Lu Dongqing had gone through immense hardship to finally stabilize Lu Sansheng’s Soul. He never expected that just one trip to the Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion would make it fly off again.
Such places where antiques are auctioned carry a heavy Yin Energy. Even with the Eight Treasures Pavilion suppressing it, it might not be enough. That was why Elder Lu so strongly opposed Lu Sansheng going there.
If Lu Sansheng couldn’t control his own feet, that was one thing, but his own brother was there encouraging him. If Elder Lu found out, he’d be enraged enough to fall ill.
“Don’t worry, it will definitely work tonight,” Lu Yiqi said nervously.
“Even I can’t give a guarantee, yet you’re quite confident.” Wu Yinyu sat askew on a low cabinet, tapping her smoking pipe lightly against her own arm.
“My dad said that among our generation in the Five Gates, you’re the best. Since it’s your advice, it’s bound to work.” Lu Yiqi wiped his face, not quite daring to look towards the hospital bed.
Wu Yinyu let out a nonchalant “tch.” “Let’s give it a try. If nothing unexpected happens, you should find it.”
“I’ll deliver that teacup to you in a few days.” Lu Yiqi’s eyes glinted with determination.
“We’ll talk when it’s done,” Wu Yinyu said. It wasn’t that she absolutely needed that teacup; she just found it good-looking.
“Whatever you say!” Lu Yiqi instantly became a sycophant.
After teaching the Soul Summoning method, Wu Yinyu turned and returned to the Wu residence. She had just entered when she saw someone from the Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion delivering that jade pendant.
Wu Wanying happened to be there, too. He was sitting in the Front Hall, adjusting his wristwatch.
After Wu Qiyu passed away, he had taken over as Family Head. All the heavy burdens had naturally fallen onto his shoulders, so he was rarely seen. His presence today was a rarity.
“Back?” Wu Wanying raised his eyes.
“Mm.” Wu Yinyu responded flatly, sounding rather distant.
Although she was the Young Miss of the Wu family, she wasn’t that close to Wu Wanying. Ultimately, it stemmed from Wu Qiyu and Song Youzhi.
From as far back as she could remember, Wu Qiyu was always lukewarm towards her. He never said a single word of concern.
Even stranger, when she was little, if she played too familiarly with Wu Wanying, Wu Qiyu would call him away, leaving her to play alone.
Born of the same father and mother, calling it a case of favoring sons over daughters wasn’t quite right either, because whatever Wu Wanying had, she never lacked it. Wu Wanying and Song Youzhi never mistreated her. It just seemed they didn’t want her to get too close to the other members of the Wu family.
Wu Yinyu had wondered before if she might have been adopted by Wu Qiyu. After all, she didn’t look that much like the other Wu family members—at most, they all just had eyes and noses.
But Wu Qiyu and Song Youzhi kept denying it, and she couldn’t find anything to prove otherwise. So, the matter was left unresolved.
The person from the Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion stood outside the door, respectfully asking, “Young Miss, this is the jade you won at the Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion. Please inspect it.”
“What did you buy?” Wu Wanying looked towards the door.
Wu Yinyu turned and walked to the doorway, answering, “A jade pendant.”
Wu Wanying asked no further questions. He put his watch back on, his attitude truly lukewarm.
In truth, compared to Wu Qiyu, he was far more worthy of the title of Wu Family Head. He was disciplined and conservative, possessing the steady, old-fashioned ways of the older generation.
After all these years, Wu Yinyu was long accustomed to it. She raised the corner of her mouth and said to the Cuihui employee, “Open it.”
The box opened, revealing a cinnabar-red silk handkerchief. The jade pendant was wrapped within.
Wu Yinyu didn’t immediately pick it up. She first pinched the red tassel on the edge of the cloth and examined it for a while.
It truly was identical to the one in her dreams. But its contours were even clearer, even more beautiful than in her dreams. The jade quality was excellent. However, the lotus pattern on it was somewhat eerie; she had never seen anything like it before.
She had researched extensively. No antiques from any past era used such a lotus pattern. Moreover, because the jade pendant was exceptionally well-preserved—so new it was shocking, as if just polished—she was the only one willing to spend a large sum to win it.
It was a pity that Cuihui refused to disclose the consignor’s information; otherwise, she would have certainly sought that person out.
“You rarely bid on things at Cuihui,” Wu Wanying suddenly said.
Wu Yinyu finished her inspection, took the red brocade box, and replied, “Just happened to find something that caught my eye.”
“What kind of jade?” Wu Wanying, uncharacteristically, asked an extra question.
Wu Yinyu signed the receipt. Watching the Cuihui employee walk away, she then hugged the brocade box and turned around. “Red jade. Very unique.”
Wu Wanying nodded and said in an extremely indifferent tone, “Next month, it’s your turn to clean Father’s spirit tablet.”
“I know.” Wu Yinyu walked upstairs, glancing down at Wu Wanying. At first glance, an intense Yin Energy shrouded him, that smoky black exceptionally heavy. But in an instant, it was gone.
She froze in her steps and asked coldly, “Where did you just come from?”
Wu Wanying looked up. He hadn’t expected Wu Yinyu to suddenly ask this, but he still answered truthfully, “Just got back from the Lu residence.”
Wu Yinyu leaned on the railing and asked, “Is Elder Lu in good health?”
“Fine, why?” Wu Wanying shot back.
Wu Yinyu averted her gaze and continued upstairs. “Don’t go to Elder Lu’s for the next few days.”
“Someone said Lu San also went to Cuihui and even fainted at the auction. Do you know about this?” Wu Wanying asked.
“It seems like something like that happened. Why?” Wu Yinyu’s lips curled like a hook.
“Nothing. Elder Lu just asked about it,” Wu Wanying said flatly. “Lu Yiqi intends to hide it, saying Lu San just had a hypoglycemic episode. He told Elder Lu not to worry and said they’d be back a little late.”
“Oh.” Wu Yinyu smiled meaningfully. “Young people, their nightlife is always so rich. Going back a bit late is normal, isn’t it? But then again, I guess you wouldn’t understand.”
After all, Wu Wanying did nothing but work, day in and day out. The word “entertainment” seemed absent from his life.
Wu Wanying didn’t refute her, expressing his attitude with silence.
Wu Yinyu went upstairs to her room, carefully placing the brocade box beside her pillow. She wondered if she would dream of things related to this jade again tonight once she fell asleep.
About half an hour later, her phone on the table buzzed.
Wu Yinyu walked over to check. She saw a photo sent by the manager of the Cuihui Eight Treasures Pavilion. The photo showed a piece of red jade wrapped in plain silk.
Though only a corner of the jade was exposed, Wu Yinyu was certain—the jade in the plain silk was identical to the one in the brocade box by her bedside.
Wu Yinyu narrowed her eyes. She waited a long time but received no text from the Cuihui manager. She thought to herself, What’s this? Is this what the jade looked like before I won it?
Unexpectedly, three minutes later, the person finally sent a message saying that they had received another piece of jade just like this.
Wu Yinyu squeezed her phone tightly and strode quickly to her bedside, taking the jade out of the brocade box.
It was genuine jade. Even without a light, one could see it was red as congealed blood all the way through, the color difference uniform across the whole piece. In her hand, it felt fine, smooth, and oily.
She rubbed the carvings on the jade. The marks felt almost natural, as if naturally formed, not deliberately made.
Yet, the lotus petals on the jade were inverted, their slender petals rolling like waves. In this aspect, it appeared exceptionally deliberate and eerie.
Wu Yinyu scoffed a laugh. Was this jade mass-produced or something?
The Cuihui manager messaged again, saying it was brought by another consignor. They had verified it was genuine jade of comparable quality, but the appraisal report was identical to the first piece.
And precisely because it was identical, Cuihui suspected she was the one who had sent it back.
There were indeed people who did such things—won an item and then tried to resell it at a high price. But they usually didn’t do it so quickly, nor would they be so careless as to “consign” it at the same place.
Wu Yinyu’s heart raced. She put the jade in her hand back into the box without much care, then sat down on the bed. She removed her pearl necklace with one hand and dialed the number directly.
The other party quickly answered. “It really isn’t you?”
“No. Why would I bother? The jade is right here beside me. I can send it over to you right now.” Wu Yinyu bit the stem of her pipe, her voice muffled as she said, “Is the consignor still at Cuihui? Help me detain her.”
“She’s gone. She didn’t even wait to sign the consignment form; she left in a hurry. We definitely can’t accept this consignment. We’re trying to figure out how to return the jade to her, which is why I thought to ask you.”
Wu Yinyu glanced at the brocade box. “What did that person look like? Do you have surveillance footage? Send it over for me to see.”
The person quickly sent over the surveillance video. It was only a little over a minute long.
Wu Yinyu hung up and opened the video to study it closely. She had no impression whatsoever of the consignor in the footage.
However, besides that woman, the video also showed Yu Zezhi, who had appeared briefly.
