Saying one thing but doing another behind the scenes?

In truth, Jiangbei's calling Hu Yao "Auntie" wasn't too out of line. After all, Hu Yao looked quite young, but her actual age stretched into centuries. So, not addressing her as "Granny" was already rather polite. Of course, Jiangbei didn't know Hu Yao's real age; the "Auntie" simply slipped out. Now, after Yang Xue stepped on his foot, Jiangbei had no objections, apologized awkwardly, and fell silent.

They walked around Villa 15, Villa 16, and Villa 21. Without much suspense, Jiangbei chose Villas 15 and 16, the two neighboring homes. Once the decision was made, Hu Yao immediately smiled and made a call, summoning the previous owners of the two villas to finalize the transaction.

Half an hour later, Jiangbei pulled out his black card, paid, and signed the contract. Hu Yao assured him that all further paperwork—transfers, fees, whatever needed handling—could be managed entirely by the property company. "Provided you don't mind, Mr. Jiang," she said with a courteous smile.

Jiangbei was naturally unconcerned and replied, "Then it's all in your capable hands, Sister Hu. So we can enter the house now, right?"

"Yes, both villas are yours now."

"Good, then we'll head inside. See you later."

Leaving the property office, Yang Xue took the keys Jiangbei handed her and stared at them, her mind buzzing. "Just like that, we bought two villas?" she murmured. "Jiangbei, you just spent 1.7 billion..."

It felt unreal to Yang Xue, as if she were dreaming. She couldn't quite accept it. How could this scoundrel beside her so easily become a billionaire? Her thoughts wandered—what if she too had a wealthy benefactor who gave her fifty billion and told her, "Build whatever you like"? How wonderful that would be.

--------------------------

All the original furnishings in Villas 15 and 16 had been cleared out by the property management three days prior. Yesterday, they sent a cleaning crew—scrubbing, wiping, sweeping every corner.

Now, before Jiangbei and Yang Xue stood two solid, empty houses from top to bottom. The luxurious decor remained, of course; time had been too short to strip it all, though Wang Fu had wanted to tear it out and start anew. Still, the current interiors were quite nice and didn't look dated. Jiangbei had taken a look and was satisfied.

As for Yang Xue, she put it simply: "I'm just a tenant, paying a thousand a month to live in a villa worth over eight hundred million. I'm content."

"In that case, we've got a busy day—need to buy furniture and appliances. Let's go."

Hu Yao had previously recommended a store selling high-end furnishings. With the new semester just days away, Jiangbei didn't delay. He got in the car with Yang Xue, and together they quickly left Taohuayuan Villas.

Once they were gone, as planned, the community's elite—Ha Xiaoming, Mao Xiaobai, Gu Mimi, Wang Fu, and others—finally emerged from their homes, unable to wait any longer.

They were all aware of Yang Xue's presence, so her arrival wasn't a shock. Still, surprise lingered; except for Wang Fu, Fox Nine Lady, Dracula, and the others had strictly abided by the rules for the past nineteen years, never approaching Jiangbei or Fang Yuan.

In other words, it had been nineteen years since they'd seen Jiangbei up close. Fox Nine Lady couldn't help but flutter her seductive eyes. As a nine-tailed fox, she was unrivaled in enchantment. With just a glance, her allure was almost overwhelming.

"At this age, Jiangbei is so fresh and youthful... I just want to devour him," she said, her eyes twinkling.

Wang Fu and the others: "..."

"Ahem!" Wang Fu interjected. "Fox Nine Lady, keep those words behind closed doors. Never say them in public—especially when Fang Yuan arrives. If something happens to you, none of us can help."

Fox Nine Lady fluttered her eyes again. "Ah Fu, do you think I'm that foolish? Relax." She added, "But honestly," Cat King chimed in, "Jiangbei looks far more interesting in this form than before."

Afraid of misunderstanding, Cat King quickly clarified, "He was fine before, just more... aimless. Now, he seems livelier."

"Really?" The Elf King seemed uncertain. "He looks about the same to me."

"No, you're mistaken. He's definitely changed..." said Dracula. "Think about it—did he have a human girl by his side before?"

The group paused.

Yes, what was the story with this human girl? Was it simply because they'd grown up together? Or was there some other, as yet undetected, reason?

"Ah Fu," Zombie King spoke up, "If I recall correctly, before the game began, Jiangbei and Fang Yuan spent half a year searching for her, right?"

Wang Fu nodded.

"Then Jiangbei must have been confident he could win this game, yes?"

Wang Fu nodded again.

"In that case, this girl, Yang Xue, probably isn't just someone he grew up with."

"....."

--------------------------

Though Wang Fu and the others might seem idle, they weren't exactly free. Yet, truly busy they were not; their corporations had been running for years, staffed with countless employees who kept the profits flowing.

Thus, Zombie King raised an intriguing theory. The group became interested and gathered in Wang Fu's villa courtyard.

Why Wang Fu's villa? As Fox Nine Lady put it, "Wang Fu, that big yellow dog, has really gotten cocky—arranging for Jiangbei and Fang Yuan to live in a twelve-hundred-square-meter place, while he takes a twenty-five-hundred-square-meter villa. So arrogant!"

Wang Fu's villa was the largest, perfect for gatherings.

The elite assembled. Ha Xiaoming, Mao Xiaobai, Gu Mimi, and Hu Yao busied themselves preparing snacks, tea, and started up the barbecue.

Cat King suggested hotpot, so lunch would feature it.

The discussion had gone on for a while. Wang Fu listened quietly, then finally spoke: "So, your view is that this game isn't as simple as it appears... there's a facade, but something else beneath?"

"Yes, that's what I think. In those six months before the game started, the couple must have arranged a great many things!"

...