Chapter 58: Descending the Mountain on Knees

Walk there?

Lin Huan and the others exchanged glances.

This place was located in the suburbs, and the nearest village was at least two or three miles away.

Could it be...

A thought flashed through Lin Huan's mind, but he immediately dismissed it himself.

How could that be!

He must be overthinking.

Anyone who could afford a property in the Yunmeng Villas was a person of prominent status and influence.

He had never seen this man before, so he certainly did not live in the Yunmeng Villas.

Thinking this, Lin Huan's expression relaxed even more. "Alright then, let's go and see what kind of place this Mr. Xue's home is."

Xue An ignored him and walked out on his own.

The crowd followed behind him.

After walking for a while, Xue An made a turn and headed straight toward the small mountain.

The further they walked, the more eccentric Lin Huan's expression became, and the look he gave Xue An grew increasingly disdainful.

If he didn't know who owned the other houses, he knew the owner of Number One Heaven-character Villa at the top of the small mountain all too well.

This was the one and only mountain villa in the entire Yunmeng Villa complex, occupying a peerlessly unique geographical location.

He had heard that a tycoon from Zhongdu had offered an astronomical price for it, but the Qin family refused to sell.

Word had it that Elder Qin was keeping it for his own residence.

Since this man was by no means a member of the Qin family, there was obviously only one possibility: he was using this to fool people who knew nothing about the area.

What a pity... you ran into me! A smug smile tugged at the corner of Lin Huan's lips.

Just watch how I expose you in a moment!

Upon reaching the summit, the grandeur and prestige of the Number One Heaven-character Villa shocked everyone present.

Even Lin Huan was seeing such a villa for the very first time. Compared to this, his own villa could barely be considered a passable place to live.

"This is where Daddy and I live!" Xue Xiang said with a proud expression.

The way many people looked at Xue An began to change.

Could he really be a deeply hidden second-generation heir of immense wealth?

Right at that moment, Lin Huan stepped forward and sneered, "Everyone, if I might not have a say regarding other villas, as for this Number One Heaven-character Villa, everyone in the entire Yunmeng Villa complex knows that it is kept by Elder Qin for his own residence. Could it be that this Mr. Xue is Elder Qin himself?"

As soon as these words were spoken, a light bulb went off in everyone's mind.

Then, their faces filled with utter contempt and disdain.

At this, Lin Huan looked at Xue An and said smugly, "Now let me guess, what does Mr. Xue do here? A cook? Or a driver?"

Xue An smiled indifferently. "What do you think?"

Lin Huan sneered, "No matter what, this villa could never be yours!"

"You're lying! Auntie Qin Yu gave this to my daddy!" Xue Xiang said with a wronged expression.

"Qin Yu? The eldest miss of the Qin family? Your daddy knows the eldest miss of the Qin family? Little girl, telling lies is not something a good child does!" Lin Huan laughed.

He believed he had won for sure. This guy surnamed Xue was clearly trying to show off, but unfortunately, he had run into him. Let's see how you can hold your head high in front of Tang Xuan'er now!

Yet just as Lin Huan was brimming with smug triumph, a calm and majestic voice came from behind the crowd.

"Mr. Xue, are you still finding it comfortable to live here?"

Everyone turned around and saw a middle-aged man walking up from the foot of the mountain. The man had a dignified appearance and a steady demeanor, exuding an air of natural authority without even trying to be angry.

The person who had arrived was Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan had felt something was amiss as he walked up the mountain; it usually wasn't this tall. Hearing Xue An say this now, he couldn't help but wear a look of utter astonishment.

It was the first time he had ever heard of a mountain being artificially heightened!

However, in Qin Yuan's heart, Xue An was no different from an immortal being, so his shock was fleeting.

Lin Huan, of course, did not recognize Qin Yuan. Seeing a man arrive and harmonize with Xue An in a coordinated act, he sneered, "Oh, my! You're putting on quite a convincing show, even bringing an accomplice!"

Qin Yuan frowned and looked at Lin Huan.

"Who are you?"

Lin Huan said with an arrogant expression, "I am a homeowner in the Yunmeng Villas. This guy claims that the Number One Heaven-character Villa belongs to him, but I've already seen right through his scam!"

Seen through it?

Qin Yuan looked at the calm-faced Xue An, then realized what was going on, and couldn't help asking, "Then whose do you say this Number One Heaven-character Villa is?"

"Heh, who doesn't know that the Number One Heaven-character Villa is reserved by Elder Qin for his own retirement! To actually use this to pull off a scam, it's enough to make people laugh their heads off!"

Luo Jing and the others burst into uproarious laughter.

Amidst this laughter, Qin Yuan said coldly, "That's right, this Number One Heaven-character Villa was indeed originally reserved for my own residence, but I have now gifted it to Mr. Xue. Is there a problem with that?"

Silence descended upon the entire area.

Then, Lin Huan sneered, "You gifted it to him? What a joke! Just who do you think you are?"

"And just who do you think *you* are?" A cold voice laden with anger echoed.

Qin Yu walked up from the foot of the mountain, her pretty face full of fury.

Lin Huan might not have recognized Qin Yuan, but he recognized Qin Yu. The moment he laid eyes on her, he froze completely.

Qin Yu walked to the front first and said respectfully, "Greetings, Mr. Xue!"

Xue An gave a noncommittal nod.

Then Qin Yu called out toward Qin Yuan, "Grandfather!"

Grandfather!

To be addressed like that by Qin Yu.

There was only one such person in the entire world.

That was the chairman of the Longtai Group and the head of the Qin family, Qin Yuan.

Lin Huan felt a booming sensation in his head, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

This... how could this be?

This ordinary and unremarkable-looking man—why was he addressed with such reverence as Mr. Xue by the Qin family?

As for Luo Jing, who had consistently looked down on Xue An and used him to mock Tang Xuan'er for having poor taste in men, her eyes turned a vibrant shade of green with jealousy.

To be treated with such deep respect even by the Qin family meant this man's status was undeniably lofty. Compared to him, Lin Huan was nothing more than a fart!

Yet it didn't end there.

Today's Number One Heaven-character Villa was unusually lively, as an old man and a young person were seen walking up the mountain path once more.

The older one was a white-haired elder, and the younger was a graceful young woman.

When they reached the front, Lin Huan, Luo Jing, and the others were completely dumbfounded.

The arrivals were none other than Hua Xingyu and Hua Tingting, grandfather and granddaughter.

In the medical circles of Beijiang, they were considered grandmaster-level figures.

The grandfather and granddaughter walked right past the group as if they were all invisible air.

Then, Hua Xingyu cupped his hands toward Xue An, his demeanor as respectful as a student addressing a master: "Greetings, Mr. Xue!"

Absolute silence enveloped the crowd. Even those who had just been wildly mocking Xue An now felt as though they had been dealt a vicious slap across the face.

Lin Huan shivered uncontrollably. He finally understood why a faint, elusive smile had always lingered at the corners of Xue An's mouth from the very beginning.

So that was him mocking his sheer ignorance all along.

At that moment, Qin Yu turned her gaze toward Lin Huan and asked coldly, "Whom did you just say you were talking about?"

The chilling tone in her voice made Lin Huan shudder, and he stammered hastily, "Qin... Miss Qin, I honestly didn't know that this elder was Qin..."

Qin Yu stepped forward and rebuked him coldly, "This villa was unconditionally gifted to Mr. Xue by our Qin family in the first place. Just what kind of a thing are you? How does questioning him fall to your place?"

Left speechless by the interrogation, Lin Huan could only stammer miserably, "I... I was wrong!"

Qin Yu's delicate brows furrowed in anger, and she looked as though she wanted to say more.

Xue An, however, merely waved his hand. "Forget it!"

Lin Huan, Luo Jing, and the others felt as though they had just heard heavenly music.

It seemed this guy was quite easygoing after all! Lin Huan thought to himself with a quiet sense of fortune.

"Since you all know you were wrong, what's with all the idle chatter? Make them crawl down the mountain on their knees!" Xue An said indifferently.