The Landlady

That afternoon, the sun was quite strong. I held up my parasol and strolled leisurely toward the Luke family villa next door. Though called 'next door,' there's a small garden between our homes, so it's not exactly close. But my parents have long been acquainted with the Luke family, and our families visit each other often. My name is Quincy Scott, and I've come to the Luke family to collect the rent. Three years ago, the Luke family ran into financial trouble and mortgaged their villa to my family, agreeing to pay rent monthly; if they miss payment three times, we have the right to reclaim the property. As I reached the villa door, I heard crying from inside, mixed with a man's shouting—it was chaotic. I raised my hand to knock, and Butler Clark from the Luke family opened the door. When he saw me, his worry deepened; he quickly stepped aside and let me in. "Ms. Scott, you're here." In the living room, Yale's father and mother sat on the sofa, their eyes rimmed red. A blond-haired boy wearing a floral shirt was holding a girl in a floral dress, standing opposite them with a sour expression. I was stunned for a moment. This young man must be Yale Luke, the son the Luke family had been searching for five years—the one who fell into the sea by the coast, was saved by a village girl, lost his memory, and stayed in the river village until he was found just last month. Yale Luke saw me too and sized me up from head to toe, his eyes filled with disdain, as if I were something filthy. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He held the girl tightly, his tone sharp. The girl looked up, her eyes gleaming with pride and contempt. She glanced disdainfully at me and coquettishly said to Yale, "Yale, is she the one whom your family has arranged a marriage with you?" Yale immediately frowned and looked at his father and mother, his tone growing fiercer, "I only like Vivian, Vivian Lincoln! Give up on this—I won't enter an arranged marriage with any woman!" Vivian nestled against him, lifting her chin arrogantly as she glared at me. "When Yale and I were in the river village, he was with me every night; he's long depended on me. You, a poor girl trying to marry into a wealthy family, don't even think about joining the Luke family—no chance!" I almost laughed aloud at her words, clutching the villa ownership certificate in my hand, momentarily at a loss for words. I cleared my throat, trying to keep calm. "I'm just here to collect rent." "This villa, along with the land you're standing on, belongs to my family. Technically, you should address me as the landlady." Yale's father and mother overheard this and their faces grew even more awkward. They quickly stood up to smooth things over: "Quincy, don't take it personally with Yale. He just returned and has amnesia; his mind isn't clear." Yale Luke wasn't convinced. He pushed his father's hand away and fixed his gaze on me: "Dad, don't be fooled! This kind of woman seems innocent but is actually vicious. She's after the Luke family's money and me!" I frowned, genuinely bewildered by his reasoning: "What do I want from you? What part of you is worth my scheming?" "I may have amnesia, but I'm not stupid! You're just trying to force me into a business arranged marriage!" Yale Luke stiffened his neck, wearing a look that said, “I see through your scheme.” Yale's mother grabbed his arm, her tone pleading: "Yale, don't talk nonsense! Quincy is the Scott family's daughter; the Scotts and the Lukes have been close friends for generations. She's not that kind of person. You even played with her when you were little—have you forgotten?" "I don't remember!" Yale Luke shook off his mother's hand. "I only remember Vivian—she's the only one who's been kind to me! If you keep forcing me, I'll go back to the river village and never come back!" I saw he was utterly unyielding and felt a bit helpless: "Yale Luke, I'll say it again—I'm not here for an arranged marriage, I'm here to collect the rent." "The rent for this month is already five days overdue. Pay it now, and I'll let it slide; if you can't, then we'll sue you." "Collect rent?" Yale Luke paused briefly, then sneered, "This is my family's villa. Why would I pay you rent? You're just using this as an excuse to get close to me!" I sighed, took out the property deed and mortgage contract from my bag, and handed them to him:. "Take a look yourself. They bear your parents' signatures and fingerprints, along with the notary's seal. If you don't understand, I can bring a lawyer to explain." Yale Luke glanced at the contract, his face paling slightly, but he still stubbornly argued,. "It must have been you who forced my parents to sign! I don't believe it!" At that moment, my mom came in carrying a thermos—she'd heard Yale Luke was back and had specially made some soup to check on him. She caught his words just as she reached the door. My mom placed the thermos on the table, her expression growing serious. "Yale Luke, what do you mean by that? Since when did the Scott family ever force your Luke family?" "Back then, if your parents hadn't begged us, saying they urgently needed money to get by, would we have lent you money and even accepted the villa as collateral?" Yale was left speechless by the question but still stubbornly insisted, "Anyway, you all have no good intentions! Quincy just wants to marry me!" My mother laughed angrily, "You? You want my daughter to marry you? Who do you think you are?" "Our Quincy has both the looks and the family background. Why would she need to come to beg to marry you?" Mr. and Mrs. Luke quickly pulled my mother aside to apologize, "Mrs. Scott, we're sorry. Yale just returned and his mind isn't clear yet. Please don't take it personally. We will definitely pay the rent tomorrow!" Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Luke in a difficult spot, I didn't want things to get tense—after all, our families have known each other for years. "Alright, then I'll come back to collect the rent tomorrow. That's all for today. My mother made some soup; please drink it while it's still hot." After saying that, I took my mom's hand and started to leave. Just as we reached the door, I heard Yale say to Butler Clark, "Butler Clark, never let that woman set foot in the Luke family villa again!" I paused for a moment but didn't look back. Inside, I found it amusing—Don't let me in? Just wait until you can't pay rent and I kick you out. Let's see what you say then.