1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 191 A Powerful Act of Protecting His Wife, A Slap in the Face at the Mansion

"You haven't been back for five years, Xiyu must have some lingering resentment and won't be able to let it go so easily."

Wu Meng, considering the 50,000 yuan, gave him some face and didn't provoke him further: "Okay, leave this to me. I'll definitely help you max out her favorability and make her change her mind and give you another chance."

"Thanks."

Gu Bin clasped his hands together in gratitude.

"You really don't need a female secretary?"

Wu Meng found it amusing and decided to tease him again.

"Let's go quickly."

Gu Bin waved him away, saying, "It's getting dark, and Xi Yu is home alone with no one to cook for her."

"Okay, I'm going now. I'll go take care of your sweetheart."

Wu Meng stood up from her chair, and before leaving, she waved the envelope in front of him again: "I won't stand on ceremony, I'll accept it."

"Walk slowly without sending."

Gu Bin gestured for the guest to leave.

"Bye, contact me again if you need anything."

Wu Meng stuffed the envelope into her small handbag, humming a little tune, and left the coffee shop happily.

Gu Bin watched her retreating figure thoughtfully, then took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

"Dude, you finally remembered me."

The call connected, and Qu Peng's excited voice came through the receiver: "Is this an overseas call? Or are you back from the United States?"

"I'm back. I just arrived yesterday."

Gu Bin heard the familiar loud voice and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

Where are you?

Qu Peng was so excited he was almost incoherent: "BJ? I'm coming to find you."

"Shanghai."

Gu Bin poured cold water on him.

"."

Qu Peng was clearly disappointed and didn't respond for a long time.

Where is Li Liang?

Gu Bin didn't give him a chance to complain and asked again, "Is he still in the Guard of Honor? Have you been in contact with him recently?"

"exist."

Qu Peng's excited voice came again: "This kid is on duty at Tiananmen Square. You can see him every morning during the flag-raising ceremony."

"He has achieved his dream."

Gu Bin was genuinely happy for his brother: "If I have the chance, I'll also go to Tiananmen Square to watch them raise the flag."

"bring it on."

Qu Peng urged, "You're all back now, what are you waiting for? A plane ticket is nothing to you, a world-renowned lawyer."

"Ha, you're quite well-informed."

Gu Bin chuckled and joked, "They even know I'm a lawyer."

Qu Peng said frankly, "That's what your sixth grandfather said."

"How is Sixth Grandfather?"

Gu Bin's eyes darkened as he recalled the disappointment in the old man's eyes when he knelt down and begged his sixth grandfather to intercede for his mother five years ago. His feelings were extremely complicated.

"The old man has retired and is in good health. He doesn't have any major illnesses, but he was quite depressed around the time your maternal grandfather passed away, and he fell seriously ill and had to recuperate for a while."

Qu Peng, who knew the inside story, tentatively advised, "Actually, your sixth grandfather has always cared about you and often inquired about your news. He was very happy to know that you became a lawyer in the United States and won several cases."

"Thank you."

Gu Bin sighed softly, "He's been taking care of my sixth grandfather all these years."

"Why are you thanking me?"

Qu Peng said with a hint of resentment, "What kind of relationship do we have? We're best buddies who grew up together. Do you need to be so polite with me? If you keep saying that, I won't like it. It's too formal."

Gu Bin smiled with relief: "I'm relieved to hear that everyone is doing well."

When are you coming to Beijing?

Qu Peng couldn't wait and was eager to see him.

"I can't come back these next couple of days. I just got back and there are still some things to take care of at the law firm."

Gu Bin casually replied, "Tell Sixth Grandpa that I'm back and will stay in China to develop my career, instead of going back to the United States."

"Row."

Qu Peng agreed, then urged him indirectly, "Just having me relay the message shows a lack of sincerity. It would be better if you came in person."

"I know."

Gu Bin had his own plans: "Give me some time to take care of things in Shanghai first. At most half a month, I will definitely go to Beijing to visit him."

"okay."

Qu Peng was overjoyed to receive confirmation: "We've made a deal, no more changes of mind. We'll be waiting for you in Beijing."

"Tell Li Liang to call Wu Meng."

Gu Bin went around in circles before finally revealing his true purpose: "Let her take some time to go to Beijing, so we can all get together."

"no problem."

Qu Peng readily agreed: "I'll tell Li Liang right now to call Wu Meng."

"it is good."

Having achieved his goal, Gu Bin smiled leisurely.

-

That evening, Wu Meng was quite puzzled when she received a phone call from Li Liang at Lin Xiyu's house.

I don't know what got into him, but he insisted that I go to Beijing next weekend to meet up with my old classmates.

His old classmate is in Shanghai?!

Why waste money flying to Beijing when they just saw each other at a coffee shop a few hours ago?
She was surprised for less than a second, but when she saw Lin Xiyu's radiant smile under the lights, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration and realized something.

It turns out that the old classmate's real intention wasn't to see her, but someone else entirely.

Considering the reward of 50,000, she silently despised herself a little, and then started to act cute, coax, and cling to him.

She wouldn't give up until Lin Xiyu agreed to go to Beijing with her.

Lin Xiyu's school had its final exams right after New Year's Day. A week later, the exams were over, and the students went on holiday.

Gu Bin had planned it all out; he figured she must be free, which is why he set the date during that period.

As Lin Xiyu expected, she couldn't bear to refuse Wu Meng's request, and soon she was completely pestered by her and gave in.

Wu Meng was secretly delighted and quietly sent a message to Gu Bin, deliberately showing off her unparalleled status in her best friend's heart.

Gu Bin casually transferred another thousand yuan to her bank card.

Wu Meng was overjoyed when she saw the reply, and became even more enthusiastic in her deception.

-

Lin Xiyu was preoccupied with the welfare housing allocation, so she didn't rest much and went to school the next day to complete the application and registration procedures. When she arrived at the academic affairs office and opened the housing allocation registration book, her heart sank.

As expected, the allure of subsidized housing is unparalleled. Of the three unmarried young people, two have already obtained their marriage certificates and submitted their application forms.

The remaining one is Ge Jie, the son of that arrogant aunt who came to the house to cause trouble.

"Teacher Lin? You're here to submit an application form too?"

When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems. She was feeling down when, to make matters worse, Ge Jie walked into the office and immediately saw the application form in her hand.

"Yes."

Lin Xiyu recognized him and showed some displeasure.

"you are married?"

When Ge Jie saw that her application form stated she was married, his expression instantly turned ugly.

"What's so weird about this?"

Lin Xiyu stated confidently, "My fiancé and I have been dating for six years. He came back from the United States this time specifically to marry me."

Ge Jie's face turned ashen: "Was that person yesterday really your fiancé?"

"Yes."

To make him give up, Lin Xiyu gave a resolute answer.

I don't believe it.

Ge Jie was unwilling to give up. He glanced at her application form again and blurted out, "You must have found someone to fake a marriage just to get a house."

"You can eat more food, but you can't say whatever you want."

Lin Xiyu's pretty face darkened, and she shouted sternly, "What evidence do you have that you dare to slander me for faking a marriage in front of so many teachers?"

Do you think I don't know whether you have a boyfriend or not?

Ge Jie stated unequivocally: "A wealthy man who drives a sports car has been pursuing you. You two often go out to eat and go on dates together. It's definitely not the same person as yesterday."

How do you know whether I have a fiancé or not?

Lin Xiyu was disgusted by his harassment: "Who are you to me? What right do you have to interrogate me? Whether or not someone is pursuing me is my business. Whether or not I want to accept his advances is none of your concern."

"You, you just wait, I won't let you succeed."

Feeling frustrated by her words, Ge Jie angrily shook his hand and left the academic affairs office.

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition welled up inside her.

This person is narrow-minded and vindictive. Judging from his words, could it be that he also wants to rush into marriage and compete with her for the housing allocation quota?
-

Her hunch was right; the value of welfare housing was huge, and even if Ge Jie wasn't trying to get revenge on her, he couldn't resist the temptation of RMB.

A week later, before the winter break, the ownership of the three houses was decided.

As expected, Ge Jie got married in a rush, obtaining his marriage certificate before submitting the application and securing the last available housing allocation.

Upon learning of this, Gu Bin immediately purchased a 400-square-meter duplex luxury apartment in a popular riverside development in Lujiazui for 5 yuan per square meter, and personally delivered the purchase contract to the school.

Ge Jie attempted to humiliate Lin Xiyu by using the house, but was slapped in the face by the mansion itself.

Gu Bin fiercely protected his wife; the homeowner's name on the purchase contract was his beloved wife's.

Ge Jie's face turned pale and then green, and he slunk away from the office.

-

"Xi Yu, I am so incredibly envious of you."

"Did you save the galaxy in your past life to be so lucky in this one? Gu Bin is practically the perfect husband. You really hit the jackpot by marrying him. You became rich overnight, with a 200 million yuan house! Why didn't that happen to me?"

“Li Liang works in Tiananmen Square, braving wind and rain, earning a meager living. Even if we save for a lifetime, we still couldn’t afford a luxury house.”

-

Knowing about this, Wu Meng started another round of flattery, praising Gu Bin to the skies, making Lin Xiyu feel ashamed for her.

"Just tell me the truth, how much did Gu Bin give you to make you neglect your work and come here to curry favor with him instead of working properly at the company?"

"Am I that kind of person?"

Wu Meng laughed awkwardly, resolutely refusing to admit that she had been bribed: "If it weren't for his genuine kindness towards you, even if he showered me with mountains of gold and silver, I wouldn't say a good word for him."

"is it?"

Lin Xiyu gave her a suspicious look: "There's something I've been wondering about. I was busy with final exams the other day and didn't have time to ask. Gu Bin just came back from the United States and already knows my home address. Did you tip her off? He's in the United States, how did he know your phone number? When did you two get in touch?"

"Uh."

Wu Meng was embarrassed, her eyes darting around, unable to meet her gaze.

"Tell me the truth, don't try to lie to me."

Lin Xiyu could tell there was more to the story from her guilty look: "If you don't tell me, I'll call Gu Bin right now and have him tell me."

"No, I'll talk, I'll talk, okay?"

Wu Meng's mind worked quickly, and she used Li Liang as an excuse: "Actually, it's not me who has contact with Gu Bin, it's Li Liang and Qu Peng. The three of them are very close, and they have a lot of private interactions. Even if Gu Bin's mother committed a crime and has a bad reputation, it doesn't affect the friendship between classmates."

"It's fortunate that he has a few close friends amidst his misfortune."

Lin Xiyu's expression darkened again as she thought of the rift between Wang Fan and Gu Bin.

"Wang Fan and Gu Bin have broken off their friendship?"

Wu Meng had obviously thought of this problem as well: "He wouldn't be that petty, would he? If he can't win her over, it's his own fault for not being able to. It's not your fault. The son is his, and you're the one who got hurt. What more does he want?"

"Ugh."

Lin Xiyu rubbed her temples wearily, not wanting to continue the topic.

"Xi Yu, didn't you say that Gu Bin asked you to be his financial advisor and help him manage his assets?"

Wu Meng's eyes darted around, and she brought up the topic of houses again: "Have you ever thought about buying a few more houses? House prices are changing almost every day, rising very quickly. Many people see the business opportunity and are rushing to buy them."

"I've also considered buying a house."

Lin Xiyu was indeed interested in this topic, her eyes sparkling: "I've taken some time these past few days to look at a lot of ads and picked out a few good locations."

"Let me take a look"

Wu Meng wanted to tip off Gu Bin, so she asked impatiently, "Which areas? I can help you with your suggestions."

"I remember one of them was somewhere near Xizang Middle Road."

Lin Xiyu took out the newspaper with the advertisement and found the spot she had circled.

"Xizang Middle Road is a good option."

Wu Meng's eyes lit up: "It's not far from Nanjing Road, and it's one of the most prosperous areas in Puxi."

"I feel so too."

Lin Xiyu counted on her fingers: "This apartment isn't big, it's 3200 yuan per square meter, 46 square meters, so the total price is about 150,000 yuan. If it's 150,000 yuan, and the monthly rent is 1500 yuan, then it can be 18,000 yuan a year, which is much better than putting it in the bank."

"Then let's buy it."

Wu Meng smiled and encouraged, "The money Gu Bin gave you is enough to buy more than a dozen houses. You can live a very comfortable life as a landlady, even if you do nothing but collect rent."

"We can't spend all our money on houses."

Lin Xiyu had her own considerations: "He's a big spender. He can't do without cash on hand. He spent 2 million on a house alone. Add to that the car, renovations, and furniture, and he'll be throwing money away again. The speed at which he spends money is heartbreaking to watch. He even offered me 5 million to help him manage his finances, and now half of that is gone."

"They spend a lot, but they also earn a lot."

Wu Meng didn't care: "I get tens of thousands in commission for each lawsuit, why would I care about the money for renovations and furniture?"

"I used to earn more."

Lin Xiyu knew the answer: "It's because when you earn US dollars abroad, the amount converted to RMB is not as much in China."