Chapter Sixteen: Fated Rivals Cross Paths

After finishing their meal, Wang Ling took advantage of the time they were sitting and digesting to make a call on Lan Tian’s behalf.

“Hello? Mr. Chen? There’s something I’d like to trouble you with,” Wang Ling said sweetly.

“Oh, you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me. It’s not about your case—I have a friend interested in buying a villa at Xuanxin Garden, so I wanted to consult you about it.”

“No, no, there’s no need for all that trouble… Oh, is that so? All right, then we’ll come directly to your company in a bit.”

Wang Ling hung up, her face full of triumph. “It’s settled! And the beautiful CEO herself is taking us to see the house. How about that?”

“Fantastic!” Lan Tian smiled, giving her a thumbs-up.

As time was tight, they didn’t linger and soon hurried to the entrance of a very impressive company.

“Good afternoon, sir and madam. How can we help you?” Two receptionists greeted them with warm smiles at the door.

“I’m here to see your President Chen. Where is she?” Wang Ling asked directly.

“Are you Attorney Wang Ling?” The receptionist, clearly having been notified, inquired.

“Yes, that’s me,” Wang Ling nodded.

“Welcome, Attorney Wang. Our President Chen has given instructions. Please, come with me.” The receptionist smiled again, and one of them led Wang Ling and Lan Tian inside.

They hadn’t gone far when Lan Tian saw a youthful and striking woman step out of her office. As soon as she saw Wang Ling, her face lit up with a dazzling smile, and she strode over quickly.

“Wang Ling! You’re here. Come, let’s sit in my office. I just had a friend bring some face masks from abroad—let’s try them together,” she said warmly, linking arms with Wang Ling. Then, noticing Lan Tian, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. “Oh, you brought your boyfriend? Are you showing off to me?”

“Oh, stop it! He’s not my boyfriend, just a friend,” Wang Ling blushed furiously, hurrying to clarify.

Lan Tian scratched his nose awkwardly, thinking, “This girl, after all I did for you at the dealership, this is how you repay me… Truly biting the hand that feeds you!”

But grumbling aside, he stepped forward with a smile and extended his right hand. “President Chen, nice to meet you. I’m Lan Tian.”

Realizing Lan Tian wasn’t Wang Ling’s boyfriend, President Chen stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, offering her delicate hand for a shake. The playful look in her eyes only deepened. “Looks like Mr. Lan will have to work a bit harder if he wants to win the beauty’s heart.”

“Chen Xiaoxuan! Stop talking nonsense!” Wang Ling gave her a good-natured thump, then introduced her to Lan Tian. “This is the developer of Xuanxin Garden, and also my college classmate. She’s one of Ning City’s most famous wealthy beauties, with countless admirers. Lan Tian, you could consider joining their ranks.”

Lan Tian couldn’t help but be surprised. Since she was Wang Ling’s classmate, she must be around twenty-six, yet she’d already accomplished so much and was the developer of a renowned luxury villa community in Ning City. This Chen Xiaoxuan was truly remarkable.

“Attorney Wang, are you trying to kill me with flattery?” Chen Xiaoxuan laughed. “Don’t listen to her, Mr. Lan. I only got this far because of my family.”

Lan Tian nodded, though he knew that no matter how powerful her family was, it was impossible to run such a large business without genuine ability.

“We’re all friends here, President Chen. No need to call me Mr. Lan—I’m not really a ‘boss’ of anything,” Lan Tian replied amiably.

“Oh, stop it. With your wealth, you absolutely deserve the title!” Wang Ling interjected, turning to Chen Xiaoxuan. “Lan Tian is the one interested in buying the villa at Xuanxin Garden.”

Hearing this, Chen Xiaoxuan gave Lan Tian another careful look, surprise flashing in her eyes. If he could afford a villa there, it seemed Lan Tian was no ordinary man.

“Mr. Lan, do you have a size in mind? There really aren’t many villas left at Xuanxin Garden,” Chen Xiaoxuan asked.

“Well… I can’t say for sure right now. Maybe I’ll take a look around first?” Under the scrutiny of Chen Xiaoxuan’s beautiful eyes, Lan Tian felt overwhelmed and replied a bit sheepishly.

“Of course! I have nothing pressing at the moment, so I’ll show you around myself,” Chen Xiaoxuan said with a smile.

The three of them then drove to Xuanxin Garden.

Since there was an extra person, Wang Ling simply left her car at the company entrance, and the three of them got into Lan Tian’s Aston Martin. After they got out, Chen Xiaoxuan circled the car a few times, exclaiming, “Impressive car…”

“President Chen, you flatter me. With your status, you can afford any car you want,” Lan Tian said with a laugh.

Hearing him call her “President Chen” again, Chen Xiaoxuan shot him a look. “Lan Tian, we’re all Wang Ling’s friends. No need to be so formal. If you don’t mind, just call me Xiaoxuan like Wang Ling does.”

“Alright, then, Xiaoxuan, please show us around. The environment here is indeed wonderful. If the house suits me, I’ll take it,” Lan Tian nodded.

“Truly a big spender—considering a villa worth tens of millions without batting an eye,” Chen Xiaoxuan said, clearly impressed. She then turned to Wang Ling with a playful grin, “Looks like you should seize your chance this time, Wang Ling.”

“Oh, stop it! What nonsense are you spouting? I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Wang Ling had been admiring the beautiful scenery, but when the teasing turned on her, she lunged at Chen Xiaoxuan, and the two began to playfully tussle.

“Alright, alright, enough. There’s a lecher watching us with sparkling eyes!” Suddenly, Chen Xiaoxuan blushed and shot a glare.

“Heh, don’t mind me. Carry on,” Lan Tian chuckled. It was the end of August, still sweltering hot, and the two women were dressed lightly, making their playful scuffle quite a sight. Lan Tian certainly enjoyed the view.

“Ugh!” Wang Ling and Chen Xiaoxuan, as former classmates and close friends, responded in perfect unison.

“Alright, let’s go see the unsold villas,” Chen Xiaoxuan said, straightening her clothes and still flushed. “There aren’t many left. Some aren’t ideally located, others are too large. Lan Tian, take a look and see what you think.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Lan Tian nodded and, under Chen Xiaoxuan’s direction, drove around the entire Xuanxin Garden.

He couldn’t fault anything about the environment. In a city where every inch of land was precious, carving out such a vast area for luxury villas—leaving only some fifty or so households, with the rest dedicated to greenery and ponds—took real vision.

“This Chen Xiaoxuan is truly capable,” Lan Tian thought to himself.

“We’ve made a circuit—did any villa catch your eye?” Chen Xiaoxuan asked.

“The environment is perfect and the villas are all nice. I’ll go for a slightly larger one,” Lan Tian confirmed.

“Any specifics?” Chen Xiaoxuan’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Well, since Villas 1 and 2 are already sold, I’ll take Villa 3,” Lan Tian replied with a smile. He was genuinely pleased with it—it was spacious, set apart from the others, and would make his future cultivation much more convenient.

“Big spender, I bow to you!” Wang Ling exclaimed exaggeratedly. The top-ranked villas here were more akin to small estates than houses. Villa 3, as Chen Xiaoxuan had mentioned earlier, was worth over eighty million, and yet Lan Tian bought it without so much as a blink!

Just how much money did this guy have?

“Are you serious?” Chen Xiaoxuan’s eyes widened as she stared at Lan Tian.

“Of course not! Miss Chen, this poor guy is just teasing you. He’s a swindler—out for both your heart and your money. Be careful!” Suddenly, a voice came from off to the side, dripping with disdain and contempt, causing the three to frown.

Lan Tian turned his head, and his face immediately darkened.

It was an old acquaintance—Li Mei’s current boyfriend, Zou Tao, the son of Ning City’s richest man.

Beside him, Lan Tian saw Li Mei regarding him with undisguised disappointment.