Chapter 31: Flushed Cheeks, Distracted Gaze

Chapter 31: Flushed Cheeks, Distracted Gaze

At Wang Junyao's persistent urging, Zhao Lixiang had no choice but to take the initiative to invite Ji Shuping to visit the Zhao family's garden villa.

On the other side, Zhao Yanhui was deep in conversation with Ji Shukuan and Ji Shutong.

Not long after, Ji Shuping stood at the side door and called out loudly, "Big brother, second brother, come see the goldfish—there’s a whole school of them!"

Zhao Yanhui stood up and beckoned, "I had these goldfish specially brought from the mainland. They’re quite lively. Let’s go, let’s all go out and take a look..."

Everyone in the room followed Zhao Yanhui to see the goldfish, except for Ji Shukuan, who didn’t move.

He said he’d join them later.

Lin Yufan also stayed behind. As the hostess, she refilled his tea: "Brother Ji, have some tea. This is Da Hong Pao that Zhi Ao brought back from Wuyi Mountain."

"Thank you, thank you. This tea is delicious." Ji Shukuan hadn’t followed the others out because he wanted to find an opportunity to be alone with Lin Yufan. Fortune favors the bold, as Lin Yufan also stayed behind and even came to pour him tea and chat, which stirred a little excitement in him.

Ji Shukuan initiated the conversation: "Yufan, where are you from?"

"Me? My ancestral home is in Anhui, but I was born and raised in Haicheng."

A Lin from Anhui, Ji Shukuan immediately guessed what official position Lin Yufan’s ancestors held.

Originally, Lin Yufan just wanted to talk to Ji Shukuan about the dormitory building of Yaohui Shoe Factory. She was unsure how to broach the topic, but who would have thought that Ji Shukuan, who had been quiet earlier, was now talking animatedly.

He shared where he’d studied abroad, where he worked after returning to the country, and how he was almost thirty and still unmarried.

"They say I’m too picky, that I don’t like anyone. I just haven’t met the right person, not as lucky as Zhi Ao, who met you."

His words and intense gaze made Lin Yufan uneasy. Could he be like his father? she wondered.

Normally, Lin Yufan would change the topic upon hearing such words and then distance herself from the person in front of her.

But not today.

Lin Yufan just smiled, feigning ignorance of the admiration in his tone, and quickly got to the point: "I just heard Brother Ji mention buying a factory to my second uncle. Is the factory you’re planning to buy Yaohui Shoe Factory?"

Ji Shukuan was slightly surprised: "It is Yaohui Shoe Factory, how did you know?"

Lin Yufan smiled: "It’s like the river god clashing with the sea god. The one involved in the property dispute over the dormitory building at Yaohui Shoe Factory is me. My second uncle doesn’t know about this. Zhi Ao gave me some spare money to make a small investment, and I just happened to take a fancy to that dormitory building..."

Lin Yufan briefly explained her dispute with Boss Xie, "I signed a letter of intent with Boss Xie and paid a deposit. Last Friday, he promised to sign the formal contract this Monday, but when we went to sign on Monday, he didn’t show up to meet me. He sent a manager to brush me off, saying he wouldn’t sell the dormitory building anymore and would keep it for his own use. So I had my lawyer take him to court."

Ji Shukuan roughly understood: "How much did he sell the dormitory building to you for?"

Lin Yufan answered truthfully: "165,000 Hong Kong dollars."

Ji Shukuan: "No wonder! He bundled it into the deal, and the price for that dormitory building was 199,000 yuan. Boss Xie is downright shady. My partner and I both said we didn’t want so many dormitory buildings, but he forced them on us. We contacted him last Thursday, agreed on the price over the weekend, and on Monday he was eager to rush us into signing the contract and transfer the property. Fortunately, you acted quickly. Another half hour, and the building would’ve been ours."

So, Boss Xie reneged on the deal and left her hanging to make an extra 34,000 yuan.

Lin Yufan shook her head: "I thought it was another client who had taken a fancy to that building, but it turned out he was forcing it on you."

Ji Shukuan roughly guessed why Lin Yufan had come to talk to him, and he proactively said: "What can I do to help? Just let me know."

Lin Yufan shared her thoughts and plan, which was beneficial for both parties.

Ji Shukuan wouldn’t lose out financially and wouldn’t be forced to buy the dormitory building at a high price, saving a significant amount of money. It’s a win-win for everyone.

"I just came up with this idea on the spot. Not sure if it’ll work, though?"

Ji Shukuan didn’t expect this to be a spur-of-the-moment idea. He sincerely admired it: "Your idea is genius. It’s definitely feasible. You go ahead and hash it out with Boss Xie first, and then I’ll communicate with him as you suggested."

Zhao Zhiao walked in just as his wife and Ji Shukuan were laughing together.

Ji Shukuan’s stare was just like his father’s—shifty, to say the least—though he had a bit more scholarly air than his father, making it less obvious.

Zhao Zhiao’s alarm bells went off, and he hurried over. "Brother Shukuan! Didn’t mean to keep you waiting."

"Zhi Ao, there you are," Ji Shukuan stood up with a smile.

Zhao Zhiao stood beside his wife, casually draping his arm over her shoulder, and asked with a smile, "What are you two talking about?"

Lin Yufan didn’t hide it: "It’s about the shoe factory’s dormitory building. It happens to be related to Brother Ji, so I wanted to ask for his help in resolving it."

Zhao Zhiao had already heard from Shen Te about Lin Yufan being stood up when buying the dormitory building and knew that Lawyer Yan was handling it. Why’s Ji Shukuan involved all of a sudden?

Zhao Zhiao didn’t like Ji Shukuan, but he didn’t show it, maintaining the necessary courtesy and warmth.

After sitting down and listening to Lin Yufan explain the three-way relationship, he felt better knowing it was just a family misunderstanding.

*

Zhao Lixiang took Ji Shuping to stroll in the garden, which was quite boring at first, but they got distracted by a pond teeming with goldfish, which made things more interesting.

The goldfish were so cute, Ji Shuping went to call everyone else out.

Everyone huddled around the pond, tossing breadcrumbs to the goldfish, taking photos in small groups, and then chatting while sitting or standing in the pavilion by the pond.

Wang Junyao had ulterior motives. With so many people gathered together, it wasn’t the best setting for the young ones to spark a romance, so she urged her son to take Ji Shuping to tour their villa.

Zhao Lixiang and Ji Shuping had always had a decent relationship, but not as boyfriend and girlfriend. They were both forward-thinking intellectuals, so they had plenty to talk about as they walked.

They went up to the second floor through the back door stairs. The second floor had a small flower hall filled with artworks and a studio with many treasured paintings. They killed about half an hour in those two spots.

When they reached the staircase leading to the third floor, Zhao Lixiang said, "Upstairs is where my brother’s three concubines stay. We won’t go up there."

Mentioning Zhao Zhiao’s three concubines, Ji Shuping was curious: "Why didn’t we see them today?"

Zhao Lixiang wasn’t actually sure, "They must’ve gone out today. Usually, they and my sister-in-law would be playing mahjong downstairs at this time."

Ji Shuping was slightly surprised and chuckled softly, "Your sister-in-law’s so patient. I definitely couldn’t do that."

Zhao Lixiang agreed: "Yes, my brother’s not good enough for her."

"!" Ji Shuping didn’t expect Zhao Lixiang to be so honest.

Zhao Lixiang realized he had spoken out of turn and explained: "On one hand, he claims to be a new-era youth, but on the other, he marries three concubines and expects his wife to get along with them peacefully. It’s absurd. I’d never take a concubine."

Ji Shuping thought the latter part of Zhao Lixiang’s statement was directed at her and nodded with a smile: "Does your brother know how much you disapprove of him?"

"He knows. I often oppose him at home."

Ji Shuping: "You’re really brave?"

"Why wouldn’t I be?"

He owes me, after all. Zhao Lixiang didn’t voice his true thoughts.

Ji Shuping looked at him admiringly: "I had no idea. I thought you were a well-behaved kid at home."

Zhao Lixiang smiled: "My older brother just wants me to be a well-behaved kid."

After they walked around the second floor, Ji Shuping went to the restroom. When she came out, she noticed Zhao Lixiang was gone. Assuming he’d gone downstairs, she headed towards the staircase.

There was a huge oil painting in the corridor, so she stood there admiring it for a while. Suddenly, she felt a slight noise coming from the staircase. She spun around and caught a glimpse of a figure darting towards the third floor.

She snapped to attention and quickly followed, looking up the staircase but saw no one.

"Second brother!" she called out.

There was a brief silence, and soon, a figure appeared from the upper part of the staircase corner.

It was Ji Shutong.

Ji Shuping quickly went up, whispering: "The third floor is where Zhi Ao’s concubines live. What are you doing up there?"

It’s bad manners to visit someone's house and then go to the floor where the concubines live without permission.

If anyone saw, it’d embarrass the Ji family.

As she spoke, Ji Shuping pulled her second brother downstairs.

As Ji Shutong was dragged to the second floor, he winced and softly explained: "I’m desperate for the bathroom. The bathrooms on the first and second floors are taken."

So that’s what it was.

Ji Shuping pointed to the other end of the corridor: "There’s another bathroom down this way. Hurry up."

Watching her brother scurry off awkwardly, Ji Shuping also curiously glanced upstairs. Upstairs was quiet, nothing out of the ordinary, so she didn’t stay long, just quickly went downstairs.

Downstairs, the kitchen had laid out the food and drinks, ready to eat.

Liu Fang whispered to Qi Yunxin why she didn’t call the three concubines down to eat.

Qi Yunxin replied: "Madam wants to set up Li Xiang with the Ji family’s third daughter. She doesn’t want the concubines to interfere..."

Liu Fang nodded, somewhat understanding.

Today, the chef Wang Junyao brought from Haicheng prepared authentic Shanghai cuisine, which the Ji siblings praised repeatedly.

Wang Junyao happily said: "If you like it, you can come to our house to eat anytime."

Ji Shuping smiled: "I’m shameless—I’ll definitely come."

"You must come. I won’t accept it if you don’t." Wang Junyao seemed to already picture Ji Shuping serving her as a daughter-in-law, her face full of satisfied smiles.

Zhao Lixiang was somewhat speechless: "Mom, if you keep this up, people won’t dare to come in the future."

Wang Junyao gave her son a look: "Stop pretending to pass on imperial decrees. They happily said they would come again, but you say they won’t dare to come. What you tell me is rarely true."

Watching the mother and son bicker, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhao Zhiao was whispering with Ji Shukuan, Zhao Yanhui was chatting well with Ji Shutong.

Wang Junyao was circling around Ji Shuping. Lin Yufan unintentionally cooperated with her mother-in-law, but Ji Shuping seemed to like talking to her. They were of similar age and both from Haicheng, so Ji Shuping invited her to go shopping and watch movies next time.

Lin Yufan knew it was just polite talk, so she politely agreed.

*

After seeing the Ji siblings off, Lin Yufan returned to her room and first called Lawyer Yan to tell him what she learned that evening.

Later, she sat in the living room reading the "Hong Kong Evening News." She loved the classified ads section, as she was scouting for investments and jobs.

However, after reading for a while, she didn’t see any job advertisements from publishing houses.

Maybe she should try a different approach and personally visit a few well-known publishing houses.

Around nine, Sun Jingxi called, and they chatted for a bit.

Sun Jingxi’s family had settled on a spacious flat on the third floor of Weiyin Apartments and would be moving next month.

Lin Yufan gave them a great deal, but Sun Jingxi wouldn’t budge on paying the market price.

The Suns were practical people.

They knew clear boundaries kept family ties strong.

After the call, Hong Yu had the bath ready. Lin Yufan leaned back in the tub, eyes closed, soaking and thinking.

She heard a noise in the adjoining bathroom and thought it was Hong Yu, so she said, "Grab the soap by the sink for me."

It was her favorite brand from Haicheng.

Right after she spoke, Lin Yufan sensed something was off. Whoever was in there was rummaging around, not answering.

If it were Hong Yu, she’d have answered right away, no matter how busy. That’s how it worked.

She was just about to get up when Zhao Zhiao appeared at the door.

He looked at her, his heart racing but his face calm.

Lin Yufan quickly sat back down in the bathtub.

Keeping his eyes steady, Zhao Zhiao avoided looking where he shouldn’t. He handed over a soap dish: "Is this it?"

No.

Lin Yufan didn’t feel like telling him where to look. As she reached for it, Hong Yu walked in and froze.

She didn’t expect the Eldest Master to be there.

Unsure what the couple was doing, she hesitated, not knowing whether to stay or go.

Zhao Zhiao noticed the young maid’s awkwardness, placed the soap on the counter, and left.

Lin Yufan and Hong Yu both let out a quiet sigh of relief.

After finishing her bath, Lin Yufan came out to find Zhao Zhiao already half-lying on the bed reading a magazine.

He’d just finished a week of herbal medicine, and with her period, he hadn’t slept in her room for ten days.

So, his early arrival tonight had a clear purpose.

"Ji Shukuan is not on the same page as us. After this property transaction, keep your distance from him," Zhao Zhiao said, recalling the way Ji Shukuan had looked at his wife, which made him furious.

Lin Yufan had no intention of getting closer to Ji Shukuan. She countered, "Then why does our family still maintain such close ties with the Ji family? At the dinner table, you were even calling them brothers."

Zhao Zhiao understood her underlying meaning and didn’t beat around the bush: "There’s no way. I can’t cut ties with them right now. In this society, if you want to get ahead, doesn’t everyone put on a front while doing something else behind the scenes?"

Lin Yufan got into bed, pulling up the covers, and tentatively asked, "Do you put on a front with everyone?"

"With you, I’m always genuine." He had already set the magazine aside at some point, reaching out to untie the belt of her nightgown, pressing close from the collar.

Lin Yufan held his hand: "These past few days, why haven’t you gone upstairs to see them?"

She had been keeping an eye on him. Others might not know, but she was aware that he had been sleeping in the adjacent room recently.

Zhao Zhiao kissed her ear, whispering, "When we’re in bed as husband and wife, can we not bring up other women?"

Before he’d experienced intimacy, he’d lived just fine for over twenty years. But once he had, a few days without his wife left him unbearably restless. Lin Yufan was breathless from his kisses, and his hands were busy, gently kneading as if he had flipped a switch. The sensation was overwhelming.

Like a gurgling stream in a vast ocean, he swam against the current.

Full.

She felt herself completely opening up, and then he was like the rhythmic beating of war drums, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, while she lay like a delicate flower under the sun after rain, flushed and dazed. She tried to speak several times but couldn’t.

Afterward, he whispered in her ear, "That old doctor’s prescription really works."

He didn’t want to take it anymore.

Lin Yufan, slowly calming down, sighed softly, "Then I’ll have the old doctor prescribe a few more doses to keep it up."

!!!

Zhao Zhiao threatened softly, "I can take it. But you need to think carefully. If I take more, I might have to come for you morning, noon, and night."

Lin Yufan: "..."

Then forget it.

It was nice, sure, but also exhausting. She was lazy.

When he carried her to the bathroom to clean up, he deliberately aimed the showerhead at her sensitive spots, and as they washed, they became entangled again.

So far, their married life was pretty harmonious. Though they didn’t know each other well, it didn’t stop them from exploring each other’s bodies.

No need for sweet talk; the most basic connection was the key to their harmony.

*

Boss Xie called Lin Yufan repeatedly, but she didn’t answer.

Finally, the Portly Manager had Lawyer Yan pass along that his boss wanted to negotiate a settlement, hoping Mrs. Zhao would give him a chance.

Eventually, Lin Yufan answered Boss Xie’s call.

On the other end, Boss Xie laughed, "Mrs. Zhao, your phone’s been impossible to reach."

Lin Yufan was still polite: "I’ve been busy. Boss Xie, if you’ve got something to say, just say it."

Boss Xie got straight to the point and proposed a settlement, hoping to proceed with the transaction at the originally agreed price of 165,000.

Lin Yufan refused, and after some back-and-forth, Boss Xie begged and gave in another five thousand.

They finally settled on 160,000.

"I’ve given up another five thousand; I’m really taking a hit here," Boss Xie kept muttering after the deal was done. If he weren’t so against going to court, he wouldn’t have given in.

Lin Yufan also smiled and said, "I’ve already made concessions and don’t want any more trouble. If I really intended to be difficult, I wouldn’t settle for just five thousand less."

Finally, Boss Xie inquired, "When would be a convenient time to sign the agreement and contract?"

Lin Yufan had already thought of a time: "How about the morning after next?"

"Okay, okay, then it’s a deal for the morning after next."

After agreeing on the time and place, both parties hung up the phone.

Two days later, they met at the Guozheng Law Firm.

Standing in the most expensive and prestigious law firm office in Hong Kong, Boss Xie no longer had the upper hand, and he lost his edge.

He had previously been suspicious of Mrs. Zhao’s identity.

Could she be Zhao Zhiao’s concubine?

Such a beautiful woman, and called Mrs. Zhao, it was quite possible.

Boss Xie and the Portly Manager waited in the meeting room for over an hour, but there was still no sign of Mrs. Zhao.

"Go find out how much longer we’ll have to wait."

The Portly Manager had just gone to ask and was rebuffed, so he didn’t want to go again and whispered, "Boss, you stood Mrs. Zhao up last time, so it’s no wonder she’s late today."

Boss Xie glared at him: "It’s all your fault for not handling it right, not being careful enough, that such a big mistake happened! If you had handled it well last time and not let them find out, we would have already completed the registration and transfer at the Housing Department. We were this close."

The Portly Manager was speechless: "..."

Boss Xie was fuming: "We could have sold it for 199,000, but now we can only get 160,000, losing 40,000. If we docked your pay, it’d take you at least 10 years to make up for it!"

The Portly Manager was even more speechless: "..."

Boss Xie shot him a sideways glare, but thinking they were in someone else’s office, he bit his tongue and held back.

After another half hour or so, the meeting room door opened, and a group of staff members filed in, followed by Lawyer Yan and Lin Yufan.

Both parties sat down, and Lawyer Yan asked, "You didn’t bring a lawyer with you, did you?"

Boss Xie couldn’t bear to spend the money and said ambiguously, "It’s all the same."

Lawyer Yan: "Then, Boss Xie, what are your terms for settling with my client?"

Terms? What terms? Wasn’t it already agreed upon?

Boss Xie smiled and said, "I’m not looking for trouble either. Since Mrs. Zhao really wants our dormitory building, I’m serious about this and will stick to the terms we agreed on over the phone. Okay?"

As he spoke, everyone looked at Lin Yufan.

Lin Yufan slightly shook her head: "No."

Boss Xie’s smile froze, and he paused, "Hold on, Mrs. Zhao, didn’t we already agree over the phone?"

"Yes, we did agree before. But you made the first move, and I’m making the last. You can go back on the deal after agreeing, so why can’t I?"

Boss Xie was anxious: "Are you just trying to screw me over?"

Lin Yufan smiled and said, "I’m just giving you a dose of your own medicine. How am I harming you?"

How is it not harmful? Boss Xie was truly unable to voice his grievances.

The day before yesterday, after Lin Yufan agreed to settle for 160,000 and sign the contract, the buyer he had previously agreed with approached him to sign a supplementary agreement for the factory purchase. The buyer demanded that the factory buildings and dormitory buildings within the factory area must not be involved in any lawsuits, and any disputes must be resolved within fifteen days. Otherwise, the transaction would be void, and Boss Xie would have to pay half of the contract amount as a penalty.

Boss Xie thought that since the settlement with Lin Yufan was already finalized and the contract would be signed the next day, he thought the issue would surely be resolved within half a month. So, he signed the supplementary agreement with them.

Now that Lin Yufan has backed out, isn’t that harming him?

His factory and the other two dormitory buildings are sold for a total of 1.08 million. If he has to pay half as a penalty, that would be 540,000!

Forcing him to pay 540,000 is like cutting his flesh and draining his blood.

Boss Xie looked at Lawyer Yan and then at the Portly Manager. Finally, he calmed down a bit. He couldn’t get agitated; he couldn’t let this woman see that he had signed a supplementary agreement with someone. He absolutely had to settle.

He managed a forced smile, "Mrs. Zhao, it was my fault before. I was not trustworthy; it was my mistake. Since you’re serious about buying the dormitory building, and I am sincere about selling it, why don’t you make a counteroffer?"

Lin Yufan smiled gently and said, "Perhaps I would consider 100,000."

100,000?

Boss Xie jumped up and couldn’t help but curse, "You might as well just rob me?!"

"This is the cost of breaking trust and being greedy. We are not forcing a sale. It’s completely fine if you don’t sell, but I’m not going to settle with you easily. You can wait for me to drag this out for three to five years. I have a lawyer, and I have plenty of time and energy." Lin Yufan’s face remained smiling. She spoke lightly, but Boss Xie was about to explode with anger.

Seeing Boss Xie’s face turn red with rage, Lin Yufan finally felt at ease. "I’ll give you three days to think about it. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you company any longer."

As Lin Yufan walked away in her high heels, all that remained was the elegant silhouette of her cheongsam.

Boss Xie felt the world spinning, so furious he nearly collapsed in anger!

What should he do?