Chapter 1556 - 1543: A Flower Stuck in Cow Dung

For the next week, Marcus Quinn left the house early each morning and came back at dusk, handing over the money he earned each day. He also brought a good amount of food and daily necessities back, and the once-empty basement gradually became cluttered with various items.

He bought a complete set of pots and pans, and for other daily necessities, whatever brand Amanda suggested, the man would bring it back, assuming an air of domestic life.

Just like that, Amanda counted the money Marcus handed over for the week; each day he earned no less than 1500. In just seven days, their savings had reached 14,000.

Fountain City is a fourth-tier Seaside City, and naturally, the cost of living can’t compare with a first-tier city, so rent is not expensive. With summer vacation arriving, it is peak season for renting, and there are plenty of available properties.

Having saved up so much money, Marcus didn’t go out to work that day, waiting for Amanda to pack up so they could go out together to find a real estate agent and look at houses.

Currently, the good properties are all with the agents. Marcus noticed Amanda painting every day, her work requiring finesse, and didn’t want her to trouble herself with the rental matters. So, he decided early on to directly find an agent and pay half a month’s agent fee.

Amanda was unfamiliar with Fountain City and this was her first time going out with the man, so after some thought, she wore the only small floral dress she had bought earlier. When buying clothes in this urban village, she had no choice, so she chose based on material. The little floral dress was pure-cotton with a white background, and the hem was covered in tiny cherry patterns, looking fresh and sweet. She didn’t have formal shoes; she had previously bought a cheap pair of sandals, fortunately it was summer, so they could barely pass.

Amanda rolled up and packed the two paintings she had created over the week, and took all of their savings with her before going out.

While waiting for her outside, Marcus helped the grandpa next door carry the rice and oil upstairs. The man had been doing physical work for years, his muscles were even stronger than those built in the gym, and he effortlessly carried up 20 pounds of rice and 10 pounds of oil with one hand. The grandpa followed behind him, panting as he climbed the stairs, naturally thanking him profusely.

The man rarely spoke, he just nodded and went downstairs. When he saw Amanda, his gaze froze. In his thirty years of life, he actually hadn’t interacted much with women. In the past, he was always with a group of rough men. Suddenly, he found himself caring for a delicate little girl, and even considered sending her back home. But the little girl was fragile and beautiful like a celebrity, obedient and well-behaved, so the man couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Over the past half month, he had completely taken her as his own responsibility.

"Miss, you’re going out?" The landlord leaned out from the breakfast shop on the street, trying to strike up a conversation, his eyes almost glued to Amanda.

Marcus’ face turned slightly cold, and he walked over with large strides, holding Amanda’s hand. His tall body blocked the landlord’s view, and he led Amanda away.

Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many people in the street. Amanda was held by his hand, his large palm broad and calloused, in the June heat his hand felt like a small stove, yet the man didn’t let go. Amanda’s face flushed, and she was too shy to pull away, so she stumbled along behind him, following all the way onto the bus to the agency.

Marcus chose a residential community more suitable for living and found an agency nearby, saving time and effort.

The agent was a young, seemingly talkative guy. Upon seeing Amanda and Marcus, he widened his eyes. As an agent, his eyes were particularly sharp. Having been in the industry for five or six years, he had seen countless people, but it was his first time seeing a girl as pretty as Amanda, like a flawless jade crafted by heaven. Did such a girl still need to rent a place?

The agent glanced again at the man who was half a head taller than him, fierce and explosively powerful. Seeing the man’s slightly cold gaze pass over him, he immediately gave up any thought and swiftly led them to view properties.

After half an hour of viewing, Amanda picked a corner apartment. It was 50 square meters, with south-facing rooms that received morning sunlight, and there was a small balcony outside for drying clothes. It had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and was fully decorated in an European style. The 1.8-meter bed looked very comfortable.

Marcus chose a community away from the urban village, considered a rather bustling area of Fountain City. The surrounding facilities were complete, with large malls, so the rent was expensive. This small 50 square meter apartment had a monthly rent of 2,500, plus utilities and property maintenance, totaling 3,000 a month. Fountain City was a third-tier small city where an average office worker made 3,000 a month, so this price was indeed a bit high.

Amanda thought about how hard the man worked to earn money each day and bit her lip, feeling the rent was a bit too high, suggesting they choose something cheaper.

Seeing Amanda’s expression, the man knew she liked this apartment. Calculating that their money was enough, he decided right there to pay a deposit for three months. After paying the agent fee and property fee, there would still be some left over. Without further ado, he settled on this apartment and paid the deposit.

The agent happily prepared the agreement immediately and arranged for the landlord to come over in the evening to sign the contract.

Meanwhile, Marcus took Amanda home to pack their belongings, planning to move over that night and return the place in the urban village. The new community had a good security system, so he felt at ease with Amanda staying home while he worked.

Amanda only came to her senses after leaving the community. She tugged on Marcus’ clothes, not daring to meet his gaze, focusing on the man’s resilient chin, and said somewhat anxiously, "This apartment is expensive, after paying the rent we’ll have no money left."

"You like it." The man’s voice was low and deep, looking down at her small, fair ears, his voice was unusually gentle. Despite being a rough man, he wasn’t the type to be refined and elegant. Even if his voice was soft and gentle, it was just like talking to a normal person, not as cold and harsh as usual.

Amanda’s heart trembled, not knowing what to say, feeling a bit sweet. This person spent all the money he earned over these days on rent just because she liked this apartment. She lowered her eyes, thinking about the turmoil in her family; her life seemed ruined, yet here in this unfamiliar small city, she was being cared for by a rough man in this clumsy way.

Their poverty meant that they might not even have money for food after paying the rent. Amanda let out a low chuckle, feeling for the first time that poverty could be this joyful.

They returned to the urban village; the man swiftly packed their belongings, they didn’t have much, just enough clothes to fit into one suitcase, and other living essentials the man found two large boxes to pack everything in, effectively finishing the task.

Since rent in the urban village was paid monthly and there was no contract, they could leave whenever they wanted. So the man simply informed the landlord before taking Amanda to their new community.

The landlord was furious, seeing the lone rough man leaving with a girl who looked like a celestial beauty. He regretted it deeply, as he hadn’t had the chance to poach them yet. It was like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung, with beauty paired with a beast—it was infuriating.