“A woman?” Li Fengxia’s voice rose half an octave before she quickly lowered it again. Rearranging the smile on her face into something gentler, she said,
“Zhiyan, you’re already twenty-five. It’s perfectly normal to date and think about getting married. You’re not eighteen anymore. There’s no need to hide it. We all want to see you find a good husband.”
Yang Zhiyan looked at the smile plastered across her sister-in-law’s face. What scheme is she cooking up now?
“Really, it’s not like that,” Yang Zhiyan replied, sounding completely unconcerned whether Li Fengxia believed her or not. “Sister-in-law, I’m tired. I’m heading upstairs.”
Without waiting for another word, she turned and walked into the apartment building. The security door clicked shut behind her.
Li Fengxia stood downstairs, staring at the closed door with her lips pressed into a thin line. Then she turned back to Yang Yaohua and snorted.
“Hmph. She hasn’t even climbed into that rich family yet, and she’s already acting so full of herself.”
Yang Yaohua flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe. The tiny ember struggled for a moment before dying, leaving behind a small black scorch mark on the concrete.
“Who cares whether she makes it or not?” he said quietly, his tone full of calculation. “If she does marry into money, even better. Then we can demand a bigger bride price.”
Li Fengxia glanced at him, the corners of her mouth slowly lifting.
The two exchanged knowing smiles beneath the streetlight, each silently working out their own little scheme.
Prosperity Tianxi.
One of Haicheng’s most prestigious residential communities.
Just two intersections away stood the municipal government complex, while luxury shopping malls and office towers surrounded the neighborhood.
Looking south from the entrance, you could see the bright red national flag fluttering atop City Hall in the three o’clock afternoon sun.
Looking north, the lush greenery of Riverside Park stretched into the distance, with the river glimmering between the trees like a silver-gray ribbon.
Yang Zhiyan stood at the entrance of the community, her phone in hand. On the screen was the location Grandma Qin had sent her.
She looked up at the imposing front gate.
It was crafted from black wrought iron, adorned with intricate floral scrollwork. Brass wall lamps were set into the stone pillars, their warm metallic sheen glowing subtly beneath the sunlight.
The security guards at the entrance wore crisp white uniforms with peaked caps. Their backs were straight, and their expressions carried the practiced courtesy of well-trained professionals—polite without being obsequious.
She glanced down at herself.
A light blue cotton-linen blouse.
A pair of ordinary jeans.
Canvas sneakers.
For the first time, she felt completely out of place.
This location…
This neighborhood…
Even the guards standing at the gate…
Could she really afford to rent a place here?
A moment later, Grandma Qin sent another message.
Zhiyan, I’m here. Where are you?
Yang Zhiyan quickly replied.
Grandma Qin, I’m right at the entrance.
She looked around.
Just then, a black sedan slowly emerged from the underground parking garage.
Its license plate was black instead of the ordinary blue.
The car paused briefly at the gate. The window rolled down.
It wasn’t Grandma Qin.
A man wearing sunglasses nodded to the security guard, who immediately opened the gate. The sedan drove away.
Yang Zhiyan stepped aside and moved beneath the shade of the security booth.
The May sun had already become rather fierce. It beat against her arms with surprising intensity. She quietly wiped the thin layer of sweat from the back of her hand against her shirt.
“Zhiyan.”
A familiar voice called from inside the community.
She turned around.
Grandma Qin was walking toward her with graceful, unhurried steps.
Today she wore a champagne-colored silk blouse paired with white wide-leg trousers. On her feet were simple flats embroidered with tiny pale flowers.
Her silver hair was neatly pinned into its usual elegant bun, and a pair of pearl earrings shimmered softly in the sunlight with faint iridescent highlights.
She carried a canvas tote in her left hand, stuffed full of something, while her right hand held her phone, which she waved with a smile as she approached.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Stopping in front of Yang Zhiyan, Grandma Qin gave her a once-over. Her gaze lingered briefly on the cuff that had been fastened with a safety pin.
She said nothing.
But the smile in her eyes deepened.
“No, not at all. I just got here,” Yang Zhiyan hurriedly replied.
“Grandma Qin, you look beautiful today.”
Grandma Qin laughed, delighted by the compliment, and affectionately patted the back of her hand.
“You sweet child.”
The two walked side by side toward the entrance.
The guard immediately straightened upon seeing Grandma Qin.
“Madam Qin.”
Grandma Qin merely nodded before swiping her access card and leading Yang Zhiyan inside.
The moment she entered, Yang Zhiyan stopped in her tracks.
She had seen upscale residential complexes before.
But never one as beautiful as this.
Directly ahead was a grand central water feature.
The fountain sprayed a fine mist into the sunlight, where countless droplets caught the light and formed tiny rainbows.
The water was crystal clear, revealing an abstract mosaic pattern at the bottom. She couldn’t tell what it depicted, but it was undeniably beautiful.
On both sides of the fountain stood rows of mature ginkgo trees with thick trunks and lush branches. Their fresh spring leaves rustled softly in the breeze.
Farther in stretched a broad expanse of perfectly manicured lawn.
It looked like an enormous emerald velvet carpet spread between the residential buildings.
Several white wrought-iron benches sat quietly in the middle of the grass, unoccupied, gleaming beneath the sun.
Beyond the lawn stood a row of elegant high-rise apartments.
The buildings were finished in soft gray and white, their clean, minimalist lines free of unnecessary ornamentation. Every proportion felt perfectly balanced, effortlessly pleasing to the eye.
“Grandma Qin, this place is gorgeous,” Yang Zhiyan couldn’t help saying.
Walking beside her, Grandma Qin smiled faintly.
“The landscaping is decent enough. The property management is quite responsible too.”
After a brief pause, she added,
“You’ll be living alone. Safety matters most. Security patrols here twenty-four hours a day. Residents need access cards to enter, and all visitors have to register.”
Yang Zhiyan nodded.
But inside, she was doing the math.
With this location…
This level of management…
This environment…
How expensive must the rent be?
They arrived at the building entrance.
The elevator lobby was spacious, with dark gray marble flooring polished to a mirror shine. An abstract oil painting hung on the wall. She didn’t understand it, but she liked the colors.
The elevator required a key card.
Grandma Qin pulled one from her canvas bag and tapped it against the sensor.
Beep.
The doors slid open.
“What floor?” Yang Zhiyan asked.
“Twenty-second.”
Grandma Qin pressed the button, and the doors closed.
The elevator rose so smoothly that she barely felt any movement. Only the floor numbers steadily climbed.
Standing half a step behind Grandma Qin, Yang Zhiyan looked at the elderly woman’s straight back and neatly arranged silver bun.
She remembered what Teacher Mu had once said.
Grandma Qin had been a stunning beauty when she was young.
Even in old age, she remained an elegant and dignified lady.
Ding.
The elevator arrived on the twenty-second floor.
The doors opened onto a short hallway.
One elevator served two apartments, one on each side.
Grandma Qin walked to the unit on the left, took a key from her canvas bag, inserted it into the lock, and turned it twice.
The door swung open.
“Come in and have a look.”
Stepping aside, she gestured for Yang Zhiyan to enter.
Yang Zhiyan walked in and stopped at the foyer.
Her eyes swept from the entrance all the way to the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end of the living room.
Three bedrooms.
Two living areas.
The living room was enormous.
Its entire south-facing wall consisted of floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing sunlight to pour into the apartment and flood every corner with warmth and brightness.
The flooring was pale oak hardwood.
She imagined it would feel wonderful beneath bare feet.
The sofa was upholstered in soft gray-white fabric, with clean, modern lines.
A natural wood coffee table sat in front of it, completely bare.
The kitchen featured an open-plan design.
White cabinetry.
Gray countertops.
Every appliance was already installed.
The protective plastic film still covered the stovetop.
The faucet was a pull-out model with a brushed brass finish.
Unable to resist, Yang Zhiyan reached out and touched it.
It felt cool beneath her fingertips, the smooth metallic chill lingering against her skin.
There were three bedrooms.
The master bedroom was the largest, complete with an en-suite bathroom and a private balcony.
Standing on the balcony, she could overlook the greenery of Riverside Park and occasionally spot boats gliding along the distant river.
The second bedroom was smaller but still spacious enough for a five-foot bed and a wardrobe.
The third room wasn’t large either, but it had an oversized south-facing window.
The natural light was almost excessive.
Sunlight spilled across the empty wooden floor, illuminating every grain in the timber until it resembled a work of art.