Chapter 148 - 147: See You at the Gaokao
Xu Bamboo still had many things to deal with.
As a young woman only two months away from legal adulthood, the law wasn’t about to go out of its way to trouble her by appointing some kind of "guardian."
After all, by the time all the paperwork was processed, Xu Bamboo would be an adult, making it a pointless exercise.
Considering Xu Bamboo’s college entrance exams were coming up in just nine days, the authorities were fully understanding and agreed that some of the more troublesome matters could wait until after she was finished.
When she left, the police had asked if she needed any help.
Xu Bamboo shook her head, saying that she just wanted to leave and see Yang Shen.
That was what had transpired before Xu Bamboo was released.
However, she obviously couldn’t go back to live in that villa. Even though her bedroom on the third floor was completely unscathed, there were too many soul rings inside, and it was still a crime scene.
Dealing with the aftermath would likely take a very long time.
Furthermore, while no expense was spared on her daily needs—especially her Supplements—Xu Bamboo had very little "pocket money" of her own. This was normal, given her strict upbringing.
Ye Qingyao had certainly left behind a substantial inheritance, and even the "trust fund" provided by the Xu Family theoretically belonged to Xu Bamboo. But she couldn’t use it and had no idea how to access it.
She didn’t even know the PIN for her mother’s bank card.
This was where the importance of having your own money became apparent.
Yang Shen directly transferred 50,000 to Xu Bamboo.
If he had the space, Yang Shen would have gladly taken Xu Bamboo home with him, but it was already a bit crowded. Suddenly being thrown in with the entire Yang Family wouldn’t be conducive to sorting out her life or preparing for the exams.
Xu Bamboo decided to find a hotel near Yang Shen’s house for the time being. She would spend a small portion of her time dealing with the aftermath and the majority of it studying.
Preparing for the college entrance exams in nine days.
Yang Shen took Xu Bamboo back to the villa to grab some fresh clothes, then they found a hotel and were now at the front desk checking in.
"Here, hold onto this washbasin. You’ll be staying for the better part of a month, so you’ll need one of your own."
Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo were each carrying a large bag filled with things Xu Bamboo might need over the next few days.
Clothes, slippers, a towel, the washbasin... They looked less like they were checking into a hotel and more like they were fleeing a famine.
Just then, a car pulled up in front of the hotel, and a meticulously dressed middle-aged man in his forties stepped out.
The man walked over with a smile. "Miss Xu, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. Allow me to help you with your bags."
Xu Bamboo didn’t let go. The man, finding himself rebuffed, didn’t get angry. He simply smiled and said, "My name is Towns. You may not recognize me, Miss Xu, but I am the manager of your trust fund."
Xu Bamboo and Yang Shen exchanged a glance. ’So that’s what this is about,’ they thought.
This was definitely a conversation they needed to have.
The three of them sat down in the hotel’s lobby lounge. It wasn’t a five-star hotel by any means, just clean and convenient, costing about 300 a night.
The middle-aged man, Towns, began, "This is all so unexpected... Sigh. Please, accept my condolences."
"While I’ve always dealt with Ms. Ye in the past, given that she was your guardian, this trust fund ultimately belongs to you, Miss Xu."
"That’s why when Ms. Ye was killed, the police didn’t notify me right away. I only heard the news this afternoon..."
Xu Bamboo nodded. "Then what have you come here for?"
Towns said gravely, "Theoretically, I’m here to help you handle everything."
"Everything?"
Towns nodded and took a stack of documents from his briefcase. It was a portion of the paperwork related to Xu Bamboo’s "trust fund."
"According to the agreement, we are supposed to handle miscellaneous affairs on your behalf, especially in a special situation such as this... your mother’s passing before you come of age."
The purpose of a "trust fund," besides providing financial security for the beneficiary, is also to help handle external trivialities.
Of course, family matters are outside their purview. As long as Ye Qingyao was alive and was the guardian, how strictly she treated Xu Bamboo was not something the trust would interfere with.
Towns began counting on his fingers. "First, there are your mother’s funeral arrangements. In any case, the services, memorial, and selection of a burial plot are all necessary."
"Second is the damage to Jinshui Villa, Unit 14. It will need to be assessed for repairs or potential sale. You may not be aware, but the house itself is registered under your name..."
"Lastly, Ms. Ye surely had various scattered investments, debts owed to her, and partnerships over the years. These are all part of your inheritance. We need to establish your legal claim to them as soon as possible for legal protection. Any delay risks asset transfers or fraudulent concealment."
"Due to legal requirements, most of these will require you to be present in person at least once..."
"You’re currently in that awkward period between being a minor and an adult, which will make the paperwork exceptionally troublesome. But delaying until August isn’t ideal either... I hope you can understand."
As he listed them one by one, not only Xu Bamboo but also Yang Shen felt a headache forming...
Towns concluded, "Of course, our first priority is arranging your living situation. With the college entrance exams so close, we will find a more suitable residence for you, allowing you to study in comfort while also making it easier to handle the matters I’ve just listed."
Xu Bamboo hesitated. "It’s fine here..."
It was mainly because this hotel was right across from Yang Shen’s home... The two had already agreed to study together on the Celestial Platform every day.
Towns didn’t press the issue, simply saying, "Please consider it..."
While Xu Bamboo was thinking, Yang Shen suddenly asked, "Mr. Tang, does your presence here mean the Xu Family already knows what happened?"
Towns smiled. "I’m not certain. In truth, since the trust was established, the Xu Family has had very little contact with us..."
It was likely a case of ’out of sight, out of mind.’ As long as the principal assets of the "trust" didn’t need to be touched, the Xu Family had no need to get involved. Xu Bamboo only ever received the profits generated by those assets.
Towns likely wasn’t responsible for Xu Bamboo alone; behind him was a large, mature, and experienced financial services company.
Yang Shen asked, "Then do you think... the Xu Family will do anything?"
Towns shook his head. "The Xu Family is the Xu Family, and Miss Xu is Miss Xu. I cannot judge whether there will be any further contact between them."
Yang Shen nodded.
"Do you mind if I make a call to confirm your identity?"
After all, he had appeared out of nowhere. While the documents looked authentic, the possibility of a scam couldn’t be ruled out.
The amount of money involved was no small sum; it was more than enough to motivate a large-scale fraud.
Towns smiled. "Be my guest."
He was actually quite curious. ’How is a high school kid going to verify my identity?’
’Has he even finished his schooling? And he’s talking about verifying identities...’
Yang Shen took out his phone and dialed a number.
The phone rang for more than ten seconds before the call connected, and a gentle voice came through the receiver.
"Yang? Have you changed your mind? Are you going to join my research group?"
Yang Shen said, "Professor... Xu, there’s something I’d like to consult you about."
He was contacting "Xu Mo," Xu Bamboo’s nominal Uncle, but not knowing how to address him, he simply settled on Professor Xu.
Towns was visibly stunned when he heard that title. The only person in the Xu Family who would be called "Professor"... was the Patriarch himself!
’Good heavens, he’s making a call straight to the Patriarch of the Xu Family?’
’I thought you were just some poor student. Turns out you’re a Second Generation of Martial Artists, too?’
Yang Shen briefly explained the events of the previous night. It was hard to tell if Xu Mo didn’t care or if the entire Xu Family didn’t care, but there was a clear note of shock from the other end of the line.
Afterward, Yang Shen gave him the name of Towns’s company: Antai Trust.
Xu Mo seemed to ask someone beside him a few questions, then replied a moment later, "I’ve inquired. It seems that is correct. Their identity is not a problem."
But that was all.
The Patriarch of the Xu Family asked nothing else, as if Ye Qingyao’s violent death was merely a trivial matter to him.
There wasn’t a single word of concern, nor any suggestion that he should speak with Xu Bamboo.
He only told Yang Shen to continue considering his previous proposal: joining his project team focused on "Curse Engraving."
Only after Yang Shen hung up the phone did Xu Bamboo ask, "Shenzi, what do you think?"
Yang Shen thought for a moment. "It’s up to you... This is all genuinely a hassle..."
It was like a sudden fault line had appeared in an incredibly complex legal and financial structure. Picking up the pieces would be impossible without the help of Towns’s company.
Otherwise, Xu Bamboo wouldn’t even know the extent of Ye Qingyao’s estate.
Xu Bamboo herself wasn’t particularly concerned about the money, but that didn’t mean she should just give it all away for free, right?
This was her financial security for the future, after all.
After a long moment of thought, Xu Bamboo looked at Towns. "Alright, I’ll go with you to Jianghuai. We’ll take care of what’s necessary, but everything has to revolve around my college entrance exams."
Towns smiled. "You can rest assured, Miss Xu. This will only make your exam preparation smoother, not more chaotic. We can arrange everything, including your accommodations, Supplements, training regimen, and private tutoring."
Xu Bamboo looked at Yang Shen. "I guess I’ll see you at the exams, then."
Or, considering they might not be in the same testing center, maybe after the exams.
Yang Shen patted the back of her hand. "It’s okay. We’ll stay in touch. We’ll have plenty of time to be together later. It’s just for a few days."
...
Towns called the driver over to move their bags into the car’s trunk.
Before she left, Yang Shen stopped Xu Bamboo. "Here, this is for you. I was originally going to give it to you tonight."
He placed two individually wrapped Elixir Pills in her hand. "Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills. I was planning for us to each take one, but you should just take them both. Take one tonight and the other before the exams. I have more at home."
Xu Bamboo clutched the Pills tightly in her palm.
Then, Yang Shen took out a half-full bottle of mineral water...
"This... how should I put this... just think of it as one of your Supplements. You’ll know what it does once you drink it."
Xu Bamboo picked it up and looked at it doubtfully. ’Is this really not just leftover mineral water?’
Yang Shen chuckled. "Just think of it as ’Yang’s Essence Liquid.’ Go on, you can drink it."
Xu Bamboo nodded.
The two of them fell into a brief silence.
People are often like that—not wanting to part, but knowing what must be done, and unable to find a reason to linger.
Xu Bamboo took a deep breath, stepped in front of Yang Shen, and hugged him tightly.
"Shenzi, thank you."
Yang Shen hugged her back, embracing the newly emerged butterfly.
"What for...?"
Xu Bamboo rose onto her tiptoes and pecked the corner of his mouth with her delicate, pink lips. "For everything... yours and mine."
"I’ll be back. You’re not allowed to forget me."