Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Women Really Are Emotional Creatures!
After leaving the detention center, they first took Mother Wu to the hospital. She was still in her post-operative recovery phase. Twice she had been forced to check out, all for the sake of her troublesome son. Now, at last, she could recuperate properly.
After settling Mother Wu in, Wu Xiaoli walked Sun Dasheng to the hospital’s main entrance.
"You should head back now. Be careful on the road."
"What about you?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"I’ll stay at the hospital with my mom for the next few days. She’s not emotionally stable, so I need to be here to watch over her."
Wu Xiaoli brushed her bangs aside, her face etched with fatigue. It seemed the ordeal with her brother and mother had left her completely drained.
Just then, her cell phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she hung up. It rang again, and she hung up once more.
"Who is that? Why aren’t you answering?" Sun Dasheng asked.
Wu Xiaoli blocked the number, then replied, "You know perfectly well. Why are you even asking?"
Sun Dasheng chuckled. "Since you’ve already filed for divorce, you might as well just move out. That way, he won’t be able to bother you anymore."
Wu Xiaoli nodded. "I’ll go look for a rental tomorrow, and then I’ll move out."
"Why wait until tomorrow? Let’s get it done today," Sun Dasheng said.
"But it’s already dark and the agencies are closed. Where are we going to find a place to rent now?" Wu Xiaoli asked.
Closed? As long as there’s a client, a real estate agency never closes.
He took out his phone and made a quick call. After a few words, he hung up.
"It’s all set. They’ll wait for us at their office."
Wu Xiaoli was astonished. How could something that seemed so difficult to her be so easy for him?
"Hold on, let me arrange for a temporary nurse to look after my mom," she said, turning and rushing back into the hospital. She emerged a short while later.
"Is everything taken care of?" Sun Dasheng asked, extending his arm to her.
"Yes." Wu Xiaoli obediently took his arm.
「At the real estate agency.」
The office was brightly lit, but only a single figure stood at the door, waiting expectantly. Soon, a pair of headlights cut through the darkness as a car pulled up. Two figures stepped out.
Recognizing the familiar silhouette, Zhong Liying hurried forward to greet them. "Welcome, Mr. Sun! And welcome to the beautiful lady at your side."
She wasn’t particularly surprised to see the stunning woman with Sun Dasheng. Although he just got divorced, it’s normal for a wealthy man to have a flock of beauties around him. It seems tonight’s property is for the woman he’s with. Ah! She knew who to curry favor with. As an excellent salesperson, her intuition was razor-sharp.
"Her name is Wu Xiaoli. You can call her Ms. Wu," Sun Dasheng said by way of a brief introduction. He then turned to Wu Xiaoli. "This is Zhong Liying, the sales agent. I bought my last property through her. She’s very capable and professional."
Wu Xiaoli felt a flicker of alertness as she looked at the woman whose legs seemed to reach her own waist. But then, she laughed at herself. It wasn’t like she was his wife. Even if there was something between him and this woman, it was none of her business.
"Hello, Ms. Zhong," Wu Xiaoli said with a polite nod.
"Hello, Ms. Wu! You’re a true natural beauty," Zhong Liying complimented, laying on the flattery. "What kind of skincare do you use? Your complexion is incredible."
"Oh, not at all... You’re exaggerating. I just pay attention to..."
Before long, the two were arm in arm, chatting away like they were old friends who had endless things to talk about.
Sun Dasheng coughed twice, drawing their attention back. "Ms. Zhong, could you introduce us to some of the nearby listings?"
His voice immediately snapped Zhong Liying back to business. She began to seriously present the properties.
"They all look pretty good. Which one do you like?" Sun Dasheng asked the woman beside him after they had heard the options.
"Let’s go with this one," Wu Xiaoli said, choosing the apartment with the smallest interior, a three-bedroom, two-living-room unit of just over 90 square meters.
"Isn’t that a little small?" Zhong Liying asked softly, her eyes glancing toward Sun Dasheng. She knew he was the one with the final say.
"What do you think?" he asked Wu Xiaoli.
"It’ll just be my mom and me, so this is more than enough. Besides, a bigger house is just more tiring to clean every day," Wu Xiaoli stated confidently.
"All right, then. We’ll do as she says," Sun Dasheng nodded.
This was not what Zhong Liying had expected. However, drawing on her professionalism, she quickly composed herself and smiled. "You have a discerning eye. Although the building is a bit old, its location is excellent. It’s close to the Huangpu River, so you could even call it a semi-river-view property. The community has beautiful scenery and a rich cultural atmosphere. Your mother will have no trouble finding like-minded peers, so she won’t be bored living here."
Sun Dasheng was a bit speechless. She could really make an old housing complex sound like a paradise.
"The price," he said, knocking on the table to get her back to the main point.
Embarrassed, she stopped her rambling sales pitch, a habit that was hard to break. "The average price in this complex is currently 150,000 per square meter. The units listed online are from sellers in a hurry, so the price can be negotiated down a bit, but probably not by much since this is a desirable school district. The apartment Ms. Wu is interested in is listed for 13.8 million. If we sit down with the landlord, we can probably get rid of the odd amount and close the deal at 13 million," Zhong Liying said confidently.
"Hmm, that’s reasonable. What do you think?" Sun Dasheng asked Wu Xiaoli beside him.
She was still in a daze. Something didn’t feel right. Weren’t they supposed to be renting a place? How did it suddenly turn into buying one?
She gave Zhong Liying a polite smile before pulling Sun Dasheng aside. "Brother Sun, renting is fine. We don’t need to buy. I follow the news, and I’ve heard the housing market is in a slump with prices falling. If you buy a house now, won’t you lose money on it? We can live in a rental just fine!"
She really is a considerate woman.
Sun Dasheng ruffled her hair and said softly, "Don’t worry. This house is for living in. What does it matter if the price goes up or down in the future? If it appreciates, are you going to sell it and move out?"
"Of course not!" Wu Xiaoli replied hastily. Who would sell their only home for no reason?
Just like that, she realized her previous objections didn’t hold water.
"Well... but..."
Watching her stammer, Sun Dasheng said with a chuckle, "Are you worried I can’t afford it?"
"Of course not!" Wu Xiaoli panicked, quickly covering his mouth. "Brother Sun, I know you have money, but... I... I’m a woman on the verge of divorce. I’m not worthy of you treating me so well."
She had finally voiced what was truly in her heart. Faced with such a massive gift, she was flustered, feeling she couldn’t possibly accept it.
"You silly woman, don’t sell yourself short," Sun Dasheng said. "In my heart, you are far more precious than any house of steel and concrete."
His words were the sweetest confession she had ever heard. Overcome with emotion, she threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply, completely unconcerned about the stranger standing not far away.
Women truly are emotional creatures!