Chapter 155: The Old Western-style House
Xu Youyou looked up at the locked gate in front of her.
It was an old Western-style house, and from the outside, she could see the lush greenery inside the yard.
Just then, the gate to the yard opened, and a young man in his early twenties walked out.
The young man had dyed his hair white and wore a diamond earring on his left ear. He looked carefree and nonchalant. When he saw Xu Youyou, his eyes instantly brightened.
“Beautiful lady, are you here to take photos? My house is visited by a lot of influencers every day for photoshoots. I can take you inside,” the young man said with a smile.
Xu Youyou nodded gently. “I’m actually here to look at the house.”
Only then did the young man notice the group of people following her. His gaze fell on the four bodyguards, and his expression grew a little more serious, though still casual.
“You’ve got quite the entourage, huh? My name is Qian Run. What should I call you, beautiful lady?” the young man asked.
“Just call me Xu,” Xu Youyou replied.
“Miss Xu, if you’re looking to buy my house, you’re in luck. There are only about a hundred old Western-style houses in Hu City with clear property rights, and they’re all treasures that no one is willing to part with. I’m the only one selling,” Qian Run proudly boasted.
Xu Youyou hadn’t expected the house was actually for sale. She wasn’t impressed by Qian Run’s price-inflating talk, so she replied, “If these old Western-style houses are so great, why would you be willing to sell?”
Qian Run forced a laugh and said, “Well, I have my special circumstances. My whole family is planning to emigrate, and with no one left to take care of the house, I’m in a hurry to sell.”
“Which country are you emigrating to?” Xu Youyou asked casually.
“Of course, to the big beautiful country,” Qian Run said.
“Has your immigration visa been approved?” Xu Youyou asked, curious.
Qian Run’s eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice. “My ancestral hometown is Minzhou. People from our area don’t need visas anywhere in the world.”
Xu Youyou found his response amusing. So, he was resorting to sneaky talk about global visa-free travel.
But his statement didn’t hold up to scrutiny. Xu Youyou said, “You have a Hu City residence, so how could your visa not go through?”
In Hu City, getting a visa was easy, and more importantly, Qian Run owned such an expensive property.
Qian Run awkwardly chuckled and said, “No choice. I’m a loner, unmarried and unemployed, so I’m exactly the type of person that embassies don’t want to approve.”
Xu Youyou suspected he wasn’t telling the truth, but since the system’s task was to acquire this property, she had no choice but to pursue it, regardless of how many issues Qian Run might have.
As they continued talking, they had already entered the house. Xu Youyou looked around at the moldy wallpaper, frowning slightly.
Xu Fang quickly took out a mask and handed it to Xu Youyou.
Once she put it on, the musty smell was effectively blocked out.
“How long has this house been around?”
Qian Run immediately answered, “When you count it up, it’s quite old, at least 150 years. It was originally called the ‘Song Mansion,’ and the owner was a side branch of the Song family, one of the four great families of the Republic of China. Their ancestors were quite wealthy.”
Xu Youyou’s gaze shifted to the filthy European-style sofa. “The decor inside is so outdated.”
Qian Run immediately said, “Miss Xu, the outdated decor is perfect for you! You can tear it all down and redesign the place exactly to your liking.”
Xu Youyou didn’t comment, and with his company, she toured the house, upstairs and downstairs, even going down to the basement.
Previously, it was unclear what the basement was used for, but now it was just full of clutter.
“If you find all this stuff annoying, I’ll get rid of it all for you,” Qian Run promised confidently.
Xu Youyou’s gaze fell on the wooden floor of the basement.
“Did you lay this floor?” Xu Youyou asked.
Qian Run immediately replied, “How could we have done that? I’m not sure whether the previous owner or the past tenants did it. This house has changed hands so many times. But as you can see, it’s solid wood, and it’s high-quality material, so it hasn’t deteriorated much over the years.”
Xu Youyou nodded lightly. After all this time, she had seen enough.
The house had a strong smell, so the group moved to a small pavilion in the yard to sit.
Qian Run hurried around preparing hot water for tea, but Xu Youyou stopped him.
“Give me a price.”
Qian Run’s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, “This house has three floors above ground and one below, with a total usable area of 500 square meters. You should be more familiar with Hu City’s property prices than I am, Miss Xu. I won’t play games with you. The price is straightforward—120 million.”
Before Xu Youyou could respond, a voice suddenly interrupted.
“Little girl, you dare buy a house with problems?”
Qian Run’s face immediately darkened when he saw the person. “Liu Dazhi, what nonsense are you talking? If you keep causing trouble, we’ll both be finished.”
The newcomer was wearing a black, traditional Hanfu, with a crown-shaped hat, looking like a member of the Imperial Guard. Behind him were two young men in black Tang suits, seemingly his bodyguards.
Xu Youyou had seen many women wearing Hanfu, but this was the first time she had encountered a man in Hanfu in real life.
The man, who seemed to be a Hanfu enthusiast, had a large black mole on the left side of his forehead, the size of a broad bean, and he had a pair of cross-eyed eyes, giving him an unintelligent appearance.
“Liu Dazhi, you owe Lord Hong a lot of money. He told you to use this house as compensation. How dare you exchange someone else’s property for money?” Liu Dazhi asked coldly.
Qian Run impatiently replied, “If I sell it, I’ll pay him back. You all are wearing Hanfu, do you really think he’s the boss?”
Liu Dazhi said, “The Red Dragon King wants this house.”
Qian Run rolled his eyes and said, “Just because he wants it, I have to give it to him? I only owe him 30 million. Does he think he can take my property worth over a hundred million? Why doesn’t he just rob me?”
“Do you think the Red Dragon King’s debt can be cleared so easily?” Liu Dazhi threatened.
With that, he strode over and grabbed Qian Run by the collar.
“What’s going on? Broad daylight, are you planning to hit someone?” Qian Run demanded.
Xu Youyou gave a glance, and the four bodyguards immediately stepped forward, using a bit of force to separate the two.
Liu Dazhi didn’t dwell on it. He turned to Xu Youyou and said, “Little girl, this house has an owner. You should think carefully.”
With that, he turned and left.
Once the outsiders were gone, Xu Youyou directly said, “Since there’s a dispute over the house, I’ll think about it.”
Qian Run, eager to escape, immediately panicked. “Don’t, Miss Xu, this property certificate is in my name. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show it to you.”
He hurriedly scrambled up to the third floor and brought out the property deed hidden in a safe.
“Miss Xu, look, my name is the only one on it, and there’s no bank mortgage stamp. Don’t worry, my debt issues won’t affect our transaction,” Qian Run said.
Xu Youyou’s expression was critical. “No bank mortgage stamp, but who knows if there’s a private mortgage? You’re planning to run abroad and leave the mess for me to clean up.”
