Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 28

“Hello, President Chu. I’m Xiao Wu, a real estate agent from Aijia Property.”

Chu Yunjing had just returned to her office when the agent called to inform her that another office building had become available. Apparently, the previous tenant’s contract expired today, and they were already moving out.

She had looked at several office buildings recently and had been dissatisfied with all of them. To be honest, she didn’t have high expectations for the agent’s pitch. If she truly couldn’t find a suitable place, she would have no choice but to renew her current lease.

The location the agent described was 4 kilometers away in a straight line—about a 20-minute drive. It was less than a ten-minute walk from a subway entrance, making the location excellent. The area was surrounded by various restaurants, a cinema, and large shopping malls. Not only was it convenient for commuting, but staff could also go shopping or catch a movie after work.

Chu Yunjing liked the environment of this district immediately, but from what she knew, there weren’t supposed to be any office buildings available for rent in this park recently.

When Xu Lu saw the surroundings, her first thought was that the rent definitely wouldn’t be cheap, especially with the agent taking a commission.

As the two stepped out of the car, the real estate agent immediately greeted them with a standard professional smile and a shrewd, calculating expression.

“President Chu, let me introduce the area to you.” The agent led them toward the destination, naturally offering a series of flatteries—the usual tactic to justify a higher price later.

“Look, our office is just ahead. It’s only fifty meters past that lake. There are casual diners, coffee shops, and milk tea stores within the park. As you saw when you arrived, it’s very close to the subway. It’s a very convenient place to work, meeting all your requirements for easy transportation.”

While the agent prattled on, Chu Yunjing simply listened in silence. When they reached the building, its appearance matched the agent’s description. It was a four-story office building with a modern black-and-white design that looked quite aesthetically pleasing.

Standing downstairs, they saw a moving company loading the last of the items into a truck; it looked like the previous tenants were almost finished.

“President Chu, the contract for this building expires today, and it hasn’t even been listed on our official website yet. I guarantee that once this goes up, owners will be calling off the hook! I contacted you the moment I got the data. It perfectly fits your requirements—you’ll be satisfied!” the agent promised confidently. From the moment he saw this property today, he had been ready to “slaughter” this “little fat sheep” to hit his sales targets.

The movers soon drove away, leaving the building empty. The agent led them inside.

As the afternoon sun began to set, the office was filled with excellent natural light; the warm yellow glow reflecting off the glass felt very cozy. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors on the first floor, one could see the landscaped gardens outside. The office also featured a small dining area, fully equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, and coffee machine.

The largest room on the third floor was the executive office. It had a clear, open view through a massive glass door, overlooking the setting sun, the artificial gardens, and the lake.

The biggest surprise was the fourth floor—a dedicated employee lounge that even included a small gym. The focus on work-life balance felt quite humane.

Seeing that Chu Yunjing looked satisfied, the agent immediately added, “President Chu, as you can see, this building has a large footprint. It can easily accommodate a hundred workstations, and it’s beautifully decorated and furnished. It’s perfect for a medium-sized company like yours.”

He rubbed his hands together. “I’m sure you’re very pleased. I can guarantee you won’t find a better value anywhere else in this area!”

Chu Yunjing glanced at him, took a sip of the mineral water Xu Lu handed her, and finally spoke the line the agent had been waiting for: “The rent?”

“President Chu, this location is near the subway and it’s a standalone building. The rent will be slightly higher than the ones I showed you before, but the value is the highest!” The agent paused. “Since we’ve worked together before, I won’t overcharge you. I’ll give you the company’s floor price: 150,000 a month. You definitely won’t find another standalone office for less than that around here!”

Chu Yunjing raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue. Her expression didn’t change much; having seen several properties, she knew the tricks of the trade.

The agent took her silence as acceptance and struck while the iron was hot. “President Chu, the building comes with desks, chairs, and furniture, but there is a separate transfer fee for those.”

“Oh.” Chu Yunjing’s tone went up an octave. So that’s the catch.

Renting a single floor in a building usually cost a few tens of thousands a month based on square footage, often with furniture and utilities included. Chu Yunjing knew a standalone building would be more expensive. A rent of 150,000 wasn’t exactly an astronomical “heavenly price,” but it was certainly expensive. With a minimum one-year lease, she would have to shell out nearly two million upfront.

If she hadn’t been attracted to the freedom a standalone building offered, she wouldn’t have listened to another word from this agent. Of course, the agent was counting on exactly that.

She calmly sparred with the agent for several rounds. Judging by their expressions, the agent actually seemed more nervous than she was; beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. Finally, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

They settled on a rent of 120,000 per month, including all furniture and waiving the transfer fee.

The agent’s heart was bleeding. If it weren’t for the fact that today was his department’s sales competition deadline and he was just a few sales away from a bonus, he never would have yielded so much!

“President Chu, please wait a moment. I’ll check with headquarters and have my colleague send over the contract.”

Chu Yunjing had agreed to sign immediately if he made the concessions. It wasn’t just the agent who wanted to lock it in; she was tired of the headache of house-hunting, and the building truly was nice.

However, when things go too smoothly, something usually goes wrong.

“President Chu…” The agent returned after his phone call.

His cheerful expression was gone, replaced by the look of a defeated rooster. The word “gloom” was practically written on his face.

“I am terribly sorry, but this property is no longer available for rent.”

Chu Yunjing frowned and said nothing. The atmosphere became eerie, and the agent felt incredibly bitter. This time, he had failed both sides.

He had assumed that because the contract expired today, the landlord would continue to let the agency handle it, so he had acted prematurely. He hadn’t expected that when he called the office, he’d find out the landlord had suddenly withdrawn the agency’s rights just an hour ago.

Having made the trip for nothing, Chu Yunjing felt like throwing the man out. Xu Lu gave the agent a harsh scolding. If it weren’t for the fact that the agent was pathetically apologetic and swore he would find a satisfactory office within the week, she would have blacklisted the real estate company entirely.

By the time they left the park, it was already late. Xu Lu was past her clock-out time; Chu Yunjing offered her a ride, but she declined. Seeing Xu Lu’s sweet expression, Chu Yunjing knew she must have a date with her boyfriend and didn’t insist.

Chu Yunjing returned to her apartment alone. She rarely cooked for herself—she only used the kitchen when Qi Ning stayed over on weekends—so she ordered takeout from her usual restaurant.

The office she saw today had been her favorite so far, but unfortunately, the landlord had changed their mind. Just when she thought the search was over, it turned out to be a false hope.

After dinner, Chu Yunjing logged into Zuire again. That “ostrich” still hadn’t come online today. She let out a silent sigh. If she had known, she should have asked for contact info; now, finding the person was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Around ten o’clock, Qi Ning called. Seeing the name, Chu Yunjing instinctively assumed Qi Ning wanted her to act as a delivery service again. She answered and immediately said, “Where is it this time?”

“Huh?” The person on the other end was baffled. “What do you mean ‘where’?”

So it’s not that.

“What’s up?” Chu Yunjing asked instead.

“You mentioned you were looking for an office. Did you find one?”

“…” Bringing it up reminded Chu Yunjing of today’s fiasco. She said irritably, “No. It’s not that easy to find.”

The other end let out a couple of giggles. Chu Yunjing knew immediately that Qi Ning had news, otherwise, she wouldn’t laugh like that.

Sure enough, Qi Ning said proudly, “Let me tell you, I found one for you! It’s my friend’s own property. A standalone office with great transport links, no middleman taking a cut—it perfectly fits your requirements!” She suddenly thought of something and hissed, “Wait, I forgot to ask about the rent!”

“It’s fine.” Chu Yunjing trusted Qi Ning. “Since it’s your friend, the price won’t be higher than an agent’s. If it’s okay, I’ll just rent it.”

Hearing this, Qi Ning was actually a bit touched by the trust. When Shu Mingyao mentioned she had a property that just became vacant, she told Qi Ning to check it out tomorrow and decide then, so Qi Ning hadn’t asked too many details. While Shu Mingyao was a friend, Qi Ning’s loyalty naturally leaned toward Chu Yunjing.

Worried that Chu Yunjing might go alone, feel dissatisfied, but find it hard to refuse and end up at a disadvantage, Qi Ning decided to go with her the next day. After they hung up, she sent Shu Mingyao’s WeChat contact to Chu Yunjing so they could start chatting.

Now that I think about it, knowing a rich older sister is quite convenient, Qi Ning thought. If the interior needs a redesign, I can handle it; the company’s engineering department can handle the renovation with an employee discount. Tsk tsk, with a thoughtful best friend like me, this woman must have done some incredible good deeds in her past lives!

When she switched back to her phone’s home screen, the icon for Zuire caught her eye again. Qi Ning stared at it, wanting to click it several times before pulling her hand back.

She felt what You Man had said wasn’t without merit. She had almost forgotten this was a dating app, where almost everyone’s goal was to stop being single.

She and Yun Yu had been chatting for a while, but Yun Yu had never brought up making things official. Since Yun Yu already had an “ex” before her, it meant she was open to online dating! So why was she being so “shy” now? Could it be that Yun Yu truly just saw her as a friend? Otherwise, why would she mention the ex without any hesitation? Meanwhile, Qi Ning felt like a fool for overthinking everything.

That jerk is infuriating, she thought. During these days I’ve been offline, has she gone off to find someone else? Or is she waiting for me, with messages waiting for the moment I log back in?

She still didn’t have the courage to uncover the answer to that riddle.

Support