Gu Yue Zhai

Thanks to reader "Huanghun de Jinguichong" for the tip.

I was sent out early this morning to buy the ingredients for making zongzi, and I spent the rest of the day wrapping them after I got back. I discovered that I was actually pretty good at it. Sorry for the late update... And please add this to your collection and recommend it.

Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone.

Gu Yue Zhai.

Anyone in the circle would have heard of this name. As the most famous and powerful antique shop in the city, Gu Yue Zhai's customers were almost all prominent figures.

The place where Ren Ziling said she had seen this jade tablet was none other than Gu Yue Zhai. Apparently, not long ago, when Ren Ziling interviewed the owner of Gu Yue Zhai, she had spotted an identical jade tablet among the antiques on display.

Luo Qiu asked Ren Ziling what sort of person the owner of Gu Yue Zhai was.

Ren Ziling immediately furrowed her brows and said through gritted teeth, "An old hag who definitely hasn't gotten past menopause!"

It was rare to see such an expression on Ren Ziling's face. Luo Qiu immediately gave her an inquisitive look.

Ren Ziling said, "She's weird as hell. The moment you walk in, she says she's not seeing anyone and tells you to leave. It was a warm spring day, but the room was as cold as winter, and even the way she spoke was icy!"

Luo Qiu said calmly, "I heard you're a reporter?"

Ren Ziling snorted. "So what if I'm a reporter? Does being a reporter mean I can't have personal feelings? Besides, I have excellent professional ethics when I write reports. I never let subjective bias get in the way! That old hag really isn't much, but her granddaughter is pretty decent... Hmm, she looks about your age."

Luo Qiu rested his chin in his hand and watched the scenery slip past the car window. He said indifferently, "I'm twenty, my sexual orientation is normal, and I have no plans to get a girlfriend for now, so put away that matchmaker face of yours. Also, don't talk while driving... you female driver."

"Just you wait! I'll make sure you start a family as soon as possible! I promised your dad I'd make you happy! Then I can hold a chubby grandchild!"

Seeing Ren Ziling suddenly blaze with fighting spirit, Luo Qiu pointed ahead in horror. "Careful... The car, the car!"

Female drivers really were terrifying.

Still, they arrived at Gu Yue Zhai safely in the end... Ren Ziling was the deputy editor-in-chief of a newspaper, so she had a great deal of freedom in her work. As for Luo Qiu... Well, that old professor probably thought that if nobody came to class, he could dismiss class early and study his own things instead, which would make for a wonderful start to the day... or something like that?

"I remember you... Miss Ren."

The person in charge of receiving Luo Qiu and Ren Ziling was a hostess at Gu Yue Zhai. She was fresh-faced and graceful, and gave off a very pleasant impression.

"You remember me?" Ren Ziling asked curiously.

The hostess smiled. "In our line of work, remembering our customers is essential. Miss Ren has visited twice and done one exclusive interview. I read that article too. It was really well written."

Ren Ziling smiled sweetly. "Thank you!"

After serving them tea, the hostess said she would notify the manager and left. Just then, Ren Ziling suddenly nudged Luo Qiu with her elbow and leaned close to him as if whispering a secret. "Kid, what do you think of that girl? She's refined, quiet, and polite, and she looks about your age too. Interested? I might be able to play matchmaker."

Luo Qiu sighed. "I should've just asked you for the address and come here by myself."

Ren Ziling clicked her tongue lightly and shook her head with a sigh. "You're already twenty. Other people's kids are starting to have babies at seventeen or eighteen, you know? Are you really planning to wait until I'm old and faded before giving me a grandson?"

"Even ten years from now, you won't be that old. Relax. I think you've taken good care of yourself." Luo Qiu spoke calmly.

Ren Ziling said proudly, "Hmm, you really know quality when you see it, kid!"

As she spoke, she draped an arm over Luo Qiu's shoulder and laughed heartily. "But it's fine. If you didn't like the last one, I guarantee you'll like the next one who comes out. I'm telling you, it's hard to find women with this kind of old-fashioned charm these days!"

By this point, Luo Qiu could not even be bothered to mock her.

How was he supposed to put it?

Even his own mother had never been this invested in his love life.

"Editor Ren."

At that moment, a pleasant woman's voice suddenly rang out. The two of them looked over at the same time and saw a woman in a qipao walking toward them with graceful steps.

It was a long qipao embroidered with golden lotuses on pale green fabric, with a gold-ingot collar and long white sleeves. A blue silk sash was paired with pale white flat shoes.

She was tall and slender. Beneath her curved brows were just the right hint of beauty marks beneath the eyes, while her waist was slim and her chest full. Her hair was simply coiled up, decorated only with a white hairpin.

Luo Qiu's mouth opened slightly in surprise. Seeing this, Ren Ziling could not help nudging him and lowering her voice. "And you said you weren't interested? You're staring already?"

"Editor Ren, I think your friend isn't merely staring. He looks more stunned than anything." The woman smiled brightly. "Luo Qiu, I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Yeah... Quite a surprise." Luo Qiu nodded.

Ren Ziling looked back and forth between them, then asked in astonishment, "You two know each other?"

Luo Qiu had no choice but to say, "This person is Zhang Qingrui. She was my classmate for over a year."

Zhang Qingrui said softly, "Luo Qiu, isn't it a little rude to refer to your classmate as 'this person'?"

Luo Qiu could only say, "Zhang Qingrui, my university classmate."

Zhang Qingrui covered her lips and smiled. "You're still the same, always saying things people don't like to hear."

She shook her head and looked at Luo Qiu and Ren Ziling, slightly puzzled. "What's the relationship between you two?"

"So Editor Ren is Luo Qiu's mother." Zhang Qingrui was quite surprised, but after expressing it, she did not pursue the matter. Instead, she asked, "What suddenly made you interested in antiques?"

After Luo Qiu hinted at it, Ren Ziling did not mention the jade tablet. She merely said that the child at home had suddenly developed an interest in antiques, and she had been unable to withstand his pleas, so she had no choice but to play the loving mother and help this spoiled brat.

"Yeah, I suddenly became interested." Luo Qiu nodded.

This is awkward as hell.

Still, Zhang Qingrui had not known Luo Qiu for only a day or two. Though they were not close, they had been in the same specialization, and since there were only two of them, she could not help observing him whenever they happened to attend class together.

He was a very quiet person. If he sat somewhere, he could space out until class ended, but he would still greet people—someone who maintained the bare minimum of interpersonal interaction... the kind of guy he was.

Perhaps because they had met under these circumstances, Zhang Qingrui felt that she had spoken more with Luo Qiu today than she had in the past few months combined.

"Hmm... No problem." Zhang Qingrui was also a gracious host. "What would you like to see? I can show you around. And if you take a fancy to anything, I won't rip you off."

Luo Qiu looked around.

This was the main hall of Gu Yue Zhai. Display cabinets around them held quite a few antique porcelains, but he did not see the jade tablet that Ren Ziling had mentioned.

He shook his head. "Do you have anything else? I mean something more valuable, like a better collectible."

Ren Ziling quickly chimed in. "Miss Zhang, could you show my willful child the collectibles you let me see last time and broaden his horizons?"

"Of course. Then come with me."

Zhang Qingrui stepped aside slightly and made an inviting gesture.

This scene happened to be seen by two young men who walked in. One came first and was handsome; the one behind him was not bad either, but he seemed far inferior to the first, and was probably his lackey.

"Young Master Zhong, who exactly is that man? Why would Miss Zhang personally invite him?"

The young man called Young Master Zhong frowned slightly, but then suddenly said, "Let's find Old Madam Zhang first this time. We'll deal with the rest later."