In the following afternoon, the two of them, along with the landlord, went to various offices, and it wasn't until nearly evening that they completed the formalities.
They planned to treat the landlord and his wife to a meal, considering they had disrupted their dumpling-making plans.
However, their invitation was politely declined. The landlord mentioned that selling their own home was already not easy, so there was no need to treat them.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Lin explained again, reassuring Ji Yun's father and finally putting his worries to rest.
However, it would still take a few days for the house to be officially theirs. The other party needed to move, and after the move, Chu Qingchan, the rising star, would also need to do some (expensive) decorations.
"So tired. I didn't expect spending money would be this exhausting."
Walking on the paths of the neighbourhood, both Chu Qingchan and Xu Lin looked exhausted. Xu Lin felt a yawn coming on and just wanted to go back and get some sleep.
"You've been busy all afternoon. Thanks."
"No problem. Why did you put the house in my name, though? Trying to win my heart by giving me gifts worth hundreds of thousands?"
"Haha, I don't want to reveal my identity. After all, in that case, it would need to be in my real name."
"Alright, but this house will always be yours. Don't think about passing it on to me."
"You're thinking too much."
Chu Qingchan rolled her eyes at him. Just as she was about to shift her gaze away, she noticed a girl with a backpack not far away riding towards them on a bicycle.
There were quite a few people on the road, but this girl stood out. She wasn't just pretty; she had a certain elegance, reminding Chu Qingchan of herself during her junior and senior high school days.
"What's up?"
"Checking out the beauty."
"Hmm? What beauty can you compare to yourself? Seriously?"
Xu Lin casually remarked, shifting his gaze as well. However, in an instant, his pupils dilated. Damn, what a coincidence!
Under Chu Qingchan's unabashed gaze, the girl slowed down, and the first thing she said left Chu Qingchan stunned.
"Xu Lin? Did you just come back?"
"Do you know this girl?" Chu Qingchan couldn't believe it. Xu Lin actually knew such a beautiful girl.
But upon closer thought, being as beautiful as she is, he didn't act like a pig brother in front of her. Was it because of this girl that he developed immunity to beauty?
"Yeah, this is my friend. She wants to buy a house in Linshui, so I'm accompanying her for a stroll."
"Is that so? By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ji Yun, Xu Lin's classmate." Ji Yun said after getting off the bicycle, feeling a bit impolite sitting on the bicycle.
"Hello, Ji Yun. You're the class monitor in his class, right?"
"Yes, have you found a good house yet? Our neighbour, Uncle Zheng, is planning to sell his house."
Ji Yun nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that the elegant sister in front of her, wearing a mask and sunglasses, was scrutinising her.
"We've just finalised a deal with their family today, so you can consider us neighbors. Your dad introduced us."
Hearing Xu Lin mention her dad's introduction, Ji Yun's mind conjured up various strange scenarios, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Uh... you didn't talk about anything, right?"
"We didn't discuss your matters; we just mentioned that we're classmates. Don't worry."
"That's good. Now that you're back, I'll give you a make-up lesson."
"No, you've been studying at Zhuo Yan's house all afternoon. Go home and rest. During school break tomorrow, we can go for lunch and study together."
"Alright. Xu Lin, see you tomorrow. Goodbye, sister. If you need anything, tell Xu Lin, and I'll ask my dad to help."
"Sure, thank you, Ji Yun."
Chu Qingchan nodded, and Ji Yun rode away on her bicycle, waving towards them with a smile as she headed in the direction of her home.
However, just as she rode about ten metres away, a thought flashed through her mind. That sister just now seemed familiar...
"Is she your girlfriend?" Chu Qingchan suddenly asked.
"No, she's not interested in me."
"Haha, so you got rejected."
"There's no need to be so blunt about it."
But when the two returned home and prepared to rest, they found an unexpected guest in the house: Qin Lang.
He was sitting on the sofa with a face full of wry smiles, saying something. Many large and small gift bags were placed beside him.
Xu Lin's parents sat opposite him, looking at him with a cold expression. Upon seeing them return, their expression became slightly better.
"Why are you here again? Harassing my uncle and aunt, I'll call the police!" Chu Qingchan removed her mask, walking over with an icy expression.
"Hey, hey, Miss Chu, I've come to apologise!"
"Even if you don't forgive me, I still had to come. My daughter has realised her mistake!"
"I don't care; I'm used to criticism. But you better not disrupt my aunt and uncle's normal lives. You were here at noon; you should have understood my situation a bit."
"Yes, yes, Miss Chu, please forgive me. Just give me a few slaps, but please forgive my daughter. She truly wants to pursue acting!"
"For her actions, I, as her father, have failed to educate her well. But I still hope she can pursue what she wants and move forward."
"She has already sacrificed so much, right or wrong; I can't just let her sacrifices go to waste!"
Qin Lang spoke, getting off the sofa and directly kneeling in front of Chu Qingchan, who immediately took a step back.
"I really dislike this kind of behaviour. Get up quickly!" Chu Qingchan frowned; this action made her very uncomfortable.
Qin Lang quickly realised this and stood up, but still bowed repeatedly to her.
"Miss Chu, please! Don't suppress Tiantian! Just give her a chance!"
"Brother Xu, Sister Li, I'm really sorry for the trouble. Now please excuse me!"
Having said that, he bowed to Xu Lin's family. He knew it was enough; going too far could backfire. He opened the door, preparing to leave the Xu residence.
"Wait!" However, Chu Qingchan, who had been glaring at him, suddenly stopped him.
"Miss Chu, if you have anything to say, just say it."
"Since you sincerely want to apologise, I'll give you a chance. Despite not achieving much after all these years, you must have some connections."
"In the vicinity of Linshui, no, in the vicinity of Changqing City (the prefecture-level city Linshui belongs to), I still know some people."
"Oh? Then I'll give you a task. Does Linshui have a professional recording studio or music studio?"
"Well, you know, Linshui is a small place. The entertainment industry itself is not well developed here, let alone having a formal music and recording studio."
"So you can't do it?"
"I suddenly remembered something. Do you know Teacher Guan Mingchen?"
"Yes, Teacher Guan Mingchen. Both Yu Feitian and Wanhua Zhen are students of this teacher."
"Well, many people don't know that Teacher Guan Mingchen's hometown is in our Linshui. After she left Wanhua Music, she retired and came back to rest in her hometown."
"Are you implying something?"
Chu Qingchan's eyes lit up. If it's Guan Mingchen, it's not just a matter of borrowing a recording studio!
She is a music master, a true maestro! She reached her peak right from her debut, becoming the queen of the 80s and 90s. After taking a hiatus in 1999, she continued working at Wanhua Music.
Guan Mingchen nurtured a group of talented singers and numerous musicians at Wanhua. Of course, her greatest power lies in her role as a lyricist and composer.
Many hit songs from the 2000s to the 2010s were created by her. Over time, this nearly 60-year-old musician gained a new title, 'Guan Demon King'!
Though Xu Lin on the side might not know as much, he had heard the name. After all, it's a name that is associated with many classic songs.
However, what surprised him the most was that Chu Qingchan really intended to delve into music. It seems his guidance was quite effective.
If all goes well, the ice-cold queen who dominated the musical world in his previous life might appear even sooner... I must say, I'm quite looking forward to it.