Chapter 1005: Perplexed and Smitten (65)

“He’s mature and charming, and you’ve also worked with him for so long. Aren’t you at least a little attracted to him?”

Fang Erlan could not help but feel slightly uncomfortable being questioned by him in such a manner. However, she calmed herself down and answered, “He may be mature and charming, and we’ve indeed worked together for quite some time, but we’re just normal friends now.”

Realizing that he didn’t manage to sound her out, Jing Shui said, “I’m just afraid that you would be duped by him. I know exactly his intentions for recommending an apartment in his estate to you. Yan Ge has always been an aloof person and would never contact his female co-stars outside of filming, let alone live in the same estate as them. He’s known to avoid all possible risks of having rumors about him being spread. Why would he want you to buy an apartment in his estate at this juncture? Not to mention, you’re just a newbie and he’s already an experienced actor. He’s a wily old fox. Can you really be invulnerable to his tricks?”

After hearing what he said, Fang Erlan said, “But he didn’t pull any tricks on me. I’m arriving home soon, I’ll hang up now.”

When the car pulled over at the alley, Fang Erlan alighted. She was greeted with the sight of her parents the moment she reached the metal gate.

“Father, Mother, what brings you guys here?”

“We went to the production unit to look for you but we heard that the filming of the television series has already ended. Thus, we came to your rented apartment to find you.”

“You could’ve just called me if something happened.”

“Nothing happened, we just wanted to visit you.”

Fang Erlan nodded and said, “Let’s go upstairs, then.”

While making their way upstairs, Mrs. Fang said, “Now that you’re done filming for the television series, it’s time you move to another place.”

“Yes, I’m already making plans to move.”

“Where do you plan to buy an apartment?”

“I’m not too sure yet.” She opened the door and allowed her parents to enter.

“How much did you earn from acting in the television series?”

Fang Erlan answered vaguely, “Not much. I signed a contract with the entertainment studio, and I have to split my earnings with them.”

“Um, Erlan, your brother will be attending his final year of high school soon. However, he’s been staying at home all day to play video games on his computer throughout the entire summer break. Your father and I are planning to send him for tuition. That’ll aid him in his academics when he gets promoted to his final year. His grades are so-so, but he must get accepted into a good university.”

“Let him attend tuition classes, then.”

“Your father and I have inquired about it from the tuition agency. The tutor in charge is a very prestigious one and each lesson is rather expensive.”

“How much?”

“Four hundred dollars per lesson, and there are two lessons per day. That’ll cost us eight hundred dollars a day. Since he’ll need tuition for about two months, we’re going to need 48 thousand dollars for him to attend tuition classes.”

Fang Erlan gasped in shock. She simply could not understand why her working-class parents would be willing to spend almost 50 thousand dollars on tuition fees for their son who was only achieving mediocre grades.

To her knowledge, her parents had a combined monthly income of about five thousand dollars; three thousand from her father and two from her mother. They barely had any savings after the necessary living expenses were deducted. How could they possibly be willing to fork out that much money for tuition?

So they came here…

Fang Erlan immediately understood the purpose of their visit.

They were here to get money from her.

Are they shortchanging me for the sake of their son?

“Go ahead and send him for tuition classes if you want him to attend them. Besides, you guys have your own savings anyway. I won’t make any objections even if you spend all your money on him.”

“Our savings are meant for your brother to buy a house when he gets married. I don’t think our savings are enough…”

Fang Erlan was speechless. She said, “I won’t have much money left after purchasing my apartment. Besides, I still have to spend money on renovation and furniture. I’m cash-strapped too.”

“You don’t have to have such an elaborate renovation for your apartment. You can also buy your furniture another time. Although this apartment you’re living in now is rather shabby on the exterior, the interior is still very clean and comfortable. You can stay here for a while longer.”

Fang Erlan’s pent-up anger was simmering within her.

She said coldly, “I don’t have any money for you. I’m going out later. Please leave if there’s nothing else you’d like to talk to me about.”

“Erlan, you…” Mrs. Fang snapped, “You may not have lived with us when you were younger, but without us, would your grandmother have agreed to raise you? Now that you’re all grown up and financially independent, you’ve never once called me or your father at all. If your brother makes a name for himself in the future, wouldn’t you feel proud to be his sister too?”

She added, “It’s not like you really don’t have enough money. If you were really penniless like when you were still attending university, your father and I wouldn’t have come to ask you for money.”

“…”

Fang Erlan wished she could just move away right now to a place where her parents could not find her, a place where she could be alone peacefully.

Fang Erlan sneered, “Didn’t you say that you were just here to visit me? Why are we on the topic of money now?”

Mrs. Fang was at a loss for words. “I was just casually saying…” she muttered.

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m going out now. Just stay here if you don’t want to leave. If not, let’s leave together now.”

Noticing that her parents seemed to have no intentions of leaving, she grabbed her bag and left.

Once she got inside the nanny van, Fang Erlan took a deep breath to calm herself down.

“Where would you like to go?” the chauffeur asked.

“The estate that we went to this morning.” She gazed out of the window and remained quiet.

“Hello, hello, you have a text message!” cranked her mobile phone.

Fang Erlan opened the text message to discover that it was a notification from the bank.

She beamed with joy the moment she looked at her bank account balance. Sis Yangyang is so efficient.

The money got transferred to me so quickly.

The initially hesitant Fang Erlan immediately made up her mind to purchase the apartment opposite Yan Ge’s.

Upon arriving at Qingyuan Estate, she called Yan Ge, who happened to be taking an afternoon nap. After answering her call, he expressed assent and hung up.

Fang Erlan walked toward the lobby, clad in a surgical mask and a pair of shades. She boarded the elevator all the way up to the sixth floor, where he was waiting for her by the door.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“Yes, I have. Will I be able to get the procedures done right after I make the payment today?”

“That should be the case. Are you purchasing it today?”

“Yes, I want to move in as soon as possible.”

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

She smiled and jested, “Well, I’ll get to become neighbors with such a handsome celebrity. Of course I have to be eager.”

Knowing that she was just teasing him, he said, “I’ve never recommended an apartment to anyone before. You’re the first.”

“Does that mean that you consider me to be your friend now?”

“You’ll never be my friend.”

Fang Erlan pursed her lips in disgruntlement. “Sis Yangyang asked me what our relationship was when she heard today that the apartment I’m going to purchase is right opposite yours. I even told her that we’re just friends, yet you’re telling me now that you’ve never considered me as your friend. Why did you help me look for an apartment, then?”

He pressed the button of the lift and entered the elevator without answering her.

Fang Erlan followed suit and prompted, “I’m asking you a question.”

He glared at her and said, “In my eyes, you’re just a woman, not my friend.”

“…”

Fang Erlan stood beside him and decided not to ask him to explain what he meant, for fear that he would mock her for being thick-skinned again.

—

At about five o’clock in the afternoon, Jin Qingyan wrapped up and set off to the museum together with An Xiaoning.

When they bumped into Hu Xin, who had yet to get off from work, Jin Qingyan and An Xiaoning simply walked past her hand-in-hand, without acknowledging her presence at all.

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