Yijing Villas was a joint development project between Xinda Group and Shenzhen Housing Group, primarily targeting Hong Kong businesspeople and overseas investors who came to Shenzhen.
Since Zhang Ziyu mentioned that Gu Xihe had previously left a villa here when she eloped with her boyfriend, Gu Wangshu decided to go take a look.
Accompanying her was Deputy General Manager Wu from Xinda Group’s Shenzhen branch.
Deputy Manager Wu, in his forties, drove a Toyota Crown provided by the Shenzhen branch and personally came to pick her up at the hotel entrance.
He spoke little along the way, gripping the steering wheel tightly and occasionally stealing glances at Gu Wangshu in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
The villa was located in Luohu District, near Donghu Park, with an excellent environment and location.
Two rows of palm trees were planted at the entrance of the community, their leaves swaying lazily in the humid southern breeze.
A young man in uniform sat in the security booth and promptly raised the barrier when he saw Deputy Manager Wu’s car.
Gu Xihe’s villa was situated in the center of the community—a three-story building with cream-colored exterior walls. A cluster of bougainvillea wound around the porch, blooming vibrantly.
The interior was already decorated, and it had to be said that her cousin’s taste was quite good.
The French minimalist-style living room featured light-colored wooden flooring, a Monet print hanging above the fireplace, and a linen-colored fabric sofa. A floor lamp stood in the corner, its lampshade adorned with hand-sewn tassels.
The kitchen tiles were shipped from Hong Kong, and the dining room chandelier was said to have been brought back from France by a friend.
The details revealed the considerable thought her cousin had put into it—every piece of decor reflected a young woman’s hopes and expectations for her future life. It was ready to move into immediately.
It was just a shame she had encountered a man who lacked responsibility.
Gu Wangshu stood in the second-floor bedroom, where the curtains her cousin had chosen—light purple chiffon—billowed slightly in the draft.
A photo frame still sat on the nightstand, empty, likely intended for a couple’s photo—a photo that would never exist.
Gu Wangshu looked at it for a moment, flipped the frame face down, and turned to go downstairs.
After viewing the house, Gu Wangshu strolled through the community. Wearing a sharply tailored white dress and holding a parasol, she walked at a leisurely pace, as if strolling through her own garden.
Deputy Manager Wu, accompanying her, seemed hesitant to speak. He opened his mouth twice but closed it again, his pace quickening and slowing to match Gu Wangshu’s, the keys in his hand jingling faintly as he clenched them.
Gu Wangshu looked at him and asked directly, “Is there something you want to say, Deputy Manager Wu?”
Deputy Manager Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and forced a dry laugh. “Miss, there is indeed something I feel I should mention to you in advance.”
Gu Wangshu continued walking. “What is it?”
Deputy Manager Wu quickened his pace to catch up and lowered his voice. “Someone has taken a liking to this villa of yours and wanted to take it over. They even specifically asked me for the keys. Of course, I didn’t give them.”
Since Gu Xihe found it inconvenient to travel to Shenzhen frequently, Deputy Manager Wu had handled matters like renovation inspections and supervision on her behalf, and the keys were naturally kept with him.
Gu Wangshu stopped abruptly, tilting her parasol slightly to reveal half her face. Her gaze fell on Deputy Manager Wu. “Deputy Manager Wu, did I hear you correctly? Are you saying someone wants to take my house from me?”
Deputy Manager Wu lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the tips of his leather shoes, not daring to meet her gaze.
Gu Wangshu’s tone was not heavy, even carrying a hint of amusement: “That’s strange to me. Isn’t this a property developed by Xinda? And isn’t it registered under my name? Who could possibly snatch away a house I’ve already renovated right from under my nose?”
Deputy Manager Wu swallowed hard: “It’s… it’s Manager Yang.”
Gu Wangshu frowned: “Manager Yang? Which Manager Yang?”
Deputy Manager Wu lowered his voice even further: “The nephew of the second wife, Yang Zhi.”
Only then did Gu Wangshu understand.
He was Yang Huijuan’s nephew.
Gu Wangshu had heard about the past events from her grandfather.
In the 1940s, Hong Kong was in turmoil, and the Gu family’s business once faced a dire situation.
At that time, the Yang family had business dealings with the Gu family. They should have been in the same boat, weathering the storm together, but at the most critical moment, they colluded with the Japanese to kick the Gu family while they were down—cutting off their supply sources and secretly joining forces with other merchants to squeeze the Gu family’s market share.
Her grandfather nearly died in a trap set by the Yang family and the Japanese. Fortunately, her grandfather later turned things around, while the Yang family declined day by day.
Logically speaking, this debt could never be settled.
But her second uncle, as if nothing had happened, not only married Yang Huijuan as his second wife but also generously arranged for her nephew Yang Zhi to work at the Xinda Group.
Deputy Manager Wu stole a glance at Gu Wangshu’s expression. Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to bring this up.
He was just an employee, doing his job for a paycheck. If Yang Zhi really had the ability to get Mr. Gu to agree and hand over the house, he would naturally comply. There was no need to take sides early and offend anyone.
But for some reason, this time when he saw the young mistress, he felt something had changed.
After some thought, he decided to tell the truth.
Gu Wangshu didn’t make things difficult for him, her tone calm: “I understand the situation. I’ll take the keys directly. Don’t worry.”
She extended her hand.
Deputy Manager Wu quickly pulled the keychain from his pants pocket, picked out the villa key, and handed it over.
Gu Wangshu took it, holding it in her palm, and added: “You probably won’t have the chance to see him again in the future.”
With that, she walked ahead.
Deputy Manager Wu stood where he was, still pondering the meaning of her words.
What did the young mistress mean? Was she saying Yang Zhi would be transferred? Or was she implying… He didn’t dare to think further and hurriedly quickened his pace to catch up.
On the way back to the Nanhai Hotel, Gu Wangshu sat in the back seat of the car, gazing at the rapidly receding street scenes outside the window.
Most of the vehicles on the street were yellow minivans, with a few private cars occasionally passing by. The roadside trees were still short and sparse, offering little shade.
Gu Wangshu had been thinking these past few days about how to reclaim the inheritance she had previously lost.
She needed to find a way to connect with Ji Junde, and this matter with Yang Zhi seemed like a good entry point.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, tapping her fingertips lightly against the car window twice, already forming a rough plan in her mind.
It was already dusk by the time she returned to the Nanhai Hotel.
The Nanhai Hotel was currently the most luxurious hotel in Shenzhen. The lobby floor was paved with imported marble, a massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the front desk staff wore matching red uniforms.
Unexpectedly, she ran into Zhong Jinghe again in the hotel lobby.
Zhong Jinghe was standing near the entrance of the lobby, rubbing his hands together, pacing back and forth a few steps, then stopping to glance at the entrance, as if waiting for someone. He seemed a bit nervous and uneasy.
He was wearing a light blue polo shirt today, his hair neatly styled with gel, clearly having made a special effort to dress up.
When he turned around and saw Gu Wangshu approaching, his eyes lit up briefly before he quickly restrained himself, adopting an expression that tried hard to appear casual.
Zhong Jinghe: “Miss Gu! We meet again. Do you live here too?”
That day at the International Trade Building, apart from learning that Gu Wangshu’s surname was Gu, he hadn’t managed to get any other information.
He didn’t know her full name, her phone number, where she lived, or what she did—it could be said to have been a very unsuccessful attempt at striking up a conversation.
He had regretted it for quite a while after returning home.
Gu Wangshu paused slightly in her steps: “Mr. Zhong… hello.”
Zhong Jinghe hurriedly took a step forward, then felt it was too eager and awkwardly stopped himself, scratching the back of his head as he said:
“I was too abrupt that day. I’m really sorry.”
“Actually, I run an advertising company. I don’t mean anything else—I just wanted to ask if Miss Gu could shoot an advertisement for us.”
“Your image is really perfect for it. We’re currently promoting a Japanese cosmetics brand, and I think you’re more suitable than all the models we’ve interviewed so far. I’ll pay you—a very generous fee.”
As he spoke, his hands seemed unsure where to go, sometimes tucked into his pockets, sometimes gesturing. A fine layer of sweat glistened on his forehead, whether from the heat or nervousness was unclear.
Gu Wangshu shook her head slightly: “I’m sorry.”
Her tone was neither warm nor cold, polite yet distant.
The cost of one night at the South Sea Hotel was equivalent to an ordinary person’s monthly salary, and he knew this Miss Gu likely wasn’t short on money. Using money as bait was clearly the wrong strategy.
He scratched his head, his expression somewhat deflated, but he quickly perked up again and tentatively asked:
“Then… can we be friends? Just ordinary friends, occasionally having tea together or something. I know which teahouse in Shenzhen serves the best morning tea…”
Before Gu Wangshu could respond, the sound of tires rolling over the pavement came from outside the hotel. A black sedan slowly drove up and came to a steady stop under the portico.
Seeing the car, Zhong Jinghe’s expression instantly changed. The youthful liveliness of a young man chasing a girl vanished, replaced by a respectful demeanor.
He quickly said to Gu Wangshu, “Miss Gu, I’m sorry, my third uncle has arrived. I have to go greet him now. Let’s talk another day!”
Gu Wangshu nodded.