Silent Testimony - Chapter 12

Inside the room, the discussions focusing on the case continued to rise and fall. By the window, Li Hewei stared intently at her phone screen, the text she had drafted in the WeChat dialogue box remaining unsent.

Your accommodation application didn’t pass? Why are you looking at rental websites?

She was straightforward by nature and typically did not beat around the bush when speaking or acting. However, when handling matters related to Tao Ling, she often hesitated. She attributed this caution to the fact that Tao Ling was intrinsically linked to her mission of transmigrating into the book, making it necessary to consider every step carefully.

Moreover, after spending over half a month together, she felt she had a preliminary understanding of Tao Ling’s personality. Likely troubled by her original family, she was introverted and sensitive, exuding a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of distance, and usually possessed a strong sense of self-respect, making her reluctant to accept kindness from others.

Boundary awareness at play, Li Hewei thought deeply and deleted the message.

At 9:10 p.m., Li Hewei was the last to leave the office. She took the elevator downstairs, passed through the shed where non-motorized vehicles were parked, and suddenly stopped.

Her gaze fell upon a small figure standing beneath the parasol tree opposite the dormitory building. She was slender and unadorned, like a jasmine flower blooming modestly but harboring an undeniable presence. Li Hewei watched her; she was holding her bicycle with her right hand and talking on her phone with her left. Unconsciously, Li Hewei drew closer and faintly heard the conversation.

“550 a month, and I can’t go any lower. All the home appliances are there, even an air conditioner. Where else are you going to find that?”

Tao Ling reasoned: “This is a walk-up building on the seventh floor, and it’s a secondary bedroom.” The rent for single rooms in walk-up buildings was generally around 500 yuan, with rent decreasing the higher the floor.

“Rent it or don’t rent it, I don’t care.”

“Thank you, I’ll consider it.”

“Wasting my time.”

The voice abruptly cut off. Tao Ling’s head was bowed as she slid her thumb across the screen and dialed another number.

“The number you dialed has been turned off. Please try again later…”

The third one.

“Hello, may I see the apartment? I’m nearby.”

“It was rented out yesterday.”

“Thank you.”

Tao Ling dialed the last number in her call history.

“Auntie, is the person living in the master bedroom a man or a woman?”

“A young man who just graduated from university. Don’t worry, he has a great personality and is very tidy.”

Tao Ling tactfully declined, pursed her lips, and put away her phone. The light circle from the streetlamp outlined her profile; long, slightly curled lashes hung down, the bridge of her nose was tinted warm yellow, and large beads of sweat were trickling down her neck, disappearing into her fair collarbone.

Li Hewei sighed almost imperceptibly, then walked toward her. Her tall, slender figure slowly enveloped the small, huddled figure.

“Tao Ling?” Li Hewei called softly, feigning a chance encounter, and casually asked, “Why aren’t you going home?”

Tao Ling was stunned for two seconds before responding: “I have something to do.”

Li Hewei decided to go all-in, pressing for details, determined to get the little quail in front of her to reveal everything: “What is it?”

Tao Ling was not good at lying and did not want to deceive her. Her words were halting, and she finally stated the truth: “My accommodation application was rejected, so I’m looking at places to rent and hope to confirm one soon.”

“What was the reason for the rejection?”

An unresolved look of worry clouded Tao Ling’s face, and her tone was low: “The dormitory is first arranged for single colleagues who do not have a fixed residence. My home is in Pucheng, so I don’t meet the requirements.”

“How troublesome,” Li Hewei said, knowingly asking, “Did you find a suitable place?”

“Not yet.”

“Are you looking for a shared rental or a single unit apartment?”

“A shared rental.” The rent for a single unit apartment starts at least at 800 yuan, and Tao Ling’s current salary could only cover the price of a shared rental.

Li Hewei blurted out: “How about this? I’ll be your landlord. The monthly rent is 500 yuan, including property management fees. Utilities will be split evenly.”

“Sister Wei…” Tao Ling looked up to meet her gaze, a subtle ripple in her eyes.

“If you share a rental with others, you won’t know their occupation or their temper. What if you clash, and it affects your work? That would be counterproductive, wouldn’t it?” Li Hewei unconsciously scoffed lightly. “Besides, it’s not like I’m not charging you rent.”

Di Yuan International is a mid-to-high-end residential community with complete supporting facilities. The price for a shared secondary bedroom would be at least 700 yuan, not to mention Li Hewei’s home décor, which could easily justify 800 yuan. Tao Ling understood the friendly price offered by the person in front of her. She wrung her hands, hesitating for a long time. Before she could speak, her bicycle was suddenly taken away.

Li Hewei pushed the bike: “Let’s go.”

Tao Ling silently watched her upright figure, sensing her firm attitude, making it difficult to decline again. She hurried two steps to walk alongside the person next to her, her voice as quiet as a mosquito’s hum: “Thank you.”

Li Hewei knew she felt mentally burdened, so she deliberately said: “In return, how about occasionally cooking for me?”

“Okay.” The heavy stone in Tao Ling’s heart slightly dropped. It seemed that compared to cooking for her parents on the weekend only to be disliked by her father for being too slow, she was more willing to have someone provide some emotional value while she explored flavors.

“When are you planning to move?”

“Anytime, maybe after this busy period is over.”

Li Hewei worried about her parents opposing it: “Did you tell your family?”

Tao Ling nodded: “Yes.”

“What did they say?”

“They disagreed.” Tao Ling offered a bitter smile. “However, I have made up my mind.” Tao Luhai refused to spend money to hire Aunt Zhang to help move the fish products. In the end, Tao Ling privately communicated with Aunt Zhang, giving her 300 yuan as a small token of gratitude, and she would also go to help when she had time off.

They walked through the long street, and Li Hewei quietly led her into the Di Yuan community: “Then let’s strike while the iron is hot. Let’s go right now.”

Tao Ling paused, surprised internally, but her tone was relatively stable: “It’s almost 9:30 p.m.” She looked up, realizing they were already by the parking shed next to the community basketball court.

Li Hewei raised an eyebrow: “It’s not late.”

Tao Ling’s stable heartbeat became erratic due to her sudden suggestion.

Li Hewei bent down and locked the bicycle tire to the railing. She walked two steps forward, noticed Tao Ling was still rooted in place, and turned back, saying, “Why are you standing there stunned?”

Tao Ling gazed at her clear, refined face, and the eyes, which resembled a winter river, slowly cracked the ice, allowing slivers of sunlight to softly flicker.

In the basement parking lot, Li Hewei and Tao Ling had just gotten into the car when Cheng Yingqiu opened the back door and slid in a second later.

“Hey, I told you to wait at home,” Li Hewei said, turning her head to buckle her seatbelt.

Cheng Yingqiu grinned: “I was bored. I can serve as muscle.”

Li Hewei playfully scolded her: “You’re taking up the back seat. Where will Tao Ling put her things?”

“It’s okay. I don’t have much luggage. I can just take my summer clothes first,” Tao Ling said, turning to look back, genuinely grateful. “Yingqiu…”

Cheng Yingqiu raised her hand to stop her: “Hold it right there. We’re sisters, don’t mention thanks.”

Tao Ling felt warmth in her heart and was about to say something when the person behind her changed the subject: “Sister, Qiu Wan is going to treat me to a meal.”