“Old Qian, who’s this refined young man?”

Mrs. Lin had noticed Lin Qianshi early on. She was initially struck by his refined appearance and couldn’t resist asking.

Old Qian let out a sound of acknowledgment and replied, “This young man is looking to rent a place around here. Since we’re moving out soon, I thought I’d bring him over to take a look. What do you think, landlady?”

Mrs. Leung, preoccupied with caring for her grandson, had little time to deal with showing the apartment. She waved her hand dismissively, saying, “Take him to look at it yourself. You don’t need to ask me. But keep in mind, this area is about to be demolished, so he probably won’t be able to stay more than a few months.”

“That’s fine,” Lin Qianshi said politely with a smile. “I’m just looking for a short-term rental for one or two months since I’ll be job hunting nearby.”

“You look so polished—are you a college student?” Mrs. Lin smiled warmly and asked with concern. “The rent around here isn’t cheap, and you probably don’t need such a big place for just yourself, do you?”

Gu Xicao glanced at Lin Qianshi, her lips twitching slightly.

A short-term rental? Job hunting?

When did the Lin family go bankrupt, and why didn’t she know about it?

What was this Lin family heir doing, pretending to be poor in their neighborhood? What was his game?

“It’s not an issue,” Lin Qianshi replied calmly. “I’m only considering this area because of the convenient transportation. It’s close to New Territories and the Bay Area.”

Mrs. Leung, who had initially been annoyed at Mrs. Lin’s meddling, was now all smiles after hearing his explanation. “Young man, you’ve got a good eye. This location is fantastic—buses, the MTR, and plenty of little shops nearby for whatever you need. And the neighbors here are friendly; even groceries are cheaper. Isn’t that right, Xiao Gu?”

“That’s right,” Gu Xicao agreed instinctively.

When Lin Qianshi turned to look at her, he froze momentarily, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Gu Xicao was wearing a simple floral dress, her hair loosely tied up, and her fresh, delicate face resembled a lotus emerging from water.

“Old Qian, Old Qian!”

Just as Old Qian was about to show Lin Qianshi the apartment, his wife came rushing out of their home, visibly flustered.

Startled, Old Qian asked, “What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“The factory is calling us for overtime! The supervisor said to hurry up—it’s double pay. Let’s go!”

Old Qian’s eyes lit up at the mention of double pay, but he hesitated when he glanced at Lin Qianshi. “What about showing him the apartment?”

“Just go to work,” Mrs. Leung said, waving her hand. “Xiao Gu, can you do us a favor and take him to see the place?”

Startled, Gu Xicao paused for a moment before agreeing. “Sure. This—”

She glanced at Lin Qianshi with a questioning look.

He responded politely, “My surname is Lin. You can call me Lin Qianshi.”

“Mr. Lin, this way, please.” Gu Xicao gestured courteously.

In this housing unit, neighbors often helped each other out. When she worked late, Lin Yuan would often hang out at the neighbors’ homes, enjoying their TV and air conditioning. Not only did they not mind, but they would also offer him snacks and drinks.

The thought of the community spirit she might lose after the demolition made Gu Xicao feel reluctant.

“Big Sister Gu!” Old Qian’s two children greeted her sweetly when they saw her arrive with a guest.

Smiling, Gu Xicao pulled a handful of candies from her pocket and handed them to the kids. “Keep watching TV. I’m just showing Mr. Lin the apartment.”

Old Qian’s place was significantly larger than hers, with separate bedrooms and a living room. The living room opened onto a balcony with a view of tall buildings, power lines, and rows of laundry hanging from anti-theft grilles. The sky was painted a faint azure at sunset, with migratory birds flying by.

“Uncle Qian’s place is roughly like this,” Gu Xicao explained. “The monthly rent is 1,000 yuan, with one month’s rent as a deposit. Utilities are paid separately. The landlady is great; she’ll promptly send someone if anything needs fixing.”

After glancing around the apartment thoughtfully, Lin Qianshi asked, “This place is quite affordable. I’ve heard about the demolition—are people willing to move out?”

Hearing this, Gu Xicao glanced at him and silently prompted the gossip system in her mind: What’s this Lin family heir doing, conducting undercover visits in this area?

The gossip system chuckled. “The demolition here is being managed by his company. He’s here to understand the tenants’ sentiments and hopes to achieve a win-win outcome.”

A win-win outcome?

Had the system not said so, Gu Xicao would’ve found it hard to believe.

She couldn’t help but take another look at Lin Qianshi. This guy is a capitalist?

A capitalist’s typical approach to demolition was brutal—either setting the place on fire or breaking someone’s bones if they refused to sign. Often, tenants wouldn’t even get compensation; instead, they might even be defrauded.

Wasn’t that why Mrs. Liang and the others were so worried?

“Mr. Lin, forgive me for being blunt, but you don’t seem like someone who would live in a place like this.”

Now aware of his intentions, Gu Xicao decided to get straight to the point.

Lin Qianshi was inspecting a crack on the wall when he heard her comment. He froze for a moment and turned to her with a puzzled expression. “Miss Gu, you must be joking. I just graduated. How could I—”

“Mr. Lin might not know, but I’m a fortune teller,” Gu Xicao said, crossing her arms as she leaned against the balcony. The evening breeze played with her hair, and a knowing smile graced her lips. Her eyes seemed to pierce through everything.

“A fortune teller?” Lin Qianshi chuckled. “Miss Gu, you must be teasing me. I don’t believe in that.”

“Not at all,” Gu Xicao said, shaking her head. “Let me make a prediction. If I’m right, Mr. Lin must tell me the truth. If I’m wrong, pretend I never said anything. How about that?”

Lin Qianshi found it amusing. Although he didn’t believe in fortune-telling or the supernatural, he nodded, slipping one hand into his pocket.

“You’ve just graduated, but you’re no ordinary university graduate. You graduated from Cambridge University with dual majors in finance and architecture.”

When she saw the surprised expression on Lin Qianshi’s face, Gu Xicao’s lips curled slightly. “But that’s not the main point. The main point is that you’re the eldest young master of the Lin family—a wealthy, handsome man from a prominent background. There’s no way you’d need to live in a subdivided flat like ours.”

The smile on Lin Qianshi’s face gradually faded.

His brows furrowed slightly as the soft wind ruffled his black hair. His dark eyes, as clear as the night sky, looked at Gu Xicao with confusion. “You… you know me?”

“I don’t know you, but as I said, I’m a fortune teller, Mr. Lin.”

Gu Xicao continued, “I know the Lin Corporation is responsible for the demolition work here. If possible, I hope you’ll ensure fairness and respect the interests of the residents. I promise I’ll repay this kindness someday.”

Her tone was calm and composed.

If anyone else who knew Lin Qianshi’s identity had overheard, they would have laughed.

The eldest young master of the Lin family, born with a silver spoon—why would he ever need a favor from a woman living in a subdivided flat?

“Young Master.”

Not far from Ziwei Building, Lin’s driver, Old Bai, had been waiting for a long time. Just as he was debating whether to go upstairs to find Lin Qianshi, he saw him walking out of the building.

Relieved, Old Bai quickly approached him. “Young Master, it’s good you’re back. This kind of place is no place for you—too mixed with all sorts of people. Even we shouldn’t linger here unnecessarily.”

Old Bai had been personally assigned by Grandpa Lin to drive for Lin Qianshi and was naturally very concerned about his safety.

“You’re right to worry,” Lin Qianshi replied as he fastened his seatbelt in the back seat. “But I found that while the people here are poor, they’re quite warm-hearted.”

Old Bai started the car, letting out a chuckle. “Young Master, that’s because you’ve only had limited interaction with them. If you got to know them better, you’d realize these lower-class folks can be utterly shameless. They’d fight over scraps. You don’t need to concern yourself with the demolition work—leave it to the people below you. Why bother coming to investigate personally?”

“I don’t like hearing that.”

Lin Qianshi withdrew his gaze from Ziwei Building and turned to look at Old Bai, his expression warm yet firm.

Old Bai felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stammered an apology before starting the car.

A favor?

Lin Qianshi rubbed his lips, narrowing his eyes as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

“I really am doing good deeds,” Gu Xicao thought, feeling rather pleased with herself for her altruism. She opened a bottle of soda and savored the fizzy sweetness.

But… had she forgotten something?

The next day, when Old Qian came knocking, Gu Xicao finally remembered what she’d overlooked.

“Well? Did that young man agree?” Old Qian asked, his face filled with anticipation.

Gu Xicao gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of her head. “Well, he said he found the place too expensive—1,000 yuan a month—and left.”

“What? Xiao Gu, the rent is negotiable! If it’s too high, the landlady has other cheaper places available,” Old Qian exclaimed, holding his head in regret.

Gu Xicao forced a smile. In truth, the man had never intended to rent the place. He had only come under the pretense of house-hunting to gather information. Why would someone like him, a dignified young master, ever move into this area?

“Never mind,” Old Qian’s wife said cheerfully. “Looking at the way that young man dressed, he’d never want to live in a place like ours. It’s not just the rent—it’s probably that he found our place too rundown. Old Qian, we’ll just find someone else later. Thanks for your help, Xiao Gu.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Gu Xicao replied quickly.

After sending Lin Yuan to school, she hurried off to Temple Street to start work.

Perhaps her earlier good deed had brought her some luck. She had barely arrived when a new client appeared.

Zhou Xiufang brought along a fashionable-looking woman. The client was in her thirties, with a curvy figure and a sharp, attractive appearance that exuded both beauty and shrewdness.

“Master Gu, long time no see!”

Zhou Xiufang greeted her warmly as she led the client over.

Gu Xicao smiled brightly and nodded. “It’s been a while. Miss Zhou, you’re glowing. Has something good happened?”

“Wow, you guessed it right. I’ve recently been promoted and gotten a raise—my monthly salary is now 20,000 yuan!”

Zhou Xiufang said excitedly, “It’s all thanks to your fortune-telling. Ever since I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, my career has been going uphill.”

Hearing this, Wang Laoshi, who was nearby, couldn’t help but look at Zhou Xiufang with envy.

A monthly salary of 20,000 yuan was no small feat—it was far beyond the reach of most people.