The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"Sister Xia Qing, the big deal you mentioned... is it this?"

Ye Shu leaned against the door frame, panting heavily. When she received Xia Qing's urgent call, she thought something had happened and ran back home.

When the door opened, Xia Qing was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, with several items on the coffee table. She was resting her chin on her hand, looking at those items with a worried expression.

"Isn't this big enough?"

Xia Qing looked up and pointed to the objects on the coffee table:

"You're about to pack your things and go back to your hometown for the Chinese New Year, right? What's your ticket for that day?"

"Early the day after tomorrow."

Ye Shu walked to the sofa and plopped down. Her calves were sore from running all that.

Xia Qing turned to look at the things on the coffee table, looking quite conflicted:

"I can't go back with you this time, but I can't be without my subordinates. That flower thing last time was really awkward."

She felt a little awkward when she remembered the flower seeds she had given to Ye Shu's father that couldn't be grown.

Ye Shu also remembered, and wanted to laugh, but held it in.

"So this time, you'd better pick out some good gifts for your family."

As she spoke, Xia Qing began pointing at several items on the table:

"Grandma, Aunt, Uncle, Xiaotao, and Uncle all need to be taken to the hospital. Can you help me think of anyone I forgot? Who else in your family is home?"

Ye Shu was catching his breath. He leaned back on the sofa and said slowly:

"There's probably no one else I'd ask you to deliver things. If I had to pick... there are two hens in the yard that I ordered, would you like to deliver some?"

"Get lost, I'm talking to you seriously!"

Xia Qing grabbed a cushion from the side and tossed it over. Ye Shu caught it, hugged it to his arms, and laughed.

"Actually, there's no need to go to so much trouble. They'll be happy with whatever you give them. We're not picky about these things, as long as it's from you."

"That won't work."

Xia Qing was very insistent on this point:

"It has a different meaning. This is my... uh, it's a token of our appreciation. We want our families to know that you're being cared for here, that you're doing well, and that someone is thinking of you. Besides, if we really let you go back empty-handed, what would our families think of us? Doesn't this young girl understand such a simple thing? I don't want to be labeled like that."

As she spoke, she started looking at this and then scrolling through her phone.

Ye Shu didn't argue anymore. If she wanted to send it, then so be it. But judging from the situation, it would probably be a hassle for her to carry her luggage home.

After a while, Xia Qing suddenly turned around, reached out and hugged Ye Shu who was sitting next to her, rested her face on his shoulder, and stopped talking.

Ye Shu also reached out and hugged her, not knowing why she had suddenly attacked him, and dared not speak, so he could only wait for what was to come.

But after waiting for a long time, the person in the voice remained quiet, simply holding her, with only the sound of breathing in her ears.

This is unlike Xia Qing, who is usually so energetic and outgoing.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?"

Ye Shu finally couldn't help but ask, "Your mood changed a bit too quickly. You were just picking out things with great enthusiasm a moment ago, how come you suddenly feel wronged?"

Xia Qing remained silent for a few seconds before speaking:

"When...when will the shop reopen after the New Year?"

"Chen Xing said that we can start work after the fifteenth."

"Oh……"

Xia Qing responded with a sound of agreement, then fell silent again.

After a long while, she continued to ask:

"So... how long do you plan to stay at home this time?"

Ye Shu seemed to understand what she was thinking, and he loosened his arm around her waist, replying:

"I'm away from home most of the year and can't go back very often. I happen to have a holiday this time, so I want to stay a little longer. My grandma is getting old, and I want to spend more time with her."

"Um……"

Xia Qing didn't say anything more, but that "hmm" didn't sound like agreement; it was more like she was quietly swallowing back some emotion.

Ye Shu seemed even more certain and lowered his head to see Xia Qing's expression, but Xia Qing also lowered her head and hid her face on Ye Shu's shoulder.

He could only rub his face against Xia Qing's hair and ask:

"What's wrong, Sister Xia Qing?"

Xia Qing remained silent for a while before releasing her arms from his neck and sitting back down.

There were no tear stains on her face as rumored, and her expression was the same as before, except that her eyes flickered and she did not look directly at Ye Shu.

She cleared her throat and said in a deliberately relaxed tone:

"I'm fine, what could possibly be wrong with me? I'm just... worried about Xiaoxue and the others. You've been gone for so long, what if they miss you and start making a fuss?"

Ye Shu watched as she looked at Xiaoxue and the others, who were clearly reluctant to part but were stubbornly insisting on it, and even used them as shields. He couldn't help but smile more and more.

He deliberately leaned closer, staring at Xia Qing's face, which she had deliberately turned to the side, and asked:

"Oh, so you were worried about Xiaoxue and the others? Really? Is it really just Xiaoxue and the others? I have a feeling... it's someone else who doesn't want me to leave?"

"Who wouldn't want to part with you?!"

Ye Shu didn't say anything to her, but she just assumed it was her.

Xia Qing turned her head, her eyes wide, her voice louder, and her face slightly flushed:

"What do I have to be reluctant to part with? You're always hanging around in front of me, I'm getting so annoyed! It's good that you're going home, I can finally have some peace and quiet, it'll be so much more comfortable."

As she spoke, she waved her hand as if swatting away flies:

"Besides, you're just going home for the New Year, it's not like you're making up for lost time, so why should I be reluctant to let you go?"

Arrogant and proud, textbook example of arrogance.

Ye Shu was almost laughing out loud. Who said that tsundere has become obsolete? Isn't this pretty fun?

Seeing Xia Qing's haughty demeanor, Ye Shu also adopted a serious expression, sat up straight, and said:

"Oh, I see. But whether he'll come back or not... it's really hard to say."

"Huh? Why?"

Xia Qing turned to look at him, her eyes filled with "Don't lie to me."

Ye Shu nodded, very seriously:

"I texted my dad the other day, and he said that they're building some kind of big new factory in our hometown and they're hiring. I heard the pay is pretty good. And with my qualifications, if I go back and apply, they might be able to put me in a junior management position or something."

He paused, looking at Xia Qing's stiff face, and slowly continued in a somewhat conflicted tone:

"I've thought about it, and it seems to make some sense. The pressure and cost of living are high in this big city, while it's more stable to go back home. I'm thinking of giving it a try. If I'm lucky enough to get hired, then... I might not be able to come back after the New Year, and I might have to quit my job here."

Finally, he added insult to injury for Xia Qing:

"Xia Qing, can you accept a long-distance relationship?"

"Ye Shu! You..."

The disdain and indifference on Xia Qing's face vanished instantly, replaced by panic. Although she knew this guy was just talking nonsense to tease her, she couldn't help but panic when she heard words like "not coming back" and "long-distance relationship."

She didn't want it to be like this, but she just couldn't control herself from breaking down.

"Are you... are you sick in the head?!"

Without thinking, Xia Qing kicked Ye Shu in the chest.

Ye Shu reacted quickly, raising her hand to catch Xia Qing's kicking foot and catching it in her arms, preventing her from launching a series of kicks at her.

Seeing that Xia Qing struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, Ye Shu finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Come back or don't come back, it's up to you! Who cares if you come back! If you're so capable, then don't come back at all, just stay there and be a leader!"

Xia Qing angrily kicked Ye Shu's thigh repeatedly with her other foot, her words sharp, but her eyes inexplicably stung.

She knew he was joking, but hearing the possibility, even if it was only one in ten thousand, made her heart clench.

"Come back, come back, of course I'll come back."

Seeing that she looked like she was about to cry, Ye Shu quickly decided to stop while he was ahead, releasing her leg and leaning closer with a sly smile:

"I was just kidding, I was just teasing you. How could I not come back? Would I be stupid to leave such a great girlfriend?"

Seeing his smug look, Xia Qing raised her hand and punched him twice more on the shoulder to vent her anger.

"I think you're just stupid! You're the stupidest!"