She wandered aimlessly. As Dòu Rú had said, the items on the third floor were indeed collector's grade – Han and Tang gold and jade ware, murals, Four Treasures of the Study, antique vases... Trading two items for one would be a good deal.
But she wasn't much in the mood. Absentmindedly, she browsed her way to the antique books section. She casually pulled out a few volumes, flipped through them, and put them back down, still uninspired.
Her grandfather's collection had similar items; she genuinely didn't know what to get her grandfather. Deep in thought, she didn't notice the two people around the corner. Yáng Zhèng, holding jade, was less agile than usual.
By the time it was too late to stop her, Péi Zhāoxī had already bumped right into him. Fortunately, it didn't hurt much. Realizing it was her fault, she quickly took a few steps back and apologized, "I'm sorry."
She rubbed her forehead and looked up, her eyes welling up with tears. She froze. "Whoa!"
an exclamation came from behind Qí Yànqīng. The three of them looked over. Jiāng Àn steadied himself, having nearly run into Qí Yànqīng's back, and said sincerely, "I apologize, President.
I didn't expect you to brake so suddenly." Qí Yànqīng was speechless. Jiāng Àn quickly adjusted and greeted Péi Zhāoxī, "Miss Pei, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," Péi Zhāoxī replied with a smile, her senses returning. She then looked at Qí Yànqīng, "Are you here shopping too?" "My elders asked me to bring out a few small items that take up space."
"What a coincidence. I'm here to pick out a gift for my grandfather. I've been looking all morning..."
Péi Zhāoxī made small talk, "What did you guys bring? Can I take a look?" Qí Yànqīng retrieved the box from Jiāng Àn's hand, found a table, placed it down, and opened it.
There were four small items in total, yet each was very unique. Péi Zhāoxī was drawn to an ebony box. She reached out and opened it.
Inside lay a rosewood and silver-thread chessboard, quietly gleaming. Beside it were delicate, lustrous black and white jade Go pieces. She picked up a white piece and examined it closely.
Her eyes lit up – it was mutton-fat jade! This type of jade was extremely rare, let alone this set of pieces which, at first glance, appeared to be flawless and of uniform color. Péi Zhāoxī asked excitedly, "Senior brother, since you're giving it away, can we trade?"
As she spoke, Péi Zhāoxī excitedly patted Yáng Zhèng beside her, gesturing for him to open the box. "Yes, young lady," Yáng Zhèng said, opening it then immediately handing it to Péi Zhāoxī. Holding the radiant, lustrous jade, Péi Zhāoxī, her eyes twinkling like precious gems, looked into Qí Yànqīng's dark pupils and said as if presenting a treasure, "Senior brother, look, it's definitely not a loss!"
Their eyes met. Qí Yànqīng was mesmerized by the sparkle in her eyes and her bright smile. His heart pounded.
He turned away, pretending to examine the jade's quality, and picked up the jade piece, avoiding her gaze. Only then did Qí Yànqīng's attention turn to the jade. Its quality was exceptional and it had been skillfully polished.
He agreed to her request. Péi Zhāoxī put the jade into the box and handed it to him. Then, she eagerly took the chessboard.
The disappointment of not finding a suitable treasure all morning vanished, and she felt light and cheerful. When she was happy, she became particularly exuberant, "Are you going to lunch? There's a Sichuan cuisine place nearby that's quite good."
Qí Yànqīng glanced at the time and was about to agree when his phone rang. The caller was his grandfather. He raised a slender finger and pointed to his phone, "Excuse me for a moment."
Péi Zhāoxī nodded. Qí Yànqīng turned and walked towards a corner. After answering, a roar came from the phone: "Qí Yànqīng!
Where are the Go pieces I left in the study!" Qí Yànqīng calmly replied, "They took up too much space, so I traded them." The voice on the other end grew louder, tinged with anxiety, "Traded them!
Why didn't you trade yourself? I don't care where you are, go buy them back immediately!" "I'll buy you another set.
Please calm down, don't get sick from anger," Qí Yànqīng said softly, trying to soothe him. He had never seen the old man react so strongly when he had previously taken treasures from him. Moreover, Old Master Qí had always taught him not to go back on his word...
"Calm down! If you can't bring back treasures as precious as those Go pieces, don't even think about coming home!" Old Master Qí hung up.
Qí Yànqīng rubbed his temples, gathered himself, and walked out of the corner. As he rounded the corner, he found two more people beside her – unfamiliar men. Aside from her bodyguard standing silently in the background, the others, including Jiāng Àn, were engaged in conversation with them.
Péi Zhāoxī's gaze seemed to linger frequently on the man in the gray suit. His expression was calm, but sharp, cold glints flashed in his eyes. Qí Yànqīng quickly went to her side.
Seeing him return, Péi Zhāoxī's polite demeanor faded, replaced by a beaming smile. The two men beside her, who had been following Péi Zhāoxī's gaze when she smiled, looked towards the exceptionally handsome young man. The middle-aged man, sensing the young man's extraordinary presence, chuckled and asked Péi Zhāoxī, "Zhāoxī, who is this?"
She smiled confidently and shifted closer to Qí Yànqīng, introducing him, "This is my senior brother, Qí Yànqīng." She then introduced the man beside him, "This is Director Liáng from Kyoto." She paused, her gaze falling on the man in the gray suit who was quietly blending into the background.
She felt a sense of familiarity. She had been racking her brain, recalling the faces of the young masters and ladies from the major families, but couldn't place him and felt a moment of difficulty. The man, seeing her confusion, introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Zhōu Yìyán, CEO of Yike Technology."
The three exchanged greetings. Jiāng Àn's deficiency in emotional intelligence was compensated by his work capabilities. Seeing Qí Yànqīng's indifferent expression, he took on the role of diplomat and stepped forward to continue the conversation with Director Liáng.
Péi Zhāoxī, ignoring everyone else, turned to Qí Yànqīng, "What are we having for lunch later?" Qí Yànqīng: "I'm sorry, something urgent came up. Let's do it another day."
His grandfather's immense anger meant he had to buy some rare treasures to appease him. "Okay," she said with a hint of regret. After a while, they all bid farewell and parted ways.
"Zhāoxī, shall we go together if we're heading the same way?" Director Liáng was also about to leave. Péi Zhāoxī agreed.
As the three walked to the door, Director Liáng asked aside, "Who will be invited to Old Master Qin's birthday banquet?" "Of course, you will be among them," she replied. She paused, then continued, "As for others, I'm not sure.
My brother compiled the guest list." Director Liáng chuckled and patted Zhōu Yìyán beside him, but his eyes were on Péi Zhāoxī as he said, "This young man wants to see the world. If there are any extra invitations..."
Péi Zhāoxī understood. "Since you've asked, I'll have my brother send you another invitation tomorrow." "Excellent, excellent."
Soon, the day of the birthday banquet arrived at the Qin family's old residence. The guests invited were all influential figures from political and business circles. Qín Héng had returned the previous night to oversee the venue and address any shortcomings.
A family of the Qin's caliber didn't need to personally greet guests. However, an old friend of the master who hadn't been seen in a long time was coming, so no matter what anyone said, he stubbornly waited at the entrance. Worried about his health, Péi Zhāoxī stayed to wait with him.
When people are happy, they are in high spirits. The old master, beaming, recounted past events to Péi Zhāoxī, his voice filled with nostalgia for his old friend. "Old Qin!"
An energetic old man walked towards them, his voice booming and his laughter hearty. By the time Péi Zhāoxī came to her senses, Old Master Qin had already excitedly stepped forward, clasped the old man's hand tightly, and embraced him. The two legendary figures, having experienced so much in their lives, had tears in their eyes.
"So, you old rascal, you finally remembered to come back. After all these years, I thought you had died somewhere out there." "Hey!
Even if I died out there, I'd have to cross oceans to find you." Péi Zhāoxī quickly interjected, "Grandpa, spit, spit, spit! Who says such words on a birthday?
It's bad luck."