Buying a House

Early the next morning, Chen Ze looked weak, as though his body had been hollowed out, and listlessly ate his breakfast.

"Brother, what's wrong? Why do you look so listless? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Chen Xixi asked in confusion.

Beside them, Zheng Yanxi, who was also eating breakfast, burst out laughing when she heard that.

Chen Ze shot her an annoyed glare and said to Chen Xixi, "Yeah, I went to bed too late last night."

"Oh, do you want to go back and catch up on some sleep, Brother?" Chen Xixi asked with concern.

"No need. I'm taking you to look at houses today!" Chen Ze said, patting Chen Xixi on the head.

"Brother, maybe we should forget it. Buying a house costs a lot of money!" Chen Xixi said.

"Don't worry. I have plenty of money, so I can afford it!" Chen Ze said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Xixi. Your sister-in-law has money too. If your brother doesn't have enough, I can help pay for it," Zheng Yanxi declared with grand generosity.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law!" Chen Xixi said gratefully. What a wonderful sister-in-law she had!

Chen Ze glared at Zheng Yanxi again and said, "You don't need to pay for Xixi's house. I have money of my own. If I have to, I'll buy a smaller one. Your money is yours. We can't lump the two together."

Giant Loli naturally knew what Chen Ze meant. Feeling a little aggrieved, she said, "But I just want to spend money on you!"

Chen Ze patted her arm and said, "I know you mean well, but she's my sister, not yours. You're under no obligation to help him buy a house."

Chen Ze said this in front of his sister because he hoped she wouldn't get any improper ideas. After all, Zheng Yanxi's family was very wealthy, and he was afraid his sister might start thinking differently.

Chen Xixi said sensibly, "That's right, Sister-in-law. You don't need to buy it for me. Brother will buy it for me, and when I have money in the future, I'll pay him back."

"All right!" Zheng Yanxi said, a little unhappy.

After breakfast, they headed out. Their first stop was a newly built residential development that Chen Ze had stumbled across while searching for listings online the night before. Its advertising boasted complete amenities and beautiful surroundings. The three of them stood in the sales office, listening as a salesperson introduced the development in a torrent of words.

"Sir, our development is the star property in this area. There are shopping malls, schools and hospitals nearby-everything you could need. The floor plans are also exceptionally well designed, with north-south ventilation and first-rate natural light..." the salesperson, Xiao Li, said enthusiastically.

Chen Ze followed Xiao Li to see the model apartment. It was indeed beautifully finished, and the space had been used cleverly. But when they discussed the price, Chen Ze frowned.

"The price is a little over my budget. Could you give me a better deal?" Chen Ze asked.

Xiao Li put on a professional smile. "Sir, considering the quality and location of our property, the price is already very reasonable. There are also a few small discounts available if you buy now, though they aren't very large."

Chen Ze shook his head. "It's still too expensive. I'll think it over."

After leaving the sales office, Chen Ze felt a little disappointed.

Zheng Yanxi comforted him. "Don't lose heart. We've only seen one place. Let's look at a few more!"

"Yeah!"

The three of them then looked at several more resale properties. Either the houses were too run-down and needed a hefty sum for renovations, or the surroundings were noisy and transportation was inconvenient. By the end of the day, they had nearly run their legs off, yet had nothing to show for it.

That evening, Chen Ze lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Just then, his phone rang.

Chen Ze picked it up and saw that Shangguan Mingyue was calling. Puzzled, he answered.

"Hello, President. What can I do for you?" Chen Ze asked.

"Chen Ze, the two songs you gave me last time have been released, and the response has been very good," Shangguan Mingyue said.

"Oh, that's what this is about!"

The two chatted about a lot of other work matters. Finally, Chen Ze remembered that he wanted to buy a house and decided to ask whether Shangguan Mingyue knew anyone in that line of work.

"President, do you know anyone who deals with buying houses?" Chen Ze asked.

"What, are you buying a house?" Shangguan Mingyue asked with interest.

"Yes," Chen Ze said.

At that moment, inside a villa, Shangguan Mingyue had just finished bathing and was wrapped in a towel, with a generous expanse of skin exposed. A few droplets clung playfully to the deep cleavage at her chest, and her wet hair hung loosely around her shoulders. If an outsider had seen this sight, they would definitely have sprayed a torrent of blood from their nose.

She had a graceful figure, and every movement revealed endless allure. She reached out with a fair, delicate hand, picked up a glass of red wine and took an elegant sip. "I do know a few people. What kind of house are you looking for?"

Chen Ze then explained his requirements.

"I see!" Shangguan Mingyue walked out onto the balcony and looked at a small two-story villa next door. She remembered that no one had moved into it yet.

"I'll give you a phone number. Tell them what you're looking for," Shangguan Mingyue said, gazing deeply at the little villa, who knew what thoughts on her mind.

Chen Ze's heart leaped with joy. After he thanked Shangguan Mingyue, they hung up.

Early the next morning, Chen Ze called the person Shangguan Mingyue had recommended.

"Hello, is this Sister Li? I'm Shangguan Mingyue's friend, Chen Ze. She said you had properties available," Chen Ze said politely.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Chen! Mingyue mentioned you to me. Do you have any specific requirements for the house?" On the other end of the line, Sister Li's voice was warm and professional.

"I want to buy a house for my younger sister. She's just graduated from junior high, so I hope it'll be somewhere with nice, quiet surroundings and, ideally, convenient transportation so she can get to school easily in the future. As for the budget, there's some room to stretch it, as long as the house is right," Chen Ze said seriously.

"I understand, Mr. Chen. I happen to have a few properties that meet your requirements. One of them is a small villa that I think would be especially suitable for you. It's in an upscale villa development on the outskirts of the city, with beautiful surroundings. The nearby amenities are gradually being improved, and transportation is fairly convenient. There also happens to be a secondary school nearby, just a ten-minute drive away, and there's a bus that goes straight to its gates. Would you have time to come and see the house this afternoon?" Sister Li explained in detail.

Chen Ze was overjoyed. This was exactly what he wanted most. It seemed there really was truth in the saying that every friend opened another road!

"All right, sorry to trouble you, but could you send me the exact address? I'll come over and take a look right away!" Chen Ze readily agreed.

Following the address Sister Li sent him, Chen Ze came to the villa development alone. Zheng Yanxi had gone to her family's company, and his sister, Chen Xixi, had yet to wake up.

As soon as he entered the development, he was drawn to the surroundings: leafy trees provided shade, the roads were wide and clean, and exquisite villas stood in a pleasing arrangement. Each had its own private courtyard, making the place tranquil and elegant.

Sister Li was already waiting in front of the little villa they had agreed to meet at. When he saw Chen Ze, he went up to greet him warmly. "Hello, Mr. Chen! Welcome, and thank you for coming to see the house."

"Hello, Sister Li! This development really does have lovely surroundings," Chen Ze said, looking around.

"Yes. This villa development focuses on ecological, comfortable living. Many owners chose it precisely because of the surroundings. Come, I'll take you inside to see the house." With that, Sister Li opened the villa's gate.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Chen Ze saw a lush green lawn. Several flowering trees stood in a corner, giving off a faint fragrance. "The courtyard is about fifty square meters. You could plant flowers and other greenery to your liking, or put out a table and chairs. In your spare time, you could drink tea and bask in the sun here. It's very relaxing," Sister Li explained.

Inside, the first floor had a spacious, bright living room, and the high ceiling made it feel especially open. The living room connected to an open-plan kitchen and dining area. The kitchen was fully equipped and exquisitely finished, with high-quality materials used throughout. "The kitchen cabinets are all custom-made, and the appliances are all top brands, so their quality is guaranteed," Sister Li said, pointing to the kitchen fittings.

Upstairs, there were three bedrooms. The master bedroom had a private bathroom and a spacious balcony. The other bedrooms were also roomy and could be converted into a study or guest room as needed. "Look at the balcony off the master bedroom. The view is excellent. You can see the beautiful scenery of the development as soon as you get up in the morning." Sister Li opened the balcony door, letting Chen Ze feel the breeze.

Chen Ze carefully inspected every corner of the house and was very satisfied. But he was still a little worried about the price, so he asked, "Sister Li, the house really is nice, but as for the price..."

"Mr. Chen, this little villa is currently listed at twelve million. But since Mingyue sent you, I'll certainly do my best to get you a discount. Besides, the price is already very reasonable for this development. Just think, a detached little villa with its own courtyard and such lovely surroundings would be hard to find elsewhere," Sister Li said earnestly.

Chen Ze did some calculations in his head. As expected of the Capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold! Although the price was over his budget, it was still within what he could afford. If necessary, he could borrow a little from Zheng Yanxi for the time being.

Even so, he wanted to try for a better deal. "Manager Zhang, twelve million is still a little more than I expected. Could you lower the price a bit more? As you know, I'm buying this house for my sister. I just want her to be comfortable living here, and I also want to put the money where it counts."

Zhang Yu thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Chen, how about this? I'll speak to the owner again and see if the price can be lowered further. What do you think?"

Chen Ze nodded. "All right, sorry to trouble you. If you can negotiate it to that price, there shouldn't be much of a problem on my end. But I still need to discuss it with my sister. After all, she's the one who'll be living here."

"Of course, of course. Contact me anytime once you've discussed it with your sister. This house really is in high demand, so if you decide you want it, you'll need to make a decision quickly," Sister Li reminded him.

"All right!" Chen Ze agreed.

After seeing Chen Ze off, Sister Li took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Miss. I've finished showing Mr. Chen the house. He's very satisfied!"

"Mm, well done!" A familiar voice came from the other end of the line.

"Mr. Chen said he wanted to go back and discuss it with his sister. I could tell he was clearly tempted," Sister Li said.

"Mm, tomorrow, do this..."

"Yes, Miss!"

After hanging up, Sister Li smiled and shook his head, murmuring to himself, "Has Miss's heart begun to stir with love? She's selling a villa worth over thirty million for twelve million. This Chen Ze is far too lucky!"