Chapter 72: The Reserved Buyer
The parrot was quite clever. When Yuyou Xu entered the store, it greeted her with “Wishing you wealth!” After she bought the orchid, it changed its words to “Beautiful lady, get rich!”
Yuyou found the little thing amusing. Since she already had a dog at home and plenty of housekeepers, having a parrot wouldn’t make much of a difference.
The shop owner hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise and used the same old tactic to raise the price: “Miss, this parrot is no ordinary bird. It’s the smartest parrot on this street! It can learn to speak in no time. Last time, a businessman offered me fifty thousand yuan for it, and I didn’t sell it.”
Hearing this, Xu Fang rolled her eyes and said, “This is just an ordinary monk parrot. The market price is only about three to four thousand.”
The shop owner wasn’t embarrassed at all after being exposed. Instead, he argued, “You clearly haven’t owned a pet before. I’ve raised this parrot for half a year. It’s like family to me. How can I casually sell a family member? To me, it’s priceless.”
Yuyou Xu: “I’ll pay a hundred thousand.”
The shop owner immediately changed his tune: “Miss, congratulations! It’s now your family member!”
Yuyou Xu: …
She knew the man was a greedy businessman, but she almost lost her composure at his quick switch in attitude.
Still, she remembered the naive and wealthy persona she had crafted. She clapped her hands excitedly. “Yay! Today, I not only got my favorite flowers but also a bird I love!”
The shop owner played along, saying, “What a wonderful day!”
He secretly hoped he could meet more gullible customers like her every day.
As Yuyou Xu and Xu Fang left the store, carrying a potted plant and a bird, the shop owner kept waving at them enthusiastically. “Miss, come back anytime! I’ll save the best flowers for you!”
But Yuyou Xu didn’t leave the market right away. She instructed the bodyguards to send her purchases back to the car while she continued browsing.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the ‘Bargain Treasure Hunt’ mission and earned a reward: Intermediate Porcelain Appraisal Skill.]
After receiving her reward, she became even more excited about exploring the market.
Xu Fang, still puzzled by her behavior, whispered, “Boss, we overpaid for that flower.”
Yuyou Xu nodded. “I know.”
Seeing that she didn’t explain further, Xu Fang didn’t press the matter. She simply followed quietly and only stepped in when her boss needed to negotiate prices.
“This butterfly orchid looks nice. I’ll take it.”
“What’s this? A money tree? Looks strong, I want it.”
“Longevity flowers? That sounds auspicious! I’ll take two pots.”
She bought flowers at every stop. If it weren’t for her entourage, they wouldn’t have been able to carry everything.
Within half an hour, the entire flower market knew about the wealthy and gullible customer. The moment they saw her, store owners doubled or even tripled their prices. Strangely enough, she bought everything without hesitation.
By the time she left, her two vehicles were packed with over a dozen potted plants. She even held a large bouquet in her arms, making her look even more like a pampered rich girl.
However, the moment she returned to the hotel, the naivety vanished from her face.
She pointed to five particularly beautiful flowers, including the first orchid she bought. “Send these to my room.”
Once the door was closed and she was alone, Yuyou Xu carefully examined the orchid—not the plant itself, but the flowerpot.
She used a wet wipe to clean the dirt off the pot’s surface, revealing a rose-purple glaze. The pot had a begonia-shaped mouth, a narrow base, and four feet. The overall shape resembled a trumpet flower covered in morning dew.
She couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship of ancient artisans. It was simply stunning.
After appreciating it for a while, she lifted the pot and examined the bottom.
As expected, the base was covered in layers of old dirt, making it impossible to see any markings.
She carefully wiped it clean. When the characters “Chonghua Palace” and “For the use of Jin Zhao Yu Cui” emerged, her eyes lit up with excitement.
As much as she loved the flowerpot, she had no intention of keeping it. She picked up her phone and sent a message.
“Jun kiln flowerpot. Interested?”
Her WeChat friend list was small, mostly classmates. But one contact was pinned to the top—”Lu Datou” (Big Head Lu).
Lu Datou: “From the Song Dynasty?”
Seeing the quick reply, she almost suspected that he had been waiting for her message. But considering he was a busy corporate tycoon, she dismissed the thought.
In the conference room of the Lu Corporation, a group of senior executives sat in silence as their cold-faced boss lectured them.
Then, unexpectedly, the scolding stopped.
Cautiously, they glanced up at the man in the main seat—and what they saw was unforgettable.
The infamous “Ice King” of the corporate world was… smiling.
“Did he just smile?”
“The Grim Reaper can smile?”
The executives exchanged incredulous looks.
Then, to their shock, they watched him pick up his phone and reply to a message.
This kind of unprofessional behavior? From a workaholic like him?
Meanwhile, Yuyou Xu, unaware of the stir she had caused, replied regretfully:
“No, it’s from the Qing Dynasty Imperial Workshop. Made for the Qianlong Emperor’s palace. It’s truly beautiful.”
She attached a few photos.
Lu Jingyao, a true connoisseur, responded immediately: “Reserve it for me. The price is negotiable. Let’s meet tomorrow?”
She answered casually, “I can hold onto it for you, but I’m not in Shanghai right now. I’ll be back in a few days—probably next week.”
Lu Jingyao’s eyes darkened.
After the meeting, when all the executives had left, only his assistant remained.
“Why didn’t you tell me Miss Xu went to Gansu for a set visit?” Lu Jingyao asked.
His assistant was caught off guard. “Boss, we live in a lawful society. We can’t just investigate people’s private travels.”
Of course, he could have hired a private investigator. That’s what they did when researching competitors.
But he didn’t. He knew that if his boss and Miss Xu became a couple, that kind of surveillance would become a ticking time bomb. He didn’t want to be the one causing trouble in their relationship.
Although Lu Jingyao had previously asked him to look into Yuyou Xu, he had only checked publicly available information, never crossing the line into her personal life.
For once, Lu Jingyao had no retort. “Fine. But if you slack off like this again with other tasks, I’ll question your competence.”
His assistant nodded but then hesitated before adding, “Boss, Miss Xu’s company is only working on one project in Gansu—it’s a film directed by Ouyang Ouyang and starring Song Zhibai…”
Before he could finish, Lu Jingyao’s expression darkened as if he had heard something deeply unpleasant.
“Check my schedule,” he said coldly. “Postpone anything that can be moved. Handle urgent matters in advance.”
The assistant hesitated. “Boss… are you taking a vacation?”
Lu Jingyao glared at him and, nearly gritting his teeth, said, “I’m going to Gansu. Personally. To inspect my reserved porcelain.”