Glancing at the phone, Xu Fei saw it was Wang Qiang calling.
“What’s up?” Xu Fei’s voice carried a hint of drowsiness, making Wang Qiang on the other end think he’d disturbed him.
“Not interrupting, am I?”
“No, no, just get to the point. No need for pleasantries between us blokes!” Xu Fei said, prompting Wang Qiang to dive in.
“I just realised, you’ve brought your family to Beijing. You can’t keep staying in a hotel, can you? I’ve got a house in Yuhuatai that’s been sitting empty for ages. If you don’t mind, it’s yours to live in.”
Xu Fei caught Wang Qiang’s drift, thinking the guy had been quite thoughtful. He’d indeed planned to take his wife and daughter house-hunting today. As Wang Qiang said, no matter how posh the hotel, it wasn’t right for a family to live there indefinitely.
But Xu Fei knew better than to accept favours without merit, human debts being the hardest to repay. So, he deflected a bit. “A house in Beijing’s no small thing. Something so valuable, just given to me? I’m a bit overwhelmed!”
Wang Qiang quickly countered, “I know you don’t like taking handouts, but don’t worry, it’s not exactly free. Like I told you, the house has been empty so long it’s practically wasting away. Think of it as doing me a favour, yeah?”
Xu Fei smiled faintly, realising Wang Qiang was set on giving him the house and had found a decent excuse. Refusing further would seem standoffish. So, he nodded. “Alright then, thanks!”
After hanging up, Wang Qiang soon sent over a detailed and precise location. The email clarified that, though the house had been vacant, he’d kept cleaners and a housekeeper on to maintain it regularly. It was move-in ready, no worries needed.
Xu Fei stretched lazily, grabbed his phone, and shared the good news with his wife. Lin Qingxue, who disliked owing anyone, was pleased but instinctively asked, “Darling, just taking someone’s house like that, doesn’t it seem a bit off?”
Xu Fei quickly explained, “Don’t worry, this guy’s a close mate. We’ve got plenty of dealings together. It’s just a bit of give-and-take.”
This reassured Lin Qingxue that the house wasn’t a freebie, and if Wang Qiang ever needed a favour, Xu Fei wouldn’t be able to say no. Feeling less guilty, she packed up, got Lele ready, and prepared to check out the house with Xu Fei.
Yuhuatai was Beijing’s newly developed ultra-luxury enclave for the elite. It was one of Wang Qiang’s standout projects, no wonder he’d been so keen on recommending it.
Driving from Wangjing Tower to Yuhuatai, Xu Fei followed the phone’s precise directions and found the standalone villa. From the outside alone, not only was Xu Fei impressed, but Lin Qingxue and Lele behind him let out gasps of admiration.
