Chapter 377: Before that infinite love, what can you do? (2)
Mr Xiang stopped his wife, asking rather helplessly, âIf you wonât say anything at all, how can you know that itâs us who are bullying him and him whoâs wrongfully suffering, as opposed to him being the one who is cheating you?â
âHe would think of even such a methodâŠâ Mrs Xiang took the contract out from her bag and threw it on the table, questioning as she pointed at it, âYou are worth just this? A single flat?â
Under such circumstances, it would be easier to accept if Xu Tingsheng was poorer. Yet, the current Xu Tingsheng was relatively wealthyâŠas a result, the pride of Mr and Mrs Xiang was wounded as their wariness correspondingly rose greatly tooâŠ
Meanwhile, their impression of Xu Tingsheng naturally worsened.
Little Xiang Ning had already admitted that Xu Tingsheng was related to their acquisition of that flat. She was actually willing to explain the situation to her parents in detail tooâŠstill, Mrs Xiang had spoken like this again and again, implying that Xu Tingsheng wished to exchange that flat for her.
Little Xiang Ningâs self-esteem was hurt as a result. Feeling that Xu Tingsheng was really suffering too great an injustice, her stubbornness now rose completely to the surface.
âIâm worth a hundred flats.â
Little Xiang Ning got up and walked over to their houseâs landline phone, dialling a number and turning on the speakerâŠ
Not knowing what she wanted to do, Mr and Mrs Xiang simply watched her.
Previously, Xu Tingsheng had just heard the sound of Mr and Mrs Xiang entering the room and questioning Little Xiang Ning over the phone. Right after that, Little Xiang Ning had hung up. Anxiety had overtaken him as he was stressed out and hesitant over whether he should give Xiang Ningâs parents a call and explain things to them or even go straight over to plead guilty.
As his ringtone sounded now, he picked up the call at once.
âHey, Xu Tingsheng,â Little Xiang Ning said into the phone as she sobbed, âMum says that Iâm worth more than just one flat. How about a hundred flats then?â
There was no way Xu Tingsheng could know that Xiang Ning was making this call in front of her parents. He thought that after having taken a scolding, she was seeking solace from him behind her parentsâ backs.
âOkay, just calm down. Donât be mad with your Mum and Dad. First, tell me: whatâs the situation like now?â Xu Tingsheng asked gently.
Little Xiang Ning anxiously pressed, âNo, Iâm being serious here. If you have to trade a hundred flats for me, would that be fine?â
âYes,â Xu Tingsheng could only coax her.
âDo you have that many?â Xiang Ning was in no way jesting at all as she asked him earnestly.
âI do,â Xu Tingsheng said.
âWill you willingly trade them for me then? I, I donât think Iâm worth so much moneyâŠâ Little Xiang Ning was crying like some child who was really going to be sold away by her parents.
âI would do it. I have 23 percent of the shares of this real estate corporation. That amounts to more than a hundred flats, actually. How about I use them all to trade for you?â If Xu Tingsheng knew that Mr and Mrs Xiang were listening to this conversation from the side, he would probably throw himself into the wall headfirst to die.
âYouâd really be willing?â
âPrepare the flats then. Iâll come look for you in a while.â
Little Xiang Ning hung up and returned to sit down across from her parents.
âAsk whatever you want to ask. When youâre done with that, Iâll be off to look for Xu Tingsheng,â Little Xiang Ning said with a serious, solemn expression on her face.
Believing that she was really about to leave for good, she felt sad and burst into tears at the thought of having to leave her parents, sobbing, âIâll come back to look after you and be filial to you in the future. Iâll call you every week tooâŠwell, I can come back to visit you every weekâŠwill you, will you miss me?â
Mr and Mrs Xiang were helplessly taken aback by their daughterâs abrupt outpouring of genuine emotions and rendered at a loss as to what to do.
Affected by her emotions, Mrs Xiang began shedding tears as well.
Seeing his wife and daughter like this, Mr Xiang blinked as it felt as if he really was going to sell his daughter. He smiled wryly, wiping away the moisture from the corner of his eye as he said, âStop being so hasty in selling yourself away. Tell us what the matter of the flat is about firstâŠâ
Little Xiang Ning was very forthright in revealing all she knew about Xu Tingshengâs plans now as she ultimately concluded, âHe didnât want the two of you to find out about it. It was you who fooled me and found out about it yourselvesâŠjust how did he have any bad intentionsâŠâ
âNot wanting to let us know and only letting you know, isnât that also becauseâŠâ Mrs Xiang paused, realising with a start that Little Xiang Ning seemed to have no actual sense of money and whatnot at all, meaning that if Xu Tingsheng was doing so to cheat her and get on her good side, this seemed like a pretty stupid methodâŠ
Maybe even that bear was preferable to Little Xiang Ning, being better used in winning her over. There was no need to pay such a steep price at all.
âWhat could he be thinking then?â
Mr and Mrs Xiang exchanged looks, just unable to wrap their heads around it. Could it be that he intended to use this flat to metaphorically hold them hostage in the future? But that wouldnât make sense! The contract was in their possession, and he should also be aware that they could simply give up on the flat at mostâŠ
The smart, brilliant Xu Tingsheng had such a blatant, gaping loophole in his scheme?
The two of them were left perplexed.
âHe didnât even want me to know about it. He tried to hide it from me too. The lucky draw ticket was originally supposed to be switched out with the one drawn by you with the help of that Lin whatever Xian person. Then, it was only because I guessed that he was behind this that he let me be his spy,â Little Xiang Ning said, very liberal with her information now that she would soon be leaving this place.
âHe wanted to hide it even from you? You mean that he originally hoped that all of us would not know about this at all?â Mrs Xiang asked.
âYes,â Little Xiang Ning nodded.
âHow did you find out about it then? And when?â Mr Xiang asked.
âOn the day we went to view the flat. I guessed it, and then I called him,â Little Xiang Ning said.
âYou guessed it? How?â
Little Xiang Ning hesitated for a time at this. Little Pert Waist was a no-go as was all that other mushy stuff.
Little Xiang Ning sorted out her thoughts, venturing, âThat place is called Ning GardenâŠthen, I promised him before that I would definitely make it into a first-tier senior highâŠthen, outside the sales building on that day, Mum said that the old school district for the first-tier senior highâs just across the bridge, with the new district being even closer and visible with just a single glanceâŠI then realised it at once. Our house is very far away from there, right? You didnât want me to tire myself out too much, and he can naturally think of that too.â
âYou could guess it from just that?â
âYes, because I know that he will treat me that well,â Little Xiang Ning said with utter certainty.
âI know that he will treat me that well?â Mr and Mrs Xiang exchanged looks.
âCould it be that it was only to make it more convenient for Little Ning to attend senior high? For such a simple reason, he built Ning Garden, next maneuvering tirelessly behind the scenes just because he was afraid that we would be unable to accept it?â
If this really was the case, Mr and Mrs Xiang could understand why he had kept it totally under wraps like this. The two of them had still held a tough stance towards him then. Not doing so would, on the contrary, mean that this might likely fall through as a result.
âWhy does it feel like weâve been rather harsh on the kidâŠâ
Whatever the case, it was a definite thing that the Ning from Ning Garden was the very Ning from Xiang Ning as he had built such beautiful flats in dedication to her. Even Mr Xiang himself had previously said that if this real estate venture was really by Xu Tingsheng for Little Ning, that would truly mean a great show of sincerity indeed.
âXu Tingsheng really treasures Little Ning to this extent?ââ
Seeing that her parents were no longer saying anything, Little Xiang Ning dabbed at her tears and stood up, new tears immediately falling to replace them as she said miserably, âWell, now that youâre done with the questions, Mum and Dad, Iâll be going now. Iâll come back to visit you next timeâŠâ
âWhere do you think youâre going?â Mrs Xiang did not know whether to laugh or to cry, âYouâre going nowhere.â
âHe will deliver the flats as promised. We keep by our promises.â
ââŠWe donât want them. Even a thousand flats wouldnât be okay.â
Looking at her mother, an aggrieved Little Xiang Ning asked indignantly, âWhy are you suddenly upping the price?â