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Wu Ming, a familiar face of Luo Yi, opened Wu's Jade Shop in town, selling various jade and gemstone items, as well as gold and silver jewelry, and offering processing services. The shop is quite spacious, consisting of two storefronts.
Seeing Luo Yi arrive, Wu Ming greeted him warmly.
Zhou Yao, suffering from her occupational habit, scanned the merchandise inside the glass display cases. The gold and silver jewelry mainly featured distinctive bracelets, children's ankle bracelets, and safety locks; there were also decorative items inlaid with gemstones like green agate, amber, southern red, and beeswax, all of decent quality; however, the jade and emerald pieces varied in quality.
At a glance, Zhou Yao looked like a tourist. Wu Ming's partner, Asang, came over to assist: "What would you like to buy, beautiful? Have you found anything you like?"
Zhou Yao looked up and directly at Luo Yi, who said, "She came with me."
Wu Ming glanced at Zhou Yao and nodded slightly, his gaze becoming somewhat meaningful.
Luo Yi did not clarify further and asked, "How's business lately?"
"Not bad," Wu Ming replied as he lit a cigarette. "How's that kid Wu Di? He hasn't caused any trouble, has he?"
"He's dating Amin."
"The girl at the front desk?"
"Yeah." Luo Yi exhaled a puff of smoke.
"It seems her family is from Xindu Bridge?"
"That's right."
"Dating is good; that kid should settle down a bit."
The two chatted for a few moments before heading into the back room.
Luo Yi walked to the curtain, seemingly recalling something, and glanced back. Zhou Yao was leaning over the glass cabinet, intently examining the jade stones. She seemed to sense his gaze, unconsciously lifted her head, and turned to look at him. Their eyes met, clear and deep.
His hand hung by his side, fingers lightly tapping the cigarette, as he said, "Wait for me outside for a moment."
Zhou Yao replied, "Oh," and then lowered her head to continue looking at the stones.
Luo Yi lifted the curtain and entered the inner room.
"What’s your relationship with Boss Luo?" Asang asked, quite curious.
"I’m staying at his inn," Zhou Yao replied.
"Why did you come down the mountain so early?"
"I came to buy some things. He brought me down," Zhou Yao explained. Seeing Asang's intense gaze, she added, "He’s quite nice."
Asang smiled knowingly, as if saying: Good looks and a good figure mean he must be a good person, right?
"At that inn of his," Asang said leisurely, "half of the ten female guests will knock on his door in the middle of the night—" The rest of his words were conveyed through his expression.
Zhou Yao felt a tightness in her throat.
"But don’t think too much about it; if he welcomed everyone, he would have collapsed by now."
Zhou Yao remained silent.
"Some people just want to find romance when they go out, regardless of whether others are interested."
The more Zhou Yao listened, the more uncomfortable she felt. She frowned and turned back to look at the jade stones.
"Asang" followed her and asked, "Do you have anything you like? Buy a piece, jade can bring good luck, peace, and even romance..."
"Zhou Yao" remained silent.
It turned out that all that talk was just a setup; she thought she had figured out that "Zhou Yao" wanted to flirt with "Boss," so she focused on breaking down the layers of marketing.
"Zhou Yao" felt teased and was somewhat annoyed.
She asked seriously, "What do you recommend?"
Seeing an opportunity, "Asang" eagerly replied, "What do you want? A hidden ornament or...?"
"Something else. I'm not from here, it feels strange to wear."
"Jade or emerald? A bracelet or a pendant?"
"A jade bracelet."
"This one is the best," "Asang" carefully took out a jade bracelet priced at ten thousand. "This is our store's finest hidden jade, already discounted."
"Zhou Yao" had looked at it earlier; the jade was clear and had a soft luster, but it was just a higher-grade serpentine stone, not worth much.
"Zhou Yao" pouted and said, "It's dark green; I don't like it."
"You don't understand; you're an outsider. This is hidden jade, the 'Medicine King Stone' mentioned in books. It's mined from the Yarlung Tsangpo River, absorbs the essence of heaven and earth, has a natural magnetic field, can nourish yin and supplement yang, and wearing it promotes health—it's truly effective."
Such exaggerated claims could only fool tourists. "Zhou Yao" remained composed and feigned surprise, saying, "Is it really that amazing?"
"Really! If you don't believe me, search online. This one costs ten thousand; it's worth it. You can resell it later without losing money. When jade prices rise, you'll even make a profit."
"Prices are still rising, and even street vendors are flooding the market, you know?" Zhou Yao said with a hint of reluctance, "It's nice, but too expensive."
"Then how much do you think it should be?"
Zhou Yao thought for a moment, looking awkward and embarrassed as she waved her hand, "Forget it. I didn't bring enough money with me, so it's embarrassing to say I can't afford it."
"Come on, just tell me."
"I really didn't bring much money."
"Don't be afraid to say it."
"I only have seven hundred on me." Zhou Yao looked at her apologetically.
"..." Asang was speechless. This girl, neither high nor low, just happened to mention the wholesale price.
"That's impossible to sell; the wholesale price is almost nine thousand." Asang said.
"Exactly. The jade is good jade," Zhou Yao said regretfully, "but it's too expensive. I'm a student and very poor."
"Oh, you're a student? I thought you looked young." Asang put the bracelet back and said, "Should I recommend something cheaper for you?"
Zhou Yao followed her to another counter and casually glanced outside the store, noticing a man who didn't seem local smoking in the alley across the street.
Zhou Yao remembered seeing him earlier when she was buying hair ties.
Following?
In the back room,
Luo Yi asked, "How did you end up with her?"
Wu Ming smiled, "I know what people outside are saying about her; that's just gossip. I think she's good."
Luo Yi said, "You should find someone who can live a good life with you. That last one—"
"Being with her was pointless," Wu Ming replied. "I haven't seen you living a good life either."
Luo Yi was momentarily speechless.
Wu Ming asked, "Where's Yanni now?"
"I don't know. I didn't ask." He didn't want to dwell on trivial matters and shifted to the main topic: "Have you found anything out?"
Wu Ming shook his head. "That batch of stones has gone missing."
"Mm." Luo Yi said, "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Luo Yi stood by the window smoking, remaining silent for a while.
"By the way, I went to restock a few days ago and heard that Dan Shan from Myanmar wants to catch you? Boss Luo, how did you get involved with that character?"
"Funny enough, I was just thinking of finding him." Luo Yi smiled and then asked after a moment, "Have you met Dan Shan?"
"How could I meet such a mysterious figure? I've only heard about him. No one has actually seen him; those who claim to have seen him usually end up—" Wu Boss made a gesture across his throat and then asked, "Boss Luo, have you met him?"
"No," Luo Yi said with a calm smile, "I really want to meet her."
Wu Ming found it hard to understand his smile and whispered, "Better not. — I think you should avoid Myanmar in the future."
Luo Yi didn't respond. Wu Ming didn't say much more either. Although they were acquaintances who often helped each other out, he didn't really know the details of Luo Yi's background. He only knew that he hadn't been in Yading for long and spent most of his time elsewhere. There were rumors that he was involved in a big jade business, but whether that was true or not was uncertain.
Wu Ming felt it was hard to believe that a big boss would come to such an obscure tourist spot to open an inn. What was the point? If he wanted to open a place, he should go to Lijiang.
...
After discussing business, just before leaving, Wu Ming stopped Luo Yi and gestured, "That woman outside, is she with you?"
Luo Yi didn't understand, "Hmm?"
"You don't have any relationship with her, right?"
"She's a guest at my inn. What's wrong?"
"Then I'll sell her things at the marked price," Wu Ming said.
"…"
Luo Yi's expression was hard to describe. He wanted to say that the woman might not be as easy to fool as Wu Ming thought, but Wu Ming had already lifted the curtain and gone outside. So he just watched from the sidelines.
Asang was recommending a piece of white jade to Zhou Yao: "This one is good, only seven hundred; you can afford it. Look at this color, it's crystal clear. Girls should wear jade. Look," Asang took Zhou Yao's hand, "Your hands are so beautiful, fair and delicate, very graceful. Look at your wrist here, oh so pretty—"
Hearing this, Luo Yi couldn't help but glance at Zhou Yao's hand in the glass cabinet. It was slender and graceful; her skin was very fair, shining under the morning sunlight, even more translucent than that piece of jade.
His gaze moved up to her face, but Luo Yi quickly looked away.
"You would look even more beautiful wearing that jade," Asang said.
Wu Ming joined in, "Tsk tsk, look how nice it looks on you. I think it has a connection with you. This piece of jade has the best value in our store. Since you're a friend of Boss Luo, I'll give you a hundred off."
Luo Yi sucked in his cheeks, speechless, as he filled a cup with water by the dispenser.
Zhou Yao turned to him, shaking the jade bracelet on her wrist, smiling, "Does it look good?"
In the sunlight, her hand was dazzlingly white. Luo Yi drank his water and didn't respond for a moment.
"Boss Luo, what do you think? Should we buy it?" Zhou Yao asked him.
It was obvious she was being deliberate.
Luo Yi didn't want to bother with her, but Wu Ming and Asang's eager gazes made him finally say lightly, "If you think the price is right, then buy it."
Wu Ming and Asang beamed with joy, but Zhou Yao shrugged, "I think the price is not right. It's too expensive." With that, she took off the bracelet.
"Seven hundred is still expensive. So how much do you think it's worth?"
"I'm not particularly interested, so I don't want to spend too much."
"Then how much are you willing to offer?"
"Talking about it will hurt feelings," Zhou Yao replied. She glanced at Luo Yi and noticed his gaze had turned somewhat stern. Not intimidated, she glared back at him defiantly.
Luo Yi looked at her for a moment before finally letting her be. He turned his face away and continued drinking water.
"Don't be afraid. Just say it," she urged.
"Eighty," Zhou Yao said.
Luo Yi, who was drinking water, choked and coughed a few times.
Asang's face turned pale; was this an undercover sent by their rivals?
At that moment, two people walked into the shop and asked, "Boss Wu, is the goods we talked about last time still here?"
"It's in the back, please wait a moment," Wu Ming replied as he went into the back room with Asang.
Luo Yi approached Zhou Yao, his tone laced with reproach as he whispered, "Why do you have to toy with them?"
Zhou Yao huffed, "She provoked me first."
Luo Yi didn't believe her. "Oh? How did she provoke you?"
Zhou Yao maintained a stern expression. "She spoke rudely."
Luo Yi was taken aback. "What did she say?"
"If you want to know, ask her," she said with a frown, clearly displeased as she walked outside. "Why are you scolding me?"
"Who scolded you?" Luo Yi looked at her incredulously, surprised that this girl had bitten back.
Zhou Yao reached the door and glanced at the alley; the man was still there, wearing a mask that obscured his face. She looked back at Luo Yi, who was pulling out a cigarette and preparing to smoke.
Zhou Yao returned to his side and quietly asked, "Do you feel like someone is following you?"
"An old enemy," Luo Yi replied without looking up, biting on his cigarette as he rummaged through his pocket for a lighter. "No need to pay attention."
Zhou Yao asked curiously, "What grudge?"
"Nothing much, just slept with his woman and dug up his ancestor's grave," Luo Yi said, flicking open his lighter and frowning as he lit a cigarette.
"..." Zhou Yao asked again, "Boss Luo, what did you do before running the inn?"
"I was a pimp."
His increasingly unserious answers made Zhou Yao realize he didn’t want to talk about it, so he dropped the subject.
Luo Yi exhaled a puff of smoke and, through the pale blue haze, looked towards the alley, smirking as he raised one corner of his mouth and waved at someone. That person surprisingly responded with a glance before turning to leave.
After a while, Wu Ming and Asang came out from the back room carrying a tray covered with a red cloth. When they unveiled it, there was a piece of jade rough.
The two customers gathered around the stone, examining it closely and staring at a crack that glistened with vibrant green.
"How much?"
"80,000."
"That's too expensive," the other party said.
"You know my useless brother went to Yunnan to gamble on stones and spent 100,000 on this piece. I’ve been hesitant to price it; I just want to sell it at a discount. If there really is something worth a million inside, I wouldn't want it."
"It does look like there might be something good inside."
"Yes. But I don’t want him to gamble anymore; I just want to get the money back and live a stable life."
"Can we take a photo? We’ll discuss it when we get back."
"Alright, alright."
Zhou Yao couldn't help but stretch her neck to look at the stone, but they were gathered around it, preventing her from getting closer.
The two took a photo and left. Wu Ming picked up the stone and placed it on the cabinet inside, sighing to Luo Yi, "That kid Wu Di—he doesn't learn anything good and just wants to get rich overnight. It's also my fault for not keeping a close eye on him before, letting him run off to Myanmar and get obsessed with gambling on stones. He brought back so much worthless junk and still hasn't woken up; he just keeps betting bigger—"
Asang interrupted him, "What's the point of talking about the past? He's regretted it."
"Yes, yes, I talked him out of it; this is the last time. If it happens again, I can't control him—"
Zhou Yao examined every inch of the stone's patterns and cracks. Gradually, she frowned and wanted to ask Wu Ming to bring the stone over for a closer look when Luo Yi suddenly said, "Let's go first."
Zhou Yao looked up at him, wanting to say something, but his gaze silenced her.
After leaving the town and driving up the mountain road, Zhou Yao finally asked, "Do you also think that stone is worthless?"
"It's not worthless; it's fake."
"Is it just a layer of high-quality leather glued onto scrap stone to pass off as real?"
"Yeah."
The two were silent for a while until Zhou Yao sighed, "How pitiful."
"Who?"
"Of course, it's Wu Boss's family who got deceived. If they sell it off, others will pity them; if they can't sell it, they'll be pitiful themselves."
"Who is pitiful is still uncertain." Luo Yi chuckled softly, quickly carried away by the wind.
Zhou Yao pondered for a moment and poked her head out to ask him, "Do you think it was Boss Wu who posted it? Did he find out that Wu Di bought it?"
"I'm not sure."
"Do they know it's fake now?"
"Unclear," he said. "But if you point out that it's fake, you're just asking for trouble."
Zhou Yao was taken aback; she had forgotten to consider the possibility that Boss Wu might be aware of it. After all, she was just a student.
Is he trying to protect her? Zhou Yao couldn't help but chuckle.
She leaned her head out again, facing the wind, and said to him, "Thank you!"
Luo Yi didn't respond.
"Thank you!" she shouted.
"Sit still and don't move!"
"Oh—okay~~~"
"……"
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