Chapter 4: Spatial Harassment

Yan Ningxi: "..."

The points she had just earned hadn't even lasted overnight before she was ready to spend them.

"Activate it."

[System space activated. Usage period tentatively set for one month. If not renewed upon expiration, it will be automatically reclaimed.]

"Wait a moment. If I don’t renew it on time and forget to retrieve my belongings, will you swallow my stuff?"

[Of course not. The items will be forcibly transferred out.]

Feeling reassured, Yan Ningxi carefully packed some clothes her parents and younger brother could use into a suitcase, while placing everything else—from small ear picks to the wardrobe—into the system space.

After all, she had initially rented a bare apartment for a low price, which came unfurnished.

All the furniture and appliances inside had been gradually purchased and moved in by her family after they settled there.

Noticing the injury on her hand, she changed into a dark long-sleeved shirt to avoid worrying her parents and brother.

After returning home, Liu Jian was unwilling to suffer rejection from Yan Ningxi, so not long after, he headed toward the rental again.

Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Yan Ningxi dragging a suitcase, locking the door.

Liu Jian frowned. "Hey, if you’re moving out, hurry up and finish in the next few days. Return the keys early so I can rent it out again."

Yan Ningxi calmly finished locking the door, then turned and said coldly, "Don’t worry, I’ll move everything out by the expiration date. I’m only home today to pack some clothes for my parents to change into at the hospital."

If Liu Jian weren’t so disgusting, she might have returned the keys today.

But she really hated that man. If she asked him to refund the remaining half-month’s rent, he definitely wouldn’t agree.

Even if she didn’t live there for the next two weeks, she would wait until the lease expired before returning the keys.

Liu Jian was infuriated. Looking at Yan Ningxi’s fair and pretty face, he suddenly grinned lecherously. "I think you’re just saying that on purpose. Your family is so short on money, how could you possibly afford to move? I have an idea—if you agree to be my lover, I’ll waive all your rent."

Yan Ningxi glanced at Liu Jian’s fat head and big belly, suppressing her disgust, and asked, "Your wife controls all your money. Do you have money to support a mistress?"

Liu Jian thought she might actually agree, rubbing his hands excitedly. "My wife gives me quite a bit of pocket money each month. I can still manage fifteen hundred a month."

"Fifteen hundred?" Yan Ningxi thought she misheard and asked incredulously.

Liu Jian thought fifteen hundred was a lot. "Yeah, fifteen hundred a month is enough for you to buy a nice set of cosmetics. You just have to be available whenever I call."

Available whenever he calls.

Yan Ningxi felt she had just heard the best joke of the year and deliberately asked, "So you don’t love your wife anymore?"

Liu Jian glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then suddenly stepped several paces closer to Yan Ningxi.

She frowned and stepped back.

Seeing this, Liu Jian stopped advancing, looking disgusted. "That shrew, I haven’t liked her for a long time. All she does is scold me and complain I’m useless. If it weren’t for her money, which supports my family’s good life, I wouldn’t want to marry her. Sleeping with her makes me sick. If I had money, the first thing I’d do is divorce her!"

A faint smile curled on Yan Ningxi’s lips as she took out her phone and showed him the video she’d just recorded.

"I recorded everything you just said. Behave yourself from now on, or I’ll send this video to your wife. Living off a woman’s money and still despising her—if you have any dignity, you wouldn’t have become a live-in son-in-law in the first place."

Having lived there for years, she knew Liu Jian was just a live-in son-in-law, only able to be a landlord because of the woman’s family.

Liu Jian’s face turned pale with terror. "You... you’re too devious!"

Yan Ningxi smiled gently. "To deal with scum like you, no tactic is too devious. Now that we’re at this point, return the remaining rent and deposit to me. After today, we won’t come back."

She had changed her mind. Since she had the upper hand with this evidence, why not use it to get her money back?

"What?" Liu Jian was shocked. "You’ve already moved all your stuff? When?"

"When you went on your trip."

Liu Jian had thought they’d been moving a little each night, deliberately coming and going at different times to avoid suspicion. He hadn’t doubted anything. "I want to check if anything’s damaged."

Yan Ningxi sneered. "How could a bare apartment get damaged? The faucets and lights were already broken when we moved in. We even fixed everything for you. You asked my parents online for the utility fees yesterday, and it’s all paid off. Don’t want to refund? Then I..."

"No, I’ll refund, I’ll refund. Don’t be impulsive."

Seeing her about to send the video to his wife, Liu Jian could only grit his teeth and return the money. He took the keys and watched helplessly as she left.

South City First Hospital

Yan Qingyu lay in the hospital bed, and his mother, Sun Shuzhen, was peeling apples for him.

Yan Qingyu knew his mother was pregnant and felt sorry for her, seeing how she cared for him daily in the hospital. "Mom, why don’t you go home? You won’t rest well here and it’s bad for your health. I’ve gotten used to the treatments; I can handle it alone."

Sun Shuzhen smiled. "Let me stay with you for a few more days. The hospital has a family rest lounge; I can rest there when I’m tired."

Yan Qingyu said nothing.

Seeing her son a bit unhappy, Sun Shuzhen placed the plate of peeled fruit in his lap. "Alright, I promise I’ll go home after a few days."

Yan Qingyu knew this was his mother’s biggest concession and didn’t insist further.

Suddenly, a young nurse entered the ward with a businesslike tone. "Family of Yan Qingyu, you have an outstanding medical bill of twenty thousand yuan. Please settle it as soon as possible."

Sun Shuzhen quickly stood up, smiling politely. "Okay, once my husband returns, we’ll pay it."

Nurse: "Then please hurry."

After the nurse left, Sun Shuzhen sighed and sat back down.

Her husband had transferred twenty thousand yuan to her just a few days ago; she doubted they still had that much now.

Treating leukemia was even more expensive than she’d realized.

Seeing his mother lose spirit so quickly, Yan Qingyu curled up, pondering whether to give up treatment.

He didn’t want to be a burden on his family.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Yan Ningxi wheeled her suitcase into the ward, seeing her mother and brother both wearing worried expressions.

"What’s wrong? What happened?"

Sun Shuzhen’s eyes reddened when she saw her daughter but quickly turned away, not wanting her to see their predicament.

Yan Qingyu, who adored his sister, sat up excitedly. "Sister, you’re back."

Yan Ningxi stroked her brother’s head, her tone a mix of helplessness and affection. "It’s only been half a day. Is it really necessary?"

Yan Qingyu rubbed his face against her hand like a kitten. "It is. When you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything."

Yan Ningxi smiled, withdrew her hand, then asked again, "That look you had just now—did Qingyu’s condition worsen?"

Sun Shuzhen had no solution now. Since her daughter would just ask the doctors, she could only relay what the nurse had said earlier.

Yan Ningxi breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it’s not the condition getting worse, it’s good. I have money now; I’ll go pay the bill."

Sun Shuzhen knew how much savings her daughter had and asked curiously, "Ningxi, where did you get the money? Did you borrow from your friends?"

Yan Ningxi made up an excuse. "I found a part-time job. The income is pretty good, even better than my salary. They just settled my pay."

After a moment’s hesitation, wanting to ease her family’s anxiety in the future, she added, "The part-time job is quite challenging, but the pay is high. This time, I earned one hundred thousand yuan."