If only I knew

Chapter Forty-seven

They flood my apartment building entrance, they flood the animation studio once again, and this time they also flood my office building until the office management kindly request to my company to ask me not to go into the office. So I was 'banned' from going into office and officially confined to my apartment. It blew up so big until my Singapore office knew about it as well - how embarrassing. 

I couldn't even order delivery so Jia Zheng became my delivery man, stocking up my groceries and preparing my meals in advance before he goes to work or studio. Fortunately I have finished recording for my project, and Doudou-jie says for the time-being unfortunately I won't have any more new projects since I can't go into the studio. She was very apologetic about it but I was more apologetic for bringing their inconvenience. Once the netizens found out that I stopped working at the studio, they also stopped trying to stalk me at the studio. The crowd downstairs at my apartment building grew bigger instead, until the residents complained to the management and I got a nice friendly warning from the apartment management as well as my landlord. 

She visited me one random afternoon. I was surprised to see her. I had paid my rent on time. I didn't owe her. And my contract won't be up until another month or so. 

"I know you still have another month or so," she said. "I'm sorry - but I've got a warning from the management. The other residents are very upset and complaining. I came through the entrance and indeed saw the ruckus downstairs..." she seems apologetic. "You have been a good tenant, never giving me any problem except this time... and you have been very punctual in your payments..."

So...?

"But I'll have to terminate your contract. I'll return your deposit. Can you move out as soon as possible?"

W-what...?? I stared at her. 

"I'm really sorry," she said. 

"B-but -" I panicked. "I - I need time to go another place - I - I -" 

"I know. But the management has given a time bar of one week. You need to vacate by end of this week, otherwise.. otherwise, they will forcefully remove you!"

"Can they do that? Forcefully remove me...?" I stammered. 

"They can. They are the management of the building."

Gosh...

"I'm so sorry."

When I told Jia Zheng afterwards, he was furious. "Fine - then come and stay with me," he said. "You can stay at my place. I can bunk in the hospital, no problem."

"But then, you might get shooed out by your landlord as well," I told him. I don't want to get him into trouble as well. 

"Then - then, we'll look for another apartment. I'll help you," he said. 

I smiled gratefully at him. "It's okay. I'll look for an agent myself." 

"Anyway, my place is available until you find another place." 

"I don't want to trouble you."

"You are not troubling me. And I promised JC I'll look after you too." 

I chuckled - he did. 

I didn't mention it to JC or Zhu-jie. I suspect Zhu-jie's phone logs are being monitored as well. So I try not to disturb her unless necessary which there had been none. And these days the only way I keep track of JC was through the official social media posts by his company, as well as what other fans posted. In fact, the fans' posts are much more detailed and accurate and up-to-date more than what the company posted. I filtered out the negative crude ones and only see the good neutral ones.