The car arrived at Haiyue Mountain Villa. As Song Xi and Lou Yuming were about to get out, the driver suddenly produced two postcards from a drawer, his face beaming with pride. "Seeing as you two hit it off, these are autographed photos of my daughter. A gift for you both! Shh, don't tell anyone."
"Thank you."
Song Xi accepted them with a smile. After the car left, she opened one and was dumbfounded.
It was Jin Ying!
Lou Yuming didn't even glance at it.
Song Xi handed the autographed photo to him.
Lou Yuming: "?"
Song Xi said, "It's the uncle's gesture of goodwill."
Lou Yuming said expressionlessly, "Then you keep it properly. I wonder when your relationship became so good."
What did he know about how women's relationships evolved?
Song Xi put the autographed photo away and asked, "Have you packed everything?"
Lou Yuming didn't reply. His long legs strode forward, quickly leaving her far behind.
Song Xi, carrying her flowers, ran to catch up. "I'll leave after I get my luggage."
She observed his expression and added, "It won't take up your time."
As expected, a cold, indifferent curve appeared on Lou Yuming's lips. He then pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Yao Yifan.
"Oh, I forgot my key," Lou Yuming suddenly said as they reached the building.
His expression was so calm that Song Xi couldn't detect any deception. "The property management should have a spare key."
"Probably."
"If I can't get it today, I can come back another time, and you can give the key to property management then."
Lou Yuming pursed his thin lips in displeasure. "Go ask property management."
Haiyue Mountain Villa was vast, a well-known villa complex.
Song Xi had never been to property management, nor had she had the time to wander around the complex before. So, after Lou Yuming led her on a nearly thirty-minute detour, she finally realized something was amiss.
He was always meticulous and thorough in his dealings; how could he have forgotten his key?
Was he deliberately playing a trick on her? Yet, the man's expression was serious and earnest. "Looks like we're here."
Song Xi breathed a sigh of relief, not seeing the subtle upward curve of Lou Yuming's lips as he walked ahead.
After successfully retrieving the key from property management, Song Xi's suspicions finally subsided.
It seemed he had truly forgotten.
Indeed, as people reached middle age, their memories started to fail.
*Buzz buzz—*
Her phone vibrated.
Song Xi glanced at it.
Lou Yuming nonchalantly took out his phone.
Yao Yifan: 【Sir, the mission is complete.】
"Junk mail," he explained to her in a casual tone.
Song Xi believed him.
Entering the elevator and pressing the floor button, they stood side by side, the atmosphere thick with silence.
He said nothing, and Song Xi remained silent, her gaze falling on the flowers in her arms, her heart sinking.
*Ding.* The elevator stopped.
Lou Yuming was the first to step out. He took out his key, turned it to the left, and the door opened.
He surveyed the room, raising his eyebrows with satisfaction.
"Should I put on slippers or—"
Her voice abruptly stopped. Looking at the scene before her, Song Xi was dumbfounded.
Dirty, messy, and chaotic!
This wasn't a room; it was a dump!
Had she only been away for a week or two? How had it become like this!
She looked at Lou Yuming in bewilderment, only to find him completely unfazed. He calmly kicked a bottle by his feet aside, saying, "Haven't cleaned much recently."
"..."
This wasn't a matter of whether it had been cleaned or not!
Had there been a burglar? Otherwise, Song Xi couldn't believe that Lou Yuming, a man with germaphobia, would overlook such a situation!
"You..."
Lou Yuming seemed to recall something and turned around. "Pack your own luggage. I'll give you half an hour. Is that enough?"
"..."
Let alone half an hour, she didn't even have space to put her feet!
Song Xi's lips twitched, and she forced a smile. "What do you think?"
Lou Yuming pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "It is indeed difficult. Well, since you have to pack, you might as well clean it up as well."
"On what grounds!"
"Might as well."
Song Xi retorted, "It's not 'might as well'!"
"This is, after all, a place you used to live. Since you're leaving, you can't just leave it like this, can you?"
His words left Song Xi speechless.
After all, if it weren't for this place back then, she would have been sleeping on the streets.
She remembered every day she spent here, and had even come to regard it as her home.
So, seeing the place in such a state, she truly felt heartbroken.
Song Xi placed the flowers on the cabinet and began to negotiate. "According to current market rates for housekeeping services, it's a thousand yuan per hour."
Lou Yuming leaned casually against the doorframe. "Are you sure that's the market rate?"
Song Xi spread her hands. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you're not willing, I can help you contact other housekeeping companies."
She was quite adept at this.
Lou Yuming took out a card and placed it on the table. "One hundred thousand. Clean it up."
Song Xi's demeanor immediately changed. She rolled up her sleeves and said, "Let's get to work!"