The next morning, Qin Yue was woken up by an insistent knocking on his door.
He rubbed his temple slightly and went up to open the door.
"Uncle Zhao"
The middle aged man looked at him, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.
"Xiao Yue, I know this is a bit abrupt but something came up and I can no longer rent this place to you"
Qin Yue's fingertips twitched lightly, but he kept his face calm.
Although taken aback, he wasn't all that surprised. Wouldn't be the first time something like this happened anyways.
"I see, thank you for letting me know Uncle Zhao but this was unexpected. Could you give me a week to find a new place?"
Uncle Zhao sighed softly. This child was basically the dream tenant. If it were up to him, he wouldn't mind having him here. Unfortunately this decision was not his to make.
"Okay. I understand that the notice was too short. But a week is all I can give you."
Qin Yue smiled gently.
"That's all I need. Thank you."
He watched the older man's back disappear as he made a turn and closed his door, the amicable smile fading from his lips.
That damned curse was acting up again. Fortunately, he learned to be smarter this time and after his most recent house hunt, he kept in contact with a few other house owners.
He wasn't even surprised anymore.
Qin Yue stood quietly with his back to the door and let out a soft sigh.
"A week…"
That would have to do.
He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the list he had carefully saved after his previous house hunt.
His thumb hovered briefly before dialing the first number. The call connected after a few rings.
"Hello?"
"Good morning. This is Qin Yue. I'm calling to ask if you have any available houses in your care at the moment."
There was a pause followed by the faint rustling of papers.
"Oh… sorry, all the rooms are already taken."
"I see. Thank you."
The line disconnected and Qin Yue moved on to the second person, who was also unavailable.
The third was already rented out, fourth..faith..sixth.. seventh.
He could already feel the familiar headache coming on.
An elderly woman answered the eighth call. Her voice was gentle but apologetic; the room had just been taken that morning.
The ninth call finally yielded a different result.
"Yes, the room is still free," a man said. "But you'll need to come see it first."
"Of course. When would be convenient?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Thank you."
He noted the address down.
Past experience led him to call the tenth candidate which led to another possibility.
The eleventh call was hesitant but ultimately positive. A woman said she had a spare room, though she wanted to meet him before making any decisions.
Qin Yue stared at his phone once the calls ended. He was only able to get three "maybe's" out of ten calls.
It was almost laughable. If only it wasn't so inconvenient.
Qin Yue pushed himself up to his feet and walked to his room, sitting behind the desk. He still had work to do.
Qin Yue pulled the chair closer and picked up his stylus. The tablet screen lit up, revealing a half-finished illustration of a figure standing beneath falling petals, expression serene yet distant.
The composition was nearly complete; only subtle lighting adjustments and detail refinement remained.
As a pure arts student, he would probably be in the streets if not for his skills.
Drawing had always been his anchor. Surprisingly untouched by his misfortune.
By the time evening approached, he finally leaned back, eyes tired but satisfied. He would need to do this less often as the strain on his eyes wasn't worth it.
The final image glowed softly on the screen. A tranquil scene imbued with quiet melancholy. Qin Yue stared at it for a short moment before exporting the file.
He opened his Weibo and uploaded the illustration with a simple caption:
Spring arrives quietly.
Within minutes, notifications began appearing. He set the phone aside and prepared for bed earlier than usual.
Qin Yue woke up to pale sunlight filtering through the curtains. He had breakfast, got dressed and walked to the first address.
It was located in an older residential district not too far from his current apartment
The building showed signs of age but was well-maintained. He rang the doorbell and the door opened to reveal a middle aged man with slightly graying hair.
"You must be Qin Yue"
"Yes, thank you for having me."
The man stepped aside to make way.
"Come in, come in."
They sat across from each other in the living room as the man poured water.
"My name is Liu Wen," he said. "I live alone, so renting out the spare room seemed like a good idea."
Qin Yue nodded politely.
"This room gets good sunlight," Liu Wen said as he stood, pointing to the second room. "Let me show—"
His voice stopped abruptly.
Qin Yue looked up just in time to see Liu Wen's expression distort, the teacup slipping from his hand and shattering against the floor as he collapsed.
Qin Yue moved instantly, catching him before he hit the ground completely.
Liu Wen's face had gone pale, breathing shallow and uneven.
Qin Yue's heartbeat quickened, but his movements remained steady.
"Can you hear me?"
There was no response.
He grabbed his phone and called emergency services.
While waiting, Qin Yue helped Liu Wen lie flat and monitored his breathing, his fingers trembling slightly.
Minutes stretched painfully and the ambulance finally arrived, paramedics rushing in.
Qin Yue stepped aside as they transferred Liu Wen onto a stretcher.
"Are you family?" one paramedic asked.
"No. I'm just here to view the room."
"Then please come with us for now. We may need information."
Qin Yue nodded calmly.
Qin Yue sat quietly outside the emergency room, hands folded in his lap. He had already provided Liu Wen's phone to the medical staff, allowing them to contact relatives.
Now there was nothing left to do but wait, which was something Qin Yue was familiar with.
After nearly an hour, a doctor emerged with reassuring news.
"He's stable. It appears to have been a sudden cardiac episode, but he was brought in quickly."
Not long after, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. A tall man with travel-worn clothes and anxious eyes approached.
"Where is my uncle?"
The nurse directed him toward the ward.
Before entering, the man turned to Qin Yue.
"You're the one who called the ambulance?"
Qin Yue nodded.
The man's tense expression softened with visible gratitude.
"Thank you. I came as soon as I got the call. I live abroad and couldn't be here earlier."
"You don't need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same."
But the man shook his head.
"Not everyone stays."
Later, after Liu Wen regained consciousness and was transferred to a regular ward, the nephew returned to Qin Yue with a small envelope.
"My name is Liu Zhen," he said. "I can't express how grateful I am. If you hadn't been there…"
He extended the envelope.
"Please accept this."
Qin Yue glanced at it briefly before shaking his head.
"It's not necessary."
"It's just a token of appreciation."
"I didn't help for compensation."
Liu Zhen studied him for a moment, before speaking hesitantly.
"My uncle lives alone, I can't allow that anymore. I'll be taking him with me overseas after he recovers. The apartment will be sold."
Qin Yue wasn't surprised. Still, a faint disappointment lingered.
"I understand. His health is more important."
Liu Zhen sighed softly.
"You came to rent the room, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry."
Qin Yue smiled gently.
"No need. I'm glad he's safe." It was probably his fault anyways.
Liu Zhen hesitated, then lowered the envelope.
"Thank you once again."