Chapter 168: Hey, Rude Landlady, Have You Heard of a Couple’s Tag-Team?
The art of language is all about timing. Just one moment ago, Xia Changyu was called a “random guy” by the landlady. But in the next moment, Lin Yibai called him her “real boyfriend.”
It’s just renting a place, why can’t someone bring their boyfriend home?
Actually, even if it’s not a boyfriend, why can’t a tenant invite someone over?
Isn’t the landlady trying to control too much?
The landlady was stunned for a second, then snapped back, “Just because you say he’s your boyfriend doesn’t mean it’s true! Who knows what kind of guy you’re bringing back here?”
Lin Yibai gave a cold snort and shot back, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m the kind of girl who brings random men home all the time? You think I’m not a decent person?”
Even though Xia Changyu felt a little happy being called her “boyfriend,” his mood quickly turned sour. This kind of landlady was just too much.
She acted like she was better than everyone, looked down on people from other cities, and treated others rudely, even accusing a girl of being “indecent” without any proof.
The landlady tried to walk past Xia Changyu again and pointed right at Lin Yibai, saying, “Let me just be honest, you—”
But before she could finish, Xia Changyu stepped in front of her and blocked the way.
He was more and more annoyed with this kind of old person who bullies both young and old. And why should she talk to Lin Yibai like that?
Xia Changyu was usually pretty calm, but this time, he lost his patience and said, “Don’t point at her when you talk. If you’ve got something to say, say it to me. Or I won’t be so polite next time.”
The landlady sneered, “And who do you think you are to speak for her?”
The landlady laughed again, “Oh? What happened to all that confidence from before? Not so tough now, are you?”
After all, he wasn’t really her boyfriend… so she hit a sore spot.
Xia Changyu didn’t know what to say for a second. But just then, Lin Yibai quietly poked his side.
Her bright eyes blinked at him, like she was trying to give him a signal.
Now’s not the time to hesitate. They had to stand together and deal with this as a team.
Lin Yibai looked just like a gentle and shy girl. She hid behind Xia Changyu and said in a soft voice. “Changyu, you’re my boyfriend. Of course you can speak for me.”
Xia Changyu: !
Wow. That’s amazing!
All his worries disappeared instantly. He suddenly felt full of confidence and excitement.
He never expected that he’d get to be her “boyfriend” this way and that she would say he had the right to speak for her!
The landlady, on the other hand, looked like she had just been hit with a hammer. It was like she had just eaten a mouthful of “dog food”, and even got hit by a couple working together to defend each other.
She grumbled and said, “Fine, I’ll get straight to the point...”
She tried to point at Lin Yibai again. But this time, Xia Changyu’s strong arm blocked her view. Lin Yibai didn’t need to do anything, she could just relax.
The landlady clicked her tongue in frustration and changed her words, “What I mean is, your girlfriend is renting from me, but she’s not following the rules.”
Xia Changyu asked, “What rules?”
The landlady said, “She signed a sublease with the previous tenant, not with me. That makes the contract invalid. Unless she signs a new lease directly with me and pays the old rent again, it doesn’t count.”
So in conclusion, there’s no actual 'rule' against having guests. You just want the money, don’t you?
Wow. What a greedy old woman.
Xia Changyu had thought people from big cities, especially locals, would at least care about their reputation a little.
But it turns out, the ones who look down on outsiders the most and try to take advantage of them are often these local landlords.
For the record, Lin Yibai had rented the apartment legally through a sublease from a senior student.
So basically, the senior student paid the original rent to the landlady, and now the landlady also wants Lin Yibai to pay the same amount? Trying to get money from both sides?
It’s just a matter of a hundred or two yuan a month, and students like Lin Yibai usually don’t stay long anyway. Xia Changyu really couldn’t understand why these local landlords have to make things so hard for people from other places.
He took a deep breath, his face growing more annoyed, and said, “You just said it yourself, it’s a sublease. That’s legal and allowed. What’s the problem? Or are you just looking for trouble?”
The landlady quickly replied, “I said it doesn’t follow the rules, so it doesn’t follow the rules!”
Xia Changyu pushed back and even mocked her, “A rule against having guests? Who made that, the government? Or you, five minutes ago?”
Landlords like her hate renters who talk back like this. You talk about raising the rent, they talk about contracts. You talk about contracts, they bring up the law. It’s just annoying!
They prefer tenants who are quiet and easy to control. Usually, if those people don’t agree to the rent increase, they just tell them to leave, no arguments.
What’s that? A rental contract?
Most quiet renters wouldn’t even think to use that to protect themselves.
The landlady gave a cold snort, then laughed sarcastically. “Do you believe I’ll call the police and report you for illegally occupying the apartment?”
Xia Changyu calmly raised his hands, took out a business card, and said,
“Go ahead. This is the card of my personal legal advisor. If you have any legal questions, talk to him. He’ll handle everything between you and my girlfriend. Even if you called the police right away, they'd be the ones laughing at you.”
The landlady burst out laughing, full of confidence. “Oh wow, a personal legal advisor? You’re just a broke student, who are you trying to fool? I’ve seen it all before.”
She thought someone who really has a personal lawyer wouldn’t be renting this kind of old, run-down place. So she was sure Xia Changyu was just pretending to be rich.
Now she felt even more confident, and even more determined to take advantage of this couple.
But then, from behind Xia Changyu, Lin Yibai quietly spoke up.
“Since you say you’ve seen so much in life, have you seen what kind of car this so-called ‘random guy’ drives when he picks me up every day?”
Landlady: “?”
Lin Yibai went on slowly. “So, what kind of car does my boyfriend drive? Was it a 7 series… or an 8 series?”
Landlady: “??”
Even Xia Changyu couldn’t help twitching the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t that the girl behind him was making stuff up. It was that she was really good at backing him up!
How could anyone not fall for a girl like that?
The landlady thought about it more carefully, and it actually did seem true.
Her face changed instantly, and she stammered, “No way… That’s impossible… If you’re that rich, why would you let your girlfriend live in such an old, broken-down place?”
Xia Changyu finally shrugged and said, “I know, right? I’m frustrated too! We have a 160-square-meter apartment in the downtown shopping street, and it’s totally empty. But she just won’t move in. What can I do? So… do you have a solution?”
The landlady’s face turned red, like a piece of cooked liver. She never expected to get tag-teamed by a couple like this.
Sure, she was a city local, but other than owning this one property, she didn’t have much going for her.
She gritted her teeth but couldn’t get any words out. “You… you two… YOU!! TWO!”
Ugh, this couple! You two showed off so much, there’s nothing left for me to say!
What’s the point of me being the landlady here?
Am I just here to help you strengthen your relationship?!
Honestly, if Lin Yibai hadn’t been tugging on Xia Changyu’s sleeve the whole time, he would’ve already kicked the landlady out by now. But luckily, things turned out okay in the end.
The landlady stormed off in a huff, having gained absolutely nothing, except for a front-row seat to a sweet couple showing off their love.
She left with a mouth full of "dog food" feeling sad and defeated.