"Mr. Chen, just drive straight ahead, and there’ll be staff to guide you at the intersection. Wish you both a pleasant evening."
As the barrier rose at the entrance to Green City Peach Blossom, a red Porsche Cayenne with a Hang City license plate slowly drove into the community under the courteous send-off of the security personnel.
Chen He put away the ID card used for registration, carefully driving while smiling at Xiaoxi sitting next to him.
"Xiaoxi, have you been here before?"
"Nope, I’ve never even heard of this place."
Xiaoxi shook her head with a smile, her gaze gentle on Chen He.
After the party ended, because the location was changed last minute, Xiaoxi, after hesitating, went home first.
As expected, since it was already past midnight, her parents wouldn’t agree to let her go out again. If she insisted, her mom said she would have to accompany her.
There was no way Xiaoxi could agree to bring her mom to a party—what would people think of her then?
So, she had no choice but to compromise. After bathing, she quietly changed clothes in her room and touched up her makeup, waiting until after one o’clock to ensure her parents were asleep before she sneaked out.
Xiaoxi, who’d never done anything like this before, felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
And when she got downstairs, she saw Chen He already waiting for her by the roadside.
That was what made her feel the situation was surreal.
Xiaoxi hadn’t even figured out how to explain things to Chen He, but surprisingly, after the party, Chen He apologized to her.
He was sincere in his words, claiming that he had acted out of ignorance of Zhou Wang’s identity. Knowing the other party was a shareholder of Wuyou Media, Xiaoxi and Zhou Wang walking the red carpet together for work was completely normal.
Xiaoxi didn’t expect Chen He to be so magnanimous, which made her feel somewhat ashamed because only she knew that she had genuinely been moved while walking the red carpet.
But no matter what, since Chen He took the initiative to make amends, Xiaoxi also breathed a sigh of relief. She did have some feelings for Zhou Wang, but she cherished what could be called her first love even more.
Besides, Zhou Wang obviously had some unclear relationship with Hua Suisui, so she couldn’t possibly get between them.
Mere apology aside, upon learning that Xiaoxi wanted to sneak out, not only did Chen He not dissuade her, but he actually suggested borrowing a car to drive her to the party, which moved Xiaoxi immensely.
Thus, the two of them ended up arriving together at Green City Peach Blossom.
"I heard the cheapest house here starts at a small fortune. I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to live here in this lifetime."
Chen He commented while scanning the scenery on both sides of the road.
"Didn’t you say your resources have suddenly increased recently? That’s a sign you’re about to make it big! Once you become an international model and join a few reality shows to earn some extra cash, a small fortune will come quickly!"
Xiaoxi laughed as she said, "At worst, we’ll just both work hard, save up for a few years, and together pay the down payment."
"Xiaoxi, you’re so kind..."
Chen He, touched, clasped Xiaoxi’s hand.
But Xiaoxi instinctively pulled away, wiping her hand as she teased, "Your hand’s sweaty, it’s filthy..."
"Hehe, forgot you had OCD."
Chen He just scratched his head with a grin, not minding it.
Soon, under the direction of roadside staff, the Porsche Cayenne stopped slowly at the entrance of Misty Rain Village number 9.
Through the front yard, they could faintly hear the sounds of music and laughter.
"It’s a classic Chinese mansion... The renovation cost alone must be astronomical."
Through the gate, Chen He marveled at the courtyard paved with white jade stone slabs and dotted with lush greenery.
"With the renovation, I think the total price is around two hundred million."
Xiaoxi, not getting out of the car right away, took out a small mirror to check her makeup and replied.
"How do you know?" Chen He asked, surprised.
"Suisui told me. Zhou personally mentioned it."
"Mr. Zhou?" Chen He was startled, exclaiming, "You mean...this is Zhou’s house?"
"Mhm, a lot of people mentioned it in the group."
"Your Mr. Zhou...he’s something else. He’s only in his twenties and already made so much money?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Chen He couldn’t help but remark.
"Who knows, there’s even talk online that his family background is ordinary, that he built everything from scratch... Anyway, there’s all sorts of stories. Uh, it’s really late, I should go in."
After Xiaoxi spoke, she was about to pull the door handle when she hesitated.
"Go on, I’ll wait here for you."
Chen He smiled at her.
"Did you say the car was secretly taken from the company—don’t you need to return it right away?"
Xiaoxi asked in surprise.
"I was pulling your leg. I borrowed the car from a friend—an executive I’ve mentioned before who appreciates me a lot. Most of my resources are thanks to her... Those rumors you read online, they are actually about her. I’m sorry, Xiaoxi, I never properly explained this to you."
Chen He spoke with a guilty expression.
"Oh please, as if I’d believe what those rumor accounts say!"
Xiaoxi showed no concern and instead comforted Chen He, saying, "You even dared to use her car to drive me here. Why would I doubt you?"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Xiaoxi finally asked, "Since you’re not in a hurry to return the car, do you want to come in with me?"
"Uh...is that appropriate?"