Chapter Eighteen: You Are Not Capable

As soon as the girl entered, Yang Le’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen—it was the girl who had posted the rental ad. Hastily, Yang Le answered.

“Hello, I’m already waiting at the café.”

There was no reply. Yang Le checked the screen again; the call was connected. Why wasn’t she speaking? He wondered if his phone was malfunctioning, but he'd just bought it—could it really be so unreliable?

After waiting a while with still no response, Yang Le hung up and considered calling back.

Just then, the two girls who had entered the café walked over to him.

“Hello, I’m Fang Jing, the girl looking for a roommate,” Fang Jing introduced herself, confidently extending her hand.

“Hello, I’m Yang Le,” he replied, shaking her hand and giving his own name.

“Hello, I’m Shen Zi Xuan, the other female tenant,” Shen Zi Xuan introduced herself and offered her hand as well.

“Hello, hello,” Yang Le said, shaking her hand too, his palm still warm from Fang Jing’s handshake. There was something distinctly pleasant about shaking hands with beautiful women—their delicate, soft touch was simply different.

Yet Yang Le couldn’t quite understand: he’d just received a call from the rental girl, but neither of these two were holding a phone. How could they be the ones seeking a roommate? If not, how did they know so much?

In truth, Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan had planned it out—they called Yang Le as soon as they reached the café entrance, then slipped their phones into their bags before entering to see which man was waiting. If he was unattractive or older, they’d simply leave. If he was average, they’d check him out. But when they saw Yang Le’s looks, their pace quickened, afraid he might leave.

He was a real heartthrob; they couldn’t let him slip away. This was their thought as they approached Yang Le, which led to the earlier scene.

“Yang Le, right? We’ll take you to see the apartment first. If you like it, you can move in tomorrow,” Fang Jing said, inviting him before they’d even touched their coffee.

“I agree, we should see the place first. There’ll be plenty of time for coffee after you move in,” Shen Zi Xuan chimed in.

Their eagerness was clear—they wanted Yang Le to move in quickly. Several men had already called Fang Jing about the place, but none were remotely attractive. Now, with Yang Le, both girls immediately agreed to let him move in.

“Are you the girls who posted the rental ad?” Yang Le asked, a bit wary at their enthusiasm. Their identities weren’t confirmed yet—what if they were planning something nefarious? Not that he’d object to being seduced, but if it was a setup, that would be trouble.

“It’s us, of course,” Fang Jing replied, pulling out her phone and calling Yang Le. A few seconds later, his phone rang. Now Yang Le was reassured.

“Let’s go see the apartment, then,” he said.

Yang Le was eager—two beautiful women, and he wasn’t about to pass up such an opportunity. He paid for his coffee and followed them out.

“Yang Le, what are you doing here? Who are these two beauties?” a woman called out as they reached the café entrance, accompanied by a short, chubby man.

It was Xia Ting Ting and Pan Xiang.

The two had just bought a car and, having recently gotten together, Pan Xiang felt Xia Ting Ting was a good driver. He thought they should rent an apartment near the school so she could teach him during lunch breaks.

They’d already rented a place and spent a tiring day looking. Pan Xiang suggested they grab a coffee to recharge before heading back to practice driving.

As they neared the café, Xia Ting Ting noticed Yang Le from a distance. She hadn’t expected Yang Le to look even more handsome after changing clothes. Now that he was not only attractive but also wealthy, Xia Ting Ting began entertaining thoughts of rekindling their relationship.

Pan Xiang was short, unattractive, and, frankly, not much of a catch. Yang Le wasn’t as rich as Pan Xiang’s family, but he was a millionaire and always indulged her, buying whatever she wanted.

Pan Xiang was different—he bought himself a new car and gave her the old one.

Xia Ting Ting thought, if she hadn’t broken up with Yang Le, that three-million Maybach he bought would be hers. The thought was painful.

She decided to get closer to Yang Le again. They had a romantic history, and she figured that if she made the first move, Yang Le would still be hers. Of course, she wouldn’t break up with Pan Xiang just yet—if things didn’t work out with Yang Le, she didn’t want to lose both options.

Yang Le thought Xia Ting Ting was just going to mock him again, but to his surprise, she asked, with a hint of jealousy, about the two girls beside him.

“And who are you?” Fang Jing retorted.

“That short, chubby guy must be rich—he suits you well,” Shen Zi Xuan said, referring to Pan Xiang.

Neither Fang Jing nor Shen Zi Xuan were pushovers. Back in the provincial capital, a boy had tried to pursue Fang Jing, but she wasn’t interested. He persisted, trailing her everywhere. Fang Jing became fed up and, together with Shen Zi Xuan, gave the guy a beating—he was still in hospital.

Later, his family made a scene at the school, and both Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan’s families had to pay a hefty sum to settle the matter.

Knowing their families had paid, the two girls vowed to cause more trouble for the boy. Their families discussed it and decided to send Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan to Qianjiang City for some experience.

“Ting Ting, let’s go. Don’t bother with them,” Pan Xiang said, pulling Xia Ting Ting toward the café.

Pan Xiang knew he wasn’t as handsome or capable as Yang Le, and the woman he was with wasn’t as attractive as Yang Le’s companions. Worse, his girlfriend had already been with Yang Le.

But Pan Xiang was mistaken about Yang Le’s past with Xia Ting Ting.

“Let’s go see the apartment,” Yang Le said, glancing at Xia Ting Ting’s back before calling Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan to leave.

“Is that your ex-girlfriend? No wonder you two were a pair—both have questionable taste,” Fang Jing remarked.

Fang Jing had noticed the way Yang Le looked at Xia Ting Ting and the jealousy in Xia Ting Ting’s question, so she guessed there must have been something between them.

“But that doesn’t make sense—you’re well dressed, that watch must have cost a fair bit. Why would she dump you for that short, ugly guy? Unless you dumped her?” Shen Zi Xuan analyzed. If Yang Le had indeed dumped Xia Ting Ting, she’d reconsider renting to him—they didn’t want to share a roof with a scoundrel. She assumed Yang Le’s watch cost several thousand at most.

Girls, of course, were more interested in handbags.

“That doesn’t add up either—Yang Le’s here alone to rent, so if he had a girlfriend, why would he be looking to share? I still think it was the girl who dumped him,” Fang Jing agreed.

Yang Le thought Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan would make good detectives.

“She broke up with me,” he said. He figured if they kept speculating, it would never end, so he told them the truth.

“What? She dumped you? She must be blind,” Shen Zi Xuan exclaimed, unable to believe it.

“You’re not lacking in any manly qualities, are you? Maybe she couldn’t accept it, so she left you?” Fang Jing speculated boldly.

“When school started, I was broke. I’d worked a summer job and bought Xia Ting Ting a phone. But on the first day, she arrived in Pan Xiang’s car. When she got out, I was waiting nearby, wanting to give her the phone. She broke up with me on the spot and said she was now with Pan Xiang,” Yang Le explained, seeing how the two girls were enjoying their gossip. He didn’t want to be unfairly judged by them, especially since they were so attractive.

“She really is a nasty woman,” Fang Jing muttered.

“You’re not lying, are you? Dressed like this and claiming you’re broke,” Shen Zi Xuan asked rationally.

Yang Le had already thought of how to respond.

“I won the lottery the next day.”

“How much did you win?” Fang Jing asked, not out of greed but curiosity at his luck.

This time, Shen Zi Xuan said nothing, but that didn’t mean she believed him. Once they got to school, she’d find out. The apartment could be rented to Yang Le for now; if he was lying, she’d kick him out.

“Not much, and most of it’s gone,” Yang Le replied casually. He didn’t want to reveal his true wealth—who knew if the two beauties would covet his money?

“Let’s drop it and go see the apartment,” he said, changing the subject.

Fang Jing and Shen Zi Xuan didn’t press further.