This Is So Luo Qiu

"A box?"

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

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family squinted at Cheng Yun.

This ambitious man was very easy to bribe; he was not only greedy for money but also lustful. However, he was smart, observant, and knew which women he could play with and which women he shouldn't even fantasize about.

For example, right now, Cheng Yun was very well restraining his aggressive gaze.

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family smiled faintly, "Do you know what was inside the box?"

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

Cheng Yun took two steps forward but dared not get too close. While the Third Miss of the Zhong Family was very charming, she wasn't a woman he could casually trifle with. All he needed was to gain enough benefits from the Third Miss of the Zhong Family.

"What is this?" The Third Miss of the Zhong Family looked at the photo on the phone, frowning.

Cheng Yun said, "I'm not entirely sure, but it should be a strange Black Card... Second Young Master has kept this card with him at all times, and it was very difficult for me to secretly take the picture."

The photo was taken from behind someone's shoulder.

"That day, after Second Young Master received this card from Miss Zhang, he left alone. Not long after, he arranged for me to immediately return to the Capital City. I didn't expect 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 and suddenly said, "Cheng Yun, how about you get this card for me?"

Cheng Yun's expression changed slightly, "This... Third Miss, Second Young Master keeps it with him constantly, I..."

"What?" The Third Miss of the Zhong Family chuckled softly, "When you receive benefits from me, you always nod, no matter how much. Now I ask you to do something, and you can only shake your head?"

"I, I didn't mean that..." Cheng Yun frowned, "However, the Old Master's condition has been improving these past two days, and the doctors say he's fine apart from being a bit weak. I heard Second Young Master say that the Old Master might visit Gu Yue Zhai tomorrow. I suspect this card might need to be returned. Because when Miss Zhang brought the item over, she said that after the item was used, it had to be returned, or the consequences would be borne by the user..."

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family said calmly, "Isn't that good? Since there will be an exchange, won't that present an opportunity to act? Handle it well. If you are loyal to me, you will be rewarded. But if you become useless, I don't think my second brother would want someone who would betray themselves... right?"

"I understand..." Cheng Yun nodded quickly and left, trembling with fear.

The Third Miss of the Zhong Family walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of the Presidential Suite, pulled aside a sliver of the curtain, and looked at the bustling traffic on the street. "That person from Gu Yue Zhai... all the families in the Capital City are deeply wary of them. My second brother has been here for over a month... what does that Black Card represent?"

As if in anticipation, she subconsciously fiddled with an old ring-shaped pendant around her neck.

"You want to learn antique appraisal?"

Zhang Qingrui looked at Luo Qiu, who had made this request, in surprise. She remembered that the last time Ren Ziling brought him over, she had mentioned that Luo Qiu had suddenly become interested in antiques and wanted to see for himself.

Not to mention that he had You Ye take a picture of the White Jade Token... but now he was making such a request, was he really developing a strong interest in this field?

"Yes."

Luo Qiu nodded and said frankly, "I know antique appraisal is a profound field of study, so I don't expect to master it overnight. Therefore, I'd like you to introduce me to some introductory knowledge."

As if afraid Zhang Qingrui would misunderstand, Luo Qiu added, "Of course, just introducing me to some introductory books or information is fine. I don't intend to bother you with anything."

Zhang Qingrui thought for a moment and said, "That's not a problem. However, Luo Qiu, antique appraisal, as you said, is not something that can be mastered in a day or two. If you're just doing it for fun, I suggest you give up the idea."

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

Zhang Qingrui nodded. She walked quickly to the pear blossom wood desk in her office and soon pulled out three rather thick books.

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

"There is a lot of knowledge in antiques, and many categories. So if you really intend to learn, I suggest you specialize in one area first," Zhang Qingrui said, "Porcelain is relatively common and one of the easiest to approach. I suggest you start with porcelain."

Luo Qiu nodded and took the three books, stuffing them into his backpack.

Luo Qiu hadn't carried a backpack last time, but now... in Zhang Qingrui's eyes, it was clearly a backpack specifically for carrying books.

Did this guy have this plan from the very beginning?

"After I finish reading them, I'll return them to you immediately," Luo Qiu said gratefully.

Zhang Qingrui shook her head, "No need. These books aren't precious items; as long as you know where to buy them, you can find them in many places. So it's fine to give them to you."

She suddenly glared at Luo Qiu, "Consider it a thank-you gift for someone who often borrowed my class notes."

Luo Qiu thought that this girl also had a stingy and vengeful side, so he said, "Okay, it's settled."

Zhang Qingrui, whether annoyed or amused, let out a scoff and shook her head, "The books are yours. Is there anything else? I still have store matters to attend to and don't have much time to chat with you. But if you're interested, you can stay here and look around, but remember, look with your eyes, not your hands."

Luo Qiu shook his head, "No. But since you welcome me here, I should be visiting often."

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

Zhang Qingrui escorted Luo Qiu to the lobby, but had to stop before he exited.

The reason was that Cheng Yun, dressed in a suit, also happened to arrive at the entrance. His voice preceded him.

"Miss Zhang! Great, I can see you now." Cheng Yun walked up to Zhang Qingrui with a warm smile.

Zhang Qingrui said calmly, "What, are you alone today?"

Cheng Yun quickly glanced at Luo Qiu and asked instead of answering, "Miss Zhang, may I ask who this is?"

"He's my friend," Zhang Qingrui said, "But I think he's not interested in meeting you... What is it? Did Zhong Luochen send you?"

Cheng Yun nodded, "Miss Zhang, can we speak in private?"

Zhang Qingrui frowned slightly, then looked at Luo Qiu with a hint of apology. Luo Qiu smiled and said, "It's fine, you go ahead and take care of your business. Also, thank you for the items. I'll be careful with them and won't break them."

When he took the three books, he noticed they were filled with many notes, clearly indicating Zhang Qingrui hadn't just skimmed them. Since the girl had said the items were a gift, Luo Qiu didn't intend to keep them permanently; he planned to return them after he finished reading.

"Alright, what you've said these past few times is equivalent to a year's worth," Zhang Qingrui shot Luo Qiu a look before turning to Cheng Yun and saying, "If there's something, let's go to my office."

Cheng Yun didn't dare to delay and quickly followed Zhang Qingrui. He couldn't help but glance back and saw that Luo Qiu was indeed leaving just like that.

He couldn't help but frown. What was the relationship between this kid and Zhang Qingrui? They seemed quite close.

Inside the office, Zhang Qingrui directly asked Cheng Yun his purpose for coming.

Cheng Yun carefully stated, "It's like this, Miss Zhang. Young Master Two sent me here mainly to deliver a message to Old Madam Zhang..."

He watched Zhang Qingrui's expression before continuing, "Of course, I wouldn't dare to disturb Old Madam Zhang's peace directly, so I wanted to ask Miss Zhang to convey it for me."

"What is it?"

"Young Master Two said he will personally visit Old Madam Zhang tomorrow. Additionally, an old acquaintance of hers will also be coming along."

Zhang Qingrui was taken aback.

The only people who could be considered her grandmother's old acquaintances seemed to be from the Capital City. She nodded, "I understand. I'll pass on the message. Is there anything else?"

"No," Cheng Yun quickly replied. "I was just delivering a message, nothing else... Miss Zhang, I won't disturb you any further."

Zhang Qingrui nodded.

Actually, if it were just a message, a phone call or something similar would have been more convenient. However, these large families all had this peculiar, old-fashioned way of doing things, insisting on sending someone in person to show respect.

Zhang Qingrui wasn't particularly fond of this practice, but she knew her grandmother placed more importance on such details.

"Is that guy... a little different somehow?"

A strange thought surfaced amidst her jumbled thoughts. Zhang Qingrui paused, then let out a light laugh. "Why am I even thinking about that guy?"

Even if it felt strange... that guy was always strange to begin with. So, this was very much like Luo Qiu.

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

Cheng Yun didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stopped at a parking lot behind Gu Yue Zhai.

A short while later, a hostess from Gu Yue Zhai looked around nervously. After confirming no one was watching, she quickly walked towards the parked cars.

"Baby, did you miss me?" Cheng Yun didn't say anything else and pulled her into his arms, his hands roaming.

"You rascal, didn't you go back to the Capital City? I thought you'd just take what you wanted and then ditch me."

"Didn't I come back?"

"Heh... Go on, tell me what you want me to do this time? But honestly, the young lady isn't interested in your young master at all. All the flowers you send are immediately given away."

"No, no, let's not talk about that first... Look at this Black Card in the photo. Does it ring any bells?"

The hostess carefully examined the photo on his phone for a long time before saying, "That's strange. I feel like I've seen this before, but also like I haven't... I can't recall."

"It doesn't matter if you can recall it or not," Cheng Yun said with a smile. "There's something I really need your help with. Listen, if this works out, I'll give you whatever you want."

"Really?" The hostess's eyes immediately lit up, but she quickly hesitated. "Wait a minute, tell me what it is first. I won't do anything dangerous."

Cheng Yun narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Baby, listen to me. Don't you want to work your whole life? Don't you want to start a new life? And I promise, you'll be fine."

"Then... okay."

Cheng Yun began to whisper something into her ear.

A short while later, watching the hostess walk away with a sway of her hips, Cheng Yun sneered and muttered, "What a piece of work... I'll get tired of her after a couple more times, stupid woman."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed Zhong Luochen. Immediately, his demeanor changed to another one. "It's me, Young Master Two... Yes, the matter has been handled. I've informed Miss Zhang. Nothing happened... However..."

He paused, then cautiously added, "It's like this, remember last time when we came and saw Miss Zhang entertaining a man and a woman? I saw it again today. It was just that young man. They seemed to have gone into the office for a while. I happened to pass by and saw Miss Zhang and that young man walking out, chatting and laughing. They seemed quite close..."