By the time Rong Yi still engrossed in his heated phone conversation, remembered that he had started cooking noodles over an hour ago, it was already too late.

He rushed to the kitchen, only to be greeted by the sight of flames shooting up. The pot was completely unrecognizable, kitchen paper beside the stove was burning furiously, and the rubber gas pipe nearby was on the verge of melting.

Rong Yi was dumbfounded.

Just then, the grease trap from the exhaust hood detached and fell into the fire with a loud splash.

Shocked awake, Rong Yi quickly mustered the courage to hold his breath and rush in to turn off the main gas valve. Then, grabbing his phone, he bolted out of the house. Without explaining much to Zhou Li, he hastily ended their call and immediately dialed 119.

Downstairs, Rong Yi looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from his kitchen window.

Watching his home engulfed in heat, his heart sank.

A small crowd had already gathered in the residential complex, murmuring to each other. Rong Yi spotted the elderly couple who lived above him, their faces full of worry and fear.

Feeling guilty, Rong Yi was just about to apologize and reassure them when the fire truck arrived.

A blast from the high-pressure water hose quickly extinguished the flames, leaving only a dark, gaping hole where the window had been.

Rong Yi stared blankly at the scene, then noticed his landlady, who lived nearby, rushing over in a panic, shouting.

The kitchen was half-burned, the hallway walls were blackened with soot, and the entire floor was soaked in water.

The usually kind landlady was trembling with anger, demanding an explanation from Rong Yi.

But Rong Yi had no explanation. He felt like he was about to be “explained away” himself.

Compensation was inevitable, and besides that, it looked like he was now homeless. Though it was a rental, after living there for years, he had grown attached to the place. The landlady had been a good person, barely raising the rent over the years, appreciating that he paid on time and kept the place clean.

But now, the landlady was adamant about turning hostile.

Feeling devastated, Rong Yi gathered a few belongings and found a shabby, run-down hotel that didn’t require ID. Just as he sat down, he received a message from the property management company, informing him that they would assess the damage on behalf of the landlord and discuss compensation with him in a week.

Rong Yi checked his bank balance and felt utterly hopeless.

This must be what they mean by “misfortunes never come singly.” He could only hope that he had hit rock bottom and that things would start improving from here.

Staying in a shady hotel was not a long-term solution, so his top priority was finding a new place to live.

It seemed luck might finally be turning around. The next day, after posting a rental request in his WeChat Moments, he immediately got a call from Liu Yuan.

“This is perfect timing. I have a friend who’s looking for a tenant,” Liu Yuan said. “He’s in a hurry and offering a low price. Want to check it out?”

The address Liu Yuan sent was a bit farther from Rong Yi’s old place but close to his office, with a direct bus route. The area wasn’t remote, and compared to the rent, it was a steal.

This was an absolute blessing for Rong Yi, who was broke and homeless.

“He doesn’t have many requirements—just someone with good hygiene habits, who’ll respect each other’s space, and can move in quickly,” Liu Yuan explained. “Apparently, he can’t stand his dad constantly dropping by. Oh, by the way, can you cook?”

“I can,” Rong Yi nodded. “Does he want to share meals?”

“That would be even better. He’s easygoing and doesn’t need the money, but if you can help with cooking, he might even cut the rent down a bit.”

Rong Yi was in a rush, so he took the afternoon off.

When he arrived, it was an agent from the property management company who showed him around and made small talk.

After hearing about Rong Yi’s ordeal, the agent expressed sympathy and immediately called the landlord, exaggerating Rong Yi’s tragic situation while praising him.

Standing nearby, Rong Yi listened as the agent spoke into the phone, “This guy is clean, handsome, and polite—definitely someone easy to get along with. You don’t have to worry. Plus, he’s in such a tough spot. If he doesn’t find a place soon, he might end up on the street. Why not come over and sign the lease right away?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Rong Yi wandered around the apartment. Even though it was a shared space, the place was stylish and well-furnished. The room meant for him was spacious, with new furniture. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

When he stepped out of the room again, he saw the agent huddled in the corner, whispering into the phone, “I’m serious—he’s super handsome. I’ll sneak a picture for you later if you don’t believe me.”

Rong Yi cleared his throat softly from behind.

The agent immediately straightened up and lowered his phone. “Alright, I got it. I’ll bring him to the office to wait for you.”

On the way to the agency, Rong Yi suddenly realized a serious problem.

He didn’t have his ID.

Just as it seemed the deal might fall through, the fabled landlord finally arrived.

“This is Mr. Chen,” the enthusiastic agent introduced, “and this is Mr. Rong. If you have any questions, you can ask each other now. As for the ID issue, it’s not urgent… What’s wrong with you two?”

Rong Yi wanted to ask the same thing—What was going on here?

He stared blankly at Chen Keyao, feeling like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him.

Chen Keyao’s expression was equally colorful, first shocked, then frowning. After a long silence, seeing that Rong Yi was still in disbelief but saying nothing, he finally cleared his throat and asked, “…Did your house burn down?”

What an utterly tactless thing to say.

Rong Yi felt a surge of anger rush to his head, and he immediately grabbed his suitcase, ready to leave.

The agent was baffled. “Mr. Rong, what’s going on? Where are you going?”

“I’m not renting.”

Who would want to live with this guy? Rong Yi would rather be homeless.

The agent finally caught on. “Wait, you two know each other?”

“Hold on,” came Chen Keyao’s voice from behind. “You didn’t get your ID? I mailed it to you.”

Rong Yi paused at the door, one foot already out.

He still didn’t speak, so Chen Keyao, frowning, continued, “Your ID fell in my car. I mailed it to your company the next day. You didn’t receive it?”

He really hadn’t.

Their company’s reception was piled high with packages, all self-collected. Rong Yi hadn’t done any online shopping lately, so it hadn’t occurred to him to check.

So it had really been picked up by Chen Keyao. Rong Yi couldn’t help feeling guilty for assuming he’d have snapped it in half and tossed it in the trash.

…But it was too late now. He had already reported it as lost.

Rong Yi’s face was full of conflicting emotions, and Chen Keyao sighed, “About that day, I—”

Rong Yi felt a sudden pang of emotion in his chest.

“There’s nothing to say,” he lowered his gaze. “Let’s just pretend we’ve never met.”

Chen Keyao hesitated, then nodded. “Alright.”

It seemed this deal was about to fall through, but the agent, having witnessed the entire exchange, wasn’t ready to give up.

“Hold on! If you two know each other, that’s even better, right?” He rushed over to block Rong Yi from leaving. “Mr. Rong, didn’t you just say you’ll need to be frugal from now on because of the compensation? The place you’re staying in now is bad and expensive, right? Plus, without your ID, most places won’t rent to you unless they know you.”

Rong Yi had never lost his ID before and wasn’t sure if it could still be used after being reported lost. He hesitated, unsure.

Seeing his slight shift in attitude, the agent quickly turned to Chen Keyao. “Mr. Chen, what do you think? You don’t mind waiting for the ID, right?”

Chen Keyao didn’t reply.

His attitude was clear. He wasn’t as resentful as Rong Yi, but it was obvious he wasn’t thrilled about being involved with him either.

But Rong Yi wasn’t willing to accept his help.

Even though the agent was desperately signaling back and forth between them, Rong Yi decided it was time to disappoint him.

Just as he was about to say his goodbyes, Chen Keyao’s phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen and muttered under his breath, “…Oh no.”

Then, instead of answering, he abruptly looked up at Rong Yi. The strange intensity in his gaze made Rong Yi’s scalp tingle, and he instinctively took a step back.

Chen Keyao stepped forward. “Do you want to stay at my place for the night?”

Rong Yi’s mind immediately filled with a flood of terrible scenarios.

No matter how awful his past experience had been, this Alpha in front of him was still incredibly attractive to him, both in appearance and build. And those words… sounded way too suggestive.

The phone was still ringing, and seeing Rong Yi remain silent with a frown, Chen Keyao sighed and answered the call.

What followed was a rather amusing one-sided conversation that Rong Yi overheard.

“Dad… Why are you here again?” Chen Keyao’s face was a picture of conflict. “I already rented out the apartment. For real this time. They’re moving in today. There’s no room for you to sleep. I swear… Why would I lie to you? We’re heading over right now. No need, don’t come over. I’m not coming home for dinner, and you don’t need to bring me any… I didn’t! Don’t make stuff up, okay?”

Standing next to Rong Yi, the agent whispered, “See? He’s got it rough too. Just help him out.”

Chen Keyao’s place was in the neighboring complex.

They walked to his place in complete silence, one in front of the other.

The whole situation felt surreal. Rong Yi thought there was something twisted about him; it felt oddly satisfying to help Chen Keyao, as if it gave him some sort of bizarre pleasure.

When they reached the building, Chen Keyao suddenly stopped.

“If my dad is still there when we get up, don’t respond to anything he says.”

Rong Yi nodded behind him.

Chen Keyao didn’t see it, but he didn’t press the point and led the way upstairs, clearly deep in thought.

Rong Yi had been there earlier that afternoon, so he knew the way. As they approached Chen Keyao’s front door after stepping off the elevator, they saw a middle-aged man standing there.

Upon hearing footsteps, the man immediately turned around. As expected, Chen Keyao spoke up, “Dad, why are you standing at the door?”

The man didn’t respond, only frowned, his gaze moving past his son to fix on Rong Yi behind him.

Rong Yi froze, standing stiffly in place, staring at the Alpha who bore a striking resemblance to Chen Keyao but with a more mature and rugged look. After a few seconds, he nervously swallowed.

He didn’t dare speak, but his heart couldn’t help but stir a little.

Wow, this uncle is really handsome.