Sending a Selfie to Director Xia: Luxurious Service Apartment

Graduate Student Dormitory.

Xia Lin looked at the message Su Bai had sent on her phone and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Are you even speaking human language right now?"

"Tired of staying in luxury hotels, huh?"

"Most people can’t even afford to stay in them."

But given Xia Lin’s upbringing, Su Bai’s seemingly absurd complaint wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

Xia Lin had stayed in five-star hotels costing over a thousand per night with her parents since she was little.

She’d even experienced more extravagant ones.

Once, when her mom went back to their hometown and her dad was on a business trip during summer break, he took her to stay at the Hilton for half a month straight.

So when it came to Su Bai’s "struggles," Xia Lin had plenty of firsthand insight.

Lately, though, she’d been particularly captivated by Su Bai’s physique. After giving it some serious thought, she carefully composed a reply:

[Xia Lin in Summer: Sure, hotels are luxurious, but at the end of the day, they’re still hotels—lacking that lived-in feel. Staying too long can make you feel detached from reality.]

[Crispy White Goose: Makes sense!]

[Crispy White Goose: So, if we’re talking long-term, traditional renting is still the way to go.]

[Crispy White Goose: But hotels have staff handling everything—so convenient. That’s something rentals just can’t compete with.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: What, planning to move off-campus, Su?]

[Crispy White Goose: Yep, just giving my dear advisor Xia a heads-up first.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: Such a well-behaved student. Gold star for you~]

[Crispy White Goose: [White Goose scratching head sheepishly]]

[Crispy White Goose: By the way, is there some kind of high-end rental option that also offers hotel-like services?]

[Xia Lin in Summer: That does exist in the market, but it’s pricey—way beyond what most students can afford.]

[Crispy White Goose: Advisor Xia, do I look like ‘most students’ to you?]

[Crispy White Goose: [Photo][Photo][Photo][Photo]]

Su Bai seized the moment to send Xia Lin a series of abs shots.

He’d taken them earlier in the dorm bathroom.

Gotta hand it to that "System Bro"—the body-enhancing serum it gave him was legit.

The physique it sculpted was even better than a male model’s.

[Xia Lin in Summer: [Flustered emoji]]

[Xia Lin in Summer: Why do you keep sending these out of nowhere? Save them for your girlfriend, don’t go wild with your advisor!]

[Crispy White Goose: I just figured you’d appreciate them. You didn’t complain last time I sent some.]

[Crispy White Goose: If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: …]

[Xia Lin in Summer: Honestly, they are impressive. You must’ve put in a lot of work for a physique like that, huh?]

Xia Lin was into fitness herself, so she had a keen appreciation for maintaining a great body.

After some back-and-forth about workouts, they circled back to the main topic.

[Xia Lin in Summer: What you’re describing—a place with the comfort of a home but hotel-level service—is called a ‘serviced apartment.’]

[Xia Lin in Summer: It’s a business model that started overseas but has taken off in China recently, especially among high-end professionals.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: But first, what’s your budget, Su?]

Su Bai did the math.

His current savings were over ten million.

The System had said that for housing-related splurges, he could prepay up to a year’s worth—so as long as the monthly rent didn’t exceed a million, he was good.

[Crispy White Goose: Up to a million per month.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: …]

[Xia Lin in Summer: [Dog hitting someone emoji]]

[Xia Lin in Summer: With that budget, are you trying to live in a palace?]

[Crispy White Goose: Nah, palaces are out. Heard the Wi-Fi’s terrible in those—castles, ancient towns, you name it. I need good internet for gaming.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: [Mischievous dog smirk]]

[Xia Lin in Summer: Hold on, let me find you some links. These are all reputable brands with locations in Jiangcheng.]

Soon, Xia Lin sent over a few website links.

After browsing, Su Bai was thoroughly impressed.

Serviced apartments were essentially high-rise buildings operated by branded chains, designed like upscale residential penthouses.

They came with full kitchens, bathrooms, walk-in closets, parking—everything you’d expect in a luxury home.

But without the hassle of furnishing or maintenance. Instead, 24/7 concierge services handled cleaning, repairs, even meal requests.

Beyond that, they offered exclusive amenities: gyms, pools, restaurants, lounges, private theaters, bars…

Some even had golf courses or equestrian facilities—next-level stuff.

Of course, the price tag reflected it. These weren’t your average $300-a-month apartments.

The smallest units started at 100 square meters, with nightly rates surpassing Su Bai’s Marriott river-view suite.

For larger layouts, it was 3,000 per night minimum—translating to 100K a month.

True, signing a long-term lease came with discounts—bigger breaks for prepaying several months or a full year.

But even with those, it was beyond what most salaried workers could fathom.

For Su Bai, money wasn’t the issue.

What mattered was quality—luxury with a lived-in vibe.

After reviewing Xia Lin’s links, it clicked: this was basically long-term leasing in a downtown high-end penthouse, plus white-glove service.

Renting a top-tier serviced apartment for a year could easily net him millions in cashback.

Once his savings grew further, he could scout a Jiangcheng mansion, customize the renovation, and eventually move in.

His mind made up, Su Bai typed:

[Crispy White Goose: Thanks, Advisor Xia. This is super helpful.]

[Crispy White Goose: I’m leaning toward ‘The Ascott’—pricey, but there’s a branch close to campus, right by the river. Great location and views.]

[Xia Lin in Summer: Good eye, Su. If budget’s no concern, that’s easily the best pick for a student.]

[Crispy White Goose: Planning to check it out tomorrow. You free to come with, Advisor Xia?]

Inviting your advisor to apartment-hunt?

Bold move, kid.

Xia Lin felt a flicker of unease, but it quickly gave way to amused curiosity.

As a well-traveled rich girl, she recognized Su Bai’s understated wealth—a stark contrast to his otherwise modest lifestyle.

"A low-key young master, huh? And that body… Guess elite undergrads really come in all forms," she mused, reopening the saved photos in her gallery.

Her mouth watered involuntarily.

Yikes, was she actually drooling?

Truth be told, Xia Lin was genuinely tempted.

Over the years, she had never been in a relationship. Given her family background, she didn’t need to rely on romance to gain anything from men—she was practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

However, Xia Lin wasn’t one to flaunt her wealth. She had always focused on studying diligently, pursuing her master’s degree, working, and bettering herself.

She didn’t have any grand ambitions, but at the very least, she wanted to be someone useful to society.

Suddenly, she realized that Su Bai seemed quite similar to her—the type who kept a low profile despite being wealthy and lived a down-to-earth life.

Plus, Su Bai had such a great physique; he must be really into fitness, and it just so happened that Xia Lin loved working out too.

They were practically a match made in heaven!

The only slightly awkward part was their dynamic—she was a university counselor, and he was a freshman.

Shaking her head, Xia Lin decided not to overthink it for now. They could just start as friends.

So she immediately accepted Su Bai’s invitation and agreed to meet him the next morning to check out an apartment at Yashige.