Chapter 82

Chapter 82

It was the weekend. Nan Shuyi and Jiang Yicen were heading to the Jiao family's mountain estate for a two-day stay at their invitation.

The Jiao family kept a low profile, but they owned a mountain estate on the outskirts of Lincheng—basically a whole mountain.

The two of them were driving away from the city's noise and bustle.

Nan Shuyi was at the wheel when he heard a soft sigh from Jiang Yicen in the passenger seat.

Jiang Yicen was holding his phone, and when Nan Shuyi glanced over, he could see the screen—his mobile banking app.

Nan Shuyi asked him, "What are you looking at? What's with the long face? You got a raise and you're still not happy?"

For an average employee, jumping from an annual salary of just over two hundred thousand to a million in under six months was already lightning fast—and that didn't even include the monthly bonuses.

The new project was going smoothly, so what was there to worry about?

A thought suddenly hit Nan Shuyi—the last time he'd seen that expression on Jiang Yicen's face was when he'd asked to borrow a hundred million.

"What do you want to buy this time?"

That expression suggested it was more than just a hundred million. His heart was pounding, caught in that weird feeling of being both rich and poor at the same time.

Jiang Yicen was stressing over money, wondering if there was any way to make it faster.

Even though his bank balance was way beyond what the average person had, his goal was to buy back Yongjiang Hotel.

On the surface, he was the deputy manager of the marketing center, but in reality, his actual responsibilities went way beyond his job title. He was busy, sure, but his monthly paycheck was solid—just still nowhere near enough to buy back Yongjiang Hotel. At this rate, he wondered if he'd even live long enough to pull it off.

Jiang Yicen was debating whether to tell Nan Shuyi about his big dream.

He said, "Before we got married, Jiang Gongming specifically called me into his study and said I could make some requests in exchange for marrying you. He asked what I wanted. I asked him for three things, and he said he didn't have any of them."

In Nan Shuyi's eyes, Jiang Yicen had very low material desires. He didn't chase luxury watches or cars, didn't have many social engagements, and had no vanity—he was an incredibly down-to-earth person. But sometimes he said surprising things, and his goals were never small-time.

He was especially curious what Jiang Yicen had asked Jiang Gongming for.

"So what did you want?"

"I said I wanted a storefront, and he said he couldn't buy one."

Given what Jiang Yicen wanted in a storefront, Jiang Gongming really couldn't have bought one for him. But Nan Shuyi had already made that wish come true for him.

Nan Shuyi wondered if he could fulfill his other requests: "What else?"

Jiang Yicen continued, "I said I wanted land, and he said he didn't have any either."

Nan Shuyi thought the land issue might be a bit tricky: "You want to get into real estate?"

Jiang Yicen was less guarded around Nan Shuyi these days: "No, I just want to own my own land."

Nan Shuyi guessed in a different direction: "You like countryside living?"

Jiang Yicen: "No, I mean permanently owned land."

Nan Shuyi: "That's rare these days, unless you've had it since way back."

Jiang Yicen: "Why can the Jiao family own an entire mountain?"

Nan Shuyi: "Years ago, they partnered with the local government and leased it from them. They spent a lot of money back then, but nobody expected land prices to skyrocket later—they basically got a steal."

Jiang Yicen: "Do we have any?"

Nan Shuyi: "We do have some land. The Nanyuan building is our own property. As for mountain land, we've got some too, but it's not turned into an estate like the Jiao family's."

Jiang Yicen: "What was it turned into?"

Nan Shuyi: "A tourist attraction. But very few people know about it."

Jiang Yicen genuinely didn't know: "Which scenic area?"

Nan Shuyi: "Donglin Mountain Scenic Area. That whole area belongs to the Nan family. It was too far from the city, so they turned it into a tourist spot. It's been years now—if you didn't dig into it, you wouldn't know who the investor was."

Jiang Yicen: "Isn't it Nanyuan?"

Nan Shuyi: "It's under Nanyuan's predecessor name—Anyue Investment."

Jiang Yicen: "Anyue?"

Nan Shuyi paused at this point.

"An is for Nan Anru's An, and Yue is for the moon—from my mother's name. Anyway, that's getting off track. What was your third request?"

Jiang Yicen now knew how Nan Shuyi's mother had died. Nan Shuyi didn't like to talk about it, and he didn't want to bring up that painful memory either.

They were out for a relaxing day, so it was best to keep things light.

"My third request was..." He was about to say it when he spotted a sign up ahead. He reminded Nan Shuyi, "The Jiao family's private estate is at the next turn."

"I see it."

The road off the highway looked no different from any ordinary road, but after a few kilometers, the line between public and private areas became clear.

At the entrance to the Jiao family's private estate, there was a security booth. They confirmed their identities before letting them onto the estate's road.

Fruit trees lined both sides of the road, and it was blooming season—branches heavy with flowers in red, yellow, white, pink, and purple. It was a riot of color, like they'd stepped into another world.

Having spent so long in the city, it had been a while since he'd been this close to nature. It felt like being back in the Republic of China era, when the road to his family's estate had been lined with trees like these. He didn't know much about plants, but he could name a few of the species.

They drove for a bit, winding up the mountain for a few minutes before spotting the villa estate nestled in the hills.

A stream ran in front of the estate, and two stone lion statues flanked the entrance—pretty eye-catching. The outside and inside of the estate were two totally different styles. The villa itself was modern and sprawling—after all, it was the Jiao family's own property, so they could build it as big as they wanted.

As soon as they got out of the car, someone came to greet them. The young man was simply dressed—a T-shirt and casual pants—with a sunny, open smile. He looked a bit like a college student.

The young man asked, "Are you Mr. Nan and Mr. Jiang?"

Nan Shuyi's distinctive face was recognizable at a glance.

Jiang Yicen: "That's us."

After confirming their identities, the young man smiled and said, "I'm Jiao Mingjun. My uncle asked me to wait for you here. Please, follow me."

After parking the car, the two followed Jiao Mingjun inside.

The estate was like a large garden, filled with potted plants everywhere. Jiao Mingjun took the time to explain each one to them.

These were all flowers cultivated by the family's elders. Some were quite pricey, and many were old bonsai trees—some worth over a million. Truly rare finds.

The Jiao family's wealth might be on par with the Nan family's.

That said, the two families don't really compete since their main industries are different.

The Nan family is known primarily for beverages, while the Jiao family started with clothing. Later, when that industry got too competitive, they pivoted to real estate, following national policy trends. And when the winds shifted again, they put money into new tech. The Jiao family always manages to pivot with the times and rake in the cash.

Jiang Yicen quietly said to Nan Shuyi, "There's gotta be someone with sharp instincts and guts behind their family."

Nan Shuyi lowered his voice. "It was Jiao Mingjun's grandpa. He studied abroad back in the day and then came straight back to China to start his own business. He came back with know-how and tech. Back then, info didn't travel fast, so he played the time difference to his advantage. Back then, everyone with money was heading overseas—he went the other way. So of course his vision was different from everyone else's."

Jiang Yicen nodded in realization. "Ah, that explains why they keep such a low profile."

Nan Shuyi said, "Yeah, they've always stayed in the background, rarely showing their faces, so not many people even know they exist. It's only in the last few years, starting with Jiao's dad's generation, that they've started coming out more. They used to be extremely low-key."

Jiang Yicen figured there might be someone even higher up pulling strings. "Did some big shot retire?"

Nan Shuyi shot him an approving look. "Smart." The guy caught on fast.

Jiang Yicen might not be able to keep up with the latest fashion trends right away, but the first thing he does is get a read on the political landscape—that's his homework. That's what you call political savvy.

Jiao Mingjun, walking up ahead, kept a smile on his face while wondering what the heck the couple was whispering about behind him. Could they let him in on it? He was dying to know.

They strolled along like they were sightseeing in a garden before reaching the main house of the villa estate.

There were shade canopies set up on the lawn out front. A bunch of young people had shown up today, including Zhou Yi, who was like a social butterfly, chatting up everyone like they were all his best friends.

The Jiao family knew they didn't really have much to do with the Nan family. They'd invited Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi, but worried there'd be nothing to talk about and it'd get awkward, so they'd also invited a bunch of young people to make it feel like a casual get-together.

Zhou Yi said, "What took you two so long? I've been waiting half an hour."

Nan Shuyi nodded at the people around Zhou Yi and said, "My place is farther than yours."

Just as they were about to head inside, a woman in a designer dress came up to them.

"You must be Shuyi and Yicen. Hi, I'm Jiao Qing's mom."

Jiao Qing was the Jiao family's daughter that He Xinzhu and his son had been sizing up. She was standing primly behind Mrs. Jiao.

No sooner had the introductions wrapped up than Jiang Yicen heard a hearty laugh.

"Yicen, Shuyi, finally get to see you two."

It was Meng Zhangling. That laugh of his was unmistakable.

They both greeted him at the same time. "Uncle Meng."

Behind Meng Zhangling stood Miss Jiao's dad—a handsome middle-aged guy with a beard, looking a bit older than his actual age.

Mrs. Jiao smiled. "Make yourselves at home. Us ladies are gonna go have some tea."

Mr. Jiao said, "Go on, keep an eye on the kitchen. Our Mr. Jiang and Mr. Nan are foodies—we can't afford to slack off."

Mrs. Jiao smiled. "Alright, we won't let you two down. Any dietary restrictions, handsome gentlemen?"

They'd actually already done their homework on what the two of them liked to eat, but they asked anyway to show they cared.

Jiang Yicen stayed polite as ever. "We're good with anything. We'll go with whatever the host has planned."

Mrs. Jiao said, "Great. We also made dumplings—you'll have to try some later. What fillings do you like? We'll make extra."

The Jiao family originally came from the north, so they had a tradition of making dumplings.

They were really asking Jiang Yicen. The Jiao family had way more boys than girls—a daughter was like a pearl in the palm of their hand. No wonder the He family had their eye on her—marrying into that family would be like hitting the jackpot.

Meng Zhangling was in a great mood seeing Jiang Yicen again. When Mr. Jiao asked him to help connect the two families, he said yes right away, cheerfully mentioning that he'd met Jiang Yicen before and they'd hit it off great.

When Mr. Jiao saw Jiang Yicen—polite, composed, and dignified—he couldn't help but regret that the young man was into guys. If only someone like this could be his son-in-law.

Meng Zhangling was even more eager than Mr. Jiao. "Yicen, long time no see. I just finished a piece of calligraphy—tell me what you think."

Jiang Yicen said, "Is that okay?"

Meng Zhangling said, "Why not? They wouldn't know good calligraphy if it hit them."

Jiang Yicen smiled humbly. "I only know a little myself."

Mr. Jiao said, "I don't even know a little. How about some tea? We can admire Uncle Meng's calligraphy while we drink."

Since the elders were treating them with such respect, Jiang Yicen didn't get cocky. He graciously joined in, chatting about calligraphy and current events, with the younger Jiao family members keeping them company—it wasn't boring at all.

Mr. Jiao was also impressed by Jiang Yicen's smarts and way with words. Earlier he'd thought that if the young man weren't gay, he'd be more than qualified to be his son-in-law. But now he felt his own daughter might not even measure up—she couldn't hold a candle to someone so effortlessly composed and talented.

There was still some time before lunch.

Mr. Jiao and Meng Zhangling knew better than to keep the young folks cooped up. Before long, they let the young people do their own thing, and the two older men headed to the backyard to check out the orchids Mr. Jiao had just shelled out big money for.

Mr. Jiao's eldest son currently ran the family business. He was pretty by-the-book, but honest and steady in his dealings. He was a bit older than the rest of them.

"Do you two like shooting? We have a shooting range in the back mountain. If that's not your thing, you could also take a stroll through the orchards up the hill. We have fewer entertainment options here than in the city."

Jiang Yicen smiled, feeling that their host was truly hospitable: "We came to breathe in the mountain air. We could take a walk in the orchard."

Elder Brother Jiao said, "Sure! We've got electric carts to take us over. Pick whatever fruit you want—it's all grown by pros."

The three of them were about to head to the orchard when Zhou Yi and a friend he'd just made came up.

"This mountain road is perfect for racing. Want to have a race?"

Elder Brother Jiao looked helplessly at Jiao Mingjun, who had been entertaining Zhou Yi and the others outside. The latter shrank back a little.

These were all honored guests—if anything went wrong, who would take responsibility?

Elder Brother Jiao had no appetite for risk, nor did he want these young people to take chances, especially since they were all invited guests.

Nan Shuyi didn't put the hosts in a difficult position either: "We'd like to pick some fruit. How about we drive up to the mountaintop and treat it as a scenic ride?"

Zhou Yi was used to doing whatever he pleased and hadn't thought that deeply—he just wanted to have fun. With Nan Shuyi's reminder, he caught on.

"Alright then, let's go, go, go! Who's riding with me? I brought my Twin Stars today!"

"Brother Yi, how about you let me drive?"

"Sure, but can you handle it?"

"My driving skills are top-notch, don't worry!"

Indeed, wherever there are young people, there's liveliness.

Elder Brother Jiao felt old just being there.

Nan Shuyi's car naturally only had him and Jiang Yicen.

The cautious Brother Jiao was still asking them, "Do you want to take the electric cart up the mountain? It's safer."

Jiao Mingjun said, "Brother, you're underestimating our Young Master. He's an F1 racing champion."

Brother Jiao: "..." He really had no idea!

Jiang Yicen said with a smile, "Brother Jiao, want to come up the mountain with us?"

Brother Jiao waved his hand quickly, a hint of panic on his face: "Let Mingjun drive you up. He usually likes driving. I get carsick; the electric cart is my limit."

Jiang Yicen said, "Okay, we'll be back in time for lunch."

Brother Jiao said, "Alright, there's signal on the mountain. We'll call you down when it's close to mealtime."

It was nice having a mountain—the road up was wide and well-paved.

Nan Shuyi was driving an off-road vehicle today, too. As soon as he got in, he told Jiang Yicen to buckle up.

Their car was the first one out the gate.

Zhou Yi shouted from behind, "Wait up!"

Nan Shuyi flat-out ignored him.

It was a bit cooler in the mountains than in the city.

Jiang Yicen rolled down the window, and the cool breeze felt especially nice.

He really hadn't expected the mountains to have paved roads now.

The scenery along the way was breathtaking, but since it was Jiang Yicen's first time riding up in a car—and Nan Shuyi wasn't driving slowly—he couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.

Nan Shuyi glanced at him while driving, saw him gripping the seatbelt, and chuckled, "You don't trust my driving?"

Jiang Yicen shook his head. "No, I'm just a little scared. Look, there's a slope right below."

Nan Shuyi said, "There's a guardrail, isn't there?"

Jiang Yicen's face was still tense. "But I'm still scared."

Nan Shuyi slowed the car down. "Still scared now?"

Jiang Yicen watched the car crawl slowly up the mountain and felt much more at ease. "Not scared anymore."

They'd been way ahead at first, but soon the cars behind caught up.

Zhou Yi even teased, "Nan Shuyi, you're driving like a snail. Oh great racing god, where's your speed?"

Nan Shuyi flipped him off.

People who aren't in a relationship wouldn't get it.

They continued up the mountain at that leisurely pace.

Jiang Yicen only felt grounded once his feet were on solid ground.

There was a helipad at the top of the mountain, which showed the Jiao family was really loaded.

Zhou Yi and the others were already up on a big rock at the summit, striking various poses on a heart-shaped stone for photos.

He waved Nan Shuyi and Jiang Yicen over.

"Come on, let's get a group photo!"

Nan Shuyi pulled Jiang Yicen up onto the heart-shaped rock and tossed his phone to Zhou Yi. "Take a photo of us two."

Zhou Yi raised the phone. "Got it!"

Jiang Yicen ended up in the frame with Nan Shuyi's arm around his shoulder.

It felt like the first time he'd had his picture taken with Nan Shuyi's arm around him.

In his memory, the last time he'd seen a photo like this was of his older brother—arm around his sister-in-law, smiling with pure happiness.

His mother had whispered to him then, "Look at your brother, smiling so happily. He may not be good at expressing himself, but he loves your sister-in-law deeply."

After the photo, Nan Shuyi kept his hand on Jiang Yicen's waist and asked, "Earlier you said the third thing you wanted was what?"

Jiang Yicen said, "I want the Yongjiang Hotel."