Chapter 418 - 416: So You Really Are a Rich Woman
Amidst Xue Xing’s screams, the car slowly started moving. Xue Yang and Lin Xi were clearly accustomed to their roughhousing; the two simply exchanged a smile and paid them no mind.
"Bro, save me! Sister-in-law, you have to control her!"
Hearing Xue Xing’s cries for help, Lin Xi finally spoke up. "Si Wen, that’s enough. Stop bullying Xue Xing."
"He started it by calling me bossy! Just watch me teach him a lesson."
"But you *are* bossy! I wasn’t wrong."
"You’re still talking? Still talking?!"
Si Wen’s grip tightened, and Xue Xing yelped in pain again. "Okay, okay, I surrender! I was wrong, alright? Please, just let me go!"
Clearly, Si Wen wasn’t falling for that anymore. Far from letting go, she started twisting his arm. "Begging for mercy now? Too late."
"HEEEELP!"
Amidst the commotion, they quickly arrived at the residential complex Xue Yang had bought. The community was named Sunshine Gardens. Many people had already moved in after renovating before the New Year, and after six months, it was almost fully occupied. The underground parking lot was also filled with cars. It was important to remember that this was only 2015, a time when it was far from common for every household to own a car. The number of vehicles parked here spoke volumes about the quality of the residents.
This also proved Xue Yang had a good eye for property. After all, one could generally gauge the quality of a residential complex by its occupancy rate; the rest could only be learned from personal experience after moving in. For now, however, Zhong Hailan and the others saw nothing to complain about. In other words, the complex was quite decent. When buying a house, the most important thing is finding a place where you can live comfortably. Communities with constantly breaking elevators or residents with poor manners are truly unpleasant to live in.
"It’s just okay, I guess," Si Wen commented.
"What do you mean, ’just okay’? Do you have any idea? My brother is the first person from our village to buy a flat in the city, and in such a nice complex, too!"
"And did you know that your brother already lives in a villa in Yancheng? That’s right. I bought it."
Xue Xing’s eyes widened in shock. It took him a long moment to process what he had heard before he asked hesitantly, "Bro, is what Sister Si Wen said true?"
"It’s true."
"She bought a house... for you to live in?" Then... what does that make my sister-in-law? I feel like I don’t understand the world anymore. Could it be that Sister Si Wen has a crush on my brother? And my sister-in-law doesn’t mind? No, that can’t be right... Judging by how she and my sister-in-law get along, it seems like Lin Xi has no idea. Ugh, my brain can’t keep up.
Si Wen suddenly grabbed Xue Xing by the neck. "Does anyone have a knife? I want to see what’s going on in this kid’s head right now," she said viciously. My gut tells me that whatever he’s thinking isn’t good, and it probably involves me.
"Sister-in-law, help me!" Xue Xing had learned his lesson: when in trouble, find his sister-in-law. He immediately ducked behind Lin Xi.
"Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re hiding behind Lin Xi."
"Bro, help me!" Seeing that hiding behind Lin Xi wasn’t working, Xue Xing decisively switched to hiding behind Xue Yang.
"Alright, stop fooling around," Xue Yang said. "It was Si Wen’s gift to your sister-in-law, congratulating her on our relationship. Don’t get any funny ideas."
"Oh, so that’s how it is," Xue Xing said, enlightened. But he quickly realized another issue. But seriously, what kind of friend just gives away a villa in the capital as a congratulatory gift?
"So you really are a rich girl." When he had played games with Si Wen before, Xue Xing had sensed her family must be wealthy, but he never imagined she was *this* rich.
Hearing his comment, Si Wen raised her eyebrows proudly. "I’m not a rich girl, just a girl with a little spending money."
Xue Xing was floored. A girl with "a little spending money" couldn’t possibly be that extravagant!
"Sister-in-law, do you have any other friends like her? You know, I could really use a few more friends."
"Sure," Lin Xi said with a smile. "There’s Si Wen. You can be friends with her."
Xue Xing’s gaze shifted toward Si Wen, but he quickly looked away when he felt her intimidating glare. Forget it. My life is more important.
The elevator doors opened on the 12th floor. With two elevators serving four units per floor, it wasn’t crowded at all. Their apartment was a large, south-facing unit with excellent light and ventilation. The main door was equipped with a fingerprint lock. Since it was Xue Yang’s first visit, his fingerprint hadn’t been registered yet, so he entered using the passcode.
Upon opening the door, they were met with a pleasantly cool breeze. The view and line of sight were excellent. There was a large, sun-drenched balcony enclosed by east-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows that would offer a full view of the morning sun. An opposite balcony created perfect cross-ventilation, ensuring the apartment would never feel stuffy. That explained the refreshing breeze they felt the moment they opened the door. The other balcony was filled with flowers and plants, covering the entire space like a lovely sky garden.
As for the decor, Zhong Hailan had discussed it with Lin Xi, so it was actually designed to Lin Xi’s taste. It was a modern, minimalist style, reminiscent of a spacious luxury flat. Overall, the atmosphere was wonderful.
Xue Yang liked it too. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Zhong, who always seemed so traditional, had managed to decorate both of their homes perfectly to his liking. I’ll have to reward her with a loving kiss when we get back.
Xue Yang immediately turned on the air conditioning. Xue Xing was already running around, exploring every corner of the flat. He was at an age where he was curious about everything, and since this was his first time seeing a modern apartment, he was incredibly excited.
"Look at you, getting so excited over a simple apartment."
"My brother’s living a good life, so I’m happy for him. What’s wrong with that?"
Si Wen tilted her head at him. "This is what you call a good life? Aren’t your standards a bit too low?"
It was no wonder Si Wen felt that way. She had never known hardship; from birth, she’d had the best of everything she ate, wore, and used. She could also do anything she wanted on a whim. Take her clothing company, for example. She had told her father she wanted to start a company for fun, and he had immediately wired her a fortune. It didn’t matter if it lost money; it was just for her amusement. Because of this, she never hesitated to approve funds whenever her company requested them, regardless of profit or loss. Sometimes, when the company turned a profit and the money landed in her account, she would be happy, but only briefly. The earnings were usually just enough for her to buy one fancy meal.
"Our lives are on a completely different level from yours," Xue Xing explained. "You can have anything you want just by wishing for it. For us, wanting something isn’t enough. We have to work hard for it, and even then, there’s no guarantee we’ll succeed. When we do manage to get something, it’s rarely the best option available. At best, we end up settling, thinking, ’Well, there are no better choices, so this is good enough.’ That’s why, when you suddenly get something you never had before, of course you’re going to be ecstatic."