"It's getting a bit cold," Qin Shuran began, but before she could finish, Chen Fan interrupted her with a lack of romantic sensibility. "The house isn't well-insulated either. How about we go into the city these next couple of days and look for an apartment with heating?"
Qin Shuran's unfinished sentence hung in the air. That wasn't what she had meant at all.
"What do you think, Shuran?" Chen Fan asked, noticing her silence.
"Blockhead!" Qin Shuran pouted, clearly annoyed.
"What?" Chen Fan asked, not having heard her clearly.
"Nothing, let's go to sleep," Qin Shuran replied curtly, turning her back to Chen Fan and ignoring him.
Chen Fan, oblivious to Qin Shuran's feelings, muttered to himself, "Then we'll go look at apartments tomorrow. There are a few new developments in Jiangcheng that look good."
Even before graduating, Chen Fan had been researching property, hoping to buy a place in Jiangcheng and bring his grandmother to live with him.
Seeing Qin Shuran's lack of response, Chen Fan assumed she was just tired and didn't disturb her further, closing his eyes to sleep.
If only Chen Fan knew that Qin Shuran had actually wanted to sleep under the same blanket as him, he might not have been able to sleep so soundly.
The next morning, Chen Fan and Qin Shuran woke up and had breakfast.
Since their shift didn't start until the afternoon, they weren't in a hurry to get to the psychiatric hospital.
Remembering Qin Shuran's complaint about feeling cold under the blankets the previous night, Chen Fan decisively drove her to the nearest sales office.
Chen Fan had already researched this place. It was a high-end residential area, so the prices were steep. However, being on the outskirts, it attracted fewer buyers. Now that the buildings were completed, there were still many units left.
Most importantly, it wasn't far from the psychiatric hospital where they worked, only about a ten-minute drive.
Qin Shuran got out of the car and looked at the sales office, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
But seeing Chen Fan's serious expression, she couldn't say anything. After all, he was just worried about her feeling cold at night. So, she followed Chen Fan into the sales office.
It was just past nine in the morning, and the sales consultants were just starting their day. Chen Fan and Qin Shuran were their first customers.
Their arrival immediately drew the attention of several sales consultants.
Generally, people who came to look at houses so early were of two types: those who were bored and came for free food and drinks, or those who were genuinely eager to buy.
Otherwise, who would come to the sales office so early, even before the consultants?
However, as soon as they saw Chen Fan's attire, most of them lost interest.
Chen Fan was dressed too casually. If this were a regular housing development, they might have assumed he was buying out of necessity for marriage.
But this was a high-end development, with prices twice as high as neighboring projects. Who would buy here out of necessity?
"Who has some time to go entertain them?" a woman asked the group.
In their opinion, Chen Fan wouldn't be buying here, so it didn't matter who went; no one would be competing for the lead.
"Manager, I urgently need to use the restroom. Let Xiao Liu go."
"I haven't had breakfast yet. Let someone else go."
The woman frowned slightly. She didn't want to go either and tried to persuade them, "You guys, always judging by appearances. Maybe he's the son of some rich tycoon, here to sign a big deal."
"Manager, do you think that's possible? Have you ever seen the son of a rich tycoon buy a house himself? I'm going to the restroom," a man said, slipping away to the restroom.
Seeing that no one was willing to attend to the two potential customers, the woman sighed helplessly. "Sigh, I guess I'll have to do it myself."
"Manager, just show him the most expensive penthouse. He'll surely be scared away quickly."
"Do I need you to tell me? Why don't you go?"
"Forget it, I haven't finished my bun yet." The man quickly took a bite of his bun to shut himself up.
The woman rolled her eyes at the man, put on a professional smile, and walked towards Chen Fan and Qin Shuran in her high heels.
"Sir, beautiful lady, looking at houses so early?" the woman greeted them politely.
Chen Fan nodded and asked, "What kind of layouts do you have? Preferably something a bit larger, with a good environment, and quiet."
The woman's smile widened, and she immediately introduced, "Sir, you've come to the right place."
"You must know that our development focuses on technology and ecology, and it's the largest improvement-oriented project in the suburbs. Not only are the units fully furnished, but they are also ready for immediate occupancy. You can move in with just your bags."
"The fresh air system, central air conditioning system, are all installed. There's also a smart humidification system and facial recognition door locks. I can assure you, you won't find a better development outside the Third Ring Road."
Chen Fan was somewhat overwhelmed by the description; he hadn't even heard of some of these systems.
"What other units do you have available?"
"Yes, are there any other good units? We want something quiet and spacious," Chen Fan reiterated his requirements.
"Sir, you are clearly a dragon among men. I wouldn't recommend this particular unit to just anyone," the woman said, pointing a laser pointer at a small villa in the center.
Chen Fan rubbed his nose and asked Qin Shuran, "Is it that obvious? She can tell I'm a dragon among men at a glance?"
Qin Shuran gave him an annoyed look.
The woman continued, "The top floor of this building is the 'king of the building' in our complex. It's a massive 290-square-meter flat, and it comes with a huge balcony. Imagine, you could spend your days tending to flowers and birds upstairs, while your beautiful girlfriend practices yoga on the balcony. How idyllic would that life be?"
Chen Fan seemed to be immersed in the scene, listening intently.
"See? The manager is indeed the manager. She's got that young man mesmerized."
"Our manager's sales skills are legendary, once hailed as the 'Gillard of Women' (a world sales champion)."
"What a shame, though. This young man probably doesn't have the money, wasting our manager's efforts."
"It won't be long now. As soon as the young man asks the price, our manager is sure to scare them away."
A few sales consultants nearby chuckled, waiting to see Chen Fan embarrassed.
After listening to the woman's introduction, Chen Fan stroked his chin and asked with satisfaction, "How much is this apartment?"
Finally, the crucial question. The woman's face broke into a professional smile, and she held up one finger. "Sir, the price for this unit is eight million."
She fully expected Chen Fan to exclaim in shock, "What? Eight million!" and then sheepishly leave with his girlfriend.