Chapter 318: Yan Li, This Boy, Has Slashed Through Two Thousand Years of Heaven and Earth

Beijing, airport

Qin Lan waved at the arriving person: "Mom, sister-in-law."

The middle-aged woman leading the group was Qin's mother, an accountant at a state-owned enterprise, looking stern and mature.

Qin Lan was still under thirty; since older generations married early, her mother was just over fifty, not yet retired, and had taken special leave for this trip.

"Did you come alone?"

Qin Lan was somewhat afraid of her mother; in the Qin family, her mother called the shots, and she had been raised under strict control, leaving her with lingering psychological shadows.

"He had an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Science and Technology—called by his superiors, couldn't be refused."

"Auntie, he's a big boss, of course he's busy; as an elder, you should understand."

Qin Lan's sister-in-law stepped in to smooth things over; Qin Lan was an only child, but she had an elder uncle—this sister-in-law was her cousin-sister-in-law, though the two families were very close, and since both were only children, their bond was nearly like that of a real sister-in-law.

For this trip to Beijing, Qin Lan's father didn't come, so they brought this niece-in-law along to assist; she got along well with Qin Lan, so it wasn't awkward at all.

Qin Lan gave her cousin-sister-in-law a grateful look: "Sister-in-law, Xiao Lang's summer break is coming soon—let my brother bring him to Beijing to play."

Xiao Lang was her nephew, Qin Lang, currently in elementary school and the only child of the third generation in the Qin family.

Qin Lan doted on him; every time she returned to her hometown, she brought him gifts, sometimes even sent things back, and the two were very close.

The cousin-sister-in-law had a plump, prosperous appearance and spoke warmly to Qin Lan: "Xiao Lang will be thrilled—he talks about you every day at home. We didn't dare tell him we were coming, or he wouldn't have focused on his final exams."

After chatting a while, Qin Lan signaled the driver to bring the luggage, and they got into the car and left.

"This car's great—a Mercedes, Lanlan, did you buy it yourself?"

The cousin-sister-in-law touched the comfortable seat, curious; Qin Lan in the front passenger seat pursed her lips.

"He had an emergency, so he specially sent his own car to pick us up, to show respect for my mom."

"So this is his personal car?"

The cousin-sister-in-law finally realized—she'd already thought the car looked impressive, with its grand exterior and luxurious interior, which was why she'd asked; now that she knew the truth, she couldn't hold back.

"How much did this car cost?"

Qin Lan's tone was uncertain: "Two or three million, I'm not exactly sure."

"Good heavens, one car equals several apartments in Shen City…"

Before she finished, her foot was stepped on; she turned and saw Qin's mother glaring at her, nodding subtly toward the driver.

The meaning was clear: show some decorum!

The cousin-sister-in-law chuckled awkwardly and fell silent, but her mind wasn't calm—neither was Qin's mother's.

Over the past few years, the economy in Northeast China hadn't been good, nor had wages.

Qin Lan's parents both worked at state-owned enterprises, which performed well, and both held technical positions with relatively better benefits.

Qin's mother, a veteran accountant, earned about four thousand a month including salary and other benefits; Qin's father was a mechanic, earning more—their combined income was roughly ten thousand a month.

The cousin-sister-in-law's family was different.

Qin Lan's uncle had retired, her aunt had been laid off and was in poor health; medical expenses and daily needs consumed nearly all of the pension.

The cousin worked as a driver at the factory; since his job depended heavily on business, his income was unstable. The cousin-sister-in-law was a kindergarten teacher; since it was a public institution, her pay was slightly better, and together they earned about five or six thousand a month—less if the cousin had no work.

For the cousin and his wife, their greatest wish was to save enough to buy an apartment and move out of the cramped worker's housing complex.

Although Shen City's housing prices were far below Beijing's, they were still expensive for ordinary people.

Even modest units cost over three thousand per square meter; for better locations and quality, prices could reach six to eight thousand per square meter.

Such apartments were beyond the cousin-sister-in-law's imagination, yet Yan Li's car was worth several of them.

Originally, Qin's mother had come with the intent of confronting Yan Li—at least to support Qin Lan—while the cousin-sister-in-law was there to play along.

But now the cousin-sister-in-law felt confronting Yan Li was unnecessary, the act was redundant, and whether or not to support Qin Lan didn't matter—the gap in status was too vast.

The car slowly entered Fuli City; Qin Lan led her mother and cousin-sister-in-law into her home.

As the door opened, the 170-square-meter penthouse with its luxurious, refined interior stunned Qin's mother and cousin-sister-in-law.

The cousin-sister-in-law excitedly toured the apartment; Qin's mother, more composed, glanced at her daughter: "Last time your father came, weren't you renting a small place?"

Qin Lan had been living in Beijing for years; her parents couldn't ignore her forever.

Once, Qin's father came to Beijing on business and wanted to visit his daughter; Qin Lan had him stay at a hotel, claiming she was sharing an apartment—her father wouldn't have been comfortable staying with her.

When he returned home, the tough old man actually cried, saying his daughter's life in Beijing was hard—she'd bought them a house but lived in a rental herself.

She hadn't even dared let him see where she lived, fearing he'd imagine her living in a basement, like those stories in the newspapers.

Since then, whenever Qin Lan sent money home, her parents barely spent it, saving it for her dowry—even after she became famous.

This blog scandal had fully exposed the truth; Qin Lan no longer needed to hide it, so she brought her mother straight to Fuli City, and only then did her mother realize her daughter had been enduring this "hardship."

Qin Lan felt embarrassed but pretended innocence, guiding her mother to the sofa and eagerly serving tea and water.

The cousin-sister-in-law wandered around, exaggerating: "It's too big—I'm almost lost."

Qin Lan smiled without replying; when she first moved into Fuli City, she'd felt the same—but now she was used to it, and Yan Li had even started complaining it was too small, urging her to research better buildings so they could swap for a larger one, otherwise she'd be too embarrassed to invite friends over.

Qin's mother shot her a glare: I asked you to help, can you be serious?

The cousin-sister-in-law fell quiet; Qin's mother's personality was cold and rigid—not only did Qin Lan fear her, she was also a bit afraid of this aunt.

Having silenced the cousin-sister-in-law, Qin's mother regained control; since the main person hadn't arrived yet, she intended to interrogate Qin Lan.

She could've asked over the phone, but this stubborn girl always dodged sensitive questions, pretending bad signal and hanging up—only face-to-face could she get clear answers.

"Who bought this apartment?"

"Him."

"How much?"

"About two million when we bought it in 2004—the floor and renovation were good; with housing prices rising fast, it's probably worth nearly five million now."

"Whose name is on it?"

"Mine."

"Only yours?"

"Yes, the property certificate is at home—if you don't believe me, I'll get it for you."

Qin's mother fell silent; upon entering the apartment, she'd known it wasn't cheap, intending to probe from there—but the deeper she probed, the more she felt shut down.

Qin Lan, as if not enough, added two more sentences: "This one was paid in full—no mortgage. I also own two smaller apartments and a commercial shop, all paid in full, all in my name."

The cousin-sister-in-law's voice grew dry: "All bought by him."

"Some came from his money, some from my own earnings."

Now, asking Qin Lan to save money for Yan Li as a backup was absurd.

Qin Lan had saved conservatively, but her share of the internet cafe dividends still left surplus, and she earned well from her job too.

Although she didn't take many roles, Qin Lan was still a popular Qingyi actress; between acting and commercials, she earned a decent income annually.

That money couldn't possibly be spent on just food, dog care, and friend gatherings; Qin Lan didn't dare invest recklessly, so she followed Yan Li's advice and bought apartments and commercial properties to hold.

Just these real estate assets alone gave Qin Lan a net worth exceeding ten million.

Qin's mother rubbed her temples, then noticed the house was spotless, and perked up.

"Do you serve him three meals a day, acting as a full-time maid?"

Qin Lan shook her head: "Not really—I occasionally cook for him in the morning or evening, but the housekeeping is handled by a maid."

And Yan Li wasn't home every day, but Qin Lan didn't dare tell her mother that.

Qin's mother paused: "Then what do you do every day?"

"When there's a role, I act; otherwise, I collect rent, check accounts, walk the dog, do beauty treatments, practice yoga, meet friends…"

Qin Lan's voice grew weaker as she spoke, her confidence fading; Qin's mother's face turned grim, translating for her.

"So you just eat, drink, and play all day?"

"I still have a job."

Qin Lan emphasized it, though her work hours were short, it was still work.

But honestly, she hadn't realized it herself—until her mother summed it up—that she was being spoiled into laziness by Yan Li; even Fan Xiaopang had a job, and that Dong guy still held a teaching position at Beijing Film Academy.

The cousin-sister-in-law had nothing left to say, only spoke to Qin's mother:

"Auntie, I think we should be a bit more careful, or we'll seem… pushy."

Good grief—she just ate and enjoyed herself, got plenty of money, and you couldn't find a single fault with Yan Li.

She was even a little jealous of her little sister-in-law!

The cousin-sister-in-law's words were harsh, but Qin's mother had no reply; she'd come to confront Yan Li, but now how could she even begin?

To complain he treated her daughter too well?

Or that he gave her daughter too much money?!

The only possible complaint was his infidelity, but that line was too hard to tread—if they clashed, it would only hurt her daughter.

Regardless, Yan Li truly treated Qin Lan well, and from her daughter's face during their chats, Qin's mother could see Qin Lan genuinely liked and cared for him.

So unless absolutely necessary, Qin's mother didn't want to start by attacking him.

Watching her silent, conflicted mother and sister-in-law, Qin Lan continued praising Yan Li.

From Qin Lan's perspective, Yan Li was perfect except for being unfaithful, so naturally she painted only his shining image—perhaps slightly exaggerated or flawed, but given Qin Lan's treatment, her mother and cousin-sister-in-law had no choice but to believe.

Feelings can be faked, but real money cannot.

Both Qin's mother and cousin-sister-in-law were married women who understood these things well.

If Yan Li was willing to spend money on Qin Lan—and spent far more than her own worth—that surpassed countless men.

Real money is real affection; though biased, this wasn't entirely without merit…

…

As the women chatted, the afternoon passed, and Yan Li finally returned after his meeting.

It was time for a meeting, and Yan Li was dressed formally today—shirt, suit pants, and leather shoes—his tall, muscular frame and ruggedly handsome face making him stand out; anyone who saw him would praise the young man for being incredibly handsome.

Qin's mother and her sister-in-law thought the same—his appearance was truly impressive; no wonder his daughter/sister-in-law was utterly bewitched by him.

"Auntie, I'm truly sorry I didn't come pick you up."

Yan Li lowered his posture considerably—his woman's mother was his mother-in-law; he wouldn't put on any airs.