"Ugh! What is wrong with the weather today?"
Through the legs of the table she was underneath, Han Qingling spied two pairs of legs standing in front of the entrance. One was female, judging by white kitten heels she was wearing, while the other was male, judging by size of the sneakers.
Han Qingling was about to stand, when the kitten heels suddenly pointed in her direction and approached. Suddenly, the female crouched down and Han Qingling froze when she saw her face. The female with the kitten heels was stunningly beautiful. She had the most beautiful face she had ever seen, with big clear peach blossom eyes, fair porcelain skin, red lips, a sunflower shaped face, and a little red mole below her right eye. Her long silky black hair floated gently around her face as a gentle wind carried into the restaurant.
She felt ethereal.
Like a feather gently swaying in the tempest of the storm, before gently floating down into her restaurant.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine."
Han Qingling quickly escaped from underneath the table and stood.
Surprisingly, the restaurant didn't seem to be as damaged as it seemed when the wind blew in. Pictures did fall and some ornaments did shatter but those were inconsequential damages. Pictures could still be hung. The ornaments could be replaced. As long as the tables and chairs were fine, the kitchen appliances could still work, she would survive.
Han Qingling sighed in relief.
"Um..."
Han Qingling, then, realized that she was in the presence of company. So, she turned to look at the beauty in front of her. Aside from her beautiful face, she had a stunning body as well. Tall and slender but with curves in all the right places.
Black lines appeared on Han Qingling's head when she suddenly realized that such a young woman already had such full breasts whereas she was nearing thirty, and had none to speak of.
The man behind her was not one to be ignored either.
He was... breathtakingly beautiful. Male actors or models were handsome, but the man standing by the entrance was beautiful. Not in a pretty boy kind of way, of course. The man by the entrance was the embodiment of the word 'masculine beauty'. He had broad shoulders, a toned muscular build and was taller than most men. Although his eyes were black, they weren't just plain but were an entrancing onyx color. His lips were equally red and he had a short but full head of hair.
The two of them looked like they just descended from heaven.
"Hello?"
Han Qingling pushed aside the sudden assailment of inferiority brought by their heavenly looks, and awkwardly smiled at the couple. "Sorry about that, it's just... the wind... it was so strong when it blew inside. I'm... still a bit dazed."
The girl in front of her nodded politely, before rummaging her purse for a piece of paper, which she then, showed it to Han Qingling. "We're here about the apartment for rent upstairs. We signed an agreement with the renter and were told to get the keys from the owner of the restaurant, Han YunFan. Is the owner here by any chance?"
That was news to her. She knew her father had put the upstairs apartment for rent a few months before his passing, but she hadn't realized it had already been rented out.
"... My father passed away a few months ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"I'm Han Qingling, the new owner."
The girl smiled and shook her outstretched hand. "I'm An FeiFei. He's Ren JiYu. I guess we're supposed to get the keys from you then?"
Han Qingling frowned. "I'm sorry but regarding that..."
An FeiFei's friendly smile dropped. "We're not suspicious people. I have a signed agreement between me and your father, if you want to see."
"No, no. It's not that," Qingling assured. "It's just that... we have a little problem."
She proceeded to tell the couple about her restaurant's current situation. Since the restaurant and the apartment upstairs were essentially, the same property, if Han Qingling could not pay for the loan by the end of the month, both the apartment and the restaurant would belong to Jade Dragon restaurant.
"It's up to you if you want to cancel the rental agreement. I just didn't want to take your money and then, in a month, you'd be out on the streets if I fail."
Qingling watched the couple whisper to each other before she moved away to give them some privacy.
It did occur to her that if they decided to rent out the apartment, she could definitely use the money to help pay off some of the loan. But, her conscience stopped her from convincing them to stay. It wouldn't be right to do that. So she remained quiet, neither in support nor in opposition with their decision... whatever it may be.
The conversation didn't take long. Once it was done, FeiFei approached Qingling with a smile. "Ms. Qingling, we decided to rent the apartment after all."
Her reply surprised Qingling.
"You see, before we came to Z City we already had all our things packed and shipped. They should arrive here tomorrow morning."
"... Are you sure? I understand that it would be inconvenient but... you might not be able to stay here in a month's time. You're placing quite a lot of trust in me, a stranger, with regards to your livelihood."
FeiFei nodded. "We decided to stay here for a month, while we look for other places just in case. As per our agreement, we'll be paying this month's rent and another month's rent as deposit. I'm sure this money can help you pay off the loan."
"... Thank you."
FeiFei rummaged her purse again and took out an envelope and a small book to give to Qingling. "The envelope is our deposit and this month's rent. The book... I think you'll find this book quite useful."
As FeiFei said that, a mysterious smile crept up on her face.
Qingling was confused but accepted it nonetheless. Seeing as how the couple had been outside in the rain, she hurriedly looked for the apartment's key before handing it to them.
"The stairs is right next to the restaurant. Just walk straight to the left before you see a staircase heading upstairs. The apartment hasn't been in use for a while so it's a little dusty, but don't worry. All of the furniture is covered by cloths and since most of them are new, they should still be in a good condition. You can find the cleaning supplies in the closet next to the kitchen."
An FeiFei smiled and gave her thanks while Ren JiYu quietly stood behind her.
Since they had only just arrived into the city and hadn't had time to unpack or get some household or kitchen supplies, she offered them a free meal for dinner at the restaurant, to which An FeiFei readily agreed to. It was also her way of thanking the couple for deciding to stay.
"Darling, don't forget our bags," FeiFei said as they made their way out.
'Bags?'
Han Qingling could have sworn that they came in empty handed but then, she saw Ren JiYu lift two big suitcases by the entrance. Confused, she assumed that their luggage had been placed by the entrance but she just hadn't noticed them.
Although, she could have sworn that there was nothing there either.
She helped keep the door open for Ren JiYu as he carried the bags out. He murmured a thanks and followed a talkative and smiling An FeiFei out of the restaurant and into the streets.
Han Qingling stared at the backs of the couple as the turned left towards the staircase. They were a strange and mysterious couple.
FeiFei looked to be in her early twenties, a few years younger than herself, while the man looked to be around her age but he seemed older because of his mature aura. Their relationship did not seem familial but neither did they resemble friends. It was definitely romantic but Han Qingling wondered if they were married or not. They, or more specifically, An FeiFei, was too young to be moving in with a man. And yet, it also seemed unlikely that they were married due to the same reasons.
Furthermore, aside from their mysterious relationship, there was also something strange about them. Almost mystical. The appearance of the bags were one thing. But, right before the wind blew into the restaurant, Han Qingling was sure that there had been no one around in the vicinity of the neighborhood. Although the rain had been quite heavy that she could barely see the restaurant across the street, she was still able to see the shapes and silhouettes of any incoming passerby. Yet, it was only when the wind quieted down that she even noticed the appearance of the couple.
They came and went like the wind.