Seventh Year Of Separation chapter 68
Extra 1- Getting a Certificate
“Mr. Gu, this property listing is freshly released from our agency, located on the 15th floor with a view of the park from the windows. The entire unit is equipped with ventilation and air conditioning. Unlike other smaller units in the area, this one is move-in ready…”
Gu Jiahe nodded towards the real estate agent in front of him. “Let me have a look by myself, thank you.”
The agent hesitated for a moment before smiling and nodding. “Of course, take your time. Let me know if you need anything.”
Gu Jiahe had been looking at properties for a while now, and compared to the ones he had seen before, this neighborhood was indeed much better.
With a limited budget, he could only afford smaller units. The one he was looking at today was a small two-bedroom unit, 68 square meters in size, with a small study room in addition to the main bedroom.
The location of this property wasn’t too far from their office, less than ten kilometers away with direct subway access. Although the surrounding area was a bit underdeveloped, there was at least a convenient market nearby for groceries.
He slid open the door to the kitchen, which had basic furnishings and a U-shaped countertop. Although the kitchen area wasn’t large, it was sufficient for him.
His phone vibrated twice in his pocket.
He checked and saw that Li Zhao had sent him a message on WeChat.
“How’s it going? Do you want me to come pick you up?”
Gu Jiahe thought for a moment before sending Li Zhao his location. “Not done yet. If you’re free, come over.”
Gu Jiahe walked into the bedroom and looked around. The room wasn’t small; it could fit a king-sized bed and a wardrobe. But if he were to add some tables and chairs, it would feel cramped.
He adjusted his pants pocket and then walked back to the living room. “Hello, is this the only available unit in this neighborhood?”
The agent immediately walked over and checked his phone. “There’s one more unit, on the floor above this one.”
Gu Jiahe asked casually, “Oh, really? Is it the same layout as this one?”
The agent shook his head. “No, it’s bigger. It’s 90 square meters. Would you like to take a look? I can get the keys.”
Gu Jiahe was about to respond when his phone rang. He gestured to the agent and answered the call.
“So fast? Can you come in at the entrance of the neighborhood?”
Five minutes later, Li Zhao stood at the entrance of the elevator lobby, waving to Gu Jiahe.
Li Zhao walked up to them and asked, “Haven’t finished looking yet?”
Gu Jiahe replied, “There’s a slightly larger unit. Do you want to see it?”
Li Zhao said, “Sure, might as well since we’re here.”
The agent led them to a higher floor with a smile.
“The unit Mr. Gu just saw was 68 square meters, a small two-bedroom. The small room there couldn’t fit a bed, only suitable as a study. This one is much more spacious, with a large living room and a bedroom bigger than the main bedroom downstairs.”
Gu Jiahe followed into the apartment, visibly brighter than the previous one. At the entrance was a small foyer, leading to a rectangular living room. The layout was very neat, with a balcony over three meters long to the south and a large window to the north.
The agent pushed open the window to the balcony, and a warm breeze swept in, making the air inside exceptionally comfortable.
Li Zhao nodded. “This one is pretty good.”
Gu Jiahe turned to the agent and asked, “How much is the price for this one?”
The agent opened his phone and showed Gu Jiahe the listing page. “Take a look at this. Although it’s slightly more expensive than the one downstairs, it’s still a top-notch listing. If you miss out on this one, you’ll probably have to pay at least two to three hundred thousand more for something similar.”
Gu Jiahe’s throat moved, and after two seconds, he nodded. “I’ll consider it.”
Half an hour later, Li Zhao drove Gu Jiahe home.
As autumn set in, the evening breeze started to cool. Gu Jiahe rolled up the window after blowing for a while and pressed the button to close it.
Li Zhao caught sight of his action from the corner of his eye. “Feeling cold?”
Gu Jiahe shook his head. “Not really.”
As the red light turned on ahead, Li Zhao pressed the brake and turned to ask, “What are you thinking? That last one seemed pretty good.”
Gu Jiahe replied, “Of course, the bigger one is better, but the down payment is over 200,000 more.”
Li Zhao said, “I have that. Take it.”
Gu Jiahe laughed. “Why? Are you sponsoring me?”
Li Zhao also chuckled. “If you perform well, all my money will be yours.”
Gu Jiahe didn’t respond. “Don’t talk nonsense. Everyone’s money is hard-earned. Do you think you’re a money-printing machine?”
Li Zhao fell silent and didn’t say anything else. The car smoothly pulled into the parking garage of the residential area.
After returning home, Gu Jiahe opened his iPad to continue looking at property listings. The last page was still on the two he had seen today.
If he bought the 68-square-meter one, the money he had on hand would just cover the down payment. If he bought the 90-square-meter one, he would have to endure a few more years of hardship.
He sighed lightly and was about to lock the iPad. Li Zhao pushed the door open and entered. He had just finished showering and still had the fresh scent of shower gel on him.
Li Zhao plopped down next to him and glanced at the screen. “What’s there to hesitate about? If it’s good, just buy it.”
Gu Jiahe glanced at him. “Oh, right. Buckingham Palace looks good too. I’ll fly to London tomorrow to put down a deposit.”
The two of them quarreled almost every day, and Li Zhao was used to it. “Look, in that bigger one, we can put a big sofa bed in the northern room and set up a high-definition projector. Friends who come over can stay there too.”
Gu Jiahe was tempted by his suggestion.
After all, the larger unit had a bathroom in the main bedroom, which was necessary for them. After all, they often stayed up late and needed to shower, almost every week.
Having the bathroom outside the bedroom was a bit inconvenient.
But the over 200,000 shortfall still made him feel uneasy. Did he really have to ask Li Zhao for money?
After thinking it over, Gu Jiahe still felt it wasn’t quite right.
Li Zhao nudged his arm. “What are you thinking?”
Gu Jiahe snapped out of his thoughts. “Nothing.”
Li Zhao said, “It’s just over 200,000. Money can be saved, and you can earn it back if you lose it.”
Gu Jiahe felt even more annoyed at his words. His money was saved painstakingly, squeezed out of every penny. Each penny was like his own child, and it was uncomfortable to lose even a little.
He waved his hand. “Over 200,000 can last me a long time. I’ll think about it some more.”
Seeing Gu Jiahe was unwilling to discuss further, Li Zhao sighed. “Jiahe, buying a house is a big deal. It’s better to get it right in one go.”
Gu Jiahe retorted, “Hey, just mind your own business.”
Gu Jiahe was feeling a bit troubled by the whole situation. As he lifted his arm to get out of bed, his ankle accidentally hit the drawer handle of the bedside table.
The drawer fell to the ground with a muffled sound.
Gu Jiahe banged his leg and instantly felt the pain, grimacing and holding his leg.
Li Zhao quickly got off the bed. “Where did you hit yourself?”
Gu Jiahe gritted his teeth and couldn’t speak for half a minute.
Li Zhao pried open his fingers and saw a fresh red mark on his ankle.
It seemed like he had hit it pretty hard.
“Don’t move, I’ll get you an ice pack.”
Gu Jiahe shook his head. “It’s not necessary.”
Ignoring him, Li Zhao went straight to the kitchen to get an ice pack.
Gu Jiahe could only take the ice pack and apply it to the reddened area on his ankle.
After handing the ice pack to him, Li Zhao didn’t get up. His gaze landed on something on the floor, and then he showed a somewhat strange expression.
Following his gaze, Gu Jiahe’s heartbeat accelerated in an instant.
Li Zhao picked up the red box on the floor, smiling teasingly, “What’s this, Jiahe?”
Gu Jiahe cleared his throat, attempting to reach for the box, “It’s nothing, really.”
Li Zhao raised his arm slightly, just out of Gu Jiahe’s reach.
Awkward, awkward, awkward.
Those were the only words circling in Gu Jiahe’s mind.
This wasn’t what he had expected at all!
Why did Li Zhao have to discover this now?!
It completely disrupted his plan!
Li Zhao showed no intention of returning the box to him, still holding onto it.
Gu Jiahe gritted his teeth and raised his head, “Alright.”
He forced himself to continue, “Although this is completely different from what I originally planned, I thought I’d wait for a suitable occasion, book a nice restaurant, have some wine before bringing this up, but now…”
Gu Jiahe took advantage of Li Zhao’s attention being on his words and snatched the box. Then he put down the ice pack, attempting to stand up. However, his ankle was still in excruciating pain, and he could only sit back down in an extremely awkward position.
Li Zhao eagerly awaited his next words.
Gu Jiahe looked at Li Zhao and opened the red box, “Strike while the iron is hot.”
Li Zhao glanced down, seeing two similar rings lying on the black velvet, each with a small diamond embedded in them.
Gu Jiahe awkwardly smiled, “Ge, since fate chose today, then… I want to propose to you. We’ve been together for so long, it’s time to give you a proper status.”
Li Zhao burst into laughter, laughing several times in a row until his shoulders shook.
Gu Jiahe was a bit annoyed, “Why are you laughing? I’ve been preparing for this moment, and you’re just laughing.”
Li Zhao reached out and pinched his cheek, “I really didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect the iron rooster to spend so much money on such expensive rings.”
Gu Jiahe coughed, “These were the most expensive ones I could afford. I’ll have to win the lottery to buy you a bigger diamond. But let me say it first, I might not win anytime soon, maybe not until I’m seventy.”
Li Zhao, who had been laughing before, suddenly became serious. He picked up the ring on the left and earnestly put it on his left middle finger.
Then he looked up at the person in front of him, “Baby, I can’t wait until I’m seventy. You can put it on credit for now, and pay it off slowly over the next few decades.”
Gu Jiahe was at a loss for words at his actions. How could someone put on their own engagement ring?
Seeing Gu Jiahe’s stunned expression, Li Zhao picked up the other ring and handed it to Gu Jiahe, “What’s the matter? Having second thoughts? Can’t be, you were swearing eternal love to me just two minutes ago. Are you going to back out now?”
Gu Jiahe was amused by his words, “When will you stop arguing with me?”
He took the ring and put it on his left middle finger, “I’ll wear it, and no backing out. Whoever backs out is a coward.”
After they both put on their rings, the atmosphere suddenly became silent again.
The current atmosphere was like a brief moment of tranquility.
Gu Jiahe didn’t know what to say, bowing his head to look at himself, dressed in casual pajama pants, with messy hair.
Li Zhao also seemed to find the scene somewhat funny, and they both sat down on the floor.
After a while, Li Zhao spoke first, “Since it’s like this, should we consider our house purchase as part of our post-marital assets?”
Gu Jiahe was taken aback by his suggestion.
Li Zhao’s eyes were serious, “If it’s considered post-marital property, then I believe as your partner, I should have a say.”
In the end, Li Zhao transferred the money to him. Then, at Gu Jiahe’s insistence, Li Zhao’s name was added to the ownership of the house.
A month later, Gu Jiahe took Li Zhao to the real estate transaction center.
The efficiency of the staff was extremely high. After verifying the information, they quickly handed them a brand new, bright red certificate from the window.
Gu Jiahe opened the first page and saw two names written side by side in the property owner’s section: Gu Jiahe and Li Zhao.
In black and white, with clear handwriting, there was a solemn red stamp below. You could even smell a hint of ink.
The weather was pleasant, it was a beautiful day. The two of them walked out of the office hall.
Li Zhao glanced at the blue sky and then turned to Gu Jiahe beside him, smiling as he asked, “Does this count as getting our marriage certificate?”
Gu Jiahe raised his eyes, “It does.”