Chapter Forty-Two: So It Was You (Part One)

My Rebirth Legend Without Barriers

Zhang Wen never believed the world was full of miracles—at least, not until the appearance of the man beside her a few days ago. Now, she was convinced. Not only did her elusive monthly bonus suddenly seem within reach, but there was an even greater hope: if he took a liking to the apartment in this high-rise, her colleague at the real estate agency had promised her a commission far more enticing than any bonus.

“Hehe, Mr. Xiao, we’ve arrived. This is called Jinyuan Community, and this is Building No. 7, the tallest in the complex—thirty-three stories in total. The first thirty floors are standard apartments, but the top three floors are the triplex units you’re interested in,” Zhang Wen said with a beaming smile to the casually dressed young man in front of her. She had no idea who his father was, but anyone able to buy a triplex here surely came from money. That was all she needed to know—this was her gold mine, standing right before her.

Naturally, the young master by Zhang Wen’s side was none other than myself. I couldn’t have cared less about what little schemes the saleswoman might be plotting; my only thought was to lock down a place before the end of the month and avoid living in the dorms. I nodded to her and said, “Yes, the view here is quite nice. For the western part of the city, this is a high-end development. By the way, is the unit I’m looking at already furnished?”

“Of course! Since it’s a secondhand property, the owner has already lived in it for a while, so it’s definitely been renovated. But if you want to redecorate yourself, that’s possible too.” Zhang Wen energetically led me into the open elevator and pressed the button for the thirtieth floor. “The entrance to these triplex apartments is on the lowest of the three, and the very top floor even comes with a garden rooftop terrace—absolutely a great deal.”

“Very well. If I like it, I’ll make sure you’re well rewarded.” I nodded. A real estate agent is just a salesperson, after all—whether it’s good or not, I’d have to see for myself.

“Oh, right. I contacted the owner earlier—she’s home today. When we go in to view the place, please try not to touch her things. She’s been through bankruptcy and isn’t having an easy time. The transfer hasn’t gone through yet, so everything inside is still her personal property. I hope you’ll…”

“Of course, I understand.” I smiled. “You said the owner is selling to pay off debts after bankruptcy? Does that mean the price can be negotiated lower?”

“Oh, absolutely! Originally, these three units would be at least one and a half million, but after the bankruptcy and mortgage issues, you could save around half a million. Don’t worry, sir—I’ll do my best to get you every discount I can.” Zhang Wen’s sales pitch was truly formidable.

“Haha, that would be ideal.” In truth, I wasn’t really trying to save money—I just wanted to get a sense of the price. But this stunned me: a million for a three-story apartment? Outrageous. In my previous life, I’d spent over two million just for a ninety-square-meter place. The real estate prices were simply…

Soon, the elevator reached the thirtieth floor. Stepping out with Zhang Wen, we saw the grand entrance to the triplex unit—a solid iron door. Zhang Wen, a step ahead, pressed the doorbell. I stood behind her, waiting for the owner to open up. As I glanced around, I realized I could see the beautiful waters of Thousand Island Lake in the distance. I was even more satisfied. “This place is really good. As long as there’s nothing wrong inside, I’m definitely buying.”

Zhang Wen’s smile grew even brighter. “Of course! If the view weren’t so magnificent, the lady owner wouldn’t have bought such a lofty apartment. I believe she lives here alone, too.”

“Hmm? The owner is a woman?” I was a bit surprised. “Really? A woman bought such a large triplex?” It struck me as odd. Such major purchases were usually handled by men, or at least jointly owned. For a woman to buy this herself, she must be single. But what kind of single woman needed a place this large? I was curious what sort of person lived here.

Click—the inner door opened. As I turned to look in, the smile froze on my face, replaced by utter shock.

Standing inside was a woman who had just finished washing her hair and was drying it—staring at me in stunned silence. But in the next instant, her exquisite face flushed the color of a ripe apple.

How could it be her? How could it possibly be her? The woman behind the iron door was none other than Zhang Jing—the very same Zhang Jing I had rescued from the bar that night! My mind went blank, the only image left being her alluring, snow-white figure—the same figure now before me again, though this time, at least, she was clothed.

“Hello—Zhang Jing, Miss Zhang, correct? I’m Zhang Wen from Hualong Agency, here to show Mr. Xiao the apartment.” Zhang Wen’s introduction was enthusiastic, but she quickly realized the beauty inside paid no attention to her words.

“It’s him! It’s really him!” Zhang Jing’s mind raced. “I can’t believe the man wanting to buy my apartment is the same man who saw my body—and saw me in that most embarrassing moment…” Her ears burned red, her heart pounding, and she didn’t hear a word Zhang Wen was saying.

It wasn’t until Zhang Wen called again that Zhang Jing seemed to snap out of her daze. Just as she was about to speak, I cut in, turning to Zhang Wen: “Miss Zhang, ahem, I’ll just go in and look around. You can head back first. Once I’ve made up my mind, I’ll let you know.”

Zhang Wen gave me a puzzled look. “But Mr. Xiao, I haven’t explained the property’s features and details…”

“No need. I’ll take a look myself. You can go. Whether I buy or not, I’ll make sure you get a ten-thousand commission. Don’t worry.” I tried my best to hide my awkwardness—this meeting was uncomfortable enough without a stranger present!

Upon hearing she’d get ten thousand yuan regardless, Zhang Wen smiled, nodded, and left for the elevator. Who wouldn’t want such a deal? Who’d rather spend their holiday servicing clients than relaxing at home? Naturally, she had no objections.

With Zhang Wen gone, it was just Zhang Jing and me—she inside the door, me outside. Her hair was still wet, and the towel in her delicate hand seemed to have forgotten its purpose. Dressed in a white short-sleeved T-shirt and a pink skirt, she looked charming and sweet. I was afraid that if I kept looking, my mind would conjure up images of that night’s intoxicating whiteness, so I quickly averted my gaze, standing awkwardly at the threshold.

I don’t know how long I stood there, but eventually, with my legs growing numb, I managed a strained smile. “May I come in?”

“Ah…” Zhang Jing started at my words, then shyly opened the iron door.

As soon as I stepped inside, a faint fragrance wafted into my nose—I knew at once it came from her, and I felt my palms begin to sweat. This woman was simply too enchanting…

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