Chapter 293: Losing Face
Chapter 293: Losing Face
Upon returning to their room, Nie Zhan asked Lu Jiaxin if she intended to visit He Jia's old mansion.
Lu Jiaxin nodded and said, "I asked the He family's housekeeper to have Haifan answer the phone, but they kept making excuses. I'm worried, and I want to go see him. Nie Zhan, I'm scared to go alone. Would you mind accompanying me there?"
Nie Zhan had come specifically to prevent her from going to the He family's old mansion alone, knowing his presence would deter any untoward behavior from the He family. "Rest for a bit. We'll go to the He family's old mansion in an hour," he suggested.
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "No need. I can't sleep now either. I'll feel more at ease if I see Auntie and Haifan sooner."
"Then let's rest for a bit before we go. And don't worry; the He family may be influential and well-respected in Hong Kong, but they won't resort to anything drastic. They've already received Ms. Gu's money."
Lu Jiaxin recalled their previous conversation and asked if he had spoken to Gu Haifan.
Nie Zhan nodded. "The last time I visited Ms. Gu, I took the opportunity to speak to Gu Haifan when no one else was around. I told him that if he lost those items now, he could always earn the money to buy them back when he's older. But if he loses his life, he loses everything, and there will be no one to look after Ms. Gu in the future. Whether he took my words to heart or not, I don't know."
Lu Jiaxin believed that Gu Haifan would have heeded his words. After all, he wasn't the type to value money over his life; he knew when to let go.
The He family residence was located atop a hill, and the house was massive. As they stepped out of the car, they found themselves in a large courtyard. At the center of the courtyard was a pool with a large boulder in the middle, surrounded by trees and a variety of flowers and plants.
Before coming, Lu Jiaxin had called ahead to the He family's old mansion. In such grand residences, one could not simply enter without the owner's permission, or else the residents would be within their rights to treat you as an unwelcome intruder and take drastic action. Mrs. He had answered Lu Jiaxin's call and agreed to receive her.
A servant led them into the living room. As soon as Lu Jiaxin entered, she was struck by the opulent decor. The furniture, lighting fixtures, and layout were all in a European style, exuding luxury.
Not long after they sat down, Mrs. He descended from the upper floor. She wore a slit cheongsam, adorned with a pearl necklace—a typical affluent lady's attire. She looked at Lu Jiaxin in surprise, but quickly regained her composure.
In terms of familial relations, Lu Jiaxin's mother and He Zhuliang were cousins, so she should address Mrs. He as her aunt. However, Lu Jiaxin did not acknowledge this relationship and politely addressed her as Mrs. He.
Nie Zhan also stood up and greeted her politely.
Mrs. He nodded and invited them to sit before speaking. "Haifan had a fever a few days ago. It went away and then came back. It's been on and off like that. Both times you called, he had just taken his medicine and fallen asleep, so the maid didn't want to wake him up."
Lu Jiaxin didn't believe it was a coincidence. She was certain they were deliberately avoiding her calls. "How is Haifan now? Is he feeling better?"
"His fever broke yesterday, but the doctor advised him to rest at home for a couple more days, so I decided to let him take the rest of the week off and return to school on Monday."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiaxin expressed her intention to go see Gu Xiuxiu and Haifan.
Mrs. He didn't refuse but explained that they were both taking a nap. "Xiuxiu doesn't sleep well at night. She often wakes up in the middle of the night, so please don't disturb her. Haifan needs his rest, too."
Lu Jiaxin said she was willing to wait until they woke up.
Mrs. He neither refused nor agreed. "Jiaxin, I heard that you are the mysterious 'Green.' Is that true?"
This wasn't the time to be modest, so Lu Jiaxin nodded in affirmation.
"I heard that you started doing business in the mainland?" Mrs. He inquired.
Lu Jiaxin nodded again. "Yes, I designed six shoe models there, and they became so popular that I made over two million yuan..."
Mrs. He was shocked. "Your business venture in the mainland didn't just make a few hundred thousand yuan; it made over two million yuan?"
Mrs. Gu's household had many eyes and ears, so it was normal for them to be informed. Lu Jiaxin said, "I earned over 700,000 yuan, which is equivalent to over 2 million Hong Kong dollars."
Mrs. He bluntly asked, "Are you saying that all the assets under your name are earned by yourself and not given by the Fourth Wife?"
Lu Jiaxin was a bit annoyed but restrained herself. "I'm sure you've heard of Qi Rui Garment Company. I own 60% of the shares in that company, while Su Heyuan is the second largest shareholder with 40%. Last month, we had an accounting firm evaluate Qi Rui, and it's now valued at 100 million."
"On my first day in Hong Kong City, I told your youngest daughter that I never intended to rely on Auntie's money. It's not that I'm proud or that I look down on money, but I have the ability to make my own. I asked He Bin, and excluding the 10% shares in He's Jewelry, Auntie's assets amount to around 150 million. With my capabilities, I can earn that much in two to three years. So why would I bother coveting her property?"
"As for the two houses, if Auntie hadn't said that they were her gift to me, a token of her heart, I would have sold them to fund children from the mainland who can't afford an education."
Mrs. He didn't believe a word she said. "Everyone in Hong Kong City knows that Qi Rui was bought by He Bin for 10 million. Your 60% shares would require you to put in 6 million. Where did you get that kind of money if not from the Fourth Wife?"
Lu Jiaxin scoffed. "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. I'll even tell you that my net worth has already exceeded 100 million, and every single cent of this 100 million was earned through my own hard work. Not a single penny came from Auntie."
This wasn't entirely false, as the 30 million yuan given by Gu Xiuxiu had been invested in stocks, and she hadn't participated in the management.
Mrs. He's expression changed slightly. Her husband had found out that Lu Jiaxin had assets worth 50 to 60 million, but she never expected it to exceed 100 million. "Then tell me, how did you make that 100 million?"
Nie Zhan frowned deeply.
Lu Jiaxin felt that Mrs. He was being extremely shameless. Nonetheless, she played along. "You need to swear first. Swear that you will serve my auntie diligently, attending to her every need. Otherwise, the He family will go bankrupt, and your family will live in poverty for the rest of your lives, relying on welfare. If you swear this oath, I'll tell you how I made my money."
Mrs. He's face turned green with anger. She thought that even Gu Xiuxiu was worthy of her care. However, she genuinely wanted to know how Lu Jiaxin had amassed such a fortune in just one year. "Rest assured, I will hire someone to take care of the Fourth Wife."
Lu Jiaxin was also adamant. She wouldn't reveal anything without that poisonous oath.
Seeing that Lu Jiaxin remained silent, Mrs. He signaled for a maid to place a document in front of Lu Jiaxin. "Back then, she swore in front of the Old Master that all her money would be left to the He family descendants. This is the agreement she signed and sealed."
Nie Zhan had heard enough. "Mrs. He, you keep accusing Miss Lu of taking Ms. Gu's money. But words are cheap. If you have evidence, present it."
If Mrs. He had evidence, she would have directly sued to retrieve the property instead of coercing Lu Jiaxin here. "There's a maid who personally heard the Fourth Wife say that she gave all her private fortune to Lu Jiaxin."
Lu Jiaxin felt that the He family had lost all shame for the sake of money. Nonetheless, she was glad that she had discovered the abnormal situation with Auntie and promptly changed her guardian. Otherwise, if her guardianship had fallen into He Zhuliang's hands, these people would have blatantly robbed her.
(End of Chapter)
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