Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Quite a Lot of Properties

Considering it was their first time dining alone, Lu Yunque had specifically requested a booth in the main hall. He wanted to avoid an enclosed private room, thinking it might make Yun Zijin feel uncomfortable.

A waiter led them to the booth Lu Yunque had reserved.

The waiter picked up the tablet from the table, opened the menu, and handed it to them.

"Here’s the menu. Would you two like to order now?"

"Yes, we’ll order now."

Lu Yunque gestured for the waiter to give the tablet to Yun Zijin so she could order first.

"This is my first time here, so I’m not familiar with the menu. Why don’t you order, Mr. Lu?"

In truth, Yun Zijin didn’t really like ordering. She much preferred it when someone else picked the dishes, leaving her to simply wait for the food to arrive.

"Alright. Is there anything you don’t eat?"

Lu Yunque asked as he took the tablet.

"No organ meats. Scallions, ginger, and garlic are fine, but it’s best if there isn’t too much."

Yun Zijin wasn’t averse to scallions, ginger, and garlic, but she didn’t care for them either. If a dish had too much, she would very likely refuse to eat it.

Lu Yunque nodded in understanding.

His hands moved deftly, and he finished ordering in just a few moments.

The waiter took the tablet, tapped it a few times, and then placed it back on the table.

"I’ve sent the order to the kitchen. Your food will be out shortly."

With that, the waiter turned to attend to other guests.

Yun Zijin and Lu Yunque sat in silence for a while, and the atmosphere grew a little awkward.

"Like the rain that falls from low-hanging clouds, my heart was moved when you sang softly..."

Just then, Yun Zijin’s phone rang. Both she and Lu Yunque breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief; the call couldn’t have come at a better time.

"Um... I should take this."

Yun Zijin picked up her phone, gesturing toward the screen.

"Please, feel free, Miss Yun."

Of course, Lu Yunque didn’t object. ’I should be thanking this call for breaking the awkwardness,’ he thought.

Yun Zijin swiped to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Miss Yun. This is Wang Zhongxin, the property manager for Jade Lake District. We received word yesterday that you’ve purchased the entire district in full. Since you didn’t come by yesterday, I’m calling to ask if you plan to rent out the residential units. Our property management office can handle the entire process for you!"

Hearing Wang Zhongxin’s introduction and the mention of Jade Lake District, Yun Zijin remembered. After she had spent five million on Antique Street yesterday, the system had given her a twenty-million rebate and rewarded her with an entire residential district.

She had been so focused on coming to the Lu Family’s company today to discuss the West Suburb project with Lu Yunque that she had completely forgotten about Jade Lake.

"Oh! I’d almost forgotten until you mentioned it. Okay, here’s the plan. The properties definitely need to be rented out, but I’ll have to come see them first. I’ll head over around 2:00 PM. Please have someone prepare the relevant documents."

Jade Lake was a newly completed residential district. ’I have no idea how the system managed to buy the whole place,’ Yun Zijin thought, finding the whole thing incredible.

’But that’s not important. As long as all the paperwork is legal and compliant, and I pay whatever taxes are due, it’s fine,’ she reasoned.

"Of course, of course! On behalf of the entire property management staff, we look forward to your visit!"

Yun Zijin felt a bit embarrassed by Wang Zhongxin’s formal tone and quickly found an excuse to end the call.

"Miss Yun, you have quite a portfolio. Land in the South Suburb, land in the West Suburb, and now an entire housing district. I must admit, I’m impressed."

Lu Yunque’s tone was teasing, and his eyes held a hint of a smile he himself hadn’t noticed.

"Please don’t tease me, Mr. Lu. Compared to the Lu Family, my meager assets are not even a drop in the ocean."

Although the system had given her what seemed like a lot of property, Yun Zijin had a very clear perspective on her own net worth.

She couldn’t predict the future, but for now, comparing what she had to the Lu Family was like comparing an ant to a tree.

"It’s not the same. The Lu Family is indeed a behemoth, but our assets are mostly tied up in supply chains and various project investments. The cash balance in the company’s accounts isn’t necessarily that large."

’But Yun Zijin collects rent, which is all cash flow. When it really comes down to it, she might be able to pull together more liquid cash than I can,’ he thought.

Yun Zijin remained noncommittal in response to Lu Yunque’s point.

’It’s true, my bank account does have a balance in the tens of billions,’ she thought. It was all thanks to rental income and the rewards from her Randomly Spend ability.

"If you’re interested, we would welcome you to invest in the West Suburb project as a shareholder."

After all that talk, Lu Yunque was finally showing his true colors.

’So he found out I’m a wealthy landlady and now he’s after my wallet.’

"I just finished collecting rent from you, Mr. Lu, and now you’re already trying to get me to invest it back. Aren’t you being a little shameless?"

Yun Zijin didn’t answer Lu Yunque directly.

’I’m no match for a behemoth like the Lu Family,’ Yun Zijin thought. ’Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I’d rather not get too involved with them.’

Lu Yunque smiled and didn’t press the issue.

Just then, several waiters arrived with their food, placing the dishes on the table one by one.

Yun Zijin asked a waiter for a bowl of white rice.

Lu Yunque looked a little surprised that she had ordered rice.

"I thought girls like you only ate vegetables to avoid gaining weight, some even cutting out meat and carbs entirely."

"Then I guess you can just pretend I’m not a girl. If I don’t eat a proper meal, I’m the one who goes hungry and feels miserable. Why would I do that to myself?"

Yun Zijin really disliked the current beauty standard that glorified being pale, youthful, and stick-thin. ’As long as you’re not overeating, how could you get fat from just three normal meals a day? It’s just giving your body the nutrients it needs!’

’So many people eat three meals a day. If that really made you fat, wouldn’t the streets be filled with overweight girls?’

"That’s the right way to think about it. I’ll never understand people who eat just a couple of vegetable stalks for a meal."

Lu Yunque strongly agreed with Yun Zijin’s sentiment.

"Exactly! That’s why I never intentionally try to lose weight. I can’t stand being too skinny!"

"Then you should eat more. If you like the food, we can come again."

Lu Yunque used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of braised pork onto her plate.

"I hear it’s hard to get a reservation here. Who knows when we’ll be able to come back."

As she spoke, Yun Zijin picked up the piece of braised pork and took a bite.

"A friend of mine owns this place. If you want to come again, just give me a call, and I’ll book a table for you."

Lu Yunque casually offered her a small privilege.

"Your friend? Is it one of the men I saw you with at the auction?"

Yun Zijin’s mind immediately went to the men who had accompanied Lu Yunque at the auction.

"No. This friend has to fly abroad often for work. He only opened Liuxian Pavilion so he’d have a place to eat authentic Hua Country cuisine whenever he wanted.

The flagship restaurant is here in Dijing, and all the other branches are in the cities he flies to most often."

Yun Zijin was speechless.

"I should have known. Anyone who’s friends with Mr. Lu is no ordinary person."

’To casually open a restaurant, turn it into a global chain, and have tables be nearly impossible to book... Hearing something like that is enough to make anyone’s jaw drop!’