this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
Xu Yao was so shocked by Ji Zhengqing’s wealthy aura that she momentarily froze into a pillar, rooted to the spot.
I-It can’t be, right?! Handing over the ownership of the Ji family’s share of the Lipana Islands as an engagement gift to her?
This isn’t just a small island, but an archipelago, you know?!
The Lipana Islands consist of more than a dozen islands, with the Ji family owning seven or eight of them. And now Ji Zhengqing has just given her several of those islands!
Xu Yao roughly knew the prices of these islands. She had heard that even the smallest island in the archipelago was acquired for several hundred million, while the larger islands were even more expensive.
Which man could be so generous? It’s just an engagement—they haven’t even gotten a marriage certificate yet—and he actually gifts her a few islands?
In an instant, the importance of Ji Group Tower in Xu Yao’s heart plummeted.
At that moment, Xu Yao felt extremely ashamed for having previously complained in her heart about Ji Zhengqing being stingy.
Xu Yao’s inner self was deeply repenting.
I’m sorry, fiancé, I underestimated you, I was wrong! I admit my mistake!
Little 6 was incredulous: […How can someone who’s even more extravagant than the host possibly exist in this world?!]
Retirement Assistant Little 6, usually didn’t make an appearance unless necessary, but now, its system was once again running another detection scan.
What is the host doing in this world? It’s to enjoy a happy retirement! She should be the happiest and most extravagant person in this world!
Yet, unexpectedly, a Ji Zhengqing appeared, who was even more extravagant than the host. What does this indicate? It indicates that the host is not living as well as she should be in this retirement world. How could that be acceptable?
Little 6 immediately reported: [Ding! It has been automatically detected that the host has not reached the perfect retirement standard in this world. The Quick Transmigration Bureau feels deeply ashamed and will issue an additional pension of 100 million next month.]
Xu Yao: “!!!”
What kind of unexpected joy is this?
Xu Yao’s gaze towards Ji Zhengqing changed completely. What kind of divine fiancé is this? Not only is he generous, but he can also help her continuously reap benefits from the Quick Transmigration Bureau.
Giving her an entire archipelago as an engagement gift… Xu Yao’s eyes seemed to bore a hole through Ji Zhengqing, almost desperately wanting to ask him when they could get married!
“Don’t you like it?” Ji Zhengqing noticed Xu Yao staring at him without taking the envelope in his hand.
Ji Zhengqing caught a glimpse of the border collie and husky chasing and playing in the preparation room and said awkwardly, “Raising pandas isn’t possible, so I can only make do with this.”
Make do? Is this what he means by making do?
Xu Yao decisively reached out to take the envelope, revealing her sweetest smile. “No need, I like it very much.”
Who wouldn’t like an island? Especially a group of islands!
“So… when the engagement banquet is held later, I might have to…” Ji Zhengqing cleared his throat, “kiss you.”
The guests invited are all friends and family of the two, and friends naturally don’t have the caution and restraint that others have when encountering President Ji in the business world. So it’s almost certain that there will definitely be someone urging them to kiss.
As a mutual friend of the two, Xie Zhengtian would most definitely take the lead in that!
“Is there anything you can’t accept?” Ji Zhengqing sought Xu Yao’s opinion.
Xu Yao: “How many minutes do you want to kiss?” If it doesn’t leave her lips swollen, she’d feel uneasy accepting that engagement gift.
Ji Zhengqing: “…?” How many minutes? How many minutes does she want to kiss?
Xu Yao noticed the fleeting shock in Ji Zhengqing’s dark eyes. She stepped closer to him in her diamond-studded high heels and asked, “Right, just a quick peck doesn’t really count as a kiss, right? We’re not elementary school students anymore. A few minutes should be fine, right? And it needs to be deep—”
Before Xu Yao could finish her sentence, a knock at the door interrupted her spell-casting. Xu Jing stood awkwardly at the door and said, “Sorry to interrupt.”
Xu Jing felt a pang of heartache. He had only just reunited with his younger sister not too long ago, yet she was already engaged to his best friend today. It seemed like they were getting along particularly well. With an engagement, marriage would be inevitable, and just thinking about it made him feel frustrated.
Xu Yao originally wanted to discuss how to kiss at the engagement banquet with Ji Zhengqing, but upon seeing Xu Jing enter, dressed in a dark gray suit and looking exceptionally handsome, she ignored the awkward look on his face and approached him. “Brother, what are you doing here?”
Xu Jing looked down at the envelope in her hand and smiled. “Is this from Zhengqing?”
Xu Yao nodded. “It is! Now the ownership of the Lipana Islands is entirely in the hands of our family, the Xus.”
The Lipana Islands were purchased jointly by the Ji and Xu families. Since Ji Zhengqing gave them all away, they naturally belonged entirely to the Xu family.
Xu Jing smiled and snapped his fingers. “Lu Ye.”
Lu Ye quietly slipped in through the door and greeted President Xu. Xu Jing originally wanted to reach out and ruffle Xu Yao’s hair, but seeing her looking so beautiful in her engagement gown, he withdrew his hand and tucked it back in his suit pocket.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll also give you the remaining islands in the Lipana Islands that belong to the Xu family. Once we return, I’ll transfer them to your name,” Xu Jing said with a doting smile. “My beloved Yaoyao, congratulations on your engagement.”
Xu Yao had only initially owned a few villas on one of the small islands in the Lipana Islands. The rest still belonged to the Xu family.
But now—
Xu Yao wanted to scream!
She had become the sole owner of the Lipana Islands!
At first, she only owned a tiny fraction, but within just a few minutes, she now owned all of it.
“Ah, thank you, Brother. I love it so much.” Xu Yao was so happy she felt like she was about to faint. All she could think about now was getting married right away.
Marrying Ji Zhengqing, I’ll become the happiest woman alive, hahaha.
Aside from the day she inherited her fortune, Xu Yao had never been this happy before. As a result, she threw herself directly into Xu Jing’s arms.
Xu Jing gently patted Xu Yao’s shoulder, and exchanged a glance with Ji Zhengqing that seemed to silently warn him to treat Xu Yao better in the future.
Ji Zhengqing remained silent. Having his friend who was the richest man become his brother-in-law was making it harder and harder to deal with him.
Originally, giving Xu Yao the ownership of the Ji family’s islands in the Lipana Islands as an engagement gift was something he had thought long and hard about. But now that her brother had also given her the same gift, Ji Zhengqing felt that it suddenly didn’t seem so impressive anymore.
*
The reality show Hand in Hand in Our Later Years has recently gained some popularity online, with many netizens following the “Double Cui” couple.
Compared to Zuo Ning’s Yin Fate and Ming Chan’s game Shining Star, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years pales in comparison.
Zuo Ning’s short drama completely opened up the short drama market in Hua Country, becoming the pioneer of short dramas. Now, major platforms are all producing short dramas, with various innovative short dramas that have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, appearing in front of the audience in just a few months.
Short dramas are concise and to the point, with every line of dialogue being refined, making them much more appealing than the lengthy dramas that feel somewhat tedious.
As for Ming Chan’s game Shining Star, it goes without saying; it’s a game so popular that it forces foreign wealthy second-generation heirs to find translators just to play it, and it has already become a global sensation.
In comparison, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years, which has only achieved minor success, really pales in comparison.
Many people felt that Xu Yao had finally stumbled, secretly enjoying the spectacle.
But for Zhao Haisheng, this was already the best achievement he had made in the entertainment industry in his entire life!
Many netizens were searching for the “Lipana Islands,” wondering what it was and why the production team chose to film there. However, there was very little information about it online, with only a handful of pictures available, which is hardly enough.
Liu Yingxia and her ten junior colleagues were the first to set foot on the island. They had been given limited screen time by the production team, but since they had all signed contracts, they still had to participate in the show.
So Liu Yingxia and her juniors had the task of—
Being the first to arrive at the Lipana Islands so they could set up a date venue for their grandparents.
Azure seas and blue skies blend into one at the horizon. Seabirds occasionally skim across the water, and unlike crowded tourist hotspots, the water here is crystal clear, and you can see straight to the bottom. Even the air feels fresher. Not far behind the private beach stand several villas, each in a different architectural style.
As soon as they disembarked from the boat, a guest exclaimed, “It’s so beautiful! With so few people here, it’s even more enjoyable.”
“I heard that the villas on this island belong to a single island owner,” a young guest with more knowledge gossiped. “How rich must they be?”
“I just saw a lot of luxury yachts heading to other islands. Are there still people here?” another girl asked curiously.
Grandma Zhou Cuilan’s grandnephew whispered, “I heard that a big shot is hosting a gathering on that island over there. Apparently a lot of other tycoons have already gone over.”
Liu Yingxia’s gloomy mood was instantly lifted, and she felt elated.
To own a small island like this means the owner is truly wealthy. After all, while real estate can be purchased easily, ownership of such a small island can only be obtained through auction, requiring various connections.
With Xu Yao, this retired celebrity, now trending all day, Liu Yingxia could only hope that once this episode aired, this mysterious healthy island owner could somehow suppress Xu Yao’s popularity.
The current Weibo was now littered with Xu Yao’s posts, making it seem like she was the only rich person in the world, which was quite ridiculous.
A butler in a tailcoat emerged from the villa, bowing deeply to them with a respectful smile as he said, “Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I am the island’s butler. Please let us know immediately if you need anything.”
They first went to store their luggage. Liu Yingxia checked into an enormous sea-view room, with the sea breeze gently blowing the sheer curtains. She thought of the scorching 40°C heat back home. Here, she could truly experience a joyful vacation.
Liu Yingxia walked to the balcony of her sea-view room, wanting to take a selfie. It was so beautiful here, even a few random photos should easily turn out perfect, right?
As soon as Liu Yingxia stepped onto the balcony and looked at the tall coconut trees by the coast, she was astonished to see several luxury yachts anchored nearby!
Not just one, but dozens!
Even a wealthy second-generation rich kid with a single luxury yacht could flaunt it around extravagantly, and here there were dozens more.
Liu Yingxia instinctively checked the prices on her phone and gasped. The prices were so high that even someone in the entertainment industry like her found them exorbitant. How wealthy must this island owner be…
Looking at those luxury yachts, Liu Yingxia suddenly had an idea—
If she could take one of those luxury yachts out to sea, the photos would surely turn out amazing, right?
Even being able to take a yacht trip to that island full of big shots would be quite nice. After all, most female celebrities in the entertainment industry still hoped to break into that circle.
With this thought in mind, Liu Yingxia went downstairs, intending to consult the butler, when she noticed the filming crew not far away. She instinctively straightened her posture.
“Excuse me, do we have livestreaming cameras?” Liu Yingxia asked the filming crew with a smile.
The cameraman suddenly felt a bit awkward and stammered out an excuse, “You all came to the island early to set up a date venue for your grandparents. If we had live streaming cameras, the details might easily leak, and there would be no sense of anticipation, so we’re just filming.”
In short, there were no livestreaming cameras, and they would just edit the footage later.
Liu Yingxia knew this was just an excuse. Wasn’t it just because Xu Yao had limited their exposure rate?
She replied coldly with an “Oh” and went off to wander around, thinking about how to set up the date venue.
Even if it was just for show, she still needed to make a simple arrangement. Liu Yingxia also asked the production staff to help her bring down the prepared packages.
Inside were balloons of various colors and shapes, an air pump, various stickers, and most importantly—
She had prepared a drone!
Although she didn’t like her grand-uncle, Cui Guoqiang, she thought that to win the audience’s favor, she had to start from these small details. If the date venue was arranged well, it might even attract her some fans.
This drone could fly up to ten kilometers!
Although it was true that this was an archipelago, the nearest islands might only be one or two kilometers away.
Liu Yingxia smiled at the camera and said, “I prepared a drone for Grand-uncle and Grandma Cuilan. That way, I can capture their most beautiful moments with its 360° lens.”
The planning department of the production team was touched by the effort Liu Yingxia had put in, especially with her preparation of the drone for her grandparents.
Although the production team also had professional drones for filming, preparing one herself carried a different meaning and showed her thoughtfulness.
“How about we discuss it with Director Zhao? We could start the livestreaming cameras for the celebrity guests too, right? After all, they don’t have much preparation time, and the later parts will be mostly about the elderly guests anyway.”
After discussing with Zhao Haisheng, he also found it made sense. After all, most of the viewers watching variety shows were young people, and they were all the type that were eager for proposals and such. Starting the livestreaming cameras would foster a sense of involvement with the netizens.
The production team started a livestream, and soon, many netizens flooded in, eager to see the juniors help their grandparents set up the date venue.
[Ahhh my Yingxia is working so hard! Did she blow up all those balloons by herself? So impressive!]
[The decorations are a bit cliché, but you can’t deny Liu Yingxia’s sincerity.]
[The Lipana Islands are seriously beautiful—this is what rich people’s happiness looks like, owning a private island and not having to squeeze around with tourists.]
[? Do the guests not know the livestream has started? If she didn’t know and still worked this hard, that’s honestly pretty impressive.]
The production team was just about to inform Liu Yingxia that they had livestreaming cameras, when she saw the villa’s butler passing by and suddenly threw away the air pump in her hand to head over. “Butler, could you please help me contact the island owner? I have a request for him.”
The butler didn’t expect Liu Yingxia to make such a request, but recalling that Miss Xu Yao had instructed him to take good care of the guests, he thought for a moment. Since Liu Yingxia didn’t have her contact information, he took out his phone to dial a number for her.
The viewers in the livestream immediately got all excited!
[My goodness, Yingxia’s really got some skills! She actually got the opportunity to talk to the island owner! This owner must be insanely rich.]
[Now let’s see what a real wealthy person rich enough to own a private island looks like.]
[Wow, the person above is being so sarcastic. Saying only private island owners count as being truly rich—aren’t you just throwing shade at Xu Yao? A landlady pulling in billions a month isn’t rich? I’m about to die laughing hahaha.]
[Well, these kinds of private islands can’t be bought without having the money or right connections.]
The livestream was in an uproar, and since the production team saw that Liu Yingxia was on the phone, they didn’t go over to remind her.
The call soon connected, and Liu Yingxia, suppressing her excitement, spoke up first, her clear voice sounding as if it had been deliberately sweetened as she said coquettishly, “Hello, Mr. Island Owner, I’m Liu Yingxia. Could you please lend me one of the luxury yachts in the villa? That way, it’ll be convenient for my grand-uncle and grandma to go out to sea for a date.”
There was a deathly silence on the other end of the call.
Knowing there were no livestream cameras, Liu Yingxia became even more unrestrained, pleading, “Mr. Island Owner, please, please.”
Just as the viewers in the livestream were marveling over how Liu Yingxia could act so coquettishly in private, a voice came from the other end—a voice so familiar it was terrifying.
Xu Yao rejected her decisively, “No.”
The smile on Liu Yingxia’s face completely froze and became stiff, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Wait… wait a minute!
Why does this voice sound so much like Xu Yao’s?
Liu Yingxia seemed to be hit by a huge shock, her voice unconsciously rising several pitches, “Xu Yao? How could it be you?”
Xu Yao smiled slightly. “Because all the villas on the island belong to me.”
Because the production team rented her villa.
Liu Yingxia: “……”
The number of viewers in the livestream instantly skyrocketed as the netizens went crazy with this information.
[Xu Yao? The owner of the Lipana Islands is Xu Yao? Holy shit!]
[Liu Yingxia’s fans must be so embarrassed they could die on the spot right now. Xu Yao is just that rich person. Not only does she have so many properties, but she also has an island! Can someone help me out here?]
[I’ve lost all fondness for LYX now. She called the island owner ‘Mr.’, subconsciously assuming that the owner must be a man—like rich people don’t have daughters? Or does she subconsciously think the possibility of women becoming rich is lower than that of men? This makes me a bit uncomfortable.]
[+1, yeah, that did make me quite uncomfortable. Also, I’m already bowing down to Sister Yao, your properties are seriously on another level…]
Xu Yao was making her final preparations, looking at herself in the mirror as she said slowly, “As far as I know, Miss Liu, neither you grand-uncle nor Grandma Cuilan are good swimmers, right? So are you sure they would enjoy going out to sea for a date?”
Liu Yingxia was left so speechless she couldn’t utter another word, “…”
[Speechless. I’m genuinely speechless. Liu Yingxia clearly just wanted to borrow a luxury yacht for herself and used her grand-uncle as an excuse—this is such a turn-off.]
[What wouldn’t Liu Yingxia do for fame? Back then she let Xu Yao take the blame to avoid losing fans over a relationship, and now she’s dragging along a grand-uncle she barely even knows onto a show. I’m done.]
[Told you—stanning Xu Yao the landlady won’t backfire, but stanning an entertainment industry actress will sooner or later. Liu Yingxia’s public persona is starting to crack.]
The livestream was in chaos, and the netizens were truly speechless at Liu Yingxia’s actions. While others went on a show to gain fans, she was actually losing them!
Liu Yingxia suddenly didn’t know what to say. This private island actually belonged to Xu Yao. It was as if she had discovered an invisible, insurmountable chasm between them. She planned to hang up the phone.
Just as she was about to press the end-call button, a voice suddenly came from the other end, “Yaoyao, you’re the star of today’s engagement banquet. Don’t be late.”
Xu Yao then decisively hung up the phone.
The netizens were immediately stirred into another frenzy. What did that last sentence mean? The star of the engagement banquet?
#XuYaoEngagement almost immediately became a trending topic on Weibo right after the call ended, skyrocketing to the top of the trending search list!
Rumour had it that numerous tycoons were all secretly arriving at the Lipana Islands today, with most ordinary people thinking it was just another casual gathering of the wealthy.
But the actual answer???
Xu Yao was getting engaged!
Xu Yao was holding an engagement banquet? Oh my god, what sort of breaking news is this?
Because there were no pictures to prove it, netizens began spontaneously digging for various details, checking the schedules of Xu Yao’s friends Qu Xi and Ming Chan for the past two days. In the end, they uncovered that they had both pushed aside work to take personal leave.
Director Zuo Ning?
Director Zuo Ning and Ran Lingfeng also took two days off for personal matters.
And the talented junior student Yan Xiang seemed to have taken leave from the company as well…
The more they dug, the scarier it became. They were all away for personal matters, and was it so coincidental that they all landed on this very day?
On the other side, Qu Xi looked at Xu Yao in confusion, not quite understanding why Xu Yao suddenly hung up the phone.
Xu Yao told Qu Xi it was nothing, smiling as she lifted her dress and walked out of the preparation room. She exchanged smiles with Ji Zhengqing, who had been waiting for her for a long time. She stepped forward and took the man’s arm, and the two walked out together.
They held the engagement banquet in the woods by the beach, surrounded by friends and family from both sides.
Engagements are not as complicated as weddings, and since Xu Yao had no close relatives except for her brother, it became even simpler. Xu Yao was formally introduced to Ji Zhengqing’s parents by him and also received a red envelope.
The border collie designated to deliver the engagement ring took a few steps but was unwilling to move, while the other husky treated the box containing the engagement ring as a toy ball, running around the banquet and causing everyone to laugh.
Xu Yao silently looked at Ji Zhengqing.
“Brother Zhengqing, future sister-in-law, the ring.” It was still Xie Zhengtian who rushed over to snatch the ring box from the husky’s mouth and handed it over.
As the two put on their engagement rings for each other, Xie Zhengtian immediately urged them to kiss, and the surrounding crowd erupted in friendly applause.
Xu Yao tilted her head slightly and had a clear view of the handsome man in front of her blushing red right down to his earlobes.
A kiss!
Exchanging a kiss to become the owner of an archipelago was quite a bargain.
Xu Yao’s mind raced with wild thoughts, but when Ji Zhengqing truly leaned in towards her lips, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened. She caught a faint scent of magnolia on him and felt his breath brush against her face, causing her to instinctively close her eyes.
He turned slightly and wrapped Xu Yao in his embrace, shielding her from view as his lips landed at the corner of her mouth. The perfect blend of ambiguity and the retreat he reserved for her intertwined wildly. Xu Yao’s curled eyelashes fluttered violently and she opened her eyes abruptly.
Ji Zhengqing’s lips moved to her ear, his gentle and polite voice sounding as if he was barely holding himself back, “This is already perfect, Yaoyao.”
Xu Yao grasped the hem of Ji Zhengqing’s shirt and caught a glimpse of the soft light illuminating his profile. Something in her heart seemed to flutter slightly.
She thought kissing was a necessary step, and had already accepted it before coming out, but Ji Zhengqing suddenly took a step back for her.
Xu Yao curled her lips and nodded at him.
“Hello, fiancé.”
From today on, he was truly her fiancé.
Ji Zhengqing smiled and called her, “Fiancée.”
“A drone has been captured.” A member of the security team reported immediately after bringing it down, promptly informing Lu Ye.
Lu Ye’s eyes sharpened in an instant as he stepped out of the engagement banquet, whispering, “How could there be a drone?”
The head of the security team was quite intimidated by Lu Ye’s imposing presence, lowering his head and saying, “Miss Xu Yao mentioned earlier that the production team might use drones to film the scenery on the islands these few days, so we were told not to worry.”
But they hadn’t expected the drone to be so reckless and fly so close just now!
Lu Ye frowned slightly. Although Director Zhao wasn’t the most capable, he certainly understood the rules well. The arrangement for the drones should have been solely for filming scenery, making it unlikely for it to approach recklessly. It must have been done by some of the other younger guests.
Liu Yingxia’s drone was shot down, but it didn’t prevent them from seeing what they saw before the footage disappeared. Although the footage filmed was very distant and even quite blurry, it was clear that it was Xu Yao.
Amidst the crowd, Xu Yao appeared in a gorgeous gown, where she was being embraced and kissed by a tall man in a suit.
It really was Xu Yao!
[I’m completely heartbroken, I want to jump into the river. My beloved landlady is engaged! Which dog of a man stole my wife?!]
[That guy must be pretty decent, right? He looks handsome at first glance—just not sure if he’s a kept pretty boy.]
[Suspecting he’s a kept boytoy +1. Maybe Xu Yao is keeping the engagement secret to protect him—after all, she’s insanely rich now, a landlady who even owns private islands!]
[If Sister Yao wants a pretty boy, I can do it too—I’m versatile, can act cool or cute, and I’ve got a six-pack.]
[I don’t know about anything else, but Liu Yingxia is definitely screwed. The production crew’s drone was filming scenery, and she actually got close to the island where Xu Yao was getting engaged. So annoying. Hope she doesn’t drag Grandpa Cui down with her.]
[+1, if Liu Yingxia wants to self-destruct, fine, but don’t involve Grandpa Cui. My lifelong wish is for the Double Cui ship to get married—I’m just waiting for Grandpa Cui’s island proposal!]
[Am I the only one who’s curious? In weather this hot, isn’t it unbearable to hold an engagement ceremony outdoors? Won’t Yaoyao’s makeup melt? Just curious.]
[Replying to the above: there are air conditioners you can install outdoors now. Yep, you heard that right—outdoor AC units.]
Isn’t the weather very hot right now? It’s so dry it could even catch fire at any moment.
But the rich are different. They can install air conditioning units outdoors, keeping the surrounding temperature around 24°.
Countless netizens were stunned by this news. Is this the world of a wealthy landlady?
Holding the perfect engagement banquet on the beach outdoors is one thing, but installing air conditioning outdoors to cool it down is really something else!
#XuYaoEngagement shot straight to the top of the trending searches, with countless netizens heartbroken, furiously cursing the man who secretly got engaged to Xu Yao as a kept pretty boy living off her.
Rumour had it that the island where the engagement banquet is held now belongs to Xu Yao. The entire archipelago belongs to Xu Yao!
A proper man getting married and holding an engagement banquet would, in any case, fund it himself, right?
This pretty boy is really something, holding the banquet on Xu Yao’s island, and contributing nothing but his presence? No matter how handsome he is, he’s still just a pretty boy that everyone hates.
*
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
There were also concerns that Liu Yingxia’s reckless actions would implicate Grandpa Cui Guoqiang. Liu Yingxia’s impulsive move led her to a dark fate, leaving countless former fans in awe, even expressing their inability to accept the turn from support to disdain.
When Liu Yingxia heard that she had been livestreaming, she felt her vision go dark.
Xu Yao had become popular again because of the mysterious Lipana Islands, where she owned an island and generously rented it to the production crew for filming.
When an ordinary person secretly got engaged, it went viral, directly jumping to the top of the trending searches, but as for her? She’s doomed.
Liu Yingxia was in a complete panic, her mind blanking. After hearing that last sentence before the call was disconnected, she could only think of one thing—she had to see if it was true.
Is Xu Yao the owner of the island? Did Xu Yao really get engaged on the island, with countless big shots coming to congratulate her?
It was true—Xu Yao, this landlady, had extended her rental range to such an exaggerated extent as owning an island!
Now, as Liu Yingxia watched her followers on Weibo plummet, losing hundreds in a second, her heart ached to the extreme.
Losing followers was one thing, but the drone being shot down indicated that the security there was already aware of her infringement. Xu Yao had an elite legal team that was practically invincible. Attorney Pan and Attorney Yao were at a terrifying level, capable of even taking on two listed companies and winning.
What should she do now?
Liu Yingxia’s mind was racing, and the only thought she could come up with was her grand-uncle, Cui Guoqiang.
Yes, Cui Guoqiang was Xu Yao’s tenant, and Xu Yao invested in the show, Hand in Hand in Our Later Years to support Cui Guoqiang.
As long as she could get her grand-uncle’s help, perhaps things could still turn around.
Liu Yingxia’s long hair was blown into disarray by the sea breeze, but she was in no mood to tidy it up. She immediately dialed her grand-uncle Cui Guoqiang’s old mobile phone.
“Grand-uncle, have you come to the island yet?”
Cui Guoqiang looked at the old lady beside him, who was wearing a fashionable straw hat and smiling joyfully. He grinned, showing his teeth, and said, “Not yet, but we’ll be getting ready to come soon.”
They had already arrived in the city for the trip to the island, and were just waiting to set sail.
Cui Guoqiang was extremely excited. He had already thought about what he wanted to say to Zhou Cuilan on the island, words he had delayed saying for decades. He had never considered finding a partner before, but now, he really wanted to ask Zhou Cuilan if she could be his partner for life.
They couldn’t stay together in their youth, but they had the chance to hold hands in their old age. It was fate that allowed them to leave without any regrets.
Cui Guoqiang had many things he wanted to do on the island. Although he was just a clueless old man who didn’t understand romance, he could still try to be romantic.
After all, he had learned quickly, even when he first held a machine gun!
This was just a small seaside town, but it was considered a tourist destination because of its close access to the sea and the beautiful views.
This area included both the mountains and the sea, with a densely forested mountain situated behind the town.
Liu Yingxia couldn’t help but say, “Then you should come over sooner, Grand-uncle.”
At that moment, the weather was unbearably hot. Cui Guoqiang felt sorry for Cuilan being exposed to the sun, so he decided to go to the island with the production team later on in the day and ended the call with Liu Yingxia.
Cui Guoqiang felt like a young boy again, and after a long mental preparation, he called out loudly to Zhou Cuilan, “Comrade Zhou Cuilan, would you like to go on a… a date with me to the island?”
Grandma Cuilan’s face also turned red with embarrassment.
Before she could respond, someone shouted, “Emergency, emergency! A wildfire has broken out!”
Everyone around them was startled as they saw someone run frantically from a distance, shouting about a wildfire.
Recently, the weather has been dry as bone, with temperatures reaching a terrifyingly high level. Only a spark was needed to ignite a fire in the forest.
“I heard someone was smoking on the mountain and carelessly threw away their cigarette butt. Why do these damned people throw their cigarette butts around like that?”
An experienced elder ran by, saying, “The weather is just too hot. It was only a matter of time before a wildfire broke out.”
Cui Guoqiang stared at the distant mountain, and even his cloudy eyes could see the terrifying flames rising from the mountain, the choking smoke billowing into the sky.
Someone from the production team reacted quickly and shouted, “Quick, call the fire department! The fire is too big!”
With the scorching heat and not a drop of rain from heaven, the fire spread rapidly in the mountains. This urgent news overshadowed the engagement announcement of Xu Yao, becoming the new top trending topic, with countless netizens expressing concern for the local residents.
Cui Guoqiang heard them say, “We need to arrange for the tourists in the scenic area to evacuate, with the residents of the town at the foot of the mountain also evacuating.”
Even though they were still far away, it felt as if the flames were rushing towards them, their skin burning uncomfortably, as if it were being roasted over a fire.
Cui Guoqiang watched as many people quickly retreated with the help of the officials. Some children lost their shoes in their haste and cried out in pain as their bare feet touched the scorching pavement.
Men were helping women carry bags and flee in the opposite direction, with women crying in despair, “My house! I just renovated my house last year!”
It was chaotic, and the scene was extremely disordered.
Some were fleeing for their lives, while others were moving against the wind.
What was more important—going on a date to the island or saving those lives? Cui Guoqiang could make that choice in an instant.
He was a soldier!
Even if he was just a retired veteran!
He might not have the strength of his youth, but saving one person was still saving another life.
Cui Guoqiang looked at those moving against the tide, his sense of honor and shame overwhelming him. When he made his decision, he turned to look at Zhou Cuilan, but couldn’t find the words to speak.
This scene was so reminiscent of what happened decades ago when he had told Cuilan to wait for him by the locust tree. But she waited all night but never saw him return.
Grandma Cuilan looked at Cui Guoqiang with a gentle smile and took the initiative to ask, “Didn’t you ask me before if I’d be willing to go on an island date with you?”
She continued, “Old man, I’m not willing to go now.”
Cui Guoqiang’s eyes instantly reddened. Staring at the flames filling the sky, only one thought remained in his mind—
The people’s interests must always come above all else.
please support the author on JJWXC if possible!
(๑>ᴗ<๑)
any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈
