Chapter 85.3

As a man, he held disdain for the actions of Commander Xie.

More than ten years ago, he had a falling out with Commander Xie. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.

Ruan Mingfu looked up sharply.

Xie Yanzhao had a long-lost smile in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Third Uncle.”

Beside them, Xie Donglou was silent, feeling disgruntled.

Damn it, why didn’t the third brother inform him about giving gifts?

Xie Donglou rummaged through his pockets but found nothing suitable to contribute. He remembered the salary he received last night, which he hadn’t yet handed over to An Yuzhu. He pulled out a stack of cash, hesitated, and then took a few bills away.

Turning his back, he counted it quietly and then walked over to Ruan Mingfu with a bright smile.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare more in time, but this little money is a red envelope for the new bride.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Xie Donglou thought no one had noticed his earlier actions, but Ruan Mingfu had seen it all.

It was clear who was being insincere.

Ruan Mingfu felt no guilt accepting his money.

Xie Donglou watched as she held the cash with her fair hands, reluctant to look away. If there weren’t so many people around, he would’ve kicked the third brother.

Damn it!

Fortunately, he reacted quickly. Otherwise, he would’ve embarrassed himself in front of the new bride.

Xie Donglou cleared his throat. “Yanzhao, you’ve just arrived in the capital and probably don’t have a place to stay. You should stay at my house for a few days.”

“Staying at my house is also fine. Your aunt has already prepared a room,” Xie Xilou added.

“Third brother, your family has so many people and the house is so small,” Xie Donglou shot Xie Xilou a glare before slowly continuing, “Yanzhao’s wife might not be comfortable there, it’s better for them to stay at my house. My place is spacious and close to the compound.”

He smiled at Xie Yanzhao, waiting for his response.

Xie Xilou was so poor that even his family combined couldn’t afford to move comfortably. Compared to the third brother, Xie Donglou felt much more confident.

“No, we have a place to stay.”

Xie Xilou was taken aback for a moment.

“Yanzhao, you wouldn’t be trying to spare your uncle trouble by saying that on purpose, would you?”

“Yanzhao…”

Xie Xilou wanted to persuade him but didn’t know how to express it.

“Second Uncle, we really do have a place to stay,” Ruan Mingfu said with a lovely smile. “There’s no need to worry.”

Xie Donglou: “…”

Why didn’t he believe them?

They couldn’t possibly be planning to stay at the compound… The thought barely crossed his mind before he shook it off. Could it be they were just too shy to accept the invitation to stay at his place?

The more he thought about it, the more he suspected it, and Xie Donglou looked at Xie Yanzhao with suspicion.

Was this kid trying to distance himself from him?

That wouldn’t do!

With Commander Xie gone, his family’s future was uncertain. The most successful among them was Xie Yanzhao, who had just become a regiment commander. If that was the case, what future glory could he expect?

“Yanzhao, there’s no need to be polite with Second Uncle, just treat it like your own home…”

“Second Uncle, we really do have a place to stay.”

Xie Donglou: “…”

After persuading for so long, he was getting annoyed.

Xie Donglou genuinely wanted to care for this nephew, even though part of him saw it as laying the groundwork for his son’s future. But for now, he hadn’t asked anything in return. Could it be that… Xie Yanzhao intended to stay with the Bai family?

What would his relatives in the capital think of him!

Xie Donglou wanted to persuade him further, but was interrupted by Xie Xilou.

“Alright then, Yanzhao, let me take you there.”

Xie Donglou was about to get angry, but thought again.

This could be a good thing.

Whether Xie Yanzhao had a place to stay could easily be checked by visiting. If it turned out to be as he suspected, he could give him a good scolding. Then he would bring him back home, and Xie Yanzhao would likely be more grateful for having him as an uncle.

“Right, I knew you were coming back, so I specially borrowed a car from the unit to take you there.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded at Xie Yanzhao.

On the way, she mentioned the address Qi Yangyan had given her.

Xie Donglou tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

He knew that location; it was the very center of the city. Could his nephew really have a place there? He hoped it wasn’t a joke.

Xie Donglou fell silent but pressed down harder on the accelerator.

Looking at the rushing scenery outside, Ruan Mingfu felt both familiar and strange. Though she was from the south, she had lived in the capital her whole life. This place was more familiar to her than she could express.

She could even name the buildings that would be constructed there fifty years later, just by passing through the area occasionally.

For a moment, no one spoke, and the car fell silent. Soon, they arrived at the central district. The car twisted and turned until it finally stopped in front of a building.

Xie Xilou looked at the grand hall across the street, then back at the house, stunned.

This is fucking… There are no words to describe the shock in Xie Donglou’s heart.

“Are we here?” Xie Xilou glanced outside. “Second Brother, why did you stop here?”

Xie Donglou took a moment to find his voice. “…We’ve arrived.”

“But isn’t this Prince Kang’s mansion? How did we get here?”

Xie Xilou examined the courtyard in front of him. This was a royal residence from the previous dynasty. He had brought the children from his family to play here before and had heard from colleagues that this was once the residence of a royal son, much grander than his own home.

Was this the destination for Xie Yanzhao?

Xie Xilou swallowed hard. “Yanzhao, as men, we must stand tall and not engage in illegal activities…”

“Uncle,” Xie Yanzhao quickly explained, “this is my wife’s dowry.”

He was concerned that if he didn’t clarify, Xie Xilou might jump to all sorts of conclusions.

“Dowry?!”

Before Xie Xilou could respond, Xie Donglou burst out excitedly. He glanced at Ruan Mingfu through the mirror.

With her fair skin and striking beauty, it was evident that a girl like her could not have been raised without a solid family background. Looking at her hands, which were slender and devoid of calluses, Xie Donglou’s expression turned complex.

Wasn’t she supposed to be a country girl?

This was clearly a golden girl!

As Ruan Mingfu approached the door to unlock it, she found it was already open. She hesitated, stepping back and double-checking the plaque and address.

“…Is it really here?”

“It’s definitely here.”

Xie Donglou nervously eyed the red-painted door.

Damn it!

Seeing his nephew marry such a wealthy wife felt worse than losing money himself.

Ruan Mingfu stepped inside, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the intricately carved shadow wall.

The front yard was as big as three basketball courts, with trees planted at each corner. The neatly trimmed shrubs lined the path, flowers grew on one side, and there were stone tables and chairs on the other.

Ruan Mingfu looked around in delight.

Wow, is this what it feels like to be rich?

Her brother really understood her!

Her eyes brightened as she took in her surroundings.

This enormous house would be too much for just her and Xie Yanzhao… Not to mention how exhausting it would be to clean. How many people would they need to hire?

She couldn’t help but start counting on her fingers in her mind.

Xie Donglou was at a loss for words.

He looked at the neat and beautiful courtyard…isn’t it more magnificent than his small Western-style building?

Goodness, this nephew was something else.

As Ruan Mingfu crossed the threshold, she was met by a group of burly men approaching them. Each one looked fierce and intimidating.

They formed a line in front of the shadow wall, staring at the newcomers.

Xie Donglou couldn’t help but feel schadenfreude.

“Niece-in-law, are we barging into someone else’s home? Maybe we should check the address again.”

He said, how could Xie Yanzhao have such good luck? Marrying such a beautiful wife and getting such a big house… all the luck in the world seemed to be going to this brat!

“It can’t be…”

Ruan Mingfu glanced at the address in her hand again.

Her brother was such a meticulous person; there was no way he could be wrong.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Xie Yanzhao’s expression was cautious as he observed the group.

Just then, a plump man squeezed through the crowd and hurried over. His eyes lit up upon seeing Ruan Mingfu.

“Are you Miss Ruan?”

That awkward accent felt just right!

Ruan Mingfu finally relaxed.

“Did my brother send you?”

“Yes, my surname is Guan, you can just call me Guan Jiu,” he said, showing keen insight as he took the luggage from Xie Yanzhao and Xie Xilou. “Please, Miss.”

As Ruan Mingfu was about to walk in, she turned back to him.

“Did my brother leave you here for me?”

Guan Jiu smiled broadly. “Young Master Qi asked me to stay here to manage this place for you.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded.

With such a large area, she wouldn’t dare live here alone. Plus, maintaining this courtyard would require constant upkeep, and she wouldn’t be able to come with the troops anyway. Maybe once the college entrance exams resume, she might stay here.

Her brother really thought of everything.

“What about them?” she asked, pointing to the men.

“These are the ones I hired when I came,” Guan Jiu said sheepishly, scratching his head. “There are several broken spots in the back courtyard that we’re currently repairing…”

“You’ve worked hard.”

It was clear that Guan Jiu was capable. She felt she could trust him to manage things.

Guan Jiu waved his hands repeatedly. “Not at all. If it weren’t for Young Master Qi, I might not be here anymore… Let’s not talk about that. Please come inside, Miss.”

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Ruan Mingfu glanced at him, “From now on, just call me Comrade Ruan.”

“Okay…”

As a former royal mansion from the last dynasty, it was grand and beautifully landscaped. But when they reached the back courtyard, everyone was astonished.

They couldn’t believe that the previous owner of this royal mansion had actually built a small Jiangnan-style garden in the back.

The winding corridors and the dry lotus after summer, even the Taihu stones standing in the lake, all amazed Ruan Mingfu. The lake water had obviously been cleared, and it was so clear she could see fish swimming below…

Ruan Mingfu couldn’t imagine how sunny and cheerful her life would be if she lived here.

Meanwhile, Xie Donglou was so shocked he couldn’t find his voice.

His face shifted from pale to flushed, a sight to behold. Perhaps he was so immersed in his shock that he couldn’t manage his expression. Luckily, he was at the back. Otherwise, he would have been exposed.

“Comrade Ruan, this is the main courtyard, where the master lives.”

Several people followed Guan Jiu for several minutes before they arrived at the so-called main courtyard he mentioned.

Xie Donglou felt overwhelmed by the sights before him.

The doors and windows were exquisitely carved, with glass panes embedded, allowing light to come through while maintaining an aesthetic appeal. In the front yard, there was an artificial lake surrounded by various plants to repel mosquitoes and insects.

In the small garden, the roses were blooming vibrantly.

Xie Donglou struggled to suppress his jealousy.

Even Xie Xilou didn’t know where to put his hands and feet.

“Not bad, I really like it,” Ruan Mingfu said, glancing at the items inside the house and liking them even more.

“I’m glad Comrade Ruan likes it,” Guan Jiu said as he set down the luggage and looked at the others. “It’s getting late, should I arrange a meal to host the guests?”

“No, no… that’s not necessary,” Xie Xilou quickly waved his hands.

He was there to send off Xie Yanzhao, not to mooch a meal.

Xie Donglou thought to himself. Damn it, you might not want to eat, but I sure do.

At that moment, he felt as if he were marinating in vinegar, emanating a sourness that even affected how he looked at Xie Yanzhao. What commander? What promising future? He was clearly just a pretty boy relying on a rich woman!

He touched his own face and thought that if Ruan Mingfu had been born twenty years earlier, Xie Yanzhao, with his fierce expression, wouldn’t have stood a chance against him.