Rebellious Game C20.1

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Chp20. part1

“After a long day of work, I came home drenched in sweat. I wanted to take a cold shower, but ended up dirtier than before. I tried to wash some rice and cook a meal, but I was afraid I’d end up in the hospital with food poisoning…” Zhu Lin shuddered slightly at the thought.

“What era is this? Even the village isn’t like this anymore!” she said sincerely to Zhou Rui. “You should find a better place to live.”

“I’d love to,” Zhou Rui said, frustratedly running his hand through his hair. “But finding and viewing apartments takes a lot of time. And even if I find one I like, the price has to be right. I don’t have a lot of budget.”

Zhu Lin hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind. “How about you rent a room in my family’s house?”

Zhou Rui looked up in surprise. “You have vacant rooms for rent?”

“My family’s from the countryside. My dad bought a plot of land long ago and built a building there. Later, he divided each floor into several single rooms, furnished them with secondhand furniture, and rented them out,” Zhu Lin explained. “There are still several empty rooms right now. It’s a bit of a commute, and the furnishings aren’t fancy, but the price is low, and the utilities are reliable. It’s definitely better than where you’re living now.”

Zhou Rui took a while to understand what Zhu Lin was saying. His expression was rather peculiar. “I never knew you were a landlord… You never mentioned it before?”

Zhu Lin gazed at the sky. “The building belongs to my parents. I’m just a lowly wage slave.”

“Don’t kid me,” Zhou Rui scoffed. “There’s a world of difference between having money and not having it. My family’s still in debt; we have to help pay it off every month. Even if your parents don’t give you an allowance, at least they don’t take your salary. With a family foundation, you can spend your monthly salary freely, and it doesn’t matter if you spend it all.”

“That’s true,” Zhu Lin admitted. “I just support myself each month.”

“Must be nice,” Zhou Rui said with a hint of envy.

“How about you come with me to see the vacant rooms after work today?” Zhu Lin suggested.

“Sure,” Zhou Rui agreed readily.

Zhu Lin turned to Yun Xin. “What about you? Is your current place okay? Want to come along?”

“I was just thinking about moving anyway,” Yun Xin responded enthusiastically. “I’m in!”

And so it was settled.

At 3 PM, the night shift colleagues arrived on time to take over, and the three morning shift workers automatically clocked out. Zhou Rui asked how they were getting there.

“I drove here,” Zhu Lin said. “I’ll give you a ride.”

Zhou Rui’s eyes widened. “???”

He stared at her in shock. “When did you buy a car?”

Zhu Lin averted her face guiltily. “It’s for commuting to work. My parents said the bus ride was too long and exhausting, so they bought it for me.”

Zhou Rui was dumbfounded. “But I’ve never seen you drive it before.”

“Because it’s parked on the next street, and it’s only a five-minute walk to the shop. Plus, I’m just an employee. I can’t exactly show up in a car fancier than my boss’s.”

Zhou Rui had nothing to say.

Zhu Lin continued, “When I worked elsewhere, my colleagues found out my family owned rental properties, and they were always gossiping about me. I wanted a fresh start in a new environment, so I deliberately kept a low profile. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you.”

“Enough, no need to explain. I understand.” Zhou Rui had been startled at first, but after calming down and reflecting on Zhu Lin’s usual behavior, he realized she didn’t seem like someone from a poor family. All the signs had been there all along. He regained his composure. “Where’s the car parked? Let’s go.”

“This way, follow me.”

Zhu Lin led the way, with Zhou Rui and Yun Xin trailing behind, winding through the streets. Soon, they stopped in a corner of the parking lot.

“This is it.”

Zhu Lin unlocked the door with her key and gestured to them. “Get in.”

On the road, Zhu Lin explained as she drove, “You can ride an electric scooter—it takes about thirty minutes to get to our shop. Or you can bike to the subway station and transfer.”

“The transportation is quite convenient,” Yun Xin remarked.

Zhou Rui replied, “Let’s check out the place first and see what the surrounding facilities are like.”

“Sure, take your time looking around. If you’re not satisfied, you don’t have to rent it,” Zhu Lin said indifferently.

In truth, if her nosiness hadn’t led to Zhou Rui’s injury, she wouldn’t have mentioned her place was available for rent. Colleagues are just for work. After hours, everyone has their own life; there’s no need to stay in touch.

But since things had already come to this, there was no point in hiding it any longer. She might as well give them a thorough tour and let them decide whether to rent it or not.

With this mindset, Zhu Lin drove home.

Twenty minutes later,

“We’re here,” Zhu Lin announced.

Zhou Rui got out and looked around, noticing a supermarket right next door—perfect for buying daily necessities.

On the way, they’d passed countless small restaurants lining the street, indicating that dining options were plentiful and convenient. There was also a pharmacy nearby, so they wouldn’t have to travel far for medicine if they fell ill.

Though Zhou Rui remained silent, he was already leaning towards renting the place.

After parking the car, Zhu Lin walked over. “Let’s go. I’ll show you the place. This building here—it’s mine.”

Zhou Rui tried to maintain his composure, but after three seconds, he broke— Damn it! So enviable!

As they went upstairs, a group of children suddenly ran out and nearly collided with them.

“How many times have I told you not to run around like this? What if you hurt someone?” Zhu Lin scolded, then turned to continue upstairs.

Yun Xin clearly saw a line of text on each of the children’s bodies, indicating their death times ranging from 22 to 30 minutes.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, blocking their path.

“To swim!” a little chubby boy answered loudly.

“Didn’t your teacher tell you that swimming is dangerous and children shouldn’t go alone?” Yun Xin said deliberately.

The tallest of the six rolled his eyes. “We’re going as a group, not alone.”

“Even six children can’t go without an adult,” Yun Xin stated firmly. “No swimming. Find something else to do.”

Zhu Lin overheard this and, remembering Zhou Rui’s beating, felt a shiver of unease. She quickly chimed in, “Did you hear that? No swimming. If you dare sneak off to swim, I’ll tell your parents the moment they get back!”

The threat of parental involvement still worked.

The six children meekly replied, “We know.”

“Alright, go play,” Zhu Lin said with a wave of her hand.

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