Chapter 328: It Should Be Yours
Xu Youyou looked at him in surprise. “You go first.”
Chang Run shook his head. “Ladies first.”
Xu Youyou loved money, but since she had already made up her mind, there was no need to hesitate. She spoke up:
“The villa you sold me, there’s a secret room under the basement. Inside that secret room…”
Before Xu Youyou could finish, Chang Run interrupted her:
“Miss Xu, you don’t need to tell me about that.”
Xu Youyou widened her eyes, her mouth slightly open.
“You don’t want to know what treasures are inside? You’re not even curious about their value?”
Chang Run smiled and said:
“I guessed that the villa must have some extra value, but I didn’t expect there to be a secret room underneath. Now that you’ve cleared up the mystery for me, I’m grateful. I do love money, but if you tell me that treasure is worth a fortune, I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep at night.”
Xu Youyou immediately said,
“I can give you the money.”
This time it was Chang Run’s turn to look shocked.
Xu Youyou watched as he clenched his fists tightly, almost forcing out the words through gritted teeth:
“Miss Xu, I appreciate your noble character, but I don’t intend to accept your kindness.”
“Even if you know the money is a fortune, you still don’t want it?” Xu Youyou pressed.
Chang Run struggled to suppress his reluctance, closed his eyes, and gently shook his head:
“A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it by honorable means. I’m no gentleman, but my uncle once told me, some money is not meant to be taken—who knows if it’s money that could cost you your life.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou couldn’t help but think: many people became overnight millionaires through demolitions or winning the lottery, but in the end, they didn’t change their fate.
It was as if fortune had briefly favored them, only for the money to find its way back into circulation, whether through reckless spending or being tricked by others.
Scientifically speaking, people cannot handle wealth beyond their level of understanding.
Xu Youyou still remembered what Chang Run was like the first time they met—his eyes were murky, his whole vibe was shady. She never thought he’d amount to anything.
But now, seeing him again, he felt completely different: confident, clear-eyed, with a clean aura. Xu Youyou even suspected he might have been possessed or “swapped” by someone else.
“If you hadn’t sold the villa to me back then, maybe you would have soon discovered the secret room under the wooden basement floor. All your debts would’ve been solved in an instant,” Xu Youyou said.
Chang Run shook his head.
“Miss Xu, did you ever think about it this way? The troubles I faced at the time—those so-called debts—might have actually stemmed from the treasure hidden in the villa.”
Xu Youyou asked,
“So it was all a setup?”
“When I was younger, I didn’t like studying, but I wasn’t the type who loved gambling either. Yet during that time, it was like I was possessed, completely lost. I not only ruined myself but also hurt the relatives who trusted me.”
“Before I left Shanghai, I told Miss Xu I was planning to go to some Western country. But before I even left the mainland, I got a call from my uncle, and ended up coming to Taiwan instead. Do you know what my uncle said to me when he saw me?”
Xu Youyou was curious:
“Did he realize you were caught in a setup?”
Chang Run nodded lightly and said,
“My uncle said I was covered in bad luck, like I was cursed. If I hadn’t left Shanghai in time, I might have lost my life.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou suddenly remembered the “Metaphysical Protection Shield” she once got as a system reward. She barely had time to experience it before it was used up.
Later, seeing the power of that “Diva” abroad made Xu Youyou even more respectful toward these mysterious forces.
“Is your uncle a devotee of the Immortal Chang?” Xu Youyou asked.
Chang Run replied,
“My uncle has always been favored by Immortal Chang. Years ago, he opposed my mother marrying my father, following a divine warning. But my mother insisted and moved from the Northeast to Fujian anyway.”
Xu Youyou didn’t know what to say for a moment. When she sold the villa, she had heard bits and pieces about Chang Run’s family.
Family ties in Fujian are very strong. Back then, a group of them went to Shanghai together and all became quite successful. If you only looked at money, Chang Run’s father hadn’t treated his wife badly. Unfortunately, he had severe road rage, and during one outing, there was a car accident that killed both husband and wife.
Chang Run’s mother was not even forty when she died, and her death was linked to her husband. His uncle’s opposition to the marriage seemed to make sense in hindsight.
Chang Run said,
“My father was alive when he strongly opposed any dealings with my uncle. But when I hit rock bottom, my only choice was to rely on him.”
Seeing how respectfully Chang Run now spoke of his uncle—and knowing he was now acting as his uncle’s representative—Xu Youyou realized that his uncle truly treated him well.
Chang Run continued,
“That villa wasn’t an ancestral property. My parents bought it after they made their fortune. They tried several times to renovate it, but something always came up and delayed them. Look, if they had renovated early on, they would definitely have found the secret room under the hardwood floor. But they didn’t.”
“It’s as if it was fated. That treasure wasn’t meant for me, or for the villa’s previous owners. The fact that it resurfaced in Miss Xu’s hands shows that it was meant for you.”
His words sounded nice, but Xu Youyou still felt guilty. She said,
“You’re so generous about this. I just hate that I don’t know how to repay you. If you ever need help, just let me know…”
Chang Run shook his head and said,
“Miss Xu, you’re too polite. Treasure reveals itself when the time is right. It’s just that I have no fate with it—how can you say you owe me? Compared to the Red Dragon King, I’d much rather it be you who found the treasure. After all, you did help me a great deal.”
Xu Youyou didn’t know what to say, but silently made a note in her heart: she owed Chang Run a huge favor.
Chang Run didn’t want her to dwell on it, so he changed the subject:
“Miss Xu, aren’t you curious about what I wanted to tell you?”
Xu Youyou paused, then asked,
“Is it about me?”
Chang Run wasted no time and immediately exposed Cheng Yu:
“Mr. Cheng, for some unknown reason, really bears a grudge against you. He’s determined to sabotage our cooperation. Do you know how you offended him?”
Xu Youyou thought for a moment and said,
“He wanted me to invest in his family’s business, and I refused. But Cheng’s family is on the verge of bankruptcy—where did he get the confidence to offer me better terms?”
Chang Run said,
“He has another backer behind him, a very powerful one. That’s why he dared to make such generous promises.”
