He chuckled without saying a word. What worries could a rich person possibly have? He had been a poor corporate slave before, which was why he had so many worries back then.
Yun Yuqing had her own little troubles.
Although the allowance her parents gave her was average among her classmates, living in Shanghai City was not easy. Especially for girls from art schools like hers, there were just too many things to spend money on: makeup, clothes, shoes, hats, and bags.
Yun Yuqing was desperately short on cash. She wanted to be like some of her classmates who had money to spend however they liked. She was looking for a long-term human credit card—one with a high limit and no monthly bills.
She had her little schemes.
Originally, she had planned to offer him favors bit by bit: create ambiguity, slowly reel him in, and boil the frog in warm water, making him willingly give her money to spend. It was a tactic she had used in high school with unfailing success. She hadn't even let anyone hold her hand, yet she had cultivated an entire pond of fish. Every day, boys scrambled to bring her breakfast and snacks, and a retinue of admirers escorted her to and from school.
But Fang Sihan's bold move today had pushed her onto the back foot. It was just like the sports news her dad often watched: there wasn't much time left for the Chinese team.
There isn't much time left for me either. If Fang Sihan successfully captures his heart, won't I have to be on guard against her every day? Then I'd have no chance at all.
She glanced at Sun Dasheng, who was smoking, and mustered up her courage. "Uncle, can I be your girlfriend?"
"What?" Sun Dasheng, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, stared at the young girl before him, wondering if he had just been hallucinating.
Are all young girls these days this bold? Back in his day, even the girls who dressed like rebellious non-conformists, looking like delinquents, were rarely this gutsy.
Having thrown caution to the wind, Yun Yuqing lunged at Sun Dasheng, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her head against his chest. "Uncle, I like you. Let's be a couple."
Sun Dasheng unhurriedly extinguished his cigarette, patted her head, and said, "You should get back to sleep. I'll just assume you're not thinking straight because it's late and this is all sleep-talking."
Since his divorce, he had long since given up on having any expectations for relationships. The two women he had slept with were a matter of mutual need, without any emotional entanglement. So, he wanted nothing to do with dating, especially not with a schoolgirl who had yet to graduate. He wanted absolutely no part in that.
But no matter how hard Sun Dasheng tried to push her away, she just hugged him tighter, refusing to let go.
"Uncle, my head is perfectly clear, and I'm not talking nonsense. I know exactly what I'm doing. If you don't say yes, I'll just keep hugging you and never let go."
Sun Dasheng was speechless. Is she putting on some kind of romantic drama for me?
She talked a big game, but her body wasn't nearly as formidable as her mouth. He could feel her soft, pliant body heating up rapidly in his arms, becoming almost feverish. The warm air she exhaled from her mouth and nose enveloped him, a hot breath that washed over his entire being. It was like an aphrodisiac from a martial arts novel, casting a spell of lust that threatened to turn him into a beast blinded by desire, red-eyed and wanting to devour the lovely creature before him, bone and all.
Just then, the sound of a door closing came from the living room, followed by the bathroom light switching on. Soon after, FLUSH... the sound of a toilet. The bathroom light went out, and then BANG! The door shut, and footsteps faded away toward the guest room.
It turned out Fang Sihan had gotten up to use the bathroom.
This was his lifeline.
The sudden noise startled Yun Yuqing, who quickly let go and stood frozen in place, not daring to move.
Sun Dasheng could finally breathe again. He stuck his head out the window, gulping down the cold, fresh air to dispel the damnable hormones and clear his mind. Once the room was quiet again, he closed the window and whispered, "It's late. Go to sleep. I'll just pretend tonight never happened."
With that, he returned to his room.
Yun Yuqing cursed Fang Sihan for ruining her plans. She had been so close to succeeding, only to fail at the last hurdle. With no other choice, she reluctantly returned to her room.
The next day, several of them woke up with dark circles under their eyes. Only Li Sili, who had enjoyed a good night's sleep, was bright and spirited.
Although he had gone to bed late, Sun Dasheng rose very early. He went for a run along the riverside greenway at the edge of the community and bought breakfast for the girls on his way back. After they finished eating, the three of them went out to look for a place to rent.
But as noon approached, another call came in.
[Li Sili: Uncle, we've been searching all morning, but as soon as we mention we only want to rent for this one month until the New Year, they immediately change their tune and refuse.]
[Sun Dasheng: Then just stay at my place for now.]
[Li Sili: Uncle, we can't afford a place like yours!] the little loli said pitifully.
Sun Dasheng chuckled, amused. How could I possibly take rent money from you? But he didn't say that out loud.
[Sun Dasheng: Fine. In that case, you're in charge of all the cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning for the month. That can cover the rent.]
[Li Sili: Yay! Thank you, Uncle! You're the best!]
A short while later, he went out to buy groceries, kitchen supplies, and a variety of high-quality ingredients. Then he picked up the three dusty and disheveled girls and brought them back to the community.
Once inside, he tossed an access card to Li Sili. "Use this to get in and out from now on."
Li Sili caught it and asked, "Do high-end communities like this still use these kinds of cards?"
"What else would they use?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"Well, there's all sorts of high-tech stuff now, like facial recognition. The property management here shouldn't be short on money to buy those systems."
Sun Dasheng said with amusement, "Facial recognition is too unreliable. Haven't you seen it on Douyin? On some facial recognition attendance machines, one person's face can be used to clock in for a dozen people. Some things aren't necessarily better just because they're more high-tech."
"Wow! Uncle, you know so much!" Li Sili exclaimed.
While the three girls got busy preparing lunch in the kitchen, Sun Dasheng lay comfortably on the sofa watching TV. This was the first time he had enjoyed such service—having his food served and his needs met without lifting a finger. No wonder those wealthy families in ancient times loved buying maids to wait on them. Okay, maybe I spoke too soon.
He looked at the pitiful spread on the dining room table.
This wasn't like having maids to serve him at all; it was like he'd brought home three young ladies from wealthy families who'd never had to do a day of housework in their lives.
"Let's just order takeout."
Sun Dasheng's words made the three girls at the table lower their heads in shame. They had just ruined a table full of expensive ingredients.
He didn't criticize them further, though. After all, regardless of how the food turned out, they had at least tried their best. That alone put them ahead of eighty percent of the young men and women in Shanghai City. After all, modern Shanghai was a society where everyone ordered takeout. He couldn't hold them to the standards of the older generation.
After clearing away the table of failed experiments, the takeout arrived.
After eating, the group lay on the sofa watching TV while they digested their food.
Fang Sihan received a message on her phone. "It's from the part-time job group. There's a car show that needs models, and they're asking if I want to go. The job is for four hours, and it pays one thousand yuan."
"Whoa! A job that good? What are you waiting for? Say yes right now!" Li Sili urged.
"But... what about you and Yuqing? The organizer is only recruiting models taller than 170cm," Fang Sihan said, looking troubled. She made a point to glance over at Sun Dasheng on the sofa. She had to maintain her image of sisterly devotion in front of him, even if it was just for show.
Fang Sihan's words made Li Sili's brow furrow. She and Yun Yuqing still hadn't found a part-time job for the day.
Seeing Li Sili's long face, Sun Dasheng turned down the TV volume and asked, "What's wrong, little girl? Why the long face?"
After listening to their explanation, Sun Dasheng thought for a moment and said, "That's perfect. I was planning to buy a new car anyway. Let's use this auto show as an opportunity to take a look." He turned off the TV. "You two can accompany me to the show this afternoon and be my shopping guides."
He then transferred 500 yuan to each of them without waiting for a refusal. "Your pay for being my shopping guides can be half of what a car model makes."
After putting on their makeup and changing their clothes, the four of them drove out of the community, heading toward the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Qingpu District.