Chapter 23: The Temptation of the Villa

The whistling sound of a metal rod slicing through the air rang out. At that moment, Iron Arm Ape suddenly twisted his body and flung out a black iron pellet. The next second, a thick gray smoke enveloped the area. Liu Hu cursed under his breath, "Fuck, that bastard got away!"

Half a minute later, the gray fog dissipated, but there was no sign of Iron Arm Ape anywhere. Liu Hu, bearing several wounds, walked over to Qin Ruo and the others with a frustrated smile.

Qin Ruo said, "Not bad strength. No wonder I took a liking to you!"

Qin Ruo had seen the earlier fight clearly. Liu Hu’s personal combat ability was already approaching Mid Qi Strength. No wonder he could escape from the clutches of Binhai City’s underworld overlord.

"Tch, but he still got away. What’s the point of this lousy stick?" Liu Hu grumbled, holding the broken metal rod in his hand, looking rather speechless.

Qin Ruo took the metal rod, twirled it a couple of times, and smashed it into the ground, creating a small crater. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he said, "Tiger, this metal rod’s power isn’t bad. It’d be a waste to throw it away. Keep it!"

Liu Hu nodded. Meanwhile, the three stunning beauties beside them were left dumbfounded, swallowing hard in unison. Lin Yan’er was the most shocked. As a graduate of the police academy, she had a good understanding of combat techniques.

But watching the battle between Liu Hu and that mysterious weirdo earlier had completely shattered her worldview. Experts of this level could probably take on hundreds of people single-handedly. Lin Yan’er couldn’t help but gain a deeper appreciation of Liu Hu’s strength.

Yet, he had personally admitted that he wasn’t Qin Ruo’s match. So just how terrifying was Qin Ruo, who always kept a low profile?

Lin Yan’er, the fiery beauty, grew increasingly curious about Qin Ruo. The more she got to know him, the more she felt like a door to an extraordinary world was slowly opening before her.

This time, Qin Ruo drove, with Liu Hu in the passenger seat, while the three women chatted in the back. Before long, they arrived at Huaihe Old Street in District C. The car stopped in front of a luxurious three-story villa.

Looking at the villa before them, aside from Xia Fei Xuan, the other two women’s mouths dropped open in shock. Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni exchanged glances. What a beautiful villa! Owning such a large property in the exorbitantly expensive Binhai City was incredibly rare and a true symbol of status.

"Qin Ruo, I didn’t expect you to be this rich. In a few years, this villa alone will probably be worth over a hundred million!" Lin Yan’er said with evident envy. Though she wasn’t as money-minded as Xia Fei Xuan, stepping into such a luxurious villa for the first time still left her heart racing.

Qin Ruo smiled faintly, a peculiar glint in his eyes as he said, "Would you all like to come in for a drink?"

"Yeah, come on in, sisters! The landlord brews amazing tea!" Xia Fei Xuan grabbed the two women’s hands and dragged them into the villa with enthusiasm.

Qin Ruo opened the villa’s door, and the lights inside automatically turned on. Seeing the layout of the villa, Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni’s mouths fell open again. It was simply too beautiful.

"Little Xia, take Officer Lin and the others around for a casual look. I’ll go brew a pot of tea for you all!" Qin Ruo said.

"Sisters, what do you think? Isn’t the landlord’s villa gorgeous?" Xia Fei Xuan led the two around, and their admiration grew with every step as they marveled at everything.

"Little Xia, how much rent do you pay each month?" Lin Yan’er asked the crucial question.

Xia Fei Xuan replied, "Oh, the rent is super cheap. Just ten thousand for half a year!"

"What? Only ten thousand?" Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, their faces full of disbelief.

"Little Xia, are you sure you’re not Qin Ruo’s girlfriend?" Dai Keni asked.

"Sister Dai, what are you talking about? How could I be that annoying landlord’s girlfriend?" Xia Fei Xuan quickly denied it. It wasn’t true, after all.

"You’re not lying to me, are you? How could it be so cheap? Logically, for a villa like this, even several thousand or over ten thousand a month wouldn’t be unreasonable," Dai Keni said, extremely puzzled. Her sharp, discerning eyes stared straight at Xia Fei Xuan, as if trying to uncover every little secret she might be hiding.

Xia Fei Xuan’s next words were even more shocking. "The villa isn’t just what you see on the surface. There’s also a decent-sized swimming pool in the back!"

What? There’s even a swimming pool?

Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni, the two stunning beauties, were so shocked they couldn’t even speak. At their insistent request, Xia Fei Xuan led them to the back, where a swimming pool of about a hundred square meters came into view.

Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni exchanged looks, their beautiful eyes shimmering with disbelief. A luxurious, fully renovated three-story villa with an open-air swimming pool—and the monthly rent was only a thousand bucks!

Good heavens!

This landlord was either insane or a complete idiot with a broken brain!

This was practically a massive loss-making clearance sale. Lin Yan’er glanced at Dai Keni, whose eyes were already gleaming with interest, and said, "Sister Keni, aren’t you currently living in the teacher’s apartment at Binhai University?"

Dai Keni nodded. "Yeah, the teacher’s apartment is okay, but compared to Qin Ruo’s villa, it’s just way too far behind."

Lin Yan’er agreed, saying, "Why don’t you move in here with Little Xia?"

"Yeah, Sister Dai, come live with me! Then I’ll have a companion!" Xia Fei Xuan was the most excited, nearly jumping for joy.

Dai Keni said, "Sure, but this still depends on Qin Ruo’s opinion. If he doesn’t agree, there’s no way I can move in."

Xia Fei Xuan waved her hand dismissively. "I’ll handle the landlord!"

The group returned to the living room, where Qin Ruo had already set out the tea set on the table. Each cup was filled, the tea rich in color and fragrant.

"Everyone, try the special tea I brewed!" Qin Ruo said with a smile.

Lin Yan’er and Dai Keni took a small sip. A rich tea aroma filled their mouths—strong but not overpowering, smooth but not sticky. They couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, "Qin Ruo, this tea is really delicious! What’s it called?"

Qin Ruo smiled faintly. "It’s called Ruo Zhe Tea."

Liu Hu chimed in, "Ruo Zhe describes an extremely profound state in martial arts. One who achieves deep enlightenment is called Ruo Zhe!"

The two women nodded, half-understanding. At that moment, Lin Yan’er spoke up, "Qin Ruo, I have something to discuss with you."

"Go ahead!" Qin Ruo looked at Lin Yan’er with curiosity.

"It’s like this. You probably know my cousin, Dai Keni. She’s a teacher at Binhai University, and your place isn’t too far from there. Plus, her current living conditions aren’t great. How about letting her move in here?"

"Yeah, landlord, look at how beautiful Sister Dai is. Can you bear to let her live in a lousy place like the school dorms?" Xia Fei Xuan added at this point.

Qin Ruo shot Xia Fei Xuan a look and said, "Little Xia, you little money-grubber, did someone pay you off or something?"

"Hmph, of course not!" Xia Fei Xuan pouted.

Hearing Qin Ruo’s words, Dai Keni maintained a polite smile, though a hint of disappointment flickered in her expression. Just then, Qin Ruo spoke up, "Of course, I’d be very happy to have the beautiful Dai move in. As for the price, let’s go with a half-year lease. How about ten thousand?"

Dai Keni, who had already started to feel disheartened, suddenly lit up with a surprised and delighted expression. Her stunning face glowed with excitement as she said, "Qin Ruo, are you serious?"

Qin Ruo smiled faintly. "Miss Dai, have I ever lied to you? Remember how I saved you in the car?"

Dai Keni nodded shyly. Meanwhile, Lin Yan’er and Xia Fei Xuan, the two gossip queens, seized the opportunity and pressed, "By the way, we’re still curious about how you two met. Tell us!"

Dai Keni, being a literature teacher, had a strong command of words and storytelling. She quickly recounted the scenes of meeting Qin Ruo in vivid detail.

"Oh, no wonder you called him Living Lei Feng the first time you saw him. Qin Ruo, you did well. On behalf of the police, I’ll give you a verbal commendation!" Lin Yan’er said.

"Tch, how about something more tangible? Just give me a kiss!" Qin Ruo said shamelessly.

"As far as the speed of light is, that’s how far I want you to get lost!" Lin Yan’er pointed at him.

"But this is my house, Yan’er!" Qin Ruo put on a pitiful expression.

"Then go to bed!" Lin Yan’er said domineeringly.

After chatting for a while, Lin Yan’er got up to leave. They all exchanged contact information.

Dai Keni stayed over with Xia Fei Xuan for the night. The next morning, Qin Ruo and Dai Keni would head to Binhai University together to pick up some of her belongings and officially move her into the villa.

So much had happened in a single day, and Qin Ruo felt a bit tired. After taking a shower, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

A dreamless night passed.

The dawn slowly broke, ushering in another vibrant and colorful morning, bringing freshness to the world.

The first to rise was Liu Hu. Early in the morning, dressed in a tight black training outfit, he came to the open area by the swimming pool. Sitting cross-legged, he quietly practiced his techniques to absorb the morning sunlight and enhance his cultivation.

His cultivation method focused on raw power, and the peak of the day was in the morning, so he got up early.

Qin Ruo, wearing a gray tank top, rubbed his eyes and walked out to the balcony with a toothbrush in his mouth. He glanced down at Liu Hu below and smiled faintly. Not long after, Xia Fei Xuan and Dai Keni, the two beauties, also woke up.

Qin Ruo went to the kitchen and cooked a few dishes, finishing them quickly. Xia Fei Xuan was the first to sit at the dining table, eagerly awaiting the delicious breakfast. Qin Ruo brought out a few stir-fried dishes and a bowl of tofu flower soup, the rich aroma of food filling the air.

"Sister Dai, try the landlord’s cooking!" Xia Fei Xuan’s eyes were glued to Dai Keni, as if waiting for her reaction of delight after tasting the food.

Dai Keni, ever the lady, picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks. She quickly noticed the exceptional quality of the meat. It was oily but not greasy, chewy and tender, with an incredible flavor.

She gave a thumbs-up in admiration. "Qin Ruo, I didn’t expect your cooking to be this good. What are we women supposed to do now? But I guess I’m in for a treat from now on!"

Qin Ruo chuckled. He only ate a simple meal of rice and vegetables. Glancing at the two beauties enjoying their food with relish, he said, "Little Xia, today you and Tiger go to the job market to hire a few chefs. I’ll head to Binhai University with Miss Dai later."

"No problem!" Xia Fei Xuan replied without hesitation.

After a simple breakfast, Liu Hu and Xia Fei Xuan headed to the job market to recruit chefs, while Qin Ruo and Dai Keni strolled toward Binhai University together.