"That's perfect!"
He adjusted his tone, trying to sound as natural as possible.
"I have a senior from college. We're on good terms. He's going abroad for further study recently. He'll probably be away for a year or so."
"He has a small apartment in the city center. The location and environment are both great. It'll just sit there empty otherwise."
"He asked me to find someone to take care of it. All you need to do is ventilate it regularly and water the plants he's growing."
"As for the rent, it'll be just a token amount. Or you can offset it with the labor of taking care of the house."
He paused, his eyes fixed intently on Meng Ruozhao's reaction. His voice softened further, with a hint of cautious probing.
"If you don't mind, would you like to rent it?
"Just do me a favor and find yourself a quiet place to stay for a while. It's better than staying in a hotel, and it's safer too."
Pei Jiangmu finished speaking in one breath, his heart pounding like a drum.
He stared intently into Meng Ruozhao's eyes, afraid of missing the slightest reaction from her.
This proposal seemed reasonable, even with a hint of "help" and "chance" in it.
But he knew in his heart.
That so - called "friend's apartment" was actually under his name.
It was one of his many properties, the closest to [Fuyunxuan] and with the best security.
This was a bait carefully wrapped in the guise of "kind - hearted help".
An excellent opportunity to bring her back within his controllable range!
He needed her within his sight and needed to keep track of her movements.
Especially after seeing that report and her extreme breakdown tonight.
He couldn't bear her getting out of his control, especially going back to that "home" where someone might be scheming against her.
Meng Ruozhao was stunned.
Rent a house?
She had actually considered it before. After all, she really couldn't get along with that family.
She hadn't taken any action before because she thought living together would help her regain her memories sooner.
But now, Du Feng had schemed against her to such an extent that she didn't dare to go back.
What if he panicked and slipped something into her drink and sent her to Yan Qiubai's bed? She really wouldn't be able to defend herself.
Renting a house was indeed a good suggestion.
"But you don't have a place to live either. Your senior probably meant to take care of you."
Otherwise, why would the conditions be so good, not even charging rent?
But wasn't he also strange?
He clearly had a place to go. Why did he tell her before that he would stay at [Fuyunxuan] for a while?
She looked at his disheveled appearance, which still couldn't hide his imposing manner.
A sense of absurdity and vigilance instinctively rose in Meng Ruozhao's heart.
"The apartment has two bedrooms. It's very clean. It would be a waste for me to live there alone."
"Moreover, I don't want to take this favor from my senior for free. If I were to live there, I would definitely have to pay the rent. But with my current situation..."
Pei Jiangmu saw her doubts and continued to add, trying to make this makeshift lie seem more real.
Meng Ruozhao suddenly understood. So he didn't want to live there for free, but he was short on money, so he wanted to rent it to her instead.
Her vigilance dissipated. She caught the key point in his words. "It has two bedrooms?"
Pei Jiangmu nodded. "Yes. The location is great. It's also close to [Fuyunxuan]. Most importantly, the security is very good."
Hearing "the security is very good", Meng Ruozhao was a bit tempted.
If she moved out, Du Feng definitely wouldn't sit idly by.
So she couldn't just rent any random house.
Staying in a hotel was inconvenient, and finding a reliable place to live wasn't something that could be done overnight...
She slumped wearily against the back of the chair, her eyes looking blankly out of the window at the heavy night.
She needed a safe place to catch her breath, sort out her thoughts, and figure out what to do next.
And Pei Jiangmu's suggestion seemed really convenient in terms of location, and the conditions were... almost too good.
"How much is the rent?"
She asked softly, her voice filled with exhaustion.
It was as if she didn't have the energy to delve into whether there might be a trap behind this suggestion.
At this moment, a haven where she could temporarily escape the storm was more important than anything.
A flash of ecstatic light instantly passed through Pei Jiangmu's eyes, so fast that it was almost imperceptible.
He suppressed his excitement and tried to make his voice sound more calm.
"I've already said it's just for taking care of the house. It's just a token amount. You can decide, sister."
He knew that she wasn't exactly well - off at the moment.
Thinking carefully, since she returned to the Du family, it had been the toughest time materially since she met him.
"If you think it's okay, I can take you there right now to check out the environment."
He looked at Meng Ruozhao's exhausted profile, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
His bandaged hand curled slightly in the shadow, almost imperceptibly.
Meng Ruozhao hesitated for a moment and finally nodded.
Pei Jiangmu gave the driver a new address.
And Meng Ruozhao, looking out of the window, felt the slight vibration of the car.
The colorful city night view outside the window passed before her tired eyes, but it didn't bring her the slightest bit of warmth.
There still seemed to be the strength of Pei Jiangmu's grip on her wrist.
That palpitating sense of control felt familiar to her.
In a daze, she even had a strange feeling.
It was as if after escaping from one cage, she was voluntarily stepping into another more dangerous and unknown cage.
Exhaustion like a tide completely engulfed her.
The taxi took them to a high - end apartment complex that was quiet amidst the hustle and bustle.
The elevator rose silently and quickly, finally stopping on a floor.
Pei Jiangmu entered the password, and the heavy metal door opened with a click.
He didn't go in immediately but stepped aside and made a "please" gesture to Meng Ruozhao.
"Come in and take a look. The environment is great."
With a trace of lingering exhaustion and vigilance, Meng Ruozhao stepped into the entrance hall.
A warm breath mixed with the smell of sunlight, clean fabrics, and a faint woody note wafted towards her.
It instantly dispelled the coldness from the hospital and the depression from the journey.
The entrance hall was very simple. There was a log - colored shoe bench, and there were several small abstract but refreshing paintings hanging on the wall.
Walking further in, there was a spacious living room.
Meng Ruozhao stopped in her tracks.
Outside the huge floor - to - ceiling windows was the dazzling city night view, like a galaxy spread out.
The layout of the living room gave her a strange sense of familiarity and indescribable comfort.
The light - beige fabric sofa looked so soft that one could sink into it.
There were several high - quality gray - blue and warm - orange knitted blankets casually thrown on it - exactly the color combination she liked the most.
A thick hand - woven carpet was laid in front of the sofa. The pattern was a painted sunflower, low - key yet artistic.
The floor lamp in the corner had a unique shape, emitting a warm - yellow halo.
What attracted Meng Ruozhao's attention the most was the huge south - facing bay window.
The windowsill was covered with a thick cushion, and there was a fluffy pumpkin - shaped pillow on it. Next to it was a small log bookshelf.
If the morning sunlight could shine in, she could almost imagine herself curling up there, reading a book or daydreaming leisurely.
...
After walking around, she found that every detail of this apartment seemed to precisely hit her aesthetic comfort zone.
It even gave her an indescribable sense of belonging, like "home".