When the housekeeper arrived at Qin Ran's home, she was surprised to find her usually elusive employer sitting on the sofa. The housekeeper wasn't entirely sure if Qin Ran was her actual employer; she suspected that Qin Ran's parents were the real bosses, and Wu the housekeeper was just a manager, with Qin Ran as the pampered young miss of the family.
The housekeeper's daughter was around the same age as Qin Ran, so seeing her sitting there didn't make her feel particularly formal. Instead, she treated her like she would her own child and asked, "Miss Qin, how about I make some yam and pork rib porridge for breakfast today? I brought some side dishes from home. I noticed you like beef sauce; I can't promise much, but my side dishes are delicious."
Qin Ran, as usual, was at a loss when faced with someone's kindness, especially someone she wasn't familiar with. She put away her phone and nodded, adding, "Auntie, can you also prepare the guest room? I might have a friend coming to stay."
"Is it just for a few days?" the housekeeper asked.
Qin Ran thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, she'll be staying for a while."
The housekeeper responded with an "okay," then absentmindedly asked if the friend was male or female, noticing Qin Ran's face flush slightly. She thought to herself that young girls shouldn't be cohabiting with men, but then heard Qin Ran softly say, "She's a girl, two years older than me. She's very pretty, kind, and easy to get along with."
The housekeeper chuckled and then headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. It was still early, just 7 a.m., and this was the first time she had seen Qin Ran up so early. She wasn't sure how long the girl had been waiting, so she quickly started on breakfast before moving on to tidying the house and preparing the guest room.
The housekeeper didn't find anything odd about the situation. However, others might have thought: What's wrong with her? Why is she giving such detailed answers when I didn't ask?
Qin Ran, now in a dreamy state, seemed to be thinking: See? That's my senior—so pretty, so kind, and so gentle!
Yu Shuman's attitude from the previous night had given Qin Ran hope she shouldn't have had. Her mind was now swirling with possibilities. If her senior could forgive her, did that mean she was important to her? And if so, did she… maybe… have a chance?
With these thoughts, Qin Ran returned to her study, happily scrolling through her phone. She only paused when the housekeeper called her for breakfast. After eating, she went back to the study, where she hesitated with her phone for a long time. When the time finally reached 8:30 a.m., she figured Yu Shuman would be awake and made the call.
She had been confident before dialing, but once the call connected, her voice became timid. "S-senior, did you… sleep well last night?" Her voice grew softer, almost shaky.
Qin Ran rarely called Yu Shuman, so even starting the conversation made her nervous. Especially since she had just revealed her true identity the night before. What if Yu Shuman had thought it over and got angry?
Yu Shuman's voice was still a bit groggy, as if she had just woken up. "Hello? Junior… It was okay, but I didn't get much sleep since I got back so late. I think I'll need a nap this afternoon."
Qin Ran didn't jump straight to the topic of inviting Yu Shuman to move in. Instead, she kept the conversation going with small talk. But after a while, Yu Shuman, now fully awake, noticed something was off. Qin Ran wasn't one to drag out a conversation or keep awkwardly trying to keep it going. Even when chatting with her, Qin Ran usually let Yu Shuman lead the conversation and just chimed in occasionally.
Now, with Qin Ran making awkward small talk, it was clear something was on her mind.
"Junior, do you have something you want to say?" Yu Shuman asked, making it clear she was ready for Qin Ran to spit it out.
Qin Ran swallowed, her nerves getting the better of her. If Yu Shuman could see her face right now, she would have been surprised at how red it was. Qin Ran's face was flushed like a tomato, and even her voice shook as she spoke.
"Senior, would you… like to live with me?"
At that moment, Qin Ran could only hear her own voice, nothing else, not even her heartbeat. After the question was out, she feared hearing Yu Shuman's rejection, so she quickly added, "I know this is a bit forward, but staying in the employee dorm might lead to interruptions. My place has good security, so no random people will bother you. Plus, I have a private gym, and the area is really convenient. And if you don't like it, I can even buy a villa—"
"Stop, stop, don't buy a villa! Those are way too expensive. Your money didn't just come from nowhere, and who knows how long your inheritance will last. You've already spent so much on 99 Entertainment, so it's better to be more frugal with what's left."
Yu Shuman interrupted as soon as Qin Ran mentioned buying a villa. She was worried Qin Ran might actually go out and buy one just to live with her. Knowing that 99 Entertainment was Qin Ran's business, Yu Shuman, who had previously been impressed with the company's wealth, suddenly became much more frugal.
That's all Qin Ran's money! Even if she became rich after inheriting a fortune in high school, Qin Ran had genuinely been poor before. A young person suddenly coming into so much money wouldn't know how to manage it and would end up spending recklessly, leading to hardship later on.
This thought made Yu Shuman anxious. She was particularly concerned about the expensive gifts Qin Ran had given her mother, knowing they were likely purchased without much consideration.
Thinking about this, Yu Shuman couldn't help but add, "Is there any way to return that brooch you bought for my mom? And those dresses you gave me—they're too expensive. If they can be returned, you should do it!"
Yu Shuman's concern warmed Qin Ran's heart, but the problem was that her money really did come out of thin air, courtesy of the system. Hearing how much Yu Shuman cared about her spending habits, Qin Ran got an idea. "Senior, why don't you move in with me? I tend to spend money recklessly sometimes, but if you live with me, you can help keep me in check."
Yu Shuman fell silent, pondering the idea for a long time. She didn't want Qin Ran's money to go to waste, and she had to admit Qin Ran had a point. Staying in the dorm could lead to trouble. Even before her connection to 99 Entertainment's boss was known, she had already faced issues because of Sister Li's favoritism. Now that the relationship was public, the problems would only increase.
"…Alright, I'll stay with you."
"Senior, it's not a bother at all," Qin Ran said, overjoyed.
After hanging up, Qin Ran was so happy that she jumped up from the sofa. She hadn't expected to have the chance to become a couple with Yu Shuman, but just being closer to her made her incredibly happy.
That afternoon, Qin Ran grabbed Assistant Wu and arranged for a moving company to head to Yu Shuman's dorm. She rarely acted so authoritative in front of Yu Shuman, but today, she was full of energy, directing the movers with gusto as they carefully packed up Yu Shuman's belongings.
Yu Shuman watched, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Junior, there's no rush to move everything right now…"
"The sooner you move in, the sooner you'll get used to the new place." Qin Ran was in such a good mood that her smile never left her face. She created a bit of chaos with her directions, but the movers didn't mind and even encouraged her to keep it up.
Why? Because Qin Ran had tipped them generously.
So, thanks to Qin Ran's money and persistence, Yu Shuman moved into Qin Ran's home the very next day.
As soon as Yu Shuman stepped inside, she saw the funny little rabbit figurine at the entrance. She didn't have a key, but she did have two mints for fresh breath. She pulled them out of her pocket and placed them on the tray the rabbit was holding.
The candies made a quiet clink as they landed, resting peacefully on the tray.
Both Yu Shuman and Qin Ran loved little rabbit figurines, and Yu Shuman's dorm had been filled with them. Now that her things were combined with Qin Ran's, the presence of rabbits in the house doubled.
Qin Ran and Yu Shuman spent the afternoon unpacking Yu Shuman's things, placing them all in the guest room. Though it was technically a guest room, it was spacious, and Yu Shuman didn't have many belongings, so there was still plenty of space left in the closet. After they finished unpacking, Yu Shuman rolled up her sleeves, offering to make dinner.
Qin Ran happily agreed and immediately messaged the housekeeper, telling her not to come over that evening.
Yu Shuman put on slippers and headed to the kitchen, opening the fridge to find it stocked with food and some pre-made side dishes, all clearly prepared by the housekeeper. Yu Shuman knew Qin Ran well enough to guess that she wasn't the one who had filled the fridge—if she had, it would be packed with soda and snacks.
She took out some meat and vegetables and quickly prepared a simple dinner.
She also set out some of the housekeeper's side dishes on the table and called Qin Ran to dinner. Qin Ran grabbed a couple of drinks from the fridge and poured them into glasses, feeling like celebrating their first night living together.
Qin Ran loved Yu Shuman's cooking, and tonight, the meal was so perfect it felt surreal. The person she loved was sitting in her home, having made a meal she loved—Qin Ran felt like her life was complete.
The only thing that bothered her was the two side dishes from the housekeeper. They disrupted the harmony of the meal, injecting a small but noticeable foreign element into what should have been a perfect scene.
Qin Ran was always a bit finicky and disliked when others intruded on her personal space. The presence of the side dishes in this otherwise perfect setting made her feel as if ants were crawling on her skin… but with Yu Shuman sitting across from her, she couldn't bring herself to move them aside.
She tried to ignore the side dishes, steering her chopsticks away from them.
Yu Shuman noticed something was off and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like the side dishes?" She took a bite and commented, "They're pretty good."
Qin Ran forced a smile. "No, it's just that I feel like eating more of what you made today."
Housekeeper: So, I was wrong after all?