Chapter 91: Lin Yashu
With a soft ding, Xu Youyou received a notification of a 300-yuan deposit into her bank account.
Although the system seemed to be handing out alms like to a beggar, Xu Youyou was visibly happy. “Thank you, System!”
She didn’t bother taking the blue-and-white porcelain plate home. Instead, after browsing around the antique street for a bit, she stepped into the largest antique shop there, Boguzhai.
The moment she entered, she noticed a large plaque hanging high inside the store, inscribed with four bold characters: 博古通今 (Mastering the Past and Present).
The shop owner was a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a simple yet elegant cheongsam. She had a graceful figure, exquisite makeup, and was currently assisting another customer. Upon hearing someone enter, she called out, “Buying or selling?”
She had glanced over casually, but the moment she saw Xu Youyou’s face, a flicker of admiration flashed through her eyes.
“I have a blue-and-white porcelain plate to sell,” Xu Youyou responded.
Hearing the familiar voice, the handsome customer she was attending suddenly turned around.
“Shen Xiaoge!” Xu Youyou was surprised. She hadn’t expected to run into Shen Juan here.
Shen Juan’s sharp, striking face showed a hint of a smile. “Miss Xu, what a coincidence.”
“You two know each other?” the shop owner asked curiously.
“Miss Xu saved my life,” Shen Juan explained succinctly.
The shop owner raised a brow in surprise. “Someone actually saved your life? Isn’t it usually you protecting others?”
Shen Juan then briefly recounted what had happened on the plane.
The shop owner laughed. “Miss Xu, you truly are a heroine. Thanks to you, this fool is still alive.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou glanced between the two of them, unable to determine their relationship.
Shen Juan took the initiative to explain. “She’s my relative—Lin Yashu.”
Lin Yashu, however, was not pleased. “What do you mean, ‘relative’? You brat, speak properly. I’m your aunt! Your elder!”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lin Yashu, seeming to enjoy asserting her seniority, said, “Brat, you’ve been here forever and still haven’t decided on anything. Let me take a look at Miss Xu’s treasure first.”
Taking the blue-and-white porcelain plate in her hands, Lin Yashu examined it carefully for a long while before finally saying, “It is indeed from the Guangxu period’s official kiln. I’ll be straightforward with you—I can offer up to 30,000.”
Shen Juan hesitated as if he wanted to say something.
Lin Yashu shot him a glare. “What is it?”
Clearing his throat, Shen Juan said, “Since it’s a genuine piece, maybe you could offer a bit more?”
Xu Youyou laughed. “Mr. Shen, Boss Lin’s price is already quite fair. Besides, you know I don’t really need the money.”
Shen Juan fell silent.
Lin Yashu grinned. “Miss Xu is straightforward and knowledgeable about porcelain. There’s a small antique exchange gathering in the capital next week. If you’re interested, you should attend.”
With that, Lin Yashu pulled out an exquisitely made invitation and handed it over.
Xu Youyou took it with both hands, glanced at it casually, and put it away, completely unaware of how sought-after this seemingly simple invitation was.
After browsing the store for a bit, Xu Youyou noticed that while there were many authentic antiques, the prices were quite steep. Finding no opportunities for a bargain, she decided to leave.
Once Xu Youyou was gone, Lin Yashu gave Shen Juan a playful slap and scolded, “You brat! Siding with an outsider!”
Shen Juan rubbed his nose sheepishly. “She did save my life.”
Lin Yashu gave him a sly smile. “Is that really all there is to it?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Juan simply said, “Thanks for giving her the invitation.”
Lin Yashu stared at her nephew’s usually stoic face and let out an exaggerated squeal. “Oh my! The iron tree has bloomed!”
Shen Juan shot her a look of disdain. “You’re a native of the capital. Stop trying to imitate the Shanghai dialect—it sounds awful.”
Lin Yashu, unbothered, smirked mischievously. “You’re in trouble. You’ve fallen in love~”
Annoyed by her antics, Shen Juan said, “Your shop is full of overpriced, ugly junk. I’m not buying anything here.”
With that, he made a hasty escape.
Lin Yashu wasn’t upset about losing a sale. Instead, she pulled out her phone and called her cousin. The moment the call connected, she announced gleefully, “Cousin, your son is done for! He’s fallen for a girl~”
Meanwhile, Xu Youyou had wrapped up her browsing and had just settled into her car when she received a message from Shen Juan:
“If you have antiques that are hard to sell, you can bring them to the exchange.”
Initially, Xu Youyou hadn’t thought much of the event. But now that he’d mentioned it, she suddenly sensed something unusual about it.
She snapped a picture of the invitation and sent it to Lu Jingyao, asking, “Do you know this place?”
Lu Jingyao glanced at the image and then at the identical invitation in his own hand, a wry smile appearing on his face.
He had just received his invitation as well and had been planning to invite Xu Youyou. Who would’ve thought she already had one?
Winning her favor was proving to be exceptionally difficult.
Even so, he earnestly reminded her, “Though it’s a small antique exchange, if an important item appears, they might hold an impromptu auction. The prices can sometimes surpass those at major auctions, and the hosts don’t charge any commission.”
Xu Youyou was immediately tempted.
Before her car even reached Tomson Riviera, she had already decided which treasures to bring.
As soon as she got home, she rushed to her safe, unlocking it and carefully taking stock of her prized possessions.
The Guan Yu statue, Zeng Gong’s family letters, and the camel skin she had recently acquired.
Setting mental base prices for each, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
Shopping didn’t excite her as much anymore, so after wandering around her spacious home, she eventually headed to the home theater.
With subscriptions to every streaming platform, she had SVIP access everywhere and could watch anything she wanted.
She had planned to relax with a lighthearted historical romance drama, but barely ten minutes in, she angrily turned it off.
“What kind of garbage is this? Their faces look like a landslide disaster, and they have the audacity to star in a historical drama? Is the director blind?” Xu Youyou ranted.
To cleanse her eyes, she immediately asked HR to send over photos of the company’s newly signed actors.
“Good. Keep up these standards. You can raise them, but don’t lower them,” she instructed.
The HR manager replied, “Boss, don’t worry. Director Xie has high standards—if they’re not genuinely good-looking, he won’t sign them. He even mentioned planning a trip to some performing arts schools in the capital soon to scout for talent.”
Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up. “Scouting? I can do that too! Perfect timing—I’m heading to the capital in a few days anyway. I’ll save Director Xie the trouble.”
The HR manager dared not agree nor refuse, fearing they might offend their boss.
Three minutes later, Xie Ran called.
“Boss, you’re incredibly busy. You really don’t need to worry about something as minor as talent scouting,” Xie Ran said tactfully.
Xu Youyou wasn’t naive. “You don’t trust me?”
Seeing that she had caught on, Xie Ran didn’t hesitate. “To be honest, no, I don’t.”
