Chapter 17: The Little Rich Girl in a Swimsuit

Early July brought a sunny, warm afternoon with a gentle breeze. The Housing Acquisition Department of the Construction Bureau called Jiang Qin, agreeing to the compensation terms he had proposed and inviting him to sign the contract immediately to set an example for other property owners.

Why?

Because there were too many greedy people—some had even started banding together, driving their demands higher and higher.

The demolition team had been negotiating for three days without securing a single deal. Everyone believed the longer they held out, the more they'd get, and signing first would mean losing out big time.

In comparison, Jiang Qin's straightforward, one-time offer seemed reasonable.

After a meeting, the Acquisition Department decided that since the owners were united in their demands, they'd break them apart from the inside. Simply put, once someone signed, others would inevitably follow.

Thus, Jiang Qin became the breakthrough to encourage early sign-ups.

After signing the contract, Jiang Qin received a total of 4.79 million yuan in compensation, along with four resettlement apartments—two in the new city district's Yushui Bay and two across from Fuzi Lake in Jingyuan.

From a 2008 perspective, these locations weren't exactly prime real estate. The new district was freshly built, with surrounding infrastructure still incomplete—essentially a barren area.

But by 2010, a high-speed rail station would be constructed across from Yushui Bay, the new No. 1 Middle School would relocate south of Fuzi Lake, and the municipal government would shift northward. Housing prices would skyrocket day by day.

Still, Jiang Qin didn't dare tell his parents about the house purchase and demolition deal—it'd be too hard to explain.

His parents were currently well-fed and healthy, with no pressing needs, so it didn't matter if he kept it under wraps for now.

On July 13th, to entice more residents to sign, the demolition office transferred the compensation to Jiang Qin's account in less than three working days.

On July 15th, Jiang Qin successfully submitted his college application, choosing the Finance major at Linchuan University.

On July 16th, he transferred 2.73 million yuan from the bank, repaying the money he'd borrowed from Feng Nanshu. To show his gratitude, he took her for a day trip to a hot spring town in the eastern suburbs.

The private hot spring pool, shrouded in steamy mist, was perched atop a cliff, overlooking towering mountains. The view was breathtaking.

Wearing a swimsuit, Feng Nanshu soaked in the warm water, her delicate face flushed from the steam. She held a soda in one hand and a osmanthus cake in the other, her eyes constantly drifting to the distant mountains, utterly delighted.

Her swimsuit, picked out by Jiang Qin, wasn't some sexy bikini but a modest white two-piece—a halter top and a skirted bottom.

He'd thought it was conservative enough when he bought it, but he'd underestimated Feng Nanshu's figure and its allure.

Her long legs were as white as frost, her slender waist seemed made to be held, and her smooth, pale abdomen boasted a subtle yet defined set of abs.

The naturally aloof girl had no guard up around Jiang Qin, stretching out her perfect curves in a relaxed pose. She had no idea how irresistible the blend of innocence and sensuality was—or that the guy across from her couldn't take his eyes off her.

"A big bird just flew by."

"Yeah, big and white."

Feng Nanshu slowly turned her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "But the bird that just flew by was black."

Jiang Qin wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. "You know, you can't just judge things by their surface. Sometimes you have to look past the outside to see the pure white inside."

"?"

Feng Nanshu glanced down at her chest. "Are you looking at my boobs?"

Caught red-handed, Jiang Qin didn't flinch. "You're overthinking it. I'm a gentleman who doesn't let his eyes wander!"

"Then can you stop rubbing my foot? It's starting to hurt."

"That's because this pool's too small. I'm worried your big movements might kick me."

Jiang Qin spouted gentlemanly excuses left and right but discreetly let go of her soft, rosy little foot, pretending to gaze casually at the distant mountains and scenery.

"Splash—"

Feng Nanshu stood up from the pool, leaning over the edge with her hips raised, reaching for a bag of salt-and-pepper crisps but falling short.

Jiang Qin, sitting close to her now, wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he could almost feel the heat radiating from her skin. Who could resist this?

"I'm done soaking. I'm going to shower."

Jiang Qin climbed out of the pool, handed her the crisps, and slipped into the shower.

The cold water cascaded down his back, making his thirty-eight-year-old soul tremble. He couldn't help but scold himself: You're a thirty-eight-year-old man lusting after an eighteen-year-old naive girl's body. Have some manners!

Men really were all the same—consistently obsessed with young women.

Hearing the shower's steady stream, Feng Nanshu glanced down at her chest, her nose wrinkling slightly. She tore open the crisp packet, popped one in her mouth, and chewed with a satisfying crunch.

Hmph, this guy definitely likes staring at boobs—and playing with feet.

After showering, the two left the hot spring hotel and took a sightseeing cart to the town's commercial street, planning to grab something to eat.

But when they asked the price, a roasted chicken cost 58 yuan. Jiang Qin thought he'd misheard.

This was 2008! A roasted chicken for 58 yuan? I should've bought half-price chickens from the zoo and sold them here roasted. When it comes to making money, these tourist spots are ruthless.

But…

Feng Nanshu was practically drooling over the roasted chicken in the oven.

Jiang Qin couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time he'd seen someone so obsessed with roasted chicken. Reluctantly, he pulled out his wallet and spent 58 yuan on one.

The 1.7 million-plus he had was all thanks to Feng Nanshu. If his little rich benefactor wanted to eat the moon, he'd have to fetch it for her. That's called gratitude.

But was Feng Nanshu really a rich heiress? How come she wanted to eat everything she saw, practically glued to the spot with hunger?

"You've never had roasted chicken?"

Feng Nanshu wiped her mouth, her gaze still cool and detached. "Mother said a true lady isn't swayed by appetite. That way, she has no weaknesses."

Jiang Qin sighed. You're practically drowning in desire right now, okay? What kind of predatory logic was this? "Eat up, have plenty. Just don't waste it."

"Jiang Qin, thank you for buying me the chicken. You're my best friend."

"Missy, I'm your only friend. Of course I'm the best."

Feng Nanshu thought about it for a moment and decided he made sense, so she rephrased. "Then I think you're a good person."

That hit Jiang Qin where it hurt. "If you're trying to compliment me, just say I'm handsome. Don't hand me those flimsy 'good guy' cards."

"Oh."

"By the way, I might get busy soon. I'll be learning to drive and trying out some small business ventures, so I probably won't have time to hang out with you. Do you have somewhere to go?"

"I can read at the library," Feng Nanshu answered without hesitation.

"Won't you feel lonely?"

"Not lonely. I've always been like this—alone."

Feng Nanshu looked up at him, her lashes trembling slightly, as if she didn't even know what loneliness meant.

The way things were before was fine, and they'd be fine after. Her life probably wouldn't change much whether someone was there or not.