Chapter 128: The Old Trick
Just as Xu Youyou was about to suggest visiting other antique halls, she suddenly heard a commotion outside.
“The Yongzheng Famille Rose ‘Fushou’ Olive Bottle! Brought back from abroad! A national treasure returning home, Mr. Wu, what a noble deed!”
Xu Youyou and Lu Jingyao exchanged glances. Upon hearing the name of the bottle, they both recalled the incident that had occurred abroad.
“The bottle that tricked you, what happened to it in the end?” Xu Youyou asked.
“That bottle was swapped by Denal’s youngest son, who had someone replace it with a fake just before handing it over. Denal probably didn’t know about it at first, but even if he did, he likely covered it up, helping his son avoid blame. I really owe you one,” Lu Jingyao whispered, explaining the truth of the auction incident abroad.
Xu Youyou shook her head, saying, “Why thank me? I ended up with nearly a hundred million for no reason. Earning money this easily feels too strange.”
Lu Jingyao chuckled softly, but with a hint of lingering fear as he said, “I lost so much money, but luckily, although Denal’s family held a grudge afterward, they only blamed me, not you.”
Xu Youyou froze at the mention.
“Denal’s family sought revenge afterward?”
Lu Jingyao nodded. “When you saved me abroad, it was Denal’s family who led the retaliation, with the assistance of the Xiriel family.”
Xu Youyou was shocked to learn that two top foreign families had teamed up. She thought to herself, no wonder, considering Lu Jingyao’s cautious nature, he wouldn’t have fallen into such a dangerous situation unless his enemies were working together. That was the only reason it was so hard to prevent.
Xu Youyou herself had been targeted for retaliation after leaving the storage auction, falling into a gunfight. Luckily, she had the system to save her life.
She didn’t mention the gunfight now, however. Lu Jingyao had been beaten up and left lying in a trash bin by the attackers. If not for Xu Youyou, his subordinates would never have imagined where their boss was hiding—waiting to die in some stinky dumpster.
In comparison, Xu Youyou had been attacked too, but she had casually evaded it, and she feared mentioning it would embarrass Lu Jingyao.
Suddenly, Xu Youyou felt something was off. She recalled the girl with gasoline on the plane, wondering if this was also part of their revenge plot. But Aunt Shen, the key researcher on the plane, also seemed to be important.
Lost in thought, she decided to stop overthinking. She sighed, “These foreigners really know how to play their games.”
Lu Jingyao sighed, “There’s nothing we can do. In foreign countries, the cost of crime is too low. When they can’t solve things, they’ll choose to deal with people instead.”
As they were talking, a man in his fifties, with most of his hair turned gray, walked into the room surrounded by a group of people.
The man looked weathered, his face carrying a hint of melancholy, resembling a businessman.
“Such a wonderful treasure! Mr. Wu, how could you bring it to the exchange?” someone asked the owner of the bottle.
“There’s been a small business issue, and I need the money. Otherwise, how could I bear to part with such a treasure?” Mr. Wu Shunyi said.
He spoke so freely that others responded kindly, “Mr. Wu, don’t worry. With such a valuable piece, someone will definitely buy it. And luckily, Mr. Lu is here. He’s extremely fond of Yongzheng porcelain. Maybe he’ll buy it.”
“Mr. Lu!” Mr. Wu Shunyi was excited when he saw Lu Jingyao.
Lu Jingyao nodded gently at him, but instead of examining the porcelain, he glanced at Xu Youyou.
Xu Youyou subtly shook her head.
Lu Jingyao understood. He hadn’t been the one to fall for this scam; it was Wu Shunyi who had.
“Mr. Lu, I heard that you are very interested in this Yongzheng Famille Rose ‘Fushou’ Olive Bottle…” Wu Shunyi said eagerly.
Lu Jingyao shook his head, with an apologetic smile. “Mr. Wu, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. I came here today for other pieces.”
Wu Shunyi’s expression stiffened. He had hoped Lu Jingyao would be the one to buy it, as he was the most important potential client for this bottle.
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel sorry for Wu Shunyi. She wondered if he knew that the bottle was fake.
“There’s nothing particularly interesting here. I’d like to see something else,” Xu Youyou said proactively.
Lu Jingyao nodded. “I’ll accompany you.”
Everyone in the room was confused. Lu Jingyao was known for his cold and stern demeanor, and no one had expected him to be so gentle with such a young girl—especially someone who had never gained recognition in their circle.
The curiosity about Xu Youyou quickly overshadowed their attention to the porcelain.
Xu Youyou, unaware of the gossip behind her, had just stepped out of the porcelain hall when she spotted a familiar young couple walking toward her in the courtyard.
They looked striking.
The woman had cherry-red lips and a delicate nose, her face exquisite. The man had an outstanding bone structure, and his expression was aloof, with an air of nonchalance.
Xu Youyou frowned in confusion. What were Gu Xueying and Gu Yujing doing here? Wasn’t Gu Xueying supposed to be in the midst of a passionate affair with Lu Shaoyan, about to get engaged at lightning speed?
Before Xu Youyou could figure out what was going on, she saw a young female attendant, responsible for serving tea, muttering to herself as she walked without paying attention. She accidentally bumped into Gu Yujing.
“Sorry… sorry!” the young attendant murmured.
Gu Yujing gave her a sharp, cold glare before turning to carefully wipe the dust off his clothes, as if the attendant were some filthy object.
“Enough with the little tricks. I’m not interested in you,” Gu Yujing said icily.
The young attendant blushed deeply. “W-w-what are you saying?”
The young girl was so angry that she couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
Gu Xueying tugged at Gu Yujing’s sleeve lightly and said in a voice neither too high nor too low, “Third brother, the girl probably just made a mistake. Be a little kinder.”
Her words only seemed to confirm the young attendant’s ulterior motives.
The attendant’s eyes widened. “Who’s confused? I just didn’t walk steadily…”
Gu Xueying gave the attendant a gentle, understanding look, her eyes filled with an unspoken kind of tolerance that others couldn’t quite decipher. “It’s alright. The little one is just too proud to admit it. But don’t do this again. It could cause trouble. You can leave now. Don’t worry, we won’t make a fuss.”
On the surface, Gu Xueying was speaking up for the attendant, but her words seemed to corner the girl even further.
Xu Youyou watched the young attendant’s growing embarrassment, feeling deeply empathetic. The awkwardness and the embarrassment of being misunderstood and having no way to explain was something she knew all too well.
Gu Xueying, as always, seemed to excel at playing these games.
But Xu Youyou was no longer the same person as before. She immediately raised her voice:
“Gu Xueying, it was just a little bump. Do you think we’re in some idol drama?”
