The next few days in Qin Lan's apartment passed in relative peace or as peaceful as things could be with Zhao Chen around. His ability to find humor in everything was both a blessing and a curse, and Qin Lan had grown used to his random comments and antics.
But what she wasn't prepared for was the new set of complications that came with their living arrangement namely, the neighbors.
It started one morning when Qin Lan was leaving for work. Just as she reached the lobby, Mrs. Wu, the building's resident gossip, intercepted her with a grin plastered across her face.
"Qin Lan, my dear! I didn't know you got married!" Mrs. Wu's voice was so loud, it echoed in the small space.
Qin Lan froze, inwardly cursing Zhao Chen for this inevitable disaster. She forced a smile. "It's... complicated."
"Complicated? Oh, nonsense! I saw your husband this morning. Tall, handsome, and quite the charmer. You must feel so lucky!" Mrs. Wu beamed.
Qin Lan's face turned red. "He's... not really"
"Oh! He told me you two just moved in together recently. Newlyweds, right? How wonderful!" Mrs. Wu clasped her hands together. "You must let me come over sometime for tea and tell me everything."
"Uh, sure... We'll see," Qin Lan mumbled, her escape plan foiled by Mrs. Wu's sheer enthusiasm.
"Congratulations again, Qin Lan!" Mrs. Wu called out as she walked away.
Qin Lan sighed and made a mental note to have a serious conversation with Zhao Chen about keeping his mouth shut.
Later that day, Qin Lan returned to the apartment, finding Zhao Chen lounging on the couch, flipping through channels. She dropped her bag on the table, glaring at him.
"We need to talk," she said sternly.
Zhao Chen glanced up, a grin already forming. "About how I've made your life infinitely more entertaining? You're welcome."
Qin Lan crossed her arms. "No. About how you've turned my neighbors into my personal fan club. Mrs. Wu practically ambushed me in the lobby today."
Zhao Chen's smile widened. "Ah, Mrs. Wu. Sweet lady. Told her we're newlyweds."
Qin Lan groaned. "That's exactly the problem! I don't want everyone in this building thinking we're some perfect couple."
"Well, technically we are married, so it's not a lie," Zhao Chen pointed out. "Besides, why not let them think we're happy? It's better than explaining this weird situation to everyone."
"I'd rather avoid unnecessary attention," Qin Lan retorted. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Hey, look at it this way," Zhao Chen said, sitting up. "We're stuck in this arrangement for three months. Might as well have fun with it, right?"
Qin Lan glared at him, but deep down, she couldn't entirely disagree. Still, the last thing she wanted was to become the building's favorite gossip topic.
"Just... tone it down," she said, exasperated. "And stop chatting with Mrs. Wu."
Zhao Chen laughed. "No promises, but I'll try. Anyway, what's for dinner?"
Qin Lan sighed. Living with Zhao Chen was proving to be more chaotic than she'd ever imagined.
Later that evening, after dinner, they found themselves back on the couch Qin Lan flipping through work files while Zhao Chen scrolled through his phone. The apartment was quiet for once, and Qin Lan almost relaxed until the doorbell rang.
Zhao Chen jumped up to answer it, and as soon as the door opened, a familiar face greeted him. It was Mrs. Wu, standing there with a tray of dumplings.
"I made these for you and your lovely wife!" Mrs. Wu said cheerfully, stepping inside before Zhao Chen could stop her.
Qin Lan's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no, you didn't have to"
"Nonsense! I insist," Mrs. Wu said, placing the tray on the coffee table. "It's so nice to see young couples like you two. Brings back memories of my own honeymoon days."
Zhao Chen grinned, clearly enjoying Qin Lan's discomfort. "You're too kind, Mrs. Wu. We'll definitely enjoy these."
Qin Lan shot him a death glare as Mrs. Wu continued to chatter on about her own married life and how "newlyweds" should spend their time. Zhao Chen nodded along, looking far too amused for Qin Lan's liking.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Wu bid them farewell, leaving the dumplings behind.
As soon as the door closed, Qin Lan turned to Zhao Chen, fuming. "You're the worst!"
Zhao Chen laughed, grabbing a dumpling. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that was pretty funny."
"No, it was mortifying!" Qin Lan snapped, sinking into the couch. "Now she'll be back with more unsolicited advice about how to be the perfect wife."
Zhao Chen's grin softened into a more genuine smile. "Relax, Qin Lan. It's not the end of the world. And hey, we got free dumplings out of it."
Qin Lan couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Maybe Zhao Chen had a point there was no escaping the situation, so why not find some humor in it?
"Fine," she muttered, grabbing a dumpling. "But the next time Mrs. Wu comes over, you're handling it."
Zhao Chen raised his hands in mock surrender. "Deal."
The following morning, Qin Lan stood in the kitchen with her arms crossed, watching Zhao Chen make breakfast. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air, and for a moment, it seemed like a normal domestic scene until Qin Lan opened her notebook with a determined expression.
Zhao Chen glanced over his shoulder. "What's that?"
"The updated house rules," Qin Lan replied curtly, flipping through the pages. "Since you seem to have a talent for turning everything into chaos, I've decided we need more structure."
Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "More rules? Come on, Qin Lan, we already have plenty. And by plenty, I mean way too many."
Qin Lan ignored him, flipping to a blank page and grabbing a pen. "Rule number six: No inviting the neighbors inside without my explicit permission."
Zhao Chen chuckled. "Ah, Mrs. Wu incident, huh? You know, she just wanted to be friendly."
"She barged in uninvited!" Qin Lan shot back, her cheeks flushing at the memory. "If I let her, she'll be back every day with dumplings and unsolicited advice about how to be the perfect wife."
Zhao Chen laughed, flipping the eggs in the pan. "Honestly, that's not the worst thing in the world. Free food and entertainment? Sounds like a win to me."
"Not for me," Qin Lan grumbled, scribbling the rule down. "Next rule number seven: No more messing with my alarm clock."
Zhao Chen turned, smirking. "You mean the time I set it an hour earlier as a joke? You really need to lighten up."
Qin Lan shot him a look that could melt ice. "That 'joke' made me show up to the office at six in the morning! Do you know how awkward it is to explain to my colleagues why I was wandering around the building before anyone else?"
Zhao Chen shrugged, grinning. "Hey, at least you're early. Punctuality is important."
"Rule number eight: No random pranks involving household appliances," Qin Lan continued, her pen flying across the page. "That toaster incident was the last straw."
Zhao Chen held up his hands defensively. "Okay, I'll admit, the 'pop-up toast' joke might have gone a little too far, but in my defense, you laughed."
"I did not!" Qin Lan snapped.
"You did," Zhao Chen countered, flipping the toast onto a plate. "Just a little. You're probably repressing the memory."
"Rule number nine: No revisionist history," Qin Lan added with a glare. "And stop twisting things. You're not getting out of this."
Zhao Chen placed the breakfast plates on the table, his smile softening. "Alright, alright, I'll behave. But seriously, do we really need all these rules? I'm not that bad of a roommate."
Qin Lan crossed her arms. "If I don't lay down the law, this apartment will descend into chaos. We're not living in one of your influencing stuff where anything goes. This is my home, and I like it orderly."
Zhao Chen leaned against the counter, his gaze suddenly more serious. "I get that. But you do realize we're stuck together for three months. Maybe instead of making more rules, we could just... I don't know, figure out a way to get along without all the structure."
Qin Lan blinked, momentarily thrown by the sincerity in his voice. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
"Look," Zhao Chen said, grabbing the salt shaker and offering it to her like a peace offering. "I'm not saying don't have rules. But maybe you could try relaxing a bit. This situation is weird enough as it is. Why not make the best of it?"
Qin Lan stared at him for a long moment, the salt shaker sitting awkwardly between them. Finally, she sighed, taking it from his hand.
"Fine," she muttered, sitting down at the table. "But I'm keeping the no-prank rule."
Zhao Chen chuckled, sitting across from her. "Deal. I can live with that one."
He turned to leave" ooh one last rule no falling Inlove between the two parties" Qin lan added. Zao Chen stood for some seconds before continuing what he was doing.
They ate in relative silence, the tension between them somewhat diffused. Despite herself, Qin Lan had to admit Zhao Chen had a point. Maybe she was being a bit too rigid, but it was hard not to be when everything about him seemed to scream chaos.
Later that day, as she sat in her office trying to focus on work, Qin Lan found herself replaying Zhao Chen's words in her head. He wasn't wrong it was a weird situation, and they were stuck together for three months. Maybe adding more rules wasn't the solution.
Still, how was she supposed to "relax" when every day with Zhao Chen felt like stepping into a circus?
Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced down and saw a message from Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen: "Thinking of more rules? Don't worry, I haven't broken any yet."
Qin Lan couldn't help but smile. For someone so determined to drive her crazy, Zhao Chen had an annoying ability to lighten the mood.
That evening, Qin Lan sat on the couch, going over the rulebook she'd so painstakingly put together. She hesitated, glancing at Zhao Chen, who was lounging on the other side of the couch, engrossed in some ridiculous travel video.
"Alright," she said suddenly, causing him to look up. "I'll take your advice."
Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow. "Which part? My advice tends to be top-tier, so you'll have to be specific."
Qin Lan rolled her eyes but continued. "I'll try to... lighten up a little. But don't think that means you can get away with everything."
Zhao Chen grinned, leaning back. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Qin Lan shook her head, wondering how she'd ever survive three months with him. But deep down, she knew the real challenge wasn't just dealing with Zhao Chen it was the fact that, despite all the chaos, he was starting to grow on her.
"Rule number eleven," she muttered under her breath. "No getting too comfortable."
"What was that?" Zhao Chen asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"Nothing," Qin Lan replied quickly. "Absolutely nothing."
As she closed her notebook, a tiny smile crept onto her face.