Chapter Thirty-Six

  Upon seeing her calm demeanor, Shi Ran felt annoyed and coldly laughed, saying "What is our class monitor doing in a place like this buying things? Oh, I understand, it must be because the things sold here are 'good quality and cheap'". When saying the words "cheap", Shi Ran intentionally emphasized them, and with a look of disgust, glanced around as if standing there was already a huge insult to her.

  This sarcastic move made several colleagues around her burst out laughing, all teasingly staring at Ai Zi Qing, waiting to see how she would react.

  Who would have thought that Ai Zi Qing merely raised the corner of her lips and gave Shi Ran a disdainful glance, with an expression as if looking at an idiot. She turned around and said to the aunt who had haggled for half a day, "Wrap this up for me, next time remember to give me a discount, after all I'm a regular customer."

  "Alright, don't worry, come back to my place next time, it'll definitely be cheaper!" The saleswoman piled on a smile, her wrinkled face scrunched up like a meat bun.

  He suddenly found himself being completely ignored, and in the gaze of so many people, he was disdainfully ignored. He was extremely ashamed and angry, his voice somewhat sharp with sarcasm: "The level of living determines a person's moral integrity, this saying is indeed correct, it seems that you not only have a low level of living, but also poor moral integrity, huh!"

  Ai Zi Qing slightly furrowed her brow, turned around and gazed at the woman who kept picking on her with a light expression, but in her heart, she was puzzled, wondering if her appearance made her look easy to bully.

  So Aizi Qing stared at Shiran for half a beat, under the other's somewhat uncomfortable gaze, and lightly opened her mouth: "One person having a simple mind is not scary, what's scary is that she doesn't even know her own mind is simple."

  "You! What did you say?" Shi Ran saw Ai Zi Qing start to counterattack, and he sneered in his heart, but after hearing her words, his face suddenly turned iron blue with anger.

  "My words are never repeated a second time." Ai Zi Qing gently shook her head, looking at Shi Ran with a serious expression, as if the two were really discussing something serious.

  She suddenly became angry, and a fashionably dressed girl next to her interrupted, "What's going on? Shi Ran, why are you arguing with her? A country bumpkin who can haggle with street vendors for half the price, do you need to bother with her? Stop wasting your breath and just hit her." After finishing speaking, she had an arrogant attitude, completely disregarding Ai Zi Qing, who was dressed like a girl from next door.

  Two men, similarly dressed in the latest fashion, also followed and jeered. One of them lewdly stared at Shuran's slender waist, swallowed his saliva, and urged, "Come on, Shuran, what's the point of talking to her? Let's hurry up, everyone is waiting."

  Seeing the man's urging, he stared at Ai Zi Qing with a hateful gaze and coldly said "Let's wait and see!"

  "Ha, who's waiting to see? Hmm?" At this time, a fashionably dressed ash-blonde woman with curly hair walked out of the crowd, but she didn't look like a street urchin at all. This woman looked haughty and noble.

  "Xue Wei, sister?" Shi Ran was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said "Sister Xue, I'm just scolding a little servant girl, what are you doing here?"

  Xue Mei pushed Shi Ran away with disgust, walked to Ai Zi Qing's side and teased "You have today too? Hehe." After speaking, she actually smiled happily, as if seeing Ai Zi Qing embarrassed was her greatest wish.

  "How did you come again?" Ai Zi Qing rubbed her temples in a headache, this Xue Mei had been coming to her house for free meals every other day since she recognized the door, making Ai Zi Qing extremely annoyed!

  "How could I not come? Fortunately, I did, and it would be a pity to miss such a good opportunity. It won't be easy to see it again in the future." Xue Mei replied leisurely.

  Listening to the two people's neither enemy nor friend-like conversation, the crowd on the other side was also confused. The two people's words were spoken as if they were old friends, but what they said was sharp and opposing, not giving in to each other. What kind of relationship do these two people have?

  At this time, people who didn't know Xue Wei's identity began to whisper to each other. Before long, everyone's gaze towards her changed. It turned out that this woman's father was actually Yang City's richest man, Xue Bin? A figure usually only seen in newspapers and various interviews?

  "Xue Mei, sister? You..." Shi Ran stood aside somewhat awkwardly, taking the opportunity to interrupt and ask about Ai Zi Qing's relationship with her.

  "This little girl who was taught a lesson by you, if we carefully discuss it, also counts as my half-disciple. How about it? Are you thinking of teaching me a lesson too?" Xue Mei turned around and had already restored her proud demeanor, looking at Shi Ran and the others with disdain.

  "What? Teacher?" Shi Ran and his friends stood there in shock, not knowing how to react. At this time, the girl who had interrupted earlier looked at the two of them and continued to shout defiantly, "So what if you're a teacher? Do you think we're afraid of you? Bring it on! You think having two cents makes you special? My sister doesn't even care about lending you money, who do you think you are?"

  Upon hearing this, Xue Mei immediately raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the provocative little maid. If it were in the past, she would have taught such an insolent woman a lesson or two, but beside Ai Zi Qing, she didn't want to lose her composure for no reason.

  So Xue Mei just gave a slightly cold glance at Shi Ran, and on the other side, Shi Ran was already scared pale. Who is Xue Mei? Not to mention her father's great power, even if it were her personally, she had already dominated the school, who dared to provoke her? Whoever provoked her didn't drop out of school? Whether it was the young masters and ladies from high society or the three teachings and nine streams of society, Xue Mei had some connections with them, and they weren't people she could afford to mess with!

  Xue Wei scanned her, Shi Ran's heart tightened, and she immediately turned around and slapped the gossiping woman! The crisp sound of "slap" hit everyone's ears, making Shi Ran's side feel embarrassed, but since Shi Ran had already done it, no one dared to move. They could only watch as their two women "mutually destroyed each other"...

  "You... you hit me?" The woman covered half of her face, biting her lip and looking at Shi Ran with a wronged expression.

  "Shut up! You're still causing trouble, how dare you mention Xue Xueshu? I'm hitting you for your own good!" Shi Ran said angrily. After finishing, he turned his head to look at Xue Mei "Sister, today... I didn't know Zi Qing was your friend, and it turns out we're classmates too. Today's misunderstanding has caused trouble, and Sister had to come out to mediate, I'm really sorry."

  Xue Mei felt that she had regained her dignity, and didn't have time to bother with her anymore. She turned around and followed Ai Zi Qing, who was already walking away, shouting "Why are you walking so fast? You don't even look like a woman! Hurry up and die!"

  In Xue Wei's discontented voice, the crowd stood in place with a face of embarrassment, Shi Ran's face turned bright red, staring at Ai Zi Qing's back with shame and anger, secretly resenting her for not giving herself any face!

  Shi Ran naturally put all of today's humiliation on Ai Zi Qing's head, but never thought that it was she who had started the trouble in the first place.

  "Hey, what's with Xu Jian and that Zhang girl from your class suddenly transferring schools?" Xue Mei asked casually at Ai Zi Qing's home.

  Ai Zi Qing's hand paused slightly as she reached for the remote control, and she lowered her eyelids. "Oh? It seems like there was a problem with the family business, so they've gone to develop elsewhere."

  "What I said, that girl has a crush on Xu Jianming, and she's quite clever about it. She's actually quite sensible, she transferred schools herself." In fact, Xue Mei didn't pay much attention to Zhang Yuanyuan, just like many other girls who tried to get close to Xu Jian. Zhang Yuanyuan would eventually end up with a sad ending for her unrequited love. But because Xue Mei knew that Zhang Yuanyuan and Ai Ziqing were friends, and now Ai Ziqing and Xu Jian seemed ambiguous in front of everyone, Xue Mei became curious again and paid attention to Zhang Yuanyuan, only to find out that she had already transferred schools.

  "Hey? I'm saying, wasn't Zhang Yuanyuan driven away by you? Good friends becoming sworn enemies because of a man, tsk tsk, it's really explosive!" Xue Mei said with a smile, turning her head to tease Ai Ziqing.

  Little did he know that his words had struck a chord in Ai Zi Qing's heart. She furrowed her brow slightly, "How come I never noticed you liked to chew your tongue so much before?"

  As for Ai Zi Qing's attitude, Xue Wei had long been dismissive of it. She sank lazily into the sofa, holding a can of cola and said confidently, "I don't care what your relationship with Xu Jian is now, even if you really do have a relationship, I'll just treat it as a game in his high school career. I believe that in the end, he will still choose me."

  Ai Zi Qing was curious, just how much did Xue Mei love him to have such thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and smiled "Oh? Why are you so confident?"

  Xue Mei looked around Ai Zi Qing's small living room with a hint of disdain, raising the corner of her lips "I've said it before, you two are not meant to be, and in the end, you'll reach a dead end because of your differences in status."

  Ai Zi Qing smiled and nodded in agreement, showing her understanding of Xue Mei's point of view.

  Xue Wei was taken aback, "Do you understand?"

  "Of course." Ai Zi Qing nodded.

  "And agree?"

  "Of course." She nodded as before.

  She naturally understands these principles. If she were just an ordinary, impoverished female student, what qualifications would she have to fantasize about a noble son like Xu Jian? Even if the two of them really got together, in the end it would only lead to sorrow. After all, not everyone can be as great as Tang Luo's father. Therefore, Ai Zi Qing understands and agrees with Xue Mei's point of view.

  "Then why don't you leave him?" Xue Mei looked at her as if she were a mental patient.

  "When did I ever say we were together?" Ai Zi Qing sneered, having nothing to say to Xue Mei, who was really slow-witted.

  "Aren't you together?" Xue Wei asked in surprise, and then felt that something was off. She straightened her back and turned to face Ai Zi Qing, asking "But he seems to be interested in you, what do you plan to do about it?"

  "What's it to you?" Ai Zi Qing took a sip of Coke, too lazy to bother with her.

  "This has nothing to do with me! You..." Seeing Ai Zi Qing not saying anything more, Xue Mei could only sink her body back into the sofa, shutting her mouth and looking puffed up.

  There's no way, every time they engage in a war of words, either she is left red-faced by Ai Zi Qing's gentle yet piercing remarks or is directly ignored, so Xue Mei has also come to understand her temperament, knowing when she doesn't want to talk more and when she will use her sharp tongue to sarcastically mock you.

  Xue Mei felt a bit depressed thinking about this. Since when did she have to go around trying to figure out other people's temperaments?

  Seeing off Xue Mei with a worried face, Ai Zi Qing returned to her room and lay on her small bed, considering whether she should move to a new house.

  As soon as she thought about it, Ai Zi Qing got up and put on her shoes to go out. She walked to the newly built high-end residential area 'Huafu Mansion' in Yang City. This is the largest building project in Yang City in recent years, and also the most high-end garden district within the city. In a few years, the house prices here will be frighteningly high. In her previous life, Ai Zi Qing had never dared to dream of buying a property here. After all, during those days when she was struggling to make ends meet, her financial situation did not allow her to have such unrealistic fantasies.

  A black Audi was parked at the entrance of the sales office. Ai Zi Qing walked into the sales office, where a young couple were viewing houses, and the salesgirl was carefully explaining the layout to them. The car must belong to that young couple.

  When Ai Zi Qing entered, the sales ladies who were sitting idly by didn't rush to introduce themselves, but instead sized up her attire and demeanor. Seeing that she was just a young girl who looked like a student, with no adults following behind her, the sales ladies disappointedly withdrew their gaze.

  Ai Zi Qing found a seat and sat down, then pulled out a sample of the house type introduction from beside her and began to read it.

  Half a response, a cup of warm water was gently placed on the table in front of Ai Zi Qing's body. She looked up and saw a slender woman with a ponytail standing in front of her, wearing a sales uniform. When she saw Ai Zi Qing look up, she smiled warmly and asked, "Didn't your family come with you?"

  Ai Zi Qing shook her head "I'll take a look myself."

  The woman nodded and sat down opposite Aizi Qing, saying "Is there anything I can help you with?"

  "Are there any south-north apartments left? Not facing the street would be better, it's quieter." Ai Zi Qing nodded and asked.

  "There are south-north house types, but the small ones have already been sold out." The sales lady observed Ai Zi Qing's attire and kindly reminded her. Perhaps fearing that she would hurt her self-esteem, she explained another sentence "Hehe, you also know that the small house types in Huafu are quite popular, and they were all booked up in advance."

  Ai Zi Qing nodded and asked "How many square meters is the large unit?"

  "One hundred and fifty to three hundred square feet." The woman replied patiently.

  Next to them, several idle sales ladies sitting there sneered at this side, one of whom snorted and said "I said Zhao Yan, the newcomer, doesn't understand the business, dawdling with a little girl like that, it's just a waste of time."

  "You all know she's new here, if you don't work harder, how can the manager make her a regular employee?" Another woman who was powdering her face with a puff said with a smile.

  "What does this newcomer know? She can't compare with you old slippery ones." A woman joked.

  "What nonsense! You're really something else! I'm telling you, Zhao Yan is working so hard, it's not impossible that she might actually get converted to a regular employee."

  "It's not easy to turn things around? Selling a large house type is just fine." The woman who splashed water on her face said calmly.

  "It's easy to talk, but can you sell one now? The large units are not selling well, and the first phase of the units have been basically sold out, leaving only a few large units that can't be sold." The crowd glanced at the woman with a pouty face and continued to chat and laugh.

  A few people's words just now, scattered and fragmented, reached Ai Zi Qing's ears, and Zhao Yan on the opposite side also heard them, her face embarrassed.

  Ai Zi Qing smiled kindly and asked, "How much does this large house type cost per square meter?"

  "Four thousand yuan per square meter, all are simply decorated." Zhao Yan continued to introduce "Our Huafu building is not covered with reinforced concrete, but all are steel-framed, seismic-type buildings. Simple decoration houses can be occupied without renovation. Of course, if you want to decorate it nicely again, it's up to the customer's personal preference."

  Ai Zi Qing nodded and continued to flip through the floor plan, only muttering two words "Wait a minute."

  These two words made Zhao Yan sit here with her, but in his heart, he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

  Zhao Yan didn't think that this seemingly not wealthy little girl would book a room with him, but after all, he was new and needed to be diligent, and practicing with customers more often was also beneficial. Plus, she was kind-hearted and couldn't bear the thought of Ai Zi Qing being met with cold eyes by her colleagues when she came in, so she came over to patiently explain things to her.

  The young couple next to them, who were also looking at the house, turned towards Aizi Qing after hearing what the salesgirl said. The woman leaned on her husband's arm and smiled softly, "Look at you now, students are buying their own houses, but we still haven't finalized our new home after getting married. I don't care, today we must finalize that suite!"

  The man was embarrassed by the woman's words, looked at the saleswoman with a expectant face, and his confidence suddenly inflated. He said generously, "It's just a house, isn't it? I didn't see a suitable one the other day, since you like this one, let's buy this one!"

  "Sir, you have a great eye for this! This 180-square-meter top-floor suite comes with a small attic and the view is excellent. It's very comfortable to live in, perfect for a loving newlywed couple like you two." The salesgirl quickly flattered him, making the man feel very pleased, but thinking about how nearly a million was being spent made him feel a sudden pang of pain.

  The woman, with her arm around her husband's, felt the envy of the salesgirls around her, and was in a good mood. But when she glanced up at her husband, his eyes seemed to be constantly drifting towards the young girl who was looking at the floor plan alone. Suddenly, she felt a surge of jealousy. Taking a closer look, she saw that the girl was indeed beautiful and charming, and wondered how she would turn out when she grew up.

  The woman slightly raised her cold smile and said, "At such a young age, you're already coming to understand these material things, it's not a good thing."

  Ai Ziqing looked up and glanced at the woman, seemingly not having heard her, then lowered her head to continue browsing.

  The woman found herself being ignored, and she stood there awkwardly for a moment. She pinched the man beside her, who could only awkwardly say, "Hehe, nowadays students are all materialistic and have strong comparative hearts. They're all influenced by those Hong Kong idol dramas they watch every day. Those Hong Kong movies are really harmful."

  The woman saw the man change the subject to Hong Kong movies, and her suspicions grew even more. She smiled sarcastically at Ai Zi Qing and said, "That's right, can't afford it but not allowed to take a look? After all, Huafu Mansion is the top scenic community in Yang City."

  Ai Zi Qing closed the brochure and ignored the couple, asking directly "I saw that your community has a villa area, how is it sold?"

  Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and explained: "The Huafu Villa area has a total of six villas, each with an area of 6,000 yuan. Three suites have already been sold, and one suite is reserved by the boss himself. All are simple buildings that need to be renovated by themselves. Each building has three floors. The remaining two villas are slightly larger, with an area of 380 square meters, including 50 square meters of free underground space, so only 330 square meters are calculated. In addition, buying a villa also comes with a free garden."

  Ai Zi Qing was tongue-tied, this price in Yang City this year is indeed a bit scary, but don't look at Hong Kong's current housing prices which have exceeded 10,000 per square meter, different regions are different, even on the mainland, different cities have big differences. Fortunately, she knows that the appreciation space for the next few years will be very large, so buying now is very cost-effective.

  Nodding, he smiled at Zhao Yan and said, "Then trouble you to help me with the formalities. I want both of those villas."

  "Okay." Zhao Yan smiled and nodded, then seemed to suddenly reflect on it, and instantly widened her eyes and asked "What?"

  "I want both sets, I'll pay the down payment by card today. The bank is already closed, so let's deal with the rest tomorrow." Ai Zi Qing helplessly looked at the salesgirl in front of her and explained, she never liked repeating herself, but who made it that only she was patiently explaining to her today?

  "Oh... oh! Okay, wait a minute, I'll go get the procedures." Zhao Yan took over the bank card handed over by Ai Zi Qing with suspicion, and until now, she didn't dare to believe that this was real.

  Until the formalities were completed, Ai Ziying walked out of the sales office under the gaze of many people who were either jealous, admiring, regretful or excited. Only then did Zhao Yan truly believe that she had actually sold two villas from her hands today! Worth nearly five million!

  The surrounding several sales ladies were really regretful with green eyes...

  Ai Zi Qing walked out of the sales office when the sky was already pitch black, and walked home under the streetlights.

  She bought the two villas for the purpose of bringing her grandparents from Ning County to the city in the future, so that she can take care of them and let them enjoy their old age.

  As Ai Zi Qing walked down a pitch-black alley, she suddenly heard a woman's cry of surprise, followed by muffled shouts, as if someone had covered her mouth to make the sound.

  Ai Zi Qing walked quietly, following the sound into the alley, but Fang Yan looked around and found no one. Ai Zi Qing furrowed her brow and scanned the surroundings, discovering a dilapidated factory at the end of the alley. She crept over to it and peeked through the door, seeing this scene:

  In the warehouse, a naked man walked to one side and opened the speaker, blasting loud music that covered up the lewd sounds. The walls were filled with various shapes of graffiti, and the floor was littered with piles of beer cans, along with several naked men and women, creating an extremely chaotic scene...

  What shocked Ai Zi Qing the most was that Shi Ran was also among them, at this moment her hands were tied behind her back, her legs were spread apart and she was being pressed to the ground by someone, a piece of tattered cloth was stuffed in her mouth, her clothes were torn open...

  The man was the young man who had been urging her on in the afternoon, and now he was completely disregarding her struggles with a face full of shame and tears, which only stimulated him more. The several men beside him were also watching this scene with lustful smiles, each one eager to try.

  Even the woman who was shouting at the night market was pressed down by several men, she seemed to have drunk too much, her eyes were dizzy and confused, murmuring and crying, making the men even more excited and shouting loudly.

  The man who just turned on the speaker rushed towards Shuran's body and smiled wickedly at that man, "How was it? I was great just now, didn't it taste good?"

  "What's wrong with what Ninth Brother has tried?" A man flattered and echoed.

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  Fresh flowers, votes, diamonds, collection! If there are many, there will be 2 more today, huh huh huh! Don't take a photo of me!