C14 Where Did the Money Come From?

"Uh, it's because... I hit the jackpot," Qin Feng said with a smile, spreading his hands. "There's a raffle tonight, and the grand prize covers all expenses. I was the lucky winner."

"A raffle? That seems a bit far-fetched! How come I didn't hear about it?"

Hsu Yunxiao and Lee Jie exchanged bewildered glances.

"If you're skeptical, feel free to check with Director Wai," Qin Feng suggested.

At that moment, Wai Yunxiang emerged, affirming his claim with a warm smile. "Mr. Qin is telling the truth. I consulted a Feng Shui Master who predicted that a fortunate guest would visit Wanfu Restaurant tonight, bringing prosperity and success. The winner of the raffle would be that 'lucky star,' and it turned out to be Mr. Qin."

"I see..." Hsu Yunxiao had an epiphany.

It did make sense. Apart from sheer luck, there was no way Director Wai would waive the bill for just anyone.

Lee Jie, listening in, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

He's so incredibly lucky!

"Thank you for your hospitality, Director Wai. We should be heading home now," Hsu Yunxiao said.

"I can arrange a car to take you," Wai Yunxiang offered, bowing with respect.

"No, please, don't go to any trouble!" Hsu Yunxiao quickly gestured with her hands.

She felt utterly undeserving of such deference from someone of Director Wai's stature.

Qin Feng, noticing the situation, casually told Wai Yunxiang, "You can go back to your business now."

Hsu Yunxiao shivered at his audacity.

He really had the nerve to speak to Director Wai in such a manner. It was as if he had a death wish!

"Mind your manners!" she scolded Qin Feng, then turned to Wai Yunxiang with an apologetic bow. "I'm so sorry, Director Wai. Please don't take offense; he's always like this when he speaks..."

"It's alright," Wai Yunxiang reassured her, though as the owner, she was hardly in a position to be so deferential.

She bowed again, out of politeness.

Hsu Yunxiao, feeling the awkwardness intensify, bowed even lower.

Wai Yunxiang matched her gesture.

Hsu Yunxiao bowed once more.

Wai Yunxiang followed suit.

The two found themselves in a bizarre bow-off, much to Qin Feng's embarrassment. Was this some sort of bending contest?

...

Upon leaving Wanfu Restaurant, a delighted Hsu Yunxiao remarked to Qin Feng, "See, that's the grace of a true VIP. Director Wai may be influential, but he's still so approachable. You should take a page out of his book and cultivate some refinement."

"Sure..." Qin Feng replied, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Lee Jie was ready to drive Hsu Yunxiao home, but seeing Qin Feng alone on his electric bike, and recalling his actions that evening, she felt a mix of emotions. After a moment's hesitation, she decided, "No need, I'll ride back with him."

"With him?" Lee Jie was taken aback.

She usually couldn't stand being around him. What had changed today?

Qin Feng, caught off guard himself, quickly beamed with joy and eagerly dusted off the back seat, inviting her, "Come on, hop on, my dear!"

As they rode, Hsu Yunxiao observed his cheerful demeanor and questioned her feelings. Had she been too heartless toward him over the past three years?

Just the thought of him taking her home had him grinning like a child...

When they arrived back at their place, Qin Feng's mother-in-law, Lee Cuilan, started nagging him. "How lazy have you become? You can't even cook dinner anymore! What's the point of having you around? You're utterly useless..."

"Mom, he was with me meeting a client," Hsu Yunxiao interjected in his defense.

Tonight would have been a disaster without him.

"A client meeting with him? He'd only embarrass you! He's just looking for a free meal. He's becoming more useless by the day!" she continued. "And remember, Grandma's seventieth birthday is coming up. Don't let him go. She's still upset with him for not taking the fall for Ye. We can't afford to let him drag us down!"

"..."

Qin Feng had grown accustomed to the constant grumbling.

In one ear and out the other.

The next morning, after breakfast, Qin Feng was about to head out on his electric scooter when he noticed Hsu Yunxiao's Santana wouldn't start. "I'll give you a lift!" he offered.

"That might be best," Hsu Yunxiao agreed after a moment's thought.

With the company on the brink of bankruptcy, every penny saved mattered.

Qin Feng couldn't hide his inner glee. The previous evening, the thrill of her holding onto him tightly due to the speed had given him a taste of sweet intimacy. Now he had another opportunity!

But his mood soon soured.

During the morning rush, the electric scooter couldn't go fast, and the delightful sensation was lost.

"Honey, that Santana of yours is pretty old, isn't it?" Qin Feng remarked as they rode. "I'll get you a new one soon."

"With the company nearly bankrupt, you're thinking about cars? If you can't be of help, can you at least share my urgency?" Hsu Yunxiao snapped back, clearly irritated.

The old Santana had been chugging along for years, and wasn't she entitled to dream of a nicer car?

At Wanfu Restaurant last night, Qin Feng had brought up those two boxes of cash. She had dismissed it as him simply trying to save face, refusing to beg Xiao Mann and the others for help, utterly unconvinced of its reality.

Qin Feng was at a loss for words.

She'd be in for a huge surprise when she saw the money at the office!

A short time later, she arrived at the company's entrance.

Hsu Yunxiao stepped off the electric scooter and made her way inside.

As Qin Feng rode away, he overheard some nearby chatter.

"See that? Director Hsu can't even keep that old Santana running. The company's days are numbered!"

"Seriously, a CEO commuting on a scooter? It's a total embarrassment."

Hearing them, Qin Feng sighed. He resolved to buy his wife a new car, especially with over two hundred million yuan in his account. But time was pressing.

He had to meet with Old Fu at Vast Entertainment to handle some transfer formalities...

Inside her office, Hsu Yunxiao shut the door, feeling utterly deflated. Those whispers weren't lost on her.

"Damn, why did I let him drop me off? It's just humiliating..." she muttered to herself.

Then, she noticed two boxes next to her desk, recalling Qin Feng's words from the previous evening. "Could there really be eight million in there?" she wondered aloud.

But she quickly scoffed at her own naivety. "Don't be ridiculous. Trusting in the empty promises of your good-for-nothing husband? You must be losing your mind."

Still, the appearance of two mysterious boxes in her office was odd. She hoisted them onto her desk and opened them to satisfy her curiosity.

The sight took her breath away. Her eyes widened in shock.

Money! Two boxes crammed with cash, exactly eight million!

Hsu Yunxiao was dumbstruck. She hadn't actually expected to find eight million!

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion, tears nearly spilling over. The burden she had carried as a woman, alone with this financial weight, had been immense. Now, the company's crisis could finally be resolved.

After regaining her composure and drying her eyes, she pondered, "But where did this money come from?"

Could it have been Qin Feng?

He did bring up the two boxes of money, after all. But eight million? It was unfathomable that he could possess such an amount.

Baffled, Hsu Yunxiao called Lee Jie.

Lee Jie was just as shocked, but after a moment's thought, she suggested, "It has to be Junchao!"

"Junchao?" Hsu Yunxiao echoed.

"Think about it! Besides him, who else would come to your aid? You called him before yesterday's meeting, right? He knew about your company's financial woes, so he must have brought the money. But your worthless husband scared him off and took the money upstairs himself," Lee Jie reasoned.

"That makes sense," Hsu Yunxiao brightened, then added with frustration, "So, Qin Feng knew Junchao came to deliver money, chased him away, and kept the money for himself? That's outrageous!"

"I've been saying you should divorce him already. He's broke and useless, all he does is put on a show!" Lee Jie grumbled. "Remember last night? He lucked out with a free meal but claimed he paid. Isn't that just an act?"

Hsu Yunxiao sighed, "And to think, he promised to buy me a car this morning."

"See what I mean? He's pretending again, driven by vanity. A man like that will never achieve anything significant. You should be with Junchao," Lee Jie urged once more.

Feeling helpless, Hsu Yunxiao conceded, "I should at least call Junchao to thank him."

After hanging up, she dialed Yang Junchao's number, only to be informed that his phone service had been suspended due to non-payment.

How peculiar. With his means, how could Yang Junchao's phone possibly be out of service?