Chapter 511: Sometimes You Have to Take the Initiative

Ding, ding, ding...

The phone alarm rang. On the bed, where her jade-like body was sprawled out in a display of spring, Zhu Suosuo grumbled in dissatisfaction, pulled the quilt over her head, and covered herself. Jiang Nansun struggled to open her eyes, groggily picked up the phone on the nightstand, and turned off the alarm. She sat up, her long hair covering her face, dazed, and turned on the phone.

After a good while, she let out a huge yawn, swept her hair back, and glanced at Zhu Suosuo, who was completely buried under the quilt beside her. Only then did she rub her eyes and slowly get out of bed to change clothes, taking her phone to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, applying a simple, light makeup. She focused on skincare, unlike Zhu Suosuo, who wore heavy makeup.

By the time she finished these tasks, it was only 6:30. She let out a long breath, scrolled through her phone, ignored the "good morning" message from Wang Yongzheng, and found Wang Yan's avatar, tapping it to open the chat interface.

She scrolled up through the long chat history, looked at the timestamps of Wang Yan's replies, and after searching for a long time, finally found a few messages he had replied to in the morning. Only then did she start typing away, sending messages.

After waiting for a while without a reply, she sighed, got up to tidy herself, slung her small bag over her shoulder, and quietly opened the door to leave, heading to the house they had rented.

The distance wasn't very far; at a normal walking pace, it took no more than half an hour. Of course, she didn't have the leisure for that, so she went downstairs and got into the ride-hailing car she had booked in advance.

In just ten minutes, she arrived in front of a six-story Western-style house. Considering the old lady's legs and feet, they had rented a unit on the second floor. Because the spacing between the buildings wasn't small, it didn't block much light, and overall, it looked quite good.

She climbed the stairs, entered the password into the smart lock, and the moment she opened the door, a mouth-watering aroma greeted her.

The old lady, who had risen early, was dressed in a brocade qipao, her hair as meticulous as ever, sitting on the sofa holding a cup and drinking morning tea. A few days had been enough for her to accept that her spendthrift son had squandered the family fortune. She favored boys over girls, but she couldn't help but reflect. She knew well that Jiang Pengfei's upbringing, which she had pampered since he was a child, was largely responsible for the Jiang family's current state. If she had really given birth to a grandson, and father and son had squandered the fortune together, she estimated the Jiang family might not have lasted until now.

So, although her old mindset hadn't changed, her attitude toward Jiang Nansun had improved a lot. Seeing her granddaughter open the door and walk in, she asked curiously, "Why are you back so early? Where is Suosuo?"

Jiang Nansun turned back to close the door: "Suosuo is still sleeping; she won't get up until noon. Dad, I have something to tell you."

Jiang Pengfei had previously said he would cook, do chores, and even mentioned going fishing. He hadn't taken action on the fishing yet, but he had already started cooking and doing chores. He was lazy and incompetent, so of course, it didn't work out, which is why he had invited their former nanny back to teach him how to cook and do housework. The nanny, of course, didn't refuse; she did less work but got the same pay—a good deal.

At that moment, in the kitchen, Jiang Pengfei was assisting the nanny in learning how to make breakfast. Hearing his daughter's call, he walked out, wiping his hands on his apron, and asked with a chuckle, "What is it, that you're back so early instead of sleeping in?"

Jiang Nansun quite liked having a father who was so grounded in daily life: "Last night, Suosuo took Ye Ye Jin Yan to see our old house. He was quite satisfied and asked Suosuo to pass on the message that he would contact us today to come and negotiate the price."

Jiang Pengfei was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands: "That's great! The sooner the house is sold, the sooner we can let Wang Yan recoup the money he advanced. I'll call Wang Yan right now; it's Saturday, he shouldn't be busy."

"I already sent him a message before I came, but he didn't reply. He probably hasn't woken up yet."

"What's the use of sending a message? He won't see it; you have to call him. It's seven o'clock now, you have to call even if he hasn't woken up. What if he has other plans today and we miss the chance? Busy people are hard to coordinate. We should handle our family's affairs quickly so he can recoup his money sooner and avoid further losses. Nansun, call Wang Yan now; it's not like you don't know him, he won't mind."

He had already put up over fifty million; why would he be unhappy just because of a morning phone call...

Jiang Nansun thought about it, and it did make sense. She nodded, took her phone out of her small bag, and called Wang Yan directly.

"Hello, Nansun? What's up?"

The call connected quickly. Listening to the voice on the other end, she said: "Sorry, Brother Yan, for calling you so early. It's like this: yesterday, Suosuo took Ye Ye Jin Yan from the Jingyan Group to see our old house. He felt quite good about it, and today Ye Ye Jin Yan's secretary will come over to negotiate the price. My dad was afraid you might have plans today, which is why he had me call you so early."

"Alright, I understand. I don't have any plans today; let me know when that secretary arrives."

"Mm, see you in a bit then?"

With a "mm," the person on the other end hung up. Jiang Nansun let out a long breath and looked at her father, who was wearing an inquisitive expression: "Wang Yan said to let him know when Ye Ye Jin Yan's secretary arrives."

"You just said those two sentences in a phone call? You..." Jiang Pengfei was frustrated, turned around, and went back to the kitchen to continue clumsily assisting.

Jiang Nansun curled her lip and went into the bedroom to talk to her mother, who had been woken up by their loud talking and the clatter in the kitchen, and was now leaning against the headboard playing on her phone.

Now it was Jiang Pengfei's turn to show repentance. Of course, even if he weren't showing repentance, he wouldn't care what Dai Yin did; it was just that the old lady would say a few words when she saw something she didn't like. But now, the old lady didn't feel like nagging anymore, just letting it be. Dai Yin felt that this bankruptcy was actually quite good. It hadn't greatly affected their lives, Jiang Pengfei had changed a bit, and the old lady wasn't nitpicking anymore; she was living quite comfortably...

Just as it hit nine o'clock, Fan Jingang's call came through to Jiang Pengfei, asking if Wang Yan had time, and finally, they set a meeting for ten o'clock at the Jiang family's newly rented house...

Wang Yan had been staying at the place of the woman with the big wavy hair. After Jiang Nansun's call in the morning, he had a simple morning workout with her until nine o'clock. After washing up, he had a simple breakfast of milk, bread, and pan-seared steak, changed his clothes, and left, feeling refreshed.

He went downstairs and took a taxi directly to the Jiang family's place. When he stood at the door, it was exactly ten o'clock; his timing was extremely precise.

He knocked on the door, and just as he lowered his hand, the door was pushed open. Jiang Nansun's smiling face appeared before him: "Brother Yan, come in. You don't need to change your shoes."

Wang Yan nodded, said "mm," and stepped inside with a chuckle.

In the living room, the old lady was sitting on the sofa, while Jiang Pengfei, Dai Yin, and the slightly chubby Fan Jingang were standing there.

He greeted everyone in a circle and said to Jiang Pengfei: "Uncle Jiang, your mental state is looking good."

"We've reached this point; besides accepting it, there's no other way, so naturally, I've adapted." Jiang Pengfei waved his hand in self-deprecation, then turned to say: "Let me introduce you. This is Fan Jingang, secretary to Ye Ye Jin Yan of the Jingyan Group."

"Hello, Mr. Wang. I have long heard of your righteous deeds. It is truly rare in today's society for Mr. Jiang to have a friend like you, who can help so generously and without seeking anything in return. I admire you, truly."

Although Fan Jingang was like a woman, lacking masculine energy, and perhaps even gay, that had nothing to do with work. His work ability was certainly sufficient; otherwise, no matter how much Ye Ye Jin Yan cherished old feelings, he wouldn't have kept Fan Jingang for so many years and trusted him so deeply. Now, Fan Jingang was smiling with a face full of wrinkles, and his words were flattering to both parties; his way of speaking and doing things was certainly not bad.

Wang Yan chuckled and shook hands with him: "Making friends, if I can help, I certainly should. Besides, I'm a 'small person first, gentleman later' type; it's all signed in black and white in the contract. It's your Ye Zong who, in the current economic climate, is still willing to pay tens of millions in cash to buy a house. He's helping Uncle Jiang, and he's helping me. Uncle Jiang and I should thank your Ye Zong. Please be sure to convey my gratitude to him."

"Certainly, certainly." Fan Jingang laughed: "But the price has to be right; only if this deal is negotiated successfully will it count."

"Alright, Mr. Fan is a straightforward person, let's get straight to the point. Shall we sit down and talk?"

"Oh, yes, yes, let's all sit, let's not stand. I just brewed this tea, let's drink while we talk." Jiang Pengfei greeted them enthusiastically.

Everyone took their seats. Jiang Nansun also went to the side to sit with Dai Yin and the old lady, while Jiang Pengfei served tea, distributing it to Wang Yan and Fan Jingang.

Wang Yan picked up the teacup, took a sip, savored it, and without putting on airs by commenting on the tea, he directly and concisely opened the conversation: "I wonder how much Ye Zong intends to offer?"

Fan Jingang didn't like tea; he preferred coffee. He took a sip, didn't taste much, put down the teacup, and smiled: "I wonder how much Mr. Wang wants to sell for?"

It was the same game theory: whoever makes the first offer dies first. However, Wang Yan didn't care about that; he just wanted to recoup his funds quickly and get his principal back. Of course, selling for more would be good too—didn't you see Jiang Pengfei watching with eager eyes?

He said: "Let me simply calculate an account for you. As for helping, I won't count my losses. The first sum was to pay back the companies and individuals who lent money to Uncle Jiang; I paid 13 million. The second sum was to pay off the bank loan and release the house from mortgage; the loan was 25 million, and including interest, I advanced 26 million. The third sum is for Uncle Jiang's house; because of historical issues, there is an old lady living on the third floor. To facilitate the sale of the house, I had to pay a higher price to ask that lady to move out; this sum was 13 million."

Adding these three sums together, I paid out 52 million. As I just said, I am helping Uncle Jiang's family, so I won't count my losses; I just need to get back my 52 million. Besides, you can see the situation of Uncle Jiang's family now, and I don't need to say anything about the value of the house; you are in this business, so you should know better than I do. I think we should still take care of Uncle Jiang, don't you think, Mr. Fan?"

Fan Jingang nodded. Wang Yan was very direct, and his meaning was very clear. The bottom price was 52 million, and the rest depended on whether they, as the people invited to help, were truly helping.

He reached out his hand, spread his five fingers, and flipped his palm back and forth: "This number, what does Mr. Wang think?"

"About the taxes..."

"This number already includes taxes." Fan Jingang interrupted: "As a real estate company, and with our Ye Zong as the helm of the Jingyan Group, we have some friends in the housing management department, and our funds are abundant. On Zhou Yi, it will only take one morning to handle everything, and the funds can be credited that afternoon."

Wang Yan looked at Jiang Pengfei on the side: "What do you think, Uncle Jiang?"

Jiang Pengfei had nothing to say; of course, he nodded repeatedly, accepting this figure. After all, truthfully speaking, the house had nothing to do with them anymore: "Let's settle it this way, and the sooner the better; I can't let you suffer any more losses. Mr. Fan, thank you, and thank Ye Zong even more."

"This is a win-win for us; we've fulfilled your wishes and also obtained a good house. Such old Western-style houses are truly rare in the market now; you can't buy them even if you have money." Task accomplished, Fan Jingang said with a laugh: "Mr. Wang, please leave me a contact method. At nine o'clock on Zhou Yi morning, bring that lady, and we will meet with Mr. Jiang at the entrance of the Real Estate Trading Center. It won't take an hour to finish the procedures."

Wang Yan nodded, directly added Fan Jingang on WeChat, and sent his phone number over.

Fan Jingang scrolled through his phone, finished noting it down, stood up, and said: "Alright, since we've agreed, let's see you on Zhou Yi. I have some other things to do, so I won't disturb you further."

He shook hands with Wang Yan and Jiang Pengfei, nodded to the other three women, said "no need to see me out," and left decisively. From the moment Wang Yan entered, it hadn't even been ten minutes; it was very efficient.

Before Wang Yan could say he was leaving, Jiang Pengfei pulled him and said: "Wang Yan, you don't have anything to do, right? It's past ten o'clock, almost noon, have a meal at home. I bought the groceries this morning; they're all fresh. Let's have a couple of drinks. I've been learning to cook from the nanny recently, and I've made some progress; you should taste my craft."

With such enthusiasm, what could Wang Yan say? He nodded: "Alright, let's have a couple of drinks."

"Great! You sit and drink tea, I'll go help the auntie tidy up the food." After speaking, Jiang Pengfei glanced at the three women, coughed, and turned to call the nanny, who was sitting at the dining table playing on her phone, to the kitchen.

Dai Yin helped the old lady stand up: "Nansun, you keep Wang Yan company and talk. I'll take Grandma out for a walk so she can eat more at noon. You guys chat, Wang Yan."

"Alright, Auntie Dai." Wang Yan sat there chuckling, drinking tea, watching Dai Yin and the old lady, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, leave the house harmoniously.

Then, the sliding door with patterns installed in the kitchen was slammed shut by Jiang Pengfei with a bang, and one could only vaguely see what the people inside were doing...

Jiang Nansun sighed helplessly and sat down next to Wang Yan: "I knew it."

Wang Yan poured her a cup of tea, acting as if he knew nothing: "Aren't you and Zhang Anren doing quite well? Before, when dozens of people were blocking the door, although Zhang Anren was scared, he wasn't bad; he wasn't in a hurry to distance himself. At that time, I saw that your family approved of him, right? Why are they trying to set us two up now?"

"We broke up a while ago." Jiang Nansun shook her head. Without waiting for Wang Yan to continue asking, she took the initiative to explain the reason: "I feel like I'm not compatible with him. Before, I was excessively immersed in the beauty he outlined, but now I feel it's particularly boring. Consequently, I feel particularly awkward whenever I see him. Plus, I do have problems, like spending money, being wasteful, and other small flaws; he had long been dissatisfied with me, but he had always suppressed it and didn't say anything. After that day, the next day we had a fight, and then we broke up as a matter of course. But I feel quite good; I don't feel the sadness I imagined at all. Look, aren't I doing quite well now?"

"You are doing quite well." Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle, drinking tea: "And in the future? What are your plans?"

"In terms of relationships or life?"

"Both."

"In terms of life, I still have to thank you. If it weren't for your help, even if our family wasn't in debt, we wouldn't have much money left. Unlike now, we can actually afford to pay over ten thousand to hire a nanny. If it weren't for you, I might have had to work early to earn money to support the family. After all, Grandma is old, and my parents have never worked in their lives. But fortunately, there's you, so I'll continue my PhD. Professor Dong at the school has already told me I passed, just waiting for the admission list to be published. I can stay in the ivory tower for a few more years and don't have to deal with so many worldly affairs."

Jiang Nansun blinked: "As for relationships, you can't force them. Just like you said, let it depend on fate."

Wang Yan chuckled, put down the teacup, turned around, and reached out directly, tucking the stray hair from her forehead behind her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek: "What do you think of me?"

Jiang Nansun was stunned. She hadn't expected Wang Yan to be so bold, and her face was visibly flushed. She wanted to refuse, but couldn't say it; it was the helplessness of losing her composure.

Wang Yan was, of course, very skilled. In fact, he didn't care about Jiang Nansun's answer. Immediately, he used force with his hand to pull her head closer.

Jiang Nansun opened her eyes wide in disbelief, reaching out to push Wang Yan's chest. What she felt, however, were the elastic, angular, and well-textured muscles hidden under his loose short sleeves. Her mind was in a mess. When she wanted to use force, her lips had already perceived the warmth, and her teeth had already felt the tongue probing in. She simply closed her eyes...

If you don't take the initiative, sometimes you have to. Jiang Nansun, a high-minded "tea," always had to hold back. If it were a long time, Wang Yan would be willing to play with her. But coming from 2017 until he left, it was only two or three years; where would he have the time to slowly pull and tug? When it's time to act, you have to act. He didn't have any baggage, and the final comfortable result was what mattered.

In the original drama, after Jiang Pengfei died, Jiang Nansun and her mother Dai Yin went abroad to Italy together, where she reunited with Wang Yongzheng. In just ten days or half a month, the two of them quickly got together. When Zhang Anren pursued Jiang Nansun, it certainly wouldn't have been this easy. Although the time and age were different and there was no comparability, it explained some problems.

And the time Wang Yan had known Jiang Nansun was about the same as Wang Yongzheng's. On this basis, Wang Yan was more outstanding, more charming, more mature, and more natural. Even if Wang Yan didn't have that "free and unrestrained" feeling of Wang Yongzheng, it was just that he was more introverted. This was something that couldn't be helped; after all, Wang Yan was too old—if you detailed it, he was pushing a thousand years old; how could he really be like a young person?

Of course, his "free and unrestrained" was different from the frivolous, devil-may-care look of Wang Yongzheng. His aura of freedom and unrestraint came from a certain indifference to all things in the world; to a certain extent, it was transcendence. Similarly, this was also the reason why he always made people feel natural. Because on a deeper spiritual level, all things really co-existed with him, and heaven and earth were really one with him; he was nature itself.

What's more, although Wang Yan didn't ask for any return, he really helped the Jiang family; he was a benefactor. No matter how much of a "white-eyed wolf" Jiang Nansun was, she should have some closeness to the benefactor who held up her quality of life and allowed her to continue her studies. Counting Wang Yan's excellence, the two of them hadn't chatted less on WeChat on weekdays, and although they were all professional problems, there were always some small talk, and naturally, there was some good impression.

Wang Yan had the intention to win her over, so the scene at this moment was no surprise.

Jiang Nansun was, of course, resistant at first, but later, feeling the entanglement between their lips and teeth, and feeling the warm, large hand naturally covering her chest and making mischief, she only felt her whole body go numb, completely losing her ability to resist, and even more so, losing the heart to resist...

After a long time, when Jiang Nansun felt it was difficult to breathe, this long kiss finally ended, and the hand making mischief on her chest also retreated. She hugged her chest with both hands, panting heavily, her face flushed, looking at Wang Yan, who had already picked up the teacup and was naturally drinking tea, with blurred eyes, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"You feel quite good about me." Wang Yan chuckled and poured her a cup of tea: "This is your body answering me."

"Stop talking, it's annoying." Jiang Nansun slapped Wang Yan's back in annoyance, then got up and ran away, going to her small room facing north, closing the door, and not coming out.

Pretending to be pure, Wang Yan didn't care at all. He simply took out his phone, and while drinking tea, he casually scrolled through the news...

After a while, Jiang Pengfei opened the door to check the situation, only to see Wang Yan sitting on the sofa drinking tea by himself. He walked out and said: "Where's Nansun?"

"She went back to her room to stay."

"Oh my, this girl, she's really worrying me to death; she doesn't even know how to grasp a good opportunity. She broke up with Zhang Anren, and I thought she had figured it out, but it turns out she's still stubborn."

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled, lying through his teeth: "Uncle Jiang, a twisted melon isn't sweet, so don't worry about it. Hurry up and cook; I'm hungry. Do you need me to help assist? My craft is also passable."

"You can't fight me for work, and besides, the kitchen isn't big, it can't fit you. You just sit and drink tea steadily; it'll be ready soon. If you're bored, here, the TV remote is there, watch some TV."

After speaking, Jiang Pengfei turned and walked away. It was only because it was Wang Yan, who had a good temper, that he didn't say anything even though he was being treated impolitely as a guest; anyone else would have been unhappy long ago. He had actually long since stopped planning to manage Jiang Nansun's affairs, but after all, Wang Yan was different, helping him so much, and he had no way to repay him, so he could only be a father to Wang Yan...

Time passed bit by bit, and dish after dish was served on the table. In the middle, there was a runner who came to deliver some popular local snacks bought outside. Just past eleven o'clock, Dai Yin and the old lady also returned, sitting in the living room chuckling and talking to Wang Yan.

Almost at twelve o'clock, all the food was finally ready. The nanny cleaned up and left; the place was too small now, and there was no place for her to stay. Jiang Pengfei also greeted them and started the meal.

Jiang Nansun always had to eat. If she didn't come out now, it would mean she had an opinion about Wang Yan. When she came out, her complexion had long since recovered, but seeing Wang Yan's teasing eyes, she couldn't help but blush. Because Wang Yan noticed that she had changed her pants. Although they were both jeans, there was a difference. Glaring fiercely at Wang Yan, Jiang Nansun sat down at the dining table.

It was just like when Wang Yan went to the Jiang family for a meal before: the old lady sat in the main seat alone, on one side were the couple Jiang Pengfei and Dai Yin, and on the other side were Wang Yan and Jiang Nansun together.

Jiang Pengfei poured wine for Wang Yan, and on the other side, Dai Yin also opened red wine and poured half a cup for herself and Jiang Nansun, and even poured a little for the old lady. Drinking a small amount of alcohol is good for health.

"Come, Wang Yan, our family toasts you. If it weren't for your help, I really wouldn't know what would happen." As Jiang Pengfei raised his glass, the other three women also raised theirs.

Wang Yan shook his head: "Uncle Jiang, how many times have I said it, it's just that I find you agreeable. And we signed a contract, so there's always insurance. You keep thanking me, it makes me feel embarrassed. Come, come, come, drink, drink."

After drinking a glass together, Wang Yan looked at the table full of dishes and naturally changed the subject. He pointed to one of the dishes, "Stir-fried mushrooms with bean curd skin": "Uncle Jiang, you made this, right?"

"Taste it?" Jiang Pengfei nodded with a chuckle.

Wang Yan took a bite, savored it, and nodded: "Not bad, it would be even better if you added some salt."

... Jiang Pengfei was silent for a moment, then took a bite himself, put it in his mouth, and smiled awkwardly: "Not skilled yet, not skilled yet. You wait for me to add some salt and mix it again, you guys eat first, eat first."

When he came back, Wang Yan tasted it again and said: "Uncle Jiang, this hobby of yours is quite good. Keep it up; progress is accumulated bit by bit, and it will definitely be better in the future. I remember you mentioned fishing before? I've prepared the fishing gear; let's go out and play next week. Let's go out and play."

"Alright, anyway, I don't have anything to do." Jiang Pengfei nodded and agreed, then raised his glass and drank with Wang Yan: "Wang Yan, I've thought about the house sale; I'll give you all that money. I can't let you help in vain and bear so many losses."

"Uncle Jiang, since you know I suffered so many losses, would I care about those two million? Besides, I helped you, was it for that return?" Wang Yan shook his head: "Don't be unhappy when I say this, Uncle Jiang, those two million in your eyes is thanking me, but in my eyes, it's insulting our friendship. Listen to me, you just keep this money. Besides, in your current situation, are you still pushing it away with me? Two million doesn't mean much to me, but it's different for you. That's it, Uncle Jiang, don't argue anymore. Come, drink."

"Oh, thank you, Wang Yan." Jiang Pengfei was moved, his mouth pouting as if he wanted to cry, and he raised his head and drank a glass of wine.

"Don't always thank me or not; it's really too distant. If you're like this, I won't eat anymore." Wang Yan put down his chopsticks, took his hands off the table, and put them on his lap.

Jiang Nansun shivered, her face turned red instantly, she didn't dare to raise her head, just kept picking up food... ===== CHAPTER 512 =====