The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

As soon as the 11:45 bell rang, the classroom erupted in a flurry of activity as students stood up.

Shen Qingyao closed her heavy textbook, feeling a soreness in her shoulders. She had been drowsy from the morning's lectures, and the energizing effect of the coffee had long worn off.

"Go to the cafeteria?" Xiang Yu rubbed her stomach, her voice filled with hunger.

Xu Huihui immediately shook her head: "Forget it, yesterday's scrambled eggs with tomatoes had eggshells in them, today's probably won't be much better."

She nudged Shen Qingyao's arm. "How about that old Beijing hot pot place near the back gate of the school? It smelled amazing when I passed by last time!"

Shen Qingyao was about to nod when she saw Lu Ying pack her bag, sling her backpack over her shoulder, and walk out: "I'm going home to eat. See you tomorrow."

"Go ahead, go ahead." The group waved goodbye, already used to Lu Ying's "occasionally returning to the dormitory" routine.

The Lu family lived in an upscale neighborhood near the school. She mostly avoided going back and forth, only staying there when she needed to handle things at the start of the semester or at the end of the term.

The three of them walked out of the teaching building. The warm afternoon sun shone on them and dispelled some of their weariness.

Hidden in the alley behind the school are many small restaurants. The hot pot restaurant is located on the corner, and its red sign with white lettering is very eye-catching in the sunlight.

When I pushed open the door, the copper pot was already burning brightly, and the charcoal fire was crackling.

The owner, a cheerful Beijing gentleman, greeted us with a smile, "Please come in, ladies! The hand-cut fresh mutton is just ready!"

Instead of ordering vegetarian dishes, the group ordered more than a dozen plates of mutton.

The copper pot was quickly served, with the clear broth bubbling gently, and the snow-white mutton rolls were neatly arranged on the plate.

Shen Qingyao picked up a slice of meat, dipped it in boiling water, coated it with thick sesame sauce, and put it in her mouth. The tender meat flavor mixed with the rich sesame sauce spread on her tongue, instantly sweeping away the fatigue of the morning.

"It's definitely a hundred times better than the cafeteria!" Xiang Yu ate with great satisfaction.

Shen Qingyao nodded with a smile.

The sunlight streaming through the glass window shone on the copper pot, making the steam glow with a golden light.

The three chatted as they ate, discussing their current courses, their weekend plans, and occasionally mentioning family matters, their tone carrying just the right amount of familiarity.

Halfway through the meal, Shen Qingyao's phone rang. It was a message from Jason: "Ms. Shen, what time are you free this afternoon? I'll arrange a viewing."

2 PM

Okay, I'll pick you up from school before 2 PM!

Okay, thank you.

Miss Shen, you're too kind!

Shen Qingyao took a sip of plum juice, the sweet and sour taste spreading down her throat, making her feel very at ease.

At 1:50 p.m., a black Bentley sat quietly under the sycamore tree at the school gate.

When Shen Qingyao walked over with her bucket bag, Jason had already gotten out of the car and was waiting, dressed in a well-fitting suit and holding that familiar black folder in his hands.

"Miss Shen, this way please." He opened the back door of the car, his tone respectful.

"Thank you!" Shen Qingyao sat in the car, the soft leather seat sinking slightly into her seat.

Jason handed over a folder: "Ms. Shen, this is the detailed information of the five apartments I have initially selected, including floor plans, surrounding facilities, and transportation conditions. Please take a look."

She opened the folder, her fingertips tracing the photos of the Sky Garden on the page with the wall hanging.

Roses climb all over the trellis, a white wicker chair sits in the corner, and sunlight spills onto the wooden floor, creating a tranquil scene like a painting.

Shen Qingyao paused for a moment, then continued looking at the others, finding each one to be very satisfactory.

"I think they're all great. Which one do you like, Ayu?" she said softly, closing the folder.

"The boss didn't have any objections after looking at it, he just said to do it according to your preferences!"

"I think each set has its own unique highlights!"

Jason smiled. "Then let's go see it in person, and you can make a decision later?"

"good!"

"Ms. Shen, which apartment would you like to visit first?"

Shen Qingyao pointed to the mansion, "This one, I like the rooftop garden."

"OK!"

The car drove smoothly into the street and stopped in the underground parking garage of the complex twenty minutes later.

It was the first time Shen Qingyao had ever seen such a brightly lit underground parking garage, and it was quite an eye-opener.

After the car came to a stop, Jason got out first, and two men and a woman immediately came to greet him.

The man in the lead, dressed in a suit, extended his hand. "Jason, what brings you here in person!"

"The task assigned by General Manager Meng is to accompany Miss Shen to look at houses!"

Those present who have climbed to this position are naturally shrewd individuals; some things don't need to be said too explicitly.

Jason opened the car door for Shen Qingyao. "Miss Shen, we've arrived!"

Shen Qingyao got out of the car. "Thank you!"

The man in the lead winked at the woman behind him: "Miss Shen, hello! I'm Linda, the housekeeper at Manhe!"

"Hello!" Shen Qingyao replied politely.

"Please follow me!" Shen Qingyao followed Linda forward.

Jason followed behind Shen Qingyao, and the other two men followed behind Jason.

"Jason, can you give me a hint? What's this Miss Shen's background?"

Jason initially didn't want to respond, but after a moment's thought, he said, "It seems she's the apple of President Meng's eye!"

"Understood! Thank you!" Wise people keep their conversation brief and to the point.

The group took the elevator directly to the top floor. The moment they opened the door, Shen Qingyao was stunned; the real scene was even more moving than the photos.

The rooftop garden is enclosed by glass, and the greenhouse is lush with greenery. Standing on the terrace, you can see the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in the distance, and the wind carries a faint fragrance of flowers.

"This is the master bedroom, with an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet," the butler explained. "The furniture is all imported from Italy; if you don't like it, you can change it anytime."

Over the next few hours, they visited four more apartments.

Each set had its own merits, and Shen Qingyao examined them carefully.

Shen Qingyao was having some trouble making a decision. She wanted to call Meng Jiangyu, but he was on a plane and had no signal.

Jason brought over a cup of black tea. "Ms. Shen, what's your decision? If you're not satisfied with any of them, I'll look for other houses."

"Hmm... let's go back to Manhe and take another look!"

"good!"

When we returned to the mansion, the setting sun was casting its golden rays on the floor of the sky garden, gilding the roses.

Shen Qingyao walked to the rattan chair and sat down, her fingertips brushing against the warm armrest, and suddenly felt an unwavering certainty in her heart.

"This one will do," she said, looking up at Jason, her eyes sparkling. "I love this garden."

Jason nodded immediately: "Okay, I'll arrange for the contract to be signed right away."

"Aunt Zhang and the others are on their way here. You can check in tonight."

"good!"

"There's a shopping area nearby, you can go check it out. Zhang Ma and the others will be here to clean in about ten minutes!"

"Okay!" Shen Qingyao signed her name on the purchase contract and then went shopping.

Shen Qingyao has been studying makeup recently, so she's going to buy some cosmetics.

After Zhang Ma arrived with several other women, they quickly began dusting, making the beds, and even wiping the cracks in the windowsills clean.

In less than three hours, the once empty house became cozy.

The roses on the balcony had been watered, and water droplets clung to their leaves.

The bed in the bedroom was made neatly, and the light pink quilt was soft. Fresh fruit was laid out on the coffee table in the living room.

Around 6 p.m., Shen Qingyao got tired from shopping, and the driver took her back to Manhe.

The housekeeper helped carry the two large bags of cosmetics from behind, and followed them up the elevator.

Shen Qingyao had just sat down to rest when Zhang Ma brought her a glass of warm water: "You must be exhausted!"

"I'm okay, just a little hungry!"

Jason called to say dinner would be here soon!

At that moment, the door lock clicked softly, and Zhang Ma went to open the door. Jason walked in carrying a food box.

"Miss Shen, your dinner is here!"

"Thanks!"

Upon opening the package, one finds a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish with a bright red sheen, stir-fried shrimp with alternating white and green colors, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a bowl of warm mushroom soup—all flavors that Shen Qingyao loves.

"This was made by Chef Li from Yu Garden," Jason explained with a smile.

"No wonder it tasted so familiar!"

The dishes on the table were still steaming hot. Shen Qingyao picked up her phone, pointed the camera at the whole table of food, took a picture, and sent it to Meng Jiangyu, who was on the plane.

【Chef Li's cooking is super delicious!】Then we started to enjoy our meal.

After dinner, Shen Qingyao walked to the rooftop garden and took a selfie with the garden as the background.

Shen Qingyao sent the photos to Meng Jiangyu with the caption: "[I chose the Manhe set. I really love the garden. Looking forward to your return.]"