The house renovation was primarily Lu Father’s responsibility. All Meng Suihuan needed to do was share her ideas with him, leaving the details for him to handle.

However, she didn’t remain idle during this time. She wandered around the city, searching for a suitable shop to purchase. Regardless of whether the old town renovation project materialized or not, she was determined to venture into real estate, so preparations had to be made in advance.

Unfortunately, after several days of searching, she still hadn’t found anything suitable.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind her. “Are you looking for a property? Maybe I can help.”

Huh?

Meng Suihuan turned around and saw a cheerful young man with a sunny disposition. His smile exuded innocence. She stared at him for a moment, finding him oddly familiar.

After a brief pause, she remembered who he was. She sized him up a few times before letting out a light laugh. “Oh, it’s you?”

The boy was puzzled. “You know me?” He had no recollection of the woman before him.

“Yes.” Meng Suihuan nodded, a faint smirk on her lips. “I’ve seen you lately, weaving your stories to persuade people. You left quite an impression.”

The boy: “…”

He chuckled awkwardly. “I wasn’t weaving stories…” After a two-second pause, he switched to a more dignified phrasing. “I was fulfilling mutual needs!”

“Mm.” Meng Suihuan nodded in agreement. With his persuasive skills, he’d be a top-tier salesperson in the 21st century. He could take an ordinary product and hype it up so much that you’d feel like missing out would be a lifelong regret.

Still, the things he recommended weren’t bad. At least the set of cosmetics she’d inadvertently bought from him had exceeded her expectations.

Thinking of this, she sincerely praised him, “Even though you talk a big game^[1]To speak emphatically and at length about one’s ability, intentions, or achievements, without yet producing any clear evidence or actual results., the products are pretty good.”

The boy had been wracking his brain for ways to change her first impression of him. If she pegged him as a fraud, she might not even give him a chance to explain, and the deal would be dead on arrival.

But before he could figure out how to salvage his image, her compliment put him at ease.

“So, you know I’m not a scammer,” he said with relief. “I know this area well. Just tell me your requirements, and I, Jiang Chengxuan, will definitely find you the perfect property!”

“Your name is Jiang Chengxuan? Which Cheng and which Xuan?” Meng Suihuan couldn’t hide her excitement.

Jiang Chengxuan was taken aback by her strong reaction. Not only did she seem to recognize him, but her gaze also suggested she had… intentions toward him?

Could it be…?

Still waiting for his reply, Meng Suihuan urged him, “Why are you standing there? Answer me!”

Jiang Chengxuan snapped out of it, gritting his teeth. “… The Cheng from ‘promise’ and the Xuan from ‘Xuanyuan.’”

Meng Suihuan’s eyes lit up instantly. Could her luck be this good? She’d run into the yet-to-rise Jiang Chengxuan!

In the novel, Jiang Chengxuan was a minor antagonist who later fell for the female lead and caused trouble for the male lead, even getting the upper hand a few times.

Though he eventually lost to the male lead, it didn’t diminish his brilliance. Just moments ago, she had lamented how his talent was wasted in this small city, thinking he deserved better opportunities.

Now she could only feel fortunate! Thankfully, Jiang Chengxuan hadn’t risen to prominence yet. Otherwise, she would’ve missed this golden opportunity!

Unaware of Meng Suihuan’s inner thoughts, Jiang Chengxuan’s mind raced as he noticed her intent gaze. Should he run? She was staring at him like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Before he could act, the woman extended her hand toward him.

“Jiang Chengxuan, hello. I’m Meng Suihuan. I’m very interested in what you just mentioned. How about we find a quieter place to discuss it?”

“Some things aren’t convenient to talk about here.”

Despite an initial urge to flee, Jiang Chengxuan suppressed the impulse at her suggestion. At the very least, he needed to secure the deal before making any decisions.

He led Meng Suihuan to a barbershop. The location was secluded, and business wasn’t great—why else would the owner be napping in broad daylight?

Meng Suihuan casually found a seat. The owner grumbled when Jiang Chengxuan woke him, but upon seeing Meng Suihuan, he quickly plastered on a smile.

“Alright, tell me your requirements. I promise to settle this within three days,” Jiang Chengxuan said confidently.

Meng Suihuan nodded and carefully outlined her needs, emphasizing some details. After finishing, she asked casually, “Is this your family’s shop? And is your current job just brokering deals for a cut?”

Jiang Chengxuan tensed up immediately. “Why do you want to know?”

Meng Suihuan smirked. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m interested in you.”

Jiang Chengxuan: “!”

He knew it! She was definitely into him!

Jiang Chengxuan’s face turned serious. “To me, you’re just a business partner. I have no feelings for you now, and I never will.”

Meng Suihuan: “…”

This boy really had a wild imagination.

If she didn’t explain herself clearly, who knew what else he might overthink?

“I’m planning to start a company,” Meng Suihuan said. “I think you’re eloquent and smart, so I wanted to ask if you’re interested in working with me.”

Jiang Chengxuan hadn’t expected her to mean this and felt both relieved and a little pleased with himself. “You’ve got good taste.”

“But if you want me to work with you, flattery alone won’t cut it. You’ll have to show some sincerity.”

Meng Suihuan curled her lips into a smile. “Of course.”

With that, Meng Suihuan presented her full “sincerity.” Although Jiang Chengxuan ultimately said he needed time to consider, Meng Suihuan could tell that he had already decided. He just needed a little time to process it.

As she left, she added, “I’ll come back here in three days. I hope by then, you’ll have an answer that satisfies us both.”

—

Three Days Later

Meng Suihuan arrived punctually at the barbershop. Jiang Chengxuan wasn’t there yet, but the barber she met last time greeted her warmly.

“Da Xuan has something to do, but I’ll pour you a glass of water. Please have a seat and wait for a bit.”

Meng Suihuan nodded. “Thank you. Don’t worry about me, I’ll just wait here.”

She waited for nearly half an hour before Jiang Chengxuan arrived in a hurry.

Meng Suihuan smiled as she looked at him. “So, have you thought about what I asked you?”

“I’ll agree, but I have two conditions,” Jiang Chengxuan replied.

“Go ahead.”

“For the next year or two, I’ll stay in this city and won’t go anywhere else. Also, after completing the tasks you assign me, I want control over how I spend my remaining time, and no one can interfere.”

Meng Suihuan smiled. “Any other conditions?”

Jiang Chengxuan shook his head.

Without hesitation, Meng Suihuan replied, “I agree to all of it.”

Jiang Chengxuan wasn’t one to drag things out. He immediately called out, “Boss!”

Meng Suihuan couldn’t help but laugh. Although she had been 90% sure he’d agree, hearing his confirmation still made her heart race with excitement.

After calming herself for a moment, she extended her hand to Jiang Chengxuan. With a relaxed and light-hearted tone, she said, “Well then, here’s to a successful partnership.”

“Here’s to a successful partnership,” Jiang Chengxuan echoed.

—

After finalizing their collaboration, Jiang Chengxuan wasted no time and took Meng Suihuan to inspect a few shop locations. Out of the three he selected, Meng Suihuan liked two of them. After weighing her options, she chose the one with higher foot traffic and a more prominent location.

Once the contract was signed, the property officially belonged to Meng Suihuan.

This was the first property she had purchased since coming to this world, so it carried a unique emotional weight. However, the feeling didn’t last long—this was just the first step. There would be many more days like this in the future, and not just one property, but a second, a third… countless properties.

With the shop location secured, Meng Suihuan entrusted the renovation to Jiang Chengxuan, confident in his reliability.

Jiang Chengxuan had no objections.

“Oh, and besides the renovations, I’ll need you to handle the company registration too,” she added. After all, they’d be getting down to business soon.

“No problem,” Jiang Chengxuan agreed.

—

With the shop matters settled, Meng Suihuan turned her attention back to the old town renovation project, anxiously waiting for a call.

Days passed without news. Just as she decided to shift her focus to other tasks to distract herself, someone called out from outside.

“Meng Girl, there’s a call for you from the village.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan couldn’t contain her excitement and rushed out. The long-awaited call had finally come.

She ran as fast as she could, arriving at her destination red-faced and out of breath. After catching her breath, she entered the room.

“The call will come through again in about two minutes,” the village official informed her before stepping out.

Alone, Meng Suihuan sat in front of the phone, staring at it intently.

“Ring—”

The moment the phone rang, she picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear. Though she tried to stay calm, her voice trembled slightly.

“Hello… This is Meng Suihuan.”

“Miss, congratulations. It’s a done deal.”

Upon hearing those words, Meng Suihuan trembled with excitement, barely suppressing a scream.

The man on the other end was just as elated, his tone brimming with joy. “If there are no issues, prepare the relevant documents and come find me anytime.”

“Okay!” Meng Suihuan replied earnestly, thanking him sincerely before hanging up.

Even after the call ended, she was still in a daze. Though she had expected this, her heart had been restless until it was confirmed.

Now that everything was finalized, she finally felt at ease.

—

Not daring to waste any time, Meng Suihuan immediately took Jiang Chengxuan and the necessary documents to the government to sign the contract.

Jiang Chengxuan was momentarily stunned. “Boss, I heard the funding for this project is really low. Are we really taking it on?”

He hesitated. “Won’t we lose everything? Our company just started and hasn’t even taken off yet. Taking on such an unprofitable project… won’t we go bankrupt?”

“If you don’t have other projects lined up, I can ask around…”

Meng Suihuan interrupted him with a smile. “Don’t underestimate this project. If we can pull it off, it’ll not only make our company’s name but also get us a great deal in the process!”

Jiang Chengxuan: “…”

At that moment, he realized something: had he been swindled when he joined? Otherwise, why had he so willingly boarded this ship?