Chapter 203: Years of Neglect
Xu Fang: …
At first, Xu Fang thought setting the breach penalty at one million was already outrageous, but she hadn’t expected Assistant Liu to push it straight up to ten million in one go.
“With such a high amount, I’m afraid they won’t be willing to sign,” Xu Fang muttered.
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Assistant Liu’s eyes as he said, “They were already fighting over 250,000. If Cheng Chunhua refuses to sign, don’t you think the others will snatch the contract away?”
Xu Fang’s heart skipped a beat. She knew Cheng Chunhua was already wary of her relatives. If those people stirred things up just a little, Cheng Chunhua would probably rush to sign the contract herself.
Assistant Liu continued writing and modifying the rental contract.
As Xu Fang observed the revised contract, she finally understood why Assistant Liu’s salary was higher than hers. The gap between her and an all-around assistant like him was enormous.
Putting everything else aside, Assistant Liu had added a crucial clause: all facilities and furnishings in the house would belong to the tenant, Xu Youyou. She would have full rights to add, modify, or destroy them.
Additionally, the landlord must fully cooperate with any legal activities Xu Youyou wished to conduct in the house. Each year, the tenant would evaluate the landlord’s level of cooperation. If satisfactory, the landlord would receive an annual bonus ranging from 300 to 2,000 yuan.
“In rural areas, if you don’t have locals helping you, you can easily face exclusion. If the landlord is willing to cooperate, Ms. Xu’s plans will go much more smoothly. For a couple as difficult as this, mere intimidation isn’t enough—you have to show them tangible benefits too,” Assistant Liu explained.
Xu Fang nodded firmly, thinking that Assistant Liu must have plenty of experience handling subordinates with tough tactics.
Although Assistant Liu didn’t know what exactly Xu Youyou intended to do with this house, he figured an extra 2,000 yuan a year was nothing to her. She would likely be willing to pay for peace of mind.
Sure enough, when he handed the revised contract to Xu Youyou for review, she had no objections to the new clause. Instead, she turned to Lu Jingyao and said, “Assistant Liu is thorough. Let him teach Xu Fang more in the future.”
Hearing this, Assistant Liu was certain his performance bonus for the month was secured.
Xu Fang had initially feared that Xu Youyou would find her lacking compared to Assistant Liu. But upon hearing her boss’s words, she realized she was being nurtured for the long run, and her worries eased.
Even Lu Jingyao was satisfied. Xu Youyou’s casual and approachable demeanor was something he enjoyed.
With just two sentences, Xu Youyou had managed to make everyone around her feel valued.
Even Cheng Chunhua, upon noticing the “Satisfactory Service Reward” in the contract, beamed with joy. “Ms. Xu, you’re so generous! How could I possibly accept this…?”
Xu Youyou wasn’t interested in Cheng Chunhua’s fake politeness. She simply signed the new contract without hesitation.
Cheng Chunhua wanted to examine the contract further, but as soon as her envious relatives leaned in to take a look, she hurriedly signed her name instead.
Once the contract was signed, Xu Youyou instructed Xu Fang, “Don’t forget to take these documents to the notary office for certification.”
Cheng Chunhua didn’t react much to this, but one of her relatives gasped, “Notarization costs 3,000 yuan! This girl must be making a fortune in Shanghai—she spends money without even blinking!”
Hearing this, Cheng Chunhua’s eyes widened. “Ms. Xu, there’s no need to waste money on that. Don’t worry, everyone around here knows I’m an honest person. I would never trick you…”
Xu Youyou had already signed the lease and had no patience left for Cheng Chunhua. With a cold expression, she said, “I’ve already seen firsthand how your family pressures others into forced marriages.”
Cheng Chunhua let out an awkward chuckle. “Ms. Xu, that was just a misunderstanding. You shouldn’t take it to heart.”
Ignoring her, Xu Youyou shot a glance at Xu Fang.
Xu Fang immediately pressed, “The rental contract is signed, and the payment is transferred. Where’s the key?”
Cheng Chunhua fished out an old key and handed it over. “Ms. Xu, if you need anything, just ask. But when it’s time to calculate the bonus, please be generous. My family is struggling—we’re counting on your kindness.”
Xu Fang quipped, “Weren’t you just bragging about your factory and how well-off you are? So it was all just talk?”
Instead of getting angry, Cheng Chunhua thick-skinnedly laughed. “Being able to eat well is a good life, isn’t it?”
Xu Fang nearly rolled her eyes to the heavens.
Xu Youyou didn’t want to waste more time on these people. The snowfall outside had stopped, and she was eager to see the old house in person.
Although Cheng Chunhua had handed over the key, she followed along, thinking about the potential bonus. Her relatives, driven by curiosity, also trailed behind, eager to see what a wealthy city woman wanted with such a rundown old house.
The house had been abandoned for so long that the lock on the courtyard gate was rusted. When they inserted the key, it wouldn’t even turn.
“Boss, half the courtyard wall has collapsed. We might as well just go in through there,” Xu Fang suggested.
Xu Youyou nodded.
One of the bodyguards tried to pull the key out of the lock, but he used too much force, and the key snapped off inside the keyhole.
His face turned red with embarrassment.
Xu Youyou reassured him, “We were going to change the lock anyway. Don’t worry about it.”
The bodyguard breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, Ms. Xu is truly a kind and understanding boss. She never scolds us for small mistakes and even finds reasons to give raises now and then.
As the group entered, they found that the house’s main door was locked more securely than the courtyard gate. After some effort, they managed to open it. The door creaked loudly as it swung open, barely holding together.
Eager to check out the property, Xu Youyou took the lead. But after just a few steps, she suddenly felt something falling towards her from above.
“Watch out!” Lu Jingyao quickly pulled her back.
A bodyguard rushed forward as well.
With a loud crash, something heavy hit the ground.
The bodyguard let out a muffled groan.
Xu Youyou looked down and saw a long wooden beam on the floor—it seemed to be part of the house’s support structure.
“Get him help!” Xu Youyou ordered.
Although the bodyguard’s face was twisted in pain, he still managed to say, “I’m fine. It shouldn’t be too bad. It doesn’t hurt much.”
They were paid generously but rarely had to put their skills to use. Now that he had actually taken a hit to protect his boss, the bodyguard felt like he had finally proven his worth.
Xu Youyou frowned slightly. “Xu Fang, call an ambulance.”
The bodyguard quickly waved his hand. He moved his arm around and said, “Boss, really, I’m fine. It’s winter, and I’m wearing thick clothes. It barely hurt at all.”
Xu Youyou relaxed a little.
Then, she turned to Lu Jingyao and noticed that his clean black coat was now covered in dust.
Thinking back to what had just happened, she realized that while the bodyguard was doing his job, Lu Jingyao had instinctively shielded her as well.
Such a reflexive reaction couldn’t be faked—Lu Jingyao genuinely cared about her.
Unaware of her thoughts, Lu Jingyao simply asked with concern, “Are you alright?”
Xu Youyou gave a slight nod.
Just then, Cheng Chunhua suddenly blurted out, “This was just an accident! It has nothing to do with my house! Even if you get hurt inside, you can’t blame me!”
Her eagerness to distance herself from responsibility was completely unsurprising.
Xu Youyou was about to find an excuse to send this group away when suddenly, someone pointed at the ground and shouted,
“There are footprints! Someone’s been in this house!”
