let alone... use her silver tongue to subtly threaten him? But these were minor matters. Being able to have a normal conversation was actually better; otherwise, if things got delayed in finding people and selling the house, it would be a loss for him. "You saw it yourself, they've already accepted it and are just telling you to wait for notification." "Besides..." "Have you resolved my problem yet?" "I've gone to several places with you to help you with this, if there's still no news, that's a bit unreasonable, isn't it?" Hua Shanming leaned back in his chair, looking quite comfortable, almost paralyzed, but his words carried a hint of dissatisfaction. He had already been waiting for almost half a month, and not resolving this matter completely during this time would waste a lot of time. He had finally contacted several people interested in buying or renting the house, but now he didn't even have their phone numbers—how could he continue the conversation? It was delaying his ability to make money. Hua Shanming's words were clearly true. During this time, whether it was being passed around like a football between different departments, or providing various certificates and engaging in battles of wits with the staff, he had personally gone through it all. Hua Xin fell silent for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze wasn't on Hua Shanming across the street, but rather fixed on the bustling street outside the transparent glass window. As if remembering something, the girl's eyes became unreadable. She then softly said, "Found it."... A week after Hua Shanming left the Little Black. Hua Xin walked wearily home at her usual time after work. The sweltering air on the street felt like it was slowly melting her away, and without any sun protection, she could only silently endure the scorching heat. She wasn't supposed to work today, but she needed to find a place to rent, so she ended up working half a day at a cat cafe. After work, she visited several real estate agencies in the afternoon, barely managing to get a sense of the surrounding housing prices before finally returning home. The surrounding apartments weren't exactly cheap or affordable; they were certainly expensive and dilapidated. The thought of leaving the Little Black that had been her home for so many years filled Hua Xin with a faint sense of reluctance. Although the weather was hot, a cool feeling lingered in her heart. Just as the girl entered the main gate of the residential area as usual, a slightly familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out. Why familiar? Because she must have heard that voice deep in her memory. But why unfamiliar? Because she hadn't heard that voice in a very, very long time. "Child..." Hua Xin looked at the stylish old man in his security guard uniform in the guardhouse with some confusion, unable to recall when she had ever met him. In her memory, she seemed to have only met this security guard a few times, all during her childhood. Ah, she remembered. Hua Xin was somewhat dazed; the surrounding environment hadn't changed much from her childhood, easily triggering memories. She remembered walking home from a far place one day, but it was very late when she got home. She knocked on the door but no one answered. Feeling embarrassed to bother Auntie Li, she quietly left the neighborhood, intending to spend the night in a nearby park. Although it sounded strange, it wasn't the first time. Sometimes she would stay overnight in the park. After all, summer nights weren't too cold, and in some ways, it was better than her "bedroom." Perhaps at that time Hua Shanming and Chen Yu had already shown signs of wanting to leave. And this security guard in front of her... that is, Uncle Grandpa Liu, had once taken her in for a night in the security room, but she hadn't said anything then. When he asked her questions, she just huddled in a corner, somewhat afraid and terrified, until he left the security room and offered her the bed, at which point she reacted. She wasn't wearing a hoodie or a mask. The pretense that belonged to Hua Xin hadn't appeared for a long time since school let out for vacation. Hua Xin opened her mouth, finally no longer hesitating or afraid, and gently bowed slightly, putting her hands behind her back. "Is there anything I can help you with?" There was no need to hide anything anymore. Grandpa Liu was clearly surprised by the girl's poise and confidence. In his memory, the computer mechanic who always picked her up at the main gate on his motorcycle always wore a hoodie and mask to conceal his figure. Although he hadn't learned much about her, Grandpa Liu had noticed. "Hmm..." "You're that girl surnamed Hua, right?" "The one who often goes to school with that computer mechanic." Hua Xin was taken aback, surprised that Grandpa Liu knew Xia Yan, but then she realized he was the gatekeeper and would naturally see everyone coming and going. "Yes, my name is Hua Xin." "Resident of Unit 2, Building 11, Apartment 201." Hua Xin said, somewhat puzzled, unsure why he had called her over. Grandpa Liu felt a little embarrassed, but managing the property fees was part of his job. "I know, that's how it is..." "The current owner of your house is a person Chen Yu, but she's always behind on the property management fees. When I call her, she just gives me the runaround." "You see..." "Should we talk to her?" 215. One Year Anniversary "Chun Qiu!" "Can you stop lying on my clothes! Did you even bury your poop in the litter box properly?!" The girl, her face slightly Red Temperature, tossed the chubby Chun Qiu onto the bedside, then carefully hung up the dress she had just taken out to put in the already small wardrobe that couldn't hold more than two pieces of clothing. "Meow..." Chun Qiu wagged its tail and walked away without looking back. It seemed it hadn't been digging in the litter box at all. Shaking off the black hoodie that Chun Qiu had been lying on and tossing it onto the stool, the girl then gently picked up a clothes hanger and continued tidying up the remaining clothes. This was the dress Xia Yan had bought for her when they went on their beach trip. To be honest, aside from that one night at the beach, she hadn't worn it out in public even in the sweltering summer heat. With a sigh, Hua Xin, looking rather dejected, gathered the rest of her clothes and lay down on the somewhat cramped bed, just big enough to accommodate her nearly 1.7-meter height. The ceiling light was dim, casting a grayish glow over the entire room, which, combined with the walls...