Chapter 3: For Rent

Upon opening the door, he found the house free of dust, for Qin Miaoyu had already hired cleaners two days prior to tidy it up.

“Take a look yourself. I don’t really know much about this place, so I can’t give you an introduction,” Qin Miaoyu said, settling onto the sofa with not a hint of curiosity about the unfamiliar house.

If not for the paperwork required for the transfer, which would take some time, she would have handed it over to Lu Qi’an as soon as possible.

Suppressing the questions swirling in his mind, Lu Qi’an inspected the house thoroughly but discovered nothing amiss.

He returned to the living room. “I’ve finished looking. The layout of this place is quite good.”

“You’re done? Then let’s go.”

Lu Qi’an drove Qin Miaoyu to where she was staying, added her on WeChat before leaving, then headed back to his company.

Remembering Qin Miaoyu’s apparent aversion to that apartment, he instructed his assistant, “Gu Feng, check if anything happened before at Unit 602, Building 3, Tianxiang Mountain Court.”

Meanwhile, Qin Miaoyu bought a meal downstairs to take home, glancing at the rental ads she’d posted on various platforms days earlier, only to find not a single inquiry.

Thinking it over, she decided to post another rental notice in her own social circle.

Most of Qin Miaoyu’s friends were those she’d met after attending university in Jingcheng, with a fair number of locals. If any of them had relatives or friends looking for a place, it might be quicker than searching for a roommate through other platforms.

Once she finished, she tossed her phone aside and got busy with her new project. By the time she paused, evening had already fallen.

She tapped her phone awake to find two missed calls—both from Lu Qi’an.

Qin Miaoyu thought carefully; it seemed she’d been using the phone more frequently these days, and always to talk to Lu Qi’an.

She called back, and he answered instantly.

“Mr. Lu, is there something you need?”

“Are you considering renting out the other vacant room here?” Lu Qi’an’s voice held a note of hesitation.

Although she truly wanted to find a roommate soon to share the rent, her ideal candidate was female; living with a man simply wasn’t as convenient.

As for Lu Qi’an’s character, she trusted him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to the marriage contract.

Lu Qi’an continued, “If you’re worried about safety, you can install surveillance in the living room. Don’t transfer Tianxiang Mountain Court to me just yet. Wait until I’ve found a new place or been reassigned to the Lu Group headquarters before you hand it over. What do you think?”

“You’re being transferred to the headquarters?”

“Yes. If this major project goes smoothly, I’ll likely be reassigned in two or three months. Seeing your ad for a roommate, I thought if your place works, I wouldn’t have to bother finding a short-term rental.”

That made sense. Qin Miaoyu herself had looked for short-term rentals before—either they weren’t as cost-effective as long-term ones, or their conditions weren’t as good. Her current apartment was signed by the year, which is why the landlord gave them a two-hundred reduction on the rent.

Hearing Qin Miaoyu’s silence, Lu Qi’an quickly offered another reason.

“Miss Qin, you mentioned you could help me deal with my family. My grandmother often video calls me. If we share the apartment, you can help dispel her suspicions for the next couple of months. I’ve already told her about the marriage, but she suspects I’m lying.”

At this, Qin Miaoyu recalled their marriage agreement. Besides the property transfer, Lu Qi’an’s other request was for her to help him face his family elders; she’d agreed without hesitation.

She gritted her teeth. “Alright, you can move in.”

Lu Qi’an’s face lit up with unmistakable joy. “Then I’ll pack tonight and move in by noon tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“So soon?”

“Yes. The landlord is urging me to vacate; I was planning to stay at a hotel for a couple of days otherwise.”

“Alright, come tomorrow at noon.”

After hanging up, Qin Miaoyu glanced at the surveillance camera she’d installed a month ago, then got up to tidy the apartment.

Lu Qi’an, for once, left work on time. Back at the West River Villa, he asked Aunt Chen to help pack clothes and daily necessities.

Because Qin Miaoyu lived in an old residential complex without an elevator—and on the fourth floor—it would be difficult for one person to carry too much.

So she confirmed when Lu Qi’an would arrive and waited for him downstairs.

But Lu Qi’an only pulled two large suitcases from the trunk.

“Keep an eye on my luggage for me. I’ll find a place to park. I can drive you to work from now on, so you won’t have to squeeze onto buses or the subway,” he said.

Qin Miaoyu hadn’t expected him to own a car. She glanced at the logo; it seemed to be a sub-brand of Anhe, with an average price around fifteen thousand.

She tried to lift one of the suitcases, but could barely raise it, so she gave up on the idea of hauling anything upstairs and waited for Lu Qi’an to return.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a call from an unfamiliar number, which she immediately rejected. The same number rang again.

Growing impatient, she hung up and blocked the caller.

Lu Qi’an found a paid parking lot nearby and walked back.

From a distance, he spotted Qin Miaoyu waiting beside the two suitcases, glancing around. Lu Qi’an quickened his pace, feeling cheerful.

But he hadn’t expected that, when only three or four meters away from Qin Miaoyu, an employee from the R&D department would approach!

Worried his identity might be exposed, Lu Qi’an pretended to look down casually, hoping to pass unnoticed.

But the other recognized him immediately. “President Qi, what a coincidence! Are you here for something?”

Lu Qi’an instantly looked up, tense, and glanced at Qin Miaoyu. She was engrossed in her phone, unaware of what had just transpired.