C19 19

The next day, after the final exams were over, the plan was for the whole class to have a meal together, share some drinks, and sing a few songs. After three years as classmates, everyone would soon be going their separate ways, and chances to meet up would become rare. Originally, everyone in the class was supposed to chip in about $50, handing it over to the class president. However, Wang Qi took charge, insisting on covering the costs himself, since it would not be too expensive anyway. Now, Wang Qi was a millionaire, and in 2003, that was quite significant. Wang Qi booked a private room and reserved a karaoke spot. After three years of high school together, it was fitting to have a farewell dinner. In the future, even if there were class reunions, it was unlikely everyone would be able to attend. This made Wang Qi a bit sentimental. Even though there were some classmates he did not particularly get along with, the thought of parting ways still tugged at his heart. After dinner, they moved on to singing, choosing songs about goodbyes. Some of the girls could not hold back their tears, while Wang Qi drank quite a bit, his eyes glazed over. As for how he got home, he could not quite remember. When he woke up the next day, he found himself in a hotel room. Sitting up, he noticed Qu Menghan on the couch watching TV. "You're awake," Qu Menghan said, blinking at Wang Qi. "What the heck, how did I end up here?" Wang Qi was stunned, wondering who had brought him to the hotel. "Liu Chao booked the room and asked me to stay and take care of you," Qu Menghan said. Wang Qi rubbed his head. He had drunk too much last night and could not remember anything. Normally, Liu Chao was pretty tight with money, but now that he was a millionaire, he seemed to have become quite generous. "You did not do anything to me, did you?" Wang Qi asked, eyeing Qu Menghan with a hint of mischief. "No, what could I possibly do to you?" Qu Menghan blushed, thinking how shameless he was. She had stayed behind out of kindness to look after him. "Hmph. I gave you a chance, and you did not even appreciate it," Wang Qi scoffed, clearly displeased. "Oh, my head is spinning. Go pack your things, and I will pick you up this afternoon. I will rent a place for you. I was going to take you to my house, but my mom might not be too happy about it. So, you will stay somewhere else for now. Once I buy a bigger house, you can move in," Wang Qi said, rubbing his head. He wanted to bring Qu Menghan home, but he knew his mom would not approve. Parents are funny like that. When you are in school, they do not want you dating, but once you graduate, they start pushing you to get married.

"That’s right. Liu Chao booked the room. He told me to stay and take care of you," Qu Menghan said. Wang Qi rubbed his head. He’d blacked out from drinking last night and couldn’t remember anything. Still, Liu Chao was usually stingy. Now that he was a millionaire, he’d suddenly become generous. Wang Qi stared at Qu Menghan with a suggestive look. "You didn’t do anything to me, did you?" Qu Menghan’s face turned red. "No. What could I possibly do to you?" She thought, How can he be so shameless? She’d stayed out of pure kindness to look after him. Wang Qi snorted, clearly dissatisfied. "Hmph. I gave you a chance, and you didn’t even know how to appreciate it." He rubbed his head again, acting as if it hurt. "Ugh, my head is spinning. Go back and pack your things. I’ll pick you up this afternoon, and I’ll rent you a place. I was going to take you to my house, but my mom would probably beat me. You’ll stay outside for now. When I buy a bigger place, you can move in." He did want to bring Qu Menghan home, but his mother definitely wouldn’t agree. Parents were like that. When you were in school, they wouldn’t let you date. After graduation, they pushed you to get married. Qu Menghan nodded obediently. "Okay, but I want to get a summer job. It’s such a long break, and I want to earn some money." Wang Qi’s expression changed. "What? A job? With the way you look, what if some creepy guy harasses you? Or what if your boss tries something inappropriate? No way. That’s not happening." Qu Menghan frowned. "It’s not as bad as you make it sound. I can’t just sit around doing nothing." Wang Qi thought for a moment. He wasn’t comfortable with her working somewhere else, and his family’s restaurant was about to open. "How about this? My family is opening a restaurant. You can help out there. We’ll pay you $5,000 a month." Qu Menghan blinked in surprise. "$5,000? You’re paying me that much?" In the city, $5,000 a month was a decent salary. Wang Qi smirked. She was too easy to satisfy. $5,000 wasn’t much. He wouldn’t even consider $1,000,000 a year from someone else. Later, Wang Qi left the hotel to find an apartment for Qu Menghan. It couldn’t be too far from his place. After some searching, he chose a place with a nice environment, though it wasn’t cheap. The rent was $4,000 a month. The apartment was fully furnished, and the owner was going abroad for work, so it was available immediately. Wang Qi didn’t haggle. $4,000 it was. He was considering buying a house, but he preferred to keep his funds available for business investments. Property prices weren’t going to skyrocket in the next few years, so he could buy later. After 2008, housing prices in the capital really did begin to surge. Compared with other investments, real estate was far more profitable. Many of the major real estate companies that rose in the years to come owed their success to that wave. With everyone obsessed with buying property, it was naturally a lucrative business. That afternoon, Wang Qi went to pick up Qu Menghan. When she saw the apartment, she froze. "A single room would have been enough. Why did you rent such a nice place for me?" Wang Qi waved it off. "Would I let you settle for less? Miss Qu, just enjoy living here. I’ve paid the rent for six months. Besides, I won’t have much time to spend with you while I’m busy with the restaurant opening. Once it’s up and running, I’ll bring you over."

Wang Qi immediately disagreed. Wasn't that like sending a lamb into a tiger's den? "It's not like you say it is. I can't just sit around doing nothing," Qu Menghan said, pouting. "How about this? My family is opening a restaurant. You can go help out. I'll pay you $5,000 a month." Wang Qi thought it over. He couldn't feel at ease letting Qu Menghan work somewhere else. Since his family's restaurant was about to open, it made sense for her to help there. "You're paying me that much?" Qu Menghan was shocked. A monthly salary of $5,000 was considered pretty good in the Imperial Capital. Wang Qi tugged at the corner of his mouth. She was too easy to satisfy. It was only $5,000. People had offered him a seven-figure annual salary, and he still hadn't been interested. After that, Wang Qi left the hotel to rent an apartment for Qu Menghan. It couldn't be too far from his home. After looking around, he chose an apartment that wasn't cheap. The rent was $4,000 a month, but the environment was good. The furniture was all included, and the owner was going abroad for work, so the place was being rented out while it sat empty. Wang Qi didn't bargain. $4,000 was $4,000. Even though he had considered buying a place, he preferred to keep his funds for investing and starting a business. Besides, housing prices wouldn't skyrocket over the next few years. As long as he bought more properties within that time, it would be enough.

After 2008, housing prices in the Imperial Capital began to surge.

​