TEDWR: Chapter 38

 Glossary

· Liang Zheng (梁征): Liang Yingying's nephew from her hometown.

· Liang Yingying (梁莹莹): Zhang Yansheng's stepmother.

· Zhang Yansheng (张雁声): The female protagonist, the reborn eldest daughter.

· Zhang Heling (张鹤翎): Zhang Yansheng's nine-year-old half-sister.

· Zhang Shuocheng (张硕成): Zhang Yansheng's seven-year-old half-brother.

· Zhang Huan (张寰): Zhang Yansheng's father.

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Chapter 38

When her nephew Liang Zheng returned that evening, Liang Yingying also delivered her ultimatum to him: "Contact an agent immediately to find a place. Go look at some this weekend and just pick one."

Although Liang Yingying had promised to pay his rent, Liang Zheng still felt deeply unhappy. Who the hell would feel good being so blatantly kicked out?

He gave a perfunctory agreement, but deep down, he had no desire to leave this place.

The huge room, the massive bathroom, the large courtyard, the expansive basement, the grand swimming pool…

Living in this mansion was like living in a dream.

Even if Liang Yingying agreed to pay his rent, she would never rent him a villa. Even renting a high-end apartment felt like being banished from heaven down to the mortal realm, a sense of loss.

And, he probably wouldn't even get to keep driving that shabby BMW grocery car.

Soon enough, he would gradually become just another ordinary employee commuting by subway, disappearing into the masses.

Liang Yingying had managed to make herself into "Mrs. Zhang." Those extra years she had on Liang Zheng were not for nothing. The stupid thoughts running through her nephew's head were clearly written all over his face. "Don't even think about sticking around here," she said irritably. "Let me tell you, whether you find a place or not, next week you pack your bags and get out. Live wherever you want. If you don't find a place, great, I'll save on the rent money. Don't think about asking me for anything after that!"

His own aunt being so heartless made Liang Zheng seethe with silent resentment. But in the end, he could only agree.

Returning to his room filled with resentment, he called a real estate agent, specifically emphasizing he wanted "good places! Luxuriously decorated!" and adding, "Don't worry about saving money for me."

Agents loved clients who were foolish and free-spending like this, and the agent vowed he would definitely be satisfied.

While at work on Friday, the agent got back to him. He sent photos of several high-end apartments, all luxuriously decorated, looking upscale and grand.

If he were to live alone in such a place, it wouldn't be too bad.

Liang Zheng finally felt a bit better and replied, asking: "How much?"

The agent replied: "The first one is thirty thousand a month, the second is twenty-eight thousand, the third is smaller, cheaper, just twenty thousand a month."

Liang Zheng: "..."

In the small town Liang Zheng was from, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment was 600 yuan. You could even bargain it down to 500 without issue.

The cost of living in the city where he went to school was also low, and students renting off-campus didn't go for expensive places either.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

So, when he told the agent he wanted "luxury" and "not to save money," he genuinely hadn't imagined rents in K City would be this high.

Of course, regular people didn't rent such expensive places. But because he had boasted so much, the agent thought he was some high-end client and only showed him premium apartments. Who would have guessed he was just a white-collar worker with a salary of a few thousand?

And still an intern without a formal position.

If the agent knew, he'd be rolling his eyes in frustration first.

The rent prices scared Liang Zheng, but the agent was eagerly trying to schedule a viewing. He could only brush it off: "I'm really busy lately, can't make time. I'll contact you later."

After work, when he returned to the Zhang residence, he waited until after dinner to quietly call Liang Yingying downstairs and showed her the listings.

Liang Yingying nearly laughed in anger. Her nephew truly didn't see himself as an outsider! She said she'd pay the rent, and he really dared to look for places like this! High-end apartments already? Give him an inch, and he'd probably be looking at villas next!

Although Liang Yingying occasionally gave money to her maternal family, that was only when she felt like letting some drip from her fingers. Liang Yingying had been out in society hustling from a young age; she was no pushover who would let anyone leech off her!

No one! Not even her family! Not even her own parents, let alone a nephew!

She directly threw his phone back into his lap. "What's your monthly salary, huh? You dare live in a place like this? Go look in the mirror! Are you worthy?"

Although Liang Zheng had predicted this outcome was highly likely, being spoken to like this still made him feel ashamed and annoyed. "Didn't you say you'd pay the rent?"

Liang Yingying jabbed his forehead. "I didn't know your face was this big!!!"

Big enough to blot out the sky.

Liang Zheng said resentfully, "Then what should I do? The places I found, you don't like. Where am I supposed to live?"

Liang Yingying spat at him and said, "Look again! Hurry up!"

Under Liang Yingying's urging, Liang Zheng had no choice but to open his computer and log onto the real estate agency's website. But the moment he tried to click on the regular commercial housing listings, Liang Yingying immediately slapped his hand: "What's your salary? Can you afford this? Look at what your office colleagues live in!"

Young, single people drifting in K City, of course, lived in those old, dilapidated apartments. Many even shared rooms or lived in group rentals.

Liang Zheng was displeased. "How can I live in such a dump!"

Liang Yingying spat again. "A dump? Look at K City's property prices! You couldn't even afford to buy this kind of old, dilapidated dump in your entire life! Who do you think you are? A big boss?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"I may not be a big boss, but!" Liang Zheng slammed the table. "My uncle is a big boss! Aren't you embarrassed to have me live in a place like that? Even if you're not embarrassed, I am!"

"I have nothing to be embarrassed about! When I first came to K City, I lived in a damn basement! Didn't even have a toilet! If I needed to pee in the middle of the night, I had to get up and go to the public toilet in the complex! Your grandparents even told me to save money and send some home!" Liang Yingying also lost her temper.

When she exploded, Liang Zheng shrank back, mumbling, "Well, but now you've made it…"

"I made it, what's it got to do with you! It's not you who made it!"

"Heling gets ten thousand a month in pocket money…"

Hearing this, Liang Yingying felt she really needed to set her nephew straight.

She laid her cards on the table: "Liang Zheng, let me make this clear to you. Yes, I have money. Yes, Heling gets ten thousand a month in pocket money. But that's all the Zhang family's money! It has nothing to do with you! Got it? Nothing! The Zhang family only has one young master, and that's Shuoshuo! You better wake up! Stop seeing yourself as the Zhang family's young master. Your damn surname is Liang!"

Liang Zheng deeply hated that his surname was Liang! Why wasn't it Zhang! It was truly lamentable!

Dejectedly, with his aunt holding his head down, he picked out a few old, dilapidated one-bedroom apartments online and scheduled viewings with an agent for Saturday.

"Tomorrow, I'll go with you!" Liang Yingying said. "If it's decent, just sign the lease. Don't be too picky. For someone like you, new to K City, lots of people live in basement group rentals. Who gets to rent a whole one-bedroom apartment right off the bat like you? You're living the life!"

Living the life, my ass!

Liang Zheng lay in bed all night, sighing deeply.

Going from a grand villa to a dilapidated old apartment—that was falling from heaven straight into hell.

If he were an ordinary kid, drifting to K City on his own, starting from a basement and working his way up, he might not feel this way. But he had witnessed the Zhang family's wealth! He had lived in a mansion, ridden in luxury cars, and knew what life was like for their children.

Having tasted that, returning to an ordinary life… the feeling was truly… exceptionally hard to swallow.

Although Liang Yingying said she'd accompany him to see the apartments, that depended on whether she could get out of bed. Their earliest appointment was at 10:30, which was still considered "very early" for Liang Yingying.

Before she got up, Liang Zheng woke up early, holding his phone and wandering all over the house, taking pictures everywhere. He even changed into several different outfits, planning to use them for posting on his social media at irregular intervals in the future.

As for the fact that he wouldn't actually be living in this mansion in the future, of course, he couldn't let the people on his social media know.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Young Master Liang had to save face. He was a man making seventy thousand a month!

Zhang Yansheng woke up in the morning, checked the time, and decided to go for a swim first.

She changed into her swimsuit, put on a bathrobe, and went to knock on the door next door. "Zhang Heling! Get up! Time to swim!"

A childish, still-sleepy voice came from the room: "Huh? Oh… coming!"

Zhang Yansheng didn't wait for her and went downstairs first.

Who would have thought Liang Zheng was right by the poolside, wearing swim trunks and striking various poses for selfies.

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

An assault on the eyes first thing in the morning.

Zhang Yansheng rolled her eyes, took off her bathrobe and threw it on a lounge chair, stretched a bit, and jumped straight into the water. She deliberately made a big splash. Liang Zheng was in the middle of happily taking selfies when he was suddenly splashed all over.

He hurriedly used a towel to dry his phone first, terrified water had gotten inside. After wiping it, he wiped his face and looked over. In the swimming pool was a teenage girl—none other than his older cousin, Zhang Yansheng.

She definitely did it on purpose!

Liang Zheng was furious! But he couldn't even yell at her! He was, after all, an adult. How could he pick a fight with a kid, especially a girl, especially a girl no one in this household dared to mess with?

Getting into it would only make him look bad.

Liang Zheng resentfully comforted himself: I won't stoop to arguing with a little girl.

He turned to leave but glanced back once more, and his heart stirred.

Although the little brat was super annoying, there was no denying she was a real looker.

Even though she wasn't fully developed yet, her fair skin glowed in the water. Wearing a two-piece swimsuit, her legs were straight and long, her waist slender and tight. As she moved up and down in the water, she looked like a little mermaid.

Liang Zheng's heart raced. He looked left and right—no one was around. He quietly raised his phone…

"Cousin, what are you doing?"

Zhang Heling's voice suddenly rang out, startling Liang Zheng so much he nearly dropped his phone.

"You scared me to death! How come you walk without a sound?" Liang Zheng clutched his phone, complaining.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Heling had also changed into her swimsuit, wrapped in a towel like a little martial arts hero. She looked at Liang Zheng suspiciously, feeling his expression was a bit off. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing…" Liang Zheng stammered. "I was just taking a few selfies here."

But she had clearly seen his phone raised, pointed towards the pool.

"So, you… going for a swim?" Liang Zheng changed the subject.

Children were easily led astray. Zhang Heling's attention was indeed diverted. "Yeah, are you swimming too?"

"I'll pass. I'm going for breakfast. You have a good swim. Daily exercise is good for your health, hahaha."

Just as he was about to slip away, a cold voice spoke from behind. "Stop."

Liang Zheng turned his head to see Zhang Yansheng had already climbed out of the pool, dripping wet. She threw her swimming goggles onto a chair. Her eyes were sharp, shooting over like daggers.

"Delete it!"

(End of Chapter)

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