Chapter 82

Dadan’s eyes were completely fixated on the milk tea he was drinking for the first time. Every time he encountered food he hadn’t tried before, he would always act like a cautious little hamster sneaking around like a dog.

He’d take a tiny sip first to make sure it didn’t taste awful. Only after confirming it was fine would he start gulping it down, hugging the cup contentedly.

Mr. Zhou was dressed in a suit. When he caught sight of Dadan’s movements from the corner of his eye, a soft smile flickered across his face.

Among this group of people, probably only Ji Chenbiao was feeling conflicted.

Dadan, still clutching his milk tea, swayed forward a few steps before suddenly realizing his dad wasn’t following. He turned his head and saw his dad still standing there, so he hurriedly jogged back.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

That childish voice pulled Ji Chenbiao out of his thoughts. He forced a stiff smile and shook his head slightly, denying it.

“Nothing, I was just thinking.”

“Oh.”

Dadan didn’t suspect a thing. He instinctively slipped one of his hands into his father’s palm, afraid of being separated and lost.

Holding his milk tea in one hand, he looked back and reminded Ji Chenbiao:

“Hold tight, okay? If I get lost here, I won’t be able to find my way home.”

“Okay.”

Mr. Zhou had visited the raw jadeite markets in Myanmar many times and was very familiar with the area. His assistant took them to a restaurant nearby that had good reviews.

From the meal all the way back to the hotel, Ji Chenbiao was distracted. Mr. Zhou noticed his absent-mindedness but didn’t read too much into it, assuming he was just tired.

Once they got into the hotel elevator, Mr. Zhou kindly offered:

“Take tomorrow to rest well in the hotel. When I first came here, I got sick from the environment and ended up vomiting for a whole week before I started to recover.”

Ji Chenbiao knew Mr. Zhou had misunderstood, but he didn’t explain. He just nodded and agreed.

“Okay.”

That night, after settling Dadan in bed, Ji Chenbiao went out alone to the hotel balcony and stared blankly at the lights outside.

He had only gotten a brief glimpse earlier, but thinking back now, Ji Chenbiao couldn’t be sure if he had seen it wrong.

At the airport, he thought he’d seen a child who looked a lot like Dadan.

The child was older—probably around ten, Ji Chenbiao guessed. From his clothing and the people surrounding him, it was clear he wasn’t from an ordinary background.

And someone had once told Ji Chenbiao that families who believed disabled or “imperfect” children brought misfortune were usually from powerful clans.

In the past, Ji Chenbiao wouldn’t have given it so much thought. Back then, Dadan had been rejected and abandoned; even now, having raised him a bit, they probably still wouldn’t want to take him back.

But now, because of Dadan’s identity as a Jade Person, Ji Chenbiao could no longer be so sure.

What if?

Maybe?

Possibly?

Ji Chenbiao couldn’t afford to take even the slightest risk. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if someone took Dadan away from him.

Myanmar was the world’s largest source of raw jadeite. There were many jade merchants like Mr. Zhou, and people here were very particular about jade-related traditions.

Although the place was far from the little mountain village they came from, Ji Chenbiao didn’t dare to bet that there was no connection.

The next day, when Dadan woke up and was about to head out for a walk with Uncle Zhou, his dad forcibly put a hat and sunglasses on him.

“Dad, what’s this for…”

At first, Dadan had found these accessories novel and enjoyed wearing them. But over time, he’d grown tired of it. It felt like being stuffed into a sack.

“Wear them properly. Be good. What if we run into your biological parents here?”

Ji Chenbiao didn’t know how to explain the reason to a child who didn’t understand much, but he still gave an explanation, so Dadan wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

Though Dadan usually seemed stubborn, as long as you explained the reason clearly, he was willing to listen and obey.

Ji Chenbiao crouched in front of him and gently ruffled his fluffy hair.

When Dadan heard what his dad said, his little mouth twisted in anger. He widened his eyes and immediately replied without hesitation:

“I’ll give them a left hook and beat them up!”

His little fist, which he thought was super strong, was easily wrapped up in Ji Chenbiao’s hand. Ji Chenbiao gently pinched his head with his other hand and reminded him:

“See? You’re still too small. You can’t beat them. And if you get taken away, what will Daddy do if he can’t ever see you again?”

It was rare for Ji Chenbiao to show this much emotion. Normally, he was stingy with sentimental words around Dadan, afraid that saying too much would make the little guy laugh at him.

But this was too important. He couldn’t and wouldn’t take that kind of risk.

If they were still in China, Ji Chenbiao wouldn’t be so worried. Dadan’s adoption had gone through proper procedures, and his household registration was under Ji Chenbiao’s name. China’s legal protections were thorough, so he didn’t have to fear someone taking the child.

But now they were overseas, and in a place with poor public safety like Myanmar. It wouldn’t even be surprising if something happened to him here.

In that moment, Ji Chenbiao suddenly regretted bringing Dadan along. If he’d known there was a chance of running into the child’s birth parents, he wouldn’t have agreed to come—no matter what.

Seeing his dad like this, Dadan also got scared. He quickly waved his hands, wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck, and leaned in to nuzzle him with his head. He whispered:

“Daddy, don’t be sad. I’ll be good.”

“Make sure to wear this stuff properly when we go out, okay? Daddy still wants to see Dadan grow up and become an amazing person.”

“I don’t want to go out anymore.”

It wasn’t just Ji Chenbiao who feared losing Dadan—Dadan was just as afraid of being separated from his dad. He gave a little hop and clung to him, and Ji Chenbiao hugged him close, softly saying:

“If you want to play, wait until you’re older. We’ll come again when you’re bigger, okay?”

Now, all Ji Chenbiao could do was silently pray that Dadan wouldn’t end up looking like his birth parents as he grew. According to what people in their village said, kids who grew up with someone would gradually start to look like them.

“Okay~”

Whatever sense of wonder he’d felt about coming here had now completely vanished under fear.

Compared to the strange and exciting world outside, Dadan would much rather stay in the hotel with his dad.

In private, Ji Chenbiao also brought up the matter with Mr. Zhou. He knew his own abilities were limited, and the only person he could rely on was Mr. Zhou.

At the very least, their interests were currently aligned—Mr. Zhou was just as concerned about Dadan’s safety as he was.

Using “not acclimated to the local environment” as an excuse, Ji Chenbiao stayed in the hotel room and didn’t go out before the raw jade exhibition began.

It was actually common for people visiting Myanmar for the first time to get sick from the water or climate, so no one thought anything of it.

If Ji Chenbiao’s guess was correct, and Dadan’s birth parents were really here—once they found out about his special constitution, they would stop at nothing to reclaim the child.

As someone in the jadeite industry, Mr. Zhou knew better than anyone how important a Jade Person was to a family.

As the raw stone exhibition approached, Ji Chenbiao was so anxious that blisters had formed at the corners of his mouth.

On the night before the exhibition, Mr. Zhou knocked on Ji Chenbiao’s door in the middle of the night.

At that moment, Dadan was fast asleep under the covers, snoring away. Ji Chenbiao, on the other hand, was too worried about the next day to sleep at all.

“Mr. Zhou, it’s so late. Why are you here?”

“I’ve been thinking about tomorrow. Maybe you could coax Dadan into wearing this outfit?”

Mr. Zhou handed over the bag he was holding. From the part peeking out, Ji Chenbiao could tell it was a little girl’s princess dress—delicate lace trim, embellished with pearls, exquisitely beautiful.

Next to it was a finely made wig. The light yellow hair color was fairly common in this area.

“Regardless of anything else, the family that abandoned their child must’ve known whether it was a boy or a girl. If he’s disguised as a foreign little girl, it shouldn’t raise any suspicions.”

“But… kids Dadan’s age usually really hate this kind of thing.”

Mr. Zhou’s plan wasn’t exactly clever—probably something he came up with in desperation as the exhibition drew near.

“Back at the airport that day, I thought it over. Among the people accompanied by multiple bodyguards, there were three families. All of them hold considerable influence in Myanmar.”

“I’m sorry, but based on my current power alone, I can’t guarantee Dadan’s absolute safety.”

If they were in Shancheng, that’d be one thing. But they were in Myanmar now, and not only did they lack power, but the others were probably entrenched local aristocrats.

“I’ll coax Dadan into wearing it.”

“Good. Then I’ll head back to rest. The exhibition is set for ten tomorrow morning. It’s best to be ready to leave by nine-thirty.”

Their hotel wasn’t far from the venue. It’d only take a dozen minutes to get there, but given the scale of the event, it was better to arrive early.

“Alright, I’ve got it.”

The next morning, Dadan woke up groggily. Thinking about the raw jadeite materials he’d get to see today, he excitedly rubbed his hands together. When his dad walked in, he eagerly asked:

“Dad, when are we heading out?”

He snuggled up close to Ji Chenbiao, rubbing his cheek affectionately like a little puppy. His eager expression eased much of Ji Chenbiao’s anxiety.

“Dadan, there’s something I need to tell you first.”

“Hm?”

“Today’s exhibition has a lot of invited guests. Your biological parents’ family might be among them. To prevent them from recognizing you…”

“Wear a hat?”

Dadan tried to guess. If it was just wearing a hat, he figured that was fine. A bit uncomfortable, but manageable.

“How about wearing this dress?”

At first, Dadan didn’t understand and thought his dad had bought him some new clothes behind his back.

He excitedly got ready to try it on—until he saw Ji Chenbiao shake out the dress.

His eyes went wide and round, his mouth hung open. After a long pause, he finally snapped out of it and said in disbelief:

“Dad? Did you buy the wrong one?”

“No, I didn’t. If you wear this dress, no one will think you’re the boy who was abandoned.”

Ji Chenbiao patiently explained. Normally, Dadan would rather die than go along with this. But hearing the reason, he hesitated for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Okay!”

If wearing a dress meant the bad guys wouldn’t take him away from his dad, then so be it. As long as not too many people he knew saw him, it basically didn’t count!

Dadan muttered to himself, eventually convincing himself, then closed his eyes and let his dad help him change.

Fortunately, he was still young—his body hadn’t started developing yet. So even if there were differences, they were negligible.

And Dadan was undeniably good-looking. Once the dress and wig were on, he looked exactly like a pretty little princess.

It was his first time wearing a dress. He felt a strange awkwardness and shifted uncomfortably.

Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, his eyes turned red around the rims. He sniffled and murmured:

“Dad, Dadan feels awful…”

Ji Chenbiao knew how upset he was. This really was the last resort.

If there’d been any other way, they wouldn’t have gone this far.

While he was wracking his brain on how to comfort Dadan, the boy snuggled up to him like usual and sweetly said:

“So, can I have two bottles of milk this morning?”

Dadan looked at him with big, hopeful eyes, nearly making Ji Chenbiao laugh. Clearly, the sadness was just a ploy—he was using this as leverage to get more milk!

“You little rascal.”

Dadan covered his ears and pretended he heard nothing.

What’s a little dignity compared to a bottle of milk?

“Fine. You can have one now, and bring one with you. How about that?”

“Okay! Dad, you’re the best!”

Feeling satisfied, Dadan leaned in to kiss him, but Ji Chenbiao pushed him away in mock disgust. As he carried him out, he reminded him not to be naughty today. If the wig fell off, he’d spank his butt.

Dadan, who was usually obedient and rarely got punished, covered his rear and nodded solemnly.

He had to behave! No letting the wig fall off!

Mr. Zhou had been waiting downstairs for a while. To complete the disguise, he even brought sunglasses and a hat for Dadan.

It wasn’t unusual for foreign parents to bring their kids along to such events, especially children from jadeite aristocrat families—they often started learning young.

Dadan blended in perfectly.

The entrance quotas for the raw jade exhibition were extremely strict. And the stones being sold were far from affordable for ordinary people.

Even though Dadan was still a child, his entry counted as an adult’s. Since Mr. Zhou was already here, he didn’t mind sacrificing a regular admission.

Inside, the exhibition hall displayed many raw stones. Some already had tiny exposed sections, with faint glimmers of jadeite peeking through.

Generally, pieces like those were left untouched by knowledgeable buyers—only clueless amateurs would consider them.

After all, the world would never run out of people dreaming of overnight riches. And stories of priceless jadeite discoveries were the most abundant of all.

Mr. Zhou used to think the same way—until Dadan cracked open a stone he had absolutely no hopes for and revealed a massive, flawless jadeite inside.

That incident completely changed his outlook. Now, even when a stone showed just the faintest sign of decent jadeite, he would give it serious attention.

Many people who were familiar with Mr. Zhou couldn’t help but mock him in private when they saw his actions. They wondered if he had gone mad over jade, to the point of even being willing to look at those obviously fake pieces that were only good enough to fool outsiders.

Ji Chenbiao hadn’t yet had the time to learn how to judge whether there was jade inside a raw stone, but he had already prepared most of the necessary tools.

Blending into the crowd without drawing attention, he didn’t look out of place at all. Many suspected he was a skilled expert specially hired by Mr. Zhou from elsewhere.

This was Myanmar. Given Dadan’s identity and that other issue, he didn’t dare to act as cheeky and carefree as before, wandering around and touching everything.

Held in his father’s arms and wearing sunglasses, he had to close his eyes and rely entirely on the spiritual energy feedback from the raw stones to make his judgments.

His little hand, hidden inside his father’s clothes, would gently poke if he sensed something.

Ji Chenbiao understood the signal and would instruct Mr. Zhou’s assistant, who was following them, to mark the stone so it could be bought during the upcoming auction.

After doing this for some time, Dadan had gained a bit of experience. He understood that the more spiritual energy a stone gave off, the better the jade inside would be.

Ji Chenbiao, being Dadan’s father, could also understand what he was trying to convey.

A gentle poke meant there might be something inside; a firmer poke meant there was definitely something; and a strong, forceful poke meant there was something exceptionally good inside.

At this exhibition, the various colored tags conveniently suited this need.

Thanks to Dadan’s help in the past, they had repeatedly found top-grade jade inside raw stones Mr. Zhou had deemed worthless. By now, Mr. Zhou had almost blind trust in Dadan.

The jade stones they’d been lucky enough to find before had already been converted into cash by Mr. Zhou in preparation for this raw stone exhibition.

He had brought along almost half of his assets, ready to acquire every stone that caught Dadan’s attention.

Initially, Ji Chenbiao and Mr. Zhou had agreed to inspect only one raw stone per week, but that changed over time. Dadan said several times that looking at jade made his eyes feel better.

Once, when Dadan caught a cold, Ji Chenbiao took him to the hospital for a check-up.

The same doctor from before told them that Dadan’s condition had greatly improved. What used to be a tricky issue had now almost completely disappeared.

If this continued, there might be no need for surgery at all—he could recover naturally.

For Ji Chenbiao, that was the best news. Once he realized that Mr. Zhou hadn’t deceived him for profit and that Dadan wouldn’t be harmed by this, and might actually grow healthier, Ji Chenbiao stopped worrying.

At the exhibition, Ji Chenbiao and Dadan went through nearly every raw stone, marking over two hundred pieces.

When Mr. Zhou received the final count, he was stunned. Although he had come prepared with a substantial amount of money, buying all those stones would practically wipe him out.

During the short break between the exhibition and the auction, Mr. Zhou drank two glasses of liquor in his private booth.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe just the thrill—after all, as a jade merchant, he was one of the most reckless gamblers in the field.

He gave his assistant an order: all the stones Dadan had shown interest in had to be bought.

If money was tight, they would prioritize the ones Dadan had specially marked.

Mr. Zhou was desperate for a full harvest, but he also placed great importance on Dadan’s safety.

He knew that if every stone Dadan picked revealed jade, it would draw suspicion. So he made special arrangements—contacting his subordinates and friends to pose as separate groups and bid on different stones.

One hard rule of the auction was that every buyer had to publicly cut one stone on site.

Most people would choose the one they believed had the highest chance of containing jade—it was a way to boost their reputation.

Some even chose to cut open all their stones, for the sake of convenience, regardless of the outcome.

Mr. Zhou had always been the latter. His luck wasn’t great, and the few successful attempts he had were all thanks to his wife.

But now, his wife, having worked too hard in her younger days, was seriously ill and needed rest. Though not in danger, she couldn’t endure long trips and had to recuperate at home.

This time, Mr. Zhou decided to cut only one stone on-site and ship the rest back home.

He valued Dadan’s safety far more than making a name at this auction.

As a regular client, Mr. Zhou had a private booth with an excellent view.

Dadan, having already gone through nearly all the stones, showed no further interest in the proceedings.

He crouched by the tea table and politely asked Uncle Zhou if he could eat the snacks there. After getting the go-ahead, he began peeling various nuts with great concentration.

Dadan really liked the nuts here—just like a little squirrel.

Ji Chenbiao wasn’t paying attention to the bustling auction either. He didn’t care how many people were throwing away their fortunes for a shot at overnight riches.

He was the cautious type, uninterested in understanding these obsessed gamblers.

Compared to the auction, he’d much rather go home and prepare milk for his boy.

Picking up a nutcracker, he opened the nuts Dadan handed him, feeding them to the child one by one.

At first, Dadan tried doing it himself, but soon realized the nuts his dad peeled looked neater, tastier—and most importantly, required no effort on his part.

Once he figured that out, Dadan settled comfortably in his dad’s arms.

With his father around, he felt like there was no need to try anymore. For the first time, Dadan discovered just how delightful it was to be a little freeloader.

In contrast to the relaxed father and son, Mr. Zhou was anything but calm. Though he prided himself on having weathered many storms over the years, just thinking about the raw stones he was about to buy made his heart race.

It beat so hard, it felt like it might leap out of his throat at any moment.

The auction didn’t go smoothly. Several stones marked by Ji Chenbiao were also favored by others, pushing the prices higher and higher.

For the stones that Dadan had marked as highly valuable, Mr. Zhou didn’t care who the competitors were—his people had to win them.

But if it was an average piece and bidding escalated beyond Mr. Zhou’s expectations, he would tactfully back off.

When the auction finally ended, Mr. Zhou, wanting to stay low-key, casually chose a medium-grade piece for the required public cutting.

After the auction ended, the real excitement began—the on-site jadeite cutting session.

In the past, the mortality rate here was extremely high. Most people had gone bankrupt just to buy a piece of rough jade, only to end up with nothing when it was cut open.

Later, to reduce this mortality rate, they deliberately moved the cutting site to the first floor.

All the lights in the private booths and audience seats dimmed, while dazzling flashlights lit up the stage.

All eyes turned to the rough jade stones on stage. This exhibition was hosted by a prestigious jadeite family from Myanmar. They had not only been in the business for generations but also possessed armed forces.

No matter how much others coveted these treasures, they could only keep their greed to themselves.

One by one, the rough stones were cut open. There were ten jadeite masters at work, and not a single one was unprofessional—every hand was steady and skilled.

Some people cheered when their jadeite turned out well, while others looked utterly dejected after getting nothing.

People like Mr. Zhou, who had a relatively high status, would usually have their rough stones opened later to keep them lingering around.

There was another reason for this as well. Occasionally, merchants would buy jadeite on the spot if the price was right, with the transaction completed instantly.

Mr. Zhou wasn’t in a hurry. He genuinely enjoyed the entire process of watching rough stones being opened.

The thrill of seeing beautiful jadeite revealed from the stone—no matter how many times he’d witnessed it—never got old for Mr. Zhou.

Little Dadan, who had been sleepy in the booth earlier, suddenly perked up during this session. He got so excited that he even tossed aside his wig.

After that move, Ji Chenbiao instinctively reached out to help him put the wig back on.

Realizing he had messed up, Dadan nervously fidgeted with his fingers, occasionally sneaking guilty glances at his dad.

With such a pitiful expression, Ji Chenbiao couldn’t bring himself to scold him. Instead, he scooped him into his arms, holding him firmly to keep him from misbehaving any further.

After a long wait, the rough stone Mr. Zhou had sent in was finally opened. It revealed a rare blue jadeite with excellent clarity and texture.

However, in terms of value, it was just average.

Mr. Zhou wasn’t surprised by the outcome. More than this result, he was eager to return home immediately and cut open the rest of his rough stones.

Over time, Mr. Zhou had started to notice a pattern.

Perhaps due to Dadan’s personal preferences, the stones he picked generally had one thing in common: they were especially transparent, with nearly no impurities inside.

Though this particular jadeite wasn’t extremely rare, its clarity and texture made it desirable enough that several people expressed interest in buying it.

Mr. Zhou didn’t want to take it back home, so he simply nodded and instructed his assistant to negotiate a price.

But the real highlight of the auction was Mr. Zhou’s assistant.

To avoid suspicion, Mr. Zhou hadn’t contacted his team after the auction officially began. A jadeite they casually selected and sent out for cutting actually revealed a top-quality Imperial Green.

When that jadeite appeared, the entire venue gasped in awe—even the people in the neighboring booths were visibly shaken.

Mr. Zhou, however, wasn’t thrilled. In fact, he felt an inexplicable twinge of displeasure. He didn’t dare message the assistant, and the assistant didn’t dare sell his boss’s jadeite either, so they simply held onto it.

The assistant’s identity wasn’t exactly a secret—he had appeared by Mr. Zhou’s side many times before.

Recently, he had reportedly left Mr. Zhou to start his own business, and the parting hadn’t been very amicable.

Many people aware of the inside story were now watching Mr. Zhou’s booth with great interest.

Watching your ex-assistant open such a stunning piece of jadeite—he must be grinding his teeth in frustration.

The jadeites that followed were all quite good. After all, this was a prestigious family. While even immortals struggle to judge jade, growing up in such an environment naturally gave them an edge.

After the auction concluded, the assistant finally reached out to Mr. Zhou, drenched in cold sweat.

From the end of the auction to now, he had already received numerous offers asking if he was willing to sell the Imperial Green.

Mr. Zhou loved Imperial Green jadeite. Ever since he sold the last one, he’d felt a nagging regret, always hoping he’d get another chance.

This piece that unexpectedly turned up at the auction felt like fate, as if it were meant to make up for that past regret.

He didn’t want to sell it.

But at the same time, he understood that if his assistant—now on his own—kept such a high-quality piece for himself, it would raise suspicions. Given his current position, selling it was the smartest choice.

More importantly, there had been so many people at the auction yesterday. His assistant had no real background or backing; it wasn’t guaranteed that he could safely bring the jadeite back home.

After a long internal struggle, Mr. Zhou could only grit his teeth, suppress his heartbreak, and text his assistant: sell it.

Just as they reached the hotel entrance, Dadan woke up. He rubbed his eyes—no one knew how much of the conversation he’d overheard earlier.

Once Mr. Zhou hung up the phone, Dadan walked over and gently patted the back of his hand.

“Don’t be sad.”

“Hm?”

That soft, childlike voice calmed Mr. Zhou more than he expected. He looked at Dadan curiously, wondering what he would say next.

“Why shouldn’t I be sad? Because stones like that—good materials—are rare and hard to come by.”

Mr. Zhou sighed. He really was reluctant to let it go. Just thinking about it already hurt.

After saying that, he realized that his comment was a bit redundant.

For Dadan, who had seen more top-grade Imperial Green than most people would in a lifetime, this kind of jadeite wasn’t even that shocking.

And he was still just a kid.

Dadan didn’t quite know how to comfort the uncle. After thinking for a moment, he straightened his wig and said:

“There’s more.”

“More?”

Mr. Zhou responded instinctively. Then, as the words left his mouth, he froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. Struggling to contain his excitement, he asked in a calm voice:

“You mean… there are still stones like that among the ones we have?”

Dadan nodded at first, then quickly shook his head.

His reaction completely dumbfounded Mr. Zhou.

He was usually a rather restrained person, but right now he simply couldn’t stay calm. If it weren’t for the bit of reason he still had left, he would’ve grabbed Dadan by the shoulders and shaken him, demanding to know what exactly that sentence of his meant.

“Dadan? Why are you shaking your head?”

“There’s one even better than that~”

That piece was just one of the more decent ones among the pile of rough stones Dadan had sensed. In fact, there was another one—the best one—which had already been bought by Mr. Zhou.

If the circumstances had allowed, Dadan himself would’ve really wanted to keep it.

“Better than that one?”

Mr. Zhou instinctively repeated Dadan’s words softly. That piece revealed at the auction had already been outstanding in his eyes—he could hardly imagine what something even better would look like.

“Mhm~”

Dadan hadn’t even examined that rough stone carefully yet, but the spiritual energy inside was already wildly spilling out.

To him, that was hands down the best material he’d seen in the entire auction.

“Great, great. Now I’m even more eager to go home.”

Mr. Zhou smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes showing, as if he could sprout wings and fly back immediately.

“I want to go home too.”

Dadan mumbled softly. Mr. Zhou was now speaking to him more gently than before, and asked with a smile:

“Why do you want to go home?”

Dadan reached up and pushed down the slightly frizzy wig again, his little face looking a bit aggrieved.

“I don’t want to wear a little dress…”

To him, the little dress didn’t look good at all.

Although, truth be told, when he first put it on, Dadan had secretly admired himself in the bathroom mirror for quite a while. But that did nothing to change the fact that by the end of the day, the novelty had completely worn off, leaving only an unexplainable resistance.

His dad had taught him before—dresses were for girls.

Now Dadan was even beginning to doubt whether he was really a girl.

“Don’t worry. You only need to wear the dress for today. Tomorrow, we’re just staying in the hotel—you won’t need it.”

“Okay.”

In order to make their disguise look more convincing, Ji Chenbiao had been eating very little each day in the hotel. He used to look robust and strong, but now his cheekbones were especially prominent from the weight loss.

It served as a perfect confirmation of the story they’d been projecting to outsiders: that ever since arriving in Myanmar, they’d been struggling to adjust to the environment.

He also stayed up very late at night, with very noticeable dark circles under his eyes.

When they returned to the hotel, Dadan clung to his dad’s arm and lowered his voice to ask:

“Daddy… when can we go home?”

Even outsiders could see how much he’d changed—how could Dadan, his own son, not notice?

Ji Chenbiao hadn’t told Dadan that he was temporarily taking Dadan’s place as the person seen as highly skilled in jade appraisal. He didn’t want his little one to know too much. Dadan cared about him deeply, and if he knew, he definitely wouldn’t approve.

Ji Chenbiao’s disguise had fooled many outsiders, and now it had even fooled his son.

Even in Dadan’s eyes, his dad had become unwell after arriving here—so unwell he’d grown thin like this.

“I heard Mr. Zhou say it’s not a good time to return home right now, so we need to wait a bit longer.”

Ji Chenbiao still trusted Mr. Zhou a lot. After all, anyone with a bit of sense would never willingly give up someone like Dadan, who was such a money-maker.

Even if Mr. Zhou might’ve gained some benefits by letting Dadan go, it would never outweigh the advantages of keeping him.

Every time Mr. Zhou said something to Ji Chenbiao, he believed it completely—and this time was no different.

Truth be told, Mr. Zhou was even more eager to return to China than Ji Chenbiao and Dadan. But they’d bought so many rough stones this time, and transporting them back was already a major undertaking.

On top of that, after that top-quality Imperial Green jade had been revealed at the auction, Mr. Zhou couldn’t bear to let it go—so he simply became one of the buyers making private deals with the assistants.

A lot of people in the circle knew that Mr. Zhou was especially fond of Imperial Green jade, so his participation didn’t seem strange at all.

That day, Mr. Zhou finally bought the Imperial Green jade at a price no one else could accept. Feeling pleased with himself, he returned to the hotel, ready to make arrangements to head back to China.

Then suddenly—there was a knock at the door.

When he opened it, standing outside was his assistant… holding a tearful, sobbing Dadan in his arms.

“Uncle… my daddy is gone—wuwuwu.”