Gu Yue Zhai

PS1: Thanks to the book friend "Dusk Scarab" for the reward.

PS2: I was sent out early this morning to buy ingredients for zongzi, and I've been wrapping them ever since I got back. I realized my skills are actually pretty good. Sorry for the late update... And please, I'm begging for collections and recommendations.

PS3: Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone.

Gu Yue Zhai.

If you're in the know, you've heard of this name. As the most famous and influential antique shop in the city, Gu Yue Zhai's customers are almost exclusively social elites.

And the place Ren Ziling said she saw the Jade Token was in this Gu Yue Zhai. She heard that not long ago, when Ren Ziling was interviewing the owner of Gu Yue Zhai, she saw this same Jade Token among some of the collected items.

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

Ren Ziling immediately frowned, gritting her teeth, and said, "An old woman who absolutely hasn't gone through menopause!"

It was rare to see such an expression on Ren Ziling's face, and Luo Qiu cast a questioning glance at her.

Ren Ziling said, "She's weird. When I entered, she said she doesn't see off guests. It was a warm spring day, but the room was as cold as winter, and she spoke so coldly!"

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

Ren Ziling hummed, "So what if I'm a reporter? Can't reporters have personal feelings? Besides, I have a strong sense of professional ethics when I write reports, and I never let subjective biases creep in! But that old woman is really something else. However, her granddaughter is alright... Hmm, she seems to be around your age."

Luo Qiu rested his chin on his hand and watched the scenery outside the car window blur past. He said indifferently, "I'm twenty this year, my sexual orientation is normal, but I have no plans to find a girlfriend for now. So, put away your busybody attitude. Also, don't talk while driving... you female driver."

"Just you wait! I'll make sure you get married and settled down soon! I promised your dad I'd make you happy! Then I can hold a chubby grandchild!"

Seeing Ren Ziling's sudden surge of fighting spirit, Luo Qiu pointed ahead in alarm, "Watch out... the car, the car!!"

Female drivers are truly terrifying.

But they finally arrived at Gu Yue Zhai safely... Ren Ziling was the deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and her work offered considerable freedom. As for Luo Qiu... well, that old professor probably thought it would be a great start to the day if class could be dismissed early because no one showed up, allowing him to research his own things... or something like that?

"I remember you... Miss Ren."

The person responsible for greeting Luo Qiu and Ren Ziling was a delicate and pretty receptionist at Gu Yue Zhai, giving off a very pleasant impression.

"You remember me?" Ren Ziling asked curiously.

The receptionist smiled, "In our line of work, remembering customers is crucial. Miss Ren has visited twice and done an interview. I read that report too; it was written very well."

Ren Ziling smiled sweetly, "Thank you!"

After serving tea, the receptionist said she would inform the manager and then walked away. At this moment, Ren Ziling nudged Luo Qiu with her elbow and whispered in his ear, "Kid, what do you think of this girl? She's delicate, quiet, and very polite, and she looks about your age too? Interested? I could play matchmaker for you!"

Luo Qiu sighed, "I should have just asked you for the address and come by myself."

Ren Ziling clicked her tongue lightly and also sighed, shaking her head, "Look at you, you're twenty years old, and other people's kids are already having babies at seventeen or eighteen, you know? Do you really plan to wait until I'm old and faded before giving me a grandchild?"

"Even in ten more years, you won't be that age. Don't worry, I think you're maintaining yourself quite well," Luo Qiu said calmly.

Ren Ziling said proudly, "Uh-huh, you really know what's good, kid!"

Saying that, she slung an arm around Luo Qiu's shoulder and laughed heartily, "But it's okay, you don't like her. The one who comes out later, I guarantee you'll be smitten. Let me tell you, it's hard to find women with such an antique charm in this society!"

Luo Qiu couldn't even be bothered to mock her anymore.

What could he say?

Even a mother wouldn't be as attentive as this.

"Editor Ren."

Just then, a pleasant female voice suddenly rang out. Both of them turned to look, and saw a woman in a qipao walking gracefully towards them.

She wore a long qipao, with light green embroidered lotus flowers and gold thread, a mandarin collar with long white cuffs, a blue silk ribbon tied around her waist, and paired with light white flat shoes.

She was tall and slender, with perfectly placed under-eye fat beneath her crescent eyebrows. Her waist was slim, and her bust was full. Her hair was styled simply, adorned only with a white hairpin.

Luo Qiu's mouth slightly parted in surprise. Seeing this, Ren Ziling couldn't help but nudge Luo Qiu and whisper, "You said you weren't interested? You're staring blankly now?"

"Editor Ren, I think your friend isn't staring blankly, but rather is utterly stunned." The woman smiled enchantingly. "Luo Qiu, I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Mm... Quite unexpected," Luo Qiu nodded.

Ren Ziling looked back and forth between the two of them, then exclaimed in surprise, "You two know each other?"

Luo Qiu had to say, "This 'guy' is Zhang Qingrui. And she's been my classmate for over a year."

Zhang Qingrui said softly, "Luo Qiu, isn't it a bit much to refer to your classmate as a 'guy'?"

Luo Qiu then said, "Zhang Qingrui, my university classmate."

Zhang Qingrui pursed her lips and smiled, "Still the same, always saying things that aren't very pleasing."

She shook her head, looking at Luo Qiu and Ren Ziling, and asked with slight confusion, "What's the relationship between you two?"

"So Editor Ren is Luo Qiu's mother." Zhang Qingrui was quite surprised by this, but after expressing her surprise, she didn't delve further into the matter. Instead, she asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in antiques?"

Following Luo Qiu's hint, Ren Ziling didn't mention the Jade Token. She just said that the child at home had suddenly developed an interest in antiques, and she couldn't stand his pestering, so she had to play the role of a doting mother and help her wayward son.

"Mm, I've suddenly become interested," Luo Qiu nodded.

This was awkward again.

However, Zhang Qingrui had known Luo Qiu for more than just a day or two. Although they weren't close friends, as fellow students in the same major, and with only the two of them in such situations, she couldn't help but observe him when they occasionally met in class.

He was a very quiet guy, someone who could space out until class ended if he sat down, but he would still greet people, maintaining the bare minimum of social interaction...

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

"Mm... No problem," Zhang Qingrui said hospitably, "What would you like to see? I can introduce you. And if you like anything, I won't rip you off."

Luo Qiu looked around.

This was the main hall of Gu Yue Zhai. Display cabinets lined the walls, holding many antique porcelain pieces, but the Jade Token that Ren Ziling had mentioned, with the same appearance, was nowhere to be seen.

He shook his head. "Do you have anything else? I mean, like, better collectibles."

Ren Ziling quickly chimed in, "Miss Zhang, those collectibles you showed me last time, could you let my willful child here have a look too?"

"Alright, then come with me."

Zhang Qingrui shifted slightly, making an inviting gesture.

This scene was also witnessed by two young men who had just walked in. They entered one after the other. The one in front was handsome, and the one behind wasn't bad either, but the latter was clearly inferior to the former, likely a follower.

"Young Master Zhong, who exactly is that guy? Miss Zhang is personally inviting him?"

The young man called Young Master Zhong frowned slightly, then suddenly said, "Let's find Old Madam Zhang first this time. We'll talk about other things later."