"Suit yourself," I said. The rented apartment wasn't large, just two bedrooms and a small living room. My aunt took one bedroom, the fox spirit slept in mine, leaving me to the living room.
However, the winter in Jinling was terribly cold and damp. After lying on the living room sofa for a while, unable to sleep either way, I swallowed my pride and returned to the bedroom. I had the fox spirit transform into her fox form. Ah, covered by that fur coat, it was incredibly warm!
I slept soundly. The next morning, without any warning, my aunt knocked on the door. I quickly nudged the fox spirit awake, told her to change back, got dressed, and went to open the door, pretending I had only arrived in my room a short while ago. I feigned sleep.
The fox spirit opened the door. My aunt looked surprised. "Ah? Last night, you two..."
"No, I slept in the living room," the fox spirit said, pointing to the blanket I'd left on the sofa. "But it was too cold in the living room. After waking up this morning, I came to this room to stay warm. There's an electric heater."
There was indeed an electric heater, though it wasn't turned on.
My aunt didn't say anything more. After washing up, I left the key under the doormat outside the room and called the landlord to come collect it. I decided against asking for the deposit, but the landlord was principled and returned the remaining rent and the deposit to me. He also wished me a smooth journey north and a swift marriage and home ownership.
If I hadn't found the apartment too small, I might have just bought it outright to keep.
After going downstairs for breakfast, my aunt and I discussed things for a while. There were no unfinished matters here. After eating, we headed to the airport for a direct flight to Shengjing.
At Shengjing Airport, my aunt, the fox spirit, and I appeared in the arrivals hall with our luggage. Looking at the endless stream of people around us, I recalled a common saying: Life is short, enjoy it while you can.
Just as my aunt, the fox spirit, and I exited the arrivals hall, we saw two men in suits approaching us.
One of them had a friendly, genial smile, while the other had a stern expression, his eyes sharp, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Wu Chengfeng?" he asked me.
I nodded. "Yes, what is it? And who might you two be?"
"We are subordinates of Boss Chen," the man said.
"Boss Chen? Ah, someone from Uncle Jianguo's side, right?"
They both nodded and, without further ado, took our luggage and led us out of the airport.
"Wow," my aunt whispered from behind me, "their suits are so fancy, two or three thousand dollars each. Our dean doesn't even wear such nice clothes."
"Doesn't your dean wear a white coat?" I asked.
"Dean Xing Zheng."
They were probably high-ranking subordinates. Chen family members were divided into two types: those from the corporation, considered state employees, and those who were private subordinates of the Chen family. These two were likely the latter.
Outside the airport, a Toyota Alphard was parked there. The driver, wearing sunglasses and a similar expensive suit, stood beside it. Seeing him made me want to get a whole set myself.
"Chen Lu isn't here?" I asked the man in the black suit.
"The young lady is at home. She said she was going to... bathe?" The man in the black suit seemed embarrassed.
She's truly obedient. If told to wait at home, she waits at home.
We got into the car and headed straight for the Chen family villa in the city. It was quite far from the city center, so the drive was slow. Along the way, my aunt and I chatted about my old classmate's family background, which made my aunt gasp in surprise repeatedly.
"Mr. Wu Chengfeng, Boss Chen would like to invite a few of your subordinates to work in our group," the man in the black suit said.
"Which subordinates?" I asked.
"Well... the streamers from number one to number eight."
"What can they do?" I chuckled. "Please tell Uncle Jianguo that while I appreciate the offer, they prefer being streamers."
The man in the black suit nodded. "Yes, I will convey your message."
While we were talking, my aunt, ever curious, checked up on the Chen family on her phone. She discovered they were the largest commercial conglomerate in Shengjing, with immense influence throughout Shengjing and even the Northeast. They held sway in both government and business circles, with industries spanning entertainment, catering, healthcare, and hotel management. In short, they possessed considerable power in Shengjing, truly a force to be reckoned with.
"If you marry your classmate, I might be able to borrow some influence and become a vice-dean at Shengjing Hospital or something," my aunt said with a smile.
"Vice-dean..." I shook my head, feeling my aunt was starting to accept reality. I decided to guide her further and directly called Chen Lu. "My aunt says she wants to be the dean."
"Ah? Dean? But Shengjing Hospital isn't a private enterprise; it has established positions... Isn't that overstepping?"
"Oh, I was just saying! You actually called!" My aunt quickly tried to stop me.