Chapter 9: Thinking About Moving Back to the Villa
Seeing Lin Yueyue’s face turn green with jealousy, Shen Xi thought to herself,
What was Shi Jingyan trying to do? Pick a fight? Ugh, whatever. She can't afford to mess with him, but she can at least avoid him, right?
Just thinking about how things ended for her in the original storyline sent shivers down her spine.
"Uh, you two, I just remembered I left something inside. Weren’t you heading out? Go ahead, don’t mind me."
With that, Shen Xi slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Then, feeling a bit sneaky, she peeked through the peephole to see if the male and female leads had left.
…………………………………………
Outside the Door.
"Yueyue, we were high school classmates, after all. I was just being polite," Shi Jingyan said, wrapping an arm around Lin Yueyue’s shoulder as they walked toward the elevator.
Lin Yueyue pursed her lips before cautiously asking, "Brother Jing, is Shen Xi’s husband really richer than you? He’s probably just an old man, right?"
Shi Jingyan frowned at that. A little richer? No, not just a little. Gu family wealth was on a completely different level. Even if you combined a hundred Shi families, they wouldn’t come close to matching their century-old legacy.
But right now, he was too irritated by the thought of Shen Xi moving out to bother answering Lin Yueyue. Besides, he had never actually seen what Shen Xi’s husband looked like.
"Probably. Why? You interested in being his second wife?"
Lin Yueyue flinched, quickly hugging Shi Jingyan’s waist.
"No way! I was just thinking... Shen Xi only cares about money. If that old man has more savings than you, it wouldn’t be surprising if she married him for that reason."
Shi Jingyan sneered.
"Hah. No way. There’s no chance she actually likes that guy. I’ve known her for years. She’s definitely doing it for the Shen family."
"All of this, the way she acts in front of me, it’s just to irritate me. But I don’t care at all. You are my girlfriend now."
Hearing that, Lin Yueyue beamed sweetly and snuggled into his arms.
……………………………………
Back in Shen Xi’s Apartment.
Thanks to the apartment’s good soundproofing, Shen Xi hadn’t heard a word of their conversation. She only relaxed once she saw them get into the elevator.
"Finally! Those two walking disasters are gone."
"I can’t stay here a second longer! Not only is my life in danger, but all this pent-up frustration might actually kill me!"
Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed Butler Wang’s number.
"Good morning, Madam. How can I help you?"
"Uh… is my big brother around?"
Butler Wang paused for a second before realizing that Shen Xi was using her special nickname for Gu Hanling.
"Oh, the Master isn’t home. He went to the office today. If there’s anything you need, I can pass the message along."
"Oh… never mind, then. Bye-bye."
After hanging up, Shen Xi threw a few punches at the air.
"Gu Hanling, you jerk! What, you think you’re an emperor now? I have to go through someone just to contact you?!"
She was thinking about swallowing her pride and actually moving back into Gu Hanling's villa. It was huge anyway. One extra person wouldn’t make a difference, right?
If she could increase her favorability with her number one sponsor, she might get his protection. Avoid the male and female leads’ drama, survive for two years, then take her payout and quietly divorce. After that, she could travel the world, free and happy.
And most importantly, living in her legally cheap husband’s house was free!
As for whether Gu Hanling might try anything… well, at this point, that was the least of her worries. She could already feel the plot’s malice pressing down on her.
"Keeping my life is the priority. Who knows, maybe Big Brother Number One has some, uh, performance issues in that area, and that's why he's in a contract marriage, to hide it."
Taking a deep breath, Shen Xi forced herself to stay focused. She opened the door and, sticking to her original plan, headed out to find a real estate agent.
…………………………………..
The Next Evening.
The sun dipped below the horizon, setting the sky ablaze in shades of gold and crimson.
Shen Xi collapsed onto the couch, rubbing her sore feet. Two days of running around, and she had finally found a decent real estate agency.
Her only requirement? Sell the apartment fast. She was even willing to lose a couple million if that’s what it took.
Well, things were moving fast, too fast. She had already gotten over a dozen calls and several inquiries. In the afternoon, two potential buyers even came to see the place.
One offered an insultingly low price. Only four million.
The other? A disgustingly greasy middle-aged man with a beer belly so big it looked like he was ten months pregnant.
He had no interest in the apartment itself. His eyes were glued to her the entire time. Worse, he had the nerve to whisper in her ear, asking for… certain favors and giving two apartments in exchange.
Shen Xi, unable to bear it any longer, picked up a kitchen knife and chased the real estate agent and the greasy old man out of her apartment.
"Ugh… the first step is always the hardest. I’ll try again tomorrow."
Her phone suddenly rang, displaying an unknown number.
Exhausted, Shen Xi weakly pressed the answer button.
"Hello, if you're interested in the apartment, you can see it tomorrow."
"???"
The person on the other end paused for a moment before a familiar voice, cold as ever, came through the speaker.
"It's me."
Hearing that voice, Shen Xi, who had been lying lifelessly, suddenly sat up straight in excitement.
"Big Brother, it's you!"
Even though he was only speaking through the phone, Gu Hanling could almost picture Shen Xi’s lively and playful expression.
"You were looking for me?"
"Yeah! Uh... Big Brother, can I move into the villa?"
"Reason?"
Shen Xi cleared her throat and switched to a pitiful, tearful tone.
"Jingyan’s girlfriend found out I live next door, and now she plays 'bride' every night. They’re so loud I’m getting depressed. Watching them all lovey-dovey every day, it hurts. If this continues, you’ll have to set up a memorial plaque for me at the Gu family shrine."
Gu Hanling had always treated the original Shen Xi’s childhood crush on Shi Jingyan like a circus act, amusing but insignificant. To him, she was just the clown performing on stage.
But now, this woman, who seemed to have water in her brain, was still obsessed with someone named Shi? And to such an extreme degree?
Still, he found himself not entirely disliking this version of Shen Xi. There was something oddly entertaining about her quirky antics.
"Come to Yunding Hotel tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the Gu family estate together. We’ll discuss the rest in person."
Shen Xi blinked in confusion, her thoughts running wild.
Huh? What does he mean? A hotel? A room? Do I have to... 'pay' to stay at the villa?!
But after a second, she shook her head. Nah, she must be overthinking. With Gu Hanling’s cold and distant personality, he’s not the type to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation.
"Got it, Big Brother! I’ll be there right away!"
Hanging up, Shen Xi quickly stripped down and took a long, thorough shower. Then, she rummaged through the original owner’s wardrobe and picked out a more neutral outfit. A light pink T-shirt with casual pants.
Just to be clear, it's not like she's getting all dressed up to warm Gu Hanling's bed.
It was simply a habit from her previous life. Whenever she met an important client, she made sure to look presentable. Respecting the other party always made negotiations easier.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Shen Xi inspected herself. Even without makeup, her skin was as fair as jade, giving her a naturally pure beauty. However, the past two days of stress had drained her, leaving her lips pale and sickly.
After hesitating for a moment, she walked over to the vanity table and randomly grabbed a lipstick from a row of different shades.
In her past life, she studied design and had an art background. She had never used lipstick before, but with her steady hands, she applied it effortlessly. It felt a little greasy, like lip balm.
Looking in the mirror again, her complexion immediately improved. She looked more energetic, even a bit charming.
"Huh, I might actually have a talent for this."
…………………………………
Yunding Hotel.
As soon as Shen Xi stepped out of the taxi, she pulled out her phone to text Gu Hanling and ask where he was.
Before she could type, a voice called out from behind her.
"Well, well, isn’t this Miss Shen?"
Another voice chimed in mockingly, "You got it wrong. It should be Madam Gu."
The group burst into laughter, deliberately emphasizing the word Madam to ridicule her for marrying an old man for money.
Shen Xi turned around and instantly felt her mood plummet.
One man, four women.
And among them…
Shi Jingyan.
Lin Yueyue.
And three of Lin Yueyue’s high school cronies.
"Again? Seriously? I’m so tired… Just let the world burn already..."