freenovelworld Chapter 14: Located amidst prosperity yet hidden in the heart of the city
Chapter 14: Located amidst prosperity yet hidden in the heart of the city
Bai Li ended her lease with the landlord, paid a small, insignificant penalty, and rushed to Shanghai.
The new home is hidden behind the archway facing the street, located in the city center, yet concealed behind the plane trees.
A very beautiful garden villa.
Before coming, Bai Li had searched online.
This old town area has been renovated by the government, and buildings within a radius of several kilometers are not allowed to have high ceilings.
All the old-style Shikumen houses have been rebuilt into villas with a Shanghai-style aesthetic, and you can't even find the prices of these villas online.
Bai Li could only compare prices by searching for surrounding properties and found that the prices of houses around the old town were often in the hundreds of thousands per square meter. The extremely high prices attracted many wealthy people and celebrities. Several well-known stars were said to live in communities on the outskirts of the old town.
However, these bronze-plated villas in the old city are beyond the reach of even celebrities; only one is produced every few decades, making them truly priceless despite their market value.
The tall buildings gradually receded into the distance, leaving only the plane trees on both sides of the road and the new-style lane houses.
Traffic is restricted here, and there is no public transportation. Along the street are exquisite luxury stores, boutiques, cafes, bookstores, and so on. Luxury and art are synonymous here.
Even though it was a weekday during working hours, you could still see people walking, running, and cycling along the street, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
She hasn't moved in yet, but Bai Li has already fallen in love with the atmosphere here.
The house is nice, but unfortunately it's completely unfurnished; it's just a bare apartment that hasn't been renovated yet.
Such a beautiful little villa certainly can't be decorated in a simple way.
Although the building area shown on the property certificate is only 400 square meters, the actual usable area is much larger.
First of all, the house has a front yard and a back yard, both of which are quite large.
She could set aside a flower bed in the front yard and plant some pretty flowers and plants; she has plenty of time now anyway.
The backyard is also very large, enough to cover a lawn, and even a pond could be dug down to raise some small fish.
The interior space of the small villa is even larger.
There's a basement level that leads directly down to the road. We can build an underground parking garage that can easily hold a dozen or so cars, so you can drive around every day and have a different mood.
There are three floors above ground, facing south. Bai Li estimated that there are more than a dozen rooms inside.
The top floor will be used as the master bedroom, and the lower floor will be used to create several secondary bedrooms, so that friends will have a place to stay when they come to visit.
The bottom floor has a high ceiling and a huge floor-to-ceiling window, perfect for creating a bright and airy living room with a direct view of the front yard.
Then Shirakawa wanted all of Shirakawa's things, like the study and the tea room, regardless of whether she would need them or not.
There's also a rooftop terrace on the top floor of the house. Bai Li likes the open view here, where she can make a small open-air balcony, put a hanging chair, and sunbathe when the weather is nice.
She has already begun to visualize what life will be like here in the future.
Xiao Hao asked in confusion, "Host, do you like it here?"
Bai Li nodded excitedly: "I love it! Thank you, Xiao Hao!"
Xiao Hao was a little confused: "What's so good about it being all bare?"
In its opinion, the new home was not as good as Bai Li's rented house. It was bare inside and out, and the outside was still dirt ground overgrown with weeds.
Bai Li: "It will look beautiful once the renovation is finished!"
But decorating is indeed a difficult problem.
How to decorate?
Who should I hire for the renovation?
Can a renovation company renovate a house to the way I envision it?
Reliable?
These are all points that need to be considered.
It was her first time in Shanghai, and she was unfamiliar with the city.
and many more……
Bai Li suddenly remembered that Jiang Mingfei's MCN company was located in Shanghai...
When you're traveling, you rely on friends. Bai Li called Jiang Mingfei and found out that she was indeed in Shanghai. She found a hotel nearby, dropped off her things, and then went there excitedly.
The two met at a coffee shop downstairs from Jiang Mingfei's company.
Jiang Mingfei, dressed in a business suit befitting a female elite, with her hair tied in a neat high ponytail and her red-soled high heels clicking crisply, attracted everyone's attention as soon as she entered the coffee shop, still stunningly beautiful.
"Goodness! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Shanghai!" Jiang Mingfei complained to Bai Li as soon as she saw her. "You must tell me next time you come to Shanghai."
Bai Li nodded: "I'll definitely do it next time, but I think I'll settle down here in the future."
Jiang Mingfei was surprised: "So sudden? Why are you suddenly deciding to settle down in Shanghai?"
Bai Li and Jiang Mingfei recounted their current situation, but tried to simplify it as much as possible, and also altered some parts, concealing the existence of the system and their true circumstances.
But because part of it was buried, Jiang Mingfei had already started to imagine Bai Li's identity.
This is in line with the previous story of Bai Li traveling alone on a luxury cruise ship and now settling down alone in an unfamiliar city.
In her mind, Bai Li had become a little princess of a certain family. For some reason, she may have had some conflict with her family and ran away from home alone.
Jiang Mingfei first inquired about Bai Li's residence: "So where are you living now?"
Bai Li: "I figured that renovations can't be rushed, so I booked the presidential suite at the Peninsula Hotel next to the house. I'll just use it for the next few months."
Jiang Mingfei was even more certain of Bai Li's identity; she was indeed a little princess from some wealthy and noble family.
A presidential suite on the peninsula costs 10 RMB per night, which is 300 million RMB per month. Even if you pay a monthly fee, it's still an expense that most people can't afford.
Moreover, Bai Li would be staying for several months at a time.
Goodness gracious! Which family has the surname Bai?
While Jiang Mingfei was having a crazy brainstorming session, Bai Li was also caught up in her own Versailles moment.
But she does have the means to live there now. With a daily cashback of 1 million, it's reasonable for her to set aside 100,000 for accommodation.
If you can do it, why not? Be kind to yourself.
Jiang Mingfei held Bai Li's hand even tighter, saying, "It's good that you've found a place to stay. You've just arrived in an unfamiliar city, so it will definitely take some time to adjust."
"The climate and temperature are different. Don't worry about the renovation alone. Be careful not to tire yourself out and get sick. I'll help you."
"I know a few people in the renovation industry. Given your situation, you definitely can't just hire one renovation company. It would be best to hold a bidding process for the renovation, have several companies submit design proposals at the same time, and then you can choose the one you like best."
"As for the bidding team, I'll take care of that for you. You just need to settle in first."
As expected, it's always more reliable to find the local bigwigs for these kinds of things.
Bai Li sincerely grasped Jiang Mingfei's hand, "Good sister!"
Why can't Xiaohao collect affection points from the same sex?
Bai Li would bet that her current favorability rating with Jiang Mingfei is at least 30 points, if not 40.
Jiang Mingfei also had her own considerations.
A young lady from a wealthy family like Bai Li has been taken care of since childhood and has never had to worry about anything. Therefore, she certainly doesn't have any basic life skills, let alone the ability to survive alone in an unfamiliar city.
Bai Li wanted to find someone to renovate the house herself, but without her family's help, she would definitely be unable to do anything. She was afraid of being cheated and would cry her eyes out. Fortunately, she met herself.
Although we don't know why she ran away from home, she must be in a state of isolation and helplessness now. It wouldn't be unreasonable to try to build a good relationship with the young lady at this time and offer her help in her time of need.
Now I'm helping Bai Li, but who knows, I might need Bai Li's help in the future.
Jiang Mingfei is a businesswoman. In her mind, friends and interests are inseparable, and she thinks this deal is very worthwhile.