Who is the landlord and who is the tenant

Betsy calmly helped me make the bed, and I couldn't find any trace of mischief in her actions. This surprised me even more. With her prominent CEO status, why would she bother making my bed? Moreover, she had never been this kind to me before. At least in this house, we were usually at odds with each other.

As I observed, Betsy smoothed out the blankets and then, feeling relieved, said, "All set!"

Taking a step forward, I looked down at her and asked, "...Did you play a trick on me?"

"What?" Betsy asked with confusion.

"Like putting glue on the bedsheets, some mischief to make me uncomfortable!" I explained.

Betsy looked at me, half-smiling, and said, "Glue on your bedsheets? Such childish pranks are beyond me. Of course, you're capable of such things, so maybe that's why you suspect me."

Late at night, I didn't have the energy to confront Betsy, so I felt somewhat reassured. "It's better if there's none."

"I'm going to bed."

"Wait a moment. The porridge will be ready soon. Let's eat together and catch up. It's been a while," I suggested.

"I made your bed, and you're treating me to porridge. Looks good!" Betsy smiled and said.

"Of course, do you think I'm free every day, competing with you?!"

"I don't have the energy to compete with you today. You did well. There's a sense of returning a favor."

I nodded and said, "Returning a favor, I'm not someone who seeks revenge."

"Neither am I."

"So, let's go have porridge."

...

It was almost dawn, and Betsy and I sat on opposite sides of the dining table, each with a bowl of porridge made with red dates and lotus seeds.

I held the sugar jar and asked Betsy, "Do you want sugar?"

Betsy pushed her bowl toward me and said, "One."

I scooped a spoonful for her and one for myself. We continued to eat in silence, an unusual harmony between us.

When we had finished about half of the porridge, I finally said to Betsy, who had been quietly sipping her porridge, "Do you know why I came back to Suzhou this time?"

Betsy, seemingly uninterested, replied, "I know, CC has joined you."

"Oh," I responded in a very indifferent tone.

Putting down her spoon, Betsy wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, "Don't you have a girlfriend you were about to get engaged to? What will she do when you're here?"

When Betsy mentioned Li Yun, my mood instantly became low. Our encounter, our time together, seemed like a brief and brilliant firework display, ultimately extinguished in the noise of the mundane.

After a while, I finally said to Betsy, "We broke up. What else can I do?"

"Is that woman who brought you back to Suzhou so important? Making you give up so much!"

"Of course, I don't want to give up so much, but if I don't come back, what will she do?"

"Have you ever thought about your girlfriend? How sad she must be."

In my despair, I forced a smile and said, "Of course, I've thought about it and know how sad she is. But without me, she can continue to live, marry someone else... But if I don't return to Suzhou, Isabella Hartfield might find it difficult to carry on with her life."

Betsy didn't let me continue and nodded, saying, "I understand."

"Yeah," I responded with a low voice, lowering my head to continue eating the porridge in my bowl. Betsy did the same, and we both fell into silence, quietly finishing the porridge in our bowls.

...

After eating, Betsy and I stood side by side at the sink, washing the used bowls. Once again, I asked Betsy, "Why did you leave me outside earlier? Do you think that by bringing me back to Suzhou, I didn't return for you but for another woman?"

Betsy hesitated for a moment before answering, "You explained it to me just now. I feel that this choice might be the real Adrian Sterling. I can understand you."

Looking at Betsy, I felt a strange emotion. While she could understand me, she wasn't Li Yun. If Li Yun were willing to offer me the same understanding and trust, perhaps we wouldn't have broken up.

But how could I ask for that? Everyone has their perspective on things. Betsy might understand me, but if she looked at the situation from Li Yun's point of view, she might not understand. Human nature is indeed elusive.

Soon, we had finished washing our bowls. Betsy seemed genuinely tired. After placing the bowls in the cupboard, she yawned and said, "I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Wait." I stopped her as she was about to turn away.

"What now?"

After contemplating for a while, I finally said to her, "This time, I'll be staying in this house in Suzhou. Shouldn't you give me a key?"

Betsy's expression changed instantly. I subconsciously thought she might refuse and quickly added, "Don't go back on your word. You're a person of principles. I distinctly remember that you promised me I could stay when I returned."

"You don't need to keep emphasizing the promises I made to you. You can stay, but we need to clarify one thing first."

"Sure, I'll cooperate with whatever you want to clarify."

Betsy said, "Who is the tenant, and who is the landlord between us?"

"Uh..." I couldn't answer for a while. Of course, I knew I was just a tenant, but I didn't want to easily give up the landlord status I had fought for earlier.

Betsy asked impatiently, "Why, is it difficult to answer?"

In Betsy's coercive tone, I once again experienced the sadness of having to bow one's head under someone's roof. Clenching my teeth, I said to Betsy, "I'm the tenant."

"And me?"

"...Damn it, I've already admitted I'm the tenant. What are you? Don't you know?"

Betsy asked impatiently, "What's the problem? Is it hard to answer?"

In Betsy's compelling tone, I once again felt the sorrow of having to bow down under someone else's roof. Grinding my teeth, I finally said to Betsy, "I'm the tenant."

"And me?"

"...Damn it, I've already admitted I'm the tenant. What are you? Don't you know?"

Betsy, somewhat irritated, asked, "What's the matter? Is it challenging to answer?"

I suddenly realized how strong Betsy's logical reasoning was. Regardless of how eloquent I was, she always found the loopholes in my words and countered them. And I often didn't know how to respond to her rebuttals.

Betsy continued to look at me seriously. Finally, feeling a bit impatient, I said, "Fine, you're the landlord!"

Betsy smiled, seemingly victorious, turned her head, and walked towards her room without saying a word. Suddenly, she started singing the song I had sung in front of her before, Wang Fei's "New Tenant."

Even though Betsy sang this song to mock my previous triumphant behavior, I didn't feel retaliated against. Instead, it seemed like she was showing me a side of her that she didn't usually reveal. Truly, a win-win situation.

Finally, my mood broke free from the long-held sense of loss and suppression.

On the computer station, in the image section, there is a column dedicated to Betsy. Everyone can upload photos that match their perception of Betsy's character. The person who uploads the image with the most likes will have the opportunity to receive a physical copy of this book for free. It's a rare chance, and it's free. I hope everyone actively participates. The nine readers who top the fan ranking to receive the physical book are undoubtedly at the level of alliance leaders, meaning they've spent at least a thousand Chinese yuan. So don't miss out on this opportunity to get a free book. Moreover, physical books are not publicly available for subscription, only distributed through events. Don't miss out if you like it.