Chapter 10: Narrow Paths for Old Rivals

“Where’s my brother? He didn’t even come to pick me up,” Han Jiayi grumbled, eating her meal.

“He said, and I quote, ‘She’s a twenty-six-year-old woman now, does she still need someone to pick her up?’ Didn’t he tell you?” the proprietress asked with curiosity. “That kid’s busy with his wedding these days. He barely has time for anything else. You know what your sister-in-law’s family is like—business isn’t big, but the rituals and formalities are endless.”

“Sigh, I told him not to get involved with that woman in the first place, but he never listens to me…” Han Jiayi muttered as she ate.

“He’s simply lost his mind, that’s all,” the proprietress teased. “You’ll be like that too if you ever get bewitched.”

“I most certainly will not,” Han Jiayi retorted irritably.

When Bai Renzong arrived home, to his own surprise, he felt quite calm. The girl’s mockery hadn’t especially angered him. In the past, he might have been consumed by impotent rage, but now he felt rather confident about his own future. All he needed was patience, to let time do its work, and eventually, he’d prove himself with real results.

After tidying away the takeout he’d brought home, he sat down at his computer, ready to resume editing his game review video for “Below Zero.” He had barely changed into his loungewear and powered on his computer when he heard a distinct click outside the door.

Following the sound, he went downstairs and saw someone opening his front door and coming in.

The girl who entered looked up, and their eyes met.

A heavy silence, then a shriek that pierced the air.

“Aaah!” Han Jiayi screamed, pointing at Bai Renzong and demanding, “Why are you in my house?!”

Bai Renzong’s temper flared instantly. Striding into his room, he grabbed his rental contract and waved it in front of Han Jiayi. “See this? Rental agreement, one-year lease. This is my place now.”

Han Jiayi snatched the contract, scanning it in disbelief. “That damn brother of mine! He actually rented out the house behind my back? Just you wait!”

She slapped the contract down on the table, then stomped off to the side and pulled out her phone to make a call.

“Brother! How could you rent out the house to someone else behind my back?!” Han Jiayi demanded, fuming.

“What are you talking about? I bought that house, why shouldn’t I rent it out? How is that ‘behind your back’?” Han Xu replied, wiping his brow in exasperation.

Han Jiayi protested, “But I was living there! You could’ve at least told me!”

“Well, now you know, don’t you? The place has been sitting empty and it’s been a headache for me. The maintenance fees alone are hundreds every month,” Han Xu countered, sounding quite justified.

“But… but my stuff is still there!” Han Jiayi’s face flushed red. “My old clothes, my childhood dolls, and—and—”

“Ah!” Han Xu interrupted gleefully. “That’s why I specifically told the tenant not to touch your room. See? Your brother didn’t forget you! You can take your things out now.”

“Take them out to where?! I want to move back in!” Han Jiayi was getting more and more worked up.

“Why? Weren’t you off chasing your dreams in showbiz?” Han Xu asked, puzzled.

“I’ve chased them enough, alright? Just get a room ready for me, I’ll go live with you!” Han Jiayi stamped her foot.

“The new place is under renovation, and I’m staying at your sister-in-law’s family home. Why not move back in with Mom and Dad?” Han Xu suggested.

“I don’t want to…” Han Jiayi wilted. “If I go back now, they’ll just laugh at me: ‘Didn’t listen to us back then, and now you come crawling home with your tail between your legs…’ I’d rather stay in a hotel.”

“I can’t help you then,” Han Xu said helplessly. “Figure something out yourself, or just stay there. That room was kept for you, wasn’t it? Work something out with the tenant, be nice, or maybe I can give him a rent discount.”

“Over my dead body…” Han Jiayi shot a dark look at Bai Renzong standing nearby.

Bai Renzong, arms folded, stared back at her, his manner brooking no argument, waiting for her reply.

“You’re always like this,” Han Xu sounded a bit impatient. “Nothing works for you, and you never have a solution! You’re an adult now, sort it out!”

With that, Han Xu hung up, leaving Han Jiayi fuming with rage.

She’d studied cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in France, made a name for herself in the restaurant business, then tried her luck in the entertainment industry. Her game studio wasn’t based locally, so despite her family home being in Beichang City, she had no friends here to stay with. Going home was her only option.

But back when she entered showbiz, her whole family had been against it. Coming back now felt like… admitting defeat, tail tucked between her legs, and she deeply resented that.

The truth was, she’d come back because she felt lost. The entertainment world had become a dead end, and after finishing her last game project, she had no new ideas.

When people are hurting, they always need a warm home in which to lick their wounds. That was why Han Jiayi had returned to Beichang City: to reflect on her future, to reclaim her original passion, and to make amends with her neglected restaurant and its loyal customers.

And now—she’d come back only to find her home was gone.

“So? What’s it going to be?” Bai Renzong asked, arms folded and displeased. “I’m the tenant now.”

“I—I’ll pay you compensation. Why don’t… you move out?” Han Jiayi, knowing she was in the wrong, stammered awkwardly.

“What? You want me to move out?” Bai Renzong frowned in disbelief. “I’m the one who rented the place first! If someone should leave, it’s you. Besides, do you even know what a contract is? This is legally binding! Even if you forced me to leave, I’d get a month’s notice! Besides, you’re not even the homeowner!”

“I—I…” Han Jiayi pushed her hair back, embarrassed. After thinking it over, she realized her only option was to stay in a hotel, but living there long-term wasn’t ideal. Nowhere else felt as comfortable as home… Was she really going to have to live here with this insufferable jerk?

Biting her thumb in frustration, Han Jiayi couldn’t decide what to do, when Bai Renzong received a call from the landlord.

“I’m really sorry to ask, but could you let my sister stay there for a few days?” Han Xu said apologetically. “I thought she was just coming to get her stuff, but it turns out she wants to move back in… Could you let her stay, just as a roommate? I’ll knock two thousand off your rent each month.”

“I’ll think about it…” Bai Renzong replied. He wasn’t unreasonable, and the landlord had always been decent. With the extra room empty anyway, letting her stay until she found somewhere else wouldn’t be much trouble.

Besides, he was just starting out, money was tight, and splitting the rent would help.

So he told Han Xu, “As long as she doesn’t mind, I don’t care either way.”

“Then…” Han Jiayi ventured, “do you think you could find a new place within a week? Or a month, maybe?”

So you want to stay until I move out? Bai Renzong rolled his eyes, then said into the phone, “Sorry, on second thought, forget it. I really can’t get along with someone like her.”