Wang Fangfang went back and did the math: a house cost 1.17 million, nearly 1.2 million, while she had saved less than 300,000. If she paid in full, Zhou You would have to front her 900,000, which was indeed a huge sum for her.
"Brother You, how about I just pay a down payment and take out a mortgage for the rest?" Wang Fangfang hesitated.
"No need, pay it all at once. Mortgage interest adds up, and you'd have to pay every month, which puts a lot of pressure on you. You'd feel tied down, and it takes away a lot of life's pleasures." Zhou You had never even considered a loan. Living on credit wasn't his style. In his past life, he hadn't even opened a credit account. He never understood the point of using credit to pay. Some said it allowed for early consumption, others said it let you delay payment by a month and earn a month's interest. Zhou You really couldn't grasp it—with your credit limit, how much interest could you make, just a few bucks? As for early consumption, what difference did delaying a month make? Ordinary people only had a limit of thirty to forty thousand at most. In essence, it was just fleecing the poor. Whether in the past or now, Zhou You always lived within his means and never overspent.
Zhou You thought for a moment and transferred 1 million to Wang Fangfang's card, telling her to handle the payment herself tomorrow while he kept the rest for emergencies. Wang Fangfang's eyes misted over as she gazed at him with deep affection: "Brother You, why are you so good to me? There are plenty of women prettier than me, more capable than me, and more educated than me." She truly felt uneasy and didn't know why he treated her so well. In this moment, she blurted out the question.
Zhou You was taken aback by her question and didn't know how to answer. In his view, being good to her was only natural, but since she asked, he thought seriously and said, "Fangfang, there's really no reason. I just want to be good to you. I think this might be fate. You're good to me, and I'm good to you—that's enough. As for the money, don't worry too much about it. To me, it's not important now, and it'll be even less important later. It's just a number."
Hearing this, Wang Fangfang felt both moved and confused, sensing that Zhou You had made a grand gesture, but she couldn't pinpoint where.
...
The next day, Zhou You and Wang Fangfang went over and were warmly received again. Zhou You sent the purchase contract to the Shanghai law firm for review. After they looked it over and found no major issues, he settled the remaining payment. After Wang Fangfang signed the papers and came out, she still felt a sense of unreality. In her imagination, buying a house would involve careful selection, visiting several properties, and thorough analysis before making a decision. Not like this—almost seeing it and deciding on the same day. From now on, she would own a home in the provincial capital? Was this settling down? This dazed feeling didn't fade until Wang Pengfei came to find her after work.
"Sis, what's wrong? I saw you spacing out just now. Did something happen?" Wang Pengfei asked with concern.
"Mm, nothing, I just find it unbelievable. Today, I went with Brother You and bought an apartment in the neighborhood next door," Wang Fangfang told her brother.
"Ah, Brother You bought another house? How big this time?" Wang Pengfei thought Zhou You was buying again.
"No, Brother You bought one, and I bought one too. He got a standalone villa and a high-rise apartment, and I also got a high-rise," Wang Fangfang explained to her brother.
"What! You bought a house too? Where did you get the money? How much did you borrow?" Wang Pengfei was both excited and shocked.
"I saved up a bit myself, and Brother You gave me a lot more. No loan, paid in full directly."
"Sis, you just started working, how much can you earn? And now that you've bought a house, are you not going to eat or drink anymore?" Wang Pengfei worried his sister would be under too much pressure.
Hearing this, Wang Fangfang gave a bitter smile: "Brother You gave me 1 million, and I paid over 100,000 myself, totaling 1.17 million."
Wang Pengfei sat frozen on the sofa, motionless for a long time before saying, "Sis, we go out to work and barely earn a few thousand a year. Buying a house in the provincial capital was something I never dared to dream of. How much money does Brother You actually have? Why is he so good to you?"
"I don't know exactly how much he has. I asked him the same question today, and his answer was 'fate.'"
Wang Pengfei said cautiously, "Sis, Brother You isn't married yet, right? Are you two dating, or..." He didn't finish the sentence, but Wang Fangfang understood what he meant.
"No, he's not married. He told me he wants to enjoy life for a few more years and definitely won't get married anytime soon." After a pause, she added, "Don't worry, your sister isn't that shameless."
Wang Pengfei grinned foolishly: "A guy like Brother You—young, rich, handsome, and a university professor—how many women could resist? Besides, I don't think you're that pretty anyway." Having grown up with his sister, he didn't see her as particularly attractive.
"Don't overthink things. Just focus on your job. Brother You has been good to us, so you need to be grateful. Don't dwell on nonsense. No matter how much money he has, it's his, not yours," Wang Fangfang warned her brother in advance.
"Sis, don't worry. I'll work hard. With this opportunity, I'd be a fool not to seize it. I'm not really stupid—just not good at studying."
After chatting for a while, Wang Pengfei returned to his rented room. Lying in bed, he wondered if he could ever buy a house in the provincial capital. Should he buy here or build one back home? Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep.
After her brother left, Wang Fangfang thought for a moment and then went to Zhou You's room. She had a key to his place and often came to clean, do laundry, and cook when he wasn't around. She turned the key, walked in quietly, and saw the study light on. Zhou You was reading intently.
"Why aren't you asleep yet, so late?" he asked when he saw her come in.
"Can't sleep. I want to sleep here tonight," Wang Fangfang said.
"Sure, I'd love that. I'll stop reading." He closed the book. Wang Fangfang glanced at it and saw it was *Zhuangzi*.
"Brother You, why do you like Zhuangzi?"
"Because I envy him. I hope I can live as freely as he did, drifting through life."
"Ah, how did Zhuangzi live?"
"Carefree, content with fate, unbound by external things."
"Is that state hard to achieve? I feel like you're almost there!"
"Not even close. I'm a world away. For instance, right now, I'm bound by you."
With that, he scooped up Wang Fangfang and they headed to the bath together. An hour later, they emerged from the bathroom. It was a good thing the room's heating was strong, or they'd have caught a cold. It had been a long time since he'd held Wang Fangfang while sleeping. Though he dared not promise to hold her hand and grow old together, he still wanted to say: if you don't leave, I won't abandon you.
Currently in the second round of recommendations, welcome all esteemed readers to invest. Place your bets and don't regret it!