The Art of Teasing - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

As evening approached, Wen Zhengyu received the two million yuan that Old Master Wu had transferred back to her, knowing that the Old Master Wen had already taken care of the matter.

At dinner, Old Master Wen was in quite good spirits and even had her accompany him for a little drink.

Seeing that Old Master Wen's vitality and spirit had returned and that he hadn't been beaten down by this minor incident, Wen Zhengyu felt much more at ease. She was slightly puzzled—the old gentleman had weathered countless storms in his lifetime, this small matter meant nothing to him, and besides, it wasn't exactly a good thing, yet now he seemed as though he'd encountered a happy event. She sought out Zhan Cheng to quietly inquire, asking, "What happy event does the Old Master have?"

Zhan Cheng replied, "The Old Master's Celestial Sphere Vase was recovered by the Eldest Miss."

Wen Zhengyu's voice dropped even lower. "You didn't tell Grandfather about Ye Ling's involvement?" She wasn't worried about owing Ye Ling a favor. Favors had to be repaid, back and forth, giving and receiving. She had observed that Ye Ling's conduct, on the whole, was acceptable enough—she didn't seem like some irredeemable villain—so there would be an opportunity to return the favor. What worried her was the Old Master finding out about the pawning of the jade pendant, which would upset him.

Zhan Cheng said, "The matter was handled by the Eldest Miss. If there's anything, I'll just speak directly to her."

Wen Zhengyu asked further about what exactly had happened at the antique shop. They had dealt with that owner for so many years without incident, and now suddenly this had occurred.

Zhan Cheng told Wen Zhengyu that the antique shop owner, seeing that Mr. Wen Shiyi had fled abroad and that Old Master Wen had little left, figured that when a wall is crumbling, everyone gives it a push. Seizing such an opportunity, he wanted to make a grab. The owner had even been subtly inquiring how Ye Ling, who had forced Wen Shiyi into bankruptcy and flight, could possibly be helping the grandfather and granddaughter.

Hearing that the antique shop owner was asking about Ye Ling, Wen Zhengyu knew he was well-informed. He must have calculated everything before pulling this move, only failing to account for Ye Ling. Wen Zhengyu hadn't anticipated that Ye Ling would help her either—she had even prepared herself for the possibility of never recovering the Celestial Sphere Vase. Her father had fallen, the Old Master had been hospitalized, and the only way to retrieve the vase would have been to appeal to her cousins or aunts and uncles for help. But for something like this, neither too big nor too small, neither she nor the Old Master had the face to go begging. Relatives could help her once or twice, but she couldn't go to them for every little thing. To stand on one's own feet in this world, one ultimately had to rely on oneself.

Regardless of Ye Ling's motives in helping her, Ye Ling had done her such an enormous favor, she would have to properly thank her.

After a busy weekend, Wen Zhengyu found a free moment to leave work early and visited an antique shop she often frequented.

The antique shop was not large, located in a very famous old urban district of the city. Designated by the municipal government as a historical and cultural block, the area's streets and lanes were steeped in old-world charm, lending nearly every shop in the district an air of classical elegance and refinement.

The shop owner, surnamed Qiu, named Zhiqian—forty-two years old but looking just over thirty—ran the antique shop out of her own family home. The shop's most distinctive trait was the owner's habit of being utterly unpredictable, working whenever she felt like it. Anyone wanting to buy something had to call and make an appointment or check whether she was even there. Otherwise, turning up would only reveal a locked door.

Qiu Zhiqian ran this antique shop purely as a hobby, coupled with a reluctance to be idle all day. She had opened such a shop just to pass the time.

Her shop carried few items, all of them exquisite pieces within a price range that well-to-do families could accept. Her reputation was excellent; she only sold to regular customers and never haggled—take it or leave it.

When Wen Zhengyu arrived, Qiu Zhiqian was just organizing the stock.

The shop hired no staff; Qiu Zhiqian took care of everything inside herself, including the maintenance of the antiques. Her collection was also all-encompassing. As long as she found something appropriate and appealing, she would acquire it—from ancient books, calligraphy, and paintings to gold, silver, jade, clay sculptures, and carvings. Though the shop was small, the variety was extensive. Every item was placed in an appropriate brocade box on the curio shelves, with a small placard in front stating the name and price. Different prices were displayed on different shelves.

Wen Zhengyu's gaze was immediately drawn to a string of amber prayer beads.

The color of this string was exceptionally pure, a golden yellow, with a pattern like cloud and mist, like flowing lines, like gossamer silk. The beads were extremely uniform in size, eighteen in total, complemented by two lapis lazuli beads and a Buddha head bead. It was an antique piece from the Qing dynasty. The quality and appearance were quite remarkable—something you might not encounter even if you were deliberately seeking it out.

Wen Zhengyu was very tempted, but the price exceeded her budget. She had been running her art studio business for some time now, and keeping expenditures within budget had practically become instinct.

Qiu Zhiqian walked over to Wen Zhengyu and asked, "Found something you like?"

Wen Zhengyu said, rather helplessly, "I like it. But I intended to buy it as a gift, and the price exceeds my budget."

Qiu Zhiqian smiled and said, "Well, that depends on whether the person you're giving it to is worth exceeding the budget."

Wen Zhengyu thought for a moment, then turned to look at other items.

She made a round of the shop but found nothing more to her liking than the amber beads, and without realizing it, she found herself back in front of them.

She reasoned that although Ye Ling wasn't worth surpassing her budget, considering the immense favor Ye Ling had done her, giving a string of beads like this wasn't overdoing it. She turned to Qiu Zhiqian and said, "Sister Qiu, I'll take this one."

Qiu Zhiqian smiled and responded, "Alright." She asked Wen Zhengyu, "How would you like it packaged?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Just in this brocade box, it's fine."

Qiu Zhiqian teased her, gossiping, "Sounds like a deep connection with the recipient."

Wen Zhengyu replied softly with a hint of a sigh, "That's a long story."

She paid with her card.

Qiu Zhiqian took the amber beads, along with the brocade box, from the curio shelf and handed them to her. "Inspect them one more time. Once money and goods are exchanged, no returns. Though this is old hat, I have to say it every time. I hope Zhengyu doesn't take offense."

Wen Zhengyu glanced at the amber beads and said, "Sister Qiu's reputation is on the line here." She closed the brocade box, said her goodbyes, and left the shop to head home.

Upon arriving home, she ran into Old Master Wen in the living room.

Old Master Wen, seeing the brocade box in her hand, asked jovially, "What nice thing have you bought for Grandpa?"

Wen Zhengyu was speechless for a moment. Silently, she walked over to the sofa and handed the brocade box to Old Master Wen.

Old Master Wen took the brocade box with delight, opened it, and after a couple of glances, closed it again. He then silently handed it back to her.

Wen Zhengyu placed the brocade box on the coffee table and sat down beside the Old Master, keeping him company while he drank tea.

Old Master Wen asked her, "Find some time to go look at cars? The constant rain makes commuting and going out rather inconvenient."

Wen Zhengyu glanced at the Old Master and smiled. "How could I let you buy it for me? Once the studio is on track and turning a profit, I'll buy one myself. There's no need for a car right now anyway. I've already arranged with Li Bin that on rainy days, he'll drive me to and from work."

The following day at work, she brought the brocade box to her office. After finishing her tasks, she knocked on Ye Ling's office door.

Ye Ling's voice came from inside. "It's Zhengyu, isn't it? The door isn't locked. Come in, please."

Wen Zhengyu opened the door, and once inside, closed it behind her. She asked, "How did you know it was me?"

Ye Ling put down her pen and said, "Not many people come to this office, and the studio staff rarely knock at my door. The force of your knock, and the intervals between each knock, are also different from others."

Wen Zhengyu gave a soft "Oh" and placed the brocade box containing the amber prayer beads beside Ye Ling.

Ye Ling glanced at Wen Zhengyu, puzzled. She opened the box, examined the beads, then took them out and inspected them carefully. She slipped them onto her wrist and asked Wen Zhengyu, "Do they look good on me?"

Wen Zhengyu thought to herself, Isn't that supposed to be my line? But she also felt it wasn't quite appropriate for her to ask. She said, "If CEO Ye thinks they look good, then they do."

Ye Ling looked up at Wen Zhengyu, standing beside her desk, and asked with a smile, "Zhengyu, giving me such an expensive gift—are you trying to court me?"

Wen Zhengyu was momentarily dumbfounded. She said, "This is a token of thanks for CEO Ye. I won't disturb your work any further; I'll take my leave."

Ye Ling said, "You've given me such an expensive gift—it should be me treating you to lunch. How about lunch?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "I'll treat you."

Ye Ling happily agreed. "Alright." She glanced at the time and added, "It's almost time to clock out anyway."

Wen Zhengyu paused, at a loss for words at Ye Ling's reply. She checked her watch. It was just past eleven, not yet quitting time. But indeed, it was nearly lunchtime. If they waited until the official time, they'd end up in a queue. She nodded and said, "There's an old, established restaurant nearby. Their cooking is excellent."

Ye Ling asked, "Is it far?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Not far. If we cut through the small lane ahead, it's about a twenty-minute walk. Driving means taking a detour; that road is one-way."

Ye Ling nodded. "Fine, let's walk then."

Wen Zhengyu glanced out the window. It was raining.

Ye Ling asked, "You don't mind taking a stroll in the rain or anything, do you?"

Wen Zhengyu recalled the time someone had wanted to walk in the rain when viewing her family estate, only to nearly fall into the lake and twist her ankle. She said, "If CEO Ye has no objections, I'm fine with anything." If Ye Ling slipped and fell again, she absolutely wasn't going to help her up.

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