Chapter 1299: Chapter 677: Self-Respect and Self-Love

Chen Feng’s financial prowess gave Tian Xiaoman a very direct understanding, making her even more eager about him.

When she was slightly more mature, she realized that love cannot be put on the table as food; a family cannot survive without money, eventually leading to disintegration.

Her father had no money back then, so her mother left him, indirectly causing her family misfortune, and she’s never felt much parental care or family warmth since she was young.

Only her closest grandmother single-handedly raised her, giving her everything she wanted as much as possible to compensate for the childhood trauma caused by her parents’ divorce.

Precisely because of her family’s misfortune, she has never been in a relationship, let alone given her precious first time to any man casually.

Just like the idea her grandmother instilled in her from a young age: women must have self-respect and self-love, or else they won’t receive respect and happiness from others.

Therefore, even though she’s been working for two or three years after graduating from university, she’s always maintained her purity, not succumbing to depravity, nor easily tempted by external materialism.

But she never intended to stay single for life; she’s waiting patiently for her ideal true love to appear.

Sure enough, her efforts paid off, and a surprising street encounter allowed her to see Chen Feng getting out of a Cayenne car, prompting her to devise a small plan to meet him.

Unfortunately, Chen Feng doesn’t want to date her, nor does he intend to marry her. Many times, when she sends him WeChat messages, he doesn’t reply.

This makes her somewhat disappointed and discouraged, but she’s never given up.

Because Chen Feng is the most compatible and wealthiest "young talent" she has met so far.

What she admires the most is that Chen Feng, being a country boy, made his fortune from scratch with his ability and hasn’t done anything unlawful.

Compared to those second-generation rich kids, she appreciates this kind of young "first-generation wealthy" even more.

Inside the Cayenne car, Tian Xiaoman’s gaze changed from initially complex to increasingly eager.

"I’ll leave the house design to you."

Chen Feng said to Tian Xiaoman while driving.

"Ah, okay. Coincidentally, I have a high school classmate who does renovation design. I’ll ask her to design something good, and also to find an expert supervisor to ensure the real estate company doesn’t cut corners."

"Alright, I trust you with this." Chen Feng said with a smile.

Tian Xiaoman was delighted to see Chen Feng trusting her so much, but she still said, "If the renovation isn’t good, don’t blame me. However, once the design is out, I’ll definitely discuss it with you beforehand, and you’ll need to confirm it eventually. You can first tell me what style you like?"

"Any style is fine, as long as the quality is guaranteed and the formaldehyde isn’t excessive. The water, electricity, and gas need to be done well, or it’ll be troublesome if something breaks in the future."

Chen Feng isn’t very concerned about the villa’s renovation style, as he won’t live there permanently, and he trusts Tian Xiaoman’s aesthetics; the final style won’t be too outrageous. Even if his parents live there in the future, it should be fine.

"I quite like the Nordic style; it’s simple, understated, and restrained, without too much fuss. What do you think?"

"I’m indifferent, just do what you like, as long as it’s not too trendy and avant-garde. After all, my parents will live there in a couple of years."

"Okay, I’ve noted that. Anything else you’d like to say?"

"Also, have your classmate help find a reliable supervisor; you can pay them. You must ensure the quality of materials, especially the paint, water pipes, and electrical wiring. The budget should be at least 500,000."

"Mm, I’ll talk to her about it. Anything else?"

"Nothing else comes to mind at the moment. If I think of anything, I’ll let you know. Essentially, it’s just about paying for a professional and reliable construction team."

"What about my rent? How much is appropriate for me to pay? If it’s too expensive, I can’t afford it."

Chen Feng couldn’t help but laugh and said, "I was joking before; how could I actually charge you rent? This time I’m leaving the villa renovation to you, and I’m not giving you a salary. Also, once the renovation is done, just help keep an eye on the villa, and don’t ask for a salary—I’m definitely not charging you rent."

Tian Xiaoman playfully retorted, "You’re treating me as the villa caretaker, huh?"

Chen Feng teased, "Yes, why not? Otherwise, if I call you a tenant, you’ll have to pay me rent."

"Then I’ll just take care of the villa for you."

"That’s right. I’m letting you live in the villa to help keep an eye on it, mainly not renting it to you, so don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of me. If you truly feel uneasy about it, you can repay me with yourself, and I won’t reject you."

"In your dreams."

...

They chatted and laughed as the car quickly reached Baida Square, a popular mall, especially during the National Day holiday, which Tian Xiaoman specifically wanted to visit.

Chen Feng had promised to accompany her for the whole day, so he had to keep his word and brought her here.

The mall is just a few kilometers away from his hometown, Qingpu Town, so many people from his hometown come here for a stroll, which initially made Chen Feng a bit worried about encountering acquaintances.

If someone who knows his parents sees him with a beautiful woman that’s not Wu Mengting and tells his parents, it could cause quite a stir.

Back when his mom, Zhao Xiaolan, opened a small shop, and Wu Mengting lived with them, they had met many locals, and everyone assumed she was Chen Feng’s girlfriend.

Zhao Xiaolan was already quite dissatisfied with the idea of Chen Feng having a child out of wedlock with another woman, and now there’s another one; it’d surely trigger a storm of nagging and reprimands.

However, luck was on his side today; he spent a good while in the mall with Tian Xiaoman and didn’t meet anyone he recognized. Nobody came up to greet him, at least that’s how Chen Feng felt—none of his hometown folks saw him with Tian Xiaoman.

So he felt relaxed and accompanied Tian Xiaoman as they strolled through store after store, spending most of the time waiting by the side and browsing his phone, not feeling tired at all.

The time in the mall passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was already after 4 PM.

Just then, Chen Feng received a call from Yang Jiayu.

"Buddy, I’m treating you to dinner tonight at six; seafood stall. How about it? Are you coming?" Yang Jiayu sounded very enthusiastic.

Chen Feng declined outright: "I already have plans tonight, maybe next time."

"What plans do you have? Is it a date with a beauty? Bring her along; I’ll bring my beautiful secretary."

"No need, we prefer our own world."

"What’s this two-person world? Spending all day together gets boring after a while; trust me, come out and relax, sometimes a change is refreshing."