Chapter 25: A Second Serendipitous Encounter

Miss Cheng is not in the capital today and won’t be able to return until tomorrow morning at the earliest, so Li Jingyi scheduled their meeting for the afternoon. Originally, Xia Banxia wanted her younger brother to host a dinner tonight—something she had promised her two close friends—but unfortunately, the company had to work overtime, so they’d have to arrange another time.

With nothing pressing in the morning, Xiao Yao decided to drive around by himself, only returning just before noon. He parked his car at the entrance and called Old Zhao, asking him to come out and drive the car back to the garage.

Just as he stepped out, he caught sight of a young woman with a striking figure poking around in front of his house, evidently up to something. He had only taken a few steps when the young woman turned around and began walking away, speaking into her phone as she went.

Upon seeing her face clearly, Xiao Yao couldn’t help but smile. Fate truly has its mysterious ways—this young woman was none other than Sang Qingye, the fishing streamer he’d met only a few days earlier.

Sang Qingye’s attention was fully absorbed by her phone screen as she walked, live streaming, “From the outside, this courtyard seems quite large. Unfortunately, I don’t know the owner, so I can’t go in—just taking a few shots from outside.”

She glanced at the comments, complaining, “Someone suggested I seduce the male owner. I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself—say something nice to cheer me up, or I’ll make sure everyone gangs up on you.”

No sooner had she finished than her comments were flooded.

“Luxury car!”

“Luxury car ahead!”

“Bugatti Veyron! Capital city never disappoints—wealth everywhere!”

“Hunk, look, it’s a hunk!”

“Luxury cars are common, but good-looking guys aren’t—film the hunk!”

“He’s so handsome and has such presence!”

“He looks kind of familiar…”

Sang Qingye also felt that the handsome guy appearing on her camera looked somewhat familiar, but with the distance, the image wasn’t quite clear. She raised her head for a better look, and Xiao Yao’s smiling, charming face appeared in her view.

“Big streamer, is there anywhere I won’t bump into you?” Xiao Yao greeted her cheerfully.

“Master Xiao, what are you doing here? Is that Bugatti Veyron yours?” Sang Qingye asked in surprise.

Master Xiao had left such a deep impression on her—clearly wealthy, yet running a small restaurant. And now, just a couple of days later, she couldn’t forget him even if she tried.

“This is my home. Is it strange to see me here? But you, poking around my gate, makes me wonder if you’ve been following me.” The pure-faced fishing streamer had left him with quite an impression, and seeing her here delighted him. He joked casually.

“This huge courtyard is actually your house? You really are a tycoon!” Sang Qingye felt it was such a coincidence—wandering around the city, filming courtyards, and ending up at Master Xiao’s door.

“Since you’re at the gate, would you like to come in for tea?” Xiao Yao invited.

“Could I stream from your courtyard for my viewers?” Sang Qingye asked, eyes wide with hope.

But Xiao Yao refused without hesitation, “Streaming inside isn’t possible—it’s a private residence, far too much exposure.”

Seeing Sang Qingye’s disappointed expression, he added, “But you can take a few photos of the courtyard and post them.”

“That works, that works! I just want to capture the overall architectural style, nothing private,” Sang Qingye replied, delighted at his permission.

“Alright then, but just to be clear—once you’re inside, you’ll have to end the stream,” Xiao Yao reminded her again.

Sang Qingye nodded enthusiastically, “No problem, no problem! But you’ll have to wait a bit—lots of viewers want me to film your Bugatti Veyron. That’s okay, right?”

Xiao Yao shrugged, “Filming the car is fine. Take your time, I’ll wait.”

As Sang Qingye filmed the Bugatti Veyron from every angle, she asked, “Which version is this? I don’t know much about cars, so don’t laugh at me.”

“This is the Hermès special edition. Most women don’t know much about cars—it’s perfectly normal, nothing to laugh about,” Xiao Yao replied considerately.

Sang Qingye had been about to ask how much it cost, but before she could, her viewers’ comments flooded in with the answer.

Learning that the car’s price exceeded forty million, Sang Qingye was silently astonished.

To her, a car costing so much was absurd, far beyond her imagination. Last time, Master Xiao was driving a Mercedes worth over two million—she’d already thought that was extravagant. But now, his ride had upgraded to a Bugatti Veyron worth over forty million. The speed of this upgrade was staggering.

After filming from every angle, Sang Qingye addressed the camera, “The owner has graciously allowed me to visit, but won’t permit streaming inside the courtyard, so I’ll be closing the stream for now.”

Her viewers’ comments erupted in protest, but Sang Qingye continued, “Though I can’t stream inside, I am allowed to take some photos. Once I finish my tour, I’ll upload them here. With such a grand courtyard, I’m sure everyone’s curious about its architecture. Please be patient—I promise the photos won’t disappoint.”

With that, she ended the stream.

Led by Xiao Yao, Sang Qingye entered the courtyard and felt her eyes weren’t enough to take in everything—everywhere she looked was new and fascinating.

She lingered in the first courtyard, circling slowly, only moving on to the second after Xiao Yao urged her several times.

As soon as they stepped through the carved flower gate, Sang Qingye couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder. It wasn’t her lack of experience—the second courtyard’s design was simply stunning.

She felt as if she’d stepped into a southern garden. The courtyard was enormous, with rockeries, ponds, arched bridges, and pavilions—every detail was beautiful.

With lush greenery everywhere, even the air felt fresher. In the midst of the bustling city, such a tranquil retreat made one forget the noise and splendor of the outside world. This transformation and experience struck Sang Qingye deeply.

“I’ve never seen such a beautiful garden. Can I take more photos?” she asked, excitement brimming in her voice.

“As long as it’s not indoors, you can take as many courtyard photos as you like,” Xiao Yao replied generously.