Chapter 257: The Best Birthday Gift

Gong Ying immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, or she would have screamed out loud.

Wei Ming shut the door and said casually, "Sit anywhere you like. I'll freshen up first—oh, it's normal, don't mind it."

While Wei Ming was washing up, Gong Ying secretly slipped something under the pillow, then acted as if nothing had happened.

When Wei Ming came out, he didn't even put on his pants before hugging Snow Sister and kissing her, his breath refreshingly clean.

Snow Sister felt her underwear was about to be ruined again and quickly pushed Wei Ming away: "Aren't we going shopping today? And watching a movie?"

Wei Ming held the petite Snow Sister and glanced down at her.

Sweet sister gently soothed: "Shall I use my hand?" Like last time in the Sihe Academy—the first time was new, the second should be easier.

Wei Ming didn't agree; he got up to put on his pants—he'd need them later, so he had to restrain himself now.

"So where are we going to shop?" Gong Ying asked with a smile as they went downstairs. "I can be your guide."

"Let's have breakfast first. What do people in the Magic City eat for breakfast?"

"Let's have wonton soup—there's a stall right over there."

"Fine, I'll follow your lead."

After a light morning snack, Gong Ying asked again where they should go.

Wei Ming walked as he spoke: "I want to buy a house for us in the Magic City. Do you know where?"

Hearing this, Gong Ying froze completely, shame and love intertwining, emotion and excitement coexisting.

"Buy… a house?"

Wei Ming: "Yes. Buy a house."

If we had our own house, last night probably would've worked out.

But Gong Ying still urged: "Didn't you already buy a Sihe Academy in Beijing? You've got two houses already."

No, three.

Wei Ming explained: "But you're in the Magic City. No matter where you end up, your family home is here—so we'll get a house here. Don't worry about money—I don't think you realize how rich I am."

Gong Ying truly couldn't imagine it—buying a Sihe Academy and still having ten thousand left?

But the house-buying question stumped Gong Ying—most houses back then were allocated by work units. Although since last year the government had been pushing commercial housing construction, the response hadn't been this fast yet.

Rumor had it the Magic City had built a few pilot commercial housing units—only about twenty-some—and they were sold only to overseas Chinese. Wei Ming had foreign exchange, but no eligibility.

Then there were those who already owned private property and intended to emigrate—just like buying the Sihe Academy in Beijing.

Seeing Snow Sister couldn't offer good advice, Wei Ming suggested: "Where are there lots of old Western-style houses? Let's see if anyone wants to sell."

Beijing's siheyuans were being returned to their original owners; surely the Magic City's old Western houses would be returned too. Maybe we'll stumble upon someone eager to sell and leave the country—after all, this is the Great Magic City, with a higher emigration rate than Beijing.

Gong Ying actually knew this.

"There are plenty of old Western houses in Jing'an, where we are."

Jing'an district isn't large, but once it had over a dozen private gardens—Zhang Garden, Xu Garden, Yu Garden, Xin Garden, Nan Garden, Aili Garden—home to a concentration of the wealthy.

Gong Ying recalled: "I remember."

She remembered this place vividly—when she was a child, her older brother was hospitalized here. She recalled many beautiful Western-style villas, but could only peek from outside the walls. Back then, she thought the people living inside must be princesses.

Later she learned they weren't princesses—they were cadres, working in their offices.

"Far?" Wei Ming asked.

"Not far. Walk straight along Shaanxi North Road—you'll see them within twenty minutes. I heard there are many famous people's former residences."

Twenty minutes wasn't long. Wei Ming and Snow Sister strolled leisurely through the Magic City streets. Overall, Magic City girls wore more fashionable clothes—if the New World Mall opened here, the market would be even bigger.

But now it was meaningless. According to Gong Ying, New World-style clothing stores had already opened—copying New World's service and merchandise exactly—and business was booming, with more than one, all privately owned.

Surprisingly, the Magic City's private vendors had moved faster.

The two walked straight along Shaanxi North Road until they reached the intersection with Yanjing West Road.

Gong Ying said: "There are many old Western houses here."

And there was a park nearby—right by it, they spotted one with clear European architectural style. Wei Ming immediately wanted to go take a look.

Gong Ying said directly: "This seems to be the editorial office of Zhonghua Book Company's 'Cihai'."

Wei Ming was disappointed: "It's occupied by an institution. Do you know who the original owner was?"

"Ah, this used to be Ho Tung's residence. You know Ho Tung, right?"

An old man's voice came from behind Wei Ming and Gong Ying. He was well-dressed, aged but still elegant, clearly a classic Magic City old-timer.

Gong Ying didn't know Ho Tung, but Wei Ming did.

"Old sir, are you referring to the Ho Tung who ruled Hong Kong?"

"Oh, young man, you've got some insight. Correct. Though his family mainly lived in Hong Kong and Macau, they also held sway here in the Magic City—invested in many companies. Almost all the real estate along Beiwai Tan's Daming Road, Tanggu Road, Nanxun Road, and Emei Road belonged to the Ho family. The Taiping Garden over there was theirs too—but after the founding of the PRC, everything was nationalized." The old man spoke knowledgeably about these Magic City stories of old.

As Hong Kong's first billionaire and head of the original four great families, the Ho family's assets were vast. Later, Macau's gambling king, Ho Chiu-sen, had benefited from this great-uncle's legacy.

Wei Ming was delighted—he'd finally met someone who knew. Maybe this man could help with his house-buying plans.

"Old sir, do you know if any old Western houses have been returned to private owners—and are for sale?"

"Most old Western houses here are occupied by institutions. I haven't heard of any returned to private hands. Why are you asking?" the old man countered.

Wei Ming answered honestly: "I'm from out of town. My girlfriend's family home is too small, so I want to buy a house."

The old man laughed, finding it absurd: "Are you serious? You think a young man like you can even dream of these houses? Utter fantasy!"

Wei Ming smiled too: "Age has nothing to do with it. Buying a house is about money, isn't it?"

The old man sized Wei Ming up again, wondering if he were some nobleman's son—after all, he was accompanied by a beautiful girl. Quite likely.

He usually looked down on young men who paraded on their parents' wealth—but making money wasn't shameful.

"If I really find one for you and make the deal, I'll need a finder's fee—five… three percent." He'd raised a hand, then changed to three fingers—five felt too greedy.

Wei Ming asked first: "May I know your name, old sir?"

"I'm Fei. Call me Ye Shu."

"If you really make the deal, three percent is no problem. But since you're doing the work, could you tell me where Jueyuan No. 2 is? Could you take me there?"

Old Fei was surprised: "Jueyuan No. 2? The Shi family's Jueyuan No. 2?"

Wei Ming: "Exactly."

"Young man, what's your surname?"

Wei Ming: "I'm Wei. I'm distantly related to the Shi family."

Gong Ying had heard Wei Ming mention that his grandfather's sister had married a Magic City banker—likely the Shi family.

Old Fei said: "Then come with me."

Jueyuan, formerly called Nan Garden, had originally belonged to the brothers Jian Zhao'nan and Jian Yujie, owners of the South Seas Brothers Tobacco Company, covering 15, 00 square meters of land.

After Jian Zhao'nan died, his brother donated part of the land to the Buddhist Jingye Society per his will, and sold the rest in plots. Each buyer built a Western-style villa—among them Dai Jitao, a close friend of Chiang Kai-shek, and Zhao Puchu, a patriotic religious leader.

There was also the Shi family, who bought two plots: Jueyuan No. 2 and No. 16. The first was occupied by the eldest branch, the second by the second branch.

Wei Ming's aunt, Wei Lindi, had married the eldest grandson of the Shi family and lived in Jueyuan No. 2.

The Shi family had many businesses—banks, medical facilities, railways, power plants—and held influence within the government; one family member even served as ambassador to the U. .

So after Wei Ming's aunt's father-in-law died and the civil war began, seeing the tide turning, the whole family emigrated to the U. .

The situation was clear: Chiang Kai-shek couldn't win, but staying meant certain defeat.

It was said Wei Ming's aunt's family still ran banks and medical businesses in the U. . among the most successful of Chinese overseas.

In his past life, Wei Ming had only heard fragments from his young aunt—she'd studied in the U. ., and her aunt had arranged her school and housing entirely.

But by the time Wei Ming reunited with his young aunt, all three elders of his grandfather's generation had passed away, and he hadn't actively reached out to the U. . side.

Still, his uncle in Taiwan and his aunt's family in the U. . were close—perhaps they didn't like his grandfather or his behind-the-scenes power, otherwise they could've lived in luxury in the Great Magic City, why flee overseas and live under someone else's roof?

"Here it is," Old Fei pointed to a grand mansion ahead—more imposing than the Ho Tung residence they'd just seen.

Wei Ming saw a sign at the gate: Shanghai Electric Import-Export Company.

This location, this building—Wei Ming recalled: in his past life, it had been the Picasso Memorial Museum, a popular tourist spot where influencers loved to take photos, even the TV drama "The Story of the Rose" had filmed here.

So this was his aunt's home—he'd once brought a girlfriend here.

According to Old Ghost's letter, he'd often stayed at his brother-in-law's place in the Magic City, using the Shi family's influence to carry out many underground operations.

"Like it?" Wei Ming asked Snow Sister.

Snow Sister smiled faintly, unsure how to respond. Who wouldn't love such a beautiful house? But it was too big—felt like it needed three generations living together. Just living here alone would scare her.

Wei Ming gazed inside: "Ye Shu, if this house were for sale, how much would it take to get it?"

Old Fei chuckled: "Don't even think about it. Unless the Shi family reclaims it with the deed, the state will never sell it."

Wei Ming asked: "Why?"

Old Fei thought a moment: "The Shi family always had an excellent reputation. During the war, they donated generously to hospitals and universities. Even though their homes were taken, now policies have changed—they must guarantee that if they ever return, they'll have ancestral property to live in."

Wei Ming nodded. Suddenly, an idea struck him: Could he help his aunt reclaim this house?

But even if he reclaimed it, it wouldn't be his. He could stay temporarily, but he still needed to buy his own.

After circling around till noon, Wei Ming didn't plan to have lunch with Snow Sister with an old gentleman tagging along. He gave Old Fei the guesthouse phone number.

"Call this number anytime soon—if you can't reach me, I've left the Magic City. Write to this address instead." He also left the Beijing Sihe Academy's address.

Old Fei thought: So he's a Beijing big shot. No wonder he talks so big.

Though he dressed well and knew his stuff, he'd made economic mistakes, been released only two years ago, had no job, and lived entirely off his wife's income—he truly wanted to earn money now.

Next, Wei Ming and Snow Sister continued their date. After lunch, before the movie, they bought some things on Nanjing Road.

"What do you think a girl in her teens would like?" Wei Ming asked Snow Sister.

"For your sister?"

"Sort of. My Hong Kong pen pal. She just had a birthday too, and she's helped me a lot before." Wei Ming never hid A Min's existence from those around him.

Snow Sister's guard wasn't as high as Zhu Lin's; she seriously helped Wei Ming brainstorm.

If it's a little girl from Hong Kong, she's surely seen plenty—so let's buy some handicrafts they don't see often there.

Wei Ming thought this made sense, so he went straight to the Friendship Store and bought several traditional Chinese handicrafts foreigners often took home before leaving; considering the little girl loved music, he also bought a huluqi, unsure if Hong Kong had them.

Next stop: Daguangming Cinema!

Today is the day "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait" opens in major Chinese cities; posters had been up for days. The leadership at Shanghai Film Studio had high expectations after viewing the finished film and allocated significant promotional resources.

Though not expecting it to become a phenomenon like "Love in Lushan," it was still among the studio's top few priority films this year.

Xue Jie had already secured the movie tickets in advance, so they didn't have to queue like others. But as they entered, Wei Ming noticed the schedule showed a screening of Xiying Studio's "Traitor" tomorrow morning.

Wei Ming's eyelid twitched—had Lin Jie's film debut also opened at the same time!

With such a fateful connection between the two sisters, why not swear sisterhood and call each other sisters?

In Wei Ming's view, the plot of "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait" wasn't worth much: the female lead, Liu Fang, had been sent to the countryside due to her father's political troubles, where she met a young man in a similar situation, and they fell in love.

But then the young man's father was reinstated first, while Liu Fang's father remained silent for a long time; the young man abandoned Liu Fang and married a woman of equal social standing.

Later, Liu Fang's father's issues were resolved too, and he even received a higher position—but she, heartbroken by betrayal, became disillusioned and never resolved her personal life.

Until one of her father's friends forcibly arranged a match, marrying her off to Shen Zhiyuan, an ordinary but talented young man—also known as Guo Kaimin.

They had previously met in the library and felt some mutual attraction, but the matchmaker's forceful approach left them married without truly understanding each other, leaving the groom with lingering resentment.

Meanwhile, Liu Fang's ex spread rumors about her, causing Shen Zhiyuan deep pain and making him believe his wife was frivolous; on their wedding night, he didn't touch her and immediately began a cold war.

Later, of course, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and everyone lived happily ever after—the foolish young man got a wife with top-tier looks, background, and temperament.

The film's biggest selling points were Guo Kaimin, who had just become a sensation from "Love in Lushan," and the high-looks newcomer Gong Yu.

In this film, Xue Jie not only had stunning looks but also a far more likable character than the male lead, who wrongly accused the heroine without understanding the situation.

Moreover, her role had far more screen time and room to shine than in "The Herdsman," and her performance marked a transformation compared to her previous lead role in "Jihong."

With a compelling character, exceptional beauty, and a plot still fresh to audiences of this era, viewers were utterly absorbed in the film—so much so that they didn't notice the female lead was sitting right among them.

Gong Yu felt a bit nervous while watching, glancing at Wei Ming occasionally; though she had no intimate scenes with the male lead, there were still moments of subtle glances and chemistry, and she feared he might grow jealous.

Wei Ming was indeed very patriarchal, but this level of interaction wouldn't make him jealous.

But in films like "Mother, Again Love Me," the original's intimate scenes were entirely absent from his version—and there was no need for them.

When the movie ended, Wei Ming and Xue Jie, seated near the exit, quickly left the cinema, but they could still hear many people discussing the female lead Liu Fang, with some even saying "Gong Yu" outright.

This made Xue Jie's face glow with pride; she pulled her scarf tighter, covering half her face.

"Congratulations," Wei Ming said sincerely, "you now have your first signature work."

Gong Yu's eyes sparkled: "Do you think I acted well?"

Wei Ming: "Of course—you've improved tremendously, though there are still minor flaws."

Hearing this, Gong Yu grew tense: "Where did I act badly?"

Wei Ming: "It's hard to explain here. Come back to the guesthouse with me—I'll teach you hand by hand."

Gong Yu lightly punched the rascal, then obediently followed him into the returning car.

Meanwhile, in Yanjing.

Zhu Lin also walked into a cinema showing "Traitor" with her parents.

They had just finished a screening of "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait," which seemed packed—crowds were thick, and people exiting were all discussing the female lead, either praising her beauty or her acting.

Lin Jie's lips were practically curling upward; the worst part was her mother telling her father: "That last movie seemed pretty good—let's go see it sometime when we're free."

Zhu's father: "Alright."

Inside the screening room, until the film began, Zhu Lin estimated only about two-thirds of the seats were filled.

In later times, this would be considered a decent turnout, but in this era, entertainment was scarce—almost every movie screening drew crowds, and prime slots sold out completely; yet here were so many empty seats, leaving Zhu Lin feeling disappointed, as if the cinema didn't take this film seriously.

And once the film actually started, she felt even more disappointed—why was she so dark in the movie?!

Her mother nearly laughed out loud, thinking her daughter on screen looked several shades darker than she did now.

Zhu Lin thought it was a lighting issue—she hadn't been this dark at first, but by the middle and later scenes, she truly had darkened; she'd only recovered some of her complexion thanks to Wei Ming's Hong Kong cosmetics.

Thinking of that brat, she wondered what he was doing now—and missed him.

When they returned to the guesthouse, neither Wei Ming nor Gong Yu had eaten dinner; he grabbed Xue Jie and kissed her, then carried her to bed.

"Xiao Wei, no, don't—this is a guesthouse," Xue Jie said, but Wei Ming could tell her refusal wasn't firm.

"Today's my birthday—give me you as a birthday gift, okay?" Wei Ming revealed his birthday and had already chosen his present.

Gong Yu smiled: "But I already prepared a birthday gift for you."

"You did? Where is it?"

Gong Yu reached under Wei Ming's pillow: "I brought it over this morning—here, look."

"What's this?" Wei Ming paused his undressing.

Gong Yu: "You said you practice calligraphy regularly, so I bought you a full set of the Four Treasures of the Study."

Looking at the items, Wei Ming grinned.

"Why are you laughing? Is my gift not to your taste?" Xue Jie asked, slightly embarrassed.

Wei Ming stopped laughing: "It's definitely not what I wanted—I wanted you as my gift. But I'm laughing for another reason."

"Wait a moment." Wei Ming rummaged through his luggage and pulled out the gift he'd prepared for his future father-in-law: "These are the Four Treasures of the Study I bought from Rongbaozhai—I planned to give them to your father."

"Ah?" Gong Yu took them and examined them—these seemed even higher quality than the ones she'd bought from Cao Sugong.

Yet her heart swelled with sweetness—Xiao Wei buying these meant he intended to formally declare their relationship.

And he planned to buy her an apartment in Shanghai, while she had hesitated and delayed—she'd been far too indecisive.

Fine—just think of it as a needle prick.

She set Wei Ming's gift aside, lay quietly on the bed, and pulled the blanket over herself: "I can't stay the night here—let's hurry, okay?"

Saying this, she began rustling under the blanket, undressing.

Wei Ming's spirits soared: "Don't worry, my speed is famous!"

"Still calling me 'sister'?" Gong Yu shot him a shy, scolding look—but her hands didn't stop, and one blouse was already tossed aside.

Though Wei Ming found "sister" more thrilling and romantic, he now followed her lead and changed: "Wife~"

Gong Yu's body trembled slightly—she hadn't expected him to call her that; "A Xue" would've been enough.

But since he enjoyed saying "wife," and she liked hearing it, she let him.

Her pants came off too.

As she began removing her bra, Wei Ming was already bare against her—he seemed to have magic, his clothes vanishing with a "whoosh."

(End of Chapter)