Chapter 95

Speaking of which, Wei Dongming looked around, surveying the surroundings, and smiled: "This place you rented is pretty nice! Much better and bigger than where I live—is the whole courtyard yours?"

Before Cao Sheng could answer, Wei Dongming added: "You're renting all this by yourself? That's a bit wasteful. How about I move in and share the rent with you? I can help split the cost—what do you say?"

Cao Sheng: "..."

After a moment of silence, Cao Sheng spoke the truth: "This courtyard isn't rented."

Wei Dongming froze. "Not rented? You're not telling me you bought this place?"

Cao Sheng smiled and nodded.

Wei Dongming stared in shock. "You actually bought it? Damn! Did you buy this place back when you said you were just renting?"

Cao Sheng still smiled and nodded.

Wei Dongming: "???"

He stared at Cao Sheng for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "You're something else! Last semester you never slept in the dorm at all—and before classes even started, you already bought this house? And no one knew until now? You're damn good at holding back, Third Brother! You're way too low-key!"

Cao Sheng: "I've already drawn enough attention. Where I can be low-key, I'd rather stay that way."

Wei Dongming glanced around again, his envy impossible to hide. "No wonder you're not interested in dating! Making money is awesome! We're still debating whether to add one more meat dish to our meals—you've already bought this house, and you paid for it yourself! The sense of achievement... If this got out at school, I bet twice as many girls would chase you. Want to bet?"

Cao Sheng chuckled. "No bet."

Wei Dongming: "Come on! This is too fun—let's bet!"

Cao Sheng still shook his head.

That night, Wei Dongming got drunk.

After getting drunk, he insisted on sleeping in the same bed as Cao Sheng.

Cao Sheng couldn't take it—he feared Wei Dongming might mistake him for Ai Qian in his sleep—so he pretended to agree, then quietly got up and left as soon as Wei Dongming fell asleep.

In the days that followed, Cao Sheng stayed indoors, rarely going out—only stepping out occasionally to buy groceries.

When he wanted to exercise, he went to the gym downstairs.

The gym he'd renovated downstairs wasn't large, but it had dumbbells, barbells, punching bags—everything he needed.

At other times, besides cooking for himself, he wrote upstairs, read books, or refined the outline of *Divine Tomb*.

Wei Dongming, who sold alcohol at the supermarket, came over every few days to mooch meals.

But he didn't mooch for free—he sometimes brought two bottles of liquor.

Sometimes he brought two pounds of pork ribs.

Sometimes he bought fruit, saying it was to help Cao Sheng get more vitamins.

These two guys, who used to look down on each other, had actually become good friends.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Lantern Festival.

That evening, Wei Dongming came over again, carrying alcohol to mooch dinner.

It was so cold that Cao Sheng didn't bother cooking many dishes—he made another hot pot. The two of them sat in the dining room, dipping food into the boiling broth, sipping baijiu, and chatting lazily—it was truly comfortable.

Wei Dongming said: "I thought this New Year I'd be alone here, lonely and miserable—but you came back so early! Having you here made this New Year so much better! Cao Sheng, let's do this from now on—I won't date, and you won't date either. Then we can keep drinking together and BSing all the time. Deal?"

Cao Sheng: "..."

Just as Cao Sheng was about to speak, he heard movement at the courtyard gate.

He turned to look, thinking: A burglar on Lantern Festival? What kind of thief is this? Lantern Festival is a minor holiday! Why aren't you home celebrating? Why are you out stealing?

Through the dining room window, he could see the courtyard gate.

The gate swung open, and Huang Qingya pushed her bicycle into the yard, wearing a light yellow down jacket, a red scarf, and yellow gloves.

Cao Sheng was surprised.

Even more surprised was Wei Dongming.

Wei Dongming stared at Huang Qingya pushing her bike in, mouth agape, then turned a bewildered look to Cao Sheng: "Who is this woman? Don't tell me she's your girlfriend."

Cao Sheng chuckled.

At that moment, Huang Qingya noticed the light from the dining room, glanced over twice, looked puzzled, parked her bike, and hurried to the dining room door. She pushed it open, saw Cao Sheng, and as she unwound the scarf covering half her face, asked: "Huh? You're back so early? Why aren't you celebrating Lantern Festival at home?"

As she spoke, she stepped inside, bringing a chill with her—snowflakes clung to her hair and clothes.

She shut the dining room door behind her and walked toward Cao Sheng.

Cao Sheng stood and went to her, brushing snow from her hair and shoulders as he asked: "It's snowing outside? Why did you come out in this weather?"

Huang Qingya: "I figured you'd be coming back soon, and this house hadn't been lived in for so long—it must be covered in dust. I wanted to clean it up for you. I didn't expect you'd be back so early."

As she said this, her bright eyes turned to Wei Dongming. "Is this your friend?"

Wei Dongming instinctively put down his chopsticks and stood up.

He was still dazed, unsure of the relationship between this woman and Cao Sheng.

She looked mature—her age didn't seem to match Cao Sheng's as a romantic partner.

But she was stunningly beautiful, with a round, pale face that exuded classical beauty. The cold had flushed her cheeks, making her even more radiant.

Her full figure was unmistakably a top-tier senior beauty.

Such a beautiful senior beauty—perhaps exactly Cao Sheng's type.

So he wasn't sure what her relationship with Cao Sheng was.

Cao Sheng grunted. "Let me introduce you two—this is Wei Dongming, my former dormmate. This is Huang Qingya."

Wei Dongming stared at Cao Sheng in confusion: You told me her name—but why didn't you say what your relationship is? How am I supposed to address her?

Huang Qingya, however, nodded gracefully, raised her hand in greeting: "Hello! Xiao Ming!"

Wei Dongming quickly replied: "Hello, Sister Huang! By the way, call me Xiao Wei—I'm not used to being called Xiao Ming."

Huang Qingya smiled.

Because the name Xiao Ming sounded too much like the Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong from elementary school textbooks.

"Good!"

She nodded with a smile.

Then, the hotpot for two became a hotpot for three.

During the meal, when Huang Qingya went to the restroom, Wei Dongming leaned over to Cao Sheng, lowered his voice, and asked, "What's your relationship with this Sister Huang? She's so beautiful. Is she your girlfriend?"

Cao Sheng raised his hand and pushed his face away. "Don't be so curious about other people's business."

Wei Dongming was speechless.

He immediately gave a bitter smile. "I'm truly stupid, really! Your conditions are so good, so many girls in school chase after you, yet you remain unmoved. I actually thought you were solely focused on making money and, like me, didn't want to fall in love! It turns out I'm the only one who doesn't want to fall in love!"

Cao Sheng smiled.

He did not say that his relationship with Huang Qingya was not romantic.

This was his respect for Huang Qingya.

He could not let her lose face in front of his friends.

Moreover, although the time he and Huang Qingya had spent together was not long, they had always gotten along well. He, an old stick with a psychological age of forty-one, did not mind that Huang Qingya was seven or eight years older than him.

He just did not want to waste time on romance for the time being.

Occasionally, he had thought that if he and Huang Qingya could continue to get along well, it would not be a problem to stay together like this in the future.

That night, Wei Dongming did not stay at Cao Sheng's place for long, did not drink much wine, and took his leave early.

With Huang Qingya here, he could not stay.

And as soon as he left, the looks Cao Sheng and Huang Qingya exchanged were not right.

"Happy New Year!"

Huang Qingya said softly.

Cao Sheng smiled. "Saying a New Year's greeting like that shows no sincerity!"

Huang Qingya tilted her head slightly. "Then how should I say it?"

Cao Sheng patted his own thigh. "Come sit here and say it!"