Chapter 33 Buying a House

Jin Zhao has a rather indifferent personality and has never been very interested in group activities since she was a child. Even now, she never signs up for school activities or union activities. Even the headmaster couldn't stand it and told her that young people should socialize more and that staying at home makes it difficult to find a partner.

Upon seeing the news about the class reunion, her first instinct was to decline.

She attended the affiliated high school for two years, changing classes three times. In the first semester, she was in a regular class; in the second semester, she was in an experimental class; and in her final year, she was in Class A. She only spent a year with Class A, so she wasn't very familiar with them. She was worried that if she went there, she wouldn't have anything to talk about and it would be awkward.

If anyone else asked her, she could immediately find an excuse to decline.

But just because that person was Meng Yanxi, she stared at her phone screen for a long time, unable to bring herself to refuse.

Meng Yanxi's WeChat name is simply Meng Yanxi, straightforward and simple, and her profile picture is a landscape photo that is rarely used by young people.

This isn't a feng shui profile picture like those featuring blooming flowers and boundless horizons. It's a landscape photo taken in the desert. One half is a cracked, arid Gobi desert, barren of yellow sand and no vegetation; the other half is a desert oasis, with clear blue water reflecting the sky, and lush, vibrant grass along the banks. In the corner, it seems a pure white butterfly has wandered in. Clicking to enlarge it reveals that it's not a butterfly, but a feather, pure white and light, carried by the wind, flitting from the desolation into the vitality.

This image possesses immense artistic tension, more like the kind of photographic work that would be displayed in an art museum for people to appreciate and ponder, revealing its deeper meaning.

She didn't reply immediately, not because she didn't want to go, but because she wanted to go.

She knew in her heart that she and Meng Yanxi were worlds apart, and their only connection was their year as students in high school.

Even if nothing comes of it, just like that unrequited love in my youth, though it was chaotic and turbulent, like the sour taste of an unripe green mango, I would still feel happy just to see him.

Jin Zhao's finger twitched, and he replied: 【Okay.】

On the 5th, Meng Yanxi drove to the school. Even though Jin Zhao kept saying it wasn't necessary, when she went downstairs at eight in the morning, she still saw the Maybach parked outside the No. 7 faculty apartment.

Meng Yanxi drove himself today. The car was parked on the side of the road with the window rolled down. It was early morning, the sky was bright, and the air was clean and refreshing. Teachers and students passing by couldn't help but glance in his direction. At first, they were looking at the car, but later they didn't know if they were looking at the car or at the man in it who was even more handsome than a top celebrity.

Jin Zhao wasn't used to such a high profile, so she walked quickly toward him, only to run into Wang Nan, who had returned from outside early that morning.

Wang Nan looked distraught, as if she hadn't slept all night, her eyes radiating exhaustion. Upon seeing Jin Zhao, she rushed over and threw herself into her arms, nearly bursting into tears.

Jin Zhao quickly asked softly, "What's wrong, Nan Nan?"

As she spoke, my gaze was drawn to the dirt on the hem of her skirt. Upon closer inspection, it was dark red, like bloodstains.

Jin Zhao was startled and quickly asked, "Are you covered in blood? What happened?"

Wang Nan shook his head wearily: "It's not my blood, it's the student's."

Jin Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say that it was good that nothing happened, but then he suddenly realized that if the student was bleeding, then it would be a big deal and definitely not a matter of nothing.

Sure enough, Wang Nan said weakly, "Two students got into a fight, and the hospital called me in the middle of the night to come over. My legs are still weak."

In universities, student safety is paramount. There used to be a joke online that said no matter how strict university counselors seem, if you told them you wanted to die, they would kneel down on the spot and beg you not to jump.

Jin Zhao used to think it was an exaggeration, but after becoming a teacher herself, she realized it wasn't. And she was just a course instructor, let alone Wang Nan, who was a counselor and the person primarily responsible for the safety of university students.

It's easy to imagine that Wang Nan must have been terrified last night.

"Is the student alright now?" Jin Zhao asked. "Have the parents been notified? Has the matter been reported to the college leadership?"

“I’ve already reported it to the dean and the party secretary, and I’ve also notified the parents. The students are fine, just external injuries. But me, I feel like I’m going to die.” Wang Nan’s voice was trembling with tears.

Jin Zhao patted her shoulder and asked, "Have you had breakfast? I'll go buy you some."

"have eaten."

As Wang Nan spoke, she noticed that Jin Zhao was dressed exceptionally beautifully today. She wore a misty blue long dress, the fitted cut accentuating her beautiful curves—full in all the right places, slender in all the right. Over it, she wore a snow-white knitted cardigan. Her skin was fair, her collarbone hair soft and fluffy, and she wore a subtle, natural makeup look. When she smiled, her lower eyelids were soft and delicate, like two clean, shallow crescent moons. At that moment, the white moonlight seemed to materialize, possessing a beauty that struck straight to the heart.

"Are you going on a date?" Wang Nan straightened up.

Jin Zhao's cheeks flushed, and he quickly glanced at the Maybach not far behind Wang Nan. Meng Yanxi sat in the car, hoping he hadn't heard, and quickly denied it: "No, it's a high school reunion."

Wang Nan immediately forgot the professional pressure brought to her by the student fight. She looked Jin Zhao up and down and nodded appreciatively: "Okay, go to the class reunion looking as beautiful as an angel. I guarantee that the boys in your class who had a crush on you back then will never forget you and will dream about you every night."

Jin Zhao: "..."

She noticed that Meng Yanxi's window was open, and she could already feel her toes digging into the ground.

Jin Zhao: "Go back to sleep. You can have anything in your dreams."

After they parted ways, Wang Nan took a couple of steps, then suddenly turned back and asked, "By the way, did you see the notice the school issued?"

Jin Zhao didn't react immediately and asked, "Which notification?"

"It's about the housing subsidy. I went to bed early on National Day, and only found out the next day from the group message that snakes had entered the dormitory, which terrified the teachers. The school issued a notice the following day saying that before the new teachers' apartments were built, young teachers renting off-campus housing would receive a housing subsidy of 2,800 yuan per month." Wang Nan sighed, "Oh dear, I don't know which unlucky guy sacrificed himself to benefit hundreds of people. I want to thank him."

Jin Zhao hesitated for a moment, then said blankly, "The unlucky guy you're talking about must be me."

Wang Nan: "..."

Jin Zhao once again pinned her hopes on Meng Yanxi, but she did not hear their conversation.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. After getting in the car, the Maybach had just driven out of the school when Meng Yanxi, who was turning the steering wheel, suddenly asked, perhaps noticing that she was staring at the buildings across the street, "Are you planning to rent an apartment in Shanshui City?"

The residential area opposite the north gate is called Shanshui City.

Jin Zhao felt as if he had been struck in the knee by an arrow.

Meng Yanxi added insult to injury: "Isn't 2800 yuan a month enough to rent in Shanshui City?"

Alright, the anxiety that had been hanging over him finally subsided. He heard it.

Jin Zhao could only reply matter-of-factly: "Only half is enough."

Shanshui City was built in the last few years and can be considered an upscale housing development, although not by much. The smallest units are two-bedroom apartments. Jin Zhao checked the lowest transaction price in the past three months, which isn't very relevant, and it was 6,000.

Meng Yanxi didn't say anything.

The class reunion was organized by Luo Heng, and the location was chosen by Meng Yanxi, in Linyuan, which is two or three hundred kilometers away from Suiyi.

Lin Garden was once Zhou Huaichen's maternal grandfather's summer estate, nestled deep in the mountains, built against the slope. Two years ago, Old Master Lin passed away, and due to his profession, Zhou Huaichen was unable to manage his grandfather's estate, leading to the transfer of many properties. Meng Shixu had initially intended to take over Lin Garden, but was too late; the Feng family secured it first. After acquiring Lin Garden, the Feng family entrusted it to their only son, Feng Chi, who was born in the late 19th century, and the property was subsequently opened to the public on a small scale.

The garden is far from human habitation, about twenty or thirty kilometers from the nearest village. Winding up the mountain road, the private estate with its blue tiles and white walls unfolds along the slope. Spanning a large area and exquisitely designed, several guest rooms take advantage of the unique natural environment, built inside caves. The original stone domes retain their natural texture, and from the bed, one can look through huge floor-to-ceiling windows at the layered mountains opposite, shrouded in mist and clouds.

When Meng Yanxi's car arrived, everyone except Lu Jingyue and Si Tian was already there, waiting at the door with their host, Feng Chi.

Feng Chi was a typical rich second-generation, a handsome young playboy who loved to have fun and was always dressed in trendy brands. He would call any pretty girl "little sister." A group of people were joking around at the entrance when they saw a Maybach driving up in the distance. Feng Chi stopped and said, "Brother Yan has arrived."

Turning around, Feng Chi went straight to meet her and was somewhat surprised to see Meng Yanxi sitting in the driver's seat through the windshield.

These people have very different personalities. To put it simply, Zhou Huaichen has the most cash flow among them, but he's a hardworking and diligent person, so it's not surprising that he drives himself to such a long distance. It's quite a surprise, however, that a pampered capitalist like Meng Yanxi would personally drive that far; it's like the sun rising in the west.

Seeing a beautiful woman sitting in the passenger seat, Feng Chi smiled knowingly, turned around, and shrewdly went forward to open the passenger door.

Jin Zhao stepped off Meng Yanxi's carriage, like a pebble thrown into a lake, instantly creating ripples.

At first, no one recognized Jin Zhao, assuming she was just another woman Meng Yanxi was with. But Luo Heng quickly recognized her, exclaiming, "Holy crap!" and "Isn't this Jin Zhao? You're with Meng Yanxi?"

This single act caused a huge stir. These people had been classmates since their school days, and back then, even the smallest things in class would get them excited and boisterous, especially when it came to fostering and creating buzz around ambiguous relationships. Years later, their nature hadn't changed; they were exactly the same as they were in high school, immediately starting to shout and cheer wildly—

"When did you and Meng Yanxi get together? How come I haven't heard a thing about it?"

"Yeah, we haven't heard a whisper of it. Given how much attention everyone pays to Meng Yanxi, your relationship with him should have been all over the place by now... Do you guys have another group and you've blocked me?"

"I haven't heard of it either. Tell me honestly, when did you two start having an affair? How come I never noticed before?"

“I’m different. I saw a glimmer of hope back then! Meng Yanxi used to be aloof to everyone, and he would just give you the answers to anyone who asked him a question, but he would only explain questions to Jin Zhao! By the way, Jin Zhao, are you and Meng Yanxi married yet? When are you planning to have children? With your stunning good looks, I can’t imagine how beautiful your child will be!”

"Of course! Let's just follow the national call and have a third child. We shouldn't waste such good genes!"

Jin Zhao: "..."

All she wants to do now is dig a hole and bury herself, not knowing which family's third child she'll be reborn into after she dies.

These people were both fond of stirring up trouble and cowardly. They didn't dare to provoke Meng Yanxi, so they only dared to pick on the weak and revolve around her. Moreover, each of them was quick-witted, and she couldn't get a word in edgewise when she tried to refute them.

She looked to Meng Yanxi for help, only to find him sitting on a sofa not far away, talking to Luo Heng. After a brief exchange, Luo Heng suddenly jumped up, but Meng Yanxi calmly gestured a number to him, and Luo Heng immediately sat back down with a beaming smile.

He seemed completely oblivious to the commotion, which made Jin Zhao both angry and relieved.

He'd better not have heard it.

Fortunately, Si Tian appeared in time and saved her. Si Tian and Lu Jingyue arrived by car. On the way, Si Tian saw the class group chat and knew that Jin Zhao had arrived. She called out from the doorway, "Zhao Zhao! My darling Zhao Zhao!"

Jin Zhao saw a straw and immediately ran away, overwhelmed with gratitude.

As she passed the sofa, amidst the clamor of voices, she heard Luo Heng ask Meng Yanxi, "With so many luxury homes you own, why do you suddenly want to buy a house in Shanshui City?"

Meng Yanxi leaned against the sofa, chuckling seemingly casually without responding. Or perhaps he did respond, but the noise from the private room drowned out what he said.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Sorry it's so late tonight and there wasn't much plot. I'll write more tomorrow night. *bows*