One Small Tip for Unemployment Every Day
One Small Tip for Unemployment Every Day – Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Fu Ning’s skin was still not thick enough to that extent. Quietly and properly, he paid the money, and under Chi Heyuan’s pressure, he also accepted the portion of the money that Chi Heyuan A had given him.

The two had a meal and then parted ways. Fu Ning had plans with friends, and after bidding Fu Ning farewell, Chi Heyuan stood in front of the restaurant waiting for Chi Ye to pick him up.

During the wait, he pulled out his phone and glanced at it.

There were no new messages on the original owner’s WeChat. Chi Heyuan thought for a moment, then switched to his work account to take a look.

In the end, Fu Ning’s courage wasn’t thick enough, so he quietly paid for the meal and, under Chi Xiting’s insistence, accepted the portion of money Chi Xiting gave him.

After their meal, the two parted ways. Fu Ning had plans with friends, so after bidding him farewell, Chi Xiting stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for Chi Ye to come pick him up.

While waiting, he took out his phone and glanced at it.

There were no new messages on the original owner’s WeChat, so Chi Xiting thought for a moment and switched to his work account to check.

The two work groups Chi Xiting had joined were constantly updating with new messages.

Chi Xiting quickly skimmed through them.

In the group named “Quiet and Calm,” it was still Shen Zhizhe who was posting notices. Recently, there seemed to be a lot of business activities and important projects, and the marketing department, which usually held few meetings, had been meeting more frequently in the past few days.

Chi Xiting hadn’t finished reading the messages when Shen Zhizhe sent another one.

[Shen Zhizhe]: Meeting at 10 AM next Monday.

[Shen Zhizhe]: Interns need to attend.

The group, which had been discussing work, suddenly fell silent.

Oh, this was rare.

Shen Zhizhe specifically called the interns for a meeting.

Was there something he wanted to inform them about?

Although it didn’t concern the formal employees, people were still curious, especially when something unusual happened, and even those who usually didn’t pay attention to such matters couldn’t help but be curious.

Shen Zhizhe had never been particularly focused on the interns.

Given his high position and busy schedule—either meeting clients or traveling for work—he rarely had the time to guide interns. Calling them for a meeting, especially for something out of the ordinary, was a rare occurrence.

This time, however, it was unexpected.

Shen Zhizhe seemed to be paying extra attention.

As the notification came directly from their superior, the interns, despite feeling a little uneasy, still obediently responded with an acknowledgment and entered the group.

Seeing others had replied, Chi Xiting sighed softly. He didn’t feel like responding, but in the end, he gave in and sent a “1” to acknowledge that he had seen it.

He rarely spoke in this group. Usually, when formal employees sent work notifications or updates for small projects, the other interns eagerly and actively responded. Chi Xiting, on the other hand, acted like a ghost, staying silent in the group with almost no presence.

He didn’t even respond to messages from Shen Zhizhe sometimes.

It was after work hours, and the message didn’t concern him, so why should he reply?

Perhaps because Chi Xiting wasn’t very active in the group, this time when he responded, not many people paid attention. Only the person who sent the notice noticed his reply.

Shen Zhizhe chuckled.

Xing Panpan, who was reporting on work nearby, looked up in confusion and asked, “Manager Shen, what’s going on?”

Shen Zhizhe put his phone face down on the table, propped his chin up, and flipped through some documents, saying, “Nothing, just rare to see that nearly dead person in the group actually reply to a message. It’s really not easy.”

Xing Panpan: “…?”

Huh?

Who?

Seeing that Shen Zhizhe wasn’t offering any further explanation, Xing Panpan wisely didn’t ask, finishing her work report.

“Alright, no problem.”

Xing Panpan immediately sighed with relief.

“This project is fine. Well done,” Shen Zhizhe said, looking at Xing Panpan. “How many people are in your team now?”

Xing Panpan paused for a moment, thought for a second, and then replied, “More than twenty.”

Shen Zhizhe responded with an “oh,” then said, “Please make a list of the interns in your team, including the tasks they’ve been involved with since joining the company. I’ve already notified the other team leaders. Please gather it and send it to me on Monday.”

Xing Panpan instinctively agreed, but then something seemed off, and she suddenly looked up in disbelief at Shen Zhizhe.

Shen Zhizhe smiled at her and said, “I’ve submitted the request. You’re going to be the leader of Team C. The salary and role adjustments will be sent to your email next week.”

Xing Panpan was completely stunned, her lips moving but no words coming out.

Although she had been waiting for this promotion for a long time, when it actually happened, she felt lost and unsure of what to do.

It was all so ordinary and anticlimactic.

On such a regular day, the thing she had worked and strived for had finally reached a milestone.

“Alright, go home quickly,” Shen Zhizhe said, understanding the girl’s shock. He didn’t pay much attention to her reaction and urged her to head home.

It was the weekend, and Xing Panpan had been working overtime for several weekends to get the project finalized.

Xing Panpan finally snapped out of her daze, nodded repeatedly to show she understood, and almost clumsily walked to the door. She couldn’t help but glance back at Shen Zhizhe before leaving.

Sorting the interns’ work progress?

Xing Panpan scratched her head in confusion. Why did Shen Zhizhe suddenly want to gather this information?

Was he evaluating the interns again?

Meanwhile, Chi Xiting was completely unaware of the small ripples in the company. He lazily lounged on his sofa at home, playing with his phone and eating fruit. When he received a message from Chi Heyuan, he had just finished a small plate of grapes.

[Chi Heyuan]: Did you move back home?

Chi Xiting glanced at the pop-up message, saw it was from Chi Heyuan, and clicked to open WeChat to reply.

[Chi Xiting]: Yeah, how did you know?

[Chi Heyuan]: Dad told me. What’s going on? Why did you suddenly move back?

It seemed that Chi Ye hadn’t mentioned the issue with the house to Chi Heyuan.

Chi Xiting didn’t feel like typing much, so he sent a voice message to explain the problem with the house he rented.

After a while, Chi Heyuan didn’t reply.

Chi Xiting waited for a bit, preparing to return to watching his videos. Before he could switch screens, Chi Heyuan directly sent a voice message.

Chi Xiting was startled and instinctively clicked to answer.

“Hello.”

“When did this happen?” Chi Heyuan’s voice sounded subtly displeased, though it was unclear whether he was annoyed with Chi Xiting’s foolish roommate or with Chi Xiting for not telling him about the incident sooner.

Chi Xiting sat up. “Just a couple of days ago, the night I came back from my business trip.”

Chi Heyuan let out a sound through the phone, his voice muffled.

“What are you planning to do next? Are you not renting the place anymore?” Chi Heyuan asked.

“What can I do? I’ll go check tomorrow,” Chi Xiting said as he crossed his legs and replied slowly, “I’ve arranged to meet the landlord. We’ll check the facilities together, and then I’ll give up the place.”

That night, he didn’t carefully check the house. Although there wasn’t anything valuable in his room, the landlord’s things might have been damaged, and that could be troublesome if it were to be pursued. After thinking for a while, Chi Xiting decided to bring all three parties together to settle responsibility face to face.

“Alright,” Chi Heyuan seemed to approve of this decision. After a pause, he hesitated before asking, “Are you going alone?”

Chi Xiting responded.

Chi Heyuan’s voice became softer, sounding somewhat indistinct.

“Anyway, I don’t have anything tomorrow. I’ll go with you.”

Before Chi Xiting could respond, Chi Heyuan quickly added in a stern tone, “Don’t overthink it, okay? It’s because our parents are worried about you and forced me to go. You think I want to go?”

Chi Xiting cooperatively reassured him, “Alright, alright, you don’t want to go, you don’t want to go.”

Chi Heyuan: “……”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Chi Heyuan said after a long silence on the other end of the line.

Chi Xiting continued to decline, “Really don’t need it, I can handle it myself…”

Before Chi Xiting could finish, Chi Heyuan hung up the phone.

Chi Xiting stared in confusion at the screen.

The call was over.

Half a minute later, a message appeared on the screen.

[Chi Heyuan]: I’ll be there at 9 am.

Chi Xiting: “……”

Damn.

This brother sure knows how to avoid being refused.

As long as you can’t see or hear, you can’t refuse.

Chi Xiting paused for a moment and then typed “Okay.”

The next morning, Chi Heyuan returned home and took advantage of the situation to have breakfast. He sat leisurely at the table waiting for Chi Xiting to wake up.

Though the appointment was for 9 am, Chi Xiting wasn’t one to get up at 8 am.

It wasn’t until 8:40 that there was some movement in Chi Xiting’s room.

Chi Xiting must have timed it, allowing for washing up and breakfast, getting up 20 minutes early was more than enough.

He didn’t expect Chi Heyuan to arrive early.

When Chi Xiting walked out of his room, still half-asleep, he bumped into Chi Heyuan after just a few steps.

Chi Heyuan poked him on the shoulder, blocking his path to the bathroom. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What time did you go to bed last night? What time is it now, and you’re still this tired?”

Chi Xiting looked up, confused, and met Chi Heyuan’s gaze. Only after seeing him did he finally wake up.

“Why are you here already?” Chi Xiting asked in surprise.

“Don’t ask so many questions,” Chi Heyuan moved aside and pushed Chi Xiting towards the bathroom, urging, “Hurry up and get washed, the faster we finish, the sooner I can leave.”

Chi Xiting, being pressured, muttered under his breath, “It’s not like I wanted you to go.”

Chi Heyuan’s ears twitched, and he glared at Chi Xiting, warning, “What did you say?”

Chi Xiting shoved the toothbrush in his mouth and avoided eye contact, pretending he hadn’t heard.

Chi Heyuan couldn’t be bothered to argue. He stood at the bathroom door for a while before returning to the dining table. He glanced at the leftover breakfast, clicked his tongue, and reheated the slightly cold buns and soy milk in the kitchen.

When Chi Xiting came out of the bathroom, Chi Heyuan was holding the steaming breakfast from the kitchen.

“Hurry up and eat,” Chi Heyuan placed the plate in front of Chi Xiting. As he pulled his hand back, he unconsciously rubbed his slightly red fingers from the heat, and reminded him, “The soy milk’s a bit hot, be careful.”

Chi Xiting inserted his chopsticks into the bun, and said “Oh,” not touching the soy milk.

“Where are Mom and Dad?” Chi Xiting asked.

Chi Heyuan leaned back with his arms crossed, casually responding, “They probably went for a walk, not sure.”

When Chi Heyuan arrived, he had just missed seeing their parents, Chi Ye and Lu Yanzhao, leaving. The three briefly greeted each other without much conversation, so Chi Heyuan wasn’t sure what they were up to.

Seeing Chi Xiting was almost done with breakfast, Chi Heyuan stood up, grabbed the car keys, and glanced back at Chi Xiting, saying, “Leave the dishes. We’ll wash them when we get back.”

Chi Xiting guessed that Chi Heyuan probably had something to do later, so he didn’t delay and quickly tidied up before following him.

Chi Heyuan drove Chi Xiting back to the rental house.

The door to the rental was wide open. As soon as they turned the corner from the hallway, they heard a man’s voice complaining non-stop.

“Look at this, look at this! How long has it been, and you’ve already ruined my house like this.”

“The air conditioner was fine, why is it broken now? You checked when you rented it, right? It was new, I specifically bought a good one.”

“This isn’t even my room’s air conditioner, what’s the point of telling me if it’s broken?”

“Exactly, go talk to the owner of that room, don’t drag my brother into this.”

Chi Xiting furrowed his brow and stepped inside.

As soon as he appeared, the arguing inside stopped abruptly. The three people in the room all turned to look at him.

Yuan Yin and Yuan Qiang stood together.

Yuan Yin seemed to have lost some weight recently, his dark circles heavier, and he looked rather disheveled.

Beside him, Yuan Qiang was wearing a faded tank top, casually leaning against the wall with an indifferent attitude. When he saw Chi Xiting, he lazily scanned him from head to toe, seemingly quite interested in him.

“Well, isn’t the owner here? Ask him,” Yuan Qiang said with a grin.

The landlord was a man in his forties, short in stature, looking frail next to the tall Yuan Qiang. It was unclear how he had managed to stand his ground against Yuan Qiang earlier.

When the landlord saw the room’s owner arrive, he immediately focused on him. The dissatisfaction and irritation that had been directed at Yuan Qiang now found a target to vent. He spoke to Chi Xiting in a rather unfriendly tone: “I’ve just checked the room. Besides some minor wear on the walls, I don’t know where the paint on the floor came from…”

“I’m not fussing about these small issues, but the air conditioner…”

The landlord led Chi Xiting into the room, pointing to the air conditioner on the wall. He pressed the remote a couple of times and said, “This air conditioner was just bought a few months ago, and now it’s broken.”

Chi Xiting looked over where the landlord was pointing. The landlord pressed the remote a few more times, but the air conditioner didn’t respond at all.

“I don’t care what issues you two have, but don’t destroy my property,” the landlord said, furious but trying to control his anger. “This is my personal property, I didn’t want to rent it out in the first place.”

Yuan Qiang sneered, mockingly saying, “Oh, so you didn’t want to rent it out but still did it, huh? All because of that little bit of money?”

The landlord’s face darkened again, and he was about to argue with Yuan Qiang.

Ignoring the landlord, Yuan Qiang turned to Chi Xiting and said in a strange tone, “Why don’t you just let him pay for the damages? No need to talk so much.”

The landlord stood still and turned to look at Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting’s expression didn’t change; he just reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

Seeing Chi Xiting about to use his phone again, Yuan Yin’s expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward to block Chi Xiting, scolding, “You’re going to call the police again? Is it really necessary? Are you really that short on cash?”

Yuan Yin and Chi Xiting had been roommates for a while. Though they weren’t close, Yuan Yin could tell from Chi Xiting’s daily life that he wasn’t exactly poor. Not super rich, but certainly better off than Yuan Yin.

Seeing Yuan Yin move toward Chi Xiting, Chi Heyuan furrowed his brows, stepped forward, and stopped Yuan Yin by pushing him back slightly.

There was a significant size difference between Chi Heyuan and Yuan Yin. With just one push, Yuan Yin stumbled back several steps and stopped, staring dumbfounded at Chi Heyuan, unable to speak.

Without Chi Xiting alone, they would still have a chance to argue, but with Chi Heyuan added to the mix, it wasn’t clear who had the upper hand in a confrontation.

Chi Heyuan frowned, looking at the hand he had touched Yuan Yin with in distaste. He clicked his tongue, shook his hand impatiently, then shoved it back into his pocket and coldly said to Yuan Yin, “You can talk all you want, but try to make a move.”

Yuan Yin, hurt in his pride, was no longer afraid of the size difference. He flushed red with anger and tried to shove Chi Heyuan, swearing under his breath.

Chi Heyuan didn’t pay much attention to Yuan Yin and didn’t want to engage in physical confrontation. He stepped aside to avoid Yuan Yin’s attempt and looked at Chi Xiting, seemingly waiting for him to speak.

Yuan Yin turned to look at Yuan Qiang.

Yuan Qiang, who had been standing by watching, straightened up, cracked his knuckles, and after stretching a little, walked over slowly, his cold gaze fixed on Chi Heyuan, as if ready for a fight.

Chi Heyuan wasn’t afraid at all. He sneered, looking back at Yuan Qiang with cold, sharp eyes, which made Yuan Qiang hesitate for a moment.

Perhaps noticing his own momentary fear, Yuan Qiang’s anger flared up. He quickened his steps and reached for Chi Heyuan’s collar, but just as he stretched out his arm, Chi Xiting intervened, pushing Yuan Qiang’s hand away with an annoyed expression and coldly glaring at him.

Chi Xiting rarely showed his cold side. He stepped in front of Chi Heyuan, half his shoulder blocking the way, physically separating Yuan Qiang from Chi Heyuan. He pushed Chi Heyuan back slightly with a calm hand.

Chi Heyuan froze for a moment, and his originally cold gaze softened. He looked at Chi Xiting in confusion and surprise.

Chi Xiting was a little shorter than Chi Heyuan, his slender figure standing firm like a young, resilient poplar tree, making him seem like the younger sibling rather than the older one. But today…

Chi Heyuan’s eyes fell on the back of Chi Xiting’s head. Although he couldn’t see Chi Xiting’s expression, he could sense Chi Xiting’s dissatisfaction and his protective attitude from his cold tone.

“Do you want to push your luck? Try moving again,” Chi Xiting said in a chilly tone, his presence so commanding that it was hard to believe he was just an undergraduate. “You want another trip to the station?”

Yuan Qiang froze, clearly surprised by this side of Chi Xiting. He stood still for a while, then turned to look at Yuan Yin.

“You…” Yuan Yin stammered.

Chi Xiting glanced at him, his voice still cold, “I didn’t let you in before. If you want to make a scene this time, I don’t mind letting you stay a few days in a cell. I wonder if your company would still want someone with a police record.”

Yuan Yin’s face went pale, and he reached out to pull Yuan Qiang back, signaling him not to act recklessly.

“What do you want?” Yuan Yin tried to calm himself down, continuing the negotiation.

Chi Xiting handed his phone to the landlord.

“This is a video I took the night before I went on my business trip,” Chi Xiting said, opening the video. “Before I left, the air conditioner was still working, and there was no damage to the walls or floors.”

Chi Xiting had spent most of his life renting, never having the money to buy property. After almost a decade of experience with rental properties, he knew well that words were useless.

Evidence was key.

In his previous life, he had suffered a similar fate. After moving out, the landlord found supposed damage to the property and kept his deposit. He didn’t have any reliable proof at the time and had to swallow his loss.

But, as the saying goes, “once bitten, twice shy.” Chi Xiting wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

The landlord took the phone, watching the video carefully. Seeing that Chi Xiting was indeed telling the truth, the landlord’s stern expression softened. He handed the phone back to Chi Xiting.

On the other side, beads of sweat were starting to form on Yuan Yin’s forehead, and his hand beside him was occasionally clenching.

He knew, of course, that the problem was no longer with Chi Xiting.

It was Yuan Qiang who broke it.

But Yuan Qiang didn’t want to take responsibility. He didn’t have any money, so the two of them decided together to blame Chi Xiting for it.

But how could he have expected that Chi Xiting would even need to film a video when he went on a business trip?

The landlord said to Yuan Yin, “I rented this place to you because I thought you were honest and straightforward. Now, given the situation, you need to figure something out. Either fix the air conditioner, or vacate the place. I can’t afford to keep this Buddha in my house.”

Yuan Yin’s face had turned completely pale.

Vacate the place? How could he vacate?

Where could he find such a good and cheap place again? Moreover, if he vacated the place because of his own fault, he definitely wouldn’t get his deposit back.

“Uncle, you…” Yuan Yin lowered his attitude, wanting to communicate with the landlord properly, but was coldly pushed away. The landlord directly said, “Make up your mind quickly, or I’ll call the police.”

After saying this, the landlord was about to leave but was stopped when passing by Chi Xiting.

“I also plan to vacate the place.” Chi Xiting’s voice was calm. “I’ll come over in the next few days to take my things.”

The landlord furrowed his brows and reminded him, “We signed a six-month contract. If you’re leaving early…”

“It’s fine.” Chi Xiting didn’t want to stay there anymore. He felt that the bed where Yuan Qiang had slept had a nasty smell, and he couldn’t overcome the psychological barrier to stay. “I won’t take the deposit back.”

The landlord’s lips moved a few times but ultimately nodded in understanding.

After all, it was bad luck for a newly graduated university student to encounter such roommates.

The lesson and backstab from society.

The landlord patted Chi Xiting’s shoulder and said, “Alright, let me know when you’re done packing. Just leave the keys with the property management.”

Chi Xiting nodded in response.

Seeing that Chi Xiting was leaving, Yuan Yin got anxious. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to go talk to the landlord or to find Chi Xiting.

After all, it was Chi Xiting who had advanced him several hundred yuan for rent, allowing him to afford this apartment near the city center. If Chi Xiting left, even if he stayed, what could he do? That extra rent would create a huge financial burden.

After Chi Xiting cleared things up with the landlord, he didn’t stay any longer. He pulled Chi Heyuan and left, completely ignoring Yuan Yin, who was watching him, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Chi Heyuan was still in a dazed state, looking blankly as Chi Xiting handled everything. Whenever Chi Xiting stopped, he obediently stopped too.

After a while, Chi Heyuan came back to his senses and, seeing that Chi Xiting had stopped, asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Chi Xiting pointed at the car and said, “Drive, little brother.”

Chi Heyuan: “… Oh.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Chi Heyuan scratched the back of his head and hurried around the car to open the driver’s door and sit inside.

Clearly, Chi Heyuan still hadn’t fully processed the fact that Chi Xiting had stepped in to protect him. He kept glancing at Chi Xiting throughout the ride. Seeing Chi Xiting frowning while looking at his phone, he hesitated for a while before asking, “What’s up?”

“Looking for a place.” Chi Xiting didn’t look up. “I’ve already made appointments with a few landlords. I’ll go check them out after work tomorrow.”

Chi Heyuan furrowed his brows and said, “You don’t have to rush. Just stay at home for now.”

Chi Xiting spoke softly, “It’s too far, I really can’t get up.”

Chi Heyuan: “…”

It was a pity that his rented place was a single room, or he could have let Chi Xiting stay.

A strange thought flashed through Chi Heyuan’s mind, but then he reacted and questioned why he had that thought.

He must be crazy.

If he had a two-bedroom apartment, would he let Chi Xiting stay?

Impossible!

Although he thought this in his mind, when it came out, it somehow felt different.

“Well…” Chi Heyuan hesitated, his words stuck in his throat for a long time before he finally squeezed them out. “I can go home for a few days. In the morning, I can still drive you.”

Chi Xiting froze for a moment and turned to look at Chi Heyuan.

Chi Heyuan bit his lip, not looking at him, but still feeling a bit awkward. He mumbled, “I’ll go home for a few days. I can still drive you in the morning.”

Chi Xiting blinked, about to refuse, but then saw Chi Heyuan speak again.

“It’s really fine. It’s not a hassle for me.” Chi Heyuan tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pressed his lips together. After a pause, he squeezed out a word, “Brother.”

Chi Xiting froze, staring at Chi Heyuan, his round, clear eyes flashing with surprise and confusion. After a while, he gradually calmed down his emotions, his lips unconsciously curling up, and the small dimples on his cheeks brightened.

Perhaps sensing the change in Chi Xiting’s mood, Chi Heyuan looked back at him during the red light.

Chi Xiting’s hair hadn’t been styled, and at that moment, it was a bit messy on top, with natural curls at the ends. In the orange-golden sunset, it looked soft, almost blending into the sky.

“Mm.” Chi Xiting’s voice was soft, but it easily dissolved the invisible barrier between the two brothers. “Okay.”

Family.

A word that felt very distant and unfamiliar to Chi Xiting.

It seemed to gradually take on its true meaning in this world.

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