Hearing this, Geng Yu nodded without hesitation, his tone full of boldness. “No problem, Brother! Just a bit of pocket change!” He immediately called for the shopkeeper, swiped his card without blinking, and paid several hundred thousand yuan on the spot.
The transaction was completed, but he didn’t immediately request the ancient jade to be wrapped.
Instead, Geng Yu turned to the graceful Liu Qingyou, wearing a smooth, businesslike smile. “Miss Liu, I feel a connection with this jade, so I bought it first. However, good things should be matched with someone who truly understands them. I’d like to temporarily store it here in your pavilion to see if there might be another person who knows its worth and is willing to offer a higher price. Of course, the storage fee and any commission after a successful sale will be according to the rules.”
Liu Qingyou nodded slightly, having no objection, as Treasure Pavilion had consignment services. “Young Master Geng, you’re too polite. Naturally.”
With the matter of the jade settled, Geng Yu immediately turned back, rubbing his hands together and looking at Qin Xiao with anticipation.
“Brother, about my illness…” He gazed at Qin Xiao eagerly, as if the latter were some peerless Divine Doctor.
Qin Xiao smiled faintly and turned his eyes toward Liu Qingyou, his tone gentle. “Miss Liu, I wonder if it’s convenient to borrow some brush, ink, paper, and inkstone here?”
Liu Qingyou reacted quickly, not at all surprised by his request. Instead, she felt there was an indescribable refinement in the way he handled things.
“Of course.” She immediately instructed the attendant beside her, “Quickly, bring the Four Treasures of the Study here and set up a small table.”
Soon, a finely crafted small redwood table was brought over, complete with high-quality rice paper, Huizhou ink, a Duan inkstone, and a wolf-hair brush. A faint fragrance of ink spread in the air.
Qin Xiao sat down calmly, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and revealed a forearm with smooth lines. Picking up the brush and dipping it in ink, he held his wrist suspended and began to write on the paper. His beautiful semi-cursive script flowed with both the upright stability of regular script and the smooth liveliness of running script, like dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing, with a charm of its own.
Liu Qingyou’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she watched.
Even Yun Yiyi in Qin Xiao’s mind couldn’t help but exclaim, [Wow! Host, you’re amazing! Your handwriting is so beautiful!]
Without pausing his writing, Qin Xiao replied calmly in his mind, “It’s nothing. Before I transmigrated, when I was a disobedient child, my family held me down and made me practice for years. I didn’t learn much else, but I mastered this handwriting.”
Yun Yiyi instantly fell silent, feeling she might have said the wrong thing. […Host, you’ve had it hard.] This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Liu Qingyou looked at the man before her. Handsome and extraordinary, with a calm demeanor, and even his writing was so pleasing to the eye. Ripples formed in her heart.
She asked softly, with a hint of shyness, “May I ask for your full name, sir?”
Qin Xiao put down the brush, handed the prescription to Geng Yu, and answered gently, “My surname is Qin, given name Xiao.”
“Qin Xiao? Is that the same second-generation heir who only indulges in eating, drinking, and debauchery?” The moment the words slipped out, Liu Qingyou realized her mistake and quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it…”
The blush on her face faded, replaced by a trace of distance and caution. The Qin Xiao of the Qin family in the Imperial Capital? The rumored wastrel who idled among women and did nothing but eat, drink, and seek pleasure?
Qin Xiao keenly caught the change in her expression, instantly understanding, and couldn’t help but complain inwardly, “So the original spent all his fortune not on gambling, but entirely on prostitutes? Impressive, the focus is admirable!”
On the surface, he remained composed, smiling faintly at Liu Qingyou. “It seems Miss Liu has heard some rumors about me. Words can be misleading; seeing is believing. How others judge me is just their opinion. As for who I truly am, I hope Miss Liu will judge with her own eyes and heart, not be swayed by gossip.”
His tone was sincere, his eyes clear, with no embarrassment at being exposed—only a convincing steadiness.
He glanced lightly at Liu Qingyou’s face, picked up another sheet of paper, and began writing again. With a few strokes, another prescription was completed. He handed it to Liu Qingyou. “I believe Miss Liu may have a condition of cold in the womb, which may cause cold hands and feet and occasional discomfort. This is just a small prescription, not much, but taking three doses should help.”
Liu Qingyou accepted the prescription. Her fingertips were cool, but upon touching the paper, it seemed to carry the warmth of his fingers. Looking at the flowing handwriting and feeling his appropriate concern and perceptive insight, her heart, which had just cooled, began to stir again.
This man… was too different from the rumors. Handsome, gentle, knowledgeable in medicine… The ripples in her heart grew stronger, and a wild, uncontrollable thought emerged—if he were as domineering as in those rumors and tried something forceful on her…
She was shocked to realize that her first thought wasn’t to resist, but that she might not even have the courage to refuse.
The moment this thought appeared, it grew like wild grass in spring, spreading uncontrollably in her heart. Her cheeks grew warm, her heartbeat quickened, and a strange, never-before-felt emotion spread inside her.
If he… if he pushed me against the wall and kissed me like in TV dramas and novels… Oh, that would be far too improper… ehehehe…
As her imagination drifted, her eyes grew dreamy, and the corners of her lips curled slightly, as if she had sunk into a pink bubble of fantasy.
“Miss Liu? Miss Liu!”
Qin Xiao looked at her spacing out again, waving a hand in front of her with mild exasperation.
“Ah?” Liu Qingyou snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing bright red as she hurried to take the prescription. “Th-thank you, Mr. Qin…”
At that moment, Yun Yiyi’s urgent warning rang in Qin Xiao’s mind. [Warning! Warning! Child of Destiny Ye Chen will arrive at the scene in 30 seconds! Host, please evade!]
He’s here! Qin Xiao’s eyes sharpened, though his smile remained. He said to Liu Qingyou and Geng Yu, “I just remembered I have an urgent matter to attend to. Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.”
Without giving them a chance to question him, he turned and walked quickly toward a large jade sculpture in the corner. Positioning himself behind it, he left a small gap to observe the situation outside.
Almost the moment he hid, the doors of Treasure Pavilion were pushed open. A tall, well-built young man with a plain face but sharp, icy eyes walked in, followed by a middle-aged man whose aura was as cold and dangerous as a venomous snake.
They were none other than Ye Chen and his subordinate Du Xie.
Ye Chen’s gaze swept the room like a radar. When his eyes landed on Liu Qingyou, they lit up instantly, and he curved his lips into what he thought was a charming smile—one that looked exactly like a forced Nike logo in a cheap advertisement.
Liu Qingyou, who had been immersed in her pleasant thoughts of Qin Xiao, was startled by the sudden appearance of the two.
When she saw Ye Chen’s greasy smile, a wave of disgust rose in her heart, as if she had swallowed gutter oil. All her previous romantic thoughts vanished instantly.
This man’s smile… was so greasy!