Tenant’s Secret Love

Chapter 31: Charlatan

The bus hadn't even come to a complete stop when I couldn't wait to get off and looked around for a taxi. Unfortunately, none of the taxis that passed by were free.

I became more and more convinced that my encounter with Renee was not a wonderful arrangement, but an unavoidable torment.

Finally, a taxi arrived and drove non-stop to the farmers' market. I remembered that there were small vendors there who sold some solid insecticide powder, and the liquid insecticides sold in supermarkets generally could not kill cockroaches, so I could only hope that the vendors had not yet closed their stalls at this time.

When I arrived at the farmers' market, it was pitch black. Not to mention the small vendors, even the shops inside had all closed down. I felt a little dejected. Despite my best efforts, this night was destined to be a night when I couldn't buy solid insecticide.

I had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and went to the supermarket to buy a bottle of liquid insecticide in an attempt to muddle through.

...

It was already 10 o'clock at night when I arrived at the old house. This back-and-forth journey of more than an hour had tortured me enough. I just hoped that Renee would not find out that I had brought only liquid insecticide instead of the solid insecticide powder as originally agreed.

After knocking on the door, Renee opened the door to me in her pajamas after a while, and it seemed that she was eating something in her mouth.

I asked curiously, “What are you eating?”

“Cherries.”

“What are cherries?”

Renee seemed very satisfied that I had kept my promise today, and she patiently explained to me, “Cherries are cherries. Go wash your hands first, there are still a lot there!”

“Are you going to invite me to eat?”

Renee nodded, and I immediately walked towards the bathroom. I was a little happy in my heart. Renee's attitude towards me was much better than before, so there was no harm in being a reliable person.

When I came out of the bathroom, Renee had already placed the box of cherries on the sofa in the living room, and she was holding a book while eating them, looking beautiful and relaxed.

I sat down next to Renee and looked at the box. It was very beautiful, and I realized that it was authentic cherries imported from Chile, not the kind sold in the supermarket under the name of imported goods. This box cost at least a thousand yuan.

I picked up two cherries at once and stuffed them in my mouth, then said to Renee, “You say we all have the same nose and two eyes, so why do you live such a luxurious life?”

“What?” Renee looked at me with some confusion and asked.

“I said you live a luxurious life. I haven't eaten such expensive fruit since my mother gave birth to me!“ I said, picking up two more and throwing them in my mouth.

“A friend gave them to me,” Renee replied, and then focused on the book she was reading.

“So you're saying that no one has ever given me such expensive fruit. After all, your class is corrupt and extravagant! The big worms of socialism.” I finished, angrily picking up a few more and throwing them into my mouth.

Renee seemed in a good mood and didn't argue with me, just saying, ‘You can take it back if you like.”

“I have to take it back,’ I said, getting up from the sofa and finding a plastic bag to put the box in.

At this time, Renee finally put down her book and asked me, “Have you bought the solid insecticide?”

“If I haven't bought the insecticide, do you think I would have the nerve to come here?”

Renee nodded in agreement, saying, ‘If you hadn't bought it and still came to see me, that would be harassment!”

“I bought it, I bought it, what harassment, ruining my reputation,’ I said impatiently, and took the liquid insecticide I had bought from my briefcase to prepare to muddle through.

Renee stared at the insecticide and frowned, saying, “Didn't you say it was a solid insecticide powder? This doesn't look like it!”

I panicked and said, ‘Of course it doesn't look like it. This is the latest insecticide developed, and it is very effective against cockroaches.”

Renee looked at me with disbelief and said, ’I've read in books that cockroaches are very resistant to drugs, and ordinary liquid insecticides are not effective at all.”

“Don't be so dogmatic. Do I look like I'm selling you a general insecticide? I'm not bullshitting you. With this can in my hand, I can exterminate all the cockroaches in this house. It's just inhumane!” I blurted out.

Renee still looked unconvinced and said, “Why do I feel like you're such a charlatan?”

I was a little guilty but still angrily said, ‘I'm doing this for your own good. Solid insecticide is highly toxic. If you accidentally poison a mouse or something, wouldn't you feel sick?”

Renee was shocked by me and quickly said to me, ’Then don't just stand there, do what you need to do.”

“Do you want to come in and watch?”

Renee shook her head repeatedly. I turned around without saying a word and walked triumphantly towards the bathroom. At the moment, I felt a sense of pleasure at having retaken the city. I thought to myself, “Silly girl, come and expose me again, come on...”

I said goodbye to her, carrying the cherries that Mi Cai had given me. It was already 11 o'clock, and I would not be back at Roben's until at least midnight. I couldn't help but feel that this had been a very tiring night.

Before leaving, I told Renee, “Don't use that bathroom tonight. After spraying the insecticide, there are too many toxic substances.”

“I know.”

I asked very boringly, ‘Can you hold it in for the night? I feel like it's enough. I usually have to go to the bathroom several times during the night.”

Renee frowned and said, ’Why do you have to say so much?”

“I'm just worried about you!”

“I'm not going to stay here tonight.”

Renee's words once again aroused my curiosity. From her words, I was almost certain that she had other houses in the city, but why did she have to buy this place and live here?

I never asked my own doubts, because Renee would not tell me. I asked last time, and besides satisfying my curiosity, knowing the answer would mean nothing to me. I am now used to doing meaningful things, so it is better not to ask.

I took another cherry out of my pocket and threw it in my mouth, then said to Renee, “I'll be going then. If you ever have any problems in this house or neighborhood, give me a call.”

“Mm-hm.”

I coughed, and the sensor light in the hallway came on, so I turned around and left.

“Lucas, wait.”

I turned back and looked at Renee in surprise and asked, ”You're not planning on letting me stay, are you? I can't hold it in here, and the bathroom doesn't even work!”

“Take your guitar,” Renee said, turning around and going back to the room where I used to live, and bringing out the guitar from inside.

I didn't want to take the guitar from Renee's hands, and after a long silence, I said, ”I told you to find someone who knows what they're doing, this guitar can definitely sell for a good price, and I don't have the money to pay you back right now!”

“I was angry with you the other day when I asked you to pay me back, just take the guitar with you, it doesn't belong to anyone, it only belongs to you and Brittany, or at least it's a memory.”

I asked in surprise, “How do you know this guitar is related to Brittany?”

“The guitar has your name and hers engraved on it,” Renee said calmly.

After a long silence, I didn't look at the guitar that Renee had placed in the corner of the wall, and whispered, “I don't want it anymore.”

Renee smiled and said, ”You can throw away a guitar, but you can't throw away that memory in your heart. Why deceive yourself?”

I didn't say anything.

“Take it,” Renee said, placing the box containing the guitar outside the door, and then closing the door behind her.

...

With the guitar that I had lost and regained, I returned to Robben's place with a heavy heart, and happened to run into Robben at the entrance to the building, with an enchantingly dressed woman.

The woman took off her helmet and stepped off of Robben's modified racing motorcycle, and then Robben took off his helmet as well.

I immediately understood that this was the mistress Robben had brought back.

Robben put his arm around the voluptuous woman and introduced me, “Lucha, this is my friend Lily.”

I smiled and said, ‘Is it okay if I stay out of your way? Maybe I'll go to a hotel.”

“No, it's not for the night, just for a while,’ Robben said.

“Okay, I'll sit downstairs for a while...take my guitar up first,”

Robben took the guitar from me, patted me on the shoulder, and indicated that he would be done soon. Then he put his arm around the woman and walked upstairs. I sat at the entrance to the hallway and started eating the cherries I had brought back from Renee's.