Chapter 21: The New Landlord Is Truly a God!

The familiar, handsome face left Xia Huajiao stunned; her heart skipped a beat, and the smile on her face froze.

Ah... this morning, at the mobile phone store, she hadn't misheard, had she? This incredibly handsome man, he—he really was the new landlord.

Seeing a top-tier male god suddenly appear and scan the living room with a discerning gaze, Qin Lijuan was equally overwhelmed, her excitement causing her to stammer: "Y-y-you... are Mr. Gu? The new, new, new landlord?"

Then, Qin Lijuan’s fair face turned bright red as she shrieked, "Oh my, you’re so handsome, and so young!"

Xia Huajiao’s face grew hot with embarrassment. She felt a mix of exhilaration, nerves, and a guilty conscience. After all, she had told her online followers just earlier that she didn't know him. Little did she know, she had become WeChat friends with him just last night!

Gu Zhaojing surveyed the tidy living room and then glanced at Qin Lijuan, who was currently lost in a daydream. His expression was significantly gentler than it had been at the 4S dealership earlier. When he looked at Xia Huajiao, a flicker of light seemed to pass through his eyes, though it returned to a calm, steady gaze before she could look closely.

Xia Huajiao steadied herself, stepped forward, and took a pair of women’s slippers from the neat shoe rack, placing them by his feet. He looked at the shoes, then at her. After a few seconds, he calmly changed his shoes, closed the door, and turned to Qin Lijuan. "I am Gu Zhaojing. And you are... Ms. Qin?"

Qin Lijuan immediately crossed her hands at her waist, fidgeting shyly. "Yes, that's me! How did you know?"

*Because she has the surname Xia,* Xia Huajiao thought to herself. She offered a polite, somewhat hypocritical smile and greeted him: "Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Xia Huajiao!"

"Hmm," Gu Zhaojing glanced at her and gave a slight, polite nod. He took a red booklet and an ID card from his briefcase. "This is the property deed for this place and my identification. You are welcome to verify them."

Xia Huajiao looked at him in surprise. How many landlords would voluntarily show their property deed and ID to their tenants? He was a genuinely good person!

Qin Lijuan immediately took the ID card and stared at Gu Zhaojing with starry-eyed infatuation. "So, Mr. Gu is only 29 this year? You’re only two years older than me!"

Her wide, irrepressible grin made Xia Huajiao groan inwardly; it was truly hard to watch. Xia quietly took the red booklet, confirmed the address and the name on the deed were correct, and handed it to Qin Lijuan.

"The living room is well-maintained," Gu Zhaojing remarked calmly.

He proceeded to inspect the bathroom, kitchen, and balcony, then returned to the living room and tucked his documents back into his briefcase with graceful efficiency. "Everything is in good condition. It seems both of you are quite diligent."

Qin Lijuan immediately fetched a glass of cold water from the kitchen and offered it to him ingratiatingly. "Mr. Gu, please, have some water!"

Seeing the sparkle in her roommate's eyes, Xia Huajiao wanted to bury her face in her hands. This roommate of hers turned into a total fangirl whenever she saw a handsome man.

After Gu Zhaojing offered a polite, smiling "thank you," took a few sips, and set the glass on the coffee table, Qin Lijuan’s smile widened even further. She pushed open the door to the room on the right. "This is the room I’m renting. You can come take a look; I haven't changed anything."

Xia Huajiao’s lips twitched. Gu Zhaojing glanced at her. Xia maintained a polite smile and retreated, standing by the door of her own room on the left. *Wait, did he just smile?* The corners of his perfect mouth seemed to curve upward in the slightest, almost imperceptible arc.

Gu Zhaojing then shifted his gaze away from her and inspected Qin Lijuan’s room. He only stood at the threshold, taking in the room with two quick glances before politely withdrawing his gaze, showing no hint of intrusion.

Xia Huajiao felt a sense of relief and quietly pushed open her own door. As Gu Zhaojing walked over, she stepped back into the room. He stood straight at the doorway, his eyes scanning the windows, ceiling, floor, and walls.

Xia Huajiao’s face flushed again, uncontrollably. This was the first time a man had ever inspected her bedroom! And such a handsome, young man at that! She felt the bashfulness of having her privacy observed. Fortunately, Gu Zhaojing looked for less than half a minute before politely withdrawing his gaze and turning back toward the living room.

Xia Huajiao let out a quiet sigh of relief and quickly stepped out, pulling the door shut. She then saw Qin Lijuan enthusiastically bringing out a plate of sliced watermelon from the kitchen. "Handsome Mr. Gu, would you like a taste?"

Gu Zhaojing glanced at it, sat back down on the sofa, and politely declined. "Thank you, but no. The house is well-kept, and you are welcome to continue your lease. Ms. Qin, you will be renewing, correct?"

"Renewing? Of course!" Qin Lijuan’s eyes lit up. She sat down beside him and nodded frantically. "It’s your house, of course I’ll rent it! I’m not moving!"

Gu Zhaojing’s expression softened. "Aunt Chu told me you work the night shift, so let’s get the lease agreement updated. The rent remains the same; the landlord’s name will be changed to mine."

"That’s fine, that’s fine!"

As Gu Zhaojing took a new lease agreement from his briefcase, Xia Huajiao sat quietly on a nearby chair to wait. While Qin Lijuan took the contract, she asked curiously, "Handsome Mr. Gu, what made you decide to buy Aunt Chu’s house?"

Gu Zhaojing explained calmly, "Aunt Chu was always kind to me in the past. Her son fell critically ill and needed a lot of money, so I bought the place."

Xia Huajiao suddenly understood. Qin Lijuan looked at him with admiration. "Wow, you’re so kind-hearted! So, shall we add each other on WeChat?"

Xia Huajiao watched as Gu Zhaojing and Qin Lijuan quickly updated the lessor’s information on the contract and signed it. She watched them exchange WeChat contacts and saw him collect the 1,000-yuan rent from Qin Lijuan. She then watched Qin Lijuan lock her door and head off to work in high spirits.

Everything had progressed with lightning speed. In less than twenty minutes, only she and he remained in the apartment. Her heart suddenly began to pound.

Her phone was flooded with WeChat messages from Qin Lijuan. Seeing him standing by the door looking at her with a hint of playfulness in his beautiful eyes, Xia Huajiao felt too shy to look up. She asked with some difficulty, "You... did you know it was me all along, which is why you answered me in front of the viewers in the livestream?"

Gu Zhaojing gave a faint smile and returned to the sofa. "First, your voice is not hard to distinguish. Second, your request was not unreasonable."

Xia Huajiao shifted her gaze guiltily. "You... aren't you angry?"

Gu Zhaojing looked at her steadily. "What is there to be angry about? Because you bought a BMW 740?"

This man possessed a natural air of authority that commanded the room, yet there was no sense of oppression. While Jiang Heming was enthusiastic and outgoing, he was composed and reserved. After thinking for a few seconds, Xia Huajiao sat on the sofa about ten centimeters away from him and looked at him. "I act like I’m wealthy and carefree, but in reality, I live in this rented apartment. Don't you think I was deceiving you?"

There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Gu Zhaojing’s eyes. "You told me a month in advance that you were moving out, which clearly meant you were buying a house. You also told Mo Yanyu that you only recently came into money. Why would I be angry?"

Xia Huajiao’s eyes brightened, and she looked at him with appreciation. Of all the people her age she had ever met, he was the most rational! She suddenly felt a weight lift, and she became entirely relaxed and at ease. "That’s true, I did follow the contract..."

She then turned her attention to the messages Qin Lijuan had sent to her phone.