The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Remember to retrieve your brain storage device!

[A heads-up: This is just a novel, please don't take it too seriously, just enjoy it!]

......

On a July evening, the setting sun, like a giant salted egg yolk, hung lazily on the horizon, but it did nothing to dispel the sultry, sticky heat in the air.

The whole city felt like it was shrouded in a giant steamer, and even breathing felt heavy and damp.

Ye Shu dragged his old suitcase, which had been with him for four years, out of an impressive building. The suitcase wheels groaned under the weight, like the background music to his mood at that moment.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, couldn't help but turn back to the building where the interviews had just ended, and muttered a complaint under his breath:

"Hiring fresh graduates and requiring three years of work experience? What was the point of me going to university for those years? I could have gone straight to construction sites after high school and been a master craftsman by now."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. In the end, he couldn't hold back and, taking advantage of the security guard's inattention, quickly gave the building the middle finger.

It's like when it rains, it pours. No, it's like when it rains, it pours all night, and then there's hail too.

This morning, his landlady, whom he had lived with for two years, greeted him with her signature loud voice, offering a friendly and kind message. Her message was simple: the rent would increase by 500 yuan; if he accepted, he could renew the lease; if not, he could leave.

Ye Shu tried to argue his case using a series of theories, including contract law, interpersonal relationships, and the economic downturn. However, when the landlady gave him the final ultimatum, "If you keep nagging, I'll change the locks right now," he had no choice but to pack up all his belongings in a sorry state.

The savings he thought would barely last until he found a new job brought him the biggest surprise of the day after he paid off the last utility bill.

He took out his phone, opened the bank app, and looked at the numbers displayed on the screen. He was so angry that he laughed.

933.68 JPY(TAX+)

"That's really something..."

He muttered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of self-deprecating sarcasm.

Today, he interviewed at four companies, and the faces of those HR people still make him nauseous just thinking about them.

They all make grandiose claims, like "flat management," "ample promotion opportunities," and "partner programs"—all nonsense. Peel back the layers, and you're exposed as a bunch of rip-off salespeople promising "base salary of 1800, commissions up to you"—it's all just empty promises.

Ye Shu dragged her suitcase and wandered aimlessly to a small park.

He glanced again at the glaring ¥933.68 on his phone screen and gritted his teeth.

To hell with it!

He decisively walked to the nearby convenience store and bought a bottle of ice-cold Coke. He tilted his head back and took a big gulp, letting out a long sigh, as if exhaling some of the day's bad luck.

He found a flower bed by the roadside to sit down, not caring about getting dirty, and took out his phone, numbly refreshing the rental app.

With the price range lowered to the minimum, the selection criteria were desperately reduced from "a private room" to "shared bed".

The information that pops up is either located in the suburbs requiring a two-hour commute, or in an environment as poor as post-war ruins, and ridiculously expensive.

Holding a can of cola in one hand, and scrolling aimlessly across the phone screen with the other.

"A 15-square-meter partitioned room with a shared bathroom, and the monthly rent is 1,500?"

He couldn't help but complain to the air:

"This price... I'm sure one of us, the landlord or I, is crazy."

He took another swig of cola and continued sliding down the bottle, his eyes growing increasingly vacant as he began to examine the material of the park bench.

Just then, a newly updated message struck his retina like a bolt of lightning.

[Cloud Garden, direct rental from landlord]

Location: Top floor duplex in Building 1, Yunduanyuan, with 360° panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, luxurious decoration, and fully furnished with appliances and furniture.

For rent: One secondary bedroom (shared with the landlord), for one person only, fully furnished and ready to move in.

Rent: 800 yuan per month

Requirements: Tenants must have an excellent personality, be extremely emotionally stable, be hygienic, and have no bad habits. Must be able to accept that your landlord may change tenants frequently. Serious inquiries only; please do not apply if you are not a good match.

Pfft—cough cough cough...

Ye Shu almost spat out her entire mouthful of cola, choking so much that tears welled up in her eyes.

Cloud Garden?!

That legendary luxury residential complex in the city, known for its high-security, exclusive "cloud-top living" concept? A penthouse duplex? 360° panoramic views? Monthly rent... 800?!

He rubbed his eyes hard and wiped his phone screen several times, wondering if he had missed a few zeros.

This price is ridiculously low. In Yunduanyuan, a monthly rent of 8,000 for that kind of apartment is considered cheap. 800? This is practically charity, or even targeted poverty alleviation.

But that requirement...can you accept frequent changes in landlords?

What the heck is going on here? Does the landlord have questionable morals, bringing different people home every day? Or... is there some kind of secret he's hiding?

Fraud? Pyramid scheme? Organ transplant trap? Terrifying speculations I'd seen in various news reports flooded my mind instantly.

but...

He glanced at the badly worn suitcase at his feet, and at the 24-hour fast food restaurant in the distance where he might have to order a coffee and shamelessly stay overnight...

Ye Shuxin gritted his teeth, adopting the mindset of "if it's a pitfall, I'll jump in; if it's a landmine, I'll step on it; if it's a disaster, I'll just run away," and pressed the button to contact the landlord.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. A soft, slightly timid female voice came through the receiver, like that of a frightened little animal:

"Hello... to you?"

"Hello!"

Ye Shu's voice sounded somewhat dry and hoarse due to nervousness and anxiety:

"I...I saw your rental listing at Cloud Garden, and I want to rent it! I want to rent the second bedroom! I can view the room right now! I have a super nice personality, am very stable in mood, and am absolutely clean!"

He finished speaking in one breath without using any punctuation, afraid that the other party would change their mind.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, seemingly startled by his anxious tone. Ye Shu glanced at the phone several times to make sure the call was still connected. After a while, the girl's voice finally spoke again:

"...Oh...okay...alright. Then...come over here now..."

Half an hour later, Ye Shu, dragging his suitcase, stood at the entrance of Yunduanyuan, which was as grand as the lobby of a five-star hotel.

The marble floor was gleaming, the ceiling was high, and even the security guard at the entrance stood up straight.

He gave out the building and unit number, his voice sounding somewhat weak.

The security guard made a phone call to confirm before gesturing for him to pass through the multiple access control gates that required a card swipe.

He walked through the luxurious lobby and took the elevator directly to the top floor. Standing in front of the expensive-looking security door, Ye Shu took another deep breath and rang the doorbell.

In the few seconds he waited for the door to open, countless thoughts flashed through his mind: Who would open the door? A burly man? A mysterious noblewoman? Or...?

The door opened with a click, and a girl stood behind it.

Wearing fluffy pink bunny pajamas, holding a carrot pillow half her height in her arms, she had very fair skin and big eyes, like a fawn in the forest, with a slightly nervous and timid feeling.

"Hello, are you Mr. Ye here to view the apartment?"