Chapter 29: Endless Affection

At the beginning of the year two thousand, there were already many vehicles in Jingcheng.

A boxy Mercedes G500 cruised through the traffic, drawing countless stares; after circling Chang’an Street, they found a hotpot lamb restaurant Xu Qing said was authentically good and devoured it heartily.

It was truly excellent, with a unique flavor.

After filling their stomachs, they got back in the car and headed to the next destination.

Li Luo was completely lost, unable to tell where he was, so he simply watched the scenery outside the window.

Unlike the lush greenery of the south, everything here was gray and hazy, giving him an unusually desolate feeling—but urban development was gaining momentum, and the city already bore a faint resemblance to its future self.

“There.”

Xu Qing turned the steering wheel with one hand and pointed ahead to several small buildings: “This is Beidian. Your future school.”

Looking at the security guard standing by the side gate, Li Luo shook his head and smiled:

“You make it sound like I’m guaranteed admission.”

Just from the outside, you could tell Beidian wasn’t very large.

Street vendors lined the roadside, selling all kinds of food; steam rose and drifted with the wind, and many students in campus attire paused to buy snacks—this scene was full of everyday vitality.

“Of course.”

Xu Qing slowed the car slightly and said plainly: “With your abilities, it’s a piece of cake!”

She turned the steering wheel, and the car zipped into a nearby residential compound.

“Your place is here?”

Li Luo turned around in surprise—this spot was separated from Beidian by only one road; he’d thought she was just showing him around, but the car had stopped right here.

“No.”

She pulled the handbrake, her eyes glinting: “This is Beiying Compound. There’s an empty apartment upstairs belonging to a friend of mine.”

“The dorms at school are crowded. If you’re not used to it—”

“You can move in anytime.”

“As for rent—”

She hesitated, holding up her palm, then quickly switched to one finger: “One hundred yuan a month. Water, electricity, gas, and heating are all covered.”

“Isn’t that a steal?”

The Beijing girl squinted, smiling with red lips and white teeth.

This place was just one road away from Beidian—a short walk would get you to the side gate they’d just seen.

Not just convenient.

Outside the car window, the compound’s environment was also very nice.

This location, plus this setting—

One hundred yuan, including water, electricity, gas, and heating? It was practically free.

In Hengdian, a single bed cost sixty yuan.

Li Luo turned helplessly toward the girl behind the wheel—this girl had absolutely no sense of basic prices, yet she could name such an absurd rate.

Under his gaze,

Xu Qing barely held onto her smile, clinging to her composure.

“I’m poor.”

Li Luo sighed softly and said seriously: “So poor I can’t even afford a hundred yuan—but you can tell your friend I can pay rent another way.”

“Service will be thorough, and the skills guaranteed.”

“What do you think?”

With a car and a house, everything arranged so perfectly—she truly cared for him. How could he refuse such kindness?

“Mm!”

Xu Qing nodded firmly, her face lighting up with a radiant smile: “Then it’s settled.”

Before getting out, Xu Qing put on a fisherman’s hat to disguise herself again; according to her, many school staff and students lived here, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be recognized.

They stepped into the elevator and rode straight to the seventeenth floor.

After opening the door,

Warm air rushed out, thick and cozy.

No sooner had she set down the luggage than Xu Qing eagerly pulled Li Luo aside to show off her recent efforts.

Unlike the dull gray exterior,

The interior followed a white minimalist style, yet every corner exuded refinement.

The bright decor made one feel instantly at ease.

The entrance opened into a spacious living-dining area, with a leather sofa that could seat four or five people, a TV cabinet holding a brand-new large color TV, a refrigerator, a wine cabinet stocked full of drinks and liquor.

“Didn’t you say you could cook?”

Xu Qing excitedly led him to the kitchen, spreading her arms and spinning around: “If you can’t stand the school food, you can cook for yourself.”

“I’ll try your cooking sometime.”

Pots, pans, bowls, chopsticks—all there. In the corner, the refrigerator still had its plastic wrap on.

Outside was a small balcony, housing a washing machine.

They returned to the living room, where Xu Qing proudly opened the converted walk-in closet: “I bought some clothes and shoes—all your style.”

A full row of AJ sneakers and casual shoes lined the floor.

Clothes and pants hung densely, all simple in design.

Most of the clothing was plain-colored.

In Hengdian, Li Luo dressed exactly like this—modern fashion tastes were just too hard to stomach.

Simpler clothes looked cleaner and fresher.

The Mercedes G500 was borrowed, this apartment was temporary—but these items were clearly bought for him. Each one made his head spin.

Damn, so this is what it feels like to be kept by a rich woman!

In the bathroom, the bathtub gleamed.

In the spacious master bedroom, the bedding on the 1.8-meter bed was folded neatly.

The room also had a home theater system, air conditioning, and on the desk sat a brand-new IBM laptop.

That thing wasn’t cheap.

Nowadays, they cost thousands or even tens of thousands—beyond what ordinary people could afford.

Finally, she opened the large balcony outside the master bedroom, offering a full view of the entire Beidian campus; in the distance, students on the basketball court sweated profusely, their shouts drifting faintly over.

With this living environment and these amenities—

Forget a hundred yuan—even if Li Luo dumped his entire fortune, he couldn’t afford this!

“How do you feel?”

Xu Qing looked at Li Luo with wide, expectant eyes: “Do you like it?”

Just as affection deepened, they were forced to part.

After finishing filming,

Back in Beijing, she’d poured all that emotion into this little nest, now finally showing off her work—afraid she’d missed something, nervous inside.

Though she’d only directed others, this was the first time she’d truly given her all to something.

Li Luo took a deep breath.

A female star adored by countless people, raised in luxury, had gone this far for him—what more could he say?

“I love it.”

He swiftly hoisted the beautiful girl onto his shoulder and pinched her firm, elastic thigh hard: “Anything you prepare for me, I love!”

“Ow~”

Hearing his answer, Xu Qing burst into laughter.

She pretended to struggle.

Her long legs swung wildly in the air.

“Stop squirming.”

He slapped hard against the plump, rounded buttocks wrapped in jeans, then strode back toward the bedroom: “Now it’s time to pay rent, sir—make sure you feel every bit of it!”

“Hahaha~”

Amid a string of bell-like laughter, the balcony door slammed shut.

The spring wind howled in, but was firmly blocked out.

It, unwilling to accept defeat, spun in a circle, then drifted to the window, gazed for a moment at the springtime glow within, before reluctantly fading away.