"What?"
Fang Zhiyan's heart sank, and he hurried his steps home.
"I'll head back right away!"
Fang Jianjun, his father, had two sons and two daughters. Fang Bei and Fang Fang were from his previous marriage. After Fang Jianjun's first wife was driven away by his violence, Fang Bei and Fang Fang remained with the Fang family.
Once, Fang Zhiyan's grandfather, Jiang Taotao, had gone out in a snowstorm to treat a patient and accidentally fell in the snow. That day, Fang Jianjun was returning home drunk and, in a hazy state, spotted someone lying in the snow.
Originally, he ignored it, walking several miles until he encountered the Jiang family, who were out searching. He unconsciously mentioned that there seemed to be someone in the snow, leading the Jiang family to find Jiang Taotao.
From then on, Fang Jianjun touted himself as Jiang Taotao's savior.
When the family ran out of money, he repeatedly sought out Jiang Taotao for gratitude money, which is when he noticed the beautiful Jiang Xu. Captivated, he pursued her fervently.
Eventually, Jiang Xu agreed to marry him out of gratitude. However, once they were married, Fang Jianjun revealed his true, ugly nature. He was abusive, an alcoholic, and convinced himself that he had saved her father, treating Jiang Xu as nothing more than a servant.
Due to his attitude, even his ex-wife's children treated Jiang Xu poorly, giving her orders like she was a maid.
Despite Fang Zhiyan having already separated from the family with his mother and younger sister, how had Fang Fang come to them now?
At this moment, in the rented apartment, Jiang Xu found herself cornered at the door.
Standing in front of her was Fang Fang with her frizzy hair and a blonde guy sporting an unkempt fringe.
Fang Fang, the second sister of the Fang family, wore a smug expression as she looked at Jiang Xu, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I was wondering where your brave son took you when he separated from the family. Turns out you're just living off others, huh?"
"Do you know this place is my boyfriend's family home?" Fang Fang crossed her arms, her tight jeans accentuating her figure, leaning smugly against the blonde guy.
"Big Brother Bing, you said we were just coming to collect rent, but here you are collecting from them!"
The blonde guy, Ma Xiaobing, smirked in agreement.
Fang Fang was his new girlfriend, and he had thought to show off a little while collecting rent, unaware that the tenant was his girlfriend's stepmother.
"I didn't see that coming. Having too many houses can be a hassle; anyone can rent them." Ma Xiaobing feigned distress.
He looked toward Jiang Xu. "What are you waiting for? Pay up! Rent is a thousand."
Jiang Xu's expression turned angry. "What do you mean, a thousand? Wasn't it eight hundred?"
"And we already paid the rent this month. It was a 'pay one month, deposit one month' deal, so any collection should be for next month. The rent goes to your dad!"
"Wow!" Ma Xiaobing hadn't even replied when Fang Fang sprang forward.
"You're telling me to pay? The house belongs to my boyfriend; if he wants to raise the price, he can! If you can't afford it, don't rent it."
"And what's the difference between this month and next? Are you planning on not renting next month? Where are you going to live then?"
"This house belongs to Bing; whether he collects rent or his dad does, it's the same."
"I'm telling you, if I marry Bing later, I'll be the one collecting rent!"
Fang Zhiyan's second sister, Fang Fang, resented him taking Jiang Xu and the younger sister away, leaving her to manage the household on her own.
Through Fang Xu's eyes, fang Fang harbored significant anger and took this opportunity to ridicule Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu's face turned pale, unable to respond in the moment.
Just then, they heard a voice from outside.
"We're not renting next month, so you can get lost now."
Everyone turned to see Fang Zhiyan standing at the door.
"Fang Zhiyan!" The moment Fang Fang saw him, she jumped up.
"I thought you had some guts. Turns out you're just hiding out here renting! This house is in my boyfriend's name," she declared.
"You're still living under my roof, kiddo!"
Fang Fang pointed her finger at Fang Zhiyan, amusement evident in her eyes while she reveled in her perceived superiority.
Beside her, Ma Xiaobing shot him a disdainful look.
"Kid, consider yourself unlucky; pay us."
Fang Zhiyan stepped into the room and, seeing that his mother was safe, turned to glare at Ma Xiaobing.
"Are you deaf? We're not renting this place next month."
Ma Xiaobing frowned.
Fang Fang jumped in again, "What are you trying to act tough for, Fang Zhiyan?"
"You don't even have a job! If you don't live here, you might as well sleep under a bridge."
"How pathetic! You're still a college student, yet you've learned nothing from all those years of schooling, huh? Just a waste of space?"
"What did your teachers teach you? How to rent a place from Bing? That's just laughable, being a freeloader, just like you!"
Listening to this, Fang Zhiyan sneered, "Oh, did my dear second sister forget to brush her teeth before stepping out? Your breath smells awful!"
Fang Fang's face tightened, and she quickly covered her mouth before realizing he was mocking her harsh words.
Her brows furrowed in anger as she shot an icy glare at Fang Zhiyan.
Fang Zhiyan calmly replied, "You don't need to worry about my job. I've already found one."
"It's none of your business what my teachers taught me. Even if I'm not doing great, at least I'm not like someone who had a mother who gave birth to them but didn't teach them anything."
His words pierced Fang Fang deeply.
Her mother was the one who couldn't stand life in the Fang household and had run away, leaving her children behind.
This wound had followed Fang Fang throughout her life, intensifying her resentment toward Fang Zhiyan.
But before she could retort, Fang Zhiyan turned his attention to Ma Xiaobing.
"This rental agreement is between my father and you. Your opinion here is worthless."
"If you have a problem with this, I can call the police; but once I do that, everyone in the area will know how you treat your tenants, and it'll be hard for you to rent out houses in the future."
"As for you raising the rent, that isn't my concern. I've already made it very clear: we're not renting next month, so you can leave now!"
Fang Zhiyan was merciless, and Ma Xiaobing was powerless to counter him.
"Fang Zhiyan, this is Bing's house; what right do you have to act so arrogant?" Fang Fang shouted.
"If you're not renting next month, then this month's rent has gone up. You'd better pay for this month!" she continued to berate him.
Hearing this, Fang Zhiyan almost burst out laughing.
"Fang Fang, I've realized something: even though you're ugly, your imagination is beautiful."
"Raising the rent this month? If you say that, I'll call the police."
With that, Fang Zhiyan pulled out his phone and stared blankly at Ma Xiaobing.
He panicked and quickly said, "Wait a minute!"
Meanwhile, another tall figure appeared with a rolling pin in hand.
"Who the hell dares pick on my brother? I'll block the door today and fight anyone who dares!"
Fang Fang and Ma Xiaobing turned to see who it was, their eyes flashing with fear.
The speaker was none other than Fang Zhiyan's good friend, Lu Mingtang.
He was tall, exuding a strong presence that even Ma Xiaobing hesitated to confront.
"Good, you've got guts," Ma Xiaobing pointed a finger at Fang Zhiyan.
"Today I'm leaving; we'll see if you really mean you're not renting from me next month."
"This area has the cheapest houses; go sleep under a bridge if you can't handle it."
Faced with the joint pressure from Fang Zhiyan and Lu Mingtang, coupled with his own sense of wrongdoing, Ma Xiaobing pulled Fang Fang along, begrudgingly walking away.
Once they left, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Zhiyan, you're finally back."
"When I saw her come over, I called you and went to grab the rolling pin."
"Is your mother okay?" Lu Mingtang asked, looking at Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu looked at Lu Mingtang with gratitude. "I'm fine; thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. I have a good relationship with Zhiyan; there's no need for formalities."
Lu Mingtang waved a hand before frowning, "However, you all might need to move soon. If you stay here, you'll keep being harassed."
"Don't worry. We'll be moving out by the end of the month," Fang Zhiyan nodded, his brow furrowed.
Having just found a job, he thought life would be easier, only to end up with this mess.
Interns don't earn much; if it got to an emergency, would he need to borrow money?
It seemed like he needed to hustle for money sooner rather than later.
Though he reminded himself not to rush, he picked up the McDonald's he had just bought.
"You came at the right time; I bought some McDonald's today. Let's eat together and enjoy this treat."
In these times, McDonald's was still a luxury, not everyone could afford it.
Jiang Xu looked surprised as Fang Zhiyan explained, "Mom, I got a job in the emergency department at Jiang'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital."
"You found a job? That's great! Ming Tao, why don't you stay for dinner with us?" Jiang Xu quickly said.
As she spoke, she eagerly prepared to make dinner, eager to express her gratitude to Lu Mingtang for helping them.
Ming Tao didn't refuse; to be honest, the thought of McDonald's was enticing.
Jiang Xu was thrilled that her son had found a job and began to prepare the meal with enthusiasm.
Fang Zhiyan helped out for a bit and soon left to pick up his younger sister, Fang Zhixia, from school.
After a short wait, children began pouring out of the school.
Fang Zhiyan spotted his sister in the crowd right away.
However, he noticed a very beautiful woman holding her hand.
Amid the ordinary-looking pedestrians, she stood out like a delicate tulip.
Fang Zhiyan couldn't help but be taken aback by her beauty.
She wore flared pants that accentuated her perfect shape, especially her curves, drawing attention effortlessly.
A simple blue-gray knit top complemented her fashionable appearance, and her long, flowing black hair resembled a goddess's grace.
As Fang Zhiyan looked her way, she caught his gaze.
Their eyes met, and she seemed to sparkle with interest, taking a good look at him.
Clearing his throat, Fang Zhiyan quickly turned his attention away.
"Brother!"
At that moment, Fang Zhixia spotted her brother and came charging over like a spirited little horse.