48: Bankrupt Daughter

On the sofa.

Lu Jiaqi was already leaning against Xu Zimo, so she naturally heard what Xiao Shulan said on the phone.

Xu Zimo could have let her handle it herself.

However, if he wanted to keep his little assistant and improve her favorability, he had to resolve her worries so that she could work for him with peace of mind in the future.

Besides, for him, it was just a matter of convenience.

“Auntie, I’m here.”

Xu Zimo spoke, startling Lu Jiaqi, who looked at him in disbelief.

However, Xu Zimo just squeezed her small hand, signaling her to relax.

“Oh, well... are you two really together?”

Compared to Xu Zimo’s calmness, Xiao Shulan on the other end of the phone was so nervous that her words were disjointed, finally complaining in a low voice, “Qiqi is really something, she didn’t even tell me in advance...”

Hearing this, Xu Zimo understood... this was a mother who genuinely cared about her daughter’s happiness.

If it were the kind of parents who acted overbearing during their first meeting and conversation, they would surely be difficult to get along with.

Lu Jiaqi’s mother’s nervousness, on the contrary, showed that she was afraid her tone just now might have left a bad impression on him, affecting her daughter.

So, Xu Zimo took the initiative to say, “Hello Auntie, my name is Xu Zimo, and I am Jiaqi’s boyfriend.”

Lu Jiaqi, in his arms, heard this and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

Originally, she thought taking a joint photo was the limit, but she never expected Xu Zimo to actually acknowledge their relationship to her mother.

“Hello, hello, I am Qiqi’s mother.”

Xiao Shulan also reacted, feigning composure, and began to ask some basic information.

Where he was from, when they got together.

Even when Xu Zimo said they were colleagues, Xiao Shulan’s attitude didn’t change. Instead, she asked when the two of them would come back to meet, and Xu Zimo readily agreed.

During the conversation, Lu Jiaqi couldn’t even get a word in.

It wasn’t until Xu Zimo handed the phone back to her that she reacted, “Mr. Xu, you... why did you agree?”

“What, you don’t welcome me to your home?”

Xu Zimo asked with a smile.

Lu Jiaqi quickly said, “No... it’s not that.”

Of course, she hoped he would, but she was also aware of her position and naturally didn’t dare to have such extravagant hopes.

Xu Zimo suddenly became serious, “As long as you are willing to stay with me, besides marriage, I can satisfy anything else you want.”

“Until we grow old and die.”

“Of course, there’s one thing you must understand: I cannot accept betrayal!”

Lu Jiaqi didn’t speak, but expressed everything through her actions and favorability.

Name: Lu Jiaqi (Favorability 80/100)

Afterward, Xu Zimo experienced the joy of autonomous driving.

Noon.

He finally opened the system.

“Task loading...”

“I am a third-year student at Zhongnan University, and my family has gone bankrupt.”

“For the first 22 years, I lived a life envied by everyone around me. My father was a contractor who partnered with large, well-known enterprises. To secure a project, he staked his entire fortune and ultimately succeeded in winning the project.”

“Initially, we thought that as long as the houses were built, our family would achieve financial freedom, but we didn’t expect to encounter a real estate winter.”

“The other company’s capital chain had problems and couldn’t pay. To cover the advance payments, my father even mortgaged our family villa. The project was left unfinished, and repayment was hopeless. My father died of depression, and our family’s house was also repossessed...”

“I can no longer afford the luxury goods I used to buy frequently, and to even maintain a semblance of a decent life, I secretly sold the bags I had bought one by one. But now, I have nothing left.”

“I hope someone can see through my vulnerability and save me. As long as they give me five million, I am willing to follow them and learn for a year!”

“Task: Five million in cash.”

“Reward: One year of learning time.”

Xu Zimo was stunned.

What kind of task is this?!

A rich girl whose family went bankrupt, going to such lengths to maintain a decent life for her vanity?

Such drastic ups and downs are indeed very difficult for someone accustomed to a life of luxury.

But this price... it’s really expensive!

And he didn’t even know what the person looked like yet.

Xu Zimo decisively chose to give up.

He couldn’t not give up; he only had tens of thousands of yuan in usable cash right now. Where would he find five million?

He was just a little bit short on favorability to exchange for attribute points.

Xu Zimo was thinking about whether to find Jiang Yuwei, or... Feng Fangfang to make up the difference.

Unexpectedly, his parents called, saying that Relatives would be coming to the new house in the afternoon.

That is, the villa in Green City Qingzhuyuan.

Clearly, his parents had informed Relatives and friends about the celebration, and some might have asked about the house, so they were coming to see for themselves.

The situation with Relatives... actually, every family is the same; there are certainly rich ones and poor ones, those who are close and those who have drifted apart.

Xu Zimo’s paternal grandfather had three brothers, but his father, Xu Jianguo, only had one sister, who was Xu Zimo’s paternal aunt.

She was also the closest relative to Xu Zimo’s family.

However, his paternal aunt’s family situation was very ordinary, and because his paternal uncle had diabetes and had to go to the hospital frequently, their life was very tight.

As for Xu Jianguo’s paternal cousins... although they still visited during Chinese New Year, they rarely contacted each other normally.

On the other hand, several of his maternal uncles and aunts were closer to Xu Zimo’s family.

Xu Zimo managed to find that job partly because his maternal uncle helped a little; otherwise, it would be quite difficult for an ordinary university student to earn over ten thousand yuan a month.

Unable to decline, Xu Zimo originally wanted to take his little assistant with him, but Lu Jiaqi demurred, saying that deliveries would arrive today and she had to wait at home.

Xu Zimo didn’t insist, so he drove alone to Green City Qingzhuyuan... Some of Xu Jianguo’s paternal cousins were well-off, while others were just average.

His Third Paternal Uncle had joined a credit union and worked there for thirty years, now serving as a director in a branch. Although he wasn’t arrogant, he did put on airs in front of family members.

He had a very strong leadership demeanor.

Similarly, his Third Paternal Aunt also felt superior among Relatives.

Every New Year’s Day, Relatives would go to the eldest paternal uncle’s house to pay respects. Everyone would more or less help with some tasks, but his Third Paternal Aunt never lifted a finger.

So, when she heard Xu Jianguo announce that he had bought a new house, his Third Paternal Aunt casually asked, and upon learning it was a villa, she was the first to disbelieve it.

Although she offered congratulations verbally, she suggested visiting the new house to share in the good fortune.

And she tagged everyone in the 'Loving Family' group chat, saying they would all go together this afternoon.

Xu Jianguo didn’t waste words and directly sent the location of Green City Qingzhuyuan.

So, his Eldest Paternal Aunt drove, picked up his Third Paternal Aunt and the others, and together they headed to Qingzhuyuan.

When they arrived, Xu Zimo hadn’t yet. After stating the house number and Xu Jianguo’s name, the security guard at the gate actually let them through, which shocked them considerably.