The sun was setting.
Xu Xiangbei and Gu Xiangyi hailed a cab, driving through the golden sunset.
"Where's your home?" After half an hour in the taxi, Xu Xiangbei's patience finally wore thin, and he asked.
Gu Xiangyi sat next to Xu Xiangbei, with a heavy heart, said, "By the South Mountain Lake."
"Oh, by the South Mountain Lake, that's a luxury villa area." Xu Xiangbei, having rented a villa before in Jiangcheng, did his research on some neighborhoods in the city, and upon hearing that Gu Xiangyi lived by South Mountain Lake, immediately sensed something was off.
Gu Xiangyi nodded slightly, and softly said, "You could say that."
"It seems your family is quite wealthy?" Xu Xiangbei blinked his big eyes and asked.
Gu Xiangyi was slightly annoyed with Xu Xiangbei, who seemed money-obsessed, and shook her head, responding, "We have some money, I guess. Xiangyi Group in Jiangcheng is my family's business."
"Xiangyi Group is your family's business?" Although Xu Xiangbei was new in town, he had heard of the city's major enterprises: "Are you possibly the CEO of Xiangyi Group?"
Gu Xiangyi glanced at Xu Xiangbei as if he were an idiot, chuckled, and said, "Is your reaction time a bit slow?"
In Jiangcheng, Xiangyi Group, though only a second-tier enterprise, was known for Gu Xiangyi's beauty, which was unmatched in the city. Her name might not be a household one, but for young men like Xu Xiangbei, she was the goddess of their dreams.
How could this man only realize her identity now?
No wonder he was indifferent upon hearing her name initially.
Xu Xiangbei offered an innocuous smile and said, "Is it a crime not to know your name?"
Gu Xiangyi didn't want to continue talking to Xu Xiangbei, fearing it might insult her intelligence.
"Since you're so wealthy, couldn't you raise the rent a bit?" Xu Xiangbei cautiously looked at Gu Xiangyi, and said, "Raising it by two thousand a month would be fine!"
Gu Xiangyi glared at Xu Xiangbei.
"A thousand would do, if not, maybe increase it by five hundred?" Xu Xiangbei, sensing Gu Xiangyi's displeasure, started to back down.
Is this man driven mad by poverty?
A mad poor man, and he's renting a villa?
Gu Xiangyi shook her head and closed her eyes.
She really couldn't understand why this man focused on such odd points.
He had never asked about her identity from the beginning. Now that he finally knew, why hadn't he asked why she broke into his villa?
Why was she chased at Spring Villa by Chen Tianba and his people?
In his mind, were there just money and beautiful women?
Gu Xiangyi closed her eyes and began to reflect.
The driver silently drove the car, seeing Xu Xiangbei noticed the awkwardness, and finally turned his head to look out the window.
Summer, so many white legs on the street.
Wonderful!
The driver stopped at the gate of South Mountain Lake, and Gu Xiangyi paid before getting out of the car.
The sun outside was no longer so intense as before, and as Xu Xiangbei got out of the car, he looked around. The plants at the entrance of South Mountain Lake were growing better than those at Spring Villa.
Following Gu Xiangyi inside, South Mountain Lake was lush with an artificial lake and pebble paths.
Indeed a high-end neighborhood.
Huh?
Something's wrong, why does Gu Xiangyi live in such a good neighborhood and decided to move and co-rent with him?
Xu Xiangbei squinted his eyes.
In the middle stood a white villa, charming as if gilded under the golden sunlight.
The villa door was open.
As they approached the entrance, they heard some noisy sounds from inside.
"A lot of Xiangyi Group's executives resigned again today."
"Yeah, it won't last much longer. Though Young Master Chen acquired shares, he didn't invest much upfront. At most, it'll drag on for half a year before it collapses."
"Xiangyi, that girl, is still holding on, but once she's with Young Master Chen, Xiangyi Group will naturally be secure. She went to discuss further financial negotiation matters with Young Master Chen today; I wonder how it went?"
...
At the entrance, listening to these murmurs, Gu Xiangyi's face grew even grimmer.
Xu Xiangbei stood behind, listening to the discussions from inside.
Instantly, he understood what was going on.
It seemed Gu Xiangyi was taken by Chen Ban City to Spring Villa to discuss matters today.
He feared she was a sheep entering a wolf's den, finding something was wrong, and fled in panic.
No wonder she intruded into the villa he rented at Spring Villa.
After some silence, Gu Xiangyi finally knocked lightly on the door.
Knock Knock Knock.
Following the knocking, the villa fell silent.
Gu Xiangyi walked ahead, while Xu Xiangbei followed. One after the other, they finally entered the magnificent mansion. Mahogany furniture, the paintings on the walls, the incense in the corners, each place revealed the villa's grandeur.
"Uncle, Second Uncle, I'm back." After entering, Gu Xiangyi glanced at the two middle-aged men on the sofa and said in a deep voice.
On the sofa sat two middle-aged men, beside whom were two distinctively charming women.
On the right side of the sofa sat Gu Xiangyi's uncle, Gu Chengjun. He was slightly thin, slightly tall. He held a cigarette, with blue smoke rising. Beside him was his long-time wife, Sun Xiaoli, in her forties. Wearing a qipao in this summer, emitting a certain charm.
Opposite Gu Chengjun was another man, Gu Chenggang, Gu Xiangyi's second uncle. Also slightly tall, but with a pale face, as if he had never been exposed to the sun. Beside him was his third wife, Shang Xiaohong, in her twenties, dressed flamboyantly like a nightclub princess.
"Xiangyi, how did the talk go with Young Master Chen? Was it successful?" Gu Chengjun glanced at Gu Xiangyi and immediately inquired.
It seemed he completely ignored the man, Xu Xiangbei, behind Gu Xiangyi.
After a moment of silence, Gu Xiangyi clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and said coldly, "It wasn't successful; Chen Ban City is a beast!"
At Chen Ban City's behest, she went to Spring Villa Building No. 3 to discuss Xiangyi Group's financing. Initially, Gu Xiangyi was puzzled about why the meeting was held in the Spring Villa compound.
Only upon arrival did she realize that the Spring Villa compound was where Chen Ban City's mistress lived.
After entering the villa, she was led directly to the second floor.
In the pink veil, Chen Ban City embraced a young woman in her twenties, delighting in his pleasure. Upon seeing her enter, he didn't even lift his head.
When she finally gathered the courage to mention Xiangyi Group's financing matters, he laughed lecherously, "Come, let's talk in bed..."
Seeing things were amiss, Gu Xiangyi turned and ran.
Thus began Gu Xiangyi's desperate escape.
A beast indeed, worse than Xu Xiangbei!
Thinking back to it, Gu Xiangyi's face flushed red.