Chapter 286 - 166: And the Rich Lived Happily Ever After (Part 2)

"You can drive straight in. My dad bought three parking spots back then."

"But we only have two cars, so friends can use the extra one when they visit."

Tao Siyao guided Qi Sheng to the entrance of the residential complex.

She flashed a sweet smile at the diligent security guard and greeted him.

"Uncle Liu, this is my boyfriend. Could you please let us in?"

"Ah, Yaoyao! Go on in."

The security guard at the entrance had worked at Dongfang Runyuan for many years.

Naturally, he was no stranger to Tao Siyao—he had practically watched her grow up.

"Thank you, Uncle Liu."

Tao Siyao gave a little wave before rolling up the window.

"Hmph. No wonder they say the rich always end up together. A rich catch in a Cullinan is a good match for the cherished daughter of a Dongfang Runyuan owner."

The guard, whose surname was Liu, mused to himself as he watched the Cullinan’s taillights disappear.

The Cullinan drove into the underground garage.

The complex was completed back in 2006, after all, so you couldn’t expect too much.

But when it came to the prestige expected of a top-tier luxury residence, Dongfang Runyuan didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

BMWs, Benzes, and Audis had no clout here whatsoever.

Porsches, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lamborghinis...

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it rivaled a major auto show.

Qi Sheng even spotted three Phantoms.

"This is it."

Pointing to the area near Building 1, Tao Siyao indicated her family’s three side-by-side parking spots, introducing them to Qi Sheng with a cheerful grin.

"The black Bentley Flying Spur is my dad’s, and the white Panamera is my mom’s."

A Bentley Flying Spur and a Porsche Panamera could only be considered upper-mid-tier vehicles in this complex.

"Well now, has the Tao family’s little girl brought her boyfriend home?"

Just as the two of them finished parking, a car pulled into a spot two spaces away.

The man called out a greeting from a distance.

"Hello, Uncle Chen. This is my boyfriend, Qi Sheng. He’s in the hotel business."

Tao Siyao’s smile was a bit chilly, but she remained polite.

"This is Uncle Chen from downstairs. He also runs a hotel in Hangzhou, so you’re in the same line of work!"

"What a coincidence."

Chen Shuyuan looked at Qi Sheng with some surprise.

’Compared to my own worthless son, who only knows how to eat, drink, whore, and gamble, this young man is far more impressive.’

"Hello."

Qi Sheng gave a curt nod, with no intention of making small talk.

It wasn’t that he believed the old saying about competitors being enemies—Qi Sheng wasn’t the least bit afraid of that.

Since Tao Siyao was treating this Uncle Chen so coldly, as her boyfriend, he naturally wouldn’t be overly warm either.

"So, Xiaoqi, you run a hotel in Hangzhou?"

Chen Shuyuan said with a smile, "The hotel business in Hangzhou is fiercely competitive. You’re welcome to visit my hotel and learn a thing or two anytime."

"Learn?"

Tao Siyao burst out laughing.

"I’m sorry, Uncle Chen, but I don’t think my boyfriend’s hotel is any worse than yours."

"Oh?"

Chen Shuyuan’s interest was piqued. "Yaoyao, what’s the name of your boyfriend’s hotel? Who knows, maybe *I’ll* be the one visiting to learn a few things."

As a resident of one of Hangzhou’s first luxury complexes, Chen Shuyuan naturally had a net worth in the hundreds of millions.

Aside from the major hotel groups, you could count on one hand the number of hotels in Hangzhou more famous than his.

Though Qi Sheng was dressed impeccably, ’at best, his family probably just owned a run-of-the-mill five-star hotel.’

’There’s a huge range in quality among five-star hotels.’

’The lower-end ones have entry-level rooms for just four or five hundred yuan a night.’

His Sofitel Hotel, on the other hand, was at the very top of the five-star category.

The cheapest rooms were priced at eight or nine hundred yuan.

And why not? His hotel was located right on the shores of West Lake.

With that location alone, it was hard *not* to be profitable.

"Surely you’ve heard of the Banyan Tree and Yuechun hotels in the Xixi Wetland, Uncle Chen?"

Tao Siyao said with immense pride, linking her arm with Qi Sheng’s.

"What?"

Chen Shuyuan was stunned for a moment.

He recalled a bombshell piece of news that had recently shocked the hotel industry.

The He Clan, which had owned the Banyan Tree Group for years, had suddenly teamed up with the other shareholders to sell the entire company to a mysterious buyer.

If Tao Siyao hadn’t suddenly mentioned the Banyan Tree Group, he would have almost forgotten about it.

The buyer’s identity was just too mysterious, after all.

Even the employees at the Banyan Tree Group headquarters had never seen him.

"Xiaoqi, was it your father who acquired the Banyan Tree Group?"

No matter how arrogant Chen Shuyuan was, he wouldn’t dare compare himself to the Banyan Tree Group.

They were a top hotel group spread across the world, with a market value in the billions.

Meanwhile, he only had one hotel to his name, and it was a joint venture at that.

He was merely the second-largest shareholder, responsible for day-to-day operations.

"That was me."

Qi Sheng didn’t try to hide it.

’His identity was bound to get out soon anyway.’

"*Cough...*"

Chen Shuyuan was so shocked by this news that his scalp tingled, and he nearly choked when he tried to swallow.

’To acquire a company with Banyan Tree Group’s market value, you’d have to pay a premium. It would be impossible without at least three billion.’

’What frightened me most, however, was his terrifying financial might and his methods.’

’He’d devoured all the shares in one go, rather than a slow, gradual takeover—the "boiling the frog" approach.’

’It showed just how aggressive his methods were.’

"Uncle Chen, we’ll be heading up then."

Seeing Chen Shuyuan’s mortified and shocked expression, Tao Siyao couldn’t have been more delighted.

Inside the elevator, Tao Siyao swiped a card and pressed the button for the 15th floor.

"We’re here."

Tao Siyao pointed to room 1502 and asked with a grin, "Darling, are you nervous?"

"You knock on the door."

Qi Sheng shot her a look; both his hands were full of gifts.

’Just like when I visited Du Xinxin’s family.’

"Hmph. See if I help you in a minute."

Tao Siyao walked to the door and entered the door code, which she knew like the back of her hand.

"Uh... Mom, Dad, you’re still up?"

Tao Siyao looked into the deathly quiet living room, where her parents swiveled their heads in unison to stare at her from the sofa.

She was so startled that she took a step back, pushing Qi Sheng forward to face them.

"Darling, it’s all up to you!"

Tao Siyao was usually bold, but right now she was even less brave than Du Xinxin.

"Hello, Uncle, Auntie. I’m Yaoyao’s boyfriend, Qi Sheng."

Qi Sheng used his most enthusiastic smile, speaking a line that had already become a familiar refrain.

’He expected he’d be saying it many more times in the future.’

"Oh, hello, hello! You shouldn’t have! You’ve brought so much, you must have spent a fortune."

Mrs. Tao glanced at her impassive husband, then stood up with a cheerful smile to welcome them.

Aged Maotai, skincare products from La Prairie and Valmont.

Cartons of Liqun Fuchun Mountain Residence cigarettes, Niu Langkeng Cinnamon tea...

There weren’t many different items, but every single one was a high-value, blue-chip gift.

30-year-old Maotai, upwards of 100,000 yuan per bottle.

The La Prairie and Valmont skincare sets averaged around 50,000 yuan apiece.

The Liqun Fuchun Mountain Residence cigarettes, 20,000 yuan per carton.

Even the cheapest item, the Niu Langkeng Cinnamon, was a prized oolong tea far beyond the reach of an ordinary person.

It cost between ten and twenty thousand yuan per pound.

All told, the gifts were worth several hundred thousand yuan.

Even Tao Ronghui’s expression couldn’t help but shift slightly.

He managed to force a smile onto his stiff face.

"You’ve spent too much."

"It was my pleasure. Uncle, would you like to try the tea I brought?"

Qi Sheng saw the tea table in the living room and knew that this Uncle Tao was also a tea lover.

"Huifang, bring the tea leaves over and brew some."

Tao Ronghui saw that Qi Sheng had brought so many gifts on his first visit.

His impression of the young man improved considerably.

’You can’t fault a person for being too generous with gifts. That’s true anywhere.’

"How long have you and Yaoyao been dating?"

While the tea was brewing, Tao Ronghui couldn’t hold back any longer.

Qi Sheng replied with a smile, "About half a year. We got together during the National Day holiday last year."

Tao Ronghui’s heart sank.

’Their relationship must be quite serious already.’

’Especially when he realized his daughter had kept it a secret from them for over six months.’

Old Tao was fuming.

"Yaoyao has been spoiled by her mother and me. Is there anything about her that you find difficult to deal with when you’re together?"

Tao Ronghui knew his daughter’s temperament all too well.

To put it nicely, she has a "princess" attitude. To put it bluntly, she’s just willful.

"Yaoyao has a wonderful personality. She’s usually very sweet and well-behaved. She can get a little moody sometimes, but I find it quite cute."

’Come to think of it,’ Qi Sheng reflected, ’Tao Siyao had never really acted spoiled or bossy around him.’

’If anything, spurred on by Du Xinxin, she often did bold things to vie for his affection.’

And just like that, hearing Qi Sheng heap praises on her,

Tao Siyao was so happy her eyes curved into crescent moons, and she made a little finger heart at Qi Sheng.

Tao Ronghui, however, just stared at Qi Sheng in utter bewilderment.

’Was this the same daughter who threw a fit over the slightest thing?’

’Were they talking about two different people?’