interesting love stories: The Reorganized Love in a Shared House
Currently, the continuously rising house prices make many people “sigh at the sight of a house.” This is especially true for young people striving in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where housing is their primary challenge. To cope with high housing costs and to establish themselves in Beijing, several young people, including their girlfriends, choose to share rentals.
However, their love life quietly changes under the same roof. The reorganization of love makes the once warm and romantic rental house suddenly tense.
Beijing Drifters Sharing a House to Cope with High Housing Costs
After the Spring Festival in 20xx, Wan Yunzhang and his girlfriend Qin Xiaoman came to Beijing with great ambition. They aimed to buy a house in Beijing, get married, and start a family. But the ever-increasing housing prices in Beijing were not something an ordinary person could afford. They encouraged themselves by saying, “Youth does not know failure.”
Twenty-five-year-old Wan Yunzhang was born in a working-class family in Linyi, Shandong. His laid-off parents had incurred a huge debt to support his university education. After graduating in July 20xx, Wan Yunzhang barely found a job in Linyi. During the National Day holiday, he met a girl named Qin Xiaoman, who was in the clothing business, at a class reunion.
Attracted by her beauty, he did everything possible to win her over, and Qin Xiaoman eventually became his girlfriend. When Wan Yunzhang brought Qin Xiaoman home to meet his parents, they found her to be opportunistic and unreliable, which troubled him greatly.
Wan Yunzhang decided to go to Beijing with his girlfriend for better opportunities. He persuaded Qin Xiaoman to venture into Beijing with him. However, Qin Xiaoman, with her extensive business experience, was not easily convinced by the prospects he painted. She said, “Without any special skills, buying a house in Beijing is a mere dream.” Despite her refusal, Wan Yunzhang did not give up. He employed a roundabout strategy and eventually convinced her to go to Beijing, with a condition from Qin Xiaoman: “I’ll give you two years. If you can buy a house in Beijing, we will stay there for life. If not, we’ll immediately return to Linyi. I don’t have much youth to waste.”
In the Spring Festival of 20xx, Wan Yunzhang and Qin Xiaoman, amidst the tears of their parents, boarded the train to Beijing with great ambition. After the brief excitement of arriving, their biggest challenge was finding a place to stay, as they had no relatives or friends in Beijing. They dragged their luggage through alleys near the train station and consulted several black market agents, but the rent prices were exorbitant.
In desperation, Wan Yunzhang and Qin Xiaoman had to stay in a basement hotel. The place was damp and reeked of mold, making Qin Xiaoman nauseous. The next day, after a full day of running around, Wan Yunzhang finally rented a small room in a village within the city, far from the downtown area.
The cramped rental house naturally displeased Qin Xiaoman, who said, “I didn’t come to Beijing to experience hardship. I’ve never lived in such a poor place!” Wan Yunzhang quickly explained, “This is temporary. Beijing is huge. Once we find jobs, we’ll rent a place closer to your work to make your commute easier.” His reasonable explanation left Qin Xiaoman with no words to argue, and she eventually kissed him hard on the cheek with a smile.
Having a place to stay, Wan Yunzhang and Qin Xiaoman immediately began job hunting. Fortunately, Wan Yunzhang was hired by an internet company, and Qin Xiaoman, with her business experience, was hired by the marketing department of a business company. With their jobs settled, Wan Yunzhang began to think about solving the housing problem.
During a lunch break, Wan Yunzhang shared his difficulties with a colleague, who suggested, “One-bedroom apartments are very expensive. Many Beijing drifters now choose to share rentals. This not only improves living conditions but also makes commuting easier.” This advice struck Wan Yunzhang like a wake-up call.
Qin Xiaoman also agreed with the idea of sharing a rental. In his spare time, Wan Yunzhang secretly searched online for suitable rental houses near Qin Xiaoman’s workplace. He had a clever idea: rent a large house first and then find suitable tenants, potentially even making some money.
Soon, Wan Yunzhang rented a three-bedroom apartment for 5,000 yuan a month. After moving in, Qin Xiaoman was very happy. Wan Yunzhang seized the opportunity to say, “Although the rent is 5,000 yuan a month, if we live in the smaller room, it will only cost us 1,000 yuan a month. I will rent out the other two rooms for 2,000 yuan each.” His clever calculation made Qin Xiaoman very happy, and she fell in love with Beijing completely, thinking about how to establish a foothold in this city.
Wan Yunzhang began to advertise for tenants both online and around the neighborhood. Three days later, a young couple agreed to the monthly rent of 2,000 yuan. Wan Yunzhang learned that the handsome young man was named Xu Jinzhi and his girlfriend was named Cao Shuiling. The next evening, when Xu Jinzhi and his girlfriend moved in, Qin Xiaoman bought drinks to welcome them.
Qin Xiaoman’s enthusiasm moved Xu Jinzhi and his girlfriend, who invited everyone to a hotpot dinner in gratitude.
Tension in the Warm Shared House
Living in the same house, everyone had many opportunities to meet. Qin Xiaoman learned from Cao Shuiling that Xu Jinzhi, 27, and she were both from Chongqing. Xu Jinzhi came from a wealthy family, with both parents in business. Unfortunately, Xu Jinzhi’s parents disapproved of her, thinking she was not a good match for him in terms of appearance or family background. To avoid his parents’ interference, Xu Jinzhi secretly came to Beijing with her. However, she found it hard to adjust to Beijing’s climate and had already started feeling unwell shortly after arriving.
Cao Shuiling’s words made Qin Xiaoman jealous. Although she was plain-looking, she had found a handsome boyfriend from a wealthy family. With such a background, buying a house in Beijing would be easy, yet she was still dissatisfied and hated Beijing’s climate. Qin Xiaoman thought of an old saying: “Women are like seeds; they grow well in fertile soil.” She felt lost about her future, thinking that despite her newfound love for Beijing, life without owning a house here would be difficult.
Time passed, and the young men and women in the warm rental house were all working hard for their love and careers. One evening, Wan Yunzhang came home particularly dejected. He had caused a loss of nearly 30,000 yuan due to a work mistake, leading to his dismissal and the forfeiture of his month’s salary. Seeing her boyfriend so downcast, Qin Xiaoman got angry, and they quarreled. When Qin Xiaoman accused Wan Yunzhang of being useless, he slapped her twice in a fit of rage and then stormed out.
Their quarrel alarmed the other tenants. Xu Jinzhi and his girlfriend came over to mediate. To calm Qin Xiaoman, Xu Jinzhi suggested they all go clubbing. The loud music helped Qin Xiaoman forget her troubles, and she was impressed by Xu Jinzhi’s generosity and understanding.
Half a month later, Wan Yunzhang found a new job at a logistics company with good pay but frequent travel, sometimes accompanying the trucks for days or even weeks. This loneliness in an unfamiliar place was hard for Qin Xiaoman to bear.
One evening, while shopping at the supermarket, Qin Xiaoman ran into Xu Jinzhi. Curious, she asked, “Isn’t it rare for a rich boy like you to buy groceries?” Xu Jinzhi replied, “Although my family is well-off, my parents were strict, so I learned to do many things. The only thing I disobeyed them on was coming to Beijing with Xiao Cao.” To stay in touch, Qin Xiaoman asked for Xu Jinzhi’s QQ.
With QQ, their communication became more convenient.
In reality, Xu Jinzhi was steady and mature, but online, he was lively and playful. He kept complimenting Qin Xiaoman, making her very happy. Occasionally, he shared his troubles, mostly about his future with Xiao Cao. He said, “If I break up with Xiao Cao and find a beautiful girlfriend, my parents will immediately buy me a house in Beijing. But beautiful girls are all taken, like you…” Xu Jinzhi’s words were tempting.
Qin Xiaoman knew that with Wan Yunzhang’s income, they would eventually have to return to their hometown, which she couldn’t accept. And in Beijing, she didn’t know anyone else. She had to seize this opportunity. Their online conversations became increasingly flirtatious, although they maintained proper distance when meeting in person.
Due to his parents’ strong opposition to his relationship with Cao Shuiling and Qin Xiaoman’s influence, Xu Jinzhi’s feelings for Cao Shuiling began to change. One day, they had a fierce argument over trivial matters, and Cao Shuiling, in anger, proposed a breakup and returned to Chongqing.
Qin Xiaoman saw her chance. When Wan Yunzhang was not traveling, she often quarreled, saying, “Housing prices in Beijing are skyrocketing. Hurry up and ask your parents for money to buy a house.” Wan Yunzhang couldn’t get money from his parents, which strained his relationship with them. One day, he came home and found Qin Xiaoman and
Xu Jinzhi chatting intimately. This made him furious, but he couldn’t say anything without evidence.
The next day, Wan Yunzhang secretly checked Qin Xiaoman’s QQ chat history. The more he read, the heavier his heart felt, realizing that a crisis was approaching…
Reorganized Love Leads to Tragedy
To save his relationship, Wan Yunzhang spent all his savings to buy Qin Xiaoman her favorite phone. But Qin Xiaoman didn’t show the expected joy. Instead, she accused him of wasting money and sarcastically asked, “Buying such an expensive phone, you seem quite rich. When are you planning to buy a house?” Her words left Wan Yunzhang speechless. She knew he had no money, so why ask him to buy a house now?
Wan Yunzhang hadn’t seen Xu Jinzhi for several days and wondered if he felt guilty. He decided to have a talk with him. One afternoon, Wan Yunzhang finally found Xu Jinzhi. He said, “I hope you will avoid Qin Xiaoman in the future. She’s my girlfriend. We’re all struggling in Beijing. I don’t want trouble but I’m not afraid of it either.” To his surprise, Xu Jinzhi retorted, “If you can, keep an eye on your girlfriend. I’ve never tried to seduce her. Qin Xiaoman said you’ll never afford a house in Beijing and wants to choose a better future.” Xu Jinzhi’s words made Wan Yunzhang furious. He hated himself for not having money, thinking that’s why Qin Xiaoman was falling for someone else.
He vowed to earn money quickly to impress Qin Xiaoman. He worked overtime and even volunteered for the most challenging routes to earn more. But disaster struck when he was in a traffic accident on his way back from Ordos, resulting in a fractured leg.
After the accident, Qin Xiaoman visited him twice in the hospital, each time briefly, then claimed to be busy with work and stopped visiting. When Wan Yunzhang was discharged, he cried and begged Qin Xiaoman, “The company compensated me 20,000 yuan and made me resign. I can only look for a job after recovering.
Please bear with me now, and I promise to repay you.” To his surprise, Qin Xiaoman said, “You should go back home to recover. Who will take care of you in Beijing?” Left with no choice, Wan Yunzhang boarded the train back home, knowing that this meant losing Qin Xiaoman to Xu Jinzhi.
Back home, Wan Yunzhang’s heart was still in Beijing. He kept calling and texting Qin Xiaoman, but her responses were cold, and she eventually proposed breaking up. Wan Yunzhang was devastated. His parents, knowing the situation, advised him, “We always said Qin Xiaoman was opportunistic and not suitable for you. Such a girl is not worth your time.”
After the Spring Festival in 20xx, Wan Yunzhang, still not fully recovered, quietly returned to Beijing. Upon arriving at the rental house, another tenant, Xiao Zhang, informed him that Qin Xiaoman and Xu Jinzhi were living together. Enraged, Wan Yunzhang took a taxi to Xu Jinzhi’s office. After work, he saw Xu Jinzhi and Qin Xiaoman shopping together, looking very intimate. Seeing them kiss in public, Wan Yunzhang lost control and attacked Xu Jinzhi.
With his leg still healing, Wan Yunzhang was quickly overpowered. His nose was bleeding profusely. Even worse, Qin Xiaoman said, “I’ve already broken up with you. Besides, do you have the means to buy a house in Beijing? I’m staying with him.” Xu Jinzhi added fuel to the fire, saying, “I told you, if you can’t provide for your girlfriend, it’s not my fault.” They walked away hand in hand.
Frustrated in both career and love, Wan Yunzhang’s thoughts turned to revenge. The next day, he caused a scene at Xu Jinzhi’s office, telling colleagues about Xu Jinzhi stealing his girlfriend. Unexpectedly, a colleague named Xiao Zhao mocked him, saying, “You couldn’t keep your girlfriend and now you’re making a fool of yourself here. What a joke!”
In anger, Wan Yunzhang smashed a hot water bottle on Xiao Zhao’s head, causing severe burns. The police were called. Now, in a detention center awaiting legal punishment, Wan Yunzhang weeps with regret, having lost his girlfriend and facing prison. Xu Jinzhi and Qin Xiaoman also feel remorse. Though they can escape legal consequences, their conscience torments them, and they seek forgiveness for Wan Yunzhang.
Xu Jinzhi’s parents came from their hometown to Beijing. His mother said, “If you continue with this girl, you’re no longer my son!” Under parental pressure, Xu Jinzhi broke up with Qin Xiaoman. The schemed love ended in such a way, leaving Qin Xiaoman lost. Maybe only time can heal everything.
After the incident, some people commented, “Qin Xiaoman got what she deserved. To stay in Beijing, she abandoned her loving boyfriend. Such a materialistic girl deserves retribution.” Others said, “Many people nowadays pursue happiness at all costs, only caring about the outcome and not the process. This phenomenon should prompt societal reflection.”
A sociologist in Beijing shared his view: “Currently, the continuously rising house prices make many people ‘sigh at the sight of a house.’ This is especially true for young people striving in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where housing is their primary challenge. For those who cannot afford to buy a house yet, they should focus on their career development. Sharing a rental near the workplace can reduce commuting time and transportation costs, allowing more energy for learning and work, thus enhancing job competitiveness.
However, although sharing rentals can alleviate financial pressure, it comes with various issues like utility sharing, personal quality, schedules, and public safety. Therefore, it is best to share with familiar friends or colleagues.”
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
