On the other side, just as Xia Ruoshui stepped out of her car, she spotted Chen Fan standing in the yard nearby. She paused in surprise.
"President Xia, fancy seeing you again," Chen Fan greeted with a smile.
"President Chen."Xia Ruoshui nodded slightly in return.
"What brings you here, President Xia?" Chen Fan asked curiously.
"Oh, I live in Villa No. 9," she replied.
What?Xia Ruoshui lived in Villa No. 9? That meant… she was his neighbor.
"I live in Villa No. 8. Looks like we're neighbors now," Chen Fan said casually.
"Villa No. 8?"Xia Ruoshui's eyes widened, the calm on her face shifting slightly for the first time.
So, the legendary owner of Villa No. 8—the rumored mysterious elite—was actually this President Chen?She couldn't help but wonder.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xia Ruoshui returned to her villa.
Later, as she put her bag down, she glanced out the window at Chen Fan still standing in the yard. Her curiosity only deepened.
Just who exactly is this President Chen?
—
That evening, after dinner, Chen Fan was scrolling through his phone when—ding—a message arrived.
"President Chen, do you have time to take a walk with me around the neighborhood?"
The message was from Xia Ruoshui.
Chen Fan was visibly surprised.
In Jiangzhou, Xia Ruoshui was famous for being aloof and difficult to approach. Yet here she was, asking him—a man she'd just met—to go for a walk.
Very unusual.
There had to be more to this than met the eye.
"Sure," Chen Fan replied.
He had nothing else to do, and he was just as curious about what she really wanted.
Ten minutes later, they met outside the villa area.
After a brief greeting, the two strolled forward side by side.
As Jiangzhou's most prestigious villa community, Yujing Mountain Villa was nestled at the base of a mountain. The landscaping was lush to the point of perfection, and the scenery was stunning.
After a few minutes of walking, Xia Ruoshui finally got to the point.
"President Chen, may I ask—how much did you pay for the Financial Tower?"
Chen Fan raised a brow."Why the sudden interest?"
She didn't beat around the bush.
"Let me be direct. I'd like to buy the Financial Tower from you. No matter how much you paid, I'll add another 300 million yuan on top. What do you say?"
Chen Fan was momentarily surprised.
It made sense—her company's headquarters was located in that building. No matter how stable the lease, owning the property outright would bring peace of mind.
Two years ago, the Xia Group had been riddled with crises, and she hadn't had the capital to purchase the tower.
Now that the company was thriving, she'd simply been too busy to deal with it—until she heard earlier today that Chen Fan had bought the entire building.
"Sorry, President Xia, but I'm not looking to sell the tower—at least not for now."Chen Fan shook his head.
Her offer was more than generous—an extra 300 million above market price.
But the Financial Tower was his first and only piece of real estate. Selling it would leave him with nothing but cash.
And cash isn't power—assets are.
"That's unfortunate."Xia Ruoshui's voice held a trace of disappointment.
"In that case… if you ever decide to sell, would you mind contacting me first?"
"Of course."Chen Fan agreed without hesitation.
As the two continued chatting, they rounded a bend when—suddenly—a large black attack dog charged out from behind the corner.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!!"
The dog wasn't leashed. Its fangs bared, it charged straight at Chen Fan and Xia Ruoshui.
Xia Ruoshui's face instantly turned pale. Panic flooded her eyes.
She turned to flee—but in her panic, the heel of her high-heeled shoe snapped.
Losing balance, she fell sideways—right into Chen Fan's arms.
Chen Fan instinctively caught her soft, slender waist.
In that moment, the sensation of her delicate form in his arms was…
Indescribably soft.
But while Xia Ruoshui was flustered and shaken, Chen Fan remained calm.
As the dog lunged forward, he delivered a powerful kick to its side.
Yelp!The dog let out a pained cry and stumbled backward.
It didn't advance again, but continued barking viciously from a distance, refusing to back down.
"Who the hell hit my son?!"
A chubby middle-aged man came running up, red-faced with anger.
"You hit my son?!"
Chen Fan raised a brow."Your son?"
"Yes, my son! What, you got a problem with that?" the man barked.
"Oh, I see," Chen Fan said slowly. "So your son… is a dog."
"You—!"The man's face twisted in fury.
"You assaulted my son. You better take him to the hospital for a checkup, and if anything's wrong, I'll make you pay dearly!"
"And you need to bow and apologize to him—right now!"
He glared at Chen Fan, his voice dripping with entitlement as he lovingly stroked the vicious dog.
At this moment, Xia Ruoshui had recovered. She stepped out of Chen Fan's arms, her expression cold and composed.
"Sir, it was you who walked your dog without a leash. If this incident escalates, according to public safety laws, you will be the one held responsible."
The man sneered."Ha! What 'public safety law'? That means nothing to me."
Clearly, he was someone used to getting his way—someone with backing.
"Who do you think you are, threatening me with some 'law'?"
"I'm Xia Ruoshui, CEO of the Xia Group."Her voice was like ice.
"What? You're that Xia Ruoshui?"The man's face twitched, his arrogance faltering slightly.
But he puffed up again moments later.
"Ha, so what? Others might be scared of your Xia Group, but I'm not!"
"If this brat doesn't bow and apologize to my son, this isn't over!"
He glared at Chen Fan with open hostility.
At that moment, Xia Ruoshui's lips curled into a frosty smile.
"You're not afraid of me? Fine. But… are you not afraid of President Chen?"
The man snorted."This brat?"
"I don't care who he is. Even if he were the King of Heaven, he's going to apologize to my son!"
"President Chen," Xia Ruoshui said slowly, "is the owner of Villa No. 8."
Boom—The man's entire body froze. His face turned ashen.
"Wha… what did you say? He's the owner of… of Villa No. 8?"
His lips trembled. His hands shook.
Chen Fan looked at him calmly.
"Yes. I'm the owner of Villa No. 8. Any problem with that?"
The man's eyes rolled. He nearly fainted from shock.
"President Chen! Oh, President Chen—I was wrong! I was terribly wrong! I didn't recognize who you were… it was all my fault…"
Within seconds, the man had done a complete 180—bowing repeatedly, his face filled with panic and regret.
His tone was now humble. Almost groveling.