TFRLTOP Chapter 21 Part 1

Chapter 21 – The Overbearing CEO’s Little Side Dish

◎ Talking at Cross Purposes ◎

The so-called “good man” Huo Xiao was nowhere to be seen, leaving Ming Ming quite at ease. The system reminded her:
“You’d better get ready to distance yourself from the male lead. Stop clinging to him every day.”

Ming Ming pouted. “You think I want this? He’s the one who won’t leave me alone!”

System: …And that’s exactly the problem!

Hiding in a corner, Ming Ming tried her best to play the invisible guest. By chance, she overheard a few rich second-gens chatting:

“I’m planning to buy an apartment in the Binjiang District. Got any good recommendations?”

“Why buy there? That area doesn’t have any high-end communities or villas. Just regular housing. Prices are average.”

Ming Ming perked up her ears. Regular housing, average prices—if it were affordable, maybe she could buy one too.

“Eh, I don’t have that much cash on hand. Just want to pick up a place there for investment.”

“Well… taking everything into account, Lijiang Garden is pretty decent. The apartments are about a hundred square meters in size, located in a school district as well. For Binjiang, the price is on the lower side. A place would be, what, eighteen million or so?”

“Oh, that’s not bad.”

Not bad at all!

This world actually still had apartments for only eighteen hundred a square meter? Ming Ming was already debating whether to buy a villa or a luxury flat.

“But I’m planning to take a loan. How much would the down payment usually be?”

“Who even takes out loans for houses? But I’ve heard… it’s usually at least 30–40%. That’s what, three to four million?”

“Got it, that gives me a ballpark.”

…

Ming Ming’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“… … … … … … … …”

“How much????”

So eighteen hundred was actually…

The system mercilessly crushed her fantasy: “Yes. Eighteen. Million.”

Ming Ming pinched her nose bridge hard.

“System, are there any houses for normal people in this world?”

The system stayed silent.

Ordinary houses, yet the down payment alone was three to four million. And that jerk Huo Xiao only gave her five hundred grand a month!

Forget paying in full—even if she scraped together a down payment, how was she ever supposed to keep up with the mortgage?

At this rate, she’d be tossed out on the street…

What’s wrong with the world having one more rich person like me, huh?!

What’s wrong with that!!!

“Wait,” Ming Ming muttered, her worldview crumbling, “day-to-day expenses for food and entertainment are totally normal. But when it comes to housing, it’s like the currency rate changes overnight!”

Cursing under her breath, she wandered around the venue—only to run right into the male and female leads alone on the balcony.

Ming Ming: …

“Sorry for disturbing you.”

She bowed, turned, and tried to leave.

“Come back.” Huo Xiao’s brows were furrowed, his tone commanding. Noticing her expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ming Ming shot him a resentful look, lowered her eyes, and shook her head.

All this time sharing his bed, and he still wouldn’t buy her a single apartment.

Huo Xiao: ?

He said, “Don’t wander off. Stay by my side.”

“No, no, no, I really shouldn’t be intruding…” Ming Ming shook her head furiously, like a rattling drum.

“If I don’t head back now, my grandfather will come looking. I shouldn’t be interrupting you two. I’ll leave first.” Ye Weiran glanced at her with an unreadable expression, smiled faintly, and walked away.

“Oh no, oh no—does this mean the female lead already hates me?”

The system thought: Hopefully! Something feels off here… But it looked like the male and female leads had already started connecting. So it was only a matter of time now… right?

“You and she are friends?”

“Uh… sort of,” Ming Ming said vaguely.

“Aren’t you curious what we were talking about?”

“Huh?” Ming Ming blinked blankly. “Should I be?”

Huo Xiao’s gaze shifted, fixing on her as if trying to see straight through her.

He remembered the split second when Chu Yun had walked over and spotted them together—her startled look.

It had been the same back on the cruise ship too.

She always seemed to instinctively think she’d stumbled into something she shouldn’t see, pretending not to know him, then fleeing as quickly as possible.

And now, he recalled her resentful glance just moments ago.

Was she upset that he’d left her alone for too long?

Or upset that he was alone with another woman?

“Don’t misunderstand my relationship with her.”

Huh?

“We were talking about you.”