Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The car stopped in front of a five-star hotel.

Wen Zhi got out of the car with Mu Mu. Uncle Zhong apologized, "Miss Nuannuan, the pipes in the apartment suddenly burst, and the custom bed for the main house isn’t ready yet. We can only trouble you and the young master to stay in the presidential suite for now. This is our own hotel, and the top-floor suite has never been open to the public."

"It’s fine." Wen Zhi looked up at the skyscraper hotel. She didn’t recall her parents ever bringing her here.

Uncle Zhong immediately guessed her thoughts and quickly explained, "This hotel was invested in by your father after you went missing. There are locations worldwide. The hotel welcomes guests from everywhere—your father always hoped someone might have seen you. Every guest who checks in is asked about you. Now, the hotel is managed by President Yun."

Wen Zhi’s nose stung. Back when she was fighting to survive in the palace, she had often dreamed of seeing her parents again.

But it was too late now.

"Uncle Zhong, what about Xiao Hei?" Mu Mu was still worried about the apartment’s water leak. When they left, Xiao Hei had still been inside.

Uncle Zhong reassured him, "Don’t fret, Young Master. Xiao Hei is at the main house, and all your belongings have been moved there too."

The hotel manager, having received the news, came down personally to escort them.

As Wen Zhi held Mu Mu’s hand and walked, she instructed, "Uncle Zhong, the film crew will be filming at the main house tomorrow. Make sure everything is prepared, and whatever you do, don’t use my nickname."

Uncle Zhong was puzzled. "Why, Miss Nuannuan?"

Wen Zhi replied, "Just remember. Don’t ask." *Lin Jiyao would be there tomorrow too.*

Uncle Zhong nodded in understanding.

The manager escorted them to the top floor.

Worn out from the day, and knowing they had guests the next day, Wen Zhi made Mu Mu bunk with her.

Early the next morning, the film crew picked up the other three guest pairs and headed together to the small apartment.

When they arrived at the apartment’s door, they knocked for a long time but received no response.

The crew and the other guests looked at each other, baffled.

Director Fang asked, "Did anyone check in with Wen Zhi last night?"

An assistant quickly replied, "We checked in last night, but we haven’t been able to reach her this morning."

Liu Yiru, standing by the door, pulled out her phone to call. Lin Jiyao, holding his younger sister, knocked again. Wen Bingchun’s eyes gleamed as she said sweetly, "Our Xiao Zhi has always loved sleeping in. She probably just overslept."

On the live broadcast, dead leaves swirled on-screen, amping up the awkwardness.

Viewers who had tuned in on time began furiously typing comments.

"Hahahaha, left hanging again!"

"Did Wen Zhi bolt to the moon out of guilt?"

"If you dare call the police, then dare to open the door! We want to see your freak-out face!"

"I knew Wen Zhi was broke as a joke. She’s still in that dump of an apartment. Is she afraid she can’t feed this crowd? Or is she refusing to open the door?"

"How does Wen Zhi have no sense of time? Everyone’s waiting for her at the door."

"Hahahaha, are we getting canceled before episode one?"

The live chat erupted in boos.

As the audience suggested breaking down the door, Director Fang's phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words, then announced to the group, "Wen Zhi said her apartment's water pipe burst last night, so she stayed at a hotel. She was too tired to inform us and asked us to pick her up now."

"Water pipe burst?"

"At a hotel?"

"Pfft. What a weak excuse. The pipe just happened to burst now? Who does she think she's fooling?"

"Is the apartment too dumpy for her, so she really rented a hotel for filming? Seriously, that defeats the whole purpose of the show."

"Hahaha, that settles it. Wen Zhi is just broke."

"Exactly. If Wen Zhi isn't poor, I'll eat shit live on stream."

"Cut the crap. Our Sister Zhi said to pick her up at the hotel—it's obviously not for filming there."

"Right, who hasn't had a pipe burst before? Our Sister Zhi is classy and refined—why would she lie?"

"Gardenia fans, stop making excuses. You won't admit it till you see the coffin. Just wait, Wen the loser will definitely make excuses to film at the hotel. Maybe she’ll even brag that the hotel is hers."

The crew followed the address Wen Zhi sent and arrived at downtown NUANGUI Hotel, where they found her and Mu Mu waiting in the lobby lounge.

Seated on the sofa, Wen Zhi wore simple clothes and no makeup, yet this only accentuated her breathtaking beauty.

Her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her eyes were dark and gleaming, and her porcelain skin seemed to glow. No matter when they saw her, she never failed to astonish.

Beside her, Little Dumpling was preciously cute, occasionally touching the wooden sailboat model on the coffee table. His trying-hard-to-be-careful curiosity was utterly charming.

Liu Yiru waved at her first, while Director Fang and the crew approached.

Wen Zhi stood up, holding Mu Mu's hand. "My bad about last night. I forgot to tell you I was staying here."

Director Fang glanced around the hotel lobby and asked skeptically, "Are we filming here today?"

Wen Zhi smiled. "Of course not. Though the hotel is in my name, it’s not home. Let’s all head to the family estate."

Her words were met with disbelief from the crew, and the live chat erupted in laughter.

"Hahaha, knew it! She’s bragging now."

"Seriously? This is too much. Everyone knows NUANGUI is an international five-star chain. In her name? Might as well claim she owns the moon."

"A room at NUANGUI costs at least four figures, and the penthouse suites go for six—with reservations. Wen the loser probably just booked a random room to show off."

"Even if she wanted to film there, they wouldn’t allow it. Family estate? Where’s she taking everyone now—some rundown neighborhood?"

As Wen Zhi was about to leave, the hotel manager hurried over and announced in front of everyone, "Miss Wen, you left your coat in the penthouse suite."

Everyone froze.

Liu Yiru moved closer and asked uncertainly, "You stayed in the penthouse last night?" Even at the height of her fame, she’d never stayed there—it was rumored to be VIP-only.

"Yeah," Wen Zhi replied, puzzled. "What's the issue? Can’t people stay there?" Why was everyone being so weird?

Liu Yiru shook her head. "No, it’s just... nearly impossible to book."

Wen Zhi casually said, "Tomorrow, I’ll get you a suite there."

Liu Yiru was speechless: "!"

Everyone: "That’s so random?!"

"Hahahaha, this is getting more and more ridiculous. She even hired a shill—is this guy really the hotel manager?"

"Just realized today that Wen Zhi is not only useless but also hypocritical. The top floor of *NUANGUI* Hotel isn’t even open to the public! An A-lister just complained on Weibo (China’s Twitter) yesterday about not being able to stay there, and now she’s bragging about inviting award-winning actress Liu to stay? Hilarious!"

The Gardenias couldn’t take it anymore and started defending Wen Zhi.

"A shill? That’s harsh. I was just at *NUANGUI* last week—this guy is definitely the hotel manager."

"Yeah, the manager didn’t even deny it. Why are you all so worked up?"

Though the Gardenias tried their best to stand up for Wen Zhi, their confidence was shaky. In their minds, Sister Zhi was broke—so broke she’d given herself ulcers from starving.

Now, they could only pray she’d quit dropping bombshells.

Wen Zhi and Mu Mu got into the car arranged by the crew, and several kids immediately crowded around Mu Mu.

Xiao Xiao called out, "Brother Mu Mu!" and then asked, "Where’s Xiao Hei (lit. ‘Little Black’—likely a pet name)?"

Sen Sen circled him and asked, "Where’s your family’s old house? Is it far?"

Wen Xiaowen, now that his leg had healed, couldn’t resist joining Xiao Xiao and Sen Sen around Mu Mu. "Are you going back to stay at the old house?" he asked.

Mu Mu shot back, "Did you study last night?"

The question caught the three munchkins off guard, and they all turned in unison to talk to their respective parents.

Mu Mu frowned, looking slightly frustrated. Wen Zhi patted his head and whispered in his ear, "Mu Mu, you can’t bring up studying when talking to kids."

Mu Mu, puzzled, whispered back, "Then what should I talk about?"

Wen Zhi: "Snacks, games—Xiao Hei is fine too."

Mu Mu seemed to half-understand. Wen Zhi pulled a handful of pistachios (shelled nuts) from her pocket and handed them to him, winking.

Mu Mu naturally took them and, very smoothly, shelled them before handing them back to her.

Wen Zhi: "..."

Where did this tiny gentleman come from?

The car headed toward the luxury gated community by the mountains in Jiangcheng. The crew members looked around curiously, and the driver, after repeatedly confirming the route, drove on, sweating bullets.

When the group arrived at the villa’s security gate, the trolls in the chat got excited.

- Damn, this act is way over the top. Wen Zhi’s heading to Jiangcheng’s wealthy district—my relative lives there, and I heard each villa costs a cool hundred mil, surrounded by mountains and water.

- Just watch, the crew’s car is definitely getting stopped.

- Hahaha, the moment of truth is here. Frauds get exposed.

- Low-key feel bad now for Wen Zhi.

- Feel bad? Pfft, she’s the queen of cringe.

Yet, the gate swung up from a distance, and the guards pretended they were invisible, letting them pass without a word.

The critics felt a bit embarrassed and started trying to salvage their pride.

"Wen Zhi must’ve gone all out, even getting the guards in her pocket. Bet she’ll be signing deals left and right again."

"These guards must be clueless. Even if she bribed them, she’ll still get caught once inside."

"Let’s see where Wen Zhi’s headed."

The production team’s car passed by rows of villas, heading toward the old-style siheyuan deep within the Banshan Villa area. A sprawling grove of kapok trees came into view, and in the middle of the trees was a grassy clearing. At the center, far from the cluster of villas, stood an old, serene house. Vibrant roses bloomed in profusion before them, their rich fragrance drifting into the car.

Xiao Xiao and Sen Sen both pressed their faces to the window, exclaiming, "That house is gorgeous!"

This place was unlike anything they’d seen in the bustling city.

Like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

The two children were both excited and curious.

Wen Xiaowen and Mu Mu also leaned over to look, though they didn’t seem as impressed.

The crew gasped, stunned. Director Fang remarked, "It really is stunning. I’ve never been here before."

Lin Jiyao said, "I actually came here once with my old man to visit an old friend." At the time, his father had dragged him here for the visit.

The owner of this place was said to be even wealthier than his father—a famous philanthropist, though he died young.

Hearing this, Wen Zhi suddenly turned her head toward him, her eyes lighting up. "You met that old friend?"

Lin Jiyao was startled and tripped over his words. "N-no, I didn’t. They were seriously ill at the time."

"Really?" Wen Zhi looked disappointed, ducking her head to compose herself.

The car stopped in front of an ornate wrought-iron gate, radiating old-world charm.

Liu Yiru, baffled, asked uncertainly, "Wen Zhi, is this your home?"

Wen Zhi nodded. "Yes, this is the Wen family’s ancestral home."

She opened the car door, carrying Mu Mu as she stepped out first, and the others quickly followed.

Wen Zhi walked to the gate, and the heavy doors creaked open abruptly. A majestic classical garden unfurled like an ink painting.

Butler Zhong stood at the front, with over twenty staff lined up behind him, all bowing respectfully to Wen Zhi. "Welcome back, Miss."

Wen Zhi gave a slight nod, took a deep breath, and pushed aside all other emotions. Then she turned around, standing before the ink-wash-painting-like courtyard, and smiled at the group. "Welcome, everyone, to the Wen family home."

The crew and other guests stood rooted in shock: This… this siheyuan occupying an entire mountainside was Wen Zhi’s home?!

Were they hearing things?

Wen Bingchun glanced around at everyone’s expressions, feeling a faint discomfort in her heart.

The live chat exploded instantly.

"Holy crap, Wen Zhi wasn’t kidding—this is really her house?!"

"No way. A single villa in Banshan is worth hundreds of millions. This siheyuan is probably priceless."

"Look at Wen Bingchun’s calm expression—it must be real."

"LOL, all those trolls who kept running their mouths better come out now—how’s that for a reality check?!"

"Ughhh, Sister Zhi stays winning."

Everyone followed Wen Zhi into the ancient courtyard. Inside, covered walkways snaked around, rock gardens and ornamental stones were scattered about, and the newly restored flower beds were beautiful and serene.

Director Fang marveled as he walked. "This is so much better than the sets in film studios. You could shoot period dramas here directly." He considered himself worldly, but today was truly eye-opening.

"How long has this place been around?"

Wen Zhi shook her head. "No idea. Been here as long as I can recall."

Butler Zhong, who was following nearby, quickly chimed in. "About two hundred years. Every generation of the Wen family has renovated it, preserving it to this day."

The group let out a collective gasp. Liu Yiru turned to ask Wen Bingchun beside her, "Really over two hundred years?"

Wen Bingchun felt a pang in her heart at the question and remained silent for a while. Wen Xiaowen, trailing behind her, blurted out first. "My dad said so! Dad said he lived here when he was little too."

"Folks, it's confirmed. The little chubby seal of approval."

"No way, turns out Sister Zhi’s chill lifestyle has its perks."

"Waaah, not only is it this beautiful, but also this rich? How is anyone else supposed to compete?"

The haters still tried to struggle.

"This place could be a rental, and these people are just actors hired by Wen Zhi."

Wen Zhi led the group through the carved corridors toward the main hall. The hall was spacious, decked out in golden nanmu wood. Sofas, a TV, and other modern amenities were all present, but the most eye-catching item was a weathered piano placed in the northeast corner.

Liu Yiru asked curiously. "I thought you hated playing piano?"

Wen Zhi’s gaze also fell on the piano. She knew it at a glance—it was the same piano she often played during her practice sessions back then.

Why was it here?

Uncle Zhong chimed in. "Madam bought this back from the piano store later. It even has the miss’s childhood name engraved on it. It was kept on the second floor before and was only moved down a few days ago during renovations."

Lin Jiyao felt a strange familiarity with the piano and drifted toward it.

Before Wen Zhi could get lost in thought, she stepped forward first and pulled down the golden velvet cloth covering the piano. "Uncle Zhong, I can’t stand playing piano. Let’s move it back to the second floor," she said, staring straight at Butler Zhong.

Butler Zhong froze for a second before quickly responding. "...Oh, right, right. Someone, come help move the piano back upstairs."

Several servants hurried over and carried the piano upstairs.

Lin Jiyao’s hand, which was about to touch the keys, froze mid-air.

"That piano is over a decade old?"

Wen Zhi didn’t even bat an eyelid. "Ancient. Sounds like crap now."

Lin Jiyao let out an "Oh" and shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Wen Zhi exhaled deeply and changed the subject. "Let me show you around elsewhere."

As soon as she finished speaking, a series of tinkling sounds came from the southern reception room. Xiao Xiao ran over curiously, standing on her tiptoes, and exclaimed in amazement. "Wow, so many dudes!"

Dudes? What dudes? Was Wen Zhi keeping a harem in here?

And not just one!

Is this what rich people’s lives are like? So wild!

Everyone followed Xiao Xiao and peeked inside, only to see seven or eight young men in suits sitting incongruously in the antique-style room, hammering away at their keyboards. Piles of rent receipts littered the table, and behind them hung long strings of keys.

The room felt like a time warp compared to the rest of the house.

The stark contrast even piqued the curiosity of the viewers in front of their screens.

Liu Yiru was the first to ask, "What's going on here?"

Wen Zhi explained, "There are too many rented houses and shops, and I don’t have time to collect rent while filming the show, so I brought in a pro team to manage the books." She turned to Uncle Zhong and added, "Since I’m not staying in that apartment anymore, let’s convert it into an office for them to handle the accounts. Saves them traipsing in and out of here all day."

Butler Zhong replied, "The plumbing in that apartment blew out recently, so it’s temporarily uninhabitable."

Wen Zhi said offhandedly, "The whole building can’t possibly be fully occupied, right? Just pick any unit for the office. If not, have NUANGUI Hotel vacate a room first."

As she spoke, her phone kept pinging nonstop. With each sound, everyone imagined dollar signs piling up.

At this moment, Wen Zhi was a walking glare of pure wealth.

She practically reeked of money from every pore.

"The entire apartment building belongs to Wen Zhi?"

"She owns NUANGUI too?!"

"Hiring a professional team just to collect rent? How much rent does she even have?"

"Ugh, Sis Zhi could’ve been chilling at home, yet she humbled herself to join a parenting show for fun."

The trolls, seeing the mood shift, backed off real quick.

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Wen Zhi closed the office door and led them on a tour of the house—the parlor, study, sunrooms, carved window lattices, mica screens, and masterpieces of calligraphy and paintings.

The group was dazzled by the sights when Xiao Hei came barreling out of nowhere, wagging his tail excitedly, clutching a peacock-green glazed bowl in his jaws.

Director Fang choked out, "That bowl… that bowl…!"

Wen Zhi glanced at Xiao Hei and said, "Oh, is Xiao Hei hungry?"

Mu Mu crouched down to pet Xiao Hei, who got so hyped he dropped it—the peacock-green glazed bowl clattered to the ground, taking a tiny nick out of the rim.

Director Fang, wincing, scooped up the 'dog bowl.' "Oh no, a perfectly fine Ming Dynasty peacock-green glazed bowl… please don’t let it get damaged."

"No way, this was in the same auction as the inkstone given to Lin Jiyao?"

"Bruh, quick search says—this peacock-green glazed bowl from the Ming Dynasty was sold at Tianji Auction a few days ago for 1.5 million."

"Word is the same buyer purchased over a dozen artifacts that day."

"So that buyer was Wen Zhi!!!"

The chat went nuclear:

"Holy crap, this is next-level rich."

A Ming Dynasty... as a freaking dog bowl.

Living the dog's dream!

"Suddenly feeling a bit envious of Little Black—what should I do?"

"Hahaha, wake up, you upstairs—you're human, it's a dog!"

"Owning a historic mansion worth hundreds of millions, getting to cozy up to a beauty, and having a million-dollar food bowl—this dog has no regrets."

The Gardenias are finally feeling smug.

"So, our Sister Zhi really just casually gave Lin Jiyao an inkstone worth two million yuan."

"Wahhh, I wish someone would just casually give me something too."

"To those who accused Wen Zhi of trying to marry into wealth—take a long hard look. Does she lack money?"

Lin's fans can't decide whether to envy Little Black or feel relieved that their brother Jiyao's inkstone is worth more than a dog bowl.

"Hahaha, the clapback came so fast—where’s ‘Ice Beauty’s Diehard Fan’? Come out and take a lap! And the one who said they’d eat sh*t on stream—where are you?"

"Where are the haters who bashed our Sister Zhi? Speak up now! Did you rent a five-star hotel, lease a historic mountain villa, and wholesale antiques just to use as a dog bowl?"

The haters lie low, playing dead.

On one hand, they’re shook by Wen Zhi’s wealth; on the other, they recall her threat to call the police.

They’re all starting to feel uneasy.

Empowered by Wen Zhi’s riches, The Gardenias, unable to corner the other haters, descend on ‘Ice Beauty’s Diehard Fan’s’ page, relentlessly demanding an apology. The peanut gallery, driven by the bandwagon effect, flood her Weibo comments too.

"If you got the guts to start drama, got the guts to come out and apologize!"

"If you don’t show up, we’ll report-bomb you."

Behind the screen, ‘Ice Beauty’s Diehard Fan’ white-knuckles her mouse, hands trembling.

The police showed up at her door!

Wahhh, Wen Zhi actually meant it!

Author's note:

Second update done, mwah~