Chapter 1554 - 1541: Collecting Rent

There are truly too few things inside the house, not to mention that there’s not even a wardrobe, and the table and chairs might have been left behind by the landlord. The only item that could be organized was Marcus Quinn’s luggage bag.

Miss opened the luggage bag and took out everything inside. Her pretty little face flushed slightly. Her good upbringing had taught her never to touch other people’s belongings, but she didn’t leave yesterday, as this man saved her and made such a request. If he has no bad habits, she would have to repay his kindness.

Inside the luggage bag were only a few vests, long pants and underwear, along with a thicker coat, a set of four bed linens, and nothing else, not even an ID card. Miss paused for a moment, thinking perhaps his ID card was something he carried with him.

She folded the man’s few vests neatly, and she could vaguely smell the fresh scent of soap on them. His clothes were obviously hand-washed, and the bathroom had only two bars of soap, one for washing his face and body and the other for washing clothes. This man’s life was humble, but Miss also felt a hint of inexplicable self-discipline.

With nothing much to tidy up in the room, Miss took money and the keys, planning to go out to buy some daily necessities first.

She needed to buy clothes and underwear for changing, and also to check out the surrounding environment to see if she could find a way to make money. To sit and wait for death was not her nature. The urban village here had formed its own little circle, seemingly like a different world from the surrounding hustle and bustle.

Miss found a vegetable market nearby and bought a few discounted clothes in nearby small shops, all made from pure cotton and linen materials—T-shirts and pants, as they were summer styles, the texture was light and thin with a great feel. She also bought two sets of underwear and a cotton nightdress, with the total adding up to 180 yuan.

She didn’t dare to spend money lavishly; she was originally poor. The 2000 yuan might not even cover the rent and daily expenses for two people, especially since she wanted to move out sooner.

The place here in the urban village is either home to poor people or those who have lived here for generations and don’t want to move, a mix of varied backgrounds and characters. Miss dared not wander around casually. After buying the necessities, she returned home, changed out of the farmer’s clothes she was wearing into new ones, and threw them into the outside garbage bin, as if casting away all the unbearable and dark memories.

Marcus Quinn came back in the evening, opened the door, placed all the items inside, and then brought in a small electric fan from outside.

A woman’s body is delicate; he’s a rugged man, thick-skinned, and can endure both cold and heat throughout the year. But Miss was tossing and turning from the heat when she was sleeping last night. Marcus, being a light sleeper, heard every little sound. After finishing his work today, he went to buy a small electric fan.

Miss was idle at home all afternoon, and for lunch, she simply coped with a pancake.

In Seacoast, her father passed away due to illness, the family assets were seized, and all relatives proved to be ruthless characters. She couldn’t even find out who intended to harm her, making her unable to return to Seacoast; even here in Fountain City, she had to go incognito and plan step by step, rendering the skills she previously learned useless.

If she went out to work, she couldn’t even solve the ID card issue. As she was pondering deeply, she saw Marcus returning with loads of stuff.

He took out the fan, plugged it into the socket, and turned it on at a low speed, quickly bringing a breeze into the stuffy room.

"Why did you buy so many things?" Miss looked at the items he bought, mostly fruits, mineral water, various snacks, and a small rice cooker, along with rice and double sets of bowls and dishes.

Miss was somewhat confused, her first reaction was that he was a rough man, spending too freely, completely unaware that a year ago when she was still the Chase Family Miss, buying any handbag would cost tens of thousands more frivolously.

"We can’t cook here; the rice cooker can be used to make porridge." The man said simply, noticing she had changed from the colorful tattered clothes and pants into a white linen T-shirt and soft gray pants. Her face was as white as ivory, her eyes clear and dark, like cool springs in deep mountains, with her long hair tied behind her ear, making her look pure and enchanting, causing his throat to tense unknowingly.

Even in such plain clothes, she wore them with a unique beauty. Marcus didn’t mention that the fruits and dates were meant for her to nourish herself; with the small rice cooker, she could cook porridge and noodles at home, avoiding the need to buy food outside. Besides, ordering takeaway isn’t safe; there might be those harboring improper thoughts.

This area is mixed with various characters, and given her beauty, he instinctively didn’t want her to go out, fearing she might encounter people with bad intentions, and without him by her side, he couldn’t protect her.

Miss thought about it and agreed that cooking porridge at home is indeed saying money; however, fruits and dates aren’t really necessary. The man specifically picked good fruits for purchase, but given their current situation, these quality items aren’t affordable.

As she zoned out again, Marcus curved his lips slightly, then pulled out a stack of money from his pocket, handing it over fully, saying, "Yesterday’s meal money has been repaid; this is what was earned today. You keep it, save for rent for the new house. Buy whatever you need."

Miss nodded, seeing it was a whopping 800 yuan and more, stunned again. Marcus really handed over all the money, totaling 832.5 yuan, even the coins.

"Why, how come there’s so much?" Miss saw him approach, his tall figure almost entirely enveloping her. She could faintly smell the scent of soap and the aroma of sweat on him, an intense vigor and indescribable tension blended together, without any sense of coarseness, only a rich, unfamiliar masculine taste.

Miss, in her nervousness, began speaking stutteringly, her head bowed down. She didn’t really understand the income from manual labor, but when he went for electrical repairs, the price was 100 yuan for a job done. If he returned yesterday’s meal money and bought so many things, didn’t he earn a thousand yuan today? Did he go to more than ten places fixing electrical issues? Isn’t that exhausting? Nowadays, the most tiring thing is running around.

Marcus looked at the whiteness of her neck exposed, his breath slightly halted, and said deeply, "Today’s work involved some technical skills, so it earned more."

Marcus’ work was based on his mood; tasks like electrical repairs required little thought and could be done in a few moments. Naturally, it paid little, and due to some unspeakable reasons, he always picked jobs, selecting those far-off and insignificant works, charging low prices. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up at that remote shabby house fixing electrical issues for the farmer woman.

Since Miss stayed yesterday, the man knew that his previously rude lifestyle was unsuitable for a delicate girl, so today, he put some effort into his work and managed to earn this much in just half a day, given his broad range of skills. He spent the remaining half of the day buying things and then returning home.

"Oh." Miss didn’t ask further; her character had always been gentle and considerate, with her good upbringing preventing excessive probing.

Miss put away the 800 yuan, feeling slightly joyful inside, unnoticed that he could endure hardship and make money. At this rate, they could move out soon. After thinking for a moment, she took a 100 yuan note and handed it to the man, speaking weakly, "A man without money isn’t good; when you go out to work, buy some water, buy something to eat."

Marcus looked at the girl’s white tender hands, seeing she actually offered him money, his gaze turned slightly gentle, speaking deeply, "No need, you keep it all, I’ll earn money."

As he spoke, there was a knock on the door outside, the landlord calling, "Hey, time to collect rent."