Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng left the bar and sat at a meat skewer store by the roadside where they drank beer and ate meat.

  Huang Yaming had not dared to inform Xu Tingsheng about Tan Qingling’s matter. Fu Cheng too had only learnt about this today. He did not actually have to go to the bar to sing everyday as his contract was such that he could choose to go whenever he wanted.

  Therefore, after singing to kick things off that night, he had sung thrice in succession.

  Whilst being related to Huang Yaming, this song was actually related to Fu Cheng too. It was just that one sweater was instead worn by another guy, while another was stained in blood.

  If one were to consider that scarf of Lu Zhixin’s, this song was related to even Xu Tingsheng.

  Because of this, Xu Tingsheng earnestly toasted Fu Cheng.

  That was actually all they would do about Tan Qingling’s matter. Xu Tingshneg had said what needed to be said, and Fu Cheng had sung the same too. For some affairs, like matters of the heart, it was inconvenient for even the best of bros to get too involved.

  The two did chat about Chen Jingqi, though.

  Chen Jingqi who already possessed societal experience was clearly not the kind of girl who would feel infuriated and aggrievedly back out of the relationship on her own. Moreover, being acquainted with Song Ni, she knew about what had previously occurred between Huang Yaming and Tan Qingling.

  Song Ni had previously explained this to her to account for that wild, decadent period of time in Huang Yaming’s life.

  Therefore, she should actually know full well that whatever the case, she currently still grasped the advantage. Also, her relationship with Huang Yaming had been great recently as they very much gave off the ‘married couple living together’ vibe.

  Huang Yaming had even brought her over to his bar where he had publicly introduced her to everyone as Bright Brilliance’s lady boss.

  Thus, the only possible explanation was that something had happened on that night that Huang Yaming had been dead drunk and Chen Jingqi and Tan Qingli had helped him back home. Because of that, Chen Jingqi had chosen to give up and back out on the relationship.

  Meanwhile, Tan Qingling had blatantly, righteously moved into his place to stay just like that.

  The two drank together till the early hours of the morning whereupon they found a motel to rest for the night. Seeing two guys with rather good looks supporting each other and staggering into a room, the receptionist was even looking at them rather strangely.

  After Fu Cheng had fallen asleep, Xu Tingsheng received a call from Apple.

  She was still in Libei where she was running, posting on Weibo and accompanying her mother and grandmother everyday, living, leading a very leisurely life. This was despite the fact that the songs in her album were currently being released one by one to rank at the top of the various music charts. It was freaking awesome how out of ten top ranked songs, five could be hers.

  The county’s officials had personally visited and requested for her to be their ambassador for tourism. Ones from the city had come too……afraid of constantly being interrupted, Apple had ultimately chosen to rent a house, moving there together with her mother and grandmother.

  “Mum knows that that person came to look for me. It appeared so much on the news there was no keeping it from her,” Apple said, “Still, Mum seems to be very calm. She said that it’s fine if he’s doing well. With so many years having already passed, it can be considered good news.”


  Xu Tingsheng had no reply to that as he changed the topic, “What about you? Aren’t you bored, perpetually being in the same place?”


  Apple said, “It’s not bad. I have someone to accompany me. I’m on pretty good terms with Shu Yan now. We’re often together when she comes back during the holidays.”


  Xu Tingsheng tried to recollect that name. There was naturally no need to think deeply for this life. They had been classmates in senior high, and only two years had passed since then. Xu Tingsheng was trying to remember the events of his previous life, specifically that classmate gathering. That ‘close friend’ of Apple’s who had told them about her affairs should have been this very Shu Yan.

  Because of that, Xu Tingsheng felt rather worried.

  “Since when were you so close with her? I don’t seem to remember you being so close back in senior high……” Xu Tingsheng asked.

  “Yeah, we were just ordinary classmates back in senior high. Still, during our first semester in university, because our universites are very close to each other and I’m familiar with Shenghai, we often went out together then. Our relationship can be considered pretty good,” Apple replied.

  Xu Tingsheng finally knew how Apple had become well acquainted with this ‘dear friend’ of hers.

  After hesitating a little, unable to express it too explicitly, Xu Tingsheng said, “You must know that you’re a public figure now. There are some things that you can’t say even to your closest female friends, understand? If they said it out loud, it could stir up a storm……it could potentially prove very troublesome.”


  Apple hesitated for a moment before replying, “Understood.”
……

  Meanwhile, the Xiang family home.

  Mr and Mrs Xiang who were in a great mood did a bit of something which is not to be described.

  The two individually took a shower before going back and lying down on their bed.

  “It can’t be stopped any longer. Do you believe me when I say that?” Mr Xiang suddenly said out of nowhere.

  “Huh?” Mrs Xiang asked.

  “Your daughter herself wanted to elope with Tingsheng. She even said that after giving birth to a child, she would come back to take care of us……” Mr Xiang smiled wryly as he said.

  “She what?” Mrs Xiang was rather infuriated.

  “She said she’d learnt that from the two of us.”


  Mrs Xiang was rendered speechless, “.……What do we do then? That won’t really happen, right?”


  “No, Tingsheng knows what can and is not to be done, unlike me who caused you to suffer so much out of a moment’s rashness that year. He told Little Ning so many things, like how we’re better and how her Grandma would be unable to bear that happening. Little Ning cried at that.”


  So, Mr Xiang had actually seen Xu Tingsheng and Little Xiang Ning together at the time, having even heard the latter part of their conversation. It was just that he had totally feigned ignorance.

  Of course, if he had heard that earlier part when Xiang Ning had mentioned the matter of their flat, he might really not have been able to feign ignorance then……

  Zhicheng’s Ning Garden finally officially opened for sales in mid July.

  The members of the Black Horse Club had basically all come. They had clientele whom they would be receiving personally, for one. Also, they had come to help watch over things.

  Xu Tingsheng was there as well, sitting in his office upstairs.

  The doors of the sales building opened at 9am in the morning.

  The glass doors were jostled to the point they seemed like they might shatter at any moment.

  The entirety of Zhicheng was busy, with the sole exception of Xu Tingsheng. There weren’t many who would know to look for him here, and not many things that he would have to be consulted on too. If there was anyone who did truly come looking for him here, they would surely be someone whom he had to pay attention to and receive personally.

  A knock on the door resounded.

  “Come in,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  First to enter the room was a beautiful woman with heavy makeup on her face. Behind her, Xu Tingsheng saw a old acquaintance, Chen Jianxing. So, this woman should be the daughter of Yanzhou’s deputy mayor.

  The woman introduced herself before drawing Chen Jianxing over and asking, “You should know each other, right? I seem to remember that Jianxing once interviewed you before.”


  After having been in the bureaucracy for some time, Chen Jianxing already looked somewhat different from before as he nodded and smiled towards Xu Tingsheng now.

  That he had interviewed Xu Tingsheng before could not be kept from anybody. Still, this wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t that Xu Tingsheng might be implicated in the future as a result just because of this, didn’t mean that it was absolutely necessary for the two to cut off all ties right away so as to be safe.

  Therefore, it was actually perfectly fine that Chen Jianxing had come along with his wife to meet Xu Tingsheng right now.

  “Yeah, Bro Chen always took very good care of me before,” Xu Tingsheng answered.

  “It’s your turn to take care of us this time round,” The woman said sweetly.

  “What is it? A flat? With the capabilities of Bro Chen and Sister-in-law, who would dare not give you face? It shouldn’t be difficult, right?”


  “That’s right. We already reserved a 180 square metres flat from one of you beforehand. The problem now is that after coming over to view the flat this time, I wanted the penthouse on the sixth floor, but it turned out that that flat was long since drawn away in a lucky draw by a family of plebeians. Then, your underling was even exceptionally arrogant, refusing to switch it for me no matter what,” The woman gesticulated angrily with an exaggerated expression on her face.

  Xu Tingsheng understood what had happened. Someone chose it beforehand, and yet they should accommodate you and let you switch it? It looked like she was really used to acting tyrannical and having her way. Also, daring to address his future in-laws in such a manner……

  As for the underling in question, it was most probably Lin Yixian. Having been ‘tasked with a decree’, she would naturally put the Xiang family first in everything.

  Controlling his emotions, Xu Tingsheng smiled, asking, “Another block of flats wouldn’t be that different, right?”


  “Well, that is true. But the more that underling refused to switch the flat for me, with even that plebeian daring to oppose me……I won’t have let them have their way. How about it? I’ve even come to look for you here. This shouldn’t be very hard to settle, right?” Flinging her handbag, the woman said as she looked at Xu Tingsheng.

  “Well actually, that would be pretty hard,” A smiling Xu Tingsheng said.

  “What do you mean?”


  “We can’t switch it. You can choose any other flat you like, but the paperwork for this flat has probably been completed. There’s really nothing we can do about that.”


  The woman’s expression turned very ugly all at once. Chen Jianxing pulled her over to the side, consoling her in a low tone.

  Actually, Mr Xiang’s paperwork had still yet to be completed. This was unrelated to Lin Yixian. It was her supervisor who had been intimidated by the daughter of the city’s deputy mayor, having held back the final stamp of approval as a result and requested instructions from the higher-ups.

  Mr and Mrs Xiang exchanged looks. There was no way they would not know who that person who had been slamming her fist on the table and requesting a switch of flats was. She had announced it a good several times already.

  Mr Xiang had adamantly refused to switch to another flat because not only did this one have the best location, Mrs Xiang had also sought advice from a fengshui master. The half-deity had said that this flat fit very well with Little Xiang Ning’s fate as she was just guaranteed to enter a good university if she stayed there.

  Seeing how Lin Yixian was in a tough spot in front of her supervisor, Mrs Xiang hesitated for a moment, asking Mr Xiang, “How about we let them have it?”


  “Nope,” Mr Xiang said.

  “But look at Little Lin, how she’s all anxious……”


  As she was speaking, Lin Yixian walked back to them, saying, “Don’t you worry. I’ll go give our boss a call. He can definitely get it settled for you at once.”


  With that, Lin Yixian went out to an empty spot and gave Xu Tingsheng a call.

  As his handphone rang, seeing that it was Lin Yixian’s number, Xu Tingsheng knew that it was definitely related to the Xiang family’s matter.

  He apologised to Chen Jianxing and his wife, saying that he had to step outside to take a call. Xu Tingsheng left the room and picked up that call. He heard Lin Yixian out before instructing her on what to do.

  Lin Yixian walked back to Mr and Mrs Xiang, saying, “Relax, it’ll be done in a jiffy.”


  Then, Mr Xiang and Mrs Xiang saw her walking over to the supervisor and saying something in a low tone. The supervisor dialled a number, hung up and stamped the seal of approval at once.

  Mr and Mrs Xiang sighed in relief as they clutched the official contract.

  Leading Lin Yixian over to a corner, Mrs Xiang stuffed the red packet that she had prepared long ago in her hand, saying, “We don’t have much money because we just bought the flat, but this is just an expression of our sincerity. Please do not stand on ceremony with us.”


  Lin Yixian was rendered entirely dazed. How would she dare accept this red packet?

  “No, no. I can’t. Our boss will fire me if he finds out I accepted a red packet in private,” Lin Yixian said panickedly.

  “Just don’t let him know then! Relax, there’s no other meaning behind this. We just really want to express our gratitude towards you,” Mrs Xiang said.

  Having previously been standing by the side, not saying a word, Mr Xiang suddenly asked, “Well then, can we meet your boss and thank him in person?”


  “No,” Lin Yixian unconsciously came off as rather too emotional here.

  Mr Xiang frowned and hesitated for a moment before he grabbed Mrs Xiang and exited that sales building right away.

  “What is it?” Outside the sales building, a curious Mrs Xiang asked Mr Xiang who was acting rather strangely all of a sudden.

  Mr Xiang hesitated for yet some time longer, next seemingly having come to some sort of decision as he finally ventured, “Don’t you think that this boss of theirs is just too good a person?”


  “He is pretty good. And you even scolded him for so long, about corporation-bureaucracy collusion or whatnot.”


  “This corporation-bureaucracy collusion. When the daughter of our deputy mayor wants to switch flats, how is it possible that he stood on our side?”