Chapter 229: Jade Maiden of Xiangjiang

In the bedroom that morning, the atmosphere was unusually enchanting.

Lan Jieying's bathrobe and close‑fitting clothes were all still on the other side of the bed with Xu Yuexin.

Meanwhile, Lan Jieying herself was leaning in Xu Yuexin's embrace, breathing with an uneven rise and fall of the chest.

The lingering flush on Lan Jieying's face added a few more charms to her already exquisite beauty, making one unable to resist wanting to love her passionately again.

"My head feels a bit dizzy…"

Lan Jieying curled up under the covers, shamefully closing both eyes as she said.

"Maybe I caught a chill just now."

Xu Yuexin tightened the blanket covering her and said, "Just keep it on for a while and it'll be fine."

"Mm-hmm."

Lan Jieying gave a gentle nod and pressed even closer against Xu Yuexin...

……

Xu Yuexin and Lan Jieying stayed entwined until noon, only then getting up from the bed.

After a simple lunch, the two walked together to the rooftop to gaze at the distant mountain scenery.

After the morning, Lan Jieying still found walking a bit inconvenient, limping slightly.

When taking the elevator upstairs, she constantly nestled against Xu Yuexin's shoulder, as if the two had always been a single, inseparable whole.

Compared to the physical aspect, Lan Jieying's psychological change at this moment was even greater.

Lan Jieying now absolutely doesn't want to leave Xu Yuexin; even when Xu Yuexin turns to fetch something, Lan Jieying's gaze remains fixed on him.

Yet Lan Jieying herself hasn't realized this yet.

"Taiping Shan is so beautiful."

Lan Jieying leaned on Xu Yuexin's shoulder and cooed, "Especially from this angle of your home."

"It's also your home."

Xu Yuexin gave a slight smile.

Hey.

It seems he really isn't just looking for a fling.

Hearing Xu Yuexin's words, Lan Jieying felt a surge of happiness.

"Do you live in this building year-round?"

"When I come to Xiangjiang, I usually stay here."

"Then how long do you stay in Xiangjiang each year?"

Lan Jieying asked concernedly.

She hopes Xu Yuexin can spend more time in Xiangjiang, so the two can have a longer period together.

"In the past, about a month each year."

After thinking it over, Xu Yuexin answered seriously, "I should stay longer in the future."

"Is that so? That's pretty good."

Lan Jieying nodded, feeling quite happy inside.

She now just wants to spend more time with Xu Yuexin, and nothing else matters.

The two held hands on the rooftop for a while, when Xu Yuexin suggested taking her to view a property.

"Aren't you looking to buy a house? Let's go see it now."

Xu Yuexin said, "It's almost the end of the year, so the volume of new projects and the scale of discounts will increase."

"But the fee hasn't been deposited into my Yin Hang account yet; let's wait a bit longer."

"I'll front you the money now; you can repay me later when you have funds."

"Let's go out together to view the building."

After saying that, Xu Yuexin took Lan Jieying's hand and walked toward the elevator lobby.

A moment later, he drove a Rolls‑Royce and stopped in front of a sales office near Central with Lan Jieying.

The sales office was exquisitely decorated, its ceiling a star‑sky design, the floor polished marble, and the salesgirls all youthful and beautiful, wearing fitted skirts and sheer stockings.

Hmm, this project seems reliable.

After entering, Xu Yuexin looked at the faces of the salesgirls and judged in his mind.

His way of judging a company's or project's quality was simple: see whether there are beautiful women there, and how many.

Beauty has value, especially in a big city like Xiangjiang, where it is often quite lucrative.

Places that can afford attractive women are usually powerful and won't produce low‑level problems.

"Good afternoon, sir. Are you here to view a property?"

When she saw Xu Yuexin and Lan Jieying enter together, the female sales agent warmly greeted them.

Facing her proactive service, Lan Jieying felt a little at a loss.

"Hmm, just looking around."

Xu Yuexin calmly said at that moment, leading Lan Jieying to the massive model board to examine the development.

The development's location is good, only 300 meters from Central MTR Exit.

As a villa community, each building is only five stories tall, with the ground floor featuring a garden and a basement.

The community's green space ratio is 30%, a very impressive proportion in the land‑scarce Central of Xiangjiang.

The parking space ratio is 1:2, and buying a large unit comes with a free parking spot.

Xu Yuexin grew more satisfied as he looked, while Lan Jieying became completely absorbed.

Whether in terms of location amenities or the community itself, this place is far superior to the old‑fashioned apartment block Lan Jieying currently lives in.

How wonderful it would be if I could buy an apartment here.

Lan Jieying thought dreamily.

At that moment, Xu Yuexin looked at Lan Jieying and said, "The complex is okay, right?"

"Hmm, but it should be very expensive."

Lan Jieying nodded, her expression full of reluctance.

Xu Yuexin, having heard that, turned to the salesperson and said, "Miss, how are the houses priced?"

"The average price is 800 Hong Kong Dollar per square foot; each unit has its own price."

"For example, the third floor of the central tower costs 1,000 Hong Kong Dollar per square foot. May I ask which building you'd like?"

"800 Hong Kong Dollar per square foot? That's too pricey."

Lan Jieying couldn't help but gasp, saying that the price was far beyond her means.

"Are there any discounts?"

At this point, Xu Yuexin asked calmly.

When buying a house, the way you ask about discounts also matters.

Asking "Are there any discounts?" implies you're not yet planning to buy, just gathering information.

If you ask whether a discount can be given, the subtext is that you've already decided to purchase.

By comparison, the former question clearly gives you more leverage.

"For large units over 1,000 square feet, we include a parking space and offer a 2% discount on the total price for full payment."

"Oh, is there a discount if I buy two more units?"

"Sir, how many units do you intend to purchase?"

Upon hearing that Xu Yuexin intended to buy multiple units, the salesperson's smile widened and they hurriedly asked further.

Xu Yuexin no longer looked at her; instead, he slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced around.

"Is there a place to sit here?"

"Yes, please, sir."

The salesperson said, leading Xu Yuexin and Lan Jieying toward the interior of the sales office.

Seeing this, Lan Jieying nervously tugged at Xu Yuexin's sleeve.

"I can't afford this place."

"I'll pay, and you can repay me slowly later."

"It happens that I also want to buy here myself."

"Alright, alright, I'll write you an IOU."

Hearing Xu Yuexin's words, Lan Jieying let out a long sigh.

If she were to owe Xu Yuexin a flat for no reason, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

"Please have a seat, both of you."

The salesperson poured tea for Xu Yuexin and Lan Jieying, then sat on the chair opposite the sofa.

"There were many people outside earlier, so it wasn't convenient to answer your questions."

Xu Yuexin leaned back on the sofa, relaxed, and said, "Now I can answer you."

"The number of units I buy will fully depend on the generosity of your discounts."

"I see…"

The salesperson nodded slightly and fell into thought.

Soon, she gave a reply.

"Sir, how does this sound? If you buy two units, we'll give you a 5% discount; three units, a 7% discount. What do you think?"

"What would you say if I wanted more than three units?"

"Well… my authority tops out at a 7% discount; anything more requires me to apply to the Manager."

"Alright, go apply. I might be buying a large number of units."

Seeing that the discount offered was satisfactory, Xu Yuexin finally revealed his hand.

"A Xin, how many units are you planning to buy?"

As soon as the salesperson left, Lan Jieying could no longer contain her surprise and asked Xu Yuexin.

"One building."

Xu Yuexin replied without hesitation.

Central and Mid-Levels alike are high‑price zones in Xiangjiang.

In later years, the price of ordinary high‑rise apartments here reaches 400,000 Hong Kong Dollar per square meter.

For villas like this, doubling the price is no problem.

But now the unit price is only 9,000 Hong Kong Dollar per square meter.

From past to present, the appreciation rate is as much as a hundredfold.

This is definitely a very worthwhile investment.

Lan Jieying was shocked by his answer.

Buying by building? It turns out that the measurement units wealthy people use when buying property differ from those of ordinary folks.

Not long after, the salesperson returned from outside and gave Xu Yuexin a response.

"Our Manager just said that if you buy four units, we can give an 8% discount; five units, a 9% discount."

"What about more?"

"If it's more, we'll standardize it to a 10% discount."

The salesperson replied.

"Too little."

Xu Yuexin shook his head and said, "I intend to buy three buildings; you're only giving me a 10% discount?"

Ah, this...

The salesperson was also at a loss after his question.

She originally thought Xu Yuexin would buy at most five or six units, but didn't expect him to buy three buildings at once.

That's fifteen units! "Sorry, sir, that's our fault." Facing Xu Yuexin's questioning, the salesperson quickly knelt and said, "I'll go consult again; may I have you wait a moment?"

Fifteen units, in any development, would make one a standard high‑end client.

She must seize it! Xu Yuexin and Lan Jieying waited a while longer in the reception room until the salesperson finished the call and returned holding a blueprint.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting; our Manager just consulted the Sales General Manager again."

The salesperson, smiling broadly, said, "The Sales General Manager said that if you buy three buildings, we can give a 20% discount directly."

"May I ask, sir, are you satisfied with this discount rate?"

"A 20% discount, that'll do? How about throwing in fifteen parking spaces as well."

"Fifteen parking spaces? Sure, that's perfectly fine."

The salesperson nodded.

Normally, a large unit comes with a parking space.

Xu Yuexin buying fifteen units and receiving fifteen parking spaces is absolutely reasonable.

"Both of you, here is the layout distribution and price list of our community; please take a look."

After discussing the discount, the salesperson crouched beside Xu Yuexin, spread the blueprint on the table, and said, "The best ones right now are definitely buildings 6, 8, and 9; they're located in the middle of the community and offer panoramic views of the water scenery and garden."

"Of course, the other buildings are also fine; the peripheral ones are closer to the subway station."

Hearing the salesperson's introduction, Xu Yuexin nodded silently and examined the buildings carefully.

On the surface, buildings 6, 8, and 9 are indeed, as the salesperson said, the best positioned.

However, one must also consider that Building 9 is closest to the scenic pool and is prone to mosquito and insect nuisance in summer.

"I'll take buildings 5, 6, and 8."

After thinking, Xu Yuexin said, "Please calculate the total price."

"Alright, sir..."

The salesperson immediately took out a pocket calculator and summed the numbers from the table.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

After a round of addition and verification, the calculator finally displayed an amount of 18.72 million yuan.

"With a 20% discount, that's... 14.976 million yuan."

The salesperson pressed the 0.8 multiplier and said to Xu Yuexin.

So much money...

Hearing that figure, Lan Jieying beside him took a deep breath.

Lan Jieying earns a 150,000‑yuan fee for a film, and after the company's share, she retains 75,000 yuan.

At this rate, she would need to act in 200 films to earn 15 million yuan.

That would likely take a lifetime of nonstop filming.

Lan Jieying sighed.

A Xin, with just a slight move, gave her a glimpse of a corner of the wealthy world.

"Hmm, even if it's just a corner, it's enough to challenge her imagination."

At the same time, she also rounded it to 14.97 million.

Xu Yuexin said to the female salesperson.

"Even though the family business is large, cut what you can."

"No problem, sir; I'll bring the Contract and the POS machine over, please wait a moment."

The female salesperson nodded repeatedly and quickly carried the Contract documents and POS machine into the office.

Fifteen units plus fifteen parking spaces amount to three sets of 90 Contracts in total.

Each Contract has dozens of places that need signatures, and Xu Yuexin's hand was getting numb from signing.

"Make a call to Xiao Yu and ask her to come over."

Halfway through signing, Xu Yuexin instructed Lan Jieying.

Lan Jieying's heart fluttered at the words.

Could it be that he intends to buy a unit for Zhang Manyu as well?

What's the relationship between the two of them? "Alright, I'll call her right away."

Lan Jieying agreed, immediately dialed Zhang Manyu's number, and asked her to come to the sales office quickly.

"What, is Director Xu sending me over? Alright, I'll be there right away."

On the other end of the handset, Zhang Manyu heard that it was Xu Yuexin's request and responded eagerly.

Huanqiu Juxing is only a kilometer away; shortly after Lan Jieying made the call, Zhang Manyu arrived.

At this moment, Xu Yuexin had not finished signing and was busy signing rapidly.

"Director Xu, do you have any instructions?"

Zhang Manyu asked cautiously after entering.

The chairman suddenly summoned her to the sales office.

This made the young woman feel very unusual!

"You and A Ying are both the company's key cadres; today I'll buy each of you a house."

Xu Yuexin temporarily set down his pen, flexed his sore fingers, looked at Zhang Manyu and said, "From now on, remember to work well for the company."

Zhang Manyu was stunned.

She had just joined the company and already received both a car and a house.

The happiness came so big and sudden that Zhang Manyu didn't know how to express her feelings.

"Xiao Yu."

Lan Jieying nudged Zhang Manyu and gently reminded her.

"Thank you, Chairman."

Zhang Manyu quickly bowed ninety degrees to him in thanks, "From now on I will definitely work hard for the company and not betray the treatment you have given me."

"Also, how much does the house cost? I'll give you an IOU."

"Alright, here's the two contracts for you."

After speaking, Xu Yuexin randomly drew six contracts from the remaining pile and handed them to Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu.

Three contracts correspond to one house, so six make two houses.

Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu took the contracts and signed their own names in the appropriate places.

……

After a long time, Xu Yuexin finally finished signing his own more than eighty contracts.

On average, each contract required fifteen signatures of his own name, meaning Xu Yuexin had to write his name over a thousand times.

With the endless repetition, he could barely recognize the three characters "Xu Yuexin" anymore.

At this point, the sales agent also finished confirming beside him, ensuring that every spot requiring a signature bore Xu Yuexin's name.

"Boss Xu, may I swipe the card now?"

The sales agent set down the contract in hand and asked Xu Yuexin.

"Mm, swipe."

"Beep..."

After the sales agent plugged in the power to start the machine, Xu Yuexin swiped his bank card over it.

14.97 million Hong Kong Dollars bought fifteen houses located in the most central district of Xiangjiang.

And the fifteen parking spaces that came as gifts.

A single parking space alone can fetch a price of 8 million Hong Kong Dollars in later years.

In a bustling area, parking prices are calculated as ten times the per‑square‑meter house price. A villa like this can later sell for 800,000 Hong Kong Dollars per square meter, so the corresponding parking price is 8 million.

That means, in the future, these fifteen gifted parking spaces could each appreciate to over 100 million Hong Kong Dollars.

After buying the houses, Xu Yuexin and the sales agent left the office together and went outside to take possession of the houses.

The villas have few floors and short construction periods, so they are sold as ready‑built houses.

The houses are located right next to the sales office, and their exterior style bears traces of villa imitation.

They feature a copper gate carved with the three goddesses of Meihui, a lion fountain beyond the entrance, and a well‑maintained, lush lawn—a scene of a high‑end residential area...

Everything is somewhat similar to the garden of Xu Yuexin's Half-Mountain Mansion, though there are some differences in green area and material quality.

Inside, the sales agent led Xu Yuexin, Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu to inspect each house.

The houses are fully furnished, with solid‑wood flooring laid tightly, stone‑panel background walls, central Air Conditioning, New Air System, and everything else.

The room color scheme is also very atmospheric, giving a later‑generation cream‑style décor feel.

"Boss, the houses here come with a ten‑year warranty after delivery."

The female sales agent emphasized to Xu Yuexin while viewing the houses, "As long as it's not human‑caused damage, we repair everything for free."

"Also, considering the large number of units you bought, headquarters decided to waive the property management fees for all your houses for five years."

"Just a small token of appreciation; I hope you can accept it."

"Alright, thank you all."

Xu Yuexin gave a slight nod.

Developers of this caliber pay great attention to maintaining major clients.

Because a major client will inevitably purchase many houses over a lifetime; if a developer can establish a good brand image and satisfy the client in the first transaction, there will be opportunities to sell houses to them again later.

After viewing the houses, Xu Yuexin said goodbye to the sales agent and walked with Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu down the streets of Central.

"Do you still remember the penultimate floors of Building 6 and Building 8?"

Xu Yuexin told Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu, "You will live there from now on. A Ying will live in Building 6, Xiao Yu in Building 8."

"Thank you, Director Xu!"

Under the November sky, Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu exclaimed with joy.

They had signed two contracts for small‑type units.

But the penultimate floors of Building 6 and Building 8 are 180‑square‑meter large flat‑top units, the king‑size apartments of the whole complex.

The view is unbeatable: looking up you see the bustling streets of Central, looking down you see the clear, rippling water scenery of the community.

Lan Jieying and Zhang Manyu, who had just accompanied Xu Yuexin to inspect these two units, were very excited about it.

They never imagined they could live in such a fine house.

In the following days, the two moved furniture into their respective houses and settled in.

As the owner of the houses, Xu Yuexin was duly issued keys for all the houses, including these two.

With a dozen or so keys hanging from his waist, they clanged noisily as he walked.

Hmm, a dozen is still too many; just a few will do.

In the end, Xu Yuexin stored most of the keys away, taking only a few, including those for Zhang Manyu's and Lan Jieying's two units.

……

"A Ying, I bought two pots of Narcissus a few days ago and kept them thriving at home."

"When they bloom, they're so fragrant."

"Is that so? Then I'll also buy two pots to grow at home…"

One day, Zhang Manyu and Lan Jieying were idling inside the company, chatting about daily life.

At that moment, Xu Yuexin passed by and heard it.

"A very fragrant Narcissus?"

Xu Yuexin stopped in his tracks, joined Zhang Manyu and Lan Jieying's discussion, saying, "I'll go to your place today to see just how fragrant it is."

"Sure, Director Xu, are you planning to go after work?"

Zhang Manyu, not doing as he expected, asked with a purely innocent expression.

(End of chapter)