"Burst pipe at home. Can you fix it?"
The voice on the phone, sweet and laced with a hint of seduction, sent a jolt through Chen Liuhe. Definitely a looker! He felt it sounded familiar, but couldn't place it.
Hanging up, Chen Liuhe eagerly dashed out the door. He and his sister were barely scraping by; how else were they supposed to survive without extra cash?
Liyuan Community, a mid-range neighborhood in Bianzhou. Anyone who could afford to live here was at least well-off. Chen Liuhe's mood brightened at the thought of wealthy clients—skinning them was always stress-free.
He reached the designated floor, knocked on the reinforced door, and found himself face-to-face with a stunning woman.
Her features were exquisite, her fair skin radiant. A pair of almond-shaped eyes held a captivating allure, long lashes curled up enticingly. A classic oval face, crescent brows, and a cascade of wine-red wavy hair elegantly pinned back, revealing a smooth forehead and a slender neck.
She was an undeniable beauty, the kind that easily tempted men into sin.
However, the moment Chen Liuhe recognized her face, all thoughts of admiration vanished, replaced by shock: "It's you?!"
The woman, Qin Ruohan, shot him a sidelong glance, a mocking curve playing on her lips. Her tone was haughty: "Why? Surprised? Why can't it be me?"
Chen Liuhe gave a wry smile. No wonder the voice had felt so familiar—it was the same unlucky BMW driver he'd tangled with that afternoon!
He eyed her up and down, his tone light and playful. "Doesn't matter who. What matters is the money. A spring night is short, time is precious. Let's make the most of it."
Qin Ruohan's face flushed crimson. She glared at him. "Can you watch your mouth?!"
Chen Liuhe realized his slip-up and chuckled. "My apologies! Haha, Miss, my words may be crude, but the meaning is profound. Go ask around, Chen Liuhe not only offers thorough service, but he's also good at his job. Guaranteed to leave you praising him afterwards!"
His words grew more outlandish, making Qin Ruohan tremble with rage. "You're spouting nonsense! Say one more disrespectful word, and get out!"
Chen Liuhe gave a sheepish grin, grabbing his toolbox and heading towards the bathroom. Heh. Little missy, you think you can stand against me? Still too green. I'll have you wrapped around my finger in minutes.
Stepping into the bathroom, Chen Liuhe froze. This wasn't just a burst pipe; it looked like the entire bathroom had been systematically demolished!
There were at least three or four holes in the pipes, gushing water like fountains. The toilet was smashed, and the sink had a gaping hole. Water was everywhere, threatening to flood the entire living room.
To his further amusement, several pieces of daringly styled women's clothing hung on racks, now soaked and clinging, adding an unexpected, alluring touch to the chaos.
Qin Ruohan noticed his gaze. She yelled, exasperated, "Where are you looking? Stare any longer and I'll gouge out your eyes!" Even she, a woman accustomed to the wild side of life, felt a blush of shame. Damn my impulsive temper! I smashed the bathroom before I could even put away my clothes.
"Listen, ma'am," Chen Liuhe said, his face darkening. "This isn't a job for me. You need a demolition crew, or a complete renovation team!"
"What? Aren't you 'The All-Round Domestic Expert'?" Qin Ruohan sneered. "Can't handle this little job? If so, I'll charge you for lost time!"
Chen Liuhe's eyes widened. "Lost time? I haven't even started! What lost time?"
Qin Ruohan jutted out her chin, glancing at him. "You advertised yourself as an 'All-Round Domestic Expert.' Now I've called you, and you claim you can't do the job. I need this bathroom, and you're delaying my affairs! Shouldn't you compensate me? I could even accuse you of deceptive advertising!"
"Holy crap!" Chen Liuhe cursed. "Listen, lady, I know you don't like me, but do you have to go this far? All because I took a few hundred from you this afternoon? You destroyed your own bathroom just to mess with me?!"
This was clearly deliberate sabotage! This woman was completely insane! Chen Liuhe now seriously suspected the "bathroom catastrophe" was her handiwork, solely to spite him.
"I can do what I want. Can you stop me?" Qin Ruohan inwardly smirked. She'd been in a foul mood lately, and he was the perfect target. Who else could she vent her anger on?
"I'm not doing this! Go do what you want! Go ahead and sue me!" Chen Liuhe fumed. "I may not be well-educated, but I refuse to believe this kind of nonsense will stand up in court!"
Qin Ruohan sat calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Then let's see. I could also accuse you of trespassing, attempted robbery, and anything else I can think of. The moment you stepped into my apartment, I had plenty of reasons."
Chen Liuhe felt his lungs burning with anger. "Listen, little missy, are you having a mid-life crisis? Why are you hounding me? Go after that con artist from this afternoon!"
"I can do what I want. Can you stop me?" Qin Ruohan revelled in his frustration.
But Chen Liuhe, a man who feared nothing, had never suffered such humiliation. He gritted his teeth, grabbed his toolbox, and headed for the door.
"Hello, police station? I'd like to report..."
The moment Qin Ruohan started dialling, Chen Liuhe's hair stood on end. He spun back, snatched the phone from her hand. "Alright, alright! You win! I'll fix it, okay? You're my goddamn grandma! I can't afford to mess with you!"
Under Qin Ruohan's "feminine might," Chen Liuhe had to compromise. He knew she wouldn't really call the police, and even if she did, such a minor issue would lead nowhere. But he had no time for such petty squabbles and didn't want the trouble.
Looking at the wreckage in the bathroom, Chen Liuhe sighed in exasperation. This colossal project would surely keep him there all night.
Such minor repairs were no challenge for Chen Liuhe. He could fix fighter jets and submarines; a few burst pipes were nothing.
Fortunately, the apartment building's management was reliable and had common renovation materials on hand. A quick call brought everything he needed, saving him a lot of hassle.
In a fit of indignant fury, Chen Liuhe snatched the delicate women's clothing from the racks and used them as rags. Hmm, these feel surprisingly nice. Silky smooth. Definitely high-end stuff.
Qin Ruohan's face turned beet red. She was furious but dared not speak. If she had a weapon, she swore she would have bashed Chen Liuhe over the head.
Over an hour later, all the pipes were replaced. Chen Liuhe exhaled deeply, pulled out a cheap cigarette—the kind even street sweepers wouldn't touch—and lit it.
"Done," he announced, stepping out of the bathroom with his toolbox. "As for your toilet and sink, I'm useless. You'll need to buy new ones tomorrow; they usually offer installation services." He looked at Qin Ruohan, who was now lounging casually on the living room sofa.
Before she could speak, Chen Liuhe held out his hand. "Payment. Eight hundred. I'll give you a 9.98% discount, so that's 798.40. Round it up, still 800."
Qin Ruohan nearly choked. She leaped off the sofa. "Eight hundred?! Are you robbing me?!" This low-life scum had some nerve!
"Eight hundred is expensive?" Chen Liuhe countered shamelessly. "A full service at a brothel costs eight hundred. I worked my ass off all night here. Isn't that harder than a 'full service'?"
Qin Ruohan was livid. She'd orchestrated this whole thing to spite him, not to pay him. Her eyes narrowed. "Alright, let's calculate properly. All those clothes you ruined in my bathroom? Those were international brands, worth at least two thousand! But I'll be generous, seeing how poor you are. I'll cut you a deal and charge you twelve hundred. So, you actually owe me four hundred!"
"What?!" Chen Liuhe's eyes bugged out, exploding in anger. "Those few scraps of cloth are worth over two thousand?! They have less fabric than my underwear! You're even greedier than me!"
He roared, "Lady, stop messing around. Pay up, or you'll regret it! Don't let my kind face fool you. I'm ruthless when I'm angry, I even scare myself!"
"Oh? I'd like to see how ruthless you can get," Qin Ruohan sneered, crossing her arms. She'd dealt with worse scum than him in her business. She wasn't about to be scared by this backwoods ruffian.
Chen Liuhe puffed out his chest, trying to look menacing as he advanced towards her. But inwardly, he was cursing his rotten luck. How did I run into such an unreasonable woman today? He thought he'd earn an easy few hundred this afternoon. Clearly, this was trouble, not fortune!