After that night of drinking, Qian Fei felt that Li Yifei had finally returned to his normal self. On Monday morning, as Qian Fei was about to leave for work as usual, she encountered Li Yifei at the door, already neatly dressed and looking presentable.
“Let’s go together,” he said.
Qian Fei was confused: “Why? Did staying at home for a week make you stupid? Forgot the way to work?”
Li Yifei glanced at her sideways: “Sister, can you accumulate some virtue in your speech?”
Qian Fei chuckled: “Please, don’t call me that intimately, I can’t handle it! My family can’t afford to support a pampered young master like you!” She paused, then asked curiously, “Tell me, is your personality like this because you grew up without a mother and were spoiled by your father?”
Li Yifei nodded, arrogantly declaring: “If your family had a delicate and exceptionally intelligent little boy, you wouldn’t be able to resist spoiling him to death from a young age.”
Qian Fei couldn’t hold back: “Pfft! Can your language be any more shameless? I feel sorry for your dad, spoiling you like this only to have you go against his wishes. You ungrateful wretch!”
Li Yifei gave her a look, “The old man has a complex personality. Many things are beyond your intelligence to comprehend. Are you going or not? We’ll be late if we don’t leave now!”
Qian Fei quickly put away her witty remarks, and they left the house together.
On the way to the subway, Qian Fei bought a jianbing (Chinese crepe) from a street vendor. Li Yifei waited beside her with a look of disgust.
Qian Fei turned her head and saw his expression, unable to hold back a snort: “I told you my family can’t afford to raise a young master like you! Always looking down on the most basic food of the working people!”
Li Yifei saw her take one set of jianbing and was about to leave, so he stopped her and said: “You only bought one set? Where’s mine?”
Qian Fei was confused, “Wait, didn’t you just look at the jianbing with disgust?”
Li Yifei snorted and said: “My disgust just now wasn’t aimed at the jianbing but at your ugly behavior of almost kneeling to the vendor just to pick a slightly bigger egg!”
Qian Fei threw the jianbing at Li Yifei’s face, “Don’t choke on it!”
As usual, the subway was so crowded it could get someone pregnant without knowing who the father was.
Qian Fei felt like she was being squeezed out of shape.
At Guomao station, they transferred to Line 1. As they squeezed onto Line 1, Qian Fei said to Li Yifei: “Every time I take the subway to and from work, I have the urge to end it all!”
Li Yifei looked at her and said: “Every time I feel like dying from the crowded subway, I think about how people like you are still alive, and then I don’t want to die anymore.”
Qian Fei squeezed onto Line 1 and pushed Li Yifei back, “Get lost! Wait for the next one, seeing you just annoys me!”
Li Yifei took advantage of her push to grab her arm and forcefully squeeze in as well, “Don’t worry! To keep annoying you, I’ll stay alive and well!”
Qian Fei gave up. Was this someone who had just gone through a breakup? Or was it that the breakup had completely unearthed the dark side of his heart, and he was now ready to torment humanity?
As the doors slowly closed, Qian Fei and Li Yifei could maintain some distance while they were open. But once closed, the space suddenly became as narrow as if it was under high pressure and about to explode. She and Li Yifei were pressed tightly together.
Someone behind Qian Fei kept pushing forward, asking, “Are you getting off at the next stop?”
With each push from behind, Qian Fei had no choice but to press harder against Li Yifei.
Qian Fei couldn’t help but look up at Li Yifei and say: “Why do I feel like I’m throwing myself at you? This is so awkward!”
Li Yifei looked down at her with drooping eyelids, “Don’t feel burdened. In my eyes, you’re a true man!”
Qian Fei wished she could spit a face full of jianbing at him.
The train arrived at another station, and many people squeezed towards the doors to get off. Qian Fei was jostled about. Just as she was about to lose her balance, Li Yifei’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her to a corner of the carriage.
He stood in front of her, enclosing her in the small space between him and the carriage wall, shielding her from the crowded world of people pressed against people behind him.
Qian Fei looked up at Li Yifei, her eyes slightly misty.
Li Yifei raised an eyebrow at her: “Don’t you dare tell me I’m too handsome and you want to offer yourself to me!”
The mistiness in Qian Fei’s eyes instantly cleared.
She spat at him forcefully, then lowered her head.
“You remind me of my ex-boyfriend.”
Li Yifei cursed under his breath.
The two stood face to face, and Qian Fei felt a bit awkward not talking, so she started making small talk.
As they chatted, the topic somehow turned to Hu Zining.
Li Yifei asked her: “Lately, it seems like you haven’t been going out with your current boyfriend?”
Qian Fei said: “We’ve contacted each other a few times. He’s been on business trips. He said he’d come to see me when he’s done with his trips.”
Li Yifei looked at her and suddenly said: “It feels like even the hotel’s chairman isn’t as busy as him.”
Qian Fei said: “What’s wrong with him having big ambitions?”
Li Yifei glanced at her, “Maybe he’s also embracing big girls!”
Qian Fei spat at him: “You think everyone’s like you!”
Li Yifei said: “Find a chance to ask the securities representative which department your boyfriend is in, and why he’s always on business trips!”
Qian Fei was a bit confused: “Young Master Li, why are you so gossipy!”
She suspected that maybe because he had broken up, he started doubting all relationships between men and women.
She thought for a moment and said: “I think, given Hu Zining’s level, the securities representative might not even know who he is. Oh, but you’ve reminded me, should I help expand his reputation among the leadership to pave the way for his future career?”
Li Yifei immediately gave her a definitive answer: “No need.”
Qian Fei asked curiously: “Why not?”
Li Yifei looked down at her with drooping eyelids, “The securities representative has to work with us. They’re so busy, don’t bother them with these trivial matters, okay?”
Qian Fei felt a bit embarrassed by his rebuke.
He was the one who brought up Hu Zining, but in the end, he had such a cold attitude. He was both the god and the devil.
Qian Fei’s life gradually returned to its previous routine: getting up early for work, playing cards at lunch, and going home after work.
However, there were some differences from before. Every morning, Li Yifei started going to work with her, and in the evenings, if he didn’t have dinner plans or go out, he would also return home with her.
Qian Fei felt that this was a pathological manifestation of Li Yifei. Lacking maternal love, he must have started seeing her as a mother figure after encountering setbacks, given her motherly aura.
Since those five days of seclusion, Li Yifei began to mooch off her meals. She didn’t mind this, as cooking for one or two people only meant an extra pair of chopsticks.
However, Li Yifei’s eating habits were very peculiar and annoying. He always divided half of the dishes into his plate when they were served. Qian Fei felt that this eating style was close to “eating alone,” but Li Yifei shamelessly called it “maintaining hygiene.”
Qian Fei couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and let him practice his so-called hygiene.
Originally, Qian Fei thought it was inappropriate to continue living with Li Yifei and wanted to find an opportunity to tell him to find his place and move out. But considering he had just gone through a breakup and the fragile young master’s heart hadn’t fully recovered, she worried that saying such things might make him resentful and seek revenge on society. So, she suppressed the thought, planning to wait until he was in a better state before kicking him out.
While talking to Yao Jingjing on the phone, she asked: “Jing Jing, you think what I’m doing is right, right? It’s full of humanitarian spirit, isn’t it?”
Yao Jingjing said: “Fei Fei, you’re the country’s number one saint! You even have to take care of his mental state! In my opinion, you shouldn’t worry about when to kick him out. Maybe after a while, when he’s recovered enough, he’ll bring home a new girlfriend!”
Qian Fei was shocked: “He wouldn’t be that casual, would he?”
Yao Jingjing mocked her: “Given all the little quirks of that guy you’ve told me about, it would be strange if he wasn’t!”
Ever since Qian Fei had unintentionally tidied up Li Yifei’s room while using garbage bags to pack up Gui Lili’s belongings, Li Yifei had developed a taste for it. Every time his room got messy, he would ask Qian Fei to help clean up.
Qian Fei angrily asked him why she should, and he said: “I don’t care either way, but when cockroaches start breeding in the room, they’ll run all over the place. This is your house, after all!” Seeing her twisted face, he raised an eyebrow and added, “I won’t let you work for free, I’ll raise your rent!”
Qian Fei was completely defeated by his shamelessness and could only reluctantly help him clean up.
Sometimes Qian Fei seriously wondered how Li Yifei’s father had raised him. This guy was so lazy that he almost wanted to send his underwear out for dry cleaning. Qian Fei asked him: “Did you not grow hands or a brain? Is washing clothes that difficult? For this, throw the clothes in the washing machine, add some detergent or washing powder, turn on the water, press a button, and then you don’t have to do anything else. Is that so hard, brother?”
But Li Yifei sneered at the washing machine: “This kind of work isn’t for a young master like me!”
Qian Fei wanted to throw a handful of washing powder in his face. Calling himself a young master, he wasn’t afraid of embarrassing himself.
Later, she didn’t dare to teach Li Yifei how to use the washing machine anymore, because twice Li Yifei, for some unknown reason, actually took the initiative to wash clothes himself. Both times he didn’t properly insert the drainage pipe, and by the time Qian Fei discovered it, the entire bathroom was flooded and water was almost spilling into the living room.
While she was frantically cleaning up the mess, the young master stood by with a smile, using facts to prove to her: “See, I told you, a young master like me just can’t do this kind of manual labor! In the future, when you wash clothes, just wash mine along with yours. I’ll raise your rent!”
Qian Fei was so angry she threw down the mop and finally blurted out the words she had been holding back: “Young master, can I beg you to live somewhere else? Have some mercy and let me off the hook, can you stop tormenting just me?”
Li Yifei looked at her, stunned for a moment, and then the smile gradually faded from his face. He said in a hoarse voice: “My mother passed away very early. My father raised me. Originally, we depended on each other, but because of a woman, he severed our father-son relationship. Ironically, that woman ended up running off with someone else. And here I am, can’t even wash clothes properly. Don’t you think I’m a failure at life?”
Qian Fei was terrified by his rambling, truly afraid that she might accidentally say something wrong and drive this unfortunate child to the brink.
From then on, Qian Fei’s sainthood level increased another notch. Not only did she have to help Li Yifei clean up, but she also had to wash his clothes.
When washing Li Yifei’s clothes, she noticed that all the labels were international luxury brands. If it was just one piece that was a designer brand, she would have believed it was genuine, but when every single piece was branded, Qian Fei found it a bit impossible.
She asked Li Yifei: “These clothes of yours, at least three-quarters must be high-quality fakes, right?”
Li Yifei raised an eyebrow and asked her: “How did you come to that conclusion?”
Qian Fei said: “It’s not scientifically possible for them all to be real. It doesn’t match your identity as a renter at all! If they were all real, these clothes would be enough for a down payment on a small loft! Why would you still need to rent from me?” As she spoke, she examined the clothes and clicked her tongue in admiration, “Impressive! They’re all faked to look just like the real thing! But that’s not the most important part. What’s most impressive is your attitude! You can wear high-quality fakes pretending they’re genuine, mingling calmly among a group of rich people. You’ve mastered the art!”
While washing his clothes, she couldn’t help but lecture him as she threw them into the washing machine: “You wastrel! A poor cabbage trying hard to act like a pampered young master! Living in a rented place every day but still so vain, what exactly are you trying to achieve by dressing up so flashily every day!” After criticizing him, she couldn’t help but criticize herself, “I’m such a pushover! Helping you wash these! I should just let you take them out for dry cleaning. When you’re so poor you can’t afford to eat, let’s see if you still dare to waste money on looking pretty!”
As she was muttering, Li Yifei was lounging on the sofa like an old man, watching the financial news channel.
“Landlord, don’t make a fuss. Let me finish watching this idiot’s analysis of the stock market. I need to roast him on the forum tomorrow!” Li Yifei raised the volume with the remote control, “Wash them well, I’ll raise your rent!”
Qian Fei watched him focusing intently on the TV, feeling an overwhelming sense of self-loathing. If she had any backbone at all, she should have rushed over, snatched the remote, pointed at that wastrel’s nose, and told him to move out immediately. But she found that she only had these thoughts and completely lacked the willpower to act on them. So she concluded that her life of drudgery was entirely her fault for being such a pushover, and she had no one else to blame.
Later, there was a time when Li Yifei brought a piece of clothing to her, saying that her washing method was wrong and that it shouldn’t be tumbled in the washing machine with other clothes but should be hand-washed separately.
She immediately rejected his opinion and sneered: “Is it really necessary to take a high-quality fake so seriously? Can we not be so fussy? Enjoying the fruits of labor without any effort, aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning if you go out on a rainy day?”
Li Yifei looked at her, his facial expression slightly distorted.
She thought he was feeling embarrassed about being exposed for wearing fakes again, so she sighed and patted his shoulder, “Alright, alright, don’t look so glum. I see you’ve been having a tough time lately, so I’ll let you pretend to be a rich second-generation in front of me from now on, okay? But seriously, you should start saving some money. Even these high-quality fakes aren’t cheap, right?”
Before she could get started with her lecture, Li Yifei turned and left with a sullen face, leaving her alone to roll her eyes at the washing machine.
One day, Li Yifei came back with a very high-end electric iron. Looking at that thing, Qian Fei felt her heart beating erratically.
Sure enough, Li Yifei took off the shirt he was wearing and tossed it to her. “I’m a bit tight on cash lately. Even though this shirt is more delicate than my others, I won’t be taking it to the dry cleaner. Could you wash it and iron it for me? And don’t give me that look—I’ll raise your rent!”
Qian Fei wanted to use the iron to flatten his thick skin.
From then on, ironing clothes became another item on Qian Fei’s list of chores. The only thing that motivated her was his promise: “I’ll raise your rent.”
However, soon after, her list of tasks grew even longer with an additional, even more outrageous item.
One day, Li Yifei came knocking on her door with an urgency that suggested his pants were on fire. She opened the door, and before she could ask what was wrong, Li Yifei blurted out, “I need to borrow your bathroom,” and rushed into the lavatory.
She stood dumbfounded for several seconds before realizing what had happened. She followed him to the bathroom door and knocked, asking, “Big brother, don’t you have your bathroom outside?”
Li Yifei shouted from inside, “It’s too dirty. I can’t bring myself to use it.”
Qian Fei ran to check his bathroom. After seeing it, she nearly spat out last night’s dinner in anger.
It was far filthier than the day he had been drunk! No wonder Li Yifei never used the toilet at home and always relieved himself at the hotel after going to work.
She truly felt like cursing him out!
Just then, Li Yifei emerged from her room, having finished his business. He looked at her and said, “Help me clean it up, will you? I’ll increase your rent!”
Qian Fei wanted to grab the plunger from the floor and smack him in the face with it.
“How have you not died from laziness and being spoiled? Do you think you’re some young master?”
From that day on, Qian Fei was a novice white-collar worker at work and a miserable housekeeper at home. She felt her life had lost its luster, consumed by cooking for Li Yifei, cleaning his room, doing his laundry, and tidying up the bathroom. Only when Li Yifei voluntarily paid an extra 300 yuan in rent did she feel a glimmer of hope in her life.
However—
“Does this mean you’ll give me an extra 300 every month?” she asked, her heart blooming with joy.
“No, this is for a quarter!” he replied earnestly.
With that, Qian Fei made a firm decision: in a few days, she would kick this shameless parasite out.