Chapter 218

Chapter 218: You Call This A Win-Win?

His wife and child had already slipped away, and Du De Sheng’s face visibly darkened. He had no patience left for this useless friend of his precious granddaughter.

“Say what you have to say.”

Xi Jing Yue took a deep breath and spoke straight to the point: “You must already know what happened at the auction tonight from all kinds of channels, especially from those relatives of yours. And you should also know why An An was willing to pay any price to win those two pieces of land.”

Du De Sheng froze. He frowned and stared at Xi Jing Yue for a long time: “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Didn’t An An bid on those two plots of land just on a whim?”

Xi Jing Yue smiled: “You don’t need to be so guarded against me, and you don’t have to test me in such a roundabout way because you’re afraid I’m trying to trick you. To be honest, some things that you can hear, I can hear too.”

These words were like tearing off the cloth everyone had worked so hard to keep in place. This time, Du De Sheng was truly shocked.

“You… How is that possible? You’re clearly not even…”

“It is surprising, but it’s the truth.”

The moment Du Bi Xiao appeared, Xi Jing Yue had already more or less guessed why she was lurking nearby.

He had been worrying about how to persuade Du De Sheng to cooperate with him. Her appearance gave him confidence, which was why he had the courage to be so honest now.

“Since when did you…”

“From the first time I met her.”

Du De Sheng looked shocked again: “Then last time…”

Xi Jing Yue nodded: “I knew she took you there on purpose to save Old Madam.”

Hearing this, even if he didn’t want to believe it, Du De Sheng had no choice. His eyes turned sharp, and the look he gave Xi Jing Yue became colder.

“Kid, aren’t you afraid I’ll get rid of you to keep this secret?”

“You won’t. Anyone who can earn An An’s trust and hear what she is thinking inside is not a bad person. And…” Xi Jing Yue looked up at the old man, as if he already had the situation under control. “You also wouldn’t do anything that might make her sad.”

“Then you’re underestimating this old man. I can do anything to protect the people I care about.” Du De Sheng snorted coldly, scowling. “But you were right about one thing. When people get old, they get softhearted. They can’t bear to do things that will hurt their juniors.”

This “junior” clearly referred to only one person.

Xi Jing Yue just smiled and did not expose him.

“You’ve talked so much and even spilled this secret. What do you actually want to discuss with me?”

“It’s about the two plots of land An An won tonight. An An doesn’t understand all the twists and turns hidden in this, but you know very well what kind of hot potatoes they are. After tonight, everyone will know that she suppressed several old families in City B and took the land at South District Lakeside. That also means that starting tomorrow, she will become an easy target in everyone’s eyes.”

“So what?” Du De Sheng slammed his cane hard on the floor. “I don’t believe that in this City B there is anyone I, Du De Sheng, can’t protect!”

“I believe what you said. But you can protect her for a while, can you protect her for a lifetime? An An said that after she attends your wedding, she’ll leave City B and go back to her hometown. No matter how capable you are, heaven is high and the emperor is far away. I’m afraid your reach won’t extend all the way to her home.”

What Xi Jing Yue said was unpleasant, but it was the truth.

Even if, to take a huge step back, those rats in the gutter didn’t dare touch the child while he was still alive, who could say they wouldn’t settle the score after he was gone?

Du De Sheng had never dared bet the people and things most important to him on human kindness. Xi Jing Yue’s words hit his soft spot and made his face look even uglier.

“Then what do you think we should do?”

“The best way is to set up another target and weaken An An’s presence in this matter.”

Du De Sheng’s eyes flickered, but he kept a calm face.

“Then who do you think is fit to be that target?”

“Me.”

“You?” Du De Sheng was stunned, then gave a cold laugh. “So that’s what you’re planning. You want An An to hand those two plots over to you for nothing so you can pick up a bargain?”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He slapped the table hard and jabbed a finger at Xi Jing Yue’s nose, cursing: “Brat Xi, your appetite is too big. Aren’t you afraid you’ll choke to death from swallowing too much at once?”

Facing Du De Sheng’s fury, Xi Jing Yue did not panic at all.

“You’re misunderstanding. I have no intention of taking advantage of her while she’s in trouble.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Before I came back, I already talked it over with her. We’ll work together. She provides the land, I handle the development. After it’s built, we’ll split the profits forty to sixty. I take four, she takes six.”

Even though Du De Sheng had moved through many circles for decades and thought he had seen all kinds of strange people, he was left speechless by this sudden move from Xi Jing Yue.

“…What are you after?”

“I’m after your connections, the chance for the Xi family to quickly get a foothold in City B, and the future development of that South District land that could help the Xi family rise to the next level.”

Xi Jing Yue was so open about it that it became hard for Du De Sheng to make things difficult for him.

“Hmph. Even so, this split is ridiculous. Young people, this is not how you do business.”

“You’re right, this is not how people normally do business. But between friends, it can be like this. And it is true that this will help the Xi family quickly blend into City B. Strictly speaking, it’s a win-win for both of us.”

“…” In his heart, Du De Sheng thought: [You call this a win-win? Keep making things up. Let’s see if I believe you.]

Xi Jing Yue also knew that such high-sounding words would never convince Du De Sheng that easily. He smiled and added honestly: “Of course, the most important reason is still her.”

Du De Sheng’s expression changed slightly: “So you really…”

“That girl is sometimes very smart and sometimes very silly. Do you really think you’ve hidden everything from her perfectly? Of course not. In the end, it’s only because she likes you and is willing to trust you. Even if she has doubts, she is willing to fool herself for the sake of that love.”

Du De Sheng was silent for a while and then asked in a hoarse voice: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“She has her own opinions, but she is also very simple. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she should want. She can give everything for someone she likes without asking for anything in return. She will also rack her brains to change the future of an ordinary person if she cannot stand seeing them bear a tragic fate they shouldn’t have. That kindness and that pure, one sided favor are charming. They make people want to do something to repay her without even noticing it.”

As he spoke, Xi Jing Yue looked up at Du De Sheng again. There was a lively light in his calm eyes: “Forget about others. Even you, after only seeing her a few times, have already started to favor her without realizing it, haven’t you?”