Chapter 123: Fan Jingqiang and Chen Taohua

At 5:00 p.m., Lin Jian called Jiang Xue. The reason he hadn’t called her these past few days was because he owed her five million. But now that his money was back and he had paid off the debt on her bank card, he finally reached out.

The phone rang several times with no answer. Lin Jian wasn’t in a hurry. Just as he tossed his phone aside and was about to drive home, Jiang Xue called back!

"What is it?" Jiang Xue’s lazy voice came through as soon as the call connected.

"Where are you? I’m returning your bank card," Lin Jian said directly.

"Keep it for now. I’m not in a rush to get it back," Jiang Xue yawned. "I just fell asleep, and you woke me up. So annoying!"

"Lady, what time is it? You’re already sleeping?" Lin Jian said, speechless.

"I’m taking my afternoon nap. What time is it back home?" Jiang Xue asked suddenly.

"You’re not in the country?" Lin Jian asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I accompanied my mom to the Maldives."

Lin Jian was left speechless. Looking at her lifestyle, her only daily worry was probably how to spend her money, right?

"Call me when you get back, then," Lin Jian said, hanging up the phone.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Xue muttered a curse about him being a pervert, mumbled a few more words, and fell back asleep on her bed.

Meanwhile, just as Lin Jian was contemplating whether he should book a flight right now, his phone rang again. This time, the caller ID showed: Chen Taohua!

Seeing her name, Chen Taohua’s enchanting figure immediately surfaced in his mind. Naturally, he answered the call.

"Lin Jian, do you still remember me?" Chen Taohua asked with a smile.

"Hello, Taohua. Of course I remember!" In Lin Jian’s impression, although this woman was incredibly charming, she inherently carried an aura of deadly ruthlessness, and her IQ was exceptionally high. While he didn’t know her exact background, she was definitely not a simple character.

"Well, when do you have time? Fan has been discharged from the hospital and wants to schedule a time to meet you."

"A meeting? How about tonight? I haven’t had dinner yet, so you guys can treat me to a meal!" Lin Jian had saved Chen Taohua’s husband’s life, so having them buy him a meal was nothing.

"Where are you? I’ll send a car to pick you up." Evidently, Chen Taohua had already prepared a dinner party.

"Just tell me the location. I was just wondering where to eat tonight, and now it’s sorted."

"Just navigate to No. 6 Green Bamboo Garden."

"Alright." Lin Jian hung up and entered the location.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Jian surprisingly arrived at a quiet alleyway in the bustling downtown area of Jiang City. His phone indicated that this was No. 6 Green Bamboo Garden! He looked around. There was a parking lot ahead, and on the right was a tall blue-brick wall covered in ivy. Deeper in the alley was a single large gate. It seemed this wasn’t a restaurant, but a private residence!

Just then, while Lin Jian was feeling perplexed, the large gate opened! Chen Taohua, wearing a cheongsam and holding an umbrella, walked step by step toward the alley entrance in her high heels. She had a perfect hourglass figure and a graceful, swaying gait. The woman possessed an innate elegance and poise. If Ye Ziqiu was a mature, boss-lady type of beauty, then Chen Taohua was the absolute standard of a gorgeous young matron. Although she was significantly older than Ye Ziqiu, a woman like her seemed even more lethal to men.

Lin Jian drove his car to the parking lot ahead, then got out and walked toward the alley. Chen Taohua spotted him from a distance and quickly waved. "Lin Jian, over here!"

A light rain was falling outside. Although it wasn’t heavy, one would still get soaked after standing in it for too long. Lin Jian jogged a few steps to Chen Taohua’s side. "Taohua, what is this place?"

"This is my home. If we’re treating you to a meal, of course we’re doing it at home!"

"Your home?" Lin Jian was a little bewildered. This was the downtown area, the most prosperous district in the city. Saying that land here was worth its weight in gold would be an understatement. Yet this solitary little alley and massive courtyard were actually her home?

"Yes, Fan bought this plot of land a long time ago. We couldn’t bear to develop it, so we just tidied up the courtyard. He and I occasionally come here for a short stay. It’s very spacious inside!" As they spoke, the two of them walked into the courtyard.

The small courtyard felt entirely out of place amidst the high-rise buildings outside. It was brimming with life—ivy, grapevines, dense green bamboo, and a cobblestone koi pond. Astonishingly, right in the middle of the pond sat a massive slab of jade, nearly two meters square! At a glance, Lin Jian could tell it was one complete, solid block of jade. It might not have been the supreme ’Imperial Green’ quality, but that particular shade of green was undoubtedly far from cheap. Just this single stone alone probably cost hundreds of millions! Lin Jian was completely floored by the sheer luxury of the place.

"Is he here? Is he here?" a man wearing an apron asked, walking out of the kitchen and looking at Lin Jian. "Haha, what a striking young man! You’re really handsome!"

Fan Jingqiang wiped his hands on his apron and immediately grasped Lin Jian’s hands.

"Lin Jian, I owe you my life! I really owe you my life. I’ve been thinking about this for the past two weeks. If it weren’t for you, my life would have been completely over.

"Please, take a seat." Fan Jingqiang was genuinely thrilled, shaking his hand vigorously.

He looked to be around forty-seven or forty-eight, definitely under fifty. A typical middle-aged man. He wasn’t fat and looked quite energetic, but time spared no one. No matter how well he dressed, his age was evident. Chen Taohua, on the other hand, was just a little over thirty, with delicate features, apricot-shaped eyes, and bright red lips.

"Old Fan, is the food ready?" Chen Taohua asked.

"Yes, it’s ready. Tell them to bring the dishes out."

Inside the courtyard, it wasn’t just the couple. There were also a few women who looked like waitstaff, two chefs, and a man and a woman reading indoors!

When Lin Jian swept the area with his Thought, he discovered that the man and woman reading indoors were far from simple! The man was under thirty, and the woman was around twenty. Furthermore, both of them possessed Inner Power Cultivation. That’s right. Astonishingly, this man and woman had Inner Power Cultivation no weaker than that of Young Master Chu, whom he had recently killed!

Lin Jian was incredibly shocked. What exactly did Chen Taohua and Fan Jingqiang do? Or rather, what were their true identities? Why would they have such experts by their side? And while the couple was hosting a guest in the courtyard, those two experts were relegated to reading indoors?

"Fan, let’s have everyone else come over and eat together. There’s so much food!" Lin Jian suggested, testing the waters.

Before Fan Jingqiang could speak, Chen Taohua smiled. "They’ve already eaten. Lin Jian, try this matsutake mushroom and this black caviar. They’re very fresh."

"Fan, Taohua, there’s no need to stand on ceremony with me, right?" Lin Jian really didn’t hold back, picking up the food with his chopsticks and digging in!

Seeing Lin Jian eating so heartily, Fan Jingqiang was overjoyed. Chen Taohua also gave a gentle smile and said, "That’s right. From now on, we’re a family, and family members don’t treat each other like strangers."