Apocalypse Mode: My Cheat Code Virtual Boyfriend - Chapter 8

Golden real estate agent Brother Liu woke up bright and early. As the saying goes, success favors the prepared. The moment he logged into his work account, he received a message left from the previous night.

The person was inquiring about when they could view the large flat at East City Yipin.

Although that large flat was for rent rather than sale, the monthly rent alone was 23,000 yuan, and the agency fee, equivalent to the first month’s rent, made it a decent deal.

Brother Liu replied: “Hello, I’m available from 9 to 10 this morning. Would that work for you to view the property?”

The other party seemed to have stayed up all night, replying immediately: “That works. Let’s meet at the main south gate of East City Yipin at 9.”

Bai Xun indeed hadn’t slept well last night. He and Cheng Wei had spent half the night weighing various factors before finally settling on this large flat at East City Yipin.

The flat was about 320 square meters, with two households sharing one elevator. It had five bedrooms, two living rooms, and three bathrooms, located on the 33rd floor. From floor height and privacy to security, it perfectly met their needs.

Moreover, it was only a little over two kilometers away from the three-story house where the Bai family currently lived, making moving convenient.

While Bai Xun was replying to the message, Cheng Wei also woke up, drowsily wrapping his tail around Bai Xun’s hand. “Not going back to sleep?”

Bai Xun gently pinched the tip of Cheng Wei’s tail before tucking it back under the blanket. “I’m done sleeping. You can snooze for another half hour. We’re going to view the flat at East City Yipin at 9.”

Cheng Wei slowly poked his head out from under the blanket. It wasn’t that the bed was uncomfortable, he could smell the aroma of leek pockets frying in the kitchen downstairs.

“Auntie’s cooking smells amazing.”

Bai Xun’s gaze unconsciously fell on the two slightly twitching furry ears. His hands itched, he wanted to ruffle them.

As if sensing his thoughts, Cheng Wei’s ears perked up slightly, like a curious kitten listening intently.

Now he wanted to ruffle them even more.

Suppressing the urge, Bai Xun pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed. “Let’s get up then. Brush your teeth, wash your face, and have breakfast. We’ll be busy these next few days.”

Downstairs in the kitchen, the oil in the large iron wok was sizzling hot. Palm-sized leek pockets, crimped along the edges, were slapped into the wok by a flour-dusted hand.

The hand moved swiftly and steadily, placing five leek pockets into the wok at once. The sizzle of hot oil rose and fell, and the crispy fried dough immediately released the toasty aroma of wheat flour.

Once one side of the leek pockets turned golden brown, a pair of long bamboo chopsticks, usually used for flipping fried dough sticks, turned each one over.

“We’re having leek pockets today, Mom,” Bai Xun said as he ambled into the kitchen. He took a deep-bottomed porcelain bowl from the sterilized cabinet and naturally took over the bamboo chopsticks from Bai Guifang.

“Are Cheng Wei and your sister awake yet?” Bai Guifang freed her hands to quickly roll out the dough wrappers. With half a basin of leek, egg, and vermicelli filling left, she needed to wrap them all up quickly.

“Cheng Wei is outside watching TV with Grandma, and Sister isn’t up yet,” Bai Xun replied. Seeing that the leek pockets were almost done, he used the chopsticks to lift them out one by one.

“Take the millet porridge out as well. Go wake your sister up, there’s still a pile of things to pack. While you two go check out the apartment, we’ll handle the packing here. Once the contract is signed, we’ll call the moving company tomorrow to move everything.” Bai Guifang’s hands never stopped moving, and in no time, a neat row of leek-stuffed pancakes was arranged on the cutting board. “Scoop a bowl of the thin porridge for your grandma, she likes the top layer of millet broth. Xiao Cheng is a guest, so give him the thicker part from the bottom. Alright, put down the chopsticks and get out of here, don’t make a mess.”

“Got it, Mom.” Bai Xun was shooed out of the kitchen. With the thin and thick millet porridge ready, he headed upstairs to knock on Bai Yu’s door.

Bai Yu was curled up in her bedsheet, sleeping like the dead. Last night, she had helped pack a bunch of things until her back ached, but she stubbornly sketched a set of rough drafts about her brother and sister-in-law’s love story. She only fell asleep in the early hours of the morning when she couldn’t hold on any longer.

Bai Xun knocked for quite a while before finally rousing her.

Back downstairs, Cheng Wei was staring intently at the millet porridge in front of him, head lowered. Bai Xun thought to himself, The porridge isn’t thin enough to use as a mirror, is it? Maybe he doesn’t like the breakfast?

“You don’t like sweet millet porridge?” he asked.

“I wanted to wait for you,” Cheng Wei looked up, his expression slightly awkward. His ears twitched as if he were a bit nervous. “And for Auntie and your sister too.”

“Xiao Cheng must be waiting for my grandson,” Grandma Bai didn’t hold back. After saying this, she lowered her head to take a sip of millet porridge, hiding her knowing smile.

“Hahaha.” Bai Xun forced a laugh to ease the awkwardness. “No need to wait. Our family is pretty casual, if you’re hungry, just eat.”

Oh no, the type I like seems to like me back.

What do I do? Waiting online, urgent!

Fortunately, Cheng Wei didn’t look over. He lowered his head and quietly started eating breakfast, though the tip of his tail under the table curled upward like a candy cane, swaying slightly from side to side.

Bai Xun didn’t dare say more. He quickly picked up a leek pancake to go with the millet porridge. Distraction through delicious food, activate!

After quickly finishing breakfast, Bai Xun and Cheng Wei headed out together. Today, they weren’t just going to check out the apartment and sign the contract, they also needed to buy some supplies mentioned in the “Rebirth in the Apocalypse” document that could help them survive the early stages of the apocalypse.

Time was tight, and the task was heavy. Bai Xun stepped on the gas of their family’s Wuling mini-truck, making it drive with the flair of a Rolls-Royce.

The heavy rain had been pouring for two days. Their neighborhood was relatively fine, with water only ankle-deep. As the tires rolled over the puddles, they splashed fan-shaped sprays of water as high as a person.

Luckily, there weren’t many people on the streets, splashing water on passersby like that would earn them a scolding.

Bai Xun turned on the car stereo, which randomly played a calm and soothing foreign song. The ethereal female voice brought the raindrops, isolated outside the car window, into the small cabin, filling it with a gentle, damp atmosphere.

“We’ll pick up a few sets of clothes for you later. My clothes don’t fit you very well,” he said, keeping his eyes on the windshield wipers as he spoke to Cheng Wei in the passenger seat.

“It’s fine as long as I can wear them. Your clothes are nice.” Cheng Wei’s tail, hidden beside his leg, moved slightly, the tip curling up to brush faintly against the hem of his clothes.

The clothes carry Bai Xun’s scent. It’s comforting. I like it.

“After we finish viewing the apartment and signing the contract, I’ll take you to buy some clothes. It’s settled, no objections. You’re entirely mine, so what’s wrong with buying you a few outfits?” Bai Xun blurted out before realizing what he had just said, his face instantly flushing bright red.

In the game, he often bought clothes, furniture, and various limited-time event items for Cheng Wei, whether they required grinding or spending money. His catchphrase while gaming was, “My wife is entirely mine, so what’s wrong with spending a little on her?”

He wasn’t sure if he had suddenly channeled some domineering CEO energy, but the words had slipped out before he could stop himself.

Cheng Wei’s tail fur bristled, and the hair on his ears stood on end. If he were to transform into his snow leopard form right now, he would likely resemble a spiky sea urchin radiating intense heat or a fluffy pink dandelion ball about to have its seeds blown away.

He let out a soft “Mm” and fell silent. For a long while, only the gentle melody of the song filled the quiet space between them as the rain grew heavier outside.

Bai Xun didn’t dare say another word and focused on driving in silence. It wasn’t until he parked the car in a temporary spot outside East City Yipin that the deep blush on his face finally faded completely.

Brother Liu, dressed in a black suit with a briefcase tucked under his arm and his hair slicked back in a neat middle part, greeted them with a practiced smile. Even before Bai Xun had fully ascended the two steps to the main entrance of the sales office, Liu stepped forward to shake his hand.

“You must be Mr. Bai, here to view the apartment today. I’m the real estate agent you contacted yesterday, just call me Xiao Liu.” Brother Liu shook hands with both of them, skillfully balancing his attention between the clients.

“Yes, that’s right. Let’s go up and take a look at the apartment now,” Bai Xun replied, his eyes scanning the lobby. The security here seemed quite reliable, with multiple layers of access control.

Brother Liu swiped a resident card at the gate, leading them into the residential area.

“The owner of this apartment works abroad, so they’ve entrusted us to handle all the contract matters. Although this unit is on a higher floor, the residential complex offers comprehensive facilities…” Brother Liu enthusiastically listed the various advantages of this spacious flat, determined to secure this client today.

Bai Xun listened attentively, occasionally nodding or offering brief acknowledgments.

Cheng Wei trailed behind them, his feline instincts prompting him to discreetly assess the new environment to ensure its safety.

Brother Liu led them to the middle section of the residential area. East City Yipin had well-maintained greenery and wide roads below, making it a sparsely populated yet spacious place relative to its living area.

After swiping the card to enter the elevator, Brother Liu pressed the button for the 33rd floor. With only the three of them inside and no stops on other floors, they arrived in just two minutes.

The owner of the flat hadn’t followed the trend of installing the latest digital locks, opting instead for a traditional key. Upon opening the door, they were greeted by a sophisticated, minimalist interior in shades of gray, blue, and black-and-white. The gray-blue marble floors complemented the monochromatic furnishings, creating an almost austere yet elegant atmosphere.

Brother Liu quickly stepped forward and pressed a control panel on the living room wall, causing the gray-blue curtains on both sides to slowly draw open.

The original balcony area had been opened up and replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows. Though now all that could be seen were the rain-streaked glass and the gloomy sky outside, on clear nights, one could gaze out at the dazzling lights of the CBD.

On such nights, dressed in a silk robe and swirling a glass of sparkling champagne, leaning against the window with just a single floor lamp lit to admire the night view of the CBD’s lights, it perfectly satisfied the pretentious needs of high-end individuals.

Brother Liu was well aware of this: “Look at these floor-to-ceiling windows. Because the floor is high enough, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the night lights of the Post and Telecommunications Building and the TV tower over there. Once the rain stops, you’ll get to see the most beautiful city nightscape.”

Bai Xun nodded, thinking to himself that he might never have such an opportunity in this lifetime. However, the sealed windows happened to suit his plans perfectly, less balcony meant more storage space.

Cheng Wei walked over to the window and lightly tapped the floor-to-ceiling glass twice. The material was tempered glass, hard and difficult to shatter, likely capable of withstanding a strike from the flying mutated creatures in the early stages of the apocalypse.

Brother Liu showed them all the rooms. Of the five bedrooms and two bathrooms, only three were furnished with beds, while the other two were empty. Perhaps the owner had been dispatched for labor before deciding what to do with them, leaving no time to furnish them.

Bai Xun was quite satisfied. He and Brother Liu signed the contract at the dining table, exchanging money for the key card. With that, the large apartment was officially rented to them.

This would be their strategic stronghold for the next month.

After bidding farewell to Brother Liu, only Bai Xun and Cheng Wei remained in their new home. Their next task was a major shopping spree.