Chapter 17
After this tour, Zhang Yuning became more and more astonished with every glance.
Although her own family was well-off and ran a hotel, her parents had built their fortune from nothing. As a result, they were quite frugal and never extravagant. Their home, while a spacious 150 square meters, was just a standard commercial apartment. This villa at Peach Blossom Springs, however, was so luxurious it completely shattered her worldview.
Even a simple walk-in closet was larger than the eight-person dorm room at her university; it could have been a clothing store in its own right!
Then there was a wall of shoes, a watch cabinet, a belt cabinet, a tie cabinet, a private jewelry cabinet, a dedicated wall for handbags, and a safe.
On the third floor, besides the star-gazing room, there was an incredibly luxurious study, a massive balcony of over seventy square meters, and an art studio. The basement even had a dance practice room, a piano room, and a private gym. If she lived here every day, she'd probably wake up laughing.
Moreover, she could gaze out at the picturesque landscape of mountains, water, and trees in the distance. The scenery was truly refreshing and uplifting!
"Brother Tianshen, what do you think of this house?" After showing them every part of the villa, Lina asked with a smile.
"It's just so-so, to be honest. I'm not too satisfied. This villa is still a bit too small. But, considering you and President Chen are in the same group chat as me, have him give me a fair price."
In reality, Lin Fei was extremely satisfied, but he certainly couldn't say that. If they knew how much he liked it, wouldn't they just jack up the price?
"Alright then, I'll go report back to President Chen right now!"
Lina, her high heels clicking and swaying her slender hips, went into the elevator. And wouldn't you know it, even though the villa was only three or four stories, it still had an elevator installed.
Lin Fei and Zhang Yuning stood on the balcony, admiring the view.
"Lin Fei, are you really going to buy this villa? I just checked the property prices here on my phone. It seems to be around 50,000 per squuare meter. With all the space, this villa must be at least fifty or sixty million. And with the luxury renovations and design the owner put in, it could even be sixty or seventy million!" Zhang Yuning said, her face full of shock.
"Do you like it? What do you think of the environment here?" Lin Fei asked with a smile, completely ignoring the price she had calculated and simply asking if she liked it.
"I... I naturally like it. Who wouldn't want to own such a large and beautiful house? But..." Zhang Yuning's mind was in turmoil. Why would Lin Fei ask if she liked it? Was he hinting that they would move in together in the future?
"Then there's nothing more to be said. As long as you like it, I'll buy it!" Lin Fei cut her off. Against the backdrop of the distant mountains and waters, he seemed magnanimous and heroic.
Just because she liked it, this man was going to spend over fifty million to buy the villa?
Although it sounded like a cliché, when it actually happened to her, Zhang Yuning was still incredibly moved. Was he really building a love nest for the two of them?
But they hadn't even defined their relationship yet. Besides, she hadn't even agreed to be his girlfriend. Even if she had, something this big should at least be discussed with her parents... Zhang Yuning's face flushed, her heart pounded, and her thoughts drifted further and further away.
[Name: Zhang Yuning. Favorability: 15. Total Value: 60]
Meanwhile, "Lina, what did he say? Is he satisfied with the villa?" Chen Guangliang asked with great concern.
"Brother Tianshen seems... not very satisfied. He said the villa is too small!" Lina reported truthfully.
"Too small? But then again, I guess it makes sense. A man of his status must be from a top-tier, wealthy family. It's perfectly normal that he'd look down on my little villa!"
"But Brother Tianshen also said that, out of respect for your friendship in the group chat, he wants you to give him a 'real' price!" Zhan Lina said, blinking her eyes.
"Lina, can't you say everything at once next time? Stop being such a tease!" Chen Guangliang's face broke into a smile after hearing this, and he gave his secretary's backside a playful squeeze.
"President Chen~ You're bullying me again. I'm just happy for you~" Lina coquettishly replied. It was obvious this secretary was also in charge of Chen Guangliang's personal life.
A moment later, Chen Guangliang arrived at the third-floor balcony with Lina.
"Brother Tianshen, what do you think of the view here?" Chen Guangliang lit a cigarette and offered one to Lin Fei. Now that he knew Lin Fei was interested in buying, he called him "Brother Tianshen" with particular warmth.
"It's nice. Green mountains and clear waters." Lin Fei didn't take the cigarette, waving his hand to indicate he didn't smoke.
"By the way, Brother Tianshen, I still don't know your real name!" Seeing Lin Fei decline, Chen Guangliang lit his own cigarette and took a puff.
"My name is Lin Fei!"
"Brother Lin Fei, to be honest with you, if it weren't for the terrible market this year, with the entire hotel and tourism industry operating at a loss, and hundreds of employees in my company waiting for their salaries, I would never sell this villa. But now, brother, if you're willing to take it, I can give you a fair price: fifty-eight million. I originally bought this villa for fifty-seven million, and then spent over four million on renovations and design. That's not even counting its appreciation potential. Based on the market price, it's worth over sixty million. Fifty-eight million is an absolutely sincere price!" Chen Guangliang, a seasoned businessman, had become a shrewd judge of character. He knew when to use "Brother" to show respect and when to use "brother" to sound friendly. His speech sounded as if he was baring his heart and soul.
Of course, while Lin Fei's social experience wasn't as vast, he could still tell that the price likely had some padding, but not too much. After all, the market prices were public knowledge and could be checked online with a phone.
"Fifty-five million, final price. Full payment, all at once. President Chen, if you agree, I can transfer the money anytime." Lin Fei's counter-offer wasn't aggressive. Real estate was a fixed asset, even with potential for appreciation, it wasn't a depreciating item like clothing that you could haggle down by half.
"Brother Lin Fei, that price is exactly my bottom line. If you can pay in full, we'll sign the property transfer agreement at this price and can handle the ownership transfer procedures anytime!" Chen Guangliang nodded and didn't bargain further.
"No problem!" Lin Fei agreed immediately. "By the way, you won't be transferring the villa to me, but to her. Put Zhang Yuning's name on the deed." Lin Fei said with a calm expression.
He had no choice. If the deed were in his name, his reserve funds simply wouldn't cover it. But putting it in Zhang Yuning's name was a different story.
As soon as Lin Fei said this, Zhang Yuning froze on the spot. She even wondered if she had heard him wrong, staring at Lin Fei in disbelief, finding it hard to breathe.
Chen Guangliang was also stunned! Lina, on the other hand, looked at Lin Fei as if she'd seen an alien, her eyes wide.
This was... a Peach Blossom Springs villa worth sixty million! And Lin Fei was just going to give it to her???
"No, no, no, Lin Fei, I really can't accept this. This is a villa worth fifty or sixty million! How can you put my name on it?" Although Zhang Yuning was utterly shocked and incredibly touched by his gesture, this 'gift' was simply too big!
It was so huge she didn't dare to accept it. After all, there was a world of difference between receiving a gift in a livestream and being given a villa in real life. Even for a couple about to get married, the man wouldn't necessarily put the woman's name on the property deed. To avoid financial disputes in case of divorce, they might even get a prenuptial agreement. And here she and Lin Fei were, with nothing official between them (at most a little flirtation and some mutual affection) not even boyfriend and girlfriend in the true sense. And now he was offering her a villa. Zhang Yuning truly didn't dare to take it.
More importantly, Zhang Yuning wasn't stupid. If she agreed right away, she would seem greedy, materialistic, and classless. Any woman with a shred of emotional intelligence would never agree so readily. It would just look too desperate!
"Yuning, if this villa isn't put in your name, I'm afraid I can't buy it today," Lin Fei said earnestly.
"Why?" Zhang Yuning immediately asked.
"What other reason could there be? I already own too many properties under my name. You know about the national property purchase restrictions, right? Once a person owns multiple properties, they can't buy any new ones. So this villa can only be temporarily transferred to your name. Just think of it as you doing me a favor! Of course, if you're really unwilling to help, I can only apologize to President Chen! President Chen, I'm truly sorry, but I don't think I can help you with this. You'll have to find another way to solve your funding problem."
Lin Fei spread his hands, looking helpless. This flimsy excuse was something he had prepared in advance, because he could guess, based on normal logic, that there was a high probability Zhang Yuning would refuse. Although the reason of the property purchase restriction was laughably weak (after all, there are many ways to get around it if you're determined to buy) everyone present knew Lin Fei was just giving Zhang Yuning a way to save face. The shrewd Chen Guangliang, hearing this, immediately played along. "Miss, since Brother Lin has put it that way, why not just do him the favor and let us transfer it to your name for now?"
"No, no, no, I really can't. A fifty or sixty million villa is just too terrifying!" Zhang Yuning still shook her head in refusal.
"Miss, I'm begging you, just agree. My company has hundreds of employees waiting for their paychecks. If this villa doesn't sell, my cash flow will be cut off. The company will go bankrupt, and a large number of people will lose their jobs. Those people have parents and children depending on them. Can you really bear to see them all unemployed?" Chen Guangliang's words were sincere, sounding as if he were on the verge of tears.
"But..." Zhang Yuning tried to refuse again.
Zhan Lina, standing to the side, was so annoyed by Zhang Yuning's behavior that her teeth itched. She wished she could go up to Lin Fei and say, "Brother Tianshen, transfer this house to me instead! I'm good in bed and won't be clingy. If you give me the house, you don't even have to treat me like a person."
"Miss, 'Priceless treasures are easy to come by, but a devoted lover is hard to find.' Brother Tianshen has already said as much. If you don't help now, I'm afraid you'll truly break his heart." Zhan Lina, unable to watch any longer, chimed in.
The two of them took turns persuading her for a while longer. Finally, feeling that she had saved face and given them enough trouble, Zhang Yuning reluctantly agreed.
Chen Guangliang immediately had Lina bring over the transfer agreement. Both parties signed, completing the transfer. Of course, there were still some follow-up procedures to be handled at the housing authority, which would be Lina's and Zhang Yuning's task.
Without further ado, Lin Fei transferred the fifty-five million. The moment the funds arrived, the other three people present, besides Lin Fei, felt as if they were in a dream.
Although Chen Guangliang was a rich man himself, he had never encountered such a large transaction closing so quickly, with the funds arriving immediately. He looked at the fifty million in his account and felt he had still underestimated the young man before him. Seeing that Lin Fei didn't show the slightest bit of pain at giving away a villa, he feared the difference in their family assets was like that of clouds and mud.
Zhan Lina eyes were truly opened today. Although she had lived a life of comfort since getting together with Chen Guangliang, dressing like a socialite and having seen all sorts of things, she had never met a man who would just give away a fifty-million-plus mansion to a woman. Most importantly, it seemed Lin Fei and Zhang Yuning weren't even in a relationship yet. They were probably just in a flirting stage.
She felt that if she told others what she had seen and heard today, no one would believe her. She looked at Zhang Yuning and couldn't help but admire her from the bottom of her heart. To be so young and manage to latch onto such a "god-tier rich man". Admirable, truly admirable. At the same time, a thought formed in her mind: If this young girl can get with such a young, handsome, and rich man, why can't I? What does a little girl know? An older woman like me can show you a different kind of pleasure. No, I have to find a way to get this "Brother Tianshen's" WeChat...
Zhang Yuning still felt like she was in a dream. Holding the villa keys in her hand, it all felt so unreal.
"Brother Lin Fei, there are still some of my personal belongings in the villa. I'll have a moving company come to get them in the next couple of days. It will be cleared out quickly. You might have to wait two or three days before you can move in. I'm sorry about that!" Chen Guangliang said.
"It's no problem, Old Chen. We're not in a hurry!" Lin Fei waved his hand.
"Good. Then you two can continue to look around. We won't disturb you. Actually, besides the master bedroom where I've stayed a few nights, the guest bedrooms have never been used since I bought the place, and they're cleaned regularly, so they're perfectly livable..." Chen Guangliang said with a smile.
"No, no, no. Have your driver, Xiao Liu, wait for us. We'll look around a bit more and then leave. By the way, Xiao Liu did me a favor today. I still have to thank him properly." Lin Fei said casually.
"Haha, Xiao Liu is my capable assistant. I'll thank him on your behalf. Brother Lin Fei, if there's ever anything you need from your big brother here, just say the word. I don't have many other virtues, but I love making friends!" Having made the acquaintance of a "god-tier rich man" of Lin Fei's caliber, Chen Guangliang was genuinely eager to build a strong relationship with him.
After Chen Guangliang and Zhan Lina left, Zhang Yuning looked at Lin Fei, forcing herself to be calm, and said, "Lin Fei, this villa... is it really registered in my name now?"
"Yes, from now on, you are the owner of Villa No. 1 Garden House at Peach Blossom Springs!" Lin Fei replied with a smile.
"No, no, no. The villa is yours. I'm just temporarily helping you out. I'll transfer it back to you later!" Zhang Yuning said hurriedly. From the tens of millions in gifts to today's villa, Lin Fei had given her more money in a few days than most people earn in a lifetime. Thinking about her own behavior today, she suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt. "I'm sorry, Lin Fei. Actually... I was deliberately late this morning. I hope you're not angry!"
"It's alright. It's such a small thing, I didn't even give it a second thought." Lin Fei told the truth.
Such an outstanding man, not only treating her so well materially but also being so magnanimous and tolerant of her little temper. Even though she was the campus belle, with his conditions, what kind of woman couldn't he get... I'm really, really so lucky... It seems that with the power of money, a person's good qualities can be amplified countless times.
[Name: Zhang Yuning. Favorability: 30. Total Value: 90]
Under Lin Fei's overwhelming offensive, worth over fifty-five million, Zhang Yuning's favorability skyrocketed again, reaching 90 points. Just 5 more points, and the conquest would be complete.
Hearing the prompt in his mind [90 points] Lin Fei knew this was already a value high enough to have his way with her. He looked at the breathtakingly beautiful Zhang Yuning before him and couldn't help but feel excited.
"Lin Fei, why do you keep staring at me?" Zhang Yuning felt his intense gaze and asked, her face turning red.
"It's nothing. I just think you look especially beautiful today!"
"What do you mean? Was I not beautiful before?" Zhang Yuning said coyly.
In front of Lin Fei, she was becoming more and more shy, especially when she thought about living in the same villa with him in the future. Wouldn't that mean some... indescribable things would happen?
After all, a man and a woman, alone together... it was easy for things to get out of hand...
"Ah, this is so embarrassing! Why am I thinking about these things?" Zhang Yuning felt her face was burning hot.
"Lin Fei, next week is my birthday. I want to invite my close friends, and also some old high school classmates, to have a birthday party here. I was wondering if that would be okay..." Now that she had such a huge villa, it would be a shame if no one knew about it, right? Zhang Yuning asked Lin Fei expectantly.
"Your birthday is next week? Why didn't you say so earlier? I should have prepared something for you in advance!" Lin Fei thought, a birthday party means another chance to spend the reserve funds, right?
The counter-attack is almost complete. I've spent so much money on her, I'm about to hit the jackpot! Hahaha, just thinking about it is so exciting!
Zhang Yuning felt that Lin Fei was not only graceful and cultured, but his emotional intelligence was simply off the charts!
She had asked if she could have a party at the villa, and he immediately focused on her birthday, zeroing in on the most important part of the issue. This answer was a perfect score.
Handsome, rich, skilled, generous, considerate, gentlemanly, cultured, low-key, and with that domineering CEO vibe.
The more she thought about it, the more qualities Lin Fei seemed to have, so many that Zhang Yuning was starting to lose confidence in front of him.
The completely clueless straight man, Lin Fei, had no idea he was receiving such high praise from Zhang Yuning. At this moment, he was just regretting having Xiao Liu wait here. After all, hadn't Chen Guangliang said the guest bedrooms were still usable...
Getting into the Rolls-Royce, Lin Fei and Zhang Yuning began the drive back to school. The atmosphere in the car was a bit ambiguous. Zhang Yuning didn't know if she could be considered Lin Fei's girlfriend now.
He had done so much, but he had never once confessed his feelings. This ambiguous attitude left Zhang Yuning feeling frustrated.
Any other guy would have said "I like you" right away, and even when giving a small gift, they would use the opportunity to confess. Lin Fei was the complete opposite. He casually gave away millions, or even a villa!
His actions were a perfect ten, but he just wouldn't say the words "I like you." This left Zhang Yuning speechless. As a girl, she couldn't very well be the one to confess first, could she?
"This guy, why does he have to drop the ball at the crucial moment? The mood is already set. If you just confess, I'll say yes. So why won't you confess? What are you still thinking about?" Zhang Yuning glanced at Lin Fei from time to time, her heart aching with anxiety.
*****
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