Chapter 88: Women Who Are Easy on the Mind and Women Who Are a Headache

"Son, your dad and I watched the drama you filmed. You acted well, but there was too little of you — you died as soon as you appeared on screen."

Yan Li said helplessly, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll still be appearing later on."

"That's good then."

His mother Zhang Hong replied, then asked again, "How did the apartment viewing go? If it's about right, I'll transfer you the money."

"Pretty much. I'll take a few photos later and have Xiaozhi or Xiaoxin go to an internet café to download them for you to see."

"Alright. I'll transfer you the money in a couple of days."

Zhang Hong still trusted her son quite a bit. Also, the family's braised meat business had been doing exceptionally well lately, with income rising substantially, and her mindset had shifted a little too.

After chatting a while longer and hanging up, Yan Li flipped through the previous 【Monthly Intel】 about real estate.

His family could put up over 200,000 yuan, and if he added another 200,000-plus, they'd have around 500,000. Buying a place outright would be a bit of a strain, but if they only paid the down payment, two or three units would be well within reach.

If it was investment property, Yan Li would only pay the down payment, then use the property to sustain the loan and run other schemes — buying the most houses with the least money to rake in profits.

Still, Yan Li's real estate plan had investment as only one side of it. More importantly, it was to leave himself a fallback, so he was playing it safe.

Right now Yan Li didn't have enough funds, so he'd only pay the down payment. Once he had more money later, he wouldn't necessarily convert every property to full ownership, but at least a sizable proportion.

Otherwise, with nothing under his name but mortgaged properties, owing the bank a mountain of debt, no cash on hand to repay the loans, the houses would all be seized — and he'd be left with nothing to fall back on…

After picking out a few decent properties, Yan Li called the real estate agent Xiao Zheng he'd met before, having him run around and make the contacts. Once negotiations were done, Yan Li would go view the place and sign.

Yan Li didn't hide the house-buying from Lin Jiachuan, and some of the follow-up miscellaneous matters were also handled by him and that Xiao Zheng.

Lin Jiachuan was somewhat envious of Yan Li buying a house!

He knew Yan Li had made quite a bit of money, but that amount was so large and so abstract that Lin Jiachuan didn't really have a concrete sense of it.

But buying a house was different — it meant officially putting down roots in Jingcheng, having a little nest of one's own in this city from then on. For drifters from out of town like them, struggling in Jingcheng, it carried enormous significance.

Yan Li saw the emotion in Lin Jiachuan, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him gently.

"Work hard. Your salary and bonuses aren't bad right now. Later I'll bring you in on some side money too. Within two years, I guarantee you'll be buying a place in Jingcheng."

Yan Li wasn't just drawing empty pies to fool Lin Jiachuan — he truly had that confidence.

If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it plenty of grass!

When it came to his own people, he never shortchanged them. A mere apartment — it might not even take two years.

"Got it."

Lin Jiachuan, fired up by Yan Li's words, rolled up his sleeves and was about to head out to wash Yan Li's car, only to be stopped by Yan Li opening his mouth.

"Wash it later. I need the car today."

"Alright."

Lin Jiachuan didn't think much of it and simply nodded, but then Yan Li added another line.

"Later, if anyone asks where I went today, just say you were throwing me a belated birthday — drinking and singing K with me, Yiwei, and Zhang Songwen, and that we stayed at Jimenli."

"Ah…"

Lin Jiachuan's face showed difficulty. Yan Li added languidly, "Two years to a house."

"Mission guaranteed!"

Lin Jiachuan stood at attention and saluted, his face written all over with righteousness and loyalty.

————

Jingcheng, Zhiqiang South Garden

The rain had stopped and the clouds had scattered. Yan Li leaned against the bed smoking, with Huang Shengyi leaning against his chest. A flush had yet to fade from her face, and her tone was resentful.

"I tried reaching you for over half a month and you ignored me. Have you forgotten about me?"

"How could I."

Yan Li wrapped his arm around her Bai Xi fair, smooth, and tender fragrant shoulder: "I've just been too busy lately. The company was handling important business — couldn't leave."

"I don't think it was only company matters keeping you busy, was it?"

Huang Shengyi fixed Yan Li with a sharp, bright-eyed stare: "I saw Senior Sister Dong Xuan at school."

"Oh."

Yan Li's expression didn't change in the slightest: "And then?"

"I noticed she's been in pretty good spirits lately, and she doesn't seem to live at school much either — looks like she moved out. I heard she's shacking up with her boyfriend."

"Oh."

Yan Li neither affirmed nor denied: "That's good then."

Huang Shengyi couldn't help grinding her teeth: "Don't you want to know who her boyfriend is?"

Yan Li shook his head: "Don't want to know."

"She's your ex-girlfriend."

"That's all in the past."

Huang Shengyi finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She sat up and questioned him in a coquettish voice: "Have you been at her place this whole time?"

Yan Li pinched out the cigarette in his hand and nodded: "Mm."

"You two got back together?"

"No."

Huang Shengyi was baffled: "You didn't get back together, yet you're living together?"

Yan Li looked at her in puzzlement: "Aren't you and I not boyfriend and girlfriend either, and yet we're sleeping in the same bed?"

Huang Shengyi: "……"

What you said makes so much sense, I can't even argue back!

Still, hearing Yan Li's words, although Huang Shengyi felt a bit embarrassed and annoyed, what she felt more was delight.

Yan Li hadn't gotten back together, so she wasn't a homewrecker. Most importantly, she still had a chance to beat that surnamed-Dong girl and become Senior Brother's girlfriend first.

Thinking of this, Huang Shengyi's eyes flickered, then Yan Li knocked a hard flick on her forehead.

"Behave yourself. You're not allowed to recruit her."

Huang Shengyi pouted aggrievedly, feeling Yan Li still favored that one surnamed Dong. Seeing this, Yan Li figured she'd been pretty well-behaved lately and his heart softened a bit.

"Recently I've been in talks on a new project. I'll save you a good role when the time comes."

Huang Shengyi was pleasantly surprised: "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you."

Yan Li figured that, with the projects he was currently in talks on and some of the scripts, setting aside a role for Huang Shengyi wouldn't be any trouble.

Still, this matter would take some time. He couldn't just keep her hanging forever—he had to throw her a few small treats too.

"Didn't you say before you had your eye on a dress but thought it was too expensive and didn't buy it? How much are you short?"

"Actually, not buying it is fine too."

Huang Shengyi felt it wasn't quite right to bring up money at a moment like this and was a bit coy. Yan Li amusedly patted her bottom: "Stop being so squeamish. Out with it."

As long as she behaved and didn't cause him trouble, spending a bit of money was nothing to the current Yan Li.

During the time Huang Shengyi had been with him, Yan Li had casually thrown in small amounts here and there, totaling a few tens of thousands.

Though it wasn't a huge sum, Huang Shengyi's family wasn't exactly wealthy, and she was still a student, so her living expenses were relatively limited.

The "pocket money" Yan Li gave her from time to time let her get an initial taste of the benefits of having money—her daily expenses for clothing, food, housing, and transport improved accordingly.

Even knowing Yan Li and Dong Xuan were sneaking around behind her back, she didn't make a fuss with Yan Li. Of course, part of it was her own awkward position and lack of confidence, but there was also a fair amount of financial entanglement involved.

"800."

Huang Shengyi quietly reported a price. Yan Li pulled a small wad of cash from his handbag.

"Didn't you say your roommate's birthday is coming up? Buy her a nicer gift while you're at it, give yourself some face."

"Senior, you're so good to me."

Huang Shengyi happily offered a fragrant kiss, and Yan Li responded with a couple more.

Then he held her head and slowly guided it downward. She struggled briefly, but unable to withstand Yan Li's firmness, she could only obediently give a little song.

A moment later, Yan Li contentedly closed his eyes—he felt this particular thing about Huang Shengyi was pretty nice.

Take the money and she's happy; her days are comfortable, and Yan Li has peace of mind.

But Dong Xuan was different—even with insufficient reason to give her money, she wouldn't take it. Even sending her a gift on a normal day required the trouble of finding an excuse.

Last time Yan Li took Dong Xuan shopping at China World Trade Center, she wouldn't let him buy this, thought that one was too expensive, and only picked out a few sets of lingerie Yan Li liked. In the end, Yan Li forcibly bought her two pairs of shoes.

But the result was, Dong Xuan turned right around and dug into her own pocket, using her pay from *Snow Flower Goddess Dragon* to buy Yan Li a suit costing several thousand for his social engagements.

This kind of woman was the most troublesome!

Yan Li truly regretted not having been more decisive back then and completely cutting things off with Dong Xuan, leaving him now in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

Though he wasn't sure whether, without the system's cheat back then, he would have been willing to agree to break up with Dong Xuan...

(End of chapter)