Ye Feng casually took out the keys from his pocket and walked to his door. The two maintenance workers had already noticed his presence.
“What are you guys up to?”
Ye Feng acted familiarly and greeted them first.
One of the maintenance workers looked Ye Feng up and down and said with a smile, “Hello, sir. We’re from the apartment’s property management. We’re here today to check if there’s any aging in the pipelines. We’ll record everything here.”
“Oh? Will there be any additional property fees? The rent for this place is already high enough. I can’t afford more.”
Ye Feng inserted the key into the lock, raising his voice slightly.
“Tsk…”
Though the sound was faint, Ye Feng still heard the disdain in the maintenance worker’s voice. After a moment, the worker continued in a gentle tone, “No, sir. These so-called maintenance fees will be covered by the property management. You don’t need to worry.”
“I see.”
Ye Feng noticed that his neighbor’s inspection was complete, and his turn was next. He took a deep breath and prepared to open the door.
He had delayed for so long. Xie Yuyan should have had enough time to hide. As long as they could get through this inspection, he believed those people would leave for good.
“Alright, sir. We need to inspect your apartment now. Please cooperate with us.”
The two maintenance workers slowly walked to Ye Feng’s door, holding a list of all the apartment’s room numbers.
“Fine, but make it quick. I’m already exhausted from work.”
Ye Feng turned the doorknob, and the door swung open. He walked into the room, maintaining a calm expression.
After turning on the bedroom light, the pitch-dark living room finally had some illumination. Ye Feng walked in while keeping an eye out for any trace of Xie Yuyan.
Fortunately, everything was as he expected. There was no sign of anyone on the sofa or in the kitchen. Everything was spotless, making it seem like Ye Feng was the only one living there.
“Hurry up. The kitchen and bathroom are over there.”
Ye Feng pointed in two directions and sat down on the sofa, seemingly indifferent to the two workers entering his home.
One of the maintenance workers went into the bathroom, while the other headed to the kitchen. The ticking of the clock in the living room made the world feel eerily quiet.
......
“Hello, sir. Everything is normal. No safety hazards were found. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
One of the maintenance workers walked over and bowed slightly to Ye Feng.
“It’s fine. Just close the door on your way out. I don’t feel like moving.”
“Tch… Understood, sir. Have a nice day.”
The two workers left the room with expressionless faces. After closing Ye Feng’s door, they knocked on the next resident’s door.
......
“Phew…”
Ye Feng finally let out a sigh of relief, his anxiety easing significantly.
Thankfully, Xie Yuyan was clever. Otherwise, things could have gotten messy.
Ye Feng took off his jacket and headed to his room. He didn’t need to think twice to know Xie Yuyan was hiding inside.
“Click.”
As the door opened, Ye Feng saw Xie Yuyan in her pajamas, holding a dagger, hiding behind the door with a serious expression.
When she realized it was Ye Feng, she quickly put the dagger away. A thin layer of sweat was visible on her forehead, and she was breathing heavily. Even the buttons on her pajamas were misaligned. It seemed the sudden inspection had really stressed her out.
But why were her pajama buttons messed up? Did she just change her clothes?
“They… they’re gone?”
Xie Yuyan’s icy expression softened slightly when she saw Ye Feng.
“Yeah, they’re gone.”
“Does that mean… we’re safe now?”
“For now, yes.”
“That’s… that’s great…”
Xie Yuyan let go of the dagger and rushed into Ye Feng’s arms. Soon, Ye Feng felt his shirt becoming damp around his chest.
Unlike usual, Ye Feng didn’t stop her. He let her vent the negative emotions she had been holding in. Her crying was silent, likely because she was afraid of being heard.
“It’s okay. Everything’s fine now.”
Ye Feng reached out and gently patted her hair to comfort her.
“Ye Feng… I’m so glad…”
Xie Yuyan lifted her head from Ye Feng’s chest, her eyes still slightly red and swollen.
“From now on, I can keep cooking so many delicious meals for you~”
“......”
Was that why she was crying? This girl…
“I’ve bought you a new phone. Do you want to try it now?”
“Really?”
Xie Yuyan raised her eyebrows, her surprised expression tinged with joy. She hugged Ye Feng again.
“Thank you, Ye Feng!”
Now she could finally contact him when he wasn’t home. Otherwise, those annoying kids would keep pushing their luck!
“You’re welcome. Let’s go out now. I feel like the room’s a bit stuffy.”
“Ah! That… that’s probably because I was so nervous earlier! Come on, let’s go out. I can’t wait to use the new phone.”
Xie Yuyan glanced at Ye Feng’s bed, and after confirming there were no obvious traces, she pushed him out of the room.
“Oh…”
As soon as they reached the sofa, Ye Feng was about to speak when Xie Yuyan covered his mouth.
“Mmm…?”
A faint, delicate fragrance wafted from Xie Yuyan’s palm into Ye Feng’s mouth.
Strange. This scent wasn’t from her body wash. Did she buy hand cream? But she hadn’t left the room.
While Ye Feng was puzzled, Xie Yuyan looked at her hand and widened her eyes. She quickly pulled her hand back and whispered into Ye Feng’s ear before he could ask anything, “Shh, Ye Feng, don’t say anything yet. Can you tell me where those two people went? I’m afraid they might have planted listening devices or something.”
Ye Feng nodded and pointed toward the kitchen and bathroom. Xie Yuyan nodded back and walked to the kitchen……
“Phew… everything’s clear. It’s all normal.”
Xie Yuyan soon emerged from the bathroom, finally speaking in her usual tone.
“That’s good. I heard the two in the hallway have left. They’re probably heading to the next floor by now.”
Xie Yuyan sat beside Ye Feng, her face full of anticipation. “Alright, let’s get to the main event! Bring out the phone now.”
“Sure.”