This Was So Luo Qiu

"A box?"

"Yes, Third Miss. The thing Miss Zhang from Gu Yue Zhai personally delivered that day was a box."

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family narrowed her eyes at Cheng Yun.

This ambitious man was very easy to buy off. He was not only greedy for money but lustful as well. However, he was clever and good at reading people's expressions. He knew which women he could toy with freely and which women he could never presume to covet.

For example, Cheng Yun was currently doing a good job of restraining his aggressive gaze.

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family smiled faintly. "Do you know what exactly is inside the box?"

Cheng Yun immediately replied, "Of course I do, Third Miss! I even secretly took a picture of it while the Second Young Master wasn't paying attention."

Cheng Yun stepped forward twice, but he did not dare get too close. Although the Third Miss of the Zhong Family was incredibly charming, she was not a woman he could touch on a whim. All he needed was to gain enough benefits from her.

"What is this?" The Third Miss of the Zhong Family frowned as she looked at the photo on his phone.

Cheng Yun said, "I'm not entirely sure, but it should be a strange Black Card... The Second Young Master has kept this card on him at all times. It took a great deal of effort for me to secretly take this picture."

The photo had been taken from behind someone's shoulder.

"That day, after the Second Young Master received this card from Miss Zhang, he left alone. Not long afterward, he had me arrange for us to return to the capital immediately. I never expected that he was bringing the Old Master here! Even more unexpected was that the Old Master miraculously recovered."

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "Cheng Yun, how about you help me get this Black Card?"

Cheng Yun's expression changed slightly. "This... Third Miss, the Second Young Master never lets it leave his side. I..."

"What?" the Third Miss of the Zhong Family asked with a soft laugh. "Whenever you receive benefits from me, you nod no matter how much I ask. But when I ask you to do something, all you can do is shake your head?"

"I... that's not what I meant..." Cheng Yun frowned. "However, the Old Master's condition has been improving these past two days. The doctor even said that, aside from being somewhat weak, there was nothing seriously wrong with him. I heard the Second Young Master say that the Old Master might visit Gu Yue Zhai tomorrow. I suspect that this card may be returned. When Miss Zhang had the item delivered, she said that it had to be returned after use. Otherwise, we would bear the consequences..."

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family said calmly, "Isn't that a good thing? Since there will be an exchange, won't that give us an opportunity to act? Do this properly. If you're loyal to me, you won't lack benefits. But if you're no longer useful, I doubt my Second Brother will want someone who would betray him... right?"

"I understand..." Cheng Yun nodded repeatedly and left with his heart pounding in fear.

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of Suite Nine and lifted the curtain slightly, watching the busy traffic below. "That person from Gu Yue Zhai... Every family in the capital is deeply wary of him. My Second Brother has been here for over a month... What exactly does that Black Card represent?"

She seemed expectant as she unconsciously toyed with the old ring-shaped pendant around her neck.

"You want to learn how to appraise antiques?"

Zhang Qingrui looked at Luo Qiu in surprise after he made the request. She remembered that the last time Ren Ziling had brought him here, she had said that Luo Qiu had suddenly become interested in antiques and wanted to broaden his horizons.

Setting aside the fact that You Ye had purchased the White Jade Token... Could it be that he had now developed a genuine interest in this field?

"That's right."

Luo Qiu nodded and said frankly, "I know that antique appraisal is a profound field, so I don't intend to master it overnight. I just want you to introduce me to some basic knowledge."

As if afraid that Zhang Qingrui would misunderstand, Luo Qiu continued, "Of course, just introduce me to some beginner books or similar information. I don't intend to trouble you."

Zhang Qingrui thought for a moment before saying, "That shouldn't be a problem. But Luo Qiu, antique appraisal is just as you said—it isn't something you can master in a day or two. If you're only doing this for fun, I suggest you give up on the idea."

Luo Qiu said seriously, "I won't regret anything I decide to do, nor will I give up halfway. Don't worry."

Zhang Qingrui nodded. She quickly walked to the rosewood bookshelf in her office, and before long, she pulled out three rather thick books.

They were An Appraisal of Blue and White Porcelain, The Origin of Blue and White Porcelain, and An Appreciation of Qianlong Famille Rose.

"There is a great deal to learn about antiques, and there are also many classifications. If you truly intend to study seriously, I suggest you focus on one field first," Zhang Qingrui said. "Porcelain is relatively common and one of the easiest types to encounter. I suggest you start with porcelain."

Luo Qiu nodded and immediately stuffed the three books into his backpack.

The last time Luo Qiu had not been carrying a backpack, but now... In Zhang Qingrui's eyes, it was clearly a backpack carried specifically to hold books.

Could this guy have planned this from the beginning?

"I'll return them as soon as I've finished reading them," Luo Qiu said gratefully.

Zhang Qingrui shook her head. "There's no need. These books aren't particularly valuable, and you can buy them in many places as long as you know where to look. You may as well keep them."

She suddenly glared at Luo Qiu. "Consider it repayment for someone who keeps borrowing lecture notes."

Luo Qiu thought that this girl had a stingy and vindictive side too. He could only say, "All right. Then we're even."

Zhang Qingrui did not know whether to laugh or be annoyed. She gave a snort and shook her head. "The books are yours. Is there anything else? I still have to deal with the shop's affairs, so I don't have much time to listen to you ramble. If you're interested, you can stay here and take a look for now. But remember: look with your eyes, not your hands."

Luo Qiu shook his head. "No, thanks. But since you're willing to have me here, I suppose I'll be coming by often."

Zhang Qingrui replied noncommittally, "I'll see you out."

Zhang Qingrui escorted Luo Qiu to the main hall, but before he could leave, she had to stop.

The reason was that Cheng Yun, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, had happened to arrive at the entrance. He had not yet appeared, but his voice had already reached them.

"Miss Zhang! What a pleasant surprise. I get to see you right away." Cheng Yun walked up to Zhang Qingrui with an enthusiastic smile.

Zhang Qingrui said calmly, "What, did you come alone today?"

Cheng Yun quickly glanced at Luo Qiu, then answered her question with one of his own. "Miss Zhang, may I ask who this is?"

"He's a friend of mine," Zhang Qingrui said. "But I don't think he's interested in meeting you... What do you want? Did Zhong Luochen send you here?"

Cheng Yun nodded. "Miss Zhang, could I speak with you privately?"

Zhang Qingrui frowned slightly, then looked at Luo Qiu with some apology. Luo Qiu smiled. "It's fine. You go ahead. And thank you for the books. I'll be careful with them and won't damage them."

When he took the three books, he noticed that they contained many notes. Clearly, Zhang Qingrui had not merely skimmed through them. Although she said she was giving them to him, Luo Qiu had never truly intended to keep them. He planned to return them after he finished reading them.

"All right. The things you've said these past few times already make up for an entire year's worth." Zhang Qingrui rolled her eyes at Luo Qiu before turning to Cheng Yun. "Whatever it is, let's discuss it in my office."

Cheng Yun did not dare delay. He hurried after Zhang Qingrui, but he glanced back twice and discovered that Luo Qiu had really just left like that.

He could not help frowning. What exactly is this kid's relationship with Zhang Qingrui? They seem awfully close.

In the office, Zhang Qingrui directly asked Cheng Yun why he had come.

Cheng Yun considered his words. "It's like this, Miss Zhang. The Second Young Master sent me here mainly to pass on a message to Old Madam Zhang..."

He watched Zhang Qingrui's expression before continuing. "Of course, I wouldn't dare disturb Old Madam Zhang directly, so I wanted to ask you to pass the message along."

"What is it?"

"The Second Young Master said that he will personally visit Old Madam Zhang tomorrow. In addition, an old acquaintance of hers will be coming along."

Zhang Qingrui froze.

The only people who could be considered her grandmother's old acquaintances seemed to be from the capital. She nodded. "I understand. I'll tell her. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's all." Cheng Yun hurriedly said, "I was only here to pass on a message, nothing more... Miss Zhang, I won't disturb you any longer."

Zhang Qingrui nodded.

In truth, if he was merely passing on a message, making a phone call or something similar would have been much more convenient. But these great families all had this old-fashioned, pedantic temperament. They insisted on specially sending someone over, as if that was the only way to show respect.

Zhang Qingrui did not particularly appreciate this approach, but she knew that her grandmother cared more about such details.

Has that guy changed a little?

The strange thought surfaced amid her jumbled thoughts. Zhang Qingrui was startled, then chuckled softly. "Why do I care about that guy?"

Even if he did seem strange... This guy had always been strange. So, this was just like Luo Qiu.

She shook her head, took a deep breath, picked up her fountain pen, and began focusing on her work.

Cheng Yun did not leave immediately. Instead, he stayed in a parking lot behind Gu Yue Zhai.

Not long afterward, one of Gu Yue Zhai's hostesses glanced around nervously. Only after making sure no one had seen her did she hurry into the rows of cars.

"Sweetheart, did you miss me?" Cheng Yun pulled her into his arms without a word and fondled her all over.

"You bastard, didn't you go back to the capital? I thought you'd used me up and then turned your back on me."

"But I'm back now, aren't I?"

"Heh... Tell me, what do you want me to do this time? But I'll be honest with you: Young Lady really isn't interested in that Young Master of your family at all. Every bouquet you send gets given away immediately."

"No, no, forget about that for now... Take a look at the Black Card in this photo. Does it look familiar?"

The hostess carefully studied the photo on his phone. After a long while, she said, "Strange. I feel like I've seen this before, but also like I haven't... I can't remember."

"It doesn't matter whether you remember." Cheng Yun smiled. "There's something I really need your help with. Listen, if it works out, I'll give you anything you want."

"Really?" The hostess's eyes immediately grew heated, but she soon hesitated. "Wait. Tell me what it is first. I won't do anything dangerous."

Cheng Yun narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Sweetheart, listen to me. You don't want to work for the rest of your life, do you? Don't you want to begin an entirely new life? And I guarantee you'll be fine."

"Then... all right."

Cheng Yun leaned toward her ear and began whispering.

A short while later, as he watched the hostess sway away, Cheng Yun let out a cold laugh and muttered, "What a piece of trash... I'll be sick of her after two more rounds. Stupid woman."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and called Zhong Luochen. He immediately put on an entirely different face. "It's me, Second Young Master... Yes, it's been taken care of. I delivered the message to Miss Zhang. Nothing happened... However..."

After a pause, Cheng Yun cautiously continued, "It's like this. Do you remember when we came here last time and saw Miss Zhang receiving a man and a woman? I ran into them again today. But only the young man was there. They seemed to have been in the office for a while. I happened to see Miss Zhang and that young man walk out together, laughing and chatting. They seemed quite close..."