Ji Younai was stunned to hear the staggeringly high sums of money.
"There's so much money?!" Ji Younai exclaimed, raising her little face to look at Gong Siyu in disbelief.
"Yes. You've become a rich girl."
It was mid-April and the temperatures were getting warmer.
Gong Siyu did not wear a suit today. Instead, he decided to wear a light gray lightweight V-neck knitted shirt that was handmade in Italy. His short, clean hair was slicked back neatly into a short and simple bun at the back of the head, which was the most popular hairstyle donned by American and European male models these days.
However, most men definitely would not be able to pull off such a hairstyle.
Only those with perfect, flawless features would dare to try it.
His upturned and devilish, yet enchanting and narrow eyes were perfectly paired with this hairstyle, accentuating his charm.
The V-neck knitted shirt subtly accentuated Gong Siyu's lean pectoral muscles, showing that he had godly features that made him look as dashing as a prince, charming and almost demonic.
He looked at everything with grace and nonchalance.
There was a touch of untamed wilderness in his mannerisms that would drive women crazy and make them fall head-over-heels in love with him.
It was as if he could enchant anyone with just a smirk and a raised brow.
"Oh, by the way, little one, I forgot to introduce you. This is my personal lawyer, Carson."
As soon as Gong Siyu said those words, Carson grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth, greeting Ji Younai.
"Hello, Ms. Ji."
Carson was very tall, about the same height as Gong Siyu. However, he was much fitter and more muscular than the latter.
Ji Younai, who had a slender figure, leaned against Gong Siyu's side. Feeling a little shy, she looked down as she greeted Carson.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention. Ms. Ji, when we were taking inventory of your family's assets, we discovered that there is also a basement under the courtyard house. It has excellent moisture-proofing measures and there are also many antique calligraphy and paintings in there. Would you like to go down and take a look?"
All Ji Younai knew was that her grandparents had left behind an old-fashioned courtyard house for her father before they had passed away.
They would go for a short stay at the courtyard house during every festive occasion.
However, she did not know that there was a hidden secret in the basement of the courtyard house.
Following Carson's lead and accompanied by Bai Feiran, Ji Younai and Gong Siyu entered the basement.
Looking at the basement, which spanned an area of nearly 200 square feet and contained a wide collection of a variety of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, Ji Younai was shocked.
Her tiny mouth widened to a size that could fit a large goose egg as she wondered, "Why have I never known about these treasures hidden under the old house..."
Gong Siyu was not shocked at all, seemingly having known about it long ago.
"Ji Younai, did you know that your great-grandfather is Ji Tianshi?"
Slightly stunned, she asked, "Ji Tianshi? I know who Ji Tianshi is! There's an article about him in our Mandarin textbook in high school! He's a renowned master of Chinese paintings!"
After a pause, she asked in astonishment, "Huh? You said that he's my great-grandfather? Why didn't I know about this earlier?"
'Ji Younai, what do you know, then?' he thought.
At this moment, Bai Feiran gave a textbook introduction.
"Ji Tianshi is a top-notch master of Chinese paintings and there are very few authentic calligraphy and paintings that were created and handed down by him that are available for sale on the market. However, during the Wilson International Auction five years ago, a genuine peony-koi ink painting created by him was auctioned off and sold to a mysterious buyer for a whopping 300 million yuan."
After a pause, he continued, "Ms. Ji, there are more than ten of Mr. Ji Tianshi's heirloom paintings in the basement of your home, which would be worth a terrifying sum of money according to an estimate of the current market price."
"So our Younai has really become a rich girl. Hold your head high, puff your chest out, and be more confident!" Gong Siyu joked as he patted Ji Younai's back forcefully.
He had discovered that Ji Younai lacked a lot of confidence, always afraid to make eye contact with others. She was not exactly cowardly; she was just scared because she had received so much hostility and mistreatment from others. He thought that this was not what her original personality should be like.
Hearing their words, Ji Younai was shocked to learn that her great-grandfather was a master of Chinese paintings while her great-grandmother was a socialite of the nation.
Her great-grandparents had survived a war and had been through a lot of suffering. However, they were also well-educated scholars who had greatly contributed to the nation.
Her family was not ordinary at all.
Before leaving, Ji Younai took a Chinese painting titled 'Magnificent Landscape' from the basement, carefully pulled it away, and then shoved it directly into Gong Siyu's arms.
"There you go. I noticed that you kept staring at this painting. Do you like it? If so, you may have it!"
Not standing on ceremony with her, Gong Siyu really accepted it.
"Younai is just so generous. However, this painting is better than that peony painting. I'm afraid it will sell for far more than 300 million yuan. Don't feel the pinch, alright?" Gong Siyu said purposely.
However, Ji Younai simply waved her hand casually and skipped upstairs.
She was really generous.
Not long after, Bai Feiran leisurely uttered something while standing behind Gong Siyu.
"Young Master, this painting should be the Magnificent Landscape painting that you've spent three years searching for, right?"
"Yes," Gong Siyu responded distractedly. He was in a surprisingly good mood.
He was not the one who fancied that painting. Rather, it was his grandfather, old Commander-in-chief Gong.
Every festive occasion, old Master Gong clamored for the younger members of the family to go around looking for Ji Tianshi's paintings and calligraphy pieces.
However, after his retirement, old Master Gong had been learning to verify the authenticity of antiques. Hence, they could not fool him with counterfeits.
What old Master Gong wanted the most was Ji Tianshi's most famous painting.
The painting outlined the nation's great rivers and mountains and highlighted their majesty and magnificence. It was a contemporary masterpiece.
At the end of the day, this painting turned out to have been hidden in Ji Younai's house. She had even given it to him personally.
If he really had to justify it, he was actually the one who owed Ji Younai a favor, considering the value of this painting and the fact that she had saved his life… He was the one who had to repay her generosity.
If he could not clear all of the debt he owed to her, he would pay with his body and the rest of his life. Those were Gong Siyu's thoughts.
'This transaction doesn't seem like it will be a loss to me, eh?'
-
They were in Southeast Cemetery, on the Southeast Mountain of the east suburbs of Beijing.
It was the most expensive cemetery in the entirety of Beijing.
The prices of tombstones in the cemetery began at an average of one million yuan.
"Gong Siyu, you accompany me everywhere I go every single day. Don't you have to work? Am I getting in your way?"
Seeing that Bai Feiran was not with Gong Siyu today, she decided to ask the question while following behind the cemetery administrator and listening to his introduction.
"I have a lot of elite subordinates whom I pay high salaries to run errands for me. Usually, I won't show up at the office unless there are important meetings. Other than the frequent dinners and upper-class social gatherings that I have to participate in, I'm mostly free. Or do you think I have to be as busy as a bee all day, to the extent that I don't have any time to accompany you?"
"Oh," Ji Younai answered.
Gong Siyu was displeased with her answer, feeling that he had been neglected.
It felt as if all of Ji Younai's attention had been taken away by the mountainous graveyard.
Gong Siyu was exasperated.
Ji Younai had picked a double tomb for her parents. She paid for it in full and left behind her newly registered mobile number. She then switched on her newly purchased cell phone, thinking about picking out a date to move her parents' ashes over.
At this moment, the administrator of the cemetery's financial office was looking at Ji Younai politely. Seemingly thinking that she was very rich, he began promoting the tombs in the graveyard to her once again.
"Miss, we currently have a sales event going on for the tombstones in our cemetery. You will be able to get a discount as long as you pay for them in full. If you buy another tomb now, you can get 50% off! It's now or never! So why don't you… Buy one for yourself in advance?"
"Ah... It sounds like a good deal. Gong Siyu, should I buy one for myself?"
Hearing her words, Gong Siyu placed a hand on his forehead for a moment and sighed. He then glared at the cemetery salesman.
He chastised him, "Are you cursing her? She's so young, do you really think she needs a tomb?"
After he finished speaking, he pulled Ji Younai away.
"Seriously, all you think about all day is dying, and now you're even thinking of buying your own tomb? What's the matter? Do you want me to take care of your funeral and burial?"
After being lectured by Gong Siyu, Ji Younai cringed like a turtle, appearing very aggrieved.
"You really don't want me to buy any? There's a 50% off discount!"
"Do you think I'll leave you here alone?"
"Ah! No."
Hugging Gong Siyu's arm tightly, she asked, "I'll be good, okay?"