Chapter 43: Are You Here to Work as a Security Guard?

At the entrance of Longquan Manor, Lin Fan had just stepped out of his car, preparing to walk into the sales office.

He hadn’t expected a BMW to suddenly dart out from the side, nearly knocking him over.

“Are you blind?”

Before Lin Fan could say a word, the other driver stuck his head out and cursed at him.

“You—” Lin Fan was about to retort, but when he saw the man’s face, he froze in surprise.

It was someone he knew.

Zhao Xinshu, the class monitor from his university days—someone he hadn’t seen in more than a year.

“Well, if it isn’t Lin Fan. Long time no see.” Though they were acquaintances, Zhao Xinshu’s tone dripped with disdain.

He got out of the car, and from the back seat emerged a woman in professional attire.

Lin Fan recognized her from Zhao Xinshu’s social media—Zhao’s wife, Shen Yue.

The two had met in their senior year. Shen Yue was two years older than Zhao Xinshu and a native of Hang City. Zhao had invited all their classmates to their wedding, but Lin Fan hadn’t attended, too busy with part-time work to spare the time.

Both were dressed in business suits; Lin Fan immediately realized they worked as salespeople at Longquan Manor. It seemed Shen Yue outranked Zhao Xinshu—her nametag read "Deputy Manager of Sales."

“What brings you back here? Don’t tell me you’re here looking for a job?” Zhao Xinshu sneered. “You and Chen Yanzi broke up, right? I saw her on Doujin posting videos, claiming you abused her, that you’re lazy and useless…”

Zhao Xinshu ran his mouth, making Lin Fan feel deeply embarrassed.

Was this what old classmates were like? Picking at your wounds the moment you met?

Because Lin Fan had refused to cover for him once, Zhao Xinshu had held a grudge ever since. Back in their junior year, Zhao had tried to hide a hotpot cooker in Lin Fan’s suitcase during a surprise dorm inspection, but Lin Fan refused. That led to Zhao being questioned by the counselor and losing his position as class monitor. From that point on, Zhao Xinshu barely spoke to Lin Fan, and during their senior year, they exchanged fewer than ten words. Lin Fan hadn’t even attended Zhao’s wedding.

“She’s just smearing my name on purpose. I never laid a hand on her. I’m planning to take her to court,” Lin Fan forced himself to explain, swallowing his frustration.

But Shen Yue only looked him up and down with a sneer. “Serves you right. I heard you chased after Chen Yanzi like some pathetic puppy, and when people told you to wise up, you lashed out, calling them petty. Now you’ve been dumped, and you’re here hoping Zhao Xinshu will take you in?”

Lin Fan stared at her, bewildered, unable to grasp why she was mocking him.

“Don’t take it personally. My wife’s just like that—she’s local… A bunch of old classmates have come to me asking for jobs recently. It’s gotten on her nerves,” Zhao Xinshu said with an awkward laugh. “You’re not here for a favor, are you?”

Lin Fan stared at the pair in disbelief.

So, in their minds, he was here to beg for help.

Among all the men in their class, Zhao Xinshu had landed the best job—while Lin Fan was considered the worst off. Zhao had gotten engaged to Shen Yue right after graduation, started at a real estate company with help from his father-in-law, and become a manager. Both husband and wife were now sales managers, though at different locations. That afternoon, Zhao had just dropped his wife off at work, never expecting to run into Lin Fan as he parked.

“No, I’m here to look at houses,” Lin Fan blurted out.

At this, Shen Yue rolled her eyes and laughed mockingly. “So you landed a job as a security guard—good for you!”

“Security guards at Longquan Manor do get paid much better than elsewhere. It’s a wealthy neighborhood—the most expensive villa district in Hang City. Even the guards make over ten thousand a month, and the job’s a breeze…” she went on.

Lin Fan glanced down at himself.

He was wearing a dress shirt and slacks—he could pass for a salesperson, but more likely a security guard. The couple wore similar attire, but their manager badges clearly marked their status. Lin Fan, by contrast, looked too simply dressed to be anyone important.

He raised his voice. “I’m not a security guard. I’m here to buy a house.”

“Buy a house?” the couple echoed in astonishment, their faces full of disbelief.

“Lin Fan, you must be joking. Or are you like us, an agent buying on behalf of a client? House-hunting for some rich guy?” Zhao Xinshu eyed him with suspicion and contempt.

“I’m buying a house as a gift,” Lin Fan replied, growing impatient.

How much did this couple look down on him? Even as old classmates, they showed him no respect. Their words weren’t just disparaging—they were outright scornful. No wonder he disliked dealing with people from his past—their newfound authority had gone straight to their heads.

He had attended Hang City Normal University with Zhao Xinshu, Zhang Yi, and others. But half their class consisted of locals or students from China’s wealthy coastal regions, who looked down on someone like Lin Fan, a poor boy from the countryside.

“Lin Fan, you’re daydreaming. Do you have any idea what neighborhood this is? Any single house here would take you a lifetime to afford!” Zhao Xinshu scoffed. “Even the apartments at the foot of the hill are shockingly expensive. You couldn’t even scrape together a bride price for Chen Yanzi, and you think you can buy property here? What a joke!”

The pair took turns mocking him, their tone icy and dismissive.

“If you don’t believe me, that’s your problem!” Lin Fan finally lost patience. He scoffed, turned on his heel, and strode toward the sales office, not wanting to waste another word on the odd couple.

“That guy—he can’t even take a couple of jabs. So thin-skinned!” Shen Yue huffed in annoyance.

“Don’t bother with a loser like him. Let’s see what he’s really here for—maybe to mooch some free snacks or shoot videos pretending to be rich?” Zhao Xinshu chimed in.

In wealthy neighborhoods like this, it wasn’t uncommon for people to shoot videos near the sales office, pretending to be rich to scam others online. They figured Lin Fan was there for just such a stunt.

No wonder this was considered a top-tier mansion—the sales office alone was decorated like a grand banquet hall. At first glance, one might mistake it for a luxury hotel.

“Welcome! Sir, are you here to view houses?” A young woman about his age greeted him with a professional smile as soon as he entered.

Lin Fan was taken aback by her beauty.

He couldn’t help but check her information:

Name: Miao Tiantian

Age: 23

Height: 163 cm

Weight: 50 kg

Beauty Score: 9.2

Purity: 97

Favorability: 5 (Stranger)

He hadn’t expected that in this modest sales office, there would be such a breathtaking woman, as beautiful as a goddess.

Even more surprising was her high purity score—97! It meant she’d only been close to three men in her life.