Chapter 139: The Zhoushan House-Buying Diary

"It's late at night—why are all three of you young ladies still out?"

Qin Yun ordered a few skewers of grilled meat and sat down directly across from them.

Chu Xin felt a bit embarrassed upon hearing this, but Jiang Chuji and Su Wenjing had no such reservations—they spoke up one after the other, explaining the whole story.

Qin Yun couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Do boys today really pursue girls so crudely? No charm, no strategy—just blurt out a confession right away?"

"Exactly," Jiang Chuji complained. "Wang Liang used to seem so straightforward, but after drinking, he turns into this. Lucky Chu Xin already turned him down—otherwise, he'd keep hounding her."

"We thought we were classmates—we didn't expect it to get this bad," Su Wenjing said, sipping her bubble tea, indignant. "Turns out it's even worse than we thought. You really shouldn't date in college—you have no idea what the other person is truly like."

"Enough about me," Chu Xin waved her hand. "Today's meal is on me. Brother Qin, thank you—if it weren't for you, we'd still be seething with anger. Here, I toast you—just drink your beverage."

Qin Yun smiled and clinked his cup lightly against hers.

He felt a certain affinity with Chu Xin—their first meeting was at the Beijing flag-raising ceremony, the second by West Lake, and today was the third.

For strangers, three encounters are enough to form a friendship.

"By the way, Brother Qin, aren't you in Beijing? How come you're in Hangzhou today?"

Qin Yun said, "After the livestream ended, I dropped someone off in Hangzhou. Tomorrow I'm heading back home, then resuming my nationwide journey in a few days."

"Oh," Chu Xin's eyes sparkled with envy. "Brother Qin, I feel like your life is what real life should be—doing what you love while still managing daily living."

Qin Yun chuckled. "What's there to envy? Everyone has their own role. Working for a company is one way to earn money; running a breakfast stall is another; writing novels is another; livestreaming is another too."

"In today's world, don't let a 9-to-5 job trap you. Broaden your thinking, expand your horizons—don't limit yourself to the path everyone else follows. Life is short—try different kinds of work and find what suits you best."

The three nodded, half-understanding but still took it to heart.

Yet Qin Yun knew people couldn't easily break free from their routines—those who hadn't lived it could never truly understand.

Like in school: nine out of ten people, once they enter society, regret not studying harder during their student years. Those with associate degrees think they'd be better off if they'd just pushed harder to get a bachelor's. Bachelor's holders wish they'd tried harder to get into a 211 or 985 university.

Life is like this—spent year after year in regret, yet time never stops for anyone.

For example, during student years, nine out of ten people regret later in life that they didn't study harder back then. Those with associate degrees think they'd be much better off now if they'd just pushed a bit harder to get a bachelor's. Those with bachelor's wonder if they'd only tried harder, they might have made it into a Project 211 or 985 school.

Chu Xin said, "Brother Qin, it's getting late—we should go."

Qin Yun nodded. "I'll drive you back to campus. It's so late—no need to take a taxi yourselves."

The three girls beamed with delight.

Though families of art students weren't poor, students still saved where they could—taxi fare from here to campus was over fifty or sixty yuan.

"Wow—this car is so luxurious."

The three girls got into the Mercedes, their eyes widening.

The leather exuded the scent of a brand-new car; the interior clearly cost a fortune.

Once they were seated, Qin Yun set the navigation toward the Nan Shan campus of the Art Academy. Meanwhile, some people at the barbecue stall sighed, muttering about declining morals—damn, three beautiful girls were about to be ruined… sigh…

The leather exuded a brand-new car smell; the interior alone made it clear it wasn't cheap.

The next morning, Qin Yun left a message for Su Huan, then hit the highway and drove nonstop—less than three hours later, he passed the toll booth and entered the East-West Expressway.

By nine a. ., his car had arrived at Zhouyu Dormitory Community.

After parking, he found his mother had already left for work. He sent Su Huan a message confirming his safe arrival, then Landechuqu, lay down on the sofa.

Lying there, he browsed property listings on his app and immediately felt the true character of Zhoushan as a fourth-tier city.

Average price: 12, 00 yuan per square meter. Excluding Green City and Sunac developments, the average dropped even lower—below 10, 00 yuan.

A 100-square-meter apartment cost less than a million yuan.

In contrast, Green City and Sunac developments rarely dipped below 20, 00 yuan; new projects hovered around 27, 00 yuan. Compared to others, these projects offered far superior quality and location.

Though overpriced, they were still a better overall value.

Most Zhoushan developments were still delivering raw shells, but major developers like Green City and Sunac had long switched to fully finished interiors. Though the renovation cost was bundled into the price, the finish quality was genuinely excellent.

Qin Yun wanted comfort and convenience—move-in ready. After weighing options, choosing a reputable developer's unit was truly suitable.

But he couldn't decide this alone—he had to consult his mother.

If he surprised her, knowing her nature, the surprise would turn into shock—and she'd slap him dead. He'd learned that since childhood.

With lunch still far off, he decided to ride his bike and visit nearby developments in person.

If he sprung a surprise on her, his mother's personality would turn it into a shock so severe she'd slap him dead—he'd learned that lesson since childhood.

Hu Fen got off work, parked her electric scooter, and noticed a brand-new Mercedes parked nearby. She glanced at it twice.

"This car looks fancy—must've cost a fortune."

Then, as she opened the door, she saw a full table of dishes already laid out.

Hu Fen stared at the dishes—each one fragrant, colorful, and appetizing—her expression odd.

"Mom, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You little rascal—did you order these from a restaurant?"

She knew Qin Yun's cooking skills well—he'd cooked for her before, but never like this.

Not even Qin Yun himself could achieve this level—let alone her.

Just smelling the aroma made her stomach growl.

This kid had definitely ordered from a high-end restaurant.

Qin Yun sighed. "Mom, I cooked these myself. I recently had an epiphany—my culinary skills have skyrocketed."

"Epiphany? You're kidding me," Hu Fen scoffed. "Don't think I don't read web novels." She walked into the kitchen, spotted one dish still uncooked, and said, "Then cook me one now."

Qin Yun didn't hesitate—he immediately got to work.

Watching him, Hu Fen's expression grew even stranger. How was this fluid, seamless motion possible? Had my son been training at New Oriental Cooking School?

"Well?" Qin Yun beamed. "Mom, now do you believe me?"

Hu Fen pondered long and hard—she couldn't fathom how someone's cooking could improve so drastically in such a short time.

Finally, she blurted out: "Who are you? Did an ancient imperial chef reincarnate into my son?"

Hu Fen racked her brain but couldn't fathom how someone could improve their cooking skills to this degree in such a short time.

"Mom, read fewer tomato novels."

Qin Yun was exasperated. Was your job really that idle? Where did this tomato-novel-level fantasy come from in your fifty-year-old brain?

After eating, while his mother washed dishes, Qin Yun leaned against the glass door and said, "Mom, how long have we lived in this house?"

"About twenty years. We repainted the exterior last year. Why? You thinking of buying a house?"

A mother knows her child best—his opening line told her everything.

"Yeah. I want to switch—get something bigger, more convenient for travel."

"Fine," Hu Fen nodded. "You can afford it now—I'll support you. But since you probably won't settle down in Zhoushan, no need to buy too big."

"Why wouldn't I settle here? I'm divorced now—where else would I go?"

"Alright," Hu Fen nodded. "You can afford it now, so of course I support you buying a house. But since it's in Zhoushan and you probably won't settle down here, no need to buy anything too big."

Hu Fen glanced at him. "Hangzhou's fine too."

"Uh…"

Mom—are you hinting? No—there's a hidden meaning here!

"Mom, let's talk seriously. Tomorrow, let's go see some places together. You're the one who'll live there—your preference matters most."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead. But if you're seriously considering settling in Zhoushan, you might as well get a bigger one—140 to 150 square meters would be good."

The next day, when Qin Yun opened the door of the Mercedes S680, Hu Fen was stunned.

"Son… you're not seriously giving me… this car, are you?"

Qin Yun smiled inwardly, outwardly calm. "Yeah, this one. A friend gave it to me—one stayed in Hangzhou for company use, given to Su Huan. This one I don't need, so I'm giving it to you."

He stepped aside and gestured. "Mom, why don't you try it out?"

"No no no no—no need!" Hu Fen waved her hands frantically. "You little rascal, this is way too expensive! Do you think my salary can even cover the fuel? What if I scratch it?"

"Haha, Mom, what's there to worry about? It's just a car—drive it. I'll fill up the fuel card for you."

"Our general manager drives a BMW 5 Series. If I drive this to work, it's too flashy. Forget it—I'll stick to my own car."

"Mom, one livestream earns me enough to buy this car. Don't worry about it," Qin Yun smiled. "Besides, cars are made to be driven. If neither of us drives it, it'll just sit and rust—then the loss will be greater."

"Our general manager drives only a BMW 5 Series. You want me to drive this to work? That's too flashy. Forget it, forget it—just take it back."

"I'll take you around for a couple of days. Once you're comfortable driving, we'll decide."

First stop: Green City Future Community, Linhaitian Avenue—just five kilometers from Zhouyu Dormitory.

The car pulled into the temporary parking lot outside the development. As soon as they stepped through the gate, a sales consultant rushed over.

"Sir, Madam, welcome to Green City Future Community. Do you have a dedicated consultant? If not, I can guide you."

Qin Yun nodded—he'd visited yesterday and gotten no such attention, just followed the crowd.

"Thanks. We'd like to learn more—please give us a tour."

"Of course, sir. My name is Huang Chao—you can call me Xiao Huang."

Huang Chao had spotted Qin Yun's car immediately. A customer driving a luxury vehicle? Of course he'd be extra enthusiastic.

"I'm Qin. This is my mother, Hu. We're buying mainly for her."

Huang Chao's eyes lit up—he became even more eager.

He offered tea and snacks, calling Hu Fen "Auntie" repeatedly—she beamed with delight.

"Auntie, Qin Brother, words won't do—better to see the model units in person. Only then can you truly know what suits you."

The smallest unit in this community was 82 square meters; the largest, 168. Units over 100 square meters all featured four-bedroom layouts.

"Auntie, Brother Qin, it's better to see for yourself—visit every model unit in person to truly understand your options."

In this future community, the smallest units are 82 square meters, the largest 168 square meters; apart from the small units, all homes over 100 square meters are designed with a four-room layout.

With this, the rooms in houses under 120 square meters felt rather small.

"Son, the housing prices in Lucheng are pretty high—this Future Community unit costs 250, 00, a full 100, 00 more than the neighborhood next door."

Leaving the Future Community, Hu Fen was taken aback.

This set of housing would cost nearly three million. But sitting in the car, she thought: this car alone costs over four million—my goodness, I'm sitting on top of a house.

Suddenly, three million for a house didn't seem so much anymore.

Afterwards, the mother and son visited Rongchuang·Haitian Yun Di and Lucheng Haiyue Lanting, marked down the floor plans they liked, and went home.

Buying a house is a major decision—it won't be settled as quickly as buying vegetables.

No matter how enthusiastically the sales consultant talked, claiming the units would be sold out any minute, Hu Fen remained calm.

If I decide, I won't buy—after all, I don't have to buy.

…

Qin Yun stayed in Zhoushan for a full week; during these days, whenever his mother had free time, he took her for walks.

After several consecutive days, although Hu Fen still didn't dare drive too fast, her skills had become very proficient—everything else was just a matter of time.

He topped up her fuel card with a full 30, 00 yuan—enough for her to drive for several years.

As for the house, they ultimately chose a 153-square-meter unit in the Future Community—north-south oriented, bright and well-laid-out, and most importantly, a low-rise villa, not a high-rise. Even if the elevator broke, walking a few flights didn't matter.

He paid 3. million in one lump sum, feeling nothing at all. The money had been sitting idle in his account, nearly moldy—now it finally had some use.

Just as he was preparing to head to Qinghai, another phone call disrupted his plans.

A young fan, imitating him, went live-streaming in the wilderness at Qixing Mountain in Zhangjiajie—and went missing.