Chapter 289: Feng Shui
Chapter 289: Feng Shui
After taking a walk outside, Lu Jiaxin felt much calmer. When she returned to the hotel, she called Nie Zhan, and he picked up quickly this time.
Hearing her voice, Nie Zhan smiled and asked, "Su Hexuan said you went hiking and didn't come out of the mountains for a long time. How tall is the mountain that it takes so long to climb?"
Lu Jiaxin briefly introduced him to Mount Wuyue: "I've only climbed Mount Hua for now. I plan to climb Mount Tai during the summer vacation next time. If you're free next summer, we can go together."
Seeing that she was taking the initiative to invite him, Nie Zhan happily agreed: "Have you been in touch with Su Hexuan? Did he tell you about Ms. Gu and your cousin's situation?"
Lu Jiaxin's expression turned a little glum at his words: "Yes, Su Hexuan told me everything, and he suggested that I shouldn't go back for now. Nie Zhan, is there something fishy about He Zhuliang's rush to sell off my aunt's assets and recoup his funds?"
Nie Zhan, already aware of her sharp instincts, didn't hide the truth from her: "Jiaxin, He Zhuliang's situation is complicated, and it's not something I can explain in a sentence or two. I'll fill you in on the details when you come back. By the way, it's good that you know about this, but don't mention it to Su Hexuan."
Lu Jiaxin felt that something was amiss, and her suspicions were confirmed. Without probing further, she said, "I'm just worried about my aunt and Haifan now."
Nie Zhan reassured her: "He Zhuliang already has Ms. Gu's assets, so he won't harm her. The worst he'll do is send her to a low-cost nursing home. As for your cousin, he's still young and poses no threat, so he shouldn't come to any harm either."
Trusting Nie Zhan, Lu Jiaxin shared her concerns: "My aunt deposited a batch of jewelry and antiques in a safe deposit box, and she gave the password and key to Haifan. I'm worried that this matter might be exposed. If the child is willing to hand them over, that's fine, but if he stubbornly refuses, who knows what He Zhuliang might do in his desperation."
Although she had reminded Gu Haifan that money could be earned again, but life was irreplaceable, this child had experienced poverty and endured so much hardship. What if he didn't let go? He Zhuliang was already willing to harm his own brother and nephew for money; it was even more unlikely that he would spare Gu Haifan, who had no means of protecting himself.
Nie Zhan said, "Don't worry, I visited Ms. Gu and Haifan at the He family's old residence this afternoon, and they're both doing well. If you're still concerned, I can go see them in a couple of days and take the opportunity to remind Haifan."
If he went to remind them and they still refused to let go of the possessions, then there would be nothing anyone could do.
After some thought, Nie Zhan still asked, "Jiaxin, did Ms. Gu give you anything?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't hide anything from him: "Aside from the two houses, she also gave me three sets of jewelry. One of them is a set of ruby jewelry that looks very valuable and should be worth over a million yuan."
"Is that all?"
Lu Jiaxin indicated that there was more: "She also gave me a sum of money. It was her private stash from over a decade ago, and it wasn't under her name, so He Zhuliang probably won't be able to trace it."
Nie Zhan knew that Gu Xiuxiu wouldn't put all her eggs in one basket, and indeed, she hadn't: "This person, do they have any connection to Ms. Gu?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't mention the person's name, only indicating that on the surface, the person had never interacted with Gu Xiuxiu and was only helping to keep the money safe out of gratitude for a huge favor Gu Xiuxiu had done for them.
Nie Zhan said, "According to what you said, He Zhuliang won't be able to trace this money. However, to be safe, you should still reveal the source of your assets to the public."
"Should I tell him directly? He might believe me then."
Nie Zhan smiled and said, "You don't have to tell him directly. I'll ask Feng Qinglei to spread the word, and He Hanhuan will pass the information to his father when he hears it.
However, it would be easy for the He family to guess that you're Green."
Lu Jiaxin replied, "The clothes showcased in that fashion show were all my designs. I didn't want to reveal my identity because fame often brings trouble. Given the current situation, my safety is, of course, the top priority."
Nie Zhan wasn't surprised by her agreement; he had come to realize during their time together that she valued her life highly, which was actually a good thing. Only those who cherished life would truly appreciate it.
"Jiaxin," Nie Zhan said, "I've arranged for Gu Wenfeng and Zong Jinghua to obtain gun licenses. This way, you'll be safer when you go out."
Seeing that she agreed, Nie Zhan suggested hiring a few more bodyguards, both male and female. His reasoning was that Qian Xiao Xiao would soon be attending training sessions, so they needed to find a female bodyguard now. That way, when Xiao Xiao eventually left, her safety could still be assured.
Lu Jiaxin consented, but added, "Just the female bodyguard will do. There's no need for a male one. I've already found two candidates, and if they work out, they'll stay by my side."
Nie Zhan furrowed his brows but didn't argue further. "Alright."
He didn't mention that he was looking for female mercenaries. As long as they were competent and had a sense of professionalism, their past didn't matter.
Lu Jiaxin changed the subject, bringing up her experience hiking this time. "Standing at the peak of the West Peak, I felt like I could pluck the stars from the sky. When you have time, I'll take you there. It's guaranteed to be breathtaking."
"Then let's go together during the winter break."
Lu Jiaxin smiled faintly. "The Five Peaks are covered in thick snow during winter, making it dangerous to climb. It's best to go during spring or autumn; summer is still too hot. I've gotten quite tanned over the past half month."
She had indeed gotten a bit darker, but comparing herself to ink was an exaggeration, as she had worn a hat and long sleeves and had regularly sprayed herself with water. Qian Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, had turned as dark as charcoal, having started off on the darker side and refusing to wear a hat due to laziness.
Nie Zhan laughed, but then consoled Lu Jiaxin, "It's fine. That's called a healthy tan. In Europe and America, some people even tan on purpose because they think being pale is unhealthy!"
"That's because some black people are afraid of becoming paler and being ostracized by their peers, so they maintain a similar skin tone," Lu Jiaxin explained. "But it's okay to be tan. Once school starts, your skin will lighten again."
Nie Zhan agreed; health was more important than superficial beauty. "Don't worry, you still look great even if you're tanned. By the way, the college entrance exam results came out last week, and you passed."
Although she had expected to pass, Lu Jiaxin was still delighted.
Nie Zhan continued, bringing up the topic of Gu's mansion. "You mentioned before that Ms. Gu wanted to spend the rest of her life in that mansion. I've spread word that the place has bad feng shui. The wealthy in Hong Kong tend to be superstitious about these things, so a mansion with bad feng shui will be hard to sell. We can wait for the price to drop, and then you can buy it."
Lu Jiaxin had no objections. "Aunt Gu just doesn't want to go to a nursing home, so she said that to me. There's no need to spend over a million. Even if it drops below that price, I won't buy it."
Gu Xiuxiu didn't necessarily want to live in the Gu mansion; she simply wanted to spend her later years in a spacious villa rather than a nursing home. In a while, Lu Jiaxin would help her buy a villa on Shoushin Mountain, one with a large backyard, for around four to five million. In Gu Xiuxiu's situation, living in a quiet and beautiful environment would actually be better.
"We'll see when the time comes. There's no rush," Nie Zhan said.
The two of them chatted about various topics for a long while until Qian Xiao Xiao came over to remind them that it was already past 11 p.m., and then they finally hung up.
(End of Chapter)
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