“That’s right.”
Qiuyun didn’t hold back. “Originally, I was told I’d have to wait until Sir officially took over Old Master Jiang’s position as chairman before they decided whether to give it to me. This is basically an early payout of my reward.”
Pei Cizhou was generous with his praise. “Miss Qiu, you’re amazing.”
They chatted for a few minutes at the entrance. When he noticed her standing on the steps without opening the door, he asked, “Are you… waiting for the key?”
“I’m waiting for someone. The young lady wants to come take a look too.”
“?”
Pei Cizhou’s face filled with confusion.
Qiuyun found it amusing. “Didn’t I mention it last night?”
“…”
All right.
It was probably that sentence he hadn’t heard clearly.
Before long, Jiang Chuling arrived too. She came bouncing over, with Jiang Linzhi following behind her.
Beside the bluestone path, the green willows stood tall, their branches forming canopies. When Pei Cizhou saw his good friend strolling over, he beamed and waved at Miss Qiu. “Assistant Qiu, congratulations! You don’t mind me coming along to broaden my horizons, do you?”
Qiuyun replied politely, “You’re too kind, Fourth Young Master. I have Sir to thank for recognizing my abilities.”
Jiang Linzhi took two steps forward, but the moment he saw the person beside Miss Qiu, he stopped short. “Old Pei? What are you doing here?”
Pei Cizhou narrowed his eyes, then broke into a grin. He stepped forward and slung an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “I came to discuss some company business with our lead artist. I heard she was checking out a property nearby, so I thought I’d come join in the fun.”
Jiang Linzhi looked a little stiff. “Is that so? What a coincidence.”
Qiuyun glanced at the young lady.
Didn’t you say Brother Pei was coming too? You didn’t tell your brother?
Jiang Chuling blinked excitedly.
Of course I didn’t tell my brother! Isn’t this much more fun as a surprise?
Qiuyun’s expression turned helpless.
The Fourth Young Master is definitely going to settle the score with you afterward.
Jiang Chuling stuck out her tongue and made a face.
As if I’m afraid of him!
Their silent exchange concluded, and Qiuyun turned around to open the door.
To be honest, this was her first time here too. Secretary Zhu had said that if there was anything she wasn’t satisfied with or wanted changed, she could contact the designer immediately and have it fixed.
Once all the paperwork and permits were in order, the renovations could be completed at the same time.
After entering through the side gate, they found a gray-brick screen wall directly in front of the main entrance. At its center was a single slab of white jade, carved with the design of the Five Bats Surrounding Longevity, meant to ward off evil.
They circled around the screen wall and entered the courtyard. It was a standard square-shaped compound, with a bluestone walkway running through the center and symmetrical pebble paths on either side. Begonias grew beneath the covered corridors, and since it was currently their blooming season, the branches were covered in pale pink and white flowers swaying in the breeze.
Looking up, they saw three inverted rooms along the northern side of the courtyard. In the middle stood a bronze vat, its outer surface engraved with a pattern of waves and cliffs. Five copper coins had been placed at the bottom, and three koi swam inside.
Pei Cizhou drew in a deep breath and nudged his friend with his shoulder. “This place is pretty impressive. Your father must have had a feng shui master arrange everything, right?”
Usually, old houses that had stood for more than a century gave off a chilly, eerie feeling the moment one entered.
If too many people had died there, then even after a master had redone the feng shui, the house would still carry an icy chill. Such places could only be rented out first as private clubs or exclusive restaurants, with a steady flow of people bringing the place back to life before it could eventually be used as a residence.
But this place felt warm and welcoming the moment they entered. There was none of that bone-chilling cold, which meant that not only was the property clean, its feng shui was excellent as well.
“Of course it was arranged,” Jiang Linzhi said with a scoff. “In all my years, I’ve never met an adult who didn’t believe in this stuff.”
Pei Cizhou nodded in deep agreement.
He had never met anyone like that either.
More accurately, the higher a person’s status, the more they tended to believe in it.
Qiuyun turned around. “People like Sir and Old Master Jiang have seen too many ups and downs in the business world. Sometimes, a single gust of wind can lift an industry into the thousands of billions in value. Other times, one tiny mistake can cause a company to go bankrupt and shut down within days. When you’ve seen enough of that, it becomes difficult not to believe.”
“Tsk, that actually makes sense.” Jiang Linzhi rubbed his shoulders. “Damn, you’re making me want to believe in it too!”
Pei Cizhou stepped forward. “I know an old Taoist priest. Want me to take you to him for a fortune reading?”
“Is he accurate?”
“Pretty accurate. Several of my uncles and older relatives are among his most devoted clients.”
Really?
Qiuyun looked over as well, seeming somewhat interested.
Pei Cizhou raised an eyebrow. “But the master likes his peace and quiet. I can only bring one person at a time.”
“Sure. We’ll go have our fortunes read when we get the chance,” Jiang Linzhi said eagerly.
They followed the walkway deeper into the compound. After passing through a hanging-flower gate, they reached the second courtyard.
The second courtyard was larger, a neat square of five or six hundred square meters. The main residence stood directly opposite them, with east and west side rooms on either side.
The main residence was five bays wide, designed for entertaining guests, relaxing, and use as a study.
The eastern side room was a tearoom, while the western one was currently empty.
Covered walkways connected every part of the courtyard. Every step revealed a different view, and the scenery was beautiful.
Beyond that was the third courtyard.
The third courtyard was smaller, only around two hundred square meters. A narrow stream ran beneath the rockery in the center, its bed lined with pebbles, making it look like naturally flowing water. The houses in this area had probably all diverted a branch of the stream into their grounds to attract wealth.
They couldn’t be bothered to open the doors of the remaining small rooms. Besides, although the exterior walls and gardens of the courtyard house had been built in an antique style, the interior had all the standard modern amenities.
The entire house had underfloor heating and central air conditioning, as well as an underground garage, swimming pool, cinema, wine cellar, and more. After inspecting the whole courtyard house, Qiuyun was extremely satisfied and didn’t have anything she wanted changed.
After all, when it came to feng shui, changing one thing could affect everything else. If they altered anything, the entire arrangement would have to be redone. This setup was perfectly fine as it was.
Jiang Linzhi sighed with emotion. “This one courtyard house is worth more than every property I’ve bought over the years put together! I’m going to find a master to arrange the feng shui for the place I live in too.”
Jiang Chuling also loved this kind of compound. She immediately decided to ask her father for one as well. “But doesn’t feng shui require both wind and water? Wouldn’t it have to be an open-air courtyard like this for there to be both wind and water?”
Qiuyun gave her a thumbs-up.
She had to admit, children’s understanding of a word’s literal meaning might be superficial, but it was certainly precise.
Jiang Linzhi thought about it. His high-rise apartment really wasn’t very connected to the earth. “Then I’ll ask Dad for one too, so I can improve my luck.”
After they finished looking around, Qiuyun found the property manager for the lane and had the ownership information changed. From then on, she would be able to drive directly into the underground garage.
Qiuyun treated everyone to a simple meal at the private restaurant at the entrance to the lane.
As they chatted about the company and the game over dinner, Jiang Linzhi finally learned that his good friend had secretly gone into esports.
“That’s a huge sacrifice, brother.” He clicked his tongue in amazement. “Weren’t you always the one who hated appearing in public?”
“I didn’t have a choice.” Pei Cizhou shrugged. “It’s not like I could break the law or commit a crime. I was out of options, basically.”
Jiang Linzhi gave him a thumbs-up. “You really went all out to escape your parents’ punishment, brother. You even dressed in women’s clothes and showed your face on camera. If our game doesn’t become a hit, then heaven itself is being unreasonable!”
?
Qiuyun and Jiang Chuling exchanged a glance. “Dressed in women’s clothes?!”
“Cough, cough, cough!” Jiang Linzhi choked. “I said it wrong! Uh, I mean, it’s a donkey, not a—”
“…”
Pei Cizhou covered his forehead and cut him off. “It was women’s clothes.”
