"You're here so early?" Liu Shijia turned her head.
Xiao Xun poured Liu Shijia a glass of water and sat beside her. "It seems you have something on your mind. Speak your mind!"
"How did you know?" Liu Shijia asked curiously.
Xiao Xun pointed outside the door. "My car is parked right in front of the restaurant. You know that car, don't you? You didn't even notice me when you came in."
Liu Shijia seemed a little flustered. "I didn't see you!"
"That's because I was in the kitchen. We're family, there's no need to be distant. If you consider me your younger brother, then tell me, did someone bully you?"
Facing the now imposing Xiao Xun, Liu Shijia, who had always bullied him when they were younger, suddenly felt smaller. "No, he's very good to me." Her voice grew softer as she spoke.
"He? Who is he?"
Liu Shijia's expression clearly turned displeased. "Oh, just stop asking!"
Xiao Xun knew Liu Shijia's temper. "Then what did you want to see me about?"
Liu Shijia looked like she had something to say but hesitated. After a long internal debate, she finally spoke as if making a firm decision, "Can I borrow some money from you?"
Although Xiao Xun didn't know why Liu Shijia needed the money, he remembered how his cousin had always taken care of him. Money wasn't a big issue for him now.
So, he said generously, "No problem, how much do you need?"
Liu Shijia held up two fingers. "Twenty million. Do you have it?"
Xiao Xun was stunned, his jaw almost dropping. "Cousin, you didn't borrow from loan sharks, did you? The interest must be sky-high for you to owe so much money!"
Liu Shijia stomped her foot. "Oh, I didn't borrow that stuff. Just tell me if you'll lend it to me or not! Don't worry, I'll definitely pay you back."
Xiao Xun opened the cola the boss had given him and took a swig. "Twenty million. That's not a small amount. If you don't tell me the purpose, how can I dare to lend it to you?"
Liu Shijia began to pick at her index finger's second knuckle with her right thumb. "I want to start a business."
Xiao Xun tapped his temples. "Sis, are you kidding me? With your brain for business, it's not that I look down on you, but don't get tricked again. Besides, what kind of business requires millions right from the start?"
Liu Shijia seemed to have made a big decision. "If you lend me the money, I'll be very grateful, and I'll definitely pay you back. If you can't, please don't mock me like this."
In all his life, Xiao Xun had never seen his cousin in this state. If she weren't truly in trouble, she would never have asked.
"Sis, if you still consider me your brother, tell me the truth. I have the money. For all the good you've done for me over the years, I'd give it to you for free."
Looking at Xiao Xun's anxious eyes, Liu Shijia drank a glass of water. "Gu Yingxiong was kicked out by his family. He wants to start his own business, but he has no capital. He needs twenty million as startup funds."
Xiao Xun had a strong aversion to the name. "Gu Yingxiong? He was kicked out by his family. What happened, did his dad discover he's not his biological son?"
Liu Shijia slapped the table unhappily. "I won't allow you to talk about him like that. He was kicked out because of me." She then lowered her head again.
Xiao Xun asked curiously, "Because of you? What's your connection to this?"
Liu Shijia said, "Because he wants to marry me, but his mother doesn't agree. She said our family is too humble and not good enough for them. She gave me five million to leave. But Yingxiong disagreed and argued with his mother. In anger, his mother kicked him out too."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xun leaned back in his chair and waved his hand. "It's alright. Maybe his mother is testing you two, seeing if you're truly in love."
Liu Shijia shook her head. "No, families like that are very particular about social status. The way his mother spoke didn't seem like acting."
Xiao Xun chuckled. "I don't believe that. When I bring my grandson to visit, the old lady still won't recognize her own grandson."
Liu Shijia said directly, "Recognizing a grandson doesn't mean recognizing a daughter-in-law. Never mind, if you're not willing to lend the money, don't joke with your sister."
Seeing Liu Shijia about to leave, Xiao Xun grabbed her wrist. "I'll lend it. I never said I wouldn't. However, I want Gu Yingxiong to come and borrow it from me. As long as he asks, I'll lend it to him immediately."
Liu Shijia was troubled. "I'm asking you to borrow money, can't you just consider it borrowed by me?"
Xiao Xun said resolutely, "No."
Liu Shijia broke free from Xiao Xun's hand. "Then I'll pretend I never came."
With that, she walked towards the restaurant entrance.
The boss was walking in with dishes and asked Liu Shijia where she was going. She walked out without looking back.
"Where did your sister go?"
Xiao Xun smiled at the boss's question. "She had something to attend to and left. Forget about the dishes that haven't been made yet. I can't eat that much by myself."
"Alright."
Watching his cousin's dejected back, Xiao Xun felt a mix of emotions.
After finishing his meal, Xiao Xun drove to the famous Gu family mansion, a garden-style villa. It was also located in the suburbs, but not in the same area as the villa complex developed by Mu Jiahe.
Xiao Xun admired the stone lions at the entrance and the strong security guards. "As expected of a family in business for four generations, this estate has a deep cultural heritage!"
His car was stopped from a distance. The security guard looked into Xiao Xun's car, primarily checking who was sitting in the back seat. Cars like this were usually driven by chauffeurs. Seeing no one, he asked, "Sir, hello, who are you looking for?"
"Is Old Madam Yu here?"
The security guard asked suspiciously, "What are you looking for our Madam for?"
"Please inform your old madam that Liu Shijia's cousin from her maternal side has arrived."
The security guard took out his walkie-talkie and reported the situation. The response came back quickly to the butler, who then went to ask Old Madam Yu.
Afterward, the butler asked the security guard to escort Xiao Xun inside. The butler was driving an electric cart and offered Xiao Xun a ride.
Xiao Xun asked the security guard where to park his car. The guard pointed him to a spot and handed the keys to another guard at the entrance.
Getting into the electric cart, Xiao Xun was truly amazed. The estate was both luxurious and magnificent. No wonder everyone in G City showed respect to Gu Yingxiong. Their family background was evident. The Gu family's detailed information couldn't even be found online.
It could be said that Gu Yingxiong gave up his 'prince' status for Liu Shijia. Not just anyone could do that; it was definitely true love.
Led by the security guard, Xiao Xun entered the house, thinking, "Indeed, poverty limits imagination." If nothing else, the crystal chandelier at the entrance alone, he estimated, was over ten meters high.
At first, he thought such things only happened in fairy tales, but he never expected his cousin to become the protagonist of such a story.
Xiao Xun, who had initially planned to be low-key, felt a bit intimidated by the grandeur of the noble family.
The butler led Xiao Xun to the reception hall. A maid served him tea. The porcelain was the most exquisite he had ever seen, with the clear, jade-green tea water faintly visible within the vessel. Lifting the lid, the tea aroma wafted out, refreshing the mind.
Old Madam Yu, despite being called an old madam, was only in her fifties and extremely well-preserved. If the butler hadn't introduced her, Xiao Xun would have thought she was Gu Yingxiong's older sister.
At this moment, Xiao Xun remembered Secretary Fan. Could it be that they were the same batch of 'products'?
Old Madam Yu was dressed luxuriously and elegantly. Her clothes and shoes were custom-made, and she wore no unnecessary adornments.
She was very polite to Xiao Xun. "Mr. Xiao, is your visit related to your cousin?"
Xiao Xun looked surprised. "Old Madam Yu..."
He felt it was impolite to call her that, so he quickly corrected himself. "Madam, how did you know my surname is Xiao?"
Old Madam Yu smiled, appearing very cultured. "I follow the news, and Mr. Xiao's name is well-known."
Xiao Xun nodded gently. "I have indeed come because of my cousin."
"Please state your business directly!"