native
er and said, "If you're afraid, just wait here, I'll go take a look."I nodded, and he quickly left. I heard him talking to someone, and my heart relaxed slightly.Suddenly, someone patted me on the sho...From the tone of Lin Yanhuan's voice, he knew about this matter very well and didn't shy away from it.
My hanging heart eased slightly—it was good that he hadn't taken a secretive attitude towards me, otherwise I would have lost trust in everyone in the imperial capital.
My cultivation is shallow, I couldn't help but curl my lip, and he saw through me.
Lin Yanhuan asked in puzzlement, “What did I say that made you happy”
I coughed and quickly regained my composure. "No, no... I just have some feelings. I was worried at first that you would hide it from me."
"What are you hiding"
I told him everything that happened, straight up. Then I skipped over the middle parts — he wasn't really interested in all that spooky stuff anyway. I just let him know my suspicions.
“There seemed to be a tough game going on there, one we couldn't win in one go, and it even alerted the patrol officers, so we had to make a quick escape.”
"I...now suspect two things: first, that your aunt is hiding something from us; second, that the situation there was deliberately concealed by people from both the yang and yin realms."
Therefore, that business center always existed in a lukewarm state, occasionally experiencing unexpected incidents, which ultimately ended up being swept under the rug. Both the human world and the underworld suppressed this matter.
"And I think the ghosts and officials here are so impressive. Even a small ghost official acts like he's following orders but secretly doesn't, I think they seem too bold."
Lin Yanhuan, hearing this, couldn't help but interrupt me: "You said these little ghosts, don't they acknowledge your identity What about your husband Do you care"
“Um... he's not here right now, and the Underworld is so vast, it's impossible for him to oversee everything personally. I think someone is using their power to cover up a lot of things.” I answered him truthfully.
Lin Yan nodded thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Xiao Qiao, what you're saying about this hypocrisy, or not fearing an 'outsider' like you, is the norm here... Many people here are like that. They've grown accustomed to living under the Emperor's feet, feeling that nothing can shake this place."
"As for your aunt's property... I happen to know a bit about it. Would you like to hear"
I nodded eagerly, of course wanting to hear.
He smiled and glanced at his watch: "Let's grab some lunch. I have time to tell you everything."
I don't think it's appropriate to eat with him, but it's almost lunchtime and he needs to eat normally too.
Then, after some hesitation, she nodded and let him lead her to a discreet yet very upscale Chinese restaurant.
There are many places like this in the capital, unassuming on the outside but with hidden depths. Moreover, the bosses' backgrounds and connections are quite complex.
Throughout the entire meal, I only saw one waitress in a cheongsam. There were no other patrons. We dined on a small mezzanine level overlooking an artificial landscape with hills and ponds.
"...Such a place, still called having a quick meal" I muttered sarcastically.
Lin Yanhuan ordered in a low voice. The waiter, with a very gentle attitude, answered softly and recorded each dish using the order pad.
Finally, she smiled at Lin Yan and said: "Honored guest, I'll be standing by the corridor entrance. Please ring the bell if you need anything."
After saying this, he respectfully withdrew.
Lin Yanhuan smirked at me. "See, girls from the south are just so soft."
I wasn't quite satisfied with that, so I retorted, "With your status and position, women all over the world would fawn over you. It has nothing to do with regional customs."
He chuckled softly: “There’s some truth to that, but why aren't you as pliable with me It's harder to get you to eat than it is to get those industry bigwigs.”
"I..."
He waved his hand, signaling me not to "defend" myself.
"You're a peculiar woman, not to be judged by ordinary standards...I understand." He smiled. "About your aunt, what would you like to know"
"What I want to know is mainly about her personality, her way of doing things, and anything about that business center."
Lin Yan nodded and started talking to me while reminiscing.
The window was closed, we could see the scenery of the courtyard, but people outside couldn't see us. And where Lin Yanhuan and I were sitting, there was a clever angle—able to avoid bullets coming through the window.
Such a place... what is it for people Coming to the capital city to experience its customs and traditions for not long, but I have learned quite a few things.
I'm such a country bumpkin, so clueless.
Aunt Lin is in her forties, and she's a very successful woman. She's the chairperson of a real estate company, vice president of an industry association, and president of a charity foundation. Her husband is also quite accomplished, but his family focuses on developing high-end real estate overseas, so they mostly handle their own affairs.
Since last year, the spotlight has been on Lin Yanhuan due to his father's prominent position, with the world watching this future leader. Consequently, everyone in the Lin family involved in business and finance has immediately shifted to behind-the-scenes operations.
They are the actual ones in power, but their names and positions can't be found on the surface.
"This commercial center has been around for ten years, you know what its nickname is" Lin Yanhuan smiled and said, "It's called 'Somecorp Corpse Yard'."
"Exactly! I noticed it yesterday, the 'guang' character in that messy square sign, it looks just like a corpse!"
He smiled and said, "Yan Qin said that you emphasized the power of words. Do you think this title, spreading among the general public, counts as a kind of curse Many people who want to commit suicide even come here specifically."
"Why not just change that word" I asked, frowning.
He shook his head and said, "The person who inscribed the calligraphy back then was an official, now he's a minister in a certain department. Changing it would make people think he's about to be removed from office, affecting his career."
I... I can only sigh helplessly, it's so complicated.
As far as I know, that piece of land was once being developed by a Hong Kong developer. Hong Kong people are very particular about feng shui, and at the time they hired a master to take a look. He said that they needed to flatten a small hill on the north side and build a sculpture of a soaring dragon...
He chuckled softly: "How is that possible In this imperial capital, to want to build a Tenglong statue Take a good look at this vast city, how many people dare They only dare to build a few abstract sculptures like mud loaches."
“The idea was rejected, and after that the project encountered difficulties. That Hong Kong family had a death at home, he was superstitious and resolutely refused to do this project anymore. That's when my aunt took over…”
"After she took over, she also invited people to take a look, supposedly even a Taiwanese master I think these people are not reliable. This master said to build a lucky phoenix image as a symbol, which doesn't really pose any political problems, right You saw the phoenix sculpture, didn't you" he asked me.
I nodded. "I didn't look closely, but there was a similar sculpture! Phoenixes can't be used indiscriminately! Buddhism has the meanings of nirvana and enlightenment. If it were something bad underneath—" inaudible voice calling.The clear voice, like drops of spring water seeping into the soil, nourishes the heart drop by drop.At times like these, he could whisper my name as a love song, and I often f...