Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Where did the money come from? Yeah, I don’t have a mother or a father. I’m a poor student. Where did the money come from to buy the whole house in one go?! In the end, I’m being looked down on by someone… I’m being looked down on by someone I once deeply loved.
Gu Nianzhi’s eyes were stinging. They prickled, and tears almost came out. However, she bore it, smiled weakly, and said, “I earned it from work. I went to Germany and helped Li Haiqing in a lawsuit. I won the lawsuit, so I got a bit of a bonus.”
Huo Shaoheng doubted it. “What lawsuit has such a big bonus?”
Although Gu Nianzhi bought a second-hand home, it was also a home near school. It was in the best primary school district in the whole imperial capital. If the middle and high school over there were not normal schools, Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t even have been able to buy a second-hand home there. A small two-bedroom home cost around two million.
To Huo Shaoheng, two million was not considered much. The Hermes bags he bought for Gu Nianzhi before were worth more than that. But to Gu Nianzhi—who was determined to draw a line between herself and Huo Shaoheng by returning all the bank cards and investment accounts he had given her—it was definitely a large sum of money.
Gu Nianzhi became angry when she saw that Huo Shaoheng still didn’t believe it after she explained it to him. Gu Nianzhi sneered and threw off Huo Shaoheng’s hand. “Then Mr. Huo, where do you think my money came from? Did I get it dishonestly?”
Huo Shaoheng was quiet. “Nianzhi, that was not what I meant.”
“I don’t care what you meant by it. I earned my money the honest way. I paid my salary’s tax. I can’t do anything about it if you don’t believe me. Now, please move. Don’t get in my way of buying a house.” Gu Nianzhi was ready to cry, and she pushed Huo Shaoheng’s hand away. She sped in the direction of the real estate agent and the house’s owner.
Huo Shaoheng acted quickly. Right after Gu Nianzhi shook his hand off, he took a step forward and quickly grabbed her. He laid his hand on her arm with a little force like an iron ring. It caused her a dull pain.
“Let go!” Gu Nianzhi looked back at Huo Shaoheng with fury in her eyes. The glittering, translucent tears were clearly visible, but she stubbornly raised her head and refused to let her tears fall.
It was a bit vexing for Huo Shaoheng to see Gu Nianzhi being like that. I hurt her with my words again.
At that moment, Gu Nianzhi was so sensitive, she was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. A little rustling of leaves in the wind would make her put up her guard, especially if it happened right in front of her.
The child that was scared to death that appeared in front of him seven years ago had appeared in front of him again. Or maybe the child that was scared to death had never left his side and had never grown up. In the past, he had given her enough sense of security. That was why she hid it so well. Nobody could expose her. When the safe haven was destroyed, she had nowhere to hide. That frightened child could only come back with her guard up and stare at the world that made her feel unsafe.
He suddenly understood it. The more she invested her deep feelings in him, the more she would be hurt. Others probably couldn’t sympathize and understand her fear and despair, but being the one she used to love, how could he not know? Huo Shaoheng controlled the pain and the suffering he had in his heart. He told her in a deep voice, “Nianzhi, I do believe you.”
Gu Nianzhi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her plump chest rose and fell. Huo Shaoheng saw that the people on the side were watching. He was annoyed for a short while but then stretched out his arms and pulled Gu Nianzhi’s whole body into his embrace. He used his own back to block the people’s view. He then looked back at them. His eyes carried a bone chilling killing aura that was full of pressure. Those people quickly looked away and didn’t look at Gu Nianzhi again.
Gu Nianzhi was not grateful. She said in a low voice, “Huo Shaoheng, I told you before, you cannot hug me whenever you want. You are harassing me.”
Huo Shaoheng was truly speechless. He looked down at Gu Nianzhi as he held her against his chest. He slowly let go. “Sorry.”
Gu Nianzhi took a step back and left his warm embrace. “Huo Shaoheng, I’m going to get the house, and it’s going to change ownership. I hope you won’t come with me.”
Her eyes were alert and vigilant. It stabbed Huo Shaoheng’s heart like an arrow.
Huo Shaoheng nodded, and he didn’t move. Just like that, he watched as she walked further and further away with each step. She went to the real estate agent and the owner. They went to find the people in the Real Estate Bureau to do the process.
People came and went in the hall. They were all busy attending to their business. Only Huo Shaoheng stood there all alone. He was in a bustling downtown area, but to him it was more like he was in an uninhabited valley. Those people that came and went were no different than plants to him. There was only one person in his eyes, Gu Nianzhi—every frown and smile, every act and move. Even though he was so far away, to him it was like she was right next to him. Just by looking at her from afar, he felt happy. He would gladly endure hardship.
Yin Shixiong and Ma Qiqi went into the Real Estate Bureau’s big hall where people worked after idly chit chatting outside the door for a short period of time. The moment they went in, they saw that Huo Shaoheng was alone, standing by a wall on the right in the hall. He was standing perfectly straight like a pine tree. There was not a doubt that it was a posture of a soldier.
“Huo Shao, where’s Nianzhi?” Ma Qiqi asked curiously as she looked around the hall.
Huo Shaoheng pointed. “She’s over there, doing paperwork.”
“Oh.” Ma Qiqi quickly ran over to join her. She patted her shoulder lightly and greeted her. “Nianzhi! Why are you doing the paperwork yourself? Why didn’t Huo Shao come with you?”
When Gu Nianzhi turned and saw that it was Ma Qiqi, she smiled and pulled her toward her. “Here, help me look at these papers. There’s so much, I’m practically blind.” There were so many papers to sign when one transferred ownership of a house. Gu Nianzhi gasped in amazement. Ma Qiqi quickly took the paper Gu Nianzhi handed her and looked at it.
Yin Shixiong stood next to Huo Shaoheng and scratched his head as he looked in the direction where Ma Qiqi disappeared to. He asked very cautiously, “Huo Shao, what happened?”
Huo Shaoheng ignored him. He clasped his hands behind his back like before. He just observed the people in the Real Estate Bureau. Whether they were employees, or were buying or selling a home, he observed them all.
Seeing him like that, Yin Shixiong concluded that Gu Nianzhi probably did something again and said, “Why don’t I go see how they are doing? They are two little girls that have never bought a home before. Gotta be careful that they don’t get taken advantage of.”
Huo Shaoheng didn’t express his opinion, but he also didn’t argue. Yin Shixiong knew it meant that he agreed. Yin Shixiong smiled and nodded at the real estate agent and the homeowner. He extended his hand when he got to the little room where Gu Nianzhi and Ma Qiqi were. “I’m Big Xiong. Nianzhi is my little sister. I came here to see how things are going.”
The real estate agent and the homeowner thought maybe Yin Shixiong was Gu Nianzhi’s cousin. They had a favorable impression of him when they saw that he was a man with striking features. They went over to shake his hand and exchanged greetings. As Yin Shixiong talked to them, he was carefully weighing their words and expressions. Only after he determined that they were all decent people was he able to relax.
After Yin Shixiong came over, Gu Nianzhi and the rest sped up their pace. It was very apparent. Not long after, the papers that needed signing were all signed, and the things that needed to be done at the Real Estate Bureau were all done. The business deal would be final after Gu Nianzhi transferred her money.
Of course, it would take at least a month to finish all the procedures, but the main procedures were done. The owners got their money and immediately handed over the keys to Gu Nianzhi. Gu Nianzhi had gotten the house! She could now move everything in.
“Thank you, Miss Gu. If you need further services, you can come find me.” The real estate agent gave Gu Nianzhi a card before he left.
Gu Nianzhi nodded and smiled and said, “Nice working with you.” As she took the keys with her to the big hall, Gu Nianzhi could see that Huo Shaoheng stood out with one glance. He already had an extraordinarily handsome appearance. On top of it, his informal military uniform made him so handsome that it aroused great indignation from both men and gods. Many women in the hall wittingly and unwittingly looked him over from top to bottom. They pretended to borrow a pen or ask for directions to strike up a conversation with him.
Huo Shaoheng didn’t say much, but he also didn’t act coldly. Just like that, he kept a polite distance from them, but he was also indifferent. It made people unable to refrain from approaching him. Huo Shaoheng went to receive them when he saw Gu Nianzhi walking over with Yin Shixiong and Ma Qiqi.
“It’s all done?” he asked as he looked at Gu Nianzhi. It was rare for him to sound so gentle. It sounded so good that it could reassure and pacify the public.
Gu Nianzhi had just become a person with property, so she was happy. The moment she was in a good mood, she became a lot more magnanimous. She also didn’t mind that Huo Shaoheng hadn’t believed her a moment ago. She smiled and nodded. She was carrying an envelope full of papers and said, “It’s all done. I’m going to go over there to take a look. If you guys are busy, you can go back now.”
Outside the Real Estate Bureau, it was getting dark. Huo Shaoheng shook his head. “I don’t have anything going on today.” He then said, “Since the house has been bought, let’s all go and take a look at it.” Gu Nianzhi didn’t refuse. She got into Huo Shaoheng’s new car with Ma Qiqi and headed toward the Hepingli Precinct.
They soon arrived at the entrance of the precinct. Gu Nianzhi took out the door card from inside the big envelope and gave it to Yin Shixiong. He slid it by the precinct’s car entrance. The yellow crossing bar slowly lifted up. They drove to the parking lot in the basement and then went to the sixth floor from the basement parking lot.
Gu Nianzhi’s home, number 602, faced south. It was between two apartments, and the apartments took up quite a large amount of space. The door opened. They saw that everything had been moved out. The home was very clean and tidy. Without all the furnishings, it looked a bit more spacious than it had the last time she saw it.
Ma Qiqi walked in and out of every room, sighed with feeling, and said, “This house is really nice. A big part of it is that it’s well renovated. It’s stylish, and the material is good. It looks like the real deal. Although it’s a second-hand home, it’s well maintained.”
Gu Nianzhi agreed and nodded. “Yeah, I picked this house the moment I saw it online. Then I came to look at it, and I still felt that it was really good.”
Huo Shaoheng also looked at it. The perspective that he and Yin Shixiong saw things from was different from Ma Qiqi’s. The two of them walked around the house. Huo Shaoheng said to Gu Nianzhi, “The locks need to be changed first. Nianzhi, I’ll help you install some safety measures in this home.”
The things Huo Shaoheng installed were definitely things that people had so that they could stay alive. Gu Nianzhi didn’t refuse unreasonably and said with sincerity, “Ok, thanks. I was originally thinking of finding a home security company to install a set of security systems. I feel better with you guys installing them.”
Yin Shixiong smiled as he patted her head. “You are pretty good at telling good from bad. Of course, we are better than home security companies.”
Gu Nianzhi pressed her lips together and smiled. She suddenly remembered something, and the smile disappeared as she said to Huo Shaoheng solemnly, “Don’t install listening devices and pinhole surveillance cameras in my home.”
Huo Shaoheng was dumbfounded.
