"Here, take a look."
Mason handed his phone to Rowan, who carefully zoomed in on the pictures to admire the little cat.
His cousin was truly unique; his hobbies were unlike those of other people his age. At such a young age, he enjoyed gardening, playing chess, and fishing—all activities typically associated with older adults.
And his interests were different too. While other young men liked looking at beautiful women, he liked looking at cats. Not only that, but he loved drawing them and often shared his cat drawings on social media, so much so that he had even published a book of his cat illustrations.
Mason couldn't quite understand his cousin's peculiar taste.
"It's quite cute, a very spirited little cat." Rowan nodded in approval after looking at the pictures for a couple of minutes and handed the phone back to Mason.
Then, as if struck by an idea, Rowan picked up his phone, opened a social media app, searched for "Selene," and saved the orange cat's photos she had posted.
"You like it so much that you're saving the photos?" Mason glanced at his cousin's phone screen and teased him.
Rowan looked up and smiled gently, "For reference."
"Alright, you really do love cats. But given your current situation, you're struggling to take care of yourself, let alone a cat."
Mason sighed and frowned, "What should I do? School is about to start, and I'm worried about leaving you alone."
"It's fine. I've lived alone before."
"That was different! You were normal then! Uh..." Mason realized his slip and awkwardly added, "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried about you."
"It's alright, I know." Rowan patted his cousin's head, his eyes full of gentle laughter, "Don't worry about me. Focus on your studies."
Mason's face scrunched up, and he shook his head vigorously. "No, no. You don't want anyone to know, not even Auntie and Uncle. If something happens to you, no one will be there to help."
"Wait... Bro, I remember the apartment across the hall is also yours, right?"
Rowan looked at Mason, puzzled, and nodded slightly, "Yes, I like peace and quiet, so I bought the entire floor."
"Really?" Mason thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up with excitement, "Bro, let me help you rent out the other apartment!"
"..."
"You're always at home anyway. Even if someone lives next door, it shouldn't be a risk."
"It's better to have a close neighbor than a distant relative! Find someone who likes animals. If you get sick during the day, you can ask your neighbor to take you to the hospital."
"But the tenant needs to be carefully selected. They should work from home, like dogs, and be kind and patient. They shouldn't be too curious and need to respect boundaries..."
The more Mason thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
"I'll get started right away. Bro, give me your documents, and I'll register on the rental app. Before school starts, I'll find you a reliable tenant."
Rowan watched his cousin's enthusiasm and didn't have the heart to dampen his spirits. He reluctantly let Mason proceed.
---
Selene focused intensely and spent the whole night looking for potential tenants. When dawn broke, Selene transformed back into a human.
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In an instant, fatigue overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, swallowing her whole.
Selene quickly walked to the bedroom, threw back the covers, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
When she woke up again, it was already 3 PM.
Selene was woken by hunger. Her stomach felt like it was burning, so she quickly grabbed her phone to order delivery, then went to the fridge for a bottle of milk, eating some soda crackers from the coffee table to stave off the hunger.
Afterward, Selene went to the bathroom to wash up, using cold water to wake herself up.
Next time, she would have to adjust her schedule and see if she could sleep like a cat. Otherwise, being this tired during the day would render her useless.
With this in mind, Selene returned to the living room, sat on the couch, and picked up her tablet to contact the landlords of the potential apartments she had found the night before.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
After being politely rejected by the landlords, Selene sighed deeply.
The initial discussions went well, but as soon as she mentioned having a cat, the landlords became hesitant, citing concerns about furniture damage, noise disturbances, and the inability to cat-proof the windows. They all suggested she look elsewhere.
The pet-friendly listings she found either had unsuitable rent or poor living conditions.
There were also listings for shared apartments with pet owners, but her "cat illness" made cohabitation impractical.
After spending an hour searching with no progress, she considered trying an agent.
But no, that was out of the question.
Selene quickly dismissed the idea. Given her current strange situation, finding a job was uncertain, and her savings were limited. She needed to save as much as possible.
Going back home was also unrealistic.
Selene's parents divorced when she was in middle school, and both remarried and had new families. Her younger half-siblings were still small, and her parents were already struggling to manage. She was an adult now and didn't want to burden them.
Besides, Selene didn't want to move to another city. She had attended university here and had lived in the city for six years. She didn't want to adapt to a new environment.
She could only keep looking.
Selene switched to another rental app and started searching based on the latest listings.
"Hey!"
Selene's eyes lit up. She seemed to have found a good apartment.
The apartment was large, with three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a large balcony. Although it was a well-furnished apartment without standard appliances, the landlord promised to arrange everything before the tenant moved in.
The apartment's location was excellent, in the city center, with all amenities nearby. The community was well-known and high-end, with sky-high property prices.
The rent, however, was surprisingly low—almost a steal.
Suspiciously, Selene read further and discovered the reason for the low rent.
The landlord had peculiar requirements for tenants.
**"Requirements for tenants are as follows:"**
1. "Must work from home, especially during the day. It's okay to be out at night or not return at all."
2. "Must like animals, preferably dogs, as the neighbor has a large dog. It's even better if you have a pet."
3. "Must rent the apartment alone, no shared or couple rentals. Should be calm, enjoy a quiet environment, and not host parties or invite many friends over."
4. "To save time, please note that these conditions are non-negotiable. Only contact me if you meet all the above requirements."
These conditions excluded 99% of potential tenants.
But the more Selene read, the more she felt it was tailored for her.
She had just resigned and would be home for a long time, at least until she recovered.
She loved dogs, especially large breeds, and now had a "cat."
As for renting, it would be just her. She wasn't likely to invite friends over.
...It was such a coincidence that it seemed a bit eerie.
Was this the power of big data?
Selene hesitated for a couple of seconds before pressing the "Contact Landlord" button and typing a message in the chat box.
**[Hello, I'm interested in renting the apartment.]**
---
Rowan hadn't paid much attention to the rental situation, mostly thinking that no one would meet Mason's specific requirements. So he let Mason handle it.
That evening, Mason excitedly ran to him, telling him she had found a tenant. Rowan's beautiful eyes showed a hint of confusion.
"I chatted with this lady! She completely meets all the conditions I mentioned. She loves big dogs and even has a cat..."
Mason, like an excited little sparrow, could barely contain herself.
Rowan listened for a while, finally understanding. He asked in confusion, "She works from home?"
Mason recalled the conversation and explained, "Her health isn't good, so she plans to rest at home. She resigned yesterday and said she wouldn't be looking for a job for the next two years."
Rowan sighed, feeling a headache coming on, "I think this needs..."
Mason quickly interrupted, seeing Rowan's hesitation, "Bro, this girl is also having a hard time. She found a stray cat and took it in, but her landlord wouldn't allow pets, so she needed to find a new place. She loves your apartment. I've already promised her. You're not going to back out, right?"
"..."
Rowan was silent for a moment.
Finally, he sighed softly.
"Alright, have her add me on WeChat. The apartment needs some adjustments before it's ready for someone to move in."
"Great!"
Mason happily picked up her phone and started sending messages.
**[Hey, here's my cousin's WeChat ID. He's the landlord. Add him and tell him about your preferences for furniture and appliances so he can arrange them for you.]**
**[By the way, if you're free tomorrow afternoon, you can come to see the apartment and sign the lease.]**
---
Is this the one?
Selene looked at the friend request interface, skeptical of the
profile picture.
These days, only older adults seem to use flower and plant images as avatars, right? And what was this? A night-blooming cereus?
Selene double-checked the rental app chat to confirm the number and found she hadn't made a mistake. It was the correct ID.
Oh well, the landlord's age didn't matter; what mattered was the apartment and the landlord's character.
Selene pressed the "Add Friend" button.
Her request was quickly accepted, and a message came through promptly.
**[Hello, are you Ms. Selene interested in renting the apartment?]**
**[Yes, I'd like to view the apartment around 1 PM tomorrow. Is that okay?]**
**[No problem. However, I have some matters to attend to during the day, so my cousin will show you the apartment. I'll sign the lease beforehand and give it to him to bring to you.]**
The typing speed was quick, not like an older person.
Selene's thoughts wandered for a moment before she refocused and continued the conversation.
She briefly explained her rental needs to the landlord. The apartment had central air conditioning, so there was no need for additional units, but she needed common appliances like a refrigerator, washing machine, and microwave.
The landlord was very accommodating, meeting almost all her requests and even suggesting thoughtful additions like window sealing, balcony enclosures, a video doorbell, double-layered curtains, and custom wide wardrobes and shoe cabinets.
Everything was going smoothly, almost too smoothly.
If the apartment's location weren't so prime and the cost of scamming wasn't so high, she might have thought it was a scam.
Selene reminded herself not to get carried away and wait until she saw the apartment and signed the lease before celebrating.
---