A life of success begins with being a landlord.

Before I knew it, Chunyan and I had fallen onto the bed together.

Chunyan's clothes had disappeared.

I explored clumsily, like a starving baby.

"No, that won't do!"

Chunyan suddenly struggled to sit up, pushing against my chest: "Yaozu, don't do this, let me think about it..."

"Chunyan, I've never been with a woman before, please let me..."

"No." Chunyan withdrew her hand and crossed her arms. "Yaozu, please don't bully me, okay?"

"I didn't bully you, I genuinely like you."

I held Chunyan in my arms: "I swear. It's true, Chunyan..."

"No, you haven't told my dad about this yet."

Chunyan was almost in tears: "Go tell my dad first, and tell that fatso to stop bothering me."

"Chunyan, don't cry, I'll listen to you."

My heart softened, and I released my grip to wipe away Chunyan's tears.

Chunyan stopped crying and smiled, burying her face in my chest: "I know you're not a bad person, and I... I like you too..."

I gently stroked Chunyan's smooth, white back and nodded, saying, "Tonight, I'll go see your father, okay?"

"OK."

Chunyan looked up, still with her arms crossed, and smiled faintly, "You go out now, I need to get dressed... How annoying, where did you put all my clothes?"

"I...can I look at you one more time?"

My blood is still boiling, and I really don't want to leave.

Chunyan covered her face: "You're like a leech, clinging to me. What's so interesting about it? Look, look, I'll let you look your fill..."

I stared wide-eyed, searching for the light of spring in the dimly lit room…

Good times always pass by in a flash.

Twenty minutes passed, but it felt like only a moment.

"Aren't you going to get lost?"

Chunyan pushed me, "Hurry up and get out of here, it's time to get to work. I can't just take Sister Li's twenty yuan for nothing."

"Let me help you get dressed." I lingered, trying to please him.

"I can dress myself, get out of here."

Chunyan finally pushed me out and closed the door.

With the lingering fragrance and aftertaste of Chunyan still lingering on my face, I went to the balcony to wash my face.

So this is what love is like. This feeling... is wonderful.

But at the crucial moment, Chunyan stopped me from going any further; otherwise, things would have been even better, right?

"shameless."

Chunyan came out dressed, her face flushed, and she laughed and scolded me, "I won't come again. Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can be so great. All you do is bully people."

I opened my arms and said, "Chunyan, I apologize."

Chunyan turned and ran away.

The afternoon work wasn't easy either; I had to use a roller to apply latex paint to all the walls of the stairwell.

Fortunately, Chunyan stayed with me, helping me out and occasionally switching hands with me.

Working until dark, we finally finished this huge project.

Looking at the pristine white stairwell, Chunyan asked me, "Old Wang, have you done this kind of work before?"

"How did I become Old Wang again?"

"You're two or three years older than me, aren't you old yet?" Chunyan stuck out her tongue.

"Okay, I'm old."

I shook my head: "You can learn this kind of work just by watching, it's not difficult at all. Let's go, Chunyan, let's go back and take a shower and have dinner."

"I can take a shower at your place, but you're not allowed to bully anyone again."

Chunyan warned me, "I have a pair of scissors here. If you bully me again, I'll use the scissors, snip snip..."

As she spoke, Chunyan chuckled again.

I reached out and tickled Chunyan's waist: "Where are the scissors? Let me see."

Chunyan wiggled her bottom again and ran away.

Back in 302, I told Chunyan to take a shower quickly: "Chunyan, you take a shower first, I'm going to find your father."

Chunyan tugged at me, hesitatingly saying, "My dad's a heavy drinker, you'd better... bring two bottles of wine, it'll make things easier. I'll work later..."

"I understand, please stop talking."

I nodded and went downstairs to the department store to buy wine.

A few minutes later, I knocked on Lao Xia's door, carrying a case of liquor and a pack of cigarettes.

I bought these cigarettes and alcohol for a total of two hundred yuan.

Old Xia was home alone, reeking of alcohol.

"Hey, where's Chunyan?" Old Xia asked me.

"Uncle Xia, Chunyan is with me, she'll be back soon."

I put down my cigarettes and alcohol: "Uncle Xia, this is for you."

"Brother, thank you so much, you're too kind."

Old Xia beamed, then hesitated, his eyes darting around, "How about I go downstairs and buy some groceries, and we grab a drink?"

"No need, I've already eaten."

I didn't understand what Lao Xia meant, so I waved my hand and declined.

Later I realized that what Lao Xia meant was that I should go buy a few more groceries!

"Then forget it."

Old Xia rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "You and Chunyan are dating now, aren't you?"

Since that's the case, I'll just say it directly, nodding and saying, "Yes, Uncle Xia, Chunyan and I... are dating."

"It's good to have a boyfriend. Girls are safer here if they have one."

Old Xia patted my shoulder: "I trust Chunyan to play with you. You can trust her too, I don't object to you two."

I thanked him and mustered my courage to say, "By the way, Uncle Xia, could you tell that Kuai Dafa from room 404 to stop harassing Chunyan? Chunyan is now... my girlfriend..."

"You mean Boss Kuai?"

Old Xia sat down, lit a cigarette, and smiled at me: "Boss Kuai is rich. He told me that if Chunyan plays with him, he'll give me a thousand yuan every month."

I frowned: "But, isn't Boss Kuai more than twenty years older than Chunyan? And Chunyan doesn't like him."

"What's wrong with being a little older?"

Old Xia was still smiling at me: "Boss Kuai isn't married yet; he's looking for a woman to marry. He even said that if Chunyan marries him, he'll give me 18,000 yuan as a bride price!"

I couldn't figure out what Lao Xia meant: "So... what are you thinking?"

"Of course I want to find Chunyan a rich man."

Old Xia revealed his true colors: "Brother, your older sister, Little Fox, is rich. If Boss Kuai can afford it, you can too."

I understand.

Old Xia isn't selling his daughter, he's auctioning her off.

He'll give Chunyan to whoever pays the most!

A thousand yuan a month, and a bride price of 18,000? I don't have that kind of money anyway.

I pointed to the cigarettes and alcohol on the ground: "I don't have any money, this is all I can give you. I'll go talk to Kuai Dafa myself!"

After saying that, I turned and left, not wanting to say another word to a scumbag like Lao Xia.

"Hey bro, we can talk this over."

Old Xia shouted behind me, "You and Chunyan play for a bit, we'll discuss it slowly!"

I walked down the stairs without looking back.

When I got to room 404, I was filled with rage and kicked the security door twice!

That steel-reinforced security door was installed by Kuai Dafa himself; it was exceptionally sturdy.

Clang, clang!

A loud noise echoed through the hallway.

There was no response from inside the room; Kuai Dafa must not be home.

I went downstairs and returned to 302.

Chunyan has already taken a bath and is waiting for me.

"Old Wang, how's it going?"

Chunyan looked at me nervously: "What did my dad say?"

I took Chunyan's hand and sat down on the sofa with a sigh.

I don't know how to tell Chunyan!

Chunyan shook my arm: "Tell me quickly, what exactly did my dad say?"