She stood at the door, looking at the apartment next door, and then at Ye Jinzhi.
"If you aren't satisfied, you can also stay in this one."
"Don't tell me you bought the one next door too?"
"Yeah."
Ye Jinzhi stood by the door, a teasing glint in his fox-like eyes.
"Anyway, it's just the two of us on this floor."
"So..." Bella pointed at him, then at herself.
"It's a six-minute walk from school, you don't need to cross any major roads, and your neighbor is of exceptionally high caliber with no bad habits."
Ye Jinzhi leaned against the doorframe, watching her leisurely.
"How about it, classmate Bella? Do you have any other questions about your neighbor?"
Heh.
Bella was exasperated.
No wonder he agreed so quickly in the little pavilion after school yesterday. So he was waiting for her here!
What "not living at his house," what "finding a safer place"—after going around in a massive circle, the result was just upgrading from "roommates" to "living across the hall"?
What changing places? This was clearly moving right under his nose!
"Ye Jinzhi, does this count as... surveillance?" Bella glared at him.
"No, this is called 'close-proximity tutoring'," Ye Jinzhi replied without batting an eye.
So shameless!
"What, not satisfied with your neighbor?"
"If I say I'm not satisfied, are you going to move away?" Bella retorted grumpily.
"Moving away is out of the question."
Ye Jinzhi chuckled lightly and pointed next door. "But, if you feel that across the hall is too far, I can also knock down the wall in between."
Bella: "..."
She didn't doubt for a second that this guy was capable of doing exactly that.
Bella could already picture the scene: he makes one phone call, and a demolition crew immediately shows up to smash the wall.
Walking next door and pushing the door open, Bella was completely dumbfounded.
Let alone luxurious furniture, the inside could only be described as four bare walls.
Aside from the snow-white painted walls and the cold floor, the room was completely empty. There wasn't even a place to sit.
Bella: "..."
"If you weren't satisfied with the apartment you just saw, you could design this one yourself and renovate it however you like. That's why I specially left this one unrenovated."
He paused, his tone taking on a bit of business-like seriousness. "The layout of this apartment is exactly the same as the one next door. Whether you want to knock through the walls to make a duplex or do something else, it's entirely up to you."
"No need, I really like the one we just saw. There's no need to go to all that trouble."
Ye Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Since you chose that one, then this one next door... is mine."
Looking at the empty white walls, he added:
"There hasn't been time to furnish this place yet."
"So, before the place next door is renovated," he lowered his head slightly, a smile hidden in his dark eyes, "I might need to 'crash' in your study, or on your sofa."
Bella gasped, pointing at the stark white walls. "Who are you kidding? You never planned to live next door, did you?"
"How could that be? I simply prioritized spending my energy on my own little doll."
He then led her back to the first apartment they had looked at and shut the door to the empty one with a loud thud.
As he spoke, he pulled out a brand-new pair of obviously men's slippers from the shoe cabinet in the entryway.
Bella stared at the slippers, her mind buzzing. "You even prepared slippers! Ye Jinzhi, this is premeditated!"
"It's called taking precautions."
"No way, you clearly have your own home. What are you doing coming over here?"
Bella spread her arms to block his path.
Ye Jinzhi finished changing his shoes and stood up straight; he was much taller than Bella.
"There is nothing next door."
"Then go back to your own villa."
Bella crossed her arms, leaned against the back of the sofa, and put on a "no room for negotiation" posture, bringing out her trump card:
"Let me tell you, Ye Jinzhi, if you insist on crashing here, then I'm not moving into this new place."
Ye Jinzhi paused.
He looked up at Bella, his gaze lingering for a few seconds.
Bella instinctively puffed out her chest, trying to make herself look more intimidating—after all, this was a "weakness" she had finally managed to grasp.
The air fell silent for a moment. Bella thought she had finally won for once.
Who knew that upon hearing her say this, a smile would quickly flash in Ye Jinzhi's eyes.
"Fine."
"The soft furnishings for next door can be brought in within three days at the earliest. In a few days, I'll openly move next door to be your 'neighbor'."
As he spoke, he casually ruffled Bella's little head.
"I'll help you move in on Saturday. The security at the residential gate is on standby twenty-four hours a day. I've already registered your fingerprints, so going in and out will be very convenient."
After saying that, he added, "Don't worry, this apartment was renovated a long time ago, and with the ventilation, there is absolutely no formaldehyde issue."
Without giving Bella a chance to retort, he grabbed her wrist, led her out the door, and turned off the lights, closing the door behind them.
"Let's go, downstairs."
Bella was led into the elevator by him, her mind still spinning on the phrase "no formaldehyde," thinking that this guy had indeed planned this all along.
"Where to?"
The elevator mirror reflected their figures, one tall and one short, looking surprisingly harmonious.
"Taking you home."
Ye Jinzhi watched the changing elevator numbers. "Saturday morning, I'll be downstairs at your place right on time."
Exiting the residential complex, Bella saw the Cullinan.
The car drove smoothly toward the urban village, stopping at the narrow alley entrance.
"I'm going up, don't get out."
Bella pushed the car door open, took two steps, and then turned back, meeting his eyes directly.
"Ye Jinzhi." She called his name with rare seriousness.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
After saying that, she scurried away like a wisp of smoke.
Ye Jinzhi watched her back disappear from sight, lowering his head with a chuckle. "She sure runs fast."
