In the afternoon, the sunlight spilled over the streets of Nanjiang City, bringing a touch of warmth. Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan walked side by side toward the Splendid Gardens real estate sales center near the hospital. This residential complex enjoyed a prime location with convenient transportation, situated close to the hospital and schools; it could truly be considered a high-end neighborhood in Nanjiang City.
Carrying their hopes and dreams for the future, they stepped through the entrance of the sales office. The interior was luxuriously decorated, showcasing a scale model of the complex and various exquisite promotional materials. An enthusiastic sales representative hurried over, smiling warmly as she introduced the property to them.
Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. They were full of anticipation for a home here, hoping to find a suitable place to settle down. Just as they were engrossed in discussing the apartments, a familiar voice pierced the air.
"Oh, if it isn't Su Wanwan? What's this? Did you bring your penniless, discharged ex-soldier to buy a house, too?"
Su Wanwan's body stiffened, and her complexion turned pale in an instant. Noticing her reaction, Qin Yuanfeng looked in the direction of the voice and saw a stylishly dressed young woman standing not far away, gazing at them with a look of utter contempt.
This woman was Su Wanwan's paternal half-sister, Su Jin'er. Twenty-two years old and draped in designer brands, Su Jin'er formed a sharp contrast to the ordinary clothes worn by Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan. She was linked arm-in-arm with a young man dressed entirely in Armani, who wore an arrogant expression and an air of disdain in his eyes.
Yet upon catching sight of Su Wanwan's appearance, the young man's eyes lit up. He turned to Su Jin'er and asked, "Jin'er, who is this? Is she a friend of yours?"
Looking at Su Wanwan, Su Jin'er sneered disdainfully. "This? She's my half-sister who gave birth out of wedlock seven years ago and got kicked out of the Su Family. The whole city was talking about it back then. You were studying abroad at the time, Mingxuan, so you probably didn't hear about it. As for the guy next to her, you've surely heard of him—he's that stinking soldier who caused a massive scene at the Fu Family's wedding banquet and threatened to wipe them out. Come to think of it, he's quite lucky; if the Fu Family hadn't been obliterated by the Southern Military Region for illegal activities, he probably would have been beaten to death by them long ago! Judging by today's outfit, they must have heard that the Fu Family was wiped out last night, which is why he finally dares to swagger out in public!"
Seeing that Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan were dressed plainly, Lu Mingxuan also let out a dismissive chuckle.
Su Jin'er intentionally spoke at the top of her lungs, plunging the entire sales office into a dead silence. Many people cast strange, judgmental glances at Su Wanwan and Qin Yuanfeng. The complexions of both Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan turned exceptionally ugly, but they did not immediately retort. At that moment, Su Wanwan finally reached her breaking point and snapped angrily, "Su Jin'er! That's enough! Whatever you've said or done to me in the past, I could put up with! But no matter what, Yuanfeng is your future brother-in-law and Beibei's father! I will never allow you to insult him like this!"
Su Jin'er smiled derisively and stepped closer to Su Wanwan. "Su Wanwan, take a look at your own status—how dare you raise your voice at me? What, now that your wild man is back, do you think you're somebody again? You even dare to come and look at apartments here at Splendid Gardens? Can you even afford one?"
Qin Yuanfeng frowned, though he didn't take it to heart. He turned to Su Wanwan and said, "Wanwan, don't pay any attention to a mad dog's barking! It's not worth it. Let's continue looking at apartments."
Hearing Qin Yuanfeng compare her to a "mad dog," Su Jin'er glared at him furiously. "Who do you think you are? Just a discharged soldier, and you dare act so arrogant here? Believe it or not, the Su Family can make it impossible for you to survive in Nanjiang City at any moment! Let me tell you, Su Wanwan is someone abandoned by the Su Family, and she will never make a comeback. And do you even know who my boyfriend is? He is the second young master of the Lu Family, a first-tier family in Nanjiang City!"
Su Jin'er deliberately raised her voice, watching as the surrounding onlookers cast envious gazes their way. She lifted her chin and continued, "Su Wanwan, you had a child out of wedlock, and after seven years your wild man finally comes back—only to be a stinking soldier with zero money. You coming here is nothing more than putting on a show to feast your eyes; you can't actually afford anything here at all!"
Su Wanwan's expression grew even more wretched. She bit her lower lip, trying hard to keep her emotions from showing. Qin Yuanfeng gripped her hand tightly, pouring strength into her.
"I don't like hitting women, but don't push your luck. Whether we have money to buy a house is none of your concern," Qin Yuanfeng said coldly.
Su Jin'er burst into laughter. "You guys? Want to buy a house? Keep dreaming. My boyfriend can buy several apartments like this on a whim. And you? You probably couldn't even afford a toilet!"
Just as Qin Yuanfeng was about to flare up, Su Wanwan pulled him back. "Yuanfeng, don't lower yourself to her level. Let's keep looking at apartments."
Seeing the plea in Su Wanwan's eyes, Qin Yuanfeng forced down the rage burning in his chest. They turned to leave Su Jin'er behind and resume their apartment hunting.
However, Su Jin'er refused to let it go. She trailed behind them, taunting relentlessly, "Su Wanwan, do you really think finding an ex-soldier means you'll live a good life? What can he possibly give you? Look at my boyfriend—wealthy and powerful, able to provide me with a life of luxury. And you? You're doomed to live in poverty for the rest of your life."
Su Wanwan stopped in her tracks and looked at Su Jin'er. "Su Jin'er, stop being so aggressive all the time. We live our own lives; it has nothing to do with you."
Su Jin'er let out a cold laugh. "Has nothing to do with me? You gave birth out of wedlock, ruining the Su Family's reputation and leaving us unable to hold our heads high in Nanjiang City. And you still have the nerve to say it has nothing to do with me?"
A flash of cold light crossed Qin Yuanfeng's eyes. "If you dare say one more insulting word to Wanwan, don't blame me for being unpolite."
Qin Yuanfeng's sharp and terrifying gaze caused Su Jin'er to involuntarily shudder inside. But upon seeing Lu Mingxuan beside her, she instantly regained her confidence. Locking her arm through Lu Mingxuan's, she said even more arrogantly, "What can you possibly do to me? You're just a discharged soldier, what skills do you have? My boyfriend is the second young master of the Lu Family. With just a single word from him, he can make sure you both cannot survive in Nanjiang City!"
The second young master of the Lu Family also looked at Qin Yuanfeng with utter contempt and said, "Kid, if you know what's good for you, you'd better apologize to Jin'er right now. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unpolite."
Seeing that Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan were not backing down from his threats only fueled Lu Mingxuan's competitive spirit further. He wanted to showcase his strength in front of Su Jin'er, making her realize that his value far exceeded that of this so-called "ex-soldier." With that, he turned and shouted to the sales manager, "Manager, come over here."
Hearing the call, the sales manager trotted over immediately, a flattering smile on his face as he asked respectfully, "Young Master Lu, is there anything I can do for you?"
Lu Mingxuan pointed at the detached villa model not far away—the most luxurious unit in Splendid Gardens, valued at a staggering thirteen million. "I want that villa. I want to sign the contract and pay right now." With that, he pulled a card from his pocket, deliberately waved it in front of Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan, and handed it to the sales manager.
Hearing this, the sales manager's eyes lit up. He nodded repeatedly and fawned, "Right away, Young Master Lu. Please wait a moment, I will prepare the contract for you immediately."
Seeing this, a triumphant smile spread across Su Jin'er's face. She looked smugly at Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan and said, "Su Wanwan, look at that! Mingxuan is the kind of man truly worth entrusting your life to. This is the life you will never be able to reach. You and this penniless man only deserve to live in slums; you'll never amount to anything."
However, Qin Yuanfeng merely glanced at them indifferently, showing no major reaction. He knew very well that he didn't need to prove anything through mere financial display. As the Temple Master of the Asura Temple on the Outer Realm Battlefield, even he himself didn't know the exact extent of the wealth he held, but for now, he couldn't reveal it in front of Su Wanwan.
The sales manager quickly prepared the contract. Lu Mingxuan signed his name without a moment's hesitation and prepared to pay. However, right before making the payment, he suddenly said to the sales manager, "Oh, by the way, there's one more thing. I hope you can throw these two people out. Two penniless bums who can't possibly afford a place here—I don't want to look at them."
He pointed at Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan, his eyes full of disdain and provocation.
Facing a major client like the second young master of the Lu Family, the manager didn't dare to offend him easily and immediately prepared to call the security guards to chase Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan out of the sales office.
Seeing this, Qin Yuanfeng gently tugged at Su Wanwan's hand, signaling her not to let it anger her. He calmly said, "There's no need for them to chase us. Let's go, pay them no mind."
Though reluctant, Su Wanwan saw how calm Qin Yuanfeng was and could only nod. She followed him out of the sales office.
Watching Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan walk out, Su Jin'er spat viciously, "Su Wanwan, you bitch, consider yourself smart this time. Next time, I'll make sure you pay!"
After leaving the sales office, Qin Yuanfeng and Su Wanwan visited a few more agencies, but none of them had satisfactory properties. As evening approached, the two decided to head back to the hospital first to check on their daughter, Beibei.
Back at the hospital, the moment Beibei saw them return, she happily threw herself into Su Wanwan's arms. A blissful smile bloomed on her little face, as if all her pain and illness had vanished into thin air at that very moment, and Su Wanwan completely cast the events of the daytime out of her mind.