“…Yes, they are all recent female graduates. Oh, you’re asking which university?” The agent glanced at Lu Nan. 

Lu Nan whispered, “I graduated from Weijiang  University.” 

The agent gave Lu Nan a thumbs-up and repeated her university to the person on the phone. Then, he suddenly switched to the local dialect of Hailin, “Mrs. Zhang, you’ve mentioned before that you look at the compatibility with tenants. I can see she’s a decent girl. Why don’t you come and meet her? Maybe you’ll get along well. Sure, sure, we’ll wait here for you.” 

The call ended, and the agent didn’t keep her waiting, “Looks promising. The owner’s surname is Zhang. When you meet her, just call her Mrs. Zhang. She owns two units here at Xinguang Yipin: one she lives in herself, just a ten-minute walk away; the other, which she rents out, was originally purchased as a wedding home for her son and daughter-in-law. It was newly renovated two years ago, but they didn’t stay long; they moved abroad this year, and Teacher Zhang feels it’s better to rent it out than leave it empty. It’s a good place—150 square meters, duplex layout with a loft on the sixth and seventh floors, five bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and two balconies.” 

She came here just for it, and of course she knew it was suitable. 

Lu Nan smiled slightly: “Yeah, it sounds great.” 

“Well, talk to Mrs. Zhang later, she’s really nice,” the agent assured her. 

A few minutes later, a middle-aged woman with deep chestnut-colored hair, styled in small curls, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a silk cheongsam, walked gracefully toward them in wedge-heeled leather sandals. She was Mrs. Zhang. 

Lu Nan stood up respectfully and greeted her. 

Mrs. Zhang glanced at Lu Nan and asked, “Young lady, are you the one looking to rent?” 

“Teacher Zhang, hello, my name is Lu Nan. Here’s the situation…” Lu Nan explained her rental needs clearly and respectfully now that she was facing Mrs. Zhang. 

After listening, Mrs. Zhang nodded and said, “Let’s go and see the house first.” 

Xingguang Yipin features a multi-story villa with elevators, well-planned layouts, north-south exposure, three bedrooms facing south, an open kitchen, and spacious bathrooms. Teacher Zhang has put effort into the decoration, highlighting a refreshing minimalist Japanese style. 

After surveying the living room, Mrs. Zhang commented calmly, “I used good materials for the renovation, all branded furniture and appliances. 3800 yuan per month is quite reasonable; many have come to see it, but I’m particular about tenants, so I haven’t agreed with anyone yet.” 

Teacher Zhang was pleased with the girl’s attitude. She continued, “Instead of renting it to someone with questionable character and risking damage to my house, it would be better to leave it empty. Xiao Gao mentioned your budget is 3,500 yuan?” 

Lu Nan nodded, “Yes.” 

“You girls have just graduated, so a difference of two or three hundred yuan isn’t a big deal. But since six of you are sharing, your jobs are unstable, and people come and go. If someone leaves midway, will you still need to find another tenant? I don’t agree with that,” Teacher Zhang said seriously. 

“Actually, it’s our company that wants to rent a unit as a dormitory for female employees. So if a roommate resigns or transfers during the lease, the room will temporarily be vacant until someone from our company moves in. Typically, a dormitory accommodates 5 to 6 people, and this can be written into the contract. If we exceed this number, you can consider it a breach of contract,” Lu Nan explained. 

Teacher Zhang raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? So, will you be the one signing the lease, or will your company, do it?” 

“Our company will sign it with you.” 

“Young lady, since it’s your company renting the dormitory, what you’re saying may not necessarily hold.” 

“The company doesn’t actually force us to live in a specific neighborhood or rent at a specific price. The housing subsidy is fixed, and any excess costs are our responsibility. That’s why I’m discussing the rent with you. If you can accommodate us at 3,500 yuan per month, I’ll bring our administrative staff tomorrow to sign the contract with you.” Lu Nan said confidently. 

Teacher Zhang appeared skeptical. 

At that moment, the real estate agent’s phone rang, and he stepped aside to take the call on the balcony. 

Teacher Zhang gestured subtly towards the agent and whispered to Lu Nan, “Rent can still be negotiated. So… young lady, leave me your phone number. We can pretend this discussion didn’t happen, and then…” 

Lu Nan hesitated for a moment, then stepped back, shaking her head, “That wouldn’t be appropriate.” 

“Why are you so stubborn, young lady? Let me tell you, the agency fee is half of the monthly rent, which is a considerable amount…” 

No matter what Teacher Zhang said, Lu Nan just smiled and politely declined. 

A minute later, the real estate agent returned from the balcony, “Young lady, Teacher Zhang’s house is really good. There’s no other house in the entire community that offers such great value.” He continued to advocate for Lu Nan, “Teacher Zhang, you see, it’s not easy for that girl who just graduated from college and started working…” 

Lu Nan remained silent, glancing at the agent and then at Teacher Zhang. 

Suddenly, Teacher Zhang smiled, “Xiao Gao, stop acting. This young lady is quite interesting… 3,500 it is. But we’ll sign the contract for six months first. I need to see if you girls will really take good care of the house.” Then, she turned to Lu Nan, “I know you’re not the final decision-maker. Alright, if your company still wants to rent, come back tomorrow morning to sign the contract.” The contract used was a standard template provided by the agency, leaving little room for detailed negotiation, hence Teacher Zhang’s straightforward approach. 

Xiao Gao, the real estate agent, awkwardly added, “Young lady, don’t be upset. Teacher Zhang always does this, saying she wants to see the tenant’s character… It’s just to say you have a good character!” 

Lu Nan nodded understandingly, smiling, “Can I take a video?” 

“Sure.” 

After filming the video, which included the three options, including the two earlier unsatisfactory ones, Lu Nan sent them all to Wu Fang. 

Each video was clear and detailed, showing the neighborhood name, building unit and floor number, layout, pros and cons, and the rent amount. 

Teacher Zhang and the agent stood beside Lu Nan. They didn’t intentionally peek at the girl’s phone; they just took a quick glance. 

Xiao Gao glanced at Teacher Zhang, “See, this young lady isn’t dead set on your house alone.” 

Teacher Zhang confidently replied, “But my house is the best choice.” 

Without paying attention to the subtle exchanges between Teacher Zhang and the real estate agent, through recollection and current analysis, Lu Nan accurately guessed about Wu Fang’s straightforward personality. After a few minutes, she indeed received a reply: “The third set at Xinguang Yipin? Monthly rent of 3,500? Are you sure?” 

Seeing that Wu Fang hadn’t rested, Lu Nan immediately called back and conveyed Teacher Zhang’s request. 

“It’s possible. We can sign every six months. The apartment Chen Lu and the others live in also has a six-month lease. Honestly, because there are often staff transfers during the half-year and annual periods, the office prefers renting contracts for six months. Okay then, show me the real view tomorrow morning. If it’s good, let’s finalize it like this,” Wu Fang said decisively. “If we can settle for 3,500 per month, with a surplus of 100 each month, that’s 600 for half a year, leaving a little over 1,000. Try negotiating with the agent for a lower price, and I’ll help you apply for some expenses. We can cover the difference in agency fees with flexible office expenses.” 

Lu Nan knew that if Wu Fang dared to say that she must be sure that she could do it this way, or that other dormitories had already done it. But she still thanked Wu Fang sincerely — for Wu Fang, this was just a small favor, not an obligation. She was willing to help with the application, perhaps because she was grateful to Lu Nan for taking the initiative to do the task. 

As Lu Nan bid farewell to Teacher Zhang and the real estate agent, she asked Teacher Zhang, “You teach history at Hailin No. 1 High School, right?” 

Teacher Zhang answered, “Yes, that’s correct. Xiaolu… how did you know I’m a teacher? And you guessed so accurately?” 

Lu Nan lowered her eyes and smiled, “I just guessed.” 

Who told you to be so cheeky? Well, then I won’t tell you how I knew.