Inside the sales center, a saleswoman in a tailored suit sat with her head down, playing on her phone. The whole place was nearly empty—just a single middle-aged couple, arm-in-arm, standing there studying the villa models.
"I think this one is pretty good. It's close to the main gate, so it should get plenty of sun in the winter." The middle-aged man, dressed in a suit and sporting a big belly, pushed up his glasses, looking every bit the part of someone with money.
"Yeah, I like this one too. Later, the quieter room inside can be Chloe's study, just for her to read. Didn't she always want a home gym? We can put a treadmill in there for her."
"Girls have to work hard to keep their figure as they grow up. She only has a year left before the college entrance exam. When she goes off to university and meets new classmates, she'll have more confidence that way." Lisa Liu nodded with a smile.
"You two really have an excellent eye! This villa backs onto the hills and faces water—feng shui says it brings not just wealth, but power too!" The saleswoman, smiling brightly, gestured at the villa model, tracing a route along the little roads. "This unit is perfectly ventilated, and everything flows smoothly. Actually, someone had reserved it, but they just backed out yesterday, so it’s only just become available."
"Who would've thought you two would come in today and fall for this exact villa? You have to admit, that's fate!"
The saleswoman kept smiling. "This villa is meant for successful people like you."
Hearing the saleswoman’s words, Kevin Cheng straightened up a little, and Lisa Liu’s smile grew even wider.
The middle-aged man was Kevin Cheng, a minor official in the Whitewood County government, in charge of water and electricity. The woman was his wife, Lisa Liu, who worked at the Finance Bureau.
Their child was Chloe Cheng, Evan Lin’s former deskmate back in junior high.
This time, they’d come to buy a house because they wanted to improve their living conditions. The plan was to sell their old place, take out a housing fund loan, and that would be enough to buy a villa at Mooncrest Manor.
Owning a villa here wasn’t just about comfort—it was about space and, more importantly, about having face.
For them, the price was a huge sum. But just imagining living in a luxury villa made their hearts swell with happiness.
They’d even dressed up specially for today’s viewing, putting on new clothes and making themselves look as grand as possible.
As they listened to the saleswoman’s pitch, Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu were full of joy.
Lisa Liu glanced at the villa, putting on the airs of a wealthy lady. She spoke slowly, sounding casual but actually very cautious: “Hmm, this house is nice. How much is it?”
"Ah, yes. This house has three floors—the third rooftop level is a free bonus. The first and second floors total 285 square meters, and there’s a small garden and a private pool out back. The average price is 13,000 per square meter, so the total is 3.705 million. But I’ll give you a special discount and round it down—let’s call it 3.7 million."
The saleswoman rattled it off, smiling and sounding extremely professional.
"How... how much?" Lisa Liu, who’d just been acting all refined, was stunned by the number. Panic flashed in her eyes.
Kevin Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. He frowned, surprised but trying to hide it, and asked, "Wait, isn’t the average price for this development only 10,000 per square meter? How did it jump to 13,000?"
"Prices in the development fluctuate. Sure, there are units for 1 million, but they’re nowhere near as good as this one. Besides, you two don’t look like the kind of people who’d care about a mere few hundred thousand." The saleswoman kept her tone gentle.
A few other saleswomen were idling nearby. One senior saleswoman happened to spot Evan Lin as he walked in.
She swept her gaze over Evan, then secretly rolled her eyes and said to the baby-faced young girl next to her, "May, someone just came in. Go greet him."
The girl called May hurriedly stood up, clearly afraid of the older woman. She lowered her head and quickly walked toward Evan Lin at the entrance.
"Come on, you think that guy’s here to buy a house? Look at what he’s wearing." Another saleswoman glanced at Evan Lin and shook her head.
"Exactly. He can’t afford a villa—that’s why May has to greet him. She’s new, just started, so she ought to eat some dirt and run into some walls. Otherwise, she’ll keep thinking she’s still a student." The senior saleswoman yawned. "It’s harder than ever to sell houses now. You can go years with just one deal, but one deal’s enough to live on for years, so it’s pretty chill. As for May, she’s clueless. I asked her to treat me to dinner and she refused. Her probation ends in a week—if she doesn’t close a deal, she’s out."
The woman glanced at May’s direction with a look of disdain, then went back to playing on her phone.
May felt a wave of anxiety inside as she hurried toward the entrance in her heels. She was a newcomer here, shunned by the veterans, and hadn’t closed a single deal in three months.
Earlier, the senior saleswoman Helen Han had wanted her to treat everyone to dinner, but May didn’t have the money and had to refuse. After that, she was ostracized by the whole team.
She was just worrying that if she got fired for not closing a deal, where could she even find another job? After all, Whitewood County was so small that even service work was hard to come by.
Just as she was fretting, Helen Han’s words startled her, and she rushed toward the entrance. She was about to look up and greet the customer when her heel suddenly twisted, throwing her off balance. She let out a startled cry and was about to fall, but suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and steadied her, helping her back up.
"Ah, thank you!"
May was still a little shaken as she regained her footing. She nervously brushed her messy hair aside and looked up at Evan Lin. Just as she finished thanking him, her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you... Evan Lin?"
May stared at Evan, hesitating, her voice cautious and low.
"May Wang?"
Seeing the person in front of him, Evan Lin was surprised too.