AADWFL Chapter 31

Yu Xiuming’s friend had never been one for suspense—so naturally, he didn’t keep Jing Yan guessing.

“It’s not that I can’t find a consultant,” Yu Xiuming explained. “But if I go through my own channels, An Ning will find out.”

Of course, his network wasn’t built through An Ning. But personally hiring a real estate agent himself would be out of character.
He’d have to send An Ning to handle it as his assistant—
and that would ruin the surprise.

“So you’ve decided to use me instead?” Jing Yan protested. “I help you analyze, give you advice, save you time and trouble—and now I’m also your temporary assistant?”

Yu Xiuming raised an eyebrow. “You and Ruan Mingfei had a fight? You sound explosive tonight.”

And indeed, he’d noticed more than just the tone.

From the first second of the video call, he’d seen it—the faint gloom in Jing Yan’s eyes, the fact that he was brushing his teeth at the wrong hour. Those were clues enough.
And now, the impatience in his voice was the final confirmation.

“Yeah,” Jing Yan admitted after a pause. “We fought. Go on.”

Yu Xiuming, considerate as always, didn’t press the issue. And Jing Yan, for all his grumbling, wasn’t truly unwilling to help.

“No special requirements,” Yu Xiuming said evenly. “You know plenty of consultants—probably better than I do who’s reliable. Find me a few options. If you have time, check out the properties too, help filter them a bit.”

He knew his own schedule—he wasn’t a man with spare hours to go house-hunting himself. Delegating the first round made sense.

“Once you’ve narrowed them down, take me to see them. I’ll make the final decision,” he said, sealing the matter with finality.

“A home for two people, full of warmth,” Jing Yan repeated wryly. “And of course, the style and quality have to match your aristocratic standards. Can’t have our Young Master Yu feeling deprived, right?”

Yu Xiuming chuckled softly. “Right.”

He was well aware of his own temperament. Though generally mild, he still had those ingrained habits of a man raised in comfort—habits that required certain material niceties to feel at ease.

“In that case, stop worrying about it. I’ve actually got a place you can buy,” Jing Yan said, his voice tinged with weary bitterness. The stubborn strand of hair on his head seemed to wilt along with his mood.
“If you want, I’ll take you there tomorrow. It’s not fully renovated yet—you can redesign it however you want. Guaranteed satisfaction.”

Yu Xiuming immediately sensed that something was off and asked sharply, “What’s going on with you?”
Before his friend, who was already shrinking into himself like an ostrich, could answer, he added,
“You two… this time it’s not just a normal fight, is it?”

All attempts at concealment—when faced with someone who knows you too well—are nothing but paper tigers.

Jing Yan suddenly lowered his head, burying his face in his arms, leaving only his soft, messy black hair visible.

A few seconds later, he lifted his head. The sadness in his eyes could no longer be contained.

“We broke up.” He struggled to hold back the tremor in his voice, “But it’s fine. The apartment—if you want it, I don’t care about the money, you can just give me a little and—”

“I’m sorry.” The firm apology cut him off mid-sentence. Yu Xiuming’s expression turned solemn. “I actually noticed something was wrong from the start, but I thought it was just a small argument. I didn’t realize it was this serious. If you’re feeling down these days… you don’t have to worry about me.”

Don’t have to worry about you? What, you want him to take those ridiculous love problems and go ask someone else? Don’t embarrass yourself, young master!

Jing Yan roared inwardly, panic flashing in his eyes.

“No no no—I’ll worry, I’ll worry, I’ll worry about you.” He spoke so fast he almost ran out of breath. Pausing for half a second, he forced a weak smile. It looked worse than crying, but at least it showed some effort to pull himself together.

“Who else would worry about you if not me? Besides, I’m already heartbroken—I can’t just go die, right? If I don’t keep busy, I’ll really lose it.”

Yu Xiuming fell silent for a while—that counted as agreement. Tilting his head slightly, he thought for a moment before saying, “Then I won’t hold back. Help me look into it—but I don’t want your apartment. Even if you don’t mind, Ruan Mingfei might blame me for it later.”

Seeing the flicker of conflict in his friend’s eyes, Yu Xiuming raised a hand to stop him.
“Listen to me. Don’t act on impulse. You put so much effort into that place— even if things are over between you two, you should still keep it. Don’t do this, or I’ll feel guilty.”

Jing Yan immediately wilted like a quail—silent, which was as good as agreement.

“Get some sleep,” Yu Xiuming finally said after a long pause, before hanging up the phone.

Recently, An Ning’s work schedule had been particularly tight. At the same time, he had to find time amidst that hectic routine to go house-hunting with a real estate agent.

In the novel he remembered, the car accident happened roughly at the turn of winter and spring.

Although that was still months away, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that the longer he waited, the more unpredictable things could get. Better to hurry up—buy the house, settle everything, and resign.

On weekends in the past, if he didn’t have to work overtime, An Ning would always sleep in, order takeout, and lazily spend the whole day at home.

But this week was different.

Saturday mornings meant half a day of overtime—but after that, the rest of the time was his to use freely.

He’d arranged to meet the agent in the morning to view three properties in one go.

An Ning didn’t want anyone knowing where he currently lived, so he agreed to meet the agent—someone he’d only seen once before—at a public spot. From there, the agent would drive him around.

“This one’s a bit worse than the place we saw last time,” the agent explained. “Smaller layout, older building—about six years old. The owner lived here for two years, so there’s some wear and tear. But the good thing is, the total price is much lower. If you can pay soon, the seller might be open to negotiation.”

They finished viewing the first property in half an hour. An Ning said he’d taken notes and photos of everything, and they could move on to the next one. He’d decide after seeing them all.

Binzhou was a huge city—it took nearly an hour by car just to get from one listing to another. Since An Ning only had this one day free, he wanted to see everything in one go.

They’d set out at seven in the morning. By the time they finished visiting all the listings, it was already past two in the afternoon.

It was a clear day—the early winter sun wasn’t warm, but it was bright and dazzling. When they stepped out of the last apartment, which was in a remote flat complex, both of them looked tired. Still, noticing how determined An Ning seemed to buy, the agent perked up and asked for his thoughts.

An Ning thought quietly for a moment, then got into the car with him.
“For now, I still prefer the first one we saw. I just don’t know if the price can be negotiated a little.”

Bargaining was only natural, and the agent understood that.

“Mr. An, you’re straightforward. I’ll do my best to negotiate with the seller.” The agent grinned. “But could you tell me your expected price range?”

An Ning smiled. “My original budget hasn’t changed, but this one’s a bit higher than I planned. I can add twenty thousand more—but that’s my limit.”

He could afford more, of course. In the past month or two, Yu Xiuming had gone crazy giving him bonuses and even raised his salary once. But bargaining was bargaining—he couldn’t just show all his cards at once.

The agent looked hesitant but nodded. “I’ll try and get you a satisfying offer.”

An Ning nodded with a pleasant smile.
“In that case, let’s have lunch together. You’ve been running around with me all morning on a weekend, and we haven’t eaten yet.”

Both of them were starving—neither had any reason to be polite about something that simple.

An Ning had been to this area before—he’d once come here with Yu Xiuming for a business dinner at a nearby restaurant.
But the place was expensive, and going there again with someone else might make people draw conclusions about his financial situation—not ideal for someone about to negotiate a house price.

So An Ning’s eyes flickered slightly. He turned his head and pointed in the opposite direction, and the two of them went instead to a 24-hour fast-food restaurant next door.

After a full meal, they parted ways at the entrance. An Ning didn’t let the agent drive him home; instead, he turned toward the subway station, planning to take the train back.

He didn’t notice that behind him, just outside the high-end restaurant, a few people had slowly walked out.

Leading them was Jing Yan, followed by two men in suits.

The moment Jing Yan saw that familiar figure, he didn’t even have time to call out. He just watched as An Ning walked straight toward the subway station.

A grin tugged at his lips—he had an idea. Pulling out his phone, he snapped a photo and immediately sent it to Yu Xiuming on WeChat.

[Photo]

[I ran into An Ning while I was out for lunch.]

Yu Xiuming received the photo while reading.

It was a rare day off—no social gatherings, no work. He usually spent such days reading or watching movies.

The reading chair in his study was a soft tan color, and the lamp above gave off a gentle golden-white glow. In that warm light, even the casual silhouette of An Ning’s back carried a certain effortless charm.

Good-looking.

An Ning was wearing a casual outfit—something that hinted at his identity as a typical office worker, yet clearly showed it was his day off. His slender build made him naturally photogenic; even from behind, he looked striking.

Yu Xiuming’s lips curved slightly. But then, as if something occurred to him, he frowned and typed back:

[You… had lunch with An Ning?]

Jing Yan replied:
[As if. I’m just doing my duty for a friend. Had lunch with two consultants today, and tomorrow, this young master will help you check out those houses.]

[Thanks.]

[And An Ning?]

[Saw him as I was leaving. Looked like he just split up with someone—a guy. After that, he headed toward the subway station.]

Yu Xiuming’s brows furrowed.

With someone else? A man? The subway?

He couldn’t picture An Ning spending his day off having lunch or shopping with another man—and the word man alone made him feel even worse. Besides, An Ning had a car.

Even if it was just a small Mercedes sedan—not as luxurious as the Bentley he drove for work—it was still more comfortable than taking the subway, wasn’t it?

None of this made sense to him.

The novel in his hands suddenly became unbearably dull.

Yu Xiuming shut the book with a heavy thump against the desk.

Bang.

Irritation.

He’d been reading for over an hour; his eyes were sore—it was about time for a break, he told himself. Rising from his chair, he slid the hardcover book back onto the shelf.

Another message came in from Jing Yan—right on cue, full of teasing and unwelcome accuracy.

[No way—you really don’t know who that guy was?]
[Haha, but hey, it’s normal. It’s his day off—what he does, who he meets, that’s none of his boss’s business.]

Yu Xiuming’s expression darkened. Maybe it was from reading too long, but both his temples throbbed painfully.

Still, he had to admit—Jing Yan wasn’t wrong.

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Author’s Note:
Hey—your wife just went out to eat with someone else 😳