That voice was like sweet rain after a long drought, and the light that had dimmed in Xu Youqing's eyes immediately brightened again.
This gentleman was actually interested—Boss Zheng was somewhat surprised and quickly beckoned to Xu Youqing. "Little Xu, come over here. Let Mr. Jin take a look."
Xu Youqing stopped at a slight distance, taking her place beside Jin Zongmin. She carefully placed the brocade box on the side table and removed the dragon-and-phoenix patterned bowl.
Stepping forward half a pace, she handed the bowl to Jin Zongmin.
Jin Zongmin raised his hand to receive it—his fingers, with their clearly defined knuckles, were clean and strong. He held the porcelain bowl but did not look at it. Instead, his gaze settled on the red mark on the back of Xu Youqing's hand.
Sensing his stare, she instinctively covered it with her other hand, hiding the mark. Her skin was fair and delicate, and the welt from the feather duster yesterday had not yet fully faded.
At the sight of her small gesture, Jin Zongmin's gaze slowly traveled upward, returning to Xu Youqing's face.
The soft light in the hall fell upon her as she stood there, her back straight, yet her brow carried a fragile gentleness.
She looked at him, her eyes exceptionally clear, like two pools of autumn water. Though her bearing was cool and aloof, there was something pitiable about her, like a lily of the valley still beaded with raindrops after a storm.
Jin Zongmin's gaze was too deep, too still, too invasive. Xu Youqing felt her whole body tense under his stare, not knowing where to look.
"Little Xu, don't just stand there—tell Mr. Jin about the bowl's provenance and its finer points," Boss Zheng prompted.
"Oh, right."
"Mr. Jin, what you see before you is a five-color dragon-and-phoenix bowl from the Daoguang period of the Qing imperial kilns…"
The moment Boss Zheng heard that the piece was from the late Qing dynasty, the smile on his face faltered.
He had thought Xu Youqing had brought something valuable, but it turned out the bowl wasn't even worth more than the trinkets his wife got as add-ons when buying handbags. His heart sank—surely Jin Zongmin had no leisure to waste time on this.
To secure the mining rights in Huicheng, Boss Zheng had gone to great lengths to establish a connection with the Jin family. He had called in favors everywhere and finally learned that Jin Zongmin had recently taken an interest in collecting antiques. He had planned to gift his own prized piece along with other items from the building, but he hadn't expected Xu Youqing to barge in and ruin things today.
If this fell through, it would be a disaster out of nowhere. The young master of the Jin family, he'd heard, never revealed his emotions.
Xu Youqing continued her explanation, her voice unhurried, her wording precise—clearly she had done her homework.
Boss Zheng glanced sideways and saw Jin Zongmin idly turning the porcelain bowl in his hand, his eyes utterly flat, like a deep, unfathomable pool of cold water.
The man must be growing impatient. Boss Zheng hastily cut in: "That's enough, Little Xu. No need to go into the finer details."
The young woman's clear, crisp voice stopped, like a string suddenly snapped mid-note.
Xu Youqing pressed her lips together and stood to the side, a flicker of embarrassment and dejection crossing her face. She had a feeling she was about to ruin this.
Jin Zongmin, who had remained silent throughout, furrowed his brow slightly. He slowly raised his eyes and turned his gaze to Boss Zheng.
There was still no strong emotion in that look, yet an intangible chill pressed beneath it. Under Jin Zongmin's stare, Boss Zheng felt an inexplicable cold run down his spine.
"Let her finish."
Jin Zongmin spoke, his voice still low, yet carrying an authority that brooked no argument.
Boss Zheng forced a smile. "Of course, of course." He fell silent at once, not daring to say another word.
Jin Zongmin's gaze returned to Xu Youqing. The young woman's lashes were lowered, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
"Go on, I'm listening."
Xu Youqing lifted her eyes and met Jin Zongmin's gaze once more. This time, however, the unsettling scrutiny seemed to have faded somewhat, replaced by a focused attentiveness.
It seemed he was interested. Xu Youqing felt a surge of confidence. She took a soft breath and continued her explanation, her voice steadier than before.
When she finished, Jin Zongmin set the porcelain bowl aside on the side table and fixed his gaze on her. "Name your price."
Xu Youqing's heart leaped with joy, even as her mind raced. There was a tiny chip on the bottom of the bowl—though after her restoration, it was completely invisible.
Should she tell him? If she did, the price would certainly be discounted. Judging by the man's bearing and the deferential manner of Boss Zheng, he was clearly someone of wealth and status.
But… she couldn't deceive him, either.
No. She couldn't bring herself to do something against her conscience.
"I forgot to mention earlier—there was a chip on the bottom of the bowl. I repaired it."
She didn't know what he would say. A flicker of anxiety stirred within her. What if he changed his mind?
Jin Zongmin gave a faint smile, looking at her. "Nice work."
Xu Youqing wasn't sure how to respond.
"How about a hundred thousand?" Jin Zongmin spoke first.
Both Xu Youqing and Boss Zheng were taken aback.
She had looked into this bowl before. Even if it had been in perfect, pristine condition, fifty thousand would have been the absolute ceiling—let alone one that had been repaired. And this Mr. Jin was offering a hundred thousand?
"Mr. Jin," her voice tightened slightly, laced with genuine bewilderment, "this bowl… it's not exactly a rare treasure, and it's a single piece at that. The price you're offering is far too high."
She didn't want to take advantage of such an enormous favor—especially from a man as inscrutable and imposing as this one.
After hearing her words, Jin Zongmin leaned back slightly, reached over, and picked up the porcelain bowl from the side table.
"Whether it's a treasure," Jin Zongmin said slowly, turning the bowl slightly to examine its base, "depends on how the buyer defines it."
Then he looked at her, his gaze sharp, and spoke each word clearly and low:
"If I say it is, then it is."
It was the ease of one who stood above.
Jin Zongmin watched Xu Youqing with a hint of a smile, as if appreciating something.
To be honest, she really needed that hundred thousand. But her mother had once told her: when others give you more than you're owed, don't take it as a free gift—sooner or later, you'll have to repay it with something else. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
That was right. She couldn't accept more than what was fair. That money would burn in her hands.
"Thank you for your generosity," Xu Youqing said, her voice soft but firm. "But this bowl truly isn't worth that much. Your money… didn't come easily either. I can't take advantage of you like this."
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a flicker of impropriety. That had been a bit presumptuous.
Jin Zongmin's eyes remained calm, a trace of amused interest passing through them.
The corner of his lips curved upward as his gaze enveloped her, his tone laced with teasing:
"You're… worried about my money for me?"
Xu Youqing's face flushed hot in an instant. She averted her eyes from that gaze—too sharp, too ambiguous—and hurried to explain: "No, it's not that… I just… I never take more than what belongs to me. Whatever it's worth, that's what I'll take."
Jin Zongmin watched the young woman's carefully composed face, then leaned back lazily against one side and asked with a smile, "Then what is it worth?"
Xu Youqing thought it over. Xiao Ze's surgery was scheduled for next week—there wasn't much time left. She wasn't greedy. She could sell it to him for fifty thousand, just enough to cover the surgery costs. That shouldn't be too much to ask.
"Fifty thousand."
Jin Zongmin found it amusing. This girl knew the market—asking for fifty thousand meant she was short on money. Yet despite being strapped for cash, she'd turned down a hundred thousand. She still had a streak of pride in her.
He nodded. "Fine."
Boss Zheng watched from the side with keen eyes. That man from the Jin family was notoriously particular—the type who looked down on almost everything. Yet today, he had the patience to listen to a young woman explain something that, in his view, was utterly unremarkable.
That was truly out of the ordinary.
His businessman's instinct told him that today's turn of events might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
In a flash, a smile spread across Boss Zheng's face. "Mr. Jin, it's about time for a meal. I've come into some Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs—top quality, excellent size. How about… you stay for a casual dinner?"
Jin Zongmin didn't respond, merely toying with the porcelain bowl in a languid manner.
Not refusing outright meant there was a chance. Boss Zheng felt reassured and turned to Xu Youqing with a smile. "Little Xu, you should join too. It's rare that you're here—Xuanxuan was just talking about you a few days ago."
Xu Youqing wanted to decline. "Mr. Zheng, that would be too much of an imposition. I…"
"No imposition at all!" Boss Zheng waved his hand grandly, cutting off her words, then brought out his daughter as a trump card. "When Xuanxuan comes home and sees her Little Xu teacher, she'll be over the moon. Just think of it as keeping the kid company, alright?"
Xu Youqing had previously helped Boss Zheng restore ceramics. It happened that his daughter wanted to improve her English, and upon learning that Xu Youqing was a student at Jing University, they'd tried a trial lesson. After that, she was hired for the summer.
Jin Zongmin looked up, as if interested in their exchange.
Boss Zheng explained, "You wouldn't know this, but Little Xu is a top student at Jing University. Not only is her restoration skill impressive, her grades are excellent too. I hired her specifically to tutor my daughter over the summer. Little Xu teaches wonderfully—my little terror only listens to her."
As he spoke, he kept a sidelong watch on Jin Zongmin's expression.
Xu Youqing was flustered by the sudden dinner invitation, and Jin Zongmin's gaze following her made her even more uncomfortable.
She'd wanted to find an excuse to leave, but with Boss Zheng having said all that, refusing further would make her seem terribly ungrateful. She could only give a slight nod. "…Then I'll be intruding."
Boss Zheng was delighted inwardly. He looked at Jin Zongmin and said in a carefully measured tone, "Mr. Jin, my youngest daughter will be joining as well. You… don't mind, do you?"
Jin Zongmin's gaze swept over Xu Youqing's slightly tense profile. He said in a calm voice, "With a young lady present, it should be livelier."
That was his acceptance.
The meal was set in an elegant small flower hall.
Before long, Xuanxuan arrived home from school. Spotting Xu Youqing at once, she rushed over in delighted surprise. "Little Xu teacher! You really came!"
Seeing Xuanxuan, Xu Youqing's expression relaxed as well. She smiled and chatted with her, attentively asking about her schoolwork.
Shortly after, the servant set out the tableware.
Xu Youqing was clearly unfamiliar with the set of eight crab-eating utensils, her movements somewhat clumsy.
Just as she hesitated, a hand with well-defined knuckles reached over and picked up the long-handled crab cracker that lay unused beside her.
Jin Zongmin didn't look at her. He gripped the tool, precisely located the joint of the crab shell, and gave a gentle twist. With a soft crack, the shell separated cleanly.
He placed the prepared portion back in front of Xu Youqing, along with the tool.
"It's easier to start from here." Jin Zongmin spoke.
"Thank you." Xu Youqing mimicked his method, and sure enough, it went much more smoothly.
Boss Zheng took in the whole scene, his understanding growing by the minute. He chuckled teasingly, "Little Xu, a beautiful and outstanding girl like you must have no shortage of suitors, right?"
Xu Youqing felt a bit embarrassed by such a direct question.
"Of course!" Xuanxuan looked up from her plate, "During summer break, a very handsome older brother came to pick up the teacher. Mom and I saw him from the balcony—he waited for a long time. It was obvious he was courting the teacher!"
The little girl spoke quickly, buzzing with the excitement of having discovered a secret. "Teacher, is he already your boyfriend?"
Xu Youqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Han Zheng had only picked her up that one time, and she'd been spotted.
Boss Zheng's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly cut in, "What would a little kid like you know? Eat your food." As he spoke, he once again stole a sidelong glance at Jin Zongmin.
Jin Zongmin seemed not to have heard their conversation at all. He had already set down his silver tongs. With lowered eyes, he washed his hands with lemon water, then unhurriedly took a wet wipe and dried his fingers one by one, his expression indifferent.
After the meal, Boss Zheng and Jin Zongmin went into the inner room to discuss business. Xu Youqing didn't linger. She asked Xuanxuan to pass along a message and left her bank account number.
When the discussion ended and Jin Zongmin came out, he found that Xu Youqing had already left—as if she was afraid of having even one more word with him.
In the car, Jin Zongmin held the note with the phone number and bank card number written on it. Seeing the signature in the bottom right corner, he slowly read it aloud: "Xu, You, Qing."
The handwriting was elegant and refined—just like her.
The car stopped at an intersection, the red light counting down.
Jin Zongmin casually glanced ahead, his gaze pausing slightly, as if he'd spotted something amusing. He raised his hand and set the note aside.