Chapter 10 – Are You Trying to Fob Off a Beggar With This Paltry Sum?

“To work for Uncle Shen, of course I’m willing. It’s just that… Uncle, if Han Xuzhou falls, what am I supposed to do? I’m already a married woman—I can’t expect you and Auntie to keep supporting me, can I?” Li Fan feigned difficulty.

Shen Guochang didn’t want another burden in the family either. After thinking about it, he felt she made some sense.

“Then tell me, what do you want?”

Li Fan lowered her gaze and bit her lip.

“I heard that when my sister was engaged to Han Xuzhou, Uncle Shen, you originally planned to give her three villas and fifty million as dowry. I’m just an adopted daughter of the Shen family, so I don’t feel right asking for that much. How about you just give me twenty million and a unit in No. 9 Mansion? That way I’ll have somewhere to settle down in the future.”

Shen Guochang froze—he really didn’t think Li Fan was being shy at all.

Although No. 9 Mansion wasn’t a villa, the price per square meter there was higher than that of villas.

A duplex penthouse spanning 600 to 700 square meters—how was that a mere place to settle down? You could run an 800-meter fitness test in there!

Shen Guochang twitched the corners of his mouth, unsure how to respond.

Li Fan blinked innocently. “Uncle Shen, am I asking too much of you? I don’t even know how much Han Xuzhou has. He gives me five million in pocket money every month—sixty million a year—and he even said he’d give me the Star Splendor Garden villa… If he runs out of money, wouldn’t I end up homeless?”

She sobbed twice, covering her face. “Uncle Shen, I didn’t want to trouble you again, but I don’t want to end up on the streets. That’d be worse than growing up in the welfare home.”

Shen Guochang thought about the project’s potential profit, and then decided—it was worth it!

With a grand gesture, he agreed!

Li Fan immediately beamed like a flower. “Uncle Shen, when should we sign the contract? I’ll have my lawyer prepare everything.”

Shen Guochang hesitated. “A contract? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“It’s necessary! This way it also protects you, Uncle Shen. I’ll definitely take care of everything you ask me to.”

Shen Guochang felt comforted. Li Fan was still a child—so pure.

“Alright, in a few days. I’ll have my lawyer draft it.”

“Sooner is better. Next month, I’ll be filming for a show and won’t be in Yancheng. It doesn’t matter to me, but I’d hate to delay your business.”

Shen Guochang nodded repeatedly. “Alright.”

Li Fan descended the stairs all smiles, even greeting the family dog.

“Aunt Wen, I’m heading out now.”

Wen Lianxin was stunned. That was a sweet goodbye.

Of course it was sweet—she just got twenty million and a house.

The house at No. 9 Mansion alone was worth much more than twenty million.

As soon as she left the Shen household, Li Fan immediately sold Shen Guochang out and messaged Chen Ji.

FanFanNotAnnoying: Assistant Chen, my “dad” wants me to install surveillance and audio monitoring in the home office. I agreed. Do what you must.

When Chen Ji received the message, he was in a meeting with Han Xuzhou and nearly dropped his jaw in shock.

He waited until the meeting was over to return to the office and report.

Han Xuzhou lazily lifted his eyelids. “Surveillance?”

Chen Ji cleared his throat. “It seems Shen Guochang may have misunderstood your relationship with Madam.”

Han Xuzhou barely returned to Star Splendor Garden. To him, Li Fan was just a vase—put her wherever she looked good.

Now Shen Guochang actually wanted to use Li Fan as a tool? Ridiculous.

“Shen Guochang has been getting close to Liang Jianren lately,” Chen Ji added.

Han Xuzhou snorted. “If he wants to die, so be it.”

Chen Ji nodded. “Then about Madam?”

Han Xuzhou hadn’t thought about Li Fan in days.

Because whenever he did, the image of her snowy, smooth skin would flash in his mind—addictive, like a drug.

“Transfer her two million.”

Just as Chen Ji responded and picked up his phone, Li Fan’s message popped up.

FanFanNotAnnoying: No need to find me a place—Uncle Shen already gave me one. Twenty million 😊

Chen Ji: “……”

He felt like Li Fan’s message carried a hidden jab: You’re trying to fob me off with three melons and two dates?

Han Xuzhou raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Chen Ji cleared his throat. “Madam said Shen Guochang already gave her a settlement… twenty million.”

Han Xuzhou was silent for a moment. “Heh.”

Was she indirectly calling him stingy?

It wasn’t that Han Xuzhou lacked money—he simply lacked the awareness.

In other words, he never saw Li Fan as a wife.

Their relationship, in his eyes, was purely transactional.

Li Fan was even less useful than Chen Ji.

“When is she leaving?”

Chen Ji glanced at the schedule. “The 1st of next month.”

Han Xuzhou didn’t speak further. He knew Li Fan was in showbiz, but she was a bottom-tier nobody.

If she could get rid of the Liang family problem this time, maybe she’d be worth a better settlement.

…

With the settlement in hand, Li Fan followed the program schedule and appeared at Chuncheng Airport on the 1st.

From there, it was another hour’s drive to the filming location.

The program, In the Heart of Peach Blossom Valley, was set in the local Lushang Pavilion Scenic Area—known for its natural beauty.

Water fields, lakes, and karst peaks—it was no wonder Andy said it would feel like a vacation.

After meeting up with the crew, Li Fan got in the car.

A staffer glanced behind her and asked curiously, “Miss Li, you came alone?”

Li Fan nodded. “Who else?”

The staffer scratched their head. “I thought you’d have an assistant. Please get in.”

“Just call me Li Fan,” she said. “I’m not used to being called Miss Li.”

“Sure! I’m Ren Xuan, in charge of picking you and Master Gu up today.”

Li Fan figured “Master Gu” referred to Gu Lanyi.

Ren Xuan glanced at her and was taken aback by her beauty.

She had seen Li Fan’s stills from dramas, but she always played ugly servant girls in those.

Seeing her in person, Ren Xuan felt dazzled.

The entertainment industry had its fair share of beauties, like Gu Lan, but even she didn’t match up to this.

With bone structure and features like this, it would be a crime not to be famous.

“Miss Li—uh, FanFan, do you have Weibo? I want to follow you.”

Li Fan raised her brow, a bit surprised. “Follow me?”

“Yeah! If you get famous, I want to be your fan club leader!”

Li Fan found that unlikely—she was quite content with her current laid-back life.

Occasionally appearing on variety shows, playing minor roles, coasting at the bottom—perfect.

A salted fish like her would never go viral.

Still, Ren Xuan was so warm she didn’t feel like refusing.

“Search ‘FanFanNotAnnoying’ on Weibo.”

Ren Xuan found her account—barely 100,000 followers, and most of them inactive bots.

Yep. Definitely a salted fish.

Didn’t matter. She hit follow anyway.