Chapter 125: This Cannot Be Negotiated

After he parted ways with Ma Qianli, it was already dark, so Chen Qi took a taxi straight back to the rental room.

Because the shockwave from the 4S car dealership incident still lingered, he no longer felt comfortable using public transportation. It wasn’t that he feared being recognized; rather, he always felt uneasy at the thought of being spotted with that “good man” label on his back.

On the way home, he checked the online mood as well. Strange voices had already begun to circulate. Rumors from somewhere claimed that he would surely take advantage of this wave of heat and make easy money this time, and several people had already nodded in agreement. Chen Qi searched around out of curiosity, but he still couldn’t trace where the message had originated. He couldn’t tell whether some independent media outlets were performing a fortune-teller’s act, or whether someone was simply stirring things up.

After a while, he even considered whether he should stage another stunt of disappearance to wipe away the impact left by the affair, but after thinking it through, he decided to let it go. He shouldn’t be roaming out here at this moment. Better to keep a low profile. Netizens are forgetful; this matter would pass with time.

In fact, he had a few messy little things to sort out in these days, and since he seemed to have little else to do anyway, he decided to stay quiet for a while.

Back in the rental room, Chen Qi employed the same old trick again. He found two relatively active classmates in the class group chat, added them using an alternate account, and with a casual pretext asked about teachers he had once dealt with frequently. Driven by money, he quickly extracted the information and memorized it.

After that, he also searched online for maps and details about Jingda University. Though he did not know when Teacher Song would call him next, and though he intended not to publicly speak about returning to Jingda unless he was cornered into doing so, there were still some things that should be prepared in advance.

The next day, a little after ten in the morning, Su Xiaoxiao called him.

“The new rental is fully set up.”

“Fine, got it.”
After hanging up, Chen Qi started sorting his belongings and preparing to move.

Since he had always treated this place as a temporary stop, he did not have much with him: just simple kitchen tools and a few household items. Everything could be packed up and carried away in a single taxi.

When he arrived at the new rental, the room immediately made his eyes brighten. A spotless, untouched space combined with brand-new furniture and appliances felt unusually comforting, and with a few thoughtful accents and careful arrangements, it had even grown warm. It truly felt a little like home.

He put down what he had brought and walked through the room with an appreciative eye. Since the furniture had just been moved in, the apartment had clearly been cleaned again; otherwise it could not have looked this pristine. Even the dining table and chairs were arranged with such neatness and beauty. Of course, this had to be Su Xiaoxiao’s doing.

Chen Qi gave a slight approving nod and checked the bedroom. On the new bed, a fresh quilt was folded neatly. Su Xiaoxiao had even carefully tucked the quilt into its cover. The room remained spotless.

He smiled, poured himself a glass of water, and sat on the balcony. As he felt the soft breeze, he gazed at everything within sight for a long time. His mind, all at once, became much calmer.

For the next two days he spent his time in this new rental. Aside from buying groceries at the supermarket, he barely went out. As he had expected, the online noise around the 4S incident was gradually fading.

And the retaliation everyone had worried about never came. At least Chen Qi felt no pressure from the outside world—whether the other side was too busy to bother with a small player like him, or simply couldn’t find a suitable angle.

On the third day, Chen Qi had planned to keep to the room and finish copying the remaining drafts of his novel *Xianxia World*, but after checking the time, he suddenly remembered something and, in the afternoon, headed to the studio.

The studio door was open. He went in directly. In the days he hadn’t been there, its layout had become much richer; the combinations and colors were surprisingly pleasant. In any case, he felt this studio looked far more attractive than Xu Bunian’s place.

Just as he looked around with a sense of satisfaction, Su Xiaoxiao came out wearing a floral long dress, carrying a broom.

“Ah—Boss!”

When she saw Chen Qi, she was clearly taken aback. Her ease vanished in an instant, replaced by tension. She hurriedly set the broom aside and ran to him, waiting like a subordinate for instructions.

Chen Qi glanced at her. “How’s the setup?”

She replied quickly. “It’s all done. There are just a few small items that can only be delivered tomorrow.”

Chen Qi nodded and said no more, then wandered through the studio on his own. Su Xiaoxiao dashed to a nearby drawer, took out a prepared list of purchases and an expense ledger, and nervously followed after him, as if he might find some flaw and be displeased. To her quiet relief, he seemed pleased with everything.

“Nice,” he said, “the setup is very good—much better than I imagined.”
Su Xiaoxiao exhaled with relief, the tension in her chest easing a little, and handed him the lists.

Chen Qi skimmed them briefly, then handed them back. “Put them in my office. I’ll look at them when I have time.”

“Okay.”

After touring the studio once, Chen Qi stopped and asked about school.

“Your school should be preparing for term as well, right?”

If Teacher Song hadn’t called the other day, Chen Qi almost would have forgotten that Su Xiaoxiao had to go back for school.

“Yes. New students have already started checking in, so we can be a few days late.”

Chen Qi nodded lightly, then said after a moment, “After you finish setting things up here tomorrow, go back and get ready for school. You don’t need to come here anymore for now. If there’s anything, I’ll call you.”

Su Xiaoxiao looked up at him as if about to say something.

“This cannot be negotiated,” Chen Qi said, in a tone that left no room for argument. “You must go back.”

She bit her lip and stayed silent. Realizing that her finances were in a dire state, Chen Qi took out his phone and transferred 13,000 yuan to her.

“Three thousand is your wage for this half month. The remaining ten thousand I’ll slowly deduct from your salary later. Go.”

After he said that, Chen Qi turned and left.

“Boss, your keys.” Su Xiaoxiao came running after him with the key to the rental.

“Leave it with you for now.”

“...Oh.”