Chapter 64: Fixed It Back, But Not Entirely

After browsing a few potential properties at the sales office, the manager led them out for an on-site tour.

True to the introduction, the environment of Green Shadow Residential Area was exceptionally pleasant. The property management team sent people to tend to the vegetation and gardens every day, and the pathways were kept spotless, creating a thoroughly comfortable atmosphere.

Old Chen and his family grew increasingly pleased with the place.

The first apartment they visited was on the fifth floor of Building 5, featuring three bedrooms, two living rooms, one kitchen, and two bathrooms. Aside from the top-floor units which included an extra rooftop terrace, almost all apartments in this complex followed this exact layout, with only minor differences in details.

The couple living directly across the hall had already left for work.

While the situation regarding the neighbors remained unknown, the apartment itself was nice, and Old Chen and his family were quite satisfied with the interior decoration. Such a minor flaw could be overlooked for now. Chen Mengting had already started making her choice, but Old Chen suddenly changed his tune, saying he wanted to inspect the other options first. Wang Juan nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

Comparison shopping was always wise, and since their train tickets had been changed to the evening, touring a bit more wouldn't hurt.

Thus, the manager led them to their second backup option, located in Building 3.

The overall layout was nearly identical to the one in Building 5, though the positions of the kitchen and bedrooms were swapped, and the total square footage was slightly larger. The neighbor living across the hall was a middle-aged woman who happened to be taking out her trash when Chen Fan and his family arrived. After giving the family a once-over, she let out a disdainful "Hmph."

That apartment was promptly crossed off the list.

On the way to the third backup property, the manager repeatedly apologized to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan waved it off, indicating it was no big deal. The rude woman had nothing to do with the manager, who couldn't control other people's minds either. The only thing they could do was stay away from such individuals.

The third apartment was in Building 1, on the seventh floor.

This time, the first thing Chen Fan asked upon stepping inside was:

"Has the apartment across the hall been sold?"

The manager nodded, then pointed to the thick layer of dust on the shoe cabinet by the opposite door.

"Though it's been sold, no one has lived here for years. I heard the owner apparently emigrated abroad. When or even if they will ever return is completely unknown."

That was ideal. It meant they wouldn't have to worry about the neighboring unit suddenly being sold and some eccentric family moving in.

Building 1 was also close to the main gates (the community had two), making travel very convenient. Su University was just two streets away to the left upon exiting the gate; looking out the window, one could actually see the university campus.

The family gathered to discuss the matter and ultimately decided to purchase the unit in Building 1.

They meticulously inspected the apartment from top to bottom, and seeing no apparent issues, the group returned to the sales office.

Chen Fan straightforwardly paid the full amount in one go. The deed was originally going to be put in Chen Mengting's name, but since the girl was still a minor, and Old Chen and his wife adamantly refused to have it in theirs, they had no choice but to temporarily register it under Chen Fan's name.

As Chen Fan signed the papers, Old Chen and the others held their breath, and when he swiped his card, their hearts beat with intense excitement.

Over eight million yuan had just vanished like that, leaving Old Chen and his wife feeling a wave of palpitation.

Having lived this long, they had never imagined that a transaction of such magnitude would ever take place right before their eyes, let alone that the person conducting the transaction would be their son.

Taking advantage of the moment when Old Chen and the others weren't paying attention, Chen Fan pulled the manager aside.

"Can you help me mail the property deed to Yunshui Town?"

"Of course, no problem at all."

For a client who had toured for just a single morning, made a decisive choice without any hesitation, and paid the full amount upfront, he would gladly deliver it personally, let alone mail it to Yunshui Town.

"Then I'll leave it in your care."

The two exchanged contact information, and Chen Fan sent his hometown address to him.

The manager flashed an "OK" hand gesture.

Lunch was treated by the manager at one of the many restaurants surrounding Green Shadow Residential Area. They were both high-quality and affordable—standard fare near a university, as anyone would understand.

After the meal, Old Chen and Wang Juan bought cleaning supplies at a shop near the community entrance and returned to the apartment to clean it with great enthusiasm.

Even though Chen Fan told them he would hire professionals to clean up later, the elderly couple remained unfazed. Chen Mengting joined in as well; the girl who was usually too lazy to even tidy up her own bedroom showed an unusual level of enthusiasm today.

"Son, come over here. I'll leave the high dusting to you."

"Coming..."

The four of them busied themselves for an entire afternoon, scrubbing the apartment clean from inside out. In the meantime, Wang Juan and Chen Mengting also made a long list of furniture they wanted to replace or add, planning to come back together to purchase them once Chen Mengting started her summer vacation and had free time.

Chen Fan muttered under his breath that he could easily handle those things.

Old Chen walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, just let the two ladies busy themselves with these things. Tell me, son, you won't be coming back to live here, right?"

"Well... probably not."

Hearing this, Old Chen broke into a smile. He walked over to Wang Juan and requested to turn the room originally reserved for Chen Fan into a fishing gear room!

"Absolutely not!"

Wang Juan flatly rejected the idea. Old Chen felt quite depressed, but upon second thought, realizing he could just freeload off Old Peng's gear, his mood brightened again.

Evening arrived swiftly. After dinner, Chen Fan dropped Old Chen and the others off at the train station. The luggage bags they carried were even more numerous than when they had first arrived.

"Are you really sure you don't want me to go inside with you?"

"Oh, nonsense. Do you really think your old man can't carry such a small amount of stuff? Hurry back and take care of your business; didn't someone just call you a moment ago?"

Old Chen started shooing him away right at the entrance of the train station, leaving Chen Fan amused and exasperated.

The call had been from Xiang Yongyang. Although he didn't know why this guy was calling him a day later, the fact that he had only placed a single call and hung up shortly after meant it wasn't anything urgent.

"Yeah, Xiaofan, don't worry about us, we're still in great shape."

"Big brother, I can help carry things too! Go ahead and handle your business."

Chen Fan wanted to say more, but the three of them had already headed inside with their bags. With no other choice, he walked back to his car.

Xiang Yongyang had sent him a barrage of WeChat messages. Chen Fan glanced through them briefly and found himself completely baffled. They were clearly written in Chinese characters, yet he couldn't make sense of a single sentence.

What did it mean when he said: *It's over, I think I've fallen for a woman. Chen Fan, am I sick?*

Or: *Chen Fan, I feel like Ning Lu is getting a bit full of herself. Is my illness getting worse?*

All in all, this fellow's mortal heart had been stirred.

It seemed Ning Lu's self-sacrificing maneuver last night (taking advantage of his vulnerable state) had yielded tremendous progress, managing to forcefully bend Xiang Yongyang's sexual preferences back to normal.

At that moment, another call came in from Xiang Yongyang. Chen Fan answered.

"Chen Fan, I suddenly realized that Ning Lu cosplaying as Emilia might actually suit her really well!"

"......"

Chen Fan covered his face with his hand.

He was bent back, but not entirely.

Talk about a twisted recovery!

"Chen Fan, where are you? Come out and grab some food with me."

"I've already eaten."

"Hey, it's fine, just treat it as a late-night snack."

"I......"

"I've sent you the address, hurry over."

"......"