Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

Bao Lin had a great many men under him, and since this was a matter Yang Ce had personally entrusted to him, he naturally lost no time. The moment he hung up the phone, he led his people off in impressive procession to the furniture market, where they picked out the pieces, paid for them, and loaded them straight onto the trucks—all in one smooth, uninterrupted sweep.

His security guards made for free labor, and their efficiency was unmatched. That done, Bao Lin brought his men in a cargo truck to the foot of the building where Zhao Ying's complex stood.

By then, Yang Cenbin had everything ready on his end as well; the moment Bao Lin's crew arrived, they began carrying the cardboard boxes downstairs.

Zhao Ying had met Bao Lin before and knew he worked for Yang Ce, so she did not stand on ceremony—these men were all here out of respect for Yang Juehuan.

"Oh!" In the car, Zhao Ying suddenly cried out, "Yang Ce, we're in trouble!"

"What is it?" Yang Ce, seeing her so flustered, was rather puzzled. "What's broken?"

"We didn't get any furniture!" Zhao Ying said with a woebegone face. "It's all your fault—rushing me into moving. It just hit me: there's no furniture in the new place yet. How am I supposed to live there once we move in?"

"Ha ha, so that's what this is about!" Yang Ce laughed heartily, entirely unconcerned.

"And you're still laughing!" Zhao Ying was a little annoyed. "What's so funny about that?"

"Don't worry, I had all that prepared long ago. Once you get there, you can move right in," Yang Hengye said.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier? You had me worried for nothing." Zhao Ying let out a breath of relief.

Sure enough, when they reached the new home, Zhao Ying stared in disbelief at the fully furnished place—from the bed and wardrobe to the appliances, television, and refrigerator, everything was there. It could not have been more thoughtful.

Yang Ce had only told Bao Lin to go buy furniture; Bao Lin had no idea what exactly was needed, and fearing he might miss something, he simply bought back everything that could possibly be of use.

After setting Zhao Ying's belongings down inside, Bao Lin took his leave, leaving only Zhao Ying and Yan in the apartment.

"Sister Ying, how is it? Satisfied, I hope?" As Yang Yanzhou spoke, he looked around Zhao Ying's new home. Bao Lin was indeed someone you could trust with a task—seeing that he had even bought an induction cooker and a soy milk maker, Yang could not help but give a slight nod.

"Yang Ce, thank you." Zhao Ying gazed at the fully equipped new home, overcome with emotion. Yang Ce had thought of everything in such meticulous detail—it was almost beyond what she had expected of him.

When Zhao Ying had first come to Songjiang alone after graduation to teach, she had nothing at all. After years of striving, she had still not managed to save much, let alone buy a house. There were cheap rental units available, but they were never truly one's own home, and that drifting, unsettled feeling had always made Zhao Ying uneasy.

Sometimes, even in her dreams, Zhao Ying would wonder when she might have a place of her own, a little corner of the world to call her own—yet never had she imagined that Yang Ce would help her wish come true.

"Thank me for what?" Yang Hengye said. "Isn't this what I ought to do? Sister Ying, why stand on ceremony with me?"

"However you put it, I'm so happy." Zhao Ying flitted joyfully from room to room. Though she knew in her heart that accepting such a lavish gift from Yang Cenbin for no reason at all was rather improper, she still could not bring herself to refuse it.

"Ah, and here I was thinking you'd be so happy you'd give me a hug," Yang Ce sighed, sounding rather disappointed.

"What are you talking about? Don't say such things." Zhao Ying's face flushed red.

"Heh heh, just a pure and innocent hug, to show how excited you are—I meant nothing more by it." Yang Ce gave a dry laugh.

Together they opened the boxes they had brought over, one by one, and sorted everything into its proper place. When Yang Ce saw the enormous round bed in the bedroom, he could not help but chuckle to himself—Bao Lin had done well, buying a bed this big.

By the time everything was arranged, the two of them were so exhausted they collapsed onto the sofa, unable to move. Zhao Ying's weariness was of the body; Yang Ce's was of the mind—racking his brains over how to lay out Zhao Ying's new home had truly been a strain.

"Yang Ce, I suddenly feel like I'm dreaming. Is this really my home?" Zhao Ying murmured, gazing up at the chandelier on the ceiling.

"Heh heh, this is our home," Yang Ce declared shamelessly.

"Our?" Zhao Ying's face immediately turned red. "What do you mean, our?"

"It wasn't me who said it—it was Auntie Wang. She said to buy an apartment for the two of us to live in," Yang Hengye said with a grin.

Auntie Wang—Wang Guifen, Zhao Ying's mother. "How can you believe anything my mother says? She's just like that, always coming out with all sorts of nonsense," Zhao Ying hurried to explain.

Zhao Ying understood her mother's intentions better than anyone, but matters of the heart also depend on fate. What the future held for her and Yan, only heaven could say.

"Ha ha, let's not talk about her," Yang Hengye said. "By the way, you still have a car at the dealership. They even called me the other day, asking when I'd come pick it up."

"Ah?" Zhao Ying was taken aback, then it came back to her—while her mother was in Songjiang, she had actually spent Yang Juehuan's money to buy her a BMW. She was immediately annoyed. "My mother really is something, buying it just like that without a word. How about we sell the car?"

"Selling it means taking a loss. A new car sold as secondhand never comes out even," Yang Yanzhou said. "You might as well keep it and drive it yourself."

"But now that I've moved here, I'm even closer to the school—I won't even need a car!" Zhao Ying understood well enough that no matter how new a car was, once it was in your hands it was secondhand, and selling it would mean losing quite a bit.

"It'll come in handy sooner or later," Yang Yanzhou said. "Your graduate classes let out late, and our complex is big. I'd feel better if you drove back and forth."

Zhao Ying knew that once Yang Ce made up his mind, it was very hard to change it, so she gave up wasting her breath. Sometimes, thinking about it, she really did get angry—this Yang Cenbin fellow was truly overbearing.

"By the way, Sister Ying, that gift I gave you—have you looked at it?" Seeing that Zhao Ying seemed no different today, Yang Ce could not resist asking.

"Ah, after you left last night I went to sleep, and today I came straight back to move house. I haven't had a chance to look yet," Zhao Ying said. "Why, is something wrong?"

"Nothing." Yang Ce quickly waved his hand. "It just suddenly crossed my mind, that's all—just asking."

Since Zhao Ying had not looked yet, Yang Shuoxuan could hardly say more. Saying too much would only rouse her suspicions.

Zhao Ying found it a little odd, but seeing that Yang Yanzhou had nothing more to say, she let it drop. "Yang Ce, what would you like to eat in a bit? I'll get it ready."

"Sister Ying, we're both pretty worn out today, and we've just finished fixing up the new place—let's not cook. I'll come another day to christen the kitchen. Today let's just go out and find some restaurant to eat at," Yang Ce suggested.

Zhao Ying thought it over, and indeed that was so—her arms and legs were still aching. She nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll go out to eat in a bit, then."

Looking at Yang Ce beside her, Zhao Ying was suddenly seized by an illusion: she felt just like a newlywed bride, sitting happily beside the man she loved.

To be continued

1016. Good Thing She's Not My Girlfriend