EFB Chapter 2: If you can't pay the rent, then become my maid to pay off your debts.
Chapter 2: If you can't pay the rent, then become my maid to pay off your debts.
The girl called "Wanwan" looked at Jiang Yubai and tilted her head slightly.
Instead of returning to her room as instructed, she opened the door again and stepped out.
She seemed to have just gotten up; she was only wearing a light pink loungewear outfit and was barefoot as she walked over and stood next to Lin Tingwan.
As they got closer, Jiang Yubai was somewhat surprised to find that the two people in front of him were almost identical.
They all had natural, unadorned faces, with fair and radiant skin, delicate noses, and pale pink lips, like cherry blossoms in early spring.
The only thing that could distinguish them was perhaps the look in their eyes at this moment—
One was staring at him with full of defensiveness and vigilance, while the other's eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of curiosity.
"Twins?" Jiang Yubai couldn't help but ask, "Is this your sister?"
Perhaps Jiang Yubai's gaze was too direct, so Lin Tingwan took a step to the left, shielding her younger sister behind her.
She took a deep breath and answered irrelevantly, "We...we'll move out as soon as possible."
"Move away?" Jiang Yu was taken aback. "Move to where?"
"That's none of your business," Lin Tingwan said expressionlessly.
Jiang Yubai's lips twitched: "Student Lin, as the landlord, I'd like to offer a friendly reminder: this is one of the cheapest neighborhoods in Lincheng."
Even if you find a cheaper place, the moving deposit and agency fees will still add up.
"You can't even afford this month's rent... are you planning to sleep under a bridge?"
Every time Jiang Yubai said something, Lin Jianxia's shoulders would slump a little.
She bit her lower lip, a deep sense of powerlessness rising from the bottom of her heart.
Even if she loathed the guy in front of her, she had to admit that Jiang Yubai was right.
She can neither afford the rent nor the cost of moving.
My wages from my part-time job will be paid in a few days...
She gritted her teeth.
This Jiang Yubai, it's one thing to have ambiguous relationships with other girls in class, but I never expected him to actually set his sights on me.
They must have taken advantage of others' misfortunes quite a few times...
Scumbag! Beast!
Just as Lin Jianxia was in a state of confusion, Jiang Yubai touched his chin, feeling a little strange as well.
Although Lincheng No. 3 Middle School is not a prestigious school, it is still a private high school with excellent teaching strength, so the tuition fees are naturally high.
That's why the students who can get in usually come from well-off families. So how did Lin Tingwan end up not being able to pay her rent?
Family fortunes declined?
As he was thinking, he subconsciously raised his gaze and met a pair of clear, amber eyes.
The girl called "Wanwan" was staring at him intently, her gaze so pure that it made his heart skip a beat.
It wasn't until the girl in front of him suddenly reached out that Jiang Yubai noticed she was holding a small notebook and a pen.
Seeing him looking over, the girl lowered her head and quickly wrote a few strokes. A moment later, she handed him the notebook in her hand.
"Hello, Jiang Yubai!"
The handwriting was neat and beautiful, with an exclamation mark, revealing an endearing earnestness.
What the hell?
Although Jiang Yubai was full of questions, she still subconsciously responded, "Hello, hello... Nice to meet you..."
Upon hearing the response, the girl's eyes lit up slightly, and she lowered her head to write again, quickly raising her notebook once more.
Are you bullying Sister Xia?
"Where did I bully you...?"
Jiang Yubai was both amused and exasperated, but suddenly stopped, his eyes widening slightly.
and many more.
She didn't speak... and was called Wanwan...
"You're Lin Tingwan?!" Jiang Yubai blurted out.
I met Sister Xia...
He paused, then turned to look at the other side: "You... your name is Lin Jianxia?"
"Wanwan, don't talk to him."
The girl suddenly spoke, stepped forward to block her sister, and stared intently at Jiang Yubai, looking very wary.
"You two..." Jiang Yubai looked around, "Are you twins?"
Lin Jianxia ignored his question and, suppressing her anger, asked, "Jiang Yubai, what exactly do you want?"
"What do I want?" Jiang Yu rolled her eyes. "Didn't I say I'd collect rent?"
These words, to Lin Jianxia, were undoubtedly an ultimatum.
She paused for a few seconds, her voice trembling slightly, but she still insisted on speaking: "Could you... give me a few more days?"
"Sure," Jiang Yubai nodded indifferently.
".....Huh?"
Lin Jianxia was stunned, seemingly not expecting him to agree.
In that instant, countless scenes from novels and comics I had read flashed through my mind.
No, that's not right, is it?
Shouldn't he know he can't pay back the rent, so he uses the excuse of collecting rent to bring her into his harem and make her do this and that to him every day?
How——
"However," Jiang Yubai added, "in exchange, I'll also make a small request...isn't that unreasonable?"
Lin Jianxia's face turned pale instantly.
As expected... I knew it wouldn't be that simple...
She managed to calm herself down and said softly to the girl beside her, "Wanwan, you should go back to your room first."
Lin Tingwan tilted her head, looking somewhat reluctant.
But when she met her older sister's serious gaze, she finally nodded obediently, took the notebook, and went back to her room.
Seeing the door close, Lin Jianxia finally relaxed a little.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on Jiang Yubai again: "Tell me, what are your conditions...? My sister can't be involved!"
She had already decided that if the other party dared to make any unreasonable demands, she would kick them out right now.
If it's just a meal or something, it's not unreasonable to go along with it for my sister's sake...
"Where is my womanizing?"
...Huh?
Lin Jianxia blinked, not quite understanding at first.
"The condition is, please tell me, where exactly am I a womanizer?" Jiang Yubai repeated impatiently, "If you can't tell me, I'll sue you for defamation."
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jianxia still spoke softly:
"It's what I heard... my sister heard it. Everyone says your family is rich, and you're dating Zhao Yun and Li Qiuyue at the same time..."
Jiang Yubai's lips twitched.
Well, it seems it's just another rumor spread by that group of people.
After Lin Jianxia finished speaking, she stared warily at Jiang Yubai. After waiting for a while and seeing that he didn't come looking for trouble, she tentatively asked:
"So the conditions you just mentioned... are really just this?"
Jiang Yubai chuckled at the wary and cautious look on that face: "Otherwise, what kind of request do you think I would make?"
"...So what brings you here today?"
"Didn't I already say this is my building? I'm here to collect rent." Jiang Yubai looked at her with a puzzled expression.
—Why is Lin Tingwan's older sister a bit silly? She doesn't understand even when I say the same thing several times.
Lin Jianxia hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, before finally managing to stammer, "You...you didn't deliberately orchestrate this to blackmail me?"
Jiang Yubai was so angry she almost laughed: "You really think I came here specifically to threaten you this month because you can't pay your rent?"
Wow, amazing! There's even a plot where a rich young master schemes against a poor school beauty.
I have a feeling that if this script continues to develop, a bodyguard named Lin Yi will jump out and beat him up in the next second.
Although he wasn't particularly interested in playing a villain, but...
Jiang Yubai stroked his chin, his gaze falling on the girl in front of him.
Her eyes were clear and bright, her lips were pale pink, and her small face was so exquisite that you couldn't help but want to look at her a few more times.
Her originally fair earlobes were now tinged with a translucent pink, and her earlobes were even redder, like two ripe cherries, peeking out from among her soft hair.
He suddenly remembered Lin Tingwan, who had never spoken and always had a stern face.
Even with such an unlikable personality, she was still fawned over by a group of people at school, mainly because of her incredibly beautiful face.
If there were really some busybodies in high school who would create some kind of school beauty ranking like in novels...
That face in front of me will undoubtedly be number one.
Lin Jianxia had no time to think about what Jiang Yubai was pondering. She bit her lower lip, wishing she could dig a hole and crawl into it.
What a coincidence!
Unfortunately, during this month when she was short of money, her usually easy-going landlord suddenly became unyielding, and the person who came down to inspect her just happened to be her classmate...
In particular, she had heard from classmates that this guy was a lecherous devil, and that none of the pretty girls in the class could escape his clutches.
The combination of these two elements makes for a classic storyline of a rich young master who would stop at nothing to get what he wants!
Lin Jianxia was still lost in thought when Jiang Yubai across from her suddenly seemed to remember something: "Wait, have we met before?"
"..."
Seemingly not expecting him to suddenly bring this up, Lin Jianxia's expression immediately froze:
"N-No, you've never seen this before."
What's with this guilty look on his face?
"Then how did you know who I was the moment we met?" Jiang Yubai narrowed his eyes. "Besides, I never said my name, did I?"
Even if he and Lin Tingwan were classmates, there was no reason why Lin Jianxia, whom he had never met before, would recognize him at a glance.
Lin Jianxia opened her mouth, then suddenly lowered her head, pursing her lips tightly, refusing to say a single word.
Seeing that she seemed determined to remain silent, Jiang Yubai shrugged indifferently: "Not going to talk? That's fine too, just pay the rent today."
"You—!" The girl in front of him suddenly raised her head. "Didn't we agree on only one condition?!"
"I've changed my mind."
Jiang Yubai took a sip of tea and frowned.
Damn, this tea tastes awful.
He waited a few seconds but heard no sound. When he looked up again, he saw Lin Jianxia still glaring at him with gritted teeth, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on but dared not extend its claws.
"What's wrong with saying this..." Jiang Yubai was speechless.
"Never mind, then—"
As the words were about to come out, a funny idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
He paused, then deliberately drew out his words, "Well... if you don't want to say, that's fine too. I'll change my condition."
Seeing that he didn't press the matter further, Lin Jianxia visibly breathed a sigh of relief:
"you say."
Jiang Yubai, sitting opposite her, leisurely sized her up from head to toe, his tone as relaxed as if discussing the weather:
"I'm planning to rent a place soon, and I happen to need someone who can help me manage it."
"Since you can't pay the rent right now—"
"How about this," he said, his eyes crinkling slightly, "you can work as my servant for a while, and I'll pay off the debt with your labor."