Chapter 49
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The Zhou family's old residence is a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle. It is situated grandly on the Second Ring Road of Shanghai, yet it is a detached house with a large garden, several small buildings, artificial hills and ponds, and even pebble paths. It is said to be a Suzhou-style garden residence redesigned and rebuilt on a treasure land inherited from their ancestors.
Zhou Luming's grandfather, also known as Old Master Zhou, had someone design the feng shui. Although we have entered modern society, there are still some people who hold feudal superstitions and would rather believe in these feng shui metaphysics than believe that things can be accomplished by human effort.
Several cars were already parked at the front gate of the mansion, the worst being an Audi A6L. Zhou Luming glanced at it and said that the car was impractical, only interested in the four ring roads, and that a Volkswagen Polo would be more convenient for grocery shopping.
Xu Yan, who had accompanied him, got out of the car and, upon hearing Zhou Luming's complaints, glanced back at her own vehicle—an even more cumbersome SUV. Thankfully, Zhou Luming held back and didn't say anything else.
As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," and Zhou Luming was currently living under someone else's roof. Xu Yan was her sugar daddy and her former savior, so how could Zhou Luming dare to be picky? Although Xu Yan's taste in cars wasn't great, an SUV could carry both cargo and passengers, had enough space and power, so there was nothing to complain about. Even if you squeezed ten people in, it probably wouldn't be a problem, making it convenient for robbing and burglary or transporting people at night.
Following Xu Yan's instructions, she dressed very ladylike, wearing a light-colored, knee-length dress embroidered with delicate patterns, and a black suit jacket draped over her shoulders. It was windy and a bit cold outside, so she hunched her shoulders and looked at Xu Yan.
Xu Yan remained unmoved. She wore a black trench coat over a white silk shirt and light blue jeans, with Martin boots on her feet, a look that was both formal and casual.
Zhou Luming's attempt to hint to Xu Yan that he was cold and ask her to exchange coats with him was completely ignored by Xu Yan. He gritted his teeth and had no choice but to endure it by shivering.
Playing the victim in front of Xu Yan seemed to be less and less effective, so she pondered how to adjust her strategy.
Looking at Xu Yan's outfit today, she felt that Xu Yan was particularly different today. Perhaps it was because he was not wearing his usual suit. Xu Yan's style was very different today. Although he still had that cold and expressionless face, there was a strange feeling that she couldn't explain.
"Xu Yan, why aren't you wearing your suit today?"
"I don't want to have the same style as others." Xu Yan strode forward, ready to go inside.
Zhou Luming hurried after her, wearing high heels and trying her best to maintain a ladylike demeanor. Aside from that one last trip back for a funeral, this was only the second time she had entered the Zhou residence.
That time was actually very tense. She was surrounded by enemies, like wolves and tigers who wanted to skin her alive. She didn't dare to stay long and left in a hurry after the lawyer announced the will. This is only the second time she has stepped into the Zhou residence.
Before she arrived, Xu Yan gave her a crash course, recounting the various characters living in the Zhou family's old house: the eldest aunt Zhou Jiayi and her son Sun Ren, the younger aunt Zhou Jiasang and her two daughters, the housekeeper Old Zhou, and several aunts responsible for cleaning and cooking.
This group of people lived in the Zhou family home while Old Master Zhou was still alive. Even after his death, they continued to occupy the old house and live there. Although only Zhou Luming was the true heir of the old house, this group of people seemed not to understand the contents of the will. They still acted as if they were the masters of the Zhou house, and didn't care that Zhou Luming was living outside.
Even after hearing that Zhou Luming had moved into Xu Yan's house, they remained unmoved and let Zhou Luming cause trouble outside. As long as she didn't go back to the Zhou family's old house to drive them away, that was fine. Although she had other properties under her name, only by occupying the Zhou family's old house could she have access to that huge inheritance.
However, after hearing that their fiancé Luke had gotten into trouble, they started thinking about another way to maintain their current lifestyle—finding a new fiancé for Zhou Luming, and then using the new fiancé to keep Zhou Luming, thus keeping the Zhou family's assets.
Zhou Luming took Xu Yan's arm and walked side by side with her into the Zhou residence. A man's voice sounded from behind, "Hi, Miss Xu, cousin."
Sun Ren appeared handsomely behind them, dressed in a sharp suit, tall and slender. If you didn't see what he was doing, he would look like a promising young man. He locked the car with a "beep" and jogged towards the two ladies. His eyes lit up when he saw Xu Yan.
"Miss Xu, you're here today too."
Zhou Luming rolled his eyes. Sun Ren was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Judging from his expression, he was definitely interested in Xu Yan. He coughed and replied for Xu Yan with a forced smile, "Cousin, are you blind? You can't see a living person like this and you still have to come over and ask her if she's there?"
Sun Ren was stunned for a moment, surprised by Zhou Luming's frankness.
Zhou Luming smiled and pulled Xu Yan closer. "She's my guest. She came back with me to visit. No one is allowed to bother her." She was basically asserting her ownership, and the last sentence was a strong warning.
Sun Ren felt guilty for injuring Zhou Luming at the mall, and he had almost hurt Xu Yan as well. He was now looking for an opportunity to make amends. However, he ultimately couldn't help with Luke's situation, and he felt cowardly. After seeing Xu Yan take away the unconscious Zhou Luming, he was impressed by Xu Yan's aura. After returning home, he reflected deeply and decided that he should at least muster up the courage to be a real man.
He had already stopped living at the Zhou residence, but upon hearing that Zhou Luming was returning today, he figured Xu Yan would accompany him, so he rushed over excitedly. Sure enough, he bumped into Xu Yan at the entrance. His gaze remained fixed on Xu Yan, his heart pounding, until the two were about to enter the Zhou residence before he called out to greet them.
To be honest, he wasn't like this before. He never hesitated to pursue girls, but he would get bored quickly. This time, meeting Xu Yan gave him a completely different feeling. Xu Yan was independent, strong, beautiful, and intelligent, unlike those women who only had pretty faces but no brains.
Sun Ren was inexplicably moved by Xu Yan. This was the first time he had ever felt such a flutter in his heart. After hesitating for a long time, he couldn't help but come. When he saw Xu Yan from afar, he made up his mind to pursue her.
Xu Yan and Zhou Luming didn't linger at the entrance; today's main event was inside.
Surprisingly, a small open-air party was set up in the large, classical garden, complete with a live band, buffet food, and waiters in suits and vests carrying delicate pastries and drinks.
If I didn't know this was the Zhou residence, I would have thought I had accidentally wandered into a wedding ceremony venue.
A dignified and elegant middle-aged woman walked towards the two young people at the door. Her hair was styled in a bun, and she wore a shawl. Her eyes were naturally smiling. "Little Deer, I'm your aunt. Are you satisfied with today's welcome party?"
Zhou Luming nodded and smiled, "I like it very much, thank you, Auntie." She saw the woman's feigned enthusiasm on her face.
So this was her welcome party? A pretentious welcome party that the protagonist was completely unaware of...
Zhou Luming looked around; apart from Xu Yan and Sun Ren, she didn't recognize anyone else. She sneered inwardly. This welcome party, hosted in her name, only had two people she knew—what a joke!
But when it comes to "getting to know," based on the information Xu Yan had given her beforehand, she was able to accurately identify the important people she would need to get to know in the future, including her eldest aunt, her youngest aunt, and their children. Her eldest aunt was also in business, but most of her business depended on the Zhou family's support to continue. If she lost the Zhou family's support, her business would not be able to continue.
The younger sister is a gynecologist and doesn't seem to have much connection with Zhou's assets, but she still lives in the Zhou family's old house and has two daughters who are still in junior high school, unlike Sun Ren who flaunts his wealth everywhere.
Zhou Luming noticed that her aunt was in a corner, holding a glass of wine and admiring herself. Her aunt looked very young, with well-maintained skin, and was wearing a dark dress. She was leaning against a round table, alone. This scene reminded her of the phrase "self-admiring in solitude".
Besides these two important relatives, Zhou Luming also saw many young men around his age, probably blind dates that his aunts had found from who-knows-where.
Xu Yan whispered to Zhou Luming, "Be careful." Then she planned to leave Zhou Luming behind. With her there, the men didn't dare to approach Zhou Luming, including the mastermind behind the scenes who might have been there to harm her.
Sun Ren had been waiting for an opportunity to be alone with Xu Yan. When he saw Xu Yan go to the buffet table alone, he quickly grabbed a glass of champagne and rushed over.
"Miss Xu, this tiramisu tastes very good, would you like to try it?" Sun Ren recommended.
"Thank you, but I don't like sweets."
"Then why don't you try this cod fillet?" Sun Ren said, undeterred.
Xu Yan raised her eyelashes and glanced at him indifferently. "I'm not hungry."
She had wanted to find a corner to stay in, but Sun Ren kept bothering her. She frowned impatiently and said, "Were you sent by your mother to watch over me?"
Although there was no concrete evidence, Xu Yan already knew that the mall elevator incident was orchestrated by Sun Ren's mother, Zhou Jiayi, with Sun Ren acting as a tip-off—at most, an accomplice. Today, Sun Ren's harassment of him was likely at his mother's behest. She must have made arrangements for Zhou Luming; was she going to continue her ruthless attack to discourage him, or—had she found another man to try and win Zhou Luming's heart?
Xu Yan narrowed her eyes, her gaze passing over Sun Ren and landing on Zhou Luming. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Luming was surrounded by a number of men. She was fawned over by all sorts of men, maintaining a gentle and polite smile, as if she were the center of the world, as if she were a noble princess.
Xu Yan paused for a moment.
Unfortunately, she was an imposter princess.
Chapter 50
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Sun Ren had to admit that Zhou Luming, who was surrounded by many talented young men, was shining brightly. She was chatting about red wine with a gentle smile, and her eyes sparkled when she talked about the plot of a recently released movie. Someone even mentioned stocks and funds, and she jokingly said that she didn't know anything about them and asked them for advice.
Xu Yan frowned thoughtfully and stared for a while, realizing that Zhou Luming's aunt, Zhou Jiayi, had gone to great lengths to win over this unworthy little princess, searching for all the eligible young men in Haishi, trying to manipulate Zhou Luming with her charm. It seemed she had given up on using barbaric methods to bring down Zhou Luming and had instead adopted a more conciliatory approach.
In Xu Yan's view, this aunt was nothing to fear. In terms of intelligence and methods, she didn't seem like the cunning mastermind behind the scenes. At most, she was just a clueless pawn. Such a stupid pawn, the mastermind probably wouldn't even bother using her anymore, letting her fend for herself and bring about her own demise.
The will left by Old Master Zhou actually had a hidden meaning. Nominally, it only required Xu Yan's approval, but in reality, Xu Yan's target was: when Zhou Luming turned 22, she would receive 30% of Zhou's shares; and when she registered her marriage, she would receive the remaining 40%.
Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for Zhou Luming to inherit the enormous estate. He could only give her 30% of the shares at most, and he was powerless to help her with the remaining 40% for the time being.
Actually, there was another way: to find a man for Zhou Luming to fake a marriage. Although this was an option, Xu Yan was fundamentally opposed to it. She couldn't explain why, but she just didn't want Zhou Luming wearing a wedding dress and flirting with other people, even if it was just an act.
Xu Yan's mind was in turmoil. She chatted casually with Sun Ren beside her, but her mind wasn't really on Sun Ren; it was on Zhou Luming. However, Zhou Luming was unaware of Xu Yan's thoughts. She could multitask, simultaneously engaging in pleasant conversation and drinking with the men arranged by her aunts while keeping a close eye on Xu Yan with Sun Ren, constantly monitoring her expression.
What reassured her somewhat was that Xu Yan's expression remained as cold and stiff as ever; Sun Ren did not provoke her at all, and could not even make her angry.
Zhou Luming took a satisfied sip of red wine.
What kind of person could possibly catch Xu Yan's eye?
“Ms. Zhou, I recently opened an art exhibition. Would you have the honor of attending?” said a man with long hair.
"Um?"
"Your art exhibition is so abstract, Miss Zhou will be very bored. Why don't you come to the club I have a stake in? I guarantee you'll have a great time."
"The club is too noisy. I think Miss Zhou is more suited to quiet, secluded places, such as a private library with many rare and rare books that Miss Zhou can visit at any time."
Zhou Luming maintained his smile, but he was already feeling irritated inside.
This is so boring, it's practically mental torture.
Zhou Luming was lost in thought, seemingly transported to outer space, while the men around him grew increasingly interested. After listening for a while, Zhou Luming finally couldn't resist and apologized, saying he needed to go to the restroom.
As Xu Yan watched Zhou Luming's departing figure, wondering if she should follow him, she felt her clothes being tugged. Looking down, she saw a pair of twin little girls.
"Pretty sister, could you get us that piece of cake?" The little girl was wearing a floral dress and looked especially cute.
Another girl blinked her big eyes and looked at Xu Yan expectantly.
Xu Yan remained silent.
I had no choice but to patiently turn around and reach out to get the tiramisu for the two little girls, since they were indeed too short to reach it.
"Thank you, sister," the two little girls said, eating their tiramisu while asking Xu Yan, "Sister, could you make us two ice creams?"
Xu Yan: ...
Did those two little girls mistake her for a waitress?
There was indeed an ice cream machine on the table, but no waiter was present. Helpless, Xu Yan rolled up his sleeves, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, held the ice cream cone shell to visually examine the structure of the ice cream machine, and then tentatively pressed the button to dispense the ice cream.
However, because the weight was not controlled properly, the ice cream cone was subjected to an undue weight, making the entire cone look like it was covered with a pile of garbage, and it was handed to the little girl without any aesthetic appeal.
Xu Yan: ...
Little girl: ……
Xu Yan coughed lightly, intending to explain that it was just a slip of the hand. Someone as outstanding as her couldn't possibly be unable to handle an ice cream. Just as she rolled up her sleeves to make another one, someone next to her grabbed her wrist and said gently with a slight smile, "Let me do it."
Zhou Luming returned at some point and saw Xu Yan's embarrassing moment, so she rushed over to help. She skillfully used the ice cream cone shell to create a beautiful ice cream design, which she gave to the little girl. Then she winked and said, "I'll show you an even prettier one next time."
This time, not only was a beautiful design created, but it was also two-tone and decorated.
Zhou Luming took back the dollop of ice cream that Xu Yan had made, happily ate it himself, and gave the two-tone ice cream cone to another little girl in exchange.
The two little girls walked away hand in hand, beaming with joy.
Xu Yan glanced at the unappealing ice cream in Zhou Luming's hand and said, "When did you learn to make an ice cream cone?"
Zhou Luming said, "I've done all sorts of jobs, including selling ice cream on the street."
Sun Ren, who had been standing by the side the whole time, found it amusing to see Xu Yan at a loss. It was surprising to see this side of the usually aloof and cold person, which made her seem more down-to-earth and even more adorable.
Zhou Luming sensed Sun Ren's watchful gaze, took Xu Yan's hand, and led her away. "It's too sunny here, I'll take you to a shadier place." She knew Xu Yan didn't like sunbathing; her house rarely saw natural light, so she definitely wouldn't enjoy this kind of sunbathing.
They arrived under a parasol and sat around a wooden table. Zhou Luming continued eating her ice cream, while Xu Yan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He watched as her pink tongue darted out, scooped up a bit of creamy white frosting, occasionally licked off a bit of ice cream stuck to her lips, and then happily took another bite.
Upon seeing this scene, Xu Yan swallowed several times. He felt his throat go dry, and an inexplicable feeling was quietly spreading in his heart.
Zhou Luming suddenly leaned close to her ear and said, "Xu Yan, do you know that staring at someone's lips means you want a kiss?"
Xu Yan paused, speechless.
Zhou Luming smiled, but because it was in public, he had no choice but to let Xu Yan go.
“There’s someone watching you,” Xu Yan cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness. “He’s Xu Yi, the only son of Xu Lang, the current acting chairman of the Zhou Group. Xu Lang is the second largest shareholder of the Zhou Group and a veteran of the board of directors, so he has a lot of say on the board. If you want to join the board after you get shares, you’ll need his approval.”