Chapter 14: A Chance Encounter

Time passed swiftly—four days slipped by in the blink of an eye.

During this period, apart from Yang Jingtian and Zhou Xiaonan, the homeroom teacher also visited Chu Nan several times. Only when he saw that Chu Nan could get out of bed and walk around did he feel reassured, cautioning him not to jeopardize his college entrance examination.

Chu Nan readily agreed. In fact, he was just one day away from being discharged from the hospital; he simply couldn’t run yet, but walking was hardly a problem.

Today, Chu Nan’s goal was to conduct an on-site survey of some properties in the old district of South China. If luck favored him, he might even purchase a property. Now he felt confident because he never would have dreamed that Zhou Xiaonan’s bank card contained 5.8 million yuan!

Yes, exactly 5.8 million. Many might find that absurd, but for a true scion of wealth, 5.8 million was quite ordinary.

Even now, Chu Nan felt as if he were living in a dream. This woman trusted him far too much—just handing over more than five million without fear that he might run off?

He’d only heard that second-generation rich kids were wealthy, but he hadn’t realized just how wealthy. It was 2006, after all—a time when households with tens or hundreds of thousands were rare, even if a few had reached the ten-thousand-yuan mark.

“What exactly is Zhou Xiaonan’s background? If I’m not mistaken, Jiangcheng’s three largest companies include two publicly listed ones with assets nearing ten billion…”

But soon, he discarded such unrealistic thoughts and focused solely on wandering through the old district of South China. No matter the other party’s identity, it had little to do with him; he couldn’t possibly shake the companies behind her.

In the old district, the eye met only low, dilapidated bungalows and courtyards. The houses were shabby, the people few, mostly elderly.

When Chu Nan explained his purpose to some of the old residents, the first three thought he was a scammer, making the task feel difficult.

There was no other option; he looked far too young, clean-shaven, and unreliable—this was no joke.

One elderly man left a particularly strong impression with his words: “If you want to buy my house, show me the money now. You don’t have any, do you, young man?”

Chu Nan wasn’t carrying cash, so he didn’t know how to respond.

Walking on with a frown, he thought, “Looks like I need a middleman, preferably someone familiar with the old district of South China to help with this transaction…”

By evening, after roaming most of the old district, Chu Nan finally got a clear grasp of the property prices in the area.

They hovered roughly around 2,500 to 2,600 yuan per square meter. Securing a property shouldn’t be a big problem. From his inquiries, a few elders were willing to sell, but most said they couldn’t decide themselves and needed their children to weigh in.

On his way back, Chu Nan suddenly noticed a few large characters painted on a courtyard wall:

“I have a 150-square-meter property for sale in the old district of South China. Interested parties, please contact Mr. Huang at 191…”

Seeing this, Chu Nan smiled. “Good luck comes when you least expect it.”

Without hesitation, he dialed the number.

“Hello? Is this Mr. Huang? I’m interested in purchasing your property in the old district. Are you available to meet?”

“Oh, you’re still at the shop? When would be a good time to meet?”

“Alright, tomorrow then. Which shop are you at? I’ll come see you directly.”

“Heze Shitai. Okay, I know the place well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Chu Nan breathed a sigh of relief. The tone suggested the seller was genuinely willing to part with the property. Moreover, the seller was an employee at a 4S car dealership—someone like him might prefer dealing with himself.

As Chu Nan prepared to leave, he suddenly looked up and saw a long-haired girl with a striking silhouette standing by an old stilt bridge some distance away.

Her figure gave him a sense of familiarity; her fair profile unexpectedly struck him as breathtaking.

Yes—breathtaking.

Though her attire was simple, her clean, translucent aura was impossible to ignore, especially against the scenic backdrop, where she seemed like a radiant white lotus in full bloom.

A sudden urge arose within Chu Nan to see her face clearly, so he unconsciously approached. The closer he got, the more familiar she seemed.

At that moment, he noticed she was wearing headphones, seemingly listening to music.

Perhaps hearing footsteps, the girl suddenly turned. They both froze simultaneously.

“Jiang Yuwei?”

“What are you doing here?”

They spoke almost in unison—the first was Chu Nan’s words, the second hers.

“I was just about to ask you the same,” Chu Nan smiled as he stepped closer.

“I…” Jiang Yuwei blinked. “I’m here with my father.”

Chu Nan frowned slightly. “Your dad? What’s he doing here?”

On the surface, Chu Nan smiled, but inwardly he thought: Could Jiang Yuwei’s father also be a wealthy man interested in this old district? Looks like I need to act quickly, or I’ll miss out entirely.

Yet, Chu Nan found it strange since, in his previous life, no boss had bought up this district in advance. Could his rebirth have triggered a butterfly effect, altering the course of events?

Jiang Yuwei shook her head. “My dad’s visit is confidential. I can’t say.”

Chu Nan was momentarily stunned, thinking this girl’s words were amusing. Confidential? Was her father some high official undercover?

Quickly, Chu Nan changed the subject. “If you don’t want to say, I won’t ask. By the way, thanks for the notebook. It’s been very helpful.”

Jiang Yuwei replied softly, “It was nothing.”

Scratching his head, Chu Nan said, “For you, it’s nothing, but for me, it’s a big help. How about I treat you to a meal after the college entrance exams?”

Jiang Yuwei paused. He hadn’t realized Chu Nan was so straightforward. She was used to receiving invitations and love letters from boys, though she wasn’t particularly interested.

Seeing her silence, Chu Nan awkwardly chuckled, “Don’t worry, I mean no more than to express my thanks. If you really don’t want to, it’s fine.”

Jiang Yuwei spoke calmly, “The notebook might not be as useful as you think.”

Chu Nan smiled, “But I believe it will help me get into a top university.”

“Really?” Jiang Yuwei’s eyes lowered slightly.

Her memory was excellent. Chu Nan’s grades had always been among the lower ranks in class, so getting into a top-tier university was difficult. Yet, seeing his confident smile stirred something within her. “If you really get into a top university, I’ll accept your invitation.”

Chu Nan wasn’t a bad boy, and he had recently saved a girl, so Jiang Yuwei had some positive feelings toward him. If her notebook could truly help him, that would be worth celebrating.

Chu Nan laughed wryly, “Jiang Yuwei, why are you testing me like a comrade when I just want to treat you to a meal?”

“Then... forget I said anything,” she replied.

“No, no, I promise. If I don’t get into a top university, I’d really feel embarrassed to take you out.”

Chu Nan found Jiang Yuwei’s straightforwardness refreshing, not as difficult as he had imagined.

Jiang Yuwei nodded. “You haven’t told me why you’re here. Weren’t you in the hospital?”

…