Fang Nan rubbed his throbbing forehead forcefully. "That's not the point. Please be reasonable. Even just considering your own workload, you should try to dissuade her appropriately."
Hua Shuangshuang smiled serenely and countered with a sharp retort that struck straight at Fang Nan's heart: "Did Mr. Fang succeed in managing her before?"
Fang Nan: "..." Ouch.
Wasn't the whole reason he hired Hua Shuangshuang in the first place because he couldn't handle Zhong Ziyan?
Who would have thought that Hua Shuangshuang, who seemed so reliable, would instantly switch sides and become an enabler of reckless indulgence?
"Shall we follow in another car?" Hua Shuangshuang tactfully changed the subject, sparing the speechless Fang Nan further torment.
She had already decided—when Fang Nan's birthday came around, she would gift him a work-themed birthday cake shaped like a mahjong tile, with the character "Nan" written in green icing.
It was the perfect gift for Fang Nan!
"We can't keep up," Fang Nan replied wearily. "If it were the chauffeur driving, we could follow. But when Zhong Ziyan is behind the wheel, only an F1 racer could tail her."
Hua Shuangshuang, her thoughts gradually aligning with Zhong Ziyan's logic, considered this. "We should hire a chauffeur with an F1 racing background."
Fang Nan gave her a dead-eyed stare.
This new colleague was beyond saving.
……
Having learned her lesson from the last traffic stop, Zhong Ziyan reduced her speed by another five kilometers below the maximum limit this time.
Wei Hanyun sat beside her, dutifully operating the navigation like a model spouse.
The navigation system announced: "Proceeding to destination. Total distance: 14.6 kilometers. Estimated travel time..."
In a cheerful mood, Zhong Ziyan cruised along the road and asked Wei Hanyun during a pause in the navigation prompts, "What are we seeing today?"
"Real estate."
Zhong Ziyan thought for a moment and used the most practical comparison she could think of. "Like the house in Tingshan?"
After all, the Wei family estate... probably wasn't something money could buy.
"If I tell you now, it defeats the purpose of the lesson."
Convinced by this reasoning, Zhong Ziyan focused on driving and arrived several minutes ahead of the estimated time.
Their final destination was a bustling commercial district in the city center, where luxury brand billboards and storefronts dominated every direction—a place where land was worth its weight in gold.
Zhong Ziyan thought about the luxury apartment Wei's Mother had gifted her and concluded that, compared to the cost of californium, buying property was practically pocket change.
Yet instead of leading her to a sales office, Wei Hanyun brought her to what appeared to be an upscale café.
The shop was exquisitely decorated, with fresh flowers in pristine vases and water so clear it seemed untouched by impurities—the kind of place where ordinary passersby would glance inside and immediately think, "This isn't for me."
At this moment, the shop's manager and all its staff stood at the entrance, smiling warmly to welcome the couple.
"Mr. Wei, Mrs. Wei, welcome." Manager Chen clasped her hands lightly in front of her waist and bowed slightly. Her skin was a healthy tan, and her glossy black hair was loosely tied into a bun. "Please follow me. Tea and refreshments are ready."
"We're here to browse," Wei Hanyun nodded, introducing Zhong Ziyan. "This is Manager Chen."
If not for Wei Hanyun mentioning real estate earlier, Zhong Ziyan might have mistaken this for a dessert outing. "Nice to meet you."
"You two make such a perfect match," Manager Chen complimented with a practiced smile.
Her expression was polished—warm yet professional, and even her flattery sounded utterly sincere.
No wonder she had risen to manager in a place that clearly catered exclusively to the ultra-wealthy. Zhong Ziyan was impressed. Remembering her role as the wife, she sidled a little closer to Wei Hanyun.
Walking side by side, they looked intimately connected even without holding hands.
"What kind of property are you two considering this time?" Manager Chen asked as she guided them forward. "Have you settled on a location?"
Though she addressed "you two," her gaze lingered on Zhong Ziyan, as if certain the decision-maker today was her, not Wei Hanyun.
Zhong Ziyan mentally ran through a few domestic vacation spots—summer retreats, of course, and the capital, Yan City.
But she merely glanced at Wei Hanyun for guidance.
Wei Hanyun tilted his head slightly. "Anything is fine. Just give us an overview."
Manager Chen's eyes gleamed with understanding. "Understood. Please, this way."
She led them into a spacious, lounge-like room.
One wall featured a row of plush leather sofas, while the center held a sleek black table, currently bare.
"I'll now present a selection of properties we've assessed as premium investments. Feel free to interrupt at any time if something catches your interest," Manager Chen explained, standing beside the table as she pressed a power switch and picked up a stylus.
When Zhong Ziyan sat with Wei Hanyun on the sofa, she assumed the presentation would involve slides, like the previous designer teams who had brought projectors and tablets.
But the next moment, the entire surface of the black table lit up—it was, in fact, a massive display screen.
Zhong Ziyan's eyes sparkled, and she immediately added the table to her mental shopping list.
That wasn't all. With a few taps from Manager Chen, a three-dimensional holographic projection of a castle materialized above the table.
Zhong Ziyan: "......?" She wasn't sure what was more surprising—that a castle counted as "real estate," or that buying property now involved holograms.
Manager Chen expertly rotated the projection. "This is a coastal estate just outside Barcelona, Spain. It has housed numerous historical figures, including Spanish royalty. The property spans 2.6 hectares, featuring a private lake, golf course, stables, a racetrack, and a meticulously maintained flower field."
Zhong Ziyan quickly did the math—26,000 square meters.
This wasn't buying a house; it was buying a mountain.
Remembering today's lesson, she quietly pulled out her phone to take notes.
After showcasing the grand fountain at the castle's entrance, Manager Chen adjusted the projection to "enter" the building.
"This is the side hall," she narrated smoothly. "The stained glass on either side dates back to the 16th century, purchased and installed by the previous owner from Italy. These pieces remain flawlessly preserved, as breathtaking as ever."
Zhong Ziyan estimated that simply walking through the towering side hall—under its endless array of gold-and-silver crystal chandeliers—would take a good three to five minutes.
...There were probably dedicated staff just to open doors.
"The living area is approximately 4,000 square meters, not including the clock tower connected to the main castle."
Unable to resist, Zhong Ziyan raised a hand like a student. "How many rooms are there?"
Manager Chen immediately cut off her own explanation and replied, "There are sixteen suites in the castle, which is more than enough for you to host a small banquet and accommodate all your guests overnight."
Zhong Ziyan: "...So did the previous owner of the castle throw parties for this many people every day?"
Manager Chen laughed but didn’t answer right away.
The answer would have been somewhat impolite.
Wei Hanyun: "For such properties, the owners typically don’t spend more than a month a year living in them."
Since moving into Tingshan, Zhong Ziyan had thought her horizons had broadened considerably, and it had been a while since she’d been genuinely shocked.
But this time was different.
"They buy it but don’t live in it?"
"People who buy castles like this don’t just own one property of this caliber," Wei Hanyun explained to her.
Zhong Ziyan: "..." Oh.
Too much love to go around, huh? What a headache—just like my struggle with spending money.
"Besides, real estate is an exceptionally rewarding investment," Manager Chen added. "Especially for top-tier luxury properties like this—I can hardly imagine it ever depreciating."
"So what’s the price for the whole set?" Zhong Ziyan cut straight to the point.
The interior of the place… wasn’t all that impressive anyway.
She’d once raided a vampire’s castle in a dungeon—though in the end, she’d smashed the entire place to pieces.
"The exact figure would require further negotiation, but the current estimated price is around 1.2 billion."
Zhong Ziyan: "..." She could afford it, but buying it just to leave it empty would be such a waste.
Even she, extravagant as she was, made sure to take each of Wei Hanyun’s cars out for a spin now and then to let them breathe.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Wei Hanyun tilted his head toward her with an amused smile and asked, "Buy it?"
