Chapter 54

Hu Zhiyuan looked at Shen Lihuan from a distance, wishing he could shoot her dead. If it weren’t for her drugging Qingrong, Qingrong wouldn’t have committed suicide. She was such a proud person—unless she had been completely devastated, why would she go so far as to ruin her own face?

But what infuriated him even more was that even though the culprit responsible for Qingrong’s death was right in front of him, he still couldn’t take revenge. Lu Wei was still locked up at the police station, and Hu himself was already being watched by both the police and the Shen family—he couldn’t act recklessly. On top of that, dealing with Luo Yanrong’s request for a divorce had taken up much of his energy. He had to admit that he wasn’t entirely without feelings for Luo Yanrong.

Otherwise, given how much he loved Qingrong, upon hearing of her death, he would have gone insane rather than rationally attending this jade trade fair with his business partners.

But to have his enemy standing right before him and simply pretend not to see, then leave without doing anything—how could he be willing to accept that?

While Hu Zhiyuan was caught in his internal struggle, the raw jade stones that Shen Lihuan and You Changqing had picked out were already being cut open. You Changqing’s stone yielded two fist-sized pieces of jade—one red and one yellow.

She particularly liked the red jade, so she only sold the yellow one, while the red piece was handed over to Liu Yuanqin’s company to have their jade carver turn it into a pair of bracelets. The remaining fragments would be used for earrings and pendants.

As for Shen Lihuan’s stone, it revealed a palm-sized piece of icy violet jade, stunning the onlookers.

Shen Lihuan knew there were still plenty of good jade stones waiting for her to find, so she simply sold this violet jade as well. She glanced at Liu Yuanqin and asked if he wanted it. Knowing how rare purple jade was, Liu Yuanqin ignored the envious glares from the surrounding crowd and bought it.

Cough, cough. These two benefactors were not only beautiful and kindhearted but also absurdly lucky—every piece of jade they gambled on turned out valuable. He was the one benefiting the most.

With two icy jade pieces in his possession, many people in the jewelry business were now eyeing him warily. Fortunately, he hadn’t managed to snag the yellow jade as well, or else he might really have to watch out for ambushes.

The shop owner, thrilled that three of his stones had all turned out profitable, excitedly had his workers set off firecrackers to celebrate the store’s auspicious opening.

More and more people gathered to watch the excitement, while Shen Lihuan quietly pulled You Changqing out of the crowd. Liu Yuanqin, elated, picked up his youngest son and rubbed his cheek against the boy’s chubby face. “Dundun, are you happy? Daddy just got two top-quality jade pieces.”

Little Dundun didn’t quite understand, but seeing his father playing with him so happily, he giggled, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Li Huixin quickly wiped his mouth with a tissue and shot a glare at Liu Yuanqin. “Stop teasing him until he’s covered in drool. Next time, you’ll have to clean him up yourself.”

Only then did Liu Yuanqin stop, flashing a fawning smile at Li Huixin. She rolled her eyes at him in exasperation but couldn’t help smiling as well.

Shen Lihuan glanced toward where that man had been standing earlier and found that he was still staring at her. She frowned slightly in confusion and turned to ask You Changqing, “Changqing, look at the man standing at our twelve o’clock. Do you know who he is?”

Following her gaze, You Changqing’s expression instantly turned cold. “That man is Hu Zhiyuan. He was the one who sent those people to kidnap you last time.”

“Hu Zhiyuan?” Shen Lihuan murmured thoughtfully. No wonder he was looking at her with such hatred—he must have blamed her for Gu Qingrong’s death.

What a joke.

That scumbag had some nerve.

She had met Mrs. Luo before, and the woman was a stunning beauty. Yet Hu Zhiyuan had been obsessed with Gu Qingrong, a married woman, to the point of forgetting that he himself had a wife.

If you don’t love someone, don’t marry them. If you marry them, don’t betray them. That was the most basic responsibility of a husband, and he had failed at it completely.

And now he dared to look at her with hatred?

Ridiculous.

Shen Lihuan smirked mockingly.

Hu Zhiyuan noticed her looking at him again. Realizing that she had recognized him, he didn’t bother pretending otherwise and instead walked toward her with a group of people.

“Miss Shen, are you here to have some fun?” He put on a fake smile. “How come you’re here alone? Didn’t your parents come with you?”

Shen Lihuan saw through his act immediately. Trying to sow discord, making me feel like my parents don’t care about me? She wasn’t going to fall for such a petty trick.

Feigning confusion, she blinked at him. “And you are…?”

Oho. Saying her parents weren’t with her was meant to make her feel abandoned? That was some pathetic manipulation.

You Changqing curled her lips into a smirk, clearly enjoying the show. But the next second, she returned to her usual indifferent expression.

Hu Zhiyuan caught that fleeting smile and then saw the deliberate challenge in Shen Lihuan’s eyes. His sharp gaze turned icy.

But he quickly regained his composure. “Miss Shen just arrived in the capital not long ago. It’s normal that you wouldn’t recognize me.”

With a kindly expression, he continued, “I’m from the same generation as your parents. You can just call me Uncle Hu.”

“Uncle Hu?”

Shen Lihuan repeated the title with a playful tone. Thick-skinned people really are invincible. They were clearly enemies, yet he could still smile and tell her to call him uncle—as if she wasn’t aware he was the mastermind behind her attempted kidnapping.

Unbelievable.

And now he was implying that she was inexperienced and hadn’t seen enough of the world to know who he was?

Shen Lihuan suddenly felt intrigued. Putting on an innocent, bright smile, she replied, “Uncle Hu, you really do know me well. I don’t like attending those social gatherings, and my family indulges me. The only banquets I willingly attend are those hosted by the Shen, You, and Jun families—there’s no need to force me to go to others.”

She even put on a slightly embarrassed look and glanced at Hu Zhiyuan. “I’ve only ever attended my own family’s and the You family’s events. It’s a pity I never saw Uncle Hu at any of those, or else someone as impressive as you would surely have left an impression.”

You Changqing silently gave her own Lihuan a thumbs-up in her heart. Well said! If he said she had never seen the world before because she had just arrived in the imperial capital, then she would simply say he wasn’t even qualified to attend the same banquet as her.

Hu Zhiyuan also understood the underlying meaning of her words. Noticing the strange looks from the people around him, he gritted his teeth but chose not to continue the verbal sparring with her, instead changing the topic.

“Miss Shen, if you’re buying raw jadeite materials, why didn’t you bring a few jade gambling experts along? They would have more experience with gambling on jade, wouldn’t they?”

Before Shen Lihuan could respond, You Changqing spoke up, “We were just here for fun, but we didn’t expect Lihuan to be so amazing—she picked two pieces of raw jadeite, and both turned out to be winners. They’re both ice-grade jadeite!”

Lihuan was already this skilled—who needed jade gambling experts anymore?

Seeing You Changqing holding onto Shen Lihuan’s arm, Hu Zhiyuan recalled the rumors about a marriage alliance between the Shen and You families. Maybe it wasn’t just a rumor after all?

Everyone knew that Miss You was known for being proud and indifferent, yet here she was, clinging to Shen Lihuan’s arm with an affectionate, lively expression, proving that their relationship was quite close.

The Shen family plus the You family… that would be difficult to deal with.

A young man standing behind Hu Zhiyuan immediately perked up upon hearing You Changqing’s words. He stepped forward excitedly and said to Shen Lihuan, “You’re really incredible! Winning your first jade gamble—can we exchange some insights on jade gambling?”

You Changqing instantly gave him a glare, as if looking at a love rival. Why was he looking at her Lihuan with such a passionate gaze? Only she was allowed to look at Lihuan like that!

The young man, however, was oblivious to You Changqing’s displeasure. He was a true jade gambling enthusiast, having apprenticed under a master since he was twelve. Now, after seven years of studying jade gambling, he was completely devoted to it. He admired skilled jade gamblers and was always eager to discuss and exchange insights with them—so much so that he rarely paid attention to anything else.

“Indeed,” Hu Zhiyuan added, “Yun Le is one of the most outstanding young jade gamblers of this generation. Miss Shen, why not exchange a few pointers with him?”

Hu Zhiyuan had invited Yun Le and his master, Master Kang, to this jade fair specifically because his business partner was an avid jadeite collector. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered coming.

Master Kang, sitting calmly, suddenly said, “Since we’re talking about exchanging skills, why not have a jade gambling match between Yun Le and Miss Shen? You young people always get to know each other better through competition.”

Yun Le was momentarily stunned, but he quickly became interested in the idea. His eyes lit up as he looked at Shen Lihuan. “Miss Shen, what do you think?”

Shen Lihuan nodded steadily. “I don’t mind.”

“Great!” Yun Le cheered, raising his fist in excitement. “Let’s head over to the gambling area right now!”

The group made their way to the jade gambling exhibition area, with Liu Yuanqin following closely behind, feeling uneasy.

When Shen Lihuan and the others arrived, a match was already in progress. On one side stood a thin young man with a slightly pale complexion, and on the other, an elderly man around fifty years old, who looked visibly tense and troubled—it was easy to guess he wasn’t in a good mood.

Yun Le’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the young man. “It’s Chen Youhong! Senior Brother Chen! It’s been so long!”

Chen Youhong heard his name being called and looked up. His eyes were clear and refined, and his presence had an otherworldly quality. His slender figure made him seem fragile, evoking a protective instinct in those who saw him. But those who knew him understood that he was anything but fragile—he had an indomitable spirit.

He smiled slightly at Yun Le. “Junior Brother Yun Le, long time no see.”

Yun Le gazed at him with admiration, looking every bit like a devoted fan. “Senior Brother Chen, I’m so happy to see you! I’ve had so many questions I wanted to ask you!”

“Alright,” Chen Youhong replied calmly. “Once this match is over, you can ask me anything you want. I won’t hold anything back.”

Chen Youhong was usually reserved, but he had a soft spot for his eager junior brother, so he was willing to be a little more indulgent.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Yun Le nodded enthusiastically. “But I also have a match with Miss Shen later, so can you wait for me, Senior Brother?”

Yun Le looked at Chen Youhong with sparkling, pleading eyes.

Chen Youhong paused for a moment before his dark eyes softened with a hint of amusement. “Sure.”

“Awesome! Senior Brother, you’re really such a good person! Some people tried to tell me you were arrogant, but I never believed them for a second!”

In front of his idol, Yun Le turned into a chatterbox, talking non-stop.

He had always known that his senior brother was a good person. Those who spoke ill of him were just jealous of his jade gambling skills! Yun Le was way too smart to believe any of that nonsense!

Chen Youhong’s lips curved into a rare smile. This junior brother of his was quite amusing.

Since the match hadn’t started yet, Shen Lihuan pulled You Changqing over to watch a stone-cutting master at work.

Chen Youhong hadn’t come to the jade fair alone. A man stood behind him, watching quietly.

By chance, Shen Lihuan looked up and glanced at the man. His face was impassive, but the way he gazed at her was complicated—there was joy, but also unease.

She was momentarily stunned. Yet another person looking at her with such an unreadable expression. Was he another enemy?

She was certain she had never met him before. So why was he looking at her like that? Did he know her?

As she pondered this, her gaze lingered on his face.

Beside her, You Changqing, seeing her staring at a strange man for so long, was immediately filled with a sense of crisis. She stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Shen Lihuan’s, secretly pinching her.

The sudden pain snapped Shen Lihuan out of her thoughts. She immediately pretended as if nothing had happened.

Shen Lihuan couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s wrong, my queen? How have I offended you?”

You Changqing pouted her soft lips and looked at her with a reproachful gaze. “Why were you staring at that random man for so long?”

Her tone was full of jealousy—Shen Lihuan could practically smell the sourness in the air.

She teasingly ran a finger along You Changqing’s palm. “I just felt like I’ve seen him somewhere before, like he looks familiar.”

Youchang Qing never doubted Shen Lihuan’s feelings for her. The moment Shen Lihuan gave a reason, she believed it without hesitation. Now, she also turned her gaze toward the man, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Suddenly, she had a realization.

“Lihuan, don’t you think he looks a bit like Aunt Gu?”

Especially those eyes and that nose—though the man’s facial features were much sharper and more defined than Aunt Gu’s, which was why she hadn’t noticed it at first.

“He looks a lot like my mom!” Shen Lihuan was also surprised. “I remember my mom telling me that she has a half-brother from the same father but a different mother. Could he actually be my mom’s brother?”

No wonder the man was looking at her with such a complicated expression. But one thing was certain—he bore no ill will toward her; otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked so happy upon seeing her.

She recalled her mother mentioning that her brother had left the Gu family as soon as he came of age because he couldn’t accept their father’s infidelity and the fact that his mother had been the mistress. Coincidentally, the time this uncle of hers became an adult was around the same time her mother left the imperial capital.

Could there be some connection between the two events?