Chapter 187: Wealth Beyond Imagination

The sun was setting, inside the Cullinan.

“Little Zhang, you must come to the hotel tonight. Your uncle and aunt want to properly host you.” Dong Yaru sat in the back seat, gripping her phone, not even having time to reply to the messages Xiang Detao had just sent.

“Auntie, it’s really not me being difficult. I actually have something to do tonight. How about another day?” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

He had no intention of putting on airs.

But tonight he truly didn’t want to go to any dinner.

He was already tired of it.

What was the point of endless banquets and formal hosting?

He would rather go back to his own Intercontinental Garden Hotel, eat a meal prepared by his own chef, enjoy the evening breeze by the Qiantang River, then return to his room early and… wait for someone.

“Mom, Zhang Yang has his career to manage and he’s very busy. He might even have remote meetings tonight. Let’s choose another time.” Xiang Xiaotian said happily.

“Alright… then we’ll schedule another time. Your work is important.” Dong Yaru didn’t dare insist any further.

If someone could casually spend over one hundred million buying a house, how large must his business be? Even if they were truly his in-laws, when encountering something like this they would still have to give way to their son-in-law.

And they would probably praise him for being dedicated to his work.

“Alright… Auntie, definitely.” Zhang Yang continued driving. “Xiaotian, I’ll drop you and Auntie at the Junlan Hotel first. We’ll contact each other tomorrow.”

“Okay, Brother Zhang Yang.” Xiang Xiaotian replied gently.

Just before six o’clock, outside the Junlan Hotel.

Xiang Xiaotian and Dong Yaru got out of the car.

“Zhang Yang, wait a moment.” Xiang Xiaotian suddenly called out and leaned down by the car window with her hands behind her back.

“Hm?” Zhang Yang lowered the window and looked at her smiling face.

“A goodbye kiss. You kiss me.” Xiang Xiaotian leaned her face closer.

“Ah?” Zhang Yang blinked.

“Forget it, I’ll do it myself.” Xiang Xiaotian lightly complained, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a passionate kiss.

Beside them, Dong Yaru watched the scene with a smile.

Look at them-what a perfect match.

A moment later, she and her daughter stood by the roadside, watching the Cullinan drive away.

“Come on, let’s go find your father.” Dong Yaru took Xiang Xiaotian’s arm.

The mother and daughter walked and chatted along the way, their conversation revolving entirely around Zhang Yang.

They also came to understand more about Zhang Yang’s wealth.

“You said Little Zhang also has a place at COFCO Seaview No. 1 in Shanghai worth over one hundred million?” Dong Yaru couldn’t help asking.

“Yeah. Not to mention anything else-just the watch he’s wearing is worth twenty-seven million. And last time our club members wanted to start a project and were short tens of millions. Zhang Yang didn’t even blink before covering the rest,” Xiang Xiaotian said while counting on her fingers.

“Zhang Yang’s financial strength is absolutely beyond imagination. Hmph… someone like that is incredibly rare, yet my dad still…”

As she spoke, Xiang Xiaotian became somewhat indignant.

“You can’t blame your father completely. He didn’t know the real situation. He thought Zhang Yang was just an ordinary rich second-generation heir,” Dong Yaru said with a smile. “But now it’s fine. Once I tell your father the truth, he’ll definitely change his mind.”

In this day and age, marriage was free choice. Childhood betrothals only worked if both sides were suitable. If they weren’t, what did a childhood arrangement matter?

As they walked, hotel staff occasionally greeted them.

Dong Yaru returned to her composed executive demeanor, nodding and smiling until they entered the elevator.

“When we see your father later, let me speak first. You know how he is-he’s always proud. After all, he is still a boss managing hundreds of employees in this hotel,” Dong Yaru reminded her.

“I know. He’s always full of bossy airs.” Xiang Xiaotian snorted.

“You…” Dong Yaru smiled helplessly.

Inside the office, the mother and daughter knocked and entered.

“President Dong, Miss Xiang.” The manager who had just finished reporting quickly greeted them and quietly left the office.

“You’re back?” Xiang Detao looked up from the documents he was reviewing.

“Still busy?” Dong Yaru walked over and gently massaged his shoulders.

Xiang Xiaotian went to the reception area on her own, poured herself tea, sat down, and didn’t say anything.

“Mm, almost done.” Xiang Detao glanced at his daughter. “Xiaotian, come over here. I have something to say.”

“Just say it. I can hear you from here.” Xiang Xiaotian didn’t even lift her head.

“Did that Zhang guy put you under some spell?” Xiang Detao slammed his pen on the table. “Forget it. Tomorrow the Lu family is arriving in Hangzhou. Lunch will be at the Four Seasons Hall. Make sure everything is arranged properly.”

“Fine, don’t worry about that.” Dong Yaru hesitated before speaking. “Actually, I have something to tell you as well.”

“What? You didn’t even have time to reply to my messages this afternoon. Where did you go with that Little Zhang?” Xiang Detao laughed. “That Little Zhang looks handsome enough. I bet he’s good at sweet-talking. Don’t tell me you were won over after just one afternoon.”

“Dad, that’s too harsh.” Xiang Xiaotian walked over angrily and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“Sit properly and listen,” Xiang Detao said firmly.

Xiang Xiaotian was immediately silenced.

“Old Xiang, Little Zhang said this afternoon that he plans to buy a house in Hangzhou for Xiaotian. Would you say that’s sincere enough?” Dong Yaru said.

“Buy a house in Hangzhou?” Xiang Detao was surprised. “He really said that?”

“Not only did he say it, he actually went and bought one this afternoon.” Dong Yaru sighed and sat down.

“He really bought a house?” Xiang Detao was extremely surprised. “Then that does show some sincerity. But he probably doesn’t understand the situation. The marriage between our family and the Lu family is basically settled.”

He had his reasons.

First, there was the childhood betrothal agreed upon by the previous generation.

A person should not break their word.

Second, over the years the Lu family had also prospered. The two families were well matched.

He believed there was no better choice.

As for Xiang Xiaotian’s feelings, that wasn’t something she could decide.

“Let me finish. Do you know where Little Zhang bought the house this afternoon?” Dong Yaru gently held Xiang Detao’s hands.

“Where?” Xiang Detao asked casually.

Xiang Xiaotian sat nearby, waiting for her father to be proven wrong.

“He went to Peach Blossom Spring and bought a traditional courtyard mansion for 130 million. Paid in full.” Dong Yaru spoke slowly, word by word.

Xiang Detao froze and mechanically picked up the teacup beside him.

He took a sip and immediately burned his mouth.

“Old Xiang, the water was just poured. Are you okay?” Dong Yaru quickly brought him some cold water.

A moment later…

“Even if… even if he has money, does our family lack money? How could we break our word because of this?” Xiang Detao stubbornly said.

“I really can’t stand you.” Xiang Xiaotian stood up angrily and slammed the door as she left.

In an instant, only the couple remained in the office.

“Old Xiang, there’s no one else here,” Dong Yaru said.

“The problem now is that Xiaotian and Little Zhang are already together, and he’s so outstanding. Under these circumstances, do you really think it’s appropriate to force Xiaotian to meet someone she has no interest in-and whose abilities are far inferior to Little Zhang?”

“I know.” Xiang Detao’s expression collapsed. “But what should we do? The Lu family arrives tomorrow. It’s something that’s already been agreed upon. If we go back on our word, I’ll have no face.”

“But what choice do we have? Should Xiaotian sacrifice her lifetime happiness just for the sake of reputation?” Dong Yaru’s tone became firm. “If necessary, I’ll be the bad person.”

“You…” Xiang Detao looked conflicted. “Fine. We’ll tell them the truth honestly and sincerely. Hopefully even if the marriage doesn’t happen, the friendship between the families can remain.”

“You’d better not expect that. Prepare for things to turn unpleasant,” Dong Yaru said bluntly.

Returning to his own territory felt exceptionally comfortable.

Zhang Yang walked lightly through the Intercontinental Garden Hotel and soon ran into Qu Shanshan hurrying toward him.

“Mr. Zhang, shall we prepare dinner for you?”

“Yes, keep it simple tonight,” Zhang Yang nodded.

“Should we send it to your room?” Qu Shanshan asked attentively while following him closely.

“To my room? No need. I’ll just go to the restaurant.” Zhang Yang waved his hand and walked straight toward the elevator.

Qu Shanshan quickened her pace and pressed the elevator button before him.

Not far away, several guests watched the scene with surprise.

“Is your lobby manager always this attentive? Or is that guest special… maybe some important client?”

“That gentleman… is our boss,” the receptionists said politely.

“The boss?” The guests looked at the figure entering the elevator in sudden realization.

Evening.

At the same spot as before.

Zhang Yang sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying dishes such as West Lake water shield soup, tea-scented beef ribs, and stir-fried double crisp, finishing with two bowls of beef broth.

He sat quietly like an ordinary hotel guest. No one knew he was actually the owner of the hotel.

After finishing the meal, the Chinese restaurant’s head chef carefully approached to ask for feedback.

“It’s very good. No suggestions.” Zhang Yang nodded with a smile. “The dishes served to other guests are the same as mine, right?”

He didn’t want any special treatment. What he wanted was for every dish served to maintain this standard. It didn’t matter if he personally thought it tasted good-what mattered was that every guest believed the Intercontinental Garden Hotel’s Chinese restaurant was outstanding.

“Mr. Zhang, please rest assured. The standards are exactly the same. As chefs, we always give our full effort with every dish,” the head chef said while bowing.

“Good, then I’m reassured.” Zhang Yang nodded and let the chef return to work.

After dinner, he went up to the hotel’s rooftop garden.

Before coming up, he hadn’t expected much, thinking it would just be some terrace-like design.

But once he arrived, the view suddenly opened up.

It was… an entire Chinese garden built directly on the rooftop.

White bud pines, deciduous maples, patterned stone paving, gravel stepping paths, and small ground lights that lit up at night, casting shimmering reflections across the water.

Standing inside the hexagonal pavilion, looking out at the distant waters of the Qiantang River, feeling the evening breeze blowing across its surface while enjoying the unobstructed river view, the feeling was unbelievably comfortable.

“Oh right.” Zhang Yang suddenly remembered something he still hadn’t done.

He took out his phone, found the WeChat of the salesgirl Wen Ting whom he had added earlier in the afternoon, and casually sent her his room number.

“Are you free?”

“Mr. Zhang, I’ll come over right away.” The reply from the other side came almost instantly.

Zhang Yang smiled, put away his phone, and stretched lightly in the river breeze of the rooftop garden.

Then he went downstairs.

Pushing open the double doors of the suite, Zhang Yang walked in, casually poured himself a glass of wine, and went to take a shower.

After showering, he drank his wine while looking at the river view.

Then there was a knock on the door.

“That fast?” Zhang Yang set down the wine glass and went to open the door.

Outside, Wen Ting stood in a spaghetti-strap short dress, her fair legs exposed, looking both sexy and fresh.

“Mr. Zhang… may I come in?” she asked with a charming smile.

“Come in.” Zhang Yang let Wen Ting enter the large suite.

“This place… is really huge.” In the seven-meter (~23 ft) high living room, Wen Ting gently put down her bag, looked out at the night view of the Qiantang River through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and felt the overwhelming sense of space of the three-hundred-square-meter (~3,229 sq ft) suite.

“It is pretty big.” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

Wen Ting turned around and obediently walked up and wrapped her arms around Zhang Yang’s waist.

“Mr. Zhang, I finished dinner early tonight, took a shower, and then while putting on makeup I was waiting for your call.”

“So proactive? Come, have some wine and chat for a while. No rush.” Zhang Yang poured some wine and handed her a glass.

The long night was still ahead.

There was plenty of time to drink, chat, and leisurely pass the long hours.

And when the mood was right, they could do whatever came next.

The two sat on the sofa. Zhang Yang naturally put an arm around Wen Ting’s smooth shoulder. They clinked glasses and chatted happily.

When something funny came up, Wen Ting covered her mouth and laughed softly.

As time passed, Wen Ting leaned closer and closer, until finally she simply rested her head against Zhang Yang’s chest.

“Mr. Zhang, it seems it’s getting late.”

Zhang Yang checked the time. Yes, without realizing it, they had chatted until now. It was about time.

He looked at Wen Ting’s slightly flushed cheeks and didn’t think much more about it. He lifted her in his arms and carried her into the master bedroom.

Beside the large bed in the master bedroom, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night view of Qianjiang New City was dazzling. Zhang Yang and Miss Wen exchanged a glance and immediately embraced each other in silent understanding.

On his first night in Hangzhou, inside the three-hundred-plus-square-meter suite, with the Qiantang River beside him, Zhang Yang was not lonely at all.

Early the next morning.

Wen Ting, blushing, searched across the bed for her scattered clothes.

“Mr. Zhang, there’s still one piece I can’t find.” She held the blanket to her chest and said shyly.

“Try looking under the blanket.” Zhang Yang stretched his body and basked in the morning sunlight.

Wen Ting secretly glanced at him. Although it wasn’t the first time she had seen him, last night had been dimly lit. Seeing his perfect physique clearly in the daylight now still made her blush and her heart race.

Thinking this, she stopped searching and couldn’t help moving closer and pressing against him.