Chasing His Ex: The Tycoon's Hidden Twins

Chapter 230: Chapter 170: Silu to Experience a Half-Mountainside Manor?

When Chen He saw Lu Fan’s jacket draped over Jiang Silu, he immediately started to take off his own, wanting to give it to his boss.

But Jiali stopped him, shaking her head and whispering, "Do you think the boss doesn’t have a jacket to wear?"

"I get it now." It then dawned on Chen He that Lu Fan was making a gesture to show he cared for his daughter.

’I almost messed everything up for the boss!’

Jiang Silu felt happy as she wrapped herself in Lu Fan’s jacket.

The weather was a bit chilly, but she felt warm inside.

After about twenty minutes, the horizon began to blush with red.

A stir went through the crowd, and someone shouted, "Here it comes! Here it comes!"

Jiang Silu immediately stood up and looked toward the horizon.

First, a pale pink, which then deepened into a fiery orange, and finally melted into gold.

The sea of clouds churned, stained a magnificent, vibrant hue.

Suddenly, a tiny point of light appeared at the edge of the sea of clouds.

It was the very tip of the sun.

"It’s out!" someone cheered.

The sun rose bit by bit, growing from a tiny point of light into a semicircle, before finally leaping into view.

Golden light spilled across the sea of clouds, lining every wisp with a golden edge.

The distant peaks were lit so brightly they looked like mountains of pure gold.

Jiang Silu was transfixed.

She had never seen such a beautiful sunrise. The pictures in books and the footage in videos didn’t capture even a fraction of the beauty of seeing it in person.

"Is it beautiful?" Lu Fan’s voice came from behind her.

"Mhm." Jiang Silu nodded emphatically. "It’s incredibly beautiful."

She pulled out her phone, taking one picture after another of the sunrise.

After that, she turned around and took a selfie with the sea of clouds behind her.

A smile tugged at the corners of Lu Fan’s lips as he watched her bustle about.

"Let me take one for you," Lu Fan said with a smile.

Jiang Silu shyly handed him her phone, then stood by the railing and flashed a peace sign.

Lu Fan looked at his daughter through the lens.

She stood bathed in the golden sunlight, smiling so widely her eyes crinkled into crescents.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that nothing he had ever done in his life was as meaningful as this.

He pressed the shutter, snapping several pictures in a row.

Then he handed the phone back to Jiang Silu. She took one look and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh no! My eyes are all squinty, and my smile is so over-the-top! You should have warned me! It’s so ugly!"

Lu Fan leaned over to take a look and praised, "What’s ugly about it? I think it’s lovely."

Jiang Silu pointed at her expression on the screen. "Look at my face! I’m smiling so hard my cheeks are all puffed up like a bun."

Lu Fan chuckled. "Buns are cute, too."

Jiang Silu let out a playful huff, but she couldn’t stop a smile from forming.

The sun was now fully risen, and the crowd gradually began to disperse.

Jiang Silu remained standing there, reluctant to leave.

Lu Fan stood with her, not rushing her.

After a long moment, Jiang Silu suddenly said, "I always thought a sunrise was just like how they describe it in books—just the sun coming up."

She mused, "But seeing it today, I realize it’s completely different. It has color, and warmth, and life."

Lu Fan watched her, listening.

"Thank you for bringing me here." Jiang Silu turned to look at Lu Fan. "Really, thank you."

Lu Fan smiled. "Anytime you want to see a sunrise in the future, just tell me. We can go to other places, too. Mount Tai, Mount Emei, a sunrise by the sea—anywhere you want."

Jiang Silu paused for a moment, then said with a sly smile, "Are you just dangling a carrot in front of me?"

Lu Fan nodded. "You could say that. But this is one promise I will absolutely deliver on."

Jiang Silu suddenly had an idea. She walked quickly over to Jiali and said, "Sister Jiali, could you take a picture of my dad and me?"

Her voice grew quiet when she said the word "dad," as she clearly wasn’t used to it yet.

But Lu Fan had heard her.

He couldn’t suppress the thrill in his heart.

Jiali took the phone and gestured for the father and daughter to stand closer together.

"Okay, three, two, one... say cheese!"

In the photo, Jiang Silu and Lu Fan were both beaming.

Anyone could see at a glance that they had the exact same smile.

Jiang Silu, in particular, had a look of unprecedented happiness on her face.

After watching the sunrise, they returned to the hotel for breakfast, then packed their things to head down the mountain.

This time, Lu Fan insisted on taking the cable car, and Jiang Silu didn’t object.

Her legs were still trembling; if she had to walk any farther, she’d probably collapse halfway down the mountain.

In the cable car, Jiang Silu leaned against the window, watching the scenery slowly recede below.

The cable car swayed gently, and combined with her lack of sleep the night before, she soon grew drowsy.

Her head bobbed lower and lower, until it finally came to rest on Lu Fan’s shoulder, and she fell asleep.

Lu Fan’s body went rigid. He didn’t dare to move a muscle.

He looked down at his daughter’s sleeping face.

Her eyelashes were long, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were having a pleasant dream.

A pang of guilt hit Lu Fan.

He raised his hand to gently touch Jiang Silu’s hair, but pulled it back after a single, light brush, afraid he might wake her.

’From this day forward,’ Lu Fan thought, ’I will give her the absolute best of everything I possibly can.’

’This isn’t about making it up to her. It’s about giving her the nineteen years of love she’s owed.’

When the cable car reached the station, Jiang Silu was still asleep.

Lu Fan called to her softly, "Silu, we’re here."

Jiang Silu groggily opened her eyes. Realizing she was leaning on Lu Fan’s shoulder, she froze for a second before quickly sitting up straight.

She rubbed her eyes. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Mhm." Lu Fan stood up. "Let’s go. The car is waiting outside."

Chen He was waiting in the parking lot with the car running.

They got into the car, and Jiang Silu immediately felt drowsy again, leaning against the window to sleep.

Lu Fan draped his jacket over her and gestured for Chen He to drive smoothly.

The car drove smoothly all the way back to Jinling.

When Jiang Silu awoke again, she found the car parked in front of a massive gate.

She rubbed her eyes and peered past it.

Before them was an enormous iron gate, where security guards stood watch.

Beyond the iron gate lay a long driveway lined with trees, and in the far distance, she could see a huge house.

"Where are we?" she asked, a little disoriented.

Lu Fan replied, "My estate, Zijin Mountain Villa."

Jiang Silu froze for a second, then turned her head to look at him.

Lu Fan gestured toward it. "Want to go inside and take a look? There’s a garden you might like."

Jiang Silu looked at the massive iron gate, then at the house she could just glimpse beyond it.

She could see the long driveway, flanked by perfectly manicured lawns and trees.

The house in the distance looked like a mansion from a TV show about the super-rich—three stories high with huge, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her heart skipped a beat.

’Is this the kind of mansion rich people live in?’

Initially, a wave of curiosity made her want to go inside and see.

But for some reason, her thoughts drifted to Jiang Yixia.

She thought of her mother, raising her and her brother all alone in that old, shabby apartment complex.

She remembered how her mother had to repaint the walls of the spare bedroom every Chinese New Year because the paint was always peeling off.

She remembered her mother saying, "When you kids are grown, we’ll move into a bigger house."

She shook her head.

Lu Fan saw her expression and comforted her, "It’s okay. If you don’t want to go, we won’t. We can always come another time."

Jiang Silu said quietly, "Okay, maybe next time..."

’She had no idea when "next time" would be, but saying that felt better than a direct refusal.’

Lu Fan nodded and said to Chen He, "Let’s head back to the school, then."

Chen He acknowledged the order and started the car.

Jiang Silu suggested, "Why don’t you just let Chen He drive me back? You don’t need to make a special trip to the school. You must be tired, too."

Lu Fan knew Jiang Silu was worried about him, so he nodded. "All right, then. I’ll let Chen He take you back. I’ll just get out here."

"Okay~"

Through the car window, Jiang Silu watched the massive iron gate recede into the distance.

Through the partially open gate, she could see a fountain with a statue at its center.

She also spotted an expensive-looking car parked by the road. Although she didn’t recognize the make, she knew it must have cost a fortune.

The car rounded a bend, and the view was gone.

On the way back to school, Jiang Silu couldn’t help but ask Chen He, "Uncle Chen He, what’s that estate called?"

Chen He replied, "Zijin Mountain Villa."

"Zijin... As in, from Zijin Mountain?" Jiang Silu asked.

"That’s right," Chen He explained. "It’s called Zijin Mountain Villa because it’s right next to Zijin Mountain."

Jiang Silu nodded, then couldn’t resist asking, "Um... how big is it?"

Chen He looked a little awkward. "To be honest, I don’t know the exact size. It basically covers half a mountainside, though. That whole area belongs to the boss. There’s the main house, guest houses, a garden, and a lake."

Jiang Silu’s mouth fell open. She was speechless.

’Half a mountainside?! How much money is that?!!’

Seeing her expression, Chen He added, "The boss doesn’t actually live there much. Steward Luo is the one who mainly manages it. If you ever want to visit, just tell the boss. He’d be thrilled."

Jiang Silu responded softly, "Okay~"

Once they reached the school, Jiang Silu got out, thanked Chen He, and headed toward her dorm.

Her mind was still occupied with thoughts of the estate.

’So huge, so beautiful... and that was where her father lived.’

’If only Mom could live in a place like that,’ she thought.

’Mom would absolutely love an estate filled with flowers and plants!’

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