“Li Xiao, actually I—”
Yu Xinxin had planned to confess her feelings. A man was most vulnerable right after a breakup—perfect timing to slip in.
But Li Xiao shoved her aside roughly, not even sparing her a glance, and walked away.
“Li…”
Her words stuck in her throat as she bit her lip in frustration, tears pooling in her eyes. She looked fragile and pitiful, but he was already gone.
By the time Li Xiao returned to the dorm, his anger had cooled slightly. But the moment he saw Shao Yu, the fire reignited.
Shen Ci sending him Carnivals was a direct slap in the face.
Yes—what stung most was his pride. She had trampled on his dignity as a man.
Still, Shao Yu probably didn’t know it was Shen Ci, right? Other than himself, no one else could recognize her account. She hadn’t posted anything about herself on it.
Thinking this, Li Xiao felt marginally better. At least he wouldn’t look like a fool in front of his roommates.
But then—
“Li Xiao, I really didn’t know that person was Shen Ci. I swear I didn’t know.”
The words slipped out of Shao Yu’s mouth, unprompted.
Li Xiao’s eyes went wide with fury.
Across the room, Qu Yang nearly choked on air. Seriously? You’re volunteering to self-destruct?
“How do you know now?” Li Xiao’s voice was dangerously low.
“I—” Shao Yu clamped his hand over his mouth too late, glancing at Qu Yang with desperate pleading eyes.
Qu Yang stood, speaking evenly. “I recognized her. I’d seen her account before, so I remembered it.”
“Heh…” Li Xiao gave a mirthless laugh, his face twisted with anger. He looked between them both, voice laced with threat:“This doesn’t leave this room. If a fourth person finds out, don’t blame me for what happens.”
Qu Yang’s eyes hardened. He despised this domineering attitude. But he didn’t argue—he had no interest in Li Xiao’s affairs, let alone gossiping.
Shao Yu, however, bobbed his head frantically. “Don’t worry, Li Xiao. We won’t breathe a word.”
The next morning, Shen Ci appeared at the Ten Thousand Lights villa sales center.
This estate wasn’t just the most prestigious in Lóng City—it was famous nationwide, known to all.
Unlike most villa zones built far from city centers, Ten Thousand Lights sat in the golden core of the city: tranquil yet central, on land chosen by over a dozen fengshui masters. Before sales even opened, it had been pre-booked by tycoons.
Now, only a few new homes remained for sale.
A male sales rep in uniform glanced at Shen Ci’s casual attire, then approached halfheartedly.
She asked, he answered, his eyes darting constantly toward the front doors, his attitude perfunctory.
“Do you have something else to do?” Shen Ci’s displeasure showed. After yesterday’s incident at the luxury boutique, she had no patience for this again.
“No, miss. Do you have other questions?” he asked, feigning attentiveness, though his lack of sincerity was obvious.
Unlike yesterday’s saleswoman, who had been blatantly condescending, this man’s subtle disdain was worse.
Before she could reply, his real distraction walked in: “Mr. Wang, Mrs. Wang—you’re finally here! I thought you weren’t coming today.”
He rushed to greet them, fawning over the couple and leading them to the lounge, arms full of brochures, his tone dripping with enthusiasm.
A sharp contrast to how he’d just treated her.
Shen Ci let out a short, incredulous laugh. Two days in a row she’d run into this nonsense? Was the problem really her?
She glanced down at her outfit—casual, yes, but designer brands, each piece worth nearly two yuan. Clearly the man didn’t recognize the labels.
“Miss, may I help you?”
A gentle voice drew her gaze. A bespectacled young woman, pale and neat, stood nearby. She wore the same uniform, but without a name tag.
“Intern?” Shen Ci asked.
The girl flushed, nodding. “Yes, but please rest assured—I’m very familiar with the details of our villas. If you’d like, I can serve you.”
Shen Ci smiled faintly. “Good.”
Then she walked straight to the lounge and sat herself beside Mr. and Mrs. Wang.
The male salesman noticed, but said nothing, continuing his spiel with forced patience.
“May I have your surname, miss?”
“Shen.”
“Then I’ll call you Miss Shen. Have you reviewed our villa information before?”
“Just online briefly,” she replied. Then added clearly, “Today, if I find a property I like, I’ll pay in full.”
The intern blinked, startled, then quickly nodded. “Of course. Let me explain what we have available.”
Her declaration, however, had caught the ears of the Wangs and the salesman. They turned to her, doubt flickering in their eyes.
A full cash purchase? The cheapest villa here cost nearly eight thousand yuan. What a boast.
Unfazed, the intern gave Shen Ci a thorough half-hour presentation, explaining every important detail. Shen Ci listened carefully, impressed by her professionalism.
“Miss Shen, as you can see, the villas here sell quickly. The best ones were bought long ago, and new listings are scarce. Even those in less prime spots move fast. If you’re interested, it’s best not to delay.”
Shen Ci studied the booklet, pointing to a page. “I like this one. The living room is sunken, correct?”
“Yes. That design was by Master Lin Hui, who specializes in modern garden styles. The greenery covers the whole property without blocking light, wrapping the villa in privacy. It also comes with the world’s most advanced mosquito-control system—you won’t have to worry at all.”
Shen Ci’s lips curved in satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)