Hard to Deceive

“……”

Wen Yifan felt that she was going to get influenced by Sang Yan if this kept going on.

——She had travelled a thousand miles just to witness the charm of a man who was titled the icon of his bar, and her heart was moved even when she knew that he was her former admirer. After which, she did everything possible just to obtain a sense of existence in front of him.

Everything she did in front of him seemed to bring a purpose.

Wen Yifan endured the urge to roast him and calmly replied: Oh, I left it in your car.

Wen Yifan: Sorry to trouble you again. Can I get it from you when you’re free?

After thinking about it, she felt that they could completely avoid meeting up: What about leaving my keys at your bar? I’ll go to the bar to get it. Is it okay?

He didn’t reply immediately.

Wen Yifan was not in a hurry, so she didn’t waste her time waiting for his reply. She continued her work and carefully revised her first draft to submit it to the editor. When she heard her phone rang, she picked up her phone and glanced at it.

Sang Yan: I won’t be free for the next few days.

Wen Yifan patiently asked: Then, when will you be free?

The next moment.

Sang Yan replied with a voice message, his tone was lazy, “Saturday night.”

Saturday night…

Wen Yifan considered for a while.

Sunday was her day off.

She could take the keys from him on Saturday night and return the keys to the landlord on Sunday, which seemed to be a perfect plan. She just had to inform the landlord that she would be a few days late, which shouldn’t be a problem.

Wen Yifan: Alright.

Wen Yifan: Why don’t we meet at ‘OverTime’ or somewhere near your house?

Wen Yifan: I don’t want to trouble you and make you travel too far.

After half a minute, Sang Yan sent two voice messages.

Wen Yifan clicked on the first one.

From the tone, she could tell Sang Yan was smiling inexplicably as he said slowly: My house?

“……”

Wen Yifan’s eyelids twitched.

Once the first voice message finished playing, the next voice message was automatically played.

Wen Yifan realized Sang Yan’s tone of voice was delivering a message: Don’t reveal your intentions so obviously. However, he did not mention it directly: Hmm? Don’t. 

Sang Yan: Come to the entrance of ‘OverTime’.

“……”

She thought that they would get along with each other normally since they had taken off their masks. However, Sang Yan had a sense of superiority which was probably due to him being courted by many girls in recent years.

As a result, he would probably think that others had intentions to do so whenever anything happened. 

At this moment, Wen Yifan clearly realized that she had to pay more attention when speaking to Sang Yan.

She mustn’t say anything too personal to him.

Wen Yifan sighed and replied: Okay.

Then, Wen Yifan placed her mobile phone aside.

The editor just happened to send her an email with opinions to revise her report. Wen Yifan opened it and noticed the time at the bottom right of her computer.

Her thoughts were all over the place.

She suddenly recalled the time when she met Sang Yan, it seemed to be after the New Year. The keys should’ve gone missing at that time, and it had since been almost a week.

Why is he telling me about the keys now?

He didn’t want to contact me, so he waited for me to contact him?

There seems to be such a possibility.

Wen Yifan didn’t care too much about it anymore.

After working overtime, Wen Yifan returned home.

She saw Wang Linlin lying on the sofa as soon as she entered her house. She was watching TV while applying a mask, with a bowl of fruit salad beside her. She seemed to be in a good mood as she was humming.

Wen Yifan greeted her, “Linlin.”

Wang Linlin murmured, “You’re back. You’re quite early today.”

“Yeah, there isn’t much work today.”

“This job is exhausting, isn’t it?” Wang Linlin complained, “Many people have left during the years when I was in . Who could stand working overtime without pay? Look at how many people in our group had fallen sick. Their salaries are all spent visiting the hospital.”

Wen Yifan smiled, “I think it’s still bearable.”

“By the way, Yifan.” Wang Linlin said as she got up, “Did you get up in the middle of the night yesterday?”

Wen Yifan was stunned, “No.”

Wang Linlin casually mentioned, “I could be dreaming, I thought that I heard some noise in the living room when I was half asleep. I think it was three o’clock in the morning when I checked.”

“......” After hearing what she said, Wen Yifan suddenly remembered one of her previous habits. However, it was a long time since she performed her habit, and Wang Linlin wasn’t sure about it either. Hence, she thought about it but decided not to mention it.

“Hmm.” Wen Yifan looked at the time and said, “Linlin, I’ll take a bath first.”

“Wait a minute, I have something to tell you.” Wang Linlin stopped her and patted the seat next to her, “Yifan, sit here and let’s have a talk.”

Wen Yifan went over there obediently, “What is it?”

“You have to promise me first.” Wang Linlin removed her mask and threw it into the trash can. She looked like she was trying to please Wen Yifan, “Don’t be mad after hearing me out.”

Wen Yifan nodded, “Okay.”

“I just told you that this job is really exhausting. A month's worth of salary couldn’t even afford a bag that my boyfriend bought me. I’ve reached my limit for working this long.” Wang Linlin added, “I’ve decided to quit, and I’ve already handed in my resignation letter to the director a few days ago. My cousin introduced me to a job, but it’s in Gaozikou…”

She paused and mumbled, “Don’t you think it’s quite far away from here?” 

Wen Yifan instantly understood what she meant, “Are you not going to live here anymore?”

Wang Linlin explained, “Don’t be angry, I didn’t know my new job would be so far away from here in the first place. I was thinking about sharing this unit with you.”

“……”

Wang Linlin’s attitude was better as usual, probably because she thought she was in the wrong, “I should be moving in a few days' time. I will definitely find you a new housemate before moving. Do you think this will work?”

Wen Yifan didn’t really feel anything about this matter.

She had thought about this possibility when she heard Su Tian saying Wang Linlin would resign earlier that day. So, she wasn’t too surprised, let alone being angry.

Wen Yifan remained gentle, “It’s okay, I understand. I’m happy for you that you can find a suitable job. You don’t have to worry too much about my housemate. I’ll think of a way myself.”

“Geez, Yifan, how kind of you!” Wang Linlin was relieved and held her arm coquettishly, “I’m worried that you would scold me. My previous housemate had a big fight with me about this matter.”

Wang Linlin started to complain after resolving this matter, “I am really speechless, I don’t think I did anything wrong. Can’t I move out? How would I know that I would move so soon after finding a housemate…”

Wen Yifan smiled without saying anything.

“But Yifan, you’re very reasonable.” Wang Linlin smiled sweetly, “I will definitely find you a reliable housemate.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry.” Wang Linlin added, “I’ll ask for your opinion before I start looking. I won’t force you to live with a person you don’t like.”

Wen Yifan agreed with her when she heard her promise.

“Sorry to bother you.”

Wang Linlin would be moving out once she finished the handover of her work and resignation. Because she had found a house in Gaozikou, she would be moving out by next weekend.

However, Wen Yifan was not in a hurry.

Since Wang Linlin had already paid the rent for that month.

She still had time to find a new housemate.

Wen Yifan didn’t know a lot of people in Nanwu city, and she had stopped contacting her former classmates. Although they had exchanged contacts in QQ back in those days, and there were quite a few classmates from Nanwu High School in her WeChat contacts, they didn’t contact one another.

So, they were unfamiliar with one another.

They were no different from strangers.

Wen Yifan decided to ask Zhong Siqiao for help.

After all, Zhong Siqiao grew up here, and she even furthered her tertiary studies in Nanwu. She definitely would know more people than her. Wen Yifan would also be at ease if her housemate was someone Zhong Siqiao introduced.

It was already Saturday night before she knew it.

Knowing that it was impossible for Sang Yan to message her first, Wen Yifan sent him a WeChat message when she was going to finish her work.

Sang Yan finally replied when it was almost eight o’clock: Come then.

Wen Yifan’s news outline wasn’t finished yet, but she couldn’t let Sang Yan wait for her. So she packed her stuff and planned to continue her writing when she got home. She bid farewell to the rest of her colleagues before leaving the office.

When she was about to reach the ‘Depraved Street’.

Wen Yifan took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Sang Yan: I’m almost there.

After a long walk, Wen Yifan reached the corridor that leads to the ‘Depraved Street’. Before she could go inside, she realized Sang Yan was standing outside the corridor.

He was leaning against the black lamppost, his skin was pale under the lights, and his expression was cold as usual. He was still wearing dark clothes and his grim appearance kept people away.

Wen Yifan didn’t expect Sang Yan to bring it to her personally.

She thought he would leave it at the bar, or have a waiter to give it to her.

She didn’t want to waste too much of his time, so she quickened her pace. Sang Yan had already realized her presence before she could call him. He raised his chin slightly and lazily before throwing the keys into her hands without saying a word.

Wen Yifan subconsciously got hold of it, “Thank you.”

Sang Yan slightly nodded.

Wen Yifan placed the keys in her pocket and wanted to hurry back home to finish her news outline. She never expected Sang Yan to say anything polite, so she took the initiative, “Then I won’t bother you anymore, I’ll go home now?”

He didn’t reply.

“I have troubled you for too many times recently.” Wen Yifan began to fake the courtesy since she thought that he would reject, “I’ll treat you to dinner when you’re free. I’m free at any time.”

Sang Yan smiled, “How many times do you want to mention this?”

Before she could answer, Sang Yan stared at her as if he could read what was on her mind. His lips curved into a small arc and said, “You won’t give up until I agree?”

“……”

“Okay.” Sang Yan seemed to be a little annoyed and said reluctantly, “Let’s do it today.”

“……”

Wen Yifan’s expression was stiff because she didn’t expect to get such a reply.

Sang Yan tilted his head when he realized her reaction, and he playfully said, “What?”

Wen Yifan was helpless, “Nothing, what do you want to eat?”

Sang Yan went in front, “Anything.”

Wen Yifan immediately asked, “Do you have anything you don’t eat?”

“A lot.”

“……”

Wen Yifan suggested, “Do you want to eat hotpot?”

Sang Yan, “No.”

Wen Yifan, “Barbeque?”

Sang Yan, “Smelly.”

Wen Yifan, “Sichuan cuisine?”

Sang Yan, “Too spicy.”

Wen Yifan, “How about porridge?”

Sang Yan, “I don’t eat porridge.”

“……”

Wen Yi had never seen anyone more annoying and difficult to serve than him.

She had always ordered food deliveries or cooked by herself as she seldom eats outside. Now, she really couldn’t think of anything else, Wen Yifan sighed and said with a good temper, “Then choose something you want to eat. I can eat anything.”

Sang Yan’s phone rang when he was about to speak.

He answered his phone call.

Both of them were close together, and the voice on the other end of the phone call loud, so Wen Yifan could clearly hear the person’s voice, “Sang Yan! Your house blew up!”

“......” Sang Yan frowned, “Speak properly.”

“F*ck, no. The house below yours blew up!” The person on the phone was getting more and more anxious, he even began to roar, “The fire is burning your house now! It’s almost burning down to ashes! Hurry back!!!”

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Wen Yifan immediately looked up and looked at his phone.

“……”

Sang Yan put his phone away from his ear as if he felt that it was noisy. He waited until the person had finished roaring before moving his phone back to his ear. His expression didn’t change at all, he said calmly, “Oh, help me to call 119.”

Then, he hung up the phone.

He looked at Wen Yifan as if nothing had happened, “Let’s go.”

Wen Yian, “Your house is on fire, aren’t you going home?”

Sang Yan questioned her back, “Am I a firefighter?”

“……”

After a few seconds.

Wen Yifan suddenly asked, “Just a question, can I ask where your house is?”

Sang Yan glanced at her, “Why?”

Wen Yifan took out her mobile phone from her pocket and said honestly, “I want to head over there to make a news report.”

“……”