Chapter 30: A Conceited Woman!

Chapter 30: A Self-Righteous Woman!

Before long, the small electric scooter arrived at the entrance of Qinglin Villa.

"Isn't this Fuhai Villa? Why did they change the name?" Qin Ren asked, puzzled. He had visited this place with Qin Lin back when they were still university students, during a summer break gathering.

As Qin Lin parked his scooter in front of the lobby, Gao Yaoyao, dressed in a flashy, meticulously styled outfit, walked up to greet them: "Boss!"

"Linzi, this girl is quite something... Wait, 'Boss'?" Qin Ren, who was habitually focusing on the attractive young woman, suddenly snapped to attention. "Linzi, are you the owner of this villa? 'Qinglin Villa'—no wonder it’s named that."

"Da Ren, let’s go. Let's take a look at the shooting location. Also, this lady is Gao Yaoyao; she’s acting as our model today." Qin Lin gestured for him to follow, leading Qin Ren into the sea of bougainvillea.

"Holy cow!" Qin Ren was stunned as he looked at the expanse before him. "Linzi, did you create this?"

"Yeah! Just finished it," Qin Lin nodded.

"Linzi, you’re incredible!" Qin Ren exclaimed, visibly impressed. He knew his friend’s family background very well, so the shock of seeing him pull off something like this was immense. How much would it cost to maintain such a sea of flowers? However, he didn't pry further. Asking too many questions would spoil the mood; after all, everyone has their own fortunes—perhaps his friend had won the lottery or secured an investor.

Qin Lin smiled. "Da Ren, I wanted to hire your studio to film a promotional video and take some photos of this sea of flowers."

"Ah..." Qin Ren looked troubled. "I can't do this alone!"

Qin Lin knew that, of course, and laughed, "I’m placing an order with your studio. Make sure to give me a discount!"

"Not just a discount, you’ll get our best service. Just remember to leave a five-star review." Qin Ren didn't hesitate; he pulled out his phone and called his team immediately. He knew he couldn't handle this project alone, and since he knew Qin Lin was looking out for him, he was determined to do a stellar job.

While Qin Lin waited, he noticed Gao Yaoyao giggling at her phone. Curious, he asked, "What’s so funny?"

Gao Yaoyao looked up and asked, "Boss, if I register the trademark for 'Youcheng Meat Guangbing,' does that mean I won't have to pay when I eat at all those shops selling them in Youcheng? Since they'd be using my trademark."

Qin Lin was dumbfounded. "Uh, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?"

Gao Yaoyao ducked her head, saying, "I'm just joking. I just watched a video where someone registered the trademark for 'Roujiamo' (meat burger) and sued hundreds of shops nationwide, demanding 99,800 yuan in compensation from each."

"What?" Qin Lin looked incredulous. If that lawsuit succeeded, how much money would that be? Tens of millions in an instant—that was even easier than his own business.

It’s true that you don't fear a thug; you fear a thug with an education. He even felt a brief, impulsive urge to register the trademark for Youcheng Meat Guangbing, along with the local Zao Cai noodles and pig head meat! But he knew it was just a fleeting thought—he’d definitely get mobbed. Besides, the authorities would surely step in; otherwise, if everyone started doing it, society would descend into chaos.

After Qin Ren made his call, three of his studio partners arrived shortly after. They were equally stunned when they saw the bougainvillea sea. They had initially thought Qin Ren was just helping a friend with a small favor, but it turned out his friend had handed them a massive contract. Why didn't they have friends like that?

However, as they helped film the sea of bougainvillea, Qin Ren and his partners grew even more shocked. If the aerial footage from the outside was breathtaking, being inside was truly surreal. Especially in the center, with the help of the villa’s model, the footage and photos they captured had a poetic quality, looking like pure art.

One partner exclaimed, "Qin Ren, you’ve really improved! This looks like the work of a master."

"It’s just that this place is too beautiful," Qin Ren replied with a grin. It was his first time capturing such perfect promotional material. In particular, the footage of the three most beautiful bougainvillea trees was on par with the work of top-tier photographers. Naturally, he didn't know this was because those trees had the game’s attribute bonuses—specifically, an "In-Frame +3" attribute.

"Linzi, we’ll work overtime tonight to get the video and photos ready. You can use them by tomorrow," Qin Ren promised before leaving. Back at the studio, he told his partners, "Let’s put in the extra hours, everyone. Don't make me lose face in front of my brother." The others agreed willingly. They weren't fools; they had a gut feeling that this bougainvillea sea was going to be a hit. This project would also serve as great publicity for their own studio, so they were determined to make it perfect.

That evening, Liao Li brought her cousin, Chu Na, to visit. Seeing her fiancé editing the video, she was amazed. "Honey, where was this filmed? It’s so beautiful!"

Even Chu Na was curious. "Is there really such a beautiful place in our Youcheng?"

Qin Ren, feeling proud, explained, "Xiao Li, let me tell you, Qin Lin is a deep one. He built this villa and created this sea of bougainvillea. Those plants don't look like ordinary stock. That 30-acre area must have cost millions. That kid is really something." His words were filled with genuine surprise and happiness for his friend.

Liao Li was amazed, knowing the situation of her fiancé’s childhood friend. However, Chu Na felt something was off. Had she misjudged him?

Liao Li didn't want to disturb her fiancé, so she pulled her cousin aside. Chu Na asked eagerly, "Lili, can you send me Qin Lin’s WeChat?"

Liao Li teased, "Cousin, didn't you say you were just joking last time?"

Chu Na didn't care. "I didn't know his situation then, did I? What woman doesn't want to find someone with good prospects?"

Liao Li reluctantly sent her the contact. Chu Na immediately sent a friend request.

On the other side, Qin Lin received a request with the note: "Liao Li’s cousin, can we be friends?" He frowned—why was Liao Li’s cousin adding him out of the blue? He checked her profile; despite the heavy filtering, he could recognize the girl who had been with Liao Li. She looked like she needed a plastic surgery operation to match her photos.

He realized what was happening—people who hadn't asked for his contact before were suddenly interested now that they saw his "success." Since getting together with Zhao Moqing, he made it a rule never to add other women on WeChat out of respect for her. He was about to decline, but thinking of her relation to Liao Li, he replied politely: "Sorry, my wife doesn't allow me to add women."

Chu Na was stunned. "Lili, why didn't you tell me Qin Lin was married?"

"???" Liao Li was equally confused. If Qin Lin were married, Qin Ren would certainly know. He wasn't married at all! She realized Qin Lin had figured out her cousin's intentions and used a polite excuse to reject her. She shook her head and didn't bother correcting her cousin. Her cousin was one of those "narcissistic" types who lived in a fantasy world, believing that because a few random men liked her photos on social media, she was a catch. She was already "leftover" age, yet she still dreamed of finding someone young, handsome, and rich—while the men who actually fit that description wouldn't look twice at her.