Chapter 75: Reverse Bargaining
“The Jun kiln porcelain is known for its transformation from a single color in the kiln to a myriad of vibrant hues upon firing, celebrated for its stunning variegated glaze effects.”
“The flowerpot features a naturally diffused rose-purple shade, with a begonia-shaped rim…”
“The base is inscribed with the three characters ‘Chonghua Palace.’ Originally one of the Qianlong Emperor’s residences before his ascension, it was later renamed Chonghua Palace, where he frequently hosted significant imperial banquets, including the renowned Sanqing Tea Banquet in history.”
Xu Youyou felt like an emotionless tour guide.
Yet, Lu Jingyao was the perfect audience, watching her with eyes full of admiration and appreciation.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Xu Youyou finally asked, “Is there anything else you want to know?”
Lu Jingyao asked, “Can you tell me how you acquired this flowerpot?”
Of course, Xu Youyou couldn’t mention the system. Instead, she started with the story of the tomb raiders, explaining how she had casually wandered into the flower and bird market near the police station on a whim.
Unexpectedly, Lu Jingyao was more concerned about the tomb raiders than the pot itself.
“You handled it well—keeping calm when you sensed something was off and only calling the police after leaving the village. That was the safest choice,” Lu Jingyao commented.
Xu Youyou scoffed internally. Did he really need to tell her that? She wasn’t about to end up as some unfortunate soul beaten half to death and dumped in a trash bin.
Speaking of which, she finally had the chance to ask, “Why did you end up in a trash bin when you were overseas?”
Lu Jingyao’s face instantly turned red, and he coughed several times in embarrassment. He had warned Xu Youyou multiple times to be cautious while abroad, only to end up in that humiliating situation himself.
“Not convenient to say?” Xu Youyou asked.
Lu Jingyao nodded lightly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Since he refused, Xu Youyou didn’t press further. Instead, she pointed to the flowerpot and stated, “I’m not overcharging you. A similar one was auctioned in Hong Kong this year for 10 million HKD. I’ll sell you this one for 9 million.”
Unlike the Zeng Gong letter, this flowerpot was priced lower, and she didn’t intend to artificially inflate its value.
Lu Jingyao shook his head. “A trip to Hong Kong is time-consuming, and there’s no guarantee of finding one as exquisite as this. Besides, this pot is in better condition. You went through a lot to acquire it. I’ll pay 20 million—that way, you won’t be at a loss.”
Xu Youyou was surprised by this reverse bargaining and shook her head. “9 million is fine. I’m not that desperate for money.”
After all, she had received the Star of Zhaoyi from him and still had a multi-billion-dollar deal in progress. Not to mention, she had already gotten 100 million in compensation abroad thanks to him. Though she loved money, she wasn’t about to scam him like a fat sheep.
Lu Jingyao insisted, “Business is business. This flowerpot is worth 20 million.”
Xu Youyou decisively rejected him, “9 million. If you don’t want it, I’ll sell it to someone else.”
Lu Jingyao wanted to argue further, but his assistant Liu suddenly started giving him frantic signals. Though he didn’t fully understand, he decided to take the advice and relented.
After closing the deal, Xu Youyou immediately got up to leave. Before departing, she kindly suggested, “If you’re done with your business in Gansu, you should stay and explore a bit. The scenery here is quite unique—hard to find elsewhere.”
Lu Jingyao had only come to Gansu for Xu Youyou. Now that she was leaving, there was no reason for him to stay.
However, before he could say as much, Liu quickly spoke up, “Miss Xu, I was just wondering how to plan Mr. Lu’s sightseeing schedule. Would you mind giving some recommendations?”
Xu Youyou agreed without hesitation.
Once she left, Liu looked at his boss in exasperation.
“Mr. Lu, this was a great opportunity! You could have retraced Miss Xu’s travel route and casually asked her questions. That would have naturally led to more conversations. By the time you both returned to Shanghai, you would have even more common ground!”
Lu Jingyao wasn’t well-versed in relationships, but he understood after Liu’s explanation.
However, he still had one lingering question. “Buying this flowerpot for 9 million is unfair to her. Why did you stop me from paying more?”
Liu was speechless. Xu Youyou had spent no more than 120,000 on the flowerpot—even counting the parrot! Flipping it for over 8 million in profit, how was she at a loss?
Still, suppressing his jealousy, Liu patiently explained, “Mr. Lu, since Miss Xu is willing, you should respect her wishes. If you really think she’s at a disadvantage, find other ways to make it up to her—like using this as an excuse to give her a gift. Relationships are built on thoughtful exchanges.”
Lu Jingyao nodded but then asked, “Say that last part again.”
“You think she’s at a disadvantage?”
“No.”
“Respect her wishes?”
“No.”
“Miss Xu is willing to take a loss?” Liu recapped, confused.
Lu Jingyao’s face visibly brightened. “So you think she’s willing, too?”
Liu: …
Liu started wondering if his boss had been possessed. But as a loyal assistant, he still flattered him, “This means Miss Xu cares about you.”
The corners of Lu Jingyao’s lips lifted slightly. “She’s so good to me—I can’t let her suffer a loss.”
Liu silently questioned his career choices: Fifth year working here, and I just discovered my boss is a hopeless romantic. What do I do?
Trying to ground him in reality, Liu brought up business, “Mr. Lu, Yunsheng Holdings is requesting a two-percent concession. Should we agree?”
Lu Jingyao gave him a sharp look. “Do you really need to ask me that?”
Liu felt reassured. As long as the person in question wasn’t Xu Youyou, Lu Jingyao was still the same ruthless businessman.
After an exhausting day of travel, Xu Youyou finally arrived home in Shanghai at 8 p.m.
But the moment she stepped inside, she was reminded why she spent money on staff.
Housekeeper Zhang had already arranged for a masseuse, and as soon as Xu Youyou arrived, she was pampered and taken care of.
By bedtime, all her travel fatigue had disappeared. As usual, she checked her growing fortune. Just seeing the long string of numbers in her account made her smile uncontrollably.
The next morning, Zhang gently reminded her, “Boss, Mr. Xie is here.”
