Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Soon, the group walked to the front yard.

In the center of the yard was a small swimming pool, 20 meters long and 4 meters wide. It was surrounded by a winding path paved with natural stone, connecting the south-side entrance gate to the villa.

"President Gu, it might seem a bit empty right now."

"That’s because the flowers and greenery haven’t been brought in yet. Once they are, there will be a row of plants directly in front of the pool to act as a natural screen. The surroundings will be bursting with flowers. It will look beautiful once it’s all set up."

Jiang Man stood before the pool. After speaking, she looked at Gu Heng. "President Gu, if you’re interested in buying, I can send you the designer’s blueprints. You can just follow them to purchase the flowers and plants."

"If you don’t like the design, you can also hire a landscaper to redesign it and plant the flowers and greenery you prefer."

Gu Heng nodded. He gazed at the spacious private pool before him, then at the open yard, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

So far, Gu Heng’s impression of the villa was very positive.

"President Gu, that’s the general overview of the yard."

"Let’s head inside the villa and take a look."

Jiang Man made an inviting gesture toward Gu Heng, and the group followed her into the villa.

Opening the villa’s main door, a spacious and bright foyer came into view.

The foyer floor was entirely paved with marble tiles, their texture natural and flowing, their feel smooth and refined.

"President Gu, all the marble tiles you’ll be seeing were made from natural stone imported from Italy. I’ve kept the relevant invoices and customs duty forms, and I can show them to you later."

Jiang Man waved to the group, indicating that they didn’t need to take off their shoes and could just walk right in.

The group passed through the foyer and into the villa’s living room.

"The ceiling is a full eight meters high, and the room stretches 24 meters from north to south."

"The villas in Yu Cui Garden don’t have basements, so we moved the recreational area, which would normally be downstairs, to the third floor. The first floor only has the living room, dining room, kitchen, a maid’s room, a utility room, a storage room, and a guest bathroom. That’s about it."

Jiang Man stood in the center of the living room making her introductions, while Gu Heng wandered around, taking it all in.

The full eight-meter-high ceiling and the artful crystal chandelier above—which you could tell was priceless just by looking at it—made the entire living room feel grand and majestic.

From a design perspective, the designer used a black, white, and brown color palette to its fullest potential, creating a look that was high-end without feeling cold.

The black leather sofa was soft and comfortable to the touch.

In front of it was a coffee table cast from a single block of resin, with fine gold leaf embedded within, its surface as smooth as a mirror.

The TV accent wall featured a design combining natural stone and wood-grain stone, which looked quite spectacular.

On the other side of the living room was the dining area.

The two spaces had an open-plan design. In the center stood a round table, also made of natural marble, paired with brushed cowhide dining chairs. An artistic chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the table could easily accommodate 10 people.

The dining room and kitchen were separated by an island. Black appliances—a refrigerator, oven, instant hot water dispenser, and microwave—were embedded in the brown cabinetry, which was topped with a quartz countertop, creating a very beautiful look.

"President Gu, let’s head up to the second floor."

Jiang Man accompanied Gu Heng on a full tour of the first floor before leading him toward the staircase.

The villa actually had an elevator, but there were too many of them, and Gu Heng wanted to see more of the house, so the group took the stairs.

"The second floor is purely a living area."

"Aside from the master bedroom, the other three guest bedrooms are also suites."

The first room the group entered was the master suite.

Its design featured a dual-circulation layout. The walls were covered in plush velvet panels, and the bedframe was carved from walnut, complemented by long-staple cotton bedding and goose-down pillows.

The walk-in closet had a circular, motorized rotating hanging rack, equipped with a smart lighting system and a built-in, top-of-the-line, climate-controlled safe.

The bathroom floor was laid with gray-veined marble. The acrylic dual-basin vanity stretched a full six meters long. The built-in bathtub had a widened edge, and the circular tub itself was spacious enough to fit three people without feeling crowded.

Afterward, they toured the other three guest suites. They all followed the same model as the master suite—a bedroom, a private bathroom, and a walk-in closet—the only difference being that they were slightly smaller in area.

Finally, the group arrived on the third floor.

It had everything one could ask for: an audio-visual room, a gym, a study, a sauna, and a physical therapy room.

Besides these, a functional area that really caught Gu Heng’s eye was a room on the south side of the third floor, which directly overlooked the front yard.

This was a room that combined a cigar lounge, a wine cellar, and a tea room into one, with a total area of a hundred square meters.

Three sets of floor-to-ceiling windows created a transparent, sweeping view. Standing here, one could not only clearly look down upon the entire front yard but also take in all of Yu Cui Garden, and even gaze at the distant Jingyue Lake.

It truly fulfilled Yu Cui Garden’s opening slogan: "Perched on the southern slope, overlooking the shimmering light of Jingyue."

And on the wall opposite the floor-to-ceiling windows were exquisite, built-in cabinets for cigars, red wine, spirits, and tea.

Even though the cabinets were currently empty, they still looked magnificent.

"My ex-husband enjoyed cigars, liquor, and tea—he liked to smoke fine cigars, savor good tea, and drink good wine. That’s why, of all the functional rooms on the third floor, this is the one we invested the most in."

"This room is equipped with an independent ventilation system that exchanges the air six times per hour. The floor-to-ceiling windows can switch to a frosted mode. And that sound system over there, the one that can play CDs, is from B&O. That speaker alone cost 1.2 million."

As Jiang Man introduced this room, her expression and tone inexplicably grew complicated.

This was also the first time Jiang Man had mentioned her significant other.

’Ex-husband?’

Gu Heng’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was beginning to understand.

As she spoke, Jiang Man picked up a remote control from the ebony table in the center of the room and made the sound system start playing.

A CD instantly slid into place inside the unit, and music began to drift out.

...

Not half a word of forgiveness is spoken,

In this moment, life itself takes form.

In the past, you once searched for a voice now lost,

As the sun sets, we pray to hold a single moment of our youth.

Yearning in the storm, lost in dreams, there will always be a sigh...

...

The moment the music began to play from the 1.2-million-yuan sound system, Gu Heng felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

’It would be incredible to sit here late at night, pour a glass of wine, light up a cigar, and listen to my favorite music. Just the thought of it is amazing.’

Meanwhile, Luo Xiwen, standing beside Gu Heng, stared at the 1.2-million-yuan sound system. She felt her own fledgling values being shattered to pieces.

A million yuan. To an ordinary person, that was the price of a whole apartment.

But here, it was merely a decorative accessory in just one of the rooms.

As for Jiang Man, who stood at the very front, she listened quietly to the classic old song, "A Moment of Romance," only raising her hand to turn off the sound system after the very last line faded away...