Mind reading saves the whole family; I'm firmly in the role of a charlatan.

Chapter 218 You call this a win-win situation?

With his wife and children gone, Du Desheng's face visibly darkened, and he lost patience with his precious granddaughter's good-for-nothing friend.

"Say something quickly."

Xi Jingyue took a deep breath and got straight to the point: "You must have already learned about what happened at tonight's auction through various channels. Especially about your relatives, and why An'an was willing to pay any price to acquire those two plots of land tonight."

Du Desheng was stunned. He frowned and stared at Xi Jingyue for a long while: "What are you talking about? I don't understand. Wasn't An'an bidding for those two plots of land on a whim?"

Xi Jingyue laughed: "You don't need to be so wary of me, nor do you need to test me in roundabout ways, afraid that I'm trying to trick you. To be honest, there are some things that you can hear, I can hear too."

These words were tantamount to tearing away the veil that everyone had been painstakingly covering up, and Du Desheng was truly shocked.

"You... how is this possible? You're not..."

"It's surprising, but it's true."

The moment Du Bixiao appeared, Xi Jingyue had already roughly guessed why she was hanging around that area.

He had been struggling with how to persuade Du Desheng to cooperate with him, but her appearance gave him peace of mind, which led to his current frankness.

"When did you start..."

"When I first met her."

Du Desheng looked surprised again: "Then last time..."

Xi Jingyue nodded: "I know she deliberately led you there to save the old lady."

Upon hearing this, Du Desheng had no choice but to believe it, no matter how unwilling he was. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze toward Xi Jingyue became colder and more sinister.

"You brat, aren't you afraid I'll do something drastic to keep this secret?"

“You wouldn’t. Someone who can gain An’an’s trust and hear her inner thoughts can’t be a bad person. Besides…” Xi Jingyue looked up at the old man, as if he was confident about the situation, “You wouldn’t do anything that could hurt her.”

"Then you underestimate this old man. I'm capable of anything to protect the people I care about." Du Desheng sneered with a fierce face. "However, you're right about one thing: as you get older, you become more soft-hearted and reluctant to do anything that would hurt the younger generation."

This "junior" probably refers specifically to that one and only person.

Xi Jingyue smiled but didn't expose him.

"After talking for so long, even revealing this secret, what exactly do you want to discuss with me?"

"Regarding the two plots of land that An'an bid for tonight, An'an doesn't understand the intricacies involved, but you should know what kind of hot potatoes they are. After tonight, everyone will know that she outmaneuvered several powerful local families in City B to take the lakeside plot in the South District, which also means that from tomorrow onwards, she will become a ready-made target in everyone's eyes."

"So what?" Du Desheng slammed his cane on the ground. "I refuse to believe that there's anyone in B City that I, Du Desheng, can't protect!"

“I believe what you’re saying. But you can protect her for a while, but can you protect her forever? An’an said she’ll leave City B and go back to her hometown after your wedding. No matter how powerful you are, the emperor is far away, and I’m afraid you can’t control her home that far away.”

Although Xi Jingyue's words were unpleasant, they were the truth.

Even if we assume that these petty scoundrels wouldn't dare do anything to the child while he's still alive, who knows what will happen after he passes away—these narrow-minded people might seek revenge later.

Du Desheng never dared to gamble important people and things on the kindness of human nature, and Xi Jingyue's words undoubtedly hit his weak spot, making his face even more unpleasant. "Then what do you think should be done?"

"The best way is to set up another target and downplay An'an's role in this matter."

Du Desheng's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained expressionless.

"So who do you think is suitable to be this target?"

"I."

"You?" Du Desheng was taken aback, then sneered, "So that's what you were planning! You wanted An'an to transfer those two plots of land to you unconditionally, so you could get something for nothing?"

Du Desheng grew angrier as he spoke, slamming his hand on the table and pointing at Xi Jingyue's nose, he cursed, "Xi boy, your appetite is far too big! Aren't you afraid of choking on too much food in one bite?"

Faced with Du Desheng's fury, Xi Jingyue remained completely calm.

"You misunderstand. I did not mean to take advantage of her."

"Then what do you mean?"

“Before I came back, I had already made arrangements with her. We would cooperate, she would provide the land, I would be responsible for the development, and the profits would be split 40/60 after completion, with me getting 40% and her getting 60%.”

Du Desheng: "???"

Even though Du Desheng had been a prominent figure in various fields for decades and boasted of having seen countless oddballs, he was rendered speechless by Xi Jingyue's stroke of genius.

"...What are you after?"

"I'm after your connections, the opportunity for the Xi family to quickly establish itself in City B, and the future development of that piece of land in the South District that will lead the Xi family to even greater heights."

Xi Jingyue's composure made it harder for Du Desheng to make things difficult for him.

"Hmph, even so, this profit sharing is outrageous. Young man, this isn't how you do business."

“That’s not how you do business, but that’s how you do it as friends. And it’s true that this will allow the Xi family to quickly integrate into City B. Strictly speaking, it’s a win-win situation for both of us.”

Du Desheng: "..." You call this a win-win situation? Keep making things up, let's see if I believe you!

Xi Jingyue knew that these high-sounding words would not easily convince Du Desheng, so he smiled and said truthfully, "Of course, the most important thing is for her as a person."

Du Desheng's expression changed slightly: "You really are something..."

“That girl is sometimes very smart, and sometimes very stupid. Do you really think you’ve covered up her affairs perfectly? Of course not. Ultimately, it’s just that she likes you and is willing to believe you. Even if she has some doubts, she can keep deceiving herself for the sake of that liking.”

After a long silence, Du Desheng asked in a hoarse voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"She is opinionated yet naive, knowing what she wants and what she should want. She can give everything for someone she likes without expecting anything in return, and she will rack her brains to change the future of an ordinary person who should not have a tragic fate because she can't stand seeing him suffer such a tragic fate. Such kindness and sincere affection are undoubtedly fascinating, and will make people unconsciously want to do something to repay her."

As Xi Jingyue spoke, she looked up at Du Desheng again, a flicker of light flashing in her calm eyes: "Leaving aside others, even you, after only meeting her a few times, have already unconsciously sided with her, haven't you?"

(End of this chapter)