Gilded Rust - YiZhan

Chapter 10 - Empty Spaces

"I'm sorry there is no tub," said Mr. Xiao, who had followed him inside. "This is the only room with an ensuite on this floor, but it's still a bit cramped."

You don't know what cramped means.

"This is more than enough," said Yibo, his joy dampened by the man's comment. His boss couldn't know what kind of space he'd been living in until now, but the words made him sound entitled nonetheless.

"I've asked housekeeping to furnish you with the basics, but tell me if you're missing anything."

Yibo nodded as he wondered how many of these "basic necessities" his aunt would try to sell were she to lay eyes on them.

"The thermostat for the water is right here," he said, showing Yibo something he'd never seen before. "Your house will be cleaned once a week, but if you need fresh towels, you can grab some from the linen cabinet in the ground floor bathroom."

Overwhelmed by all this novelty, Yibo could only thank Mr. Xiao.

"Not at all. I want you to be comfortable. Speaking of which..."

Mr. Xiao stepped outside the ensuite, Yibo in tow, then pointed to a thermostat by the door.

"You can control the temperature of your room, but keep in mind that it can take a while to cool down."

The restaurant lacked central heating or AC, so he'd spent his summers sweating through the night and his winters shivering under blankets since they couldn't leave kerosene space heaters on all night. Being able to control the temperature at the touch of a finger felt like a dream.

"Oh, and before I forget..."

Mr. Xiao went to the desk and pulled a set of keys from the top drawer. He held it in front of Yibo.

"This silver one is for your room, and the golden one is for the backdoor. The front door has a fingerprint reader. We'll enter your fingerprint tomorrow."

Yibo tensed. His aunt had always told him to avoid giving away any of his information, including biometrics, unless strictly necessary.

"It's ok. I can use the backdoor... I don't want to trouble you..."

Mr. Xiao frowned, confused.

"It's no trouble at all. It takes seconds."

"I..."

Yibo couldn't find anything to add. The reason he believed his aunt didn't want him to share his information couldn't be disclosed to his employer, but not saying anything made him look suspicious.

Mr. Xiao stared at him, expecting him to finish his sentence.

"I don't think I'll need it that much... and since I'll be here for five months at most..."

Suddenly, his cable knit sweater turned into a sauna, making him sweat profusely.

"You'll have to handle deliveries at the front door; if it closes behind you, you'll be stuck outside."

The crease between the man's eyebrows had deepened, making Yibo realize that he had to give in.

"If it's no trouble, then."

"Of course!" Mr. Xiao replied as he put the keys in his hand. Yibo slid them into his pocket.

"Come now, I'll show you the rest of the house."

Yibo dropped his backpack on the floor and walked out of the bedroom. He didn't lock or close the door; he owned nothing valuable, and nobody else was around. At the foot of the stairs, the man pointed at the next door on their right.