The Jade Lock and the Black Card

His attendant dared not say no. He had gone to great lengths to get close to Young Master Zhong, and if the young master formed any bad impression and replaced him, all his years of effort would be in vain.

Furthermore, this Young Master Zhong came from a rather mysterious family. Even though he had recently gained the young master's favor and was allowed to stay by his side, he still hadn't figured out the depth of this family's background.

It wasn't that he didn't want to figure it out, but that he didn't dare.

He didn't dare to speak out of turn. What he should know and what he shouldn't know would be revealed when his master was happy, but if his master was unhappy, he should never try to be too clever and investigate.

At the same time, he understood that this Young Master Zhong was different from those good-for-nothing rich second-generation young masters. This was a truly capable person whose emotions were not easily revealed.

They had been here for about a month, and every week Young Master Zhong would visit Gu Yue Zhai to chat with that eccentric old woman.

The true owner of Gu Yue Zhai was clearly a very difficult old woman. Despite Young Master Zhong's visits, she had never shown him any pleasantries. Sometimes the attendant felt he couldn't stand it, but his boss remained calm and composed.

So the attendant became even more cautious. If he did anything wrong with such a boss, he would likely face severe consequences. But if he did things right and pleased him, he would gain even more.

The attendant knew that Young Master Zhong must have some interest in the old woman's granddaughter, because every time they left, he would stop by Zhang Qingrui's office, not hiding his admiration. However, the young lady didn't seem to be very interested.

Later, the attendant privately used some connections to inquire about Zhang Qingrui's situation. He learned that she was still a student, but she spent most of her time managing affairs at Gu Yue Zhai. Currently, there were no rumors of her being in a relationship, so she was likely single.

Then, the attendant found a suitable time to tell Young Master Zhong about these matters. The young master did not scold him for meddling; he merely nodded and said he understood. But that day, Young Master Zhong was clearly in a good mood and casually bought a Jade Token from the antique shop as a gift.

The attendant knew his gamble had paid off and he had done the right thing, so he became even more attentive to Zhang Qingrui's affairs.

"I don't really like you, my shadow. You don't look like much of a person."

While he was contemplating whether he should have a good talk about the young man invited by Miss Zhang and find out his background, the attendant suddenly heard words that sent a chill down his spine.

This damned old woman!

But the attendant dared not retort. His boss was incredibly gentle and submissive in front of this ill-tempered old woman. He disliked the old woman, but at least it proved she was not to be trifled with. So he looked at the floor, pretending not to have heard anything.

"If the Old Madam doesn't like it, then let him wait outside," Young Master Zhong said with a slight smile, then turned and said calmly, "Cheng Yun, you go wait outside first."

The attendant... Cheng Yun dared not show any dissatisfaction. He nodded and silently walked out of the room.

This was the office of the true owner of Gu Yue Zhai. Although there was a modern doorplate outside indicating "Chairman," the interior decoration style was antique.

Screens filled the space, with a wooden entryway and bluestone slabs. A palace chair with mortise and tenon joints was placed by the window.

A beaded curtain hung at the entrance, and inside was a desk made of small rosewood. To the left were a brush holder, an inkstone, and a paperweight, while to the right was a stack of ancient books.

In a corner of the room, there was a replica of a Fuxi-style Jiuxiao Huanpei guqin. The body of the guqin was clean, indicating it was either not often used or frequently maintained.

Watching Cheng Yun leave, Old Madam Zhang waved the silk fan in her hand and slowly said, "Young Master Zhong's patience is extraordinary, much better than your old man who's always like he's swallowed gunpowder."

"Old Madam, my grandfather has been devoted to calligraphy and painting in recent years and has become much more peaceful," Young Master Zhong replied.

Old Madam Zhang said, "I left that place of strife in the capital decades ago. To put it bluntly, I told the people there that I, Zhang Lifanglan, didn't want to get involved in their mess and just wanted to enjoy my old age here. But people don't visit without a reason. It's not by chance that Old Master Zhong remembered a past connection and sent you, his descendant, to visit."

The Old Madam looked at Young Master Zhong. Although her hair was now streaked with white, her complexion was rosy, and she possessed an imposing aura that radiated authority. "I see you've been well-behaved and not rash during this time. I like this kind of steadiness in young people. I'll give you a chance, tell me your story."

Young Master Zhong took a deep breath and showed a hint of joy. His efforts over the past few days had finally paid off. He carefully considered his words and then said softly, "Luochen once heard some secrets from an elder in my family. They said that the world is full of wonders, far beyond what we mortals can comprehend."

He paused, then continued in an even steadier voice, "I heard that there is such a place in the world that can fulfill any wish... I don't know much, but the elder who told me also said that you, Old Madam, are the one who understands it best."

Old Madam Zhang suddenly let out a cold laugh, "A young brat indeed has great ambition and even less fear of death. Do you know that the place you speak of is not a sacred mountain or a holy land, but a place to make deals with the devil?"

Young Master Zhong's expression lit up, "The legend... is true after all. Old Madam, you know of that place... you've even been there."

Old Madam Zhang waved the fan in her hand and, changing her demeanor, said, "I'm not feeling well today, you may leave. Don't come again in the future!"

Seeing Old Madam Zhang's coldness, Zhong Luochen calmly reached into his chest and took out a brocade pouch from his suit's inner pocket. He opened it and poured out its contents, "Old Madam, Luochen knows that I have indeed been too hasty. But time does not allow me to slow down here any longer. I received news from home today... Luochen has no choice but to offend you."

What was poured out was a Jade Lock.

Old Madam Zhang's gaze shifted slightly. She gently placed the Jade Lock in her palm, examining it carefully. Finally, she sighed, "That year I left that place of strife, but I couldn't bear to part with my ill-fated sister who had been with me since childhood. I gave her this Jade Lock... Are you truly planning to use this favor?"

"My grandmother gave it to me before she passed away," Zhong Luochen said softly. "She said that if the Zhong family faced disaster, this would be the only thing that could save us. I didn't want to use it like this, but if it weren't for Old Madam's deep aversion towards that place, Luochen would truly be reluctant to take it out."

Old Madam Zhang closed her hands, holding the Jade Lock in her palm, and took a deep breath. "You go back first. I need to consider this matter carefully."

Zhong Luochen nodded solemnly, "I hope Old Madam can give Luochen an answer soon."

"Tell me first what it is for," Old Madam Zhang said.

Zhong Luochen replied, "To be honest, it's about my grandfather. Old Madam, the 'Old Zhong' you knew, the one with the explosive temper, the doctor says he's close to death."

It was a dazzling array of items, all of which were valuable and exquisite.

Luo Qiu admitted that he didn't know much about antiques, but he could still feel the ancient aura emanating from the items displayed here.

However, he didn't see the White Jade Token that Ren Ziling had mentioned.

Knowing Luo Qiu's purpose for being there, Ren Ziling looked at Zhang Qingrui and asked, "Miss Zhang, is something missing here? I remember when I came for a photoshoot last time, there were a few small items."

Zhang Qingrui smiled slightly, "Editor Ren, as expected of a journalist. Your eyesight and memory are indeed good. That's right, a few items have been sent out from the collection room."

She took out an album from a small shelf nearby and opened it. "It should be these few items. We sent these items to an auction house and plan to auction them."

Ren Ziling had sharp eyes, but Luo Qiu's eyes were even sharper. The first thing he saw was the image of the White Jade Token printed on the album.

Because he was concerned about the White Jade Token, Luo Qiu directly reached out and took the album from Zhang Qingrui's hand.

This was probably a very impolite act. However, Luo Qiu stared at the album and began to examine it closely.

Ren Ziling, however, looked quite awkward.

She could only apologize to Zhang Qingrui, saying, "My Luo Qiu is usually like this. When he sees something he likes..."

Zhang Qingrui shook her head, indicating it was fine. "We printed quite a few of these catalogs. If you like it, you can take one home without any problem."

Luo Qiu nodded, clearly intending to take her up on the offer and not be polite, but he still remembered the basic social niceties. Or perhaps he remembered the bottom line regarding such matters, and added, "Thanks."

Since he knew the white Jade Token wasn't here anymore, Luo Qiu had no intention of staying. He walked towards the door while looking at the catalog, which made Ren Ziling look helpless.

She had basically skipped work today and had called in a favor. This kid, on the other hand, just left as soon as he saw the item wasn't there, completely straightforward and not leaving any room for further interaction.

Zhang Qingrui also felt a bit awkward, but having been well-raised since childhood, she didn't plan to say anything at this moment... considering they were classmates.

Ren Ziling couldn't stand it anymore and directly grabbed Luo Qiu's arm, saying with a forced smile, "Since you're here, you should take a good look around."

She emphasized the words "take a good look" very clearly, and her grip on Luo Qiu's arm was quite firm.

Luo Qiu was helpless and could only glance around casually. However, he suddenly frowned and walked towards a corner of the collection room.

"What is this?"

Luo Qiu pointed to something covered by a glass case in the corner... a Black Card, one he was intimately familiar with.

On the Black Card, there were still two dark gold markings.

This was undoubtedly a Club Voucher... and it was a voucher that could still be used twice.