After returning from the capital, Zhou Yi started thinking about buying a new house on Monday. The current place was comfortable enough to live in, but the area wasn't very developed commercially, and he often had to climb stairs—something he really disliked.
However, there weren't many housing options in Luzhou right now. The better properties in the market, the famous ones, hadn't even gone on sale yet, and the rest were either old neighborhoods he didn't want to buy into.
Forget it, he'd just treat it as exercise.
Another reason Zhou Yi wanted to buy a house was Wang Fangfang's need to rent a place.
Wang Fangfang had returned from the capital with all her paperwork done, officially stepping into the life of an unemployed wanderer.
Zhou Yi had initially offered to let Wang Fangfang stay with him, but she had a friend, also a fellow retiree, and they'd agreed to rent a place together.
Zhou Yi's offer was just a polite gesture; if they actually lived together, there would inevitably be friction and conflicts.
A wife is less enticing than a concubine, a concubine less than a stolen affair, and a stolen affair less than one that's unattainable.
Keeping a certain distance was the only way to maintain their relationship.
Besides, Zhou Yi had a lot of things to do later on, and living together long-term would be hard to explain.
Considering his plan to take over the operation of the Jade Lake Swimming Pool, Wang Fangfang would definitely be staying here long-term. Plus, this neighborhood's prices had peaked at 40,000 per square meter as a school district property, so the appreciation potential was significant.
Wang Fangfang didn't want to rely entirely on Zhou Yi; she wanted to maintain some personal independence. But given their current relationship, she could accept some kindness appropriately.
So Zhou Yi decided to buy another house in the same neighborhood. The deed would definitely be in his name, but he could let Wang Fangfang and her friend live there for free.
This time, buying a house was much easier. He went back to the same agent to see if there was anything suitable. Before long, he found a 130-square-meter unit in the next building. But the decoration was basic, and he might need to add some furniture later.
It took about a week to get all the paperwork done. Then Zhou Yi helped Wang Fangfang move her stuff by car, along with her teammate.
After that, he left the house decoration and furniture shopping entirely to them.
By the time these trivial matters were mostly settled, it was already November.
Zhou Yi's investment company was just a shell; he had no plans to make it big. There wasn't much business usually, and he handled multiple roles himself, only following up on good projects when they came up.
Wang Ping had also been busy lately, mainly with setting up the company and negotiating with the Jade Lake Guesthouse.
Things were going smoothly. The only sticking point between the two sides was the contract term. Wang Ping thought, to be safe, a maximum of three years per renewal would be best.
"Brother Ping, if you want to open a chain and expand later, you'd better go for a longer term. That way, you can slowly build a reputation. After all, you have the resources—every year, there'll be junior brothers and sisters retiring," Zhou Yi paused.
"Then they'll have a fallback with you. If you're just looking out for yourself, a shorter term is fine, but your reputation won't take off."
After learning about Zhou Yi's financial situation, Wang Fangfang also leaned toward building a chain. It was a long-term business—starting as a coach when young and gradually moving into management later.
With so many hotels and guesthouses in Luzhou, it was enough to keep her busy for decades.
Relying on a mountain and it falls, relying on people and they run away—having your own career was better than anything.
In the end, the three decided on a one-time 10-year contract, with adjustments based on market conditions later.
As for after 10 years, Zhou Yi thought, it would be about outlasting the competition. Once the rivals went under, he'd dominate the market.
That evening, Wang Fangfang came over from her place to Zhou Yi's. They'd been so busy lately that they hadn't had much time to be close. Now that things had settled down, she started stirring things up.
The weather had turned cool. Wang Fangfang wore a brown trench coat, tight jeans that showed off her curves, leather combat boots, and a simple ponytail.
A striking, spirited woman appeared before Zhou Yi.
As Zhou Yi's hands worked, piece by piece of clothing fell away. But the bigger surprise was yet to come. Underneath, she wore a beach bikini.
A black-and-white tight triangle bikini bottom and a tie-top bikini.
From spirited to seductive, the stark contrast left Zhou Yi unable to control himself.
What was rest for? To keep fighting, of course.
He couldn't let her kindness go to waste.
Afterward
Wang Fangfang gave a sly smile: "I've watched you at the pool a few times. I noticed you have a thing for swimsuits. Do all guys think about that?"
That was a bit awkward.
Who doesn't like to look? But it depends on who.
"Only you. I wouldn't look at anyone else—it'd burn my eyes."
Giggling, Wang Fangfang laughed triumphantly.
Zhou Yi was completely wrapped around her finger.
"My roommate and I are planning to cook tomorrow. Do you have time to come over?" Two girls together would naturally want to cook their own meals; eating out every day wasn't hygienic.
Zhou Yi had barely been home lately and was too lazy to cook, either eating at the school cafeteria or a restaurant downstairs.
"Sure, I haven't tried your cooking yet. How good are you?"
"You've already tasted my skills, haven't you? My cooking's pretty good too."
Zhou Yi stayed silent, reached over to the nightstand, and handed a box to Wang Fangfang.
"Here, this is an early housewarming gift."
"No need. You're letting me live here for free, and with the pool thing, you've already done so much for me. I can't take your stuff."
"I noticed your phone's a bit old. I just got a new one yesterday, same model as yours—look." He pulled out his iPhone 4.
Truth be told, Zhou Yi didn't have much fondness for the iPhone 4, having been spoiled by high-performance phones from the future.
But for people now, the iPhone 4 was a groundbreaking product—the first true smartphone, almost revolutionary compared to earlier ones. Almost all later smartphones followed this path.
It was only after Steve Jobs' death that Apple gradually fell from its pedestal.
While buying the iPhone, Zhou Yi wondered if Apple's stock was low now and if he should buy some.
In the end, he gave up. He'd never bought U.S. stocks, and there were too many uncontrollable factors. For him, there were plenty of ways to get rich, and without a way to preserve wealth, more money would only put him in danger.
When Wang Fangfang saw it was an iPhone, she screamed with excitement: "I heard people talking about iPhones a while back, but I never switched—they're too expensive."
With that, she leaned down and showed off her oral skills.
Feels like someone's been reading lately. Thanks, everyone.