Chapter 52

The next morning, the two of them woke up together, arms slung over each other’s shoulders as they headed into the bathroom to freshen up. While brushing their teeth, they playfully nudged each other, their faces adorned with matching sweet smiles.

After washing up, they coincidentally chose matching tops in different colors and the same style of jeans, deliberately putting them on to ensure that anyone who saw them at first glance would immediately recognize they were wearing couple outfits.

Downstairs, Gu Qinglan and Shen Jiashu were already in the living room—one watching the morning news, the other flipping through a financial newspaper. Though they weren’t speaking, the warmth and ease between them made You Changqing envious. Aunt Gu and Uncle Shen had been married for so many years, yet their relationship remained so harmonious.

But when she turned to see Shen Lihuan’s perfect side profile, she suddenly felt filled with confidence. She believed that one day, she and Lihuan would also become a couple that others envied, just like Aunt Gu and Uncle Shen.

“Good morning, Dad, Mom.”

“Good morning, Aunt Gu, Uncle Shen.”

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing greeted Gu Qinglan and Shen Jiashu as they sat down on the sofa.

Shen Jiashu put down the newspaper and nodded at them. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. Are you heading to the jewelry trading center right after breakfast?”

Gu Qinglan shifted her gaze from the television, smiling as she looked at them. Seeing that they were dressed alike, she couldn’t help but marvel at how young people always had so many playful ideas—even their outfits had to match.

The jewelry trading center was 30 kilometers from the Imperial Capital’s city center and was the designated venue for the Imperial Capital Jade Auction. At Gu Qinglan’s question, Shen Lihuan nodded, lazily leaning against the sofa. “No rush. It’s just past seven now. If we finish breakfast by a little after eight, the drive will take about forty-five minutes, and we’ll arrive just in time for the opening.”

The jade auction’s opening ceremony was scheduled for nine in the morning, but the event lasted a full ten days. Though they needed to inspect the jade raw stones they planned to bid on within the first three days, that was still plenty of time for them to explore.

“Alright then, breakfast will be ready soon. Today, we’re having fresh shrimp porridge and soup-filled dumplings.”

Gu Qinglan knew her daughter loved shrimp, so she always had the kitchen prepare dishes that suited her taste.

Of course, Shen Lihuan knew this too. She leaned over to Gu Qinglan and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Mom.”

Gu Qinglan’s eyes sparkled with warmth and laughter.

After breakfast, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing grabbed their bags, invitation letters, and bank cards before heading out. To attend the jade auction, an invitation letter was required; otherwise, entry was impossible. But who was Gu Qinglan? A renowned jewelry designer—getting two invitation letters was nothing for her.

Chatting and laughing along the way, the forty-minute drive passed quickly. Soon, they arrived at the jewelry trading center, where a grand white building stood tall. The bustling crowd brought a lively energy to this otherwise empty suburban area.

Handing their invitation letters to the security guard at the entrance, they watched as he received them with both hands. After verifying the documents, a staff member respectfully led them inside the trading center.

This jade auction hosted over a thousand jade suppliers from all over the world. Despite their diverse appearances, they all shared one common expression—the smile of people eager to make a profit.

Seeing how young they were, the staff assumed they were just some wealthy heirs here for fun. After briefly explaining the auction’s process, he left them to explore on their own—the event had too many guests, and he needed to hurry off to greet others.

Hand in hand, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing strolled leisurely among the jade raw stone displays. Compared to the professionals outside who carefully studied the raw stones with flashlights and water, the two of them seemed utterly casual.

Well, that was only natural. They were amateurs, after all. One had a wood-type ability that allowed her to sense whether jade was inside the raw stone without even touching it, while the other was purely here as a spectator. Of course, they wouldn’t be as invested as those scrutinizing each stone.

Some people noticed them because of their strikingly good looks. Seeing how clueless they seemed, many shook their heads. Here, no one cared about appearances—only whether you could pick high-quality jade rough.

As they wandered through one of the exhibition areas, Shen Lihuan had already examined the various raw stones using her ability. She found that many of them contained no jade at all, and those that did were of only average quality.

However, there was one stone that emitted three distinct energy signatures. Shen Lihuan guessed that the jade inside likely had three colors—what was commonly known as “Fu Lu Shou” jade.

Before long, Shen Lihuan vaguely heard someone calling her name from afar. She stopped in her tracks, listening carefully. It really did sound like someone was calling her. Turning around to look, You Changqing glanced at her in confusion. “Lihuan, what’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

Shen Lihuan tilted her head toward her, smiling. “I think I heard someone calling me.”

You Changqing also caught the sound and turned her head as well. They saw a somewhat familiar-looking woman waving at them while quickly running over.

As the woman got closer, Shen Lihuan recognized her. “Oh, it’s you! I was wondering who was calling me. I didn’t expect us to meet again.”

The woman was slightly out of breath but laughed at her words. “It must be fate between us! Ever since we parted last time, I’ve been thinking about you two. Seeing my benefactors again today makes me so happy.”

It turned out the woman was Li Huixin, the mother of Dundun, the child Shen Lihuan and You Changqing had rescued last time.

You Changqing recognized her as well and instinctively looked behind her. “Oh, it’s you. Is Dundun not with you?”

Since she and Lihuan had saved the child together, she naturally felt a sense of closeness toward him.

Li Huixin wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief—she had broken into a sweat from running over. Smiling, she gratefully responded to You Changqing’s concern. “Dundun is with his father in another exhibition area. Thank you for caring about him. After what happened last time, my husband and I decided that one of us must always be with Dundun. Otherwise, we just can’t feel at ease.”

“Being cautious is a good thing. After all, no one can care for Dundun as attentively as his own parents.”

You Changqing agreed with their approach.

Li Huixin clapped her hands. “Exactly! Haven’t there been news reports about nannies abusing their employers’ children? Just the thought of it scares me. How could I ever entrust Dundun to a nanny?”

“Then how do you two manage your jobs? Do you bring Dundun along when you work?” Shen Lihuan asked.

“Most of the time, we keep him with us. But occasionally, we send him to his grandparents’ house to keep them company.”

Li Huixin cherished the bond between her son and his grandparents. Since the elderly couple had always been kind to her and their eldest son, she saw no reason to deny them the joy of spending time with Dundun.

“Can we go see Dundun?” You Changqing asked. She tried to recall Dundun’s face but found it hard to remember. Still, she was certain he must be an adorable child.

“Of course! My husband will be delighted to know that you’re here for the jade auction as well.”

Li Huixin warmly welcomed them, and the three of them headed toward another exhibition area. Along the way, she shared some details about her husband. “My husband owns a jewelry company, so he never misses a grand event like the Jade Auction. He’s hoping to bid on high-quality Jade.”

Speaking of the Jade Auction, it had two main bidding methods—sealed bidding and open bidding.

Sealed bidding required bidders to write down their assigned number, name, the lot number, and bid amount on a form, which was then placed into a designated bid box. Since bidders had no knowledge of their competitors’ bids, this method was called “sealed bidding.” The results were announced publicly based on lot numbers, revealing the winning bidder and their bid amount. Over 80% of the Jade rough stones in each trading fair were sold through sealed bidding.

Open bidding, on the other hand, functioned like a live auction. All bidders gathered in a transaction hall, and as each lot number was announced, they took turns making offers. The highest bid won. However, open bidding accounted for less than 20% of the Jade lots at the fair.

Sealed bidding commenced on the fourth day of the event. Once it concluded, the open bidding phase began, where results were announced on-site.

Large companies acquired their desired Jade rough stones through these two bidding methods.

However, there was another way to purchase Jade at the fair—gambling on jade.

It was said that even immortals couldn’t predict what lay inside a piece of Jade rough stone. To this day, no instrument in the world could accurately detect the quality of jade hidden within raw stones. But experienced experts in the Jade industry could estimate, based on their expertise, which rough stones might contain jade. Even so, not even the renowned “Jade King” Master Wen could guarantee that every stone he picked would increase in value.

Jade gambling was an act that could make someone rich overnight or leave them bankrupt in an instant.

A variation of this was known as “Jade Battle,” which emphasized competition.

As the name suggested, Jade Battle involved two or more participants selecting an equal number of rough stones from the exhibition area and purchasing them. The stones were then cut open in front of an audience. Whoever had the highest total value from their selected rough stones won.

During these battles, many fair attendees placed bets on who would win or lose. The higher the odds, the more they stood to gain if they bet correctly.

Of course, the biggest winners were always the house and the victor of the battle.

The winner not only claimed the rough stones revealed by their opponents but also received 5% of the total betting pool. If the pool contained tens of millions, the winner could walk away with an additional five hundred thousand.

As a result, Jade Battles attracted massive participation—not only could contestants earn money, but they could also build a reputation. Why not join in?

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing followed Li Huixin to another exhibition area, where Liu Yuanqin was holding Dundun, gently coaxing him. Beside him, a ten-year-old boy leaned against his leg, pleading to see his little brother.

Seeing this, Li Huixin couldn’t help but smile. “Yuanqin, I’m back! Look who I brought with me!”

Liu Yuanqin looked up and, upon spotting Shen Lihuan and You Changqing, his eyes widened in surprise. “Our benefactors! What a coincidence to run into you here!”

The young boy curiously looked at them. “Dad, who are these two big sisters?”

You Changqing found his round little face endearing and smiled at him. The boy immediately blushed and hid behind his father, sneaking glances at them.

“Son, these two are the people who saved your little brother’s life. If it weren’t for them, Dundun would have been in serious danger.”

Liu Yuanqin introduced the two benefactors to his son with deep gratitude.

Upon hearing that they had saved his little brother, Liu Minghao immediately set aside his shyness. He bowed deeply to them and said sincerely, “Thank you for saving my little brother. You’re both wonderful people.”