Aunt Qiu wanted to feel happy at these words, but she couldn't bring herself to be. After all, she was the one seeking Gu Nuan's help at the moment.
They reached the midsection of the hillside. Though termed a mountainous area, it was actually just a low range of hills. Aunt Qiu's house stood out, built in solitude upon it.
Luck is luck. Had Aunt Qiu not been one to show off, renovating her father's house and making it look more impressive, she probably wouldn't have attracted the attention of investors to this place.
From a distance, Aunt Qiu's newly-built house, with its red and white color scheme and European villa style, was quite conspicuous.
Upon hearing the sound of approaching visitors, whoosh, the house's iron gate opened first.
A large black wolfhound, with a fierce and vigilant gaze, watched the newcomers.
The wolfhound was not only tall and imposing, but its shape bore a striking resemblance to the guardian dog at the gates of hell from Ancient Greek mythology. Gu Nuan felt a chill in her heart, knowing that just by the menacing look of the dog, it was a superior breed with a not insubstantial value.
Gu Nuan was not mistaken. This dog was a pure black German Shepherd. German Shepherds have always been known as the king of military dogs. And black is the truest nature of a German Shepherd.
Aunt Qiu immediately said, "A wolfhound, my friend had one, I know."
Gu Nuan glanced at the man standing next to the German Shepherd, thinking that he must be inwardly laughing his head off.
The "wolfhound" Aunt Qiu was referring to is the domestically bred black wolfhound from northern China, which cannot compare to the German Shepherd that ranks among the top three in the world.
The man standing beside the German Shepherd appeared to be in his early thirties, wearing a suit and a tie, as if he had anticipated Aunt Qiu's visit. Since business was to be negotiated and contracts possibly signed, it was necessary to dress formally.
The other party seemed certain that Aunt Qiu was there to sell the house.
When Gu Nuan looked up, her gaze swept across the second and third-floor windows of the small building. A row of tea-colored windowsills revealed vague shadows within, which could have been just furniture.
"My niece," Aunt Qiu introduced Gu Nuan to the man, before explaining to her, "This is Mr. Li."
Mr. Li?
Gu Nuan nodded slightly, quickly understanding that the tenant wasn't this Mr. Li. The real tenant was upstairs. This Mr. Li was just someone's assistant.
After that, Mr. Li led them both into the house.
"Where is Mr. Qiao?" Aunt Qiu asked.
Mr. Qiao? The tenant of this house?
"Oh, he just happened to have something to attend to and went out," Mr. Li remarked with a smile, pouring tea for both women.
"I always thought Mr. Qiao would find it inconvenient to go out," Aunt Qiu commented.
Gu Nuan carefully observed their conversation.
It seemed the tenant was pretending to stay here for treatment or recovery purposes.
Clearly, he was someone adept at pretense.
"Mr. Qiao left instructions before going out," Mr. Li said after pouring the tea. He went on, "He said if Mrs. Qiu comes, proceed exactly as previously discussed with her. Have you made up your mind, Mrs. Qiu?" Mr. Li formally shifted to the topic at hand.
Aunt Qiu coughed softly, covering her mouth, and glanced at Gu Nuan with her eyes.
Gu Nuan asked, "Have you drafted the contract? We'd like to see it first."
"Sure," Mr. Li maintained his smile, placing the prepared contract, in duplicate, on the table. He then inquired about Gu Nuan, "Is this young lady a lawyer?"
It's normal to bring a lawyer when signing a contract, so his question was quite expected. Yet Aunt Qiu, eager to boast, said, "No, she studies Finance."
Gu Nuan could sense, whether it was from Mr. Li sitting opposite her or from what seemed to be glances projected from the ceiling, a sudden shift in their attention, yet it didn't alter their air of arrogance.
Indeed, from the moment she entered the house, she sensed a certain condescension directed at others. Strangely enough, the house hadn't even been sold by Aunt Qiu yet. This indicated the confidence of someone who must possess considerable self-assurance. To maintain such indifference, one's confidence must stem from an exceptionally strong foundation.