Pearls

The old man followed the young man's gaze.

The next second, the old man froze. Then his brows relaxed, and a relieved smile finally appeared on his face.

This child...

The boy let go and carefully placed the three pearls on the table.

He pressed his lips together, looking reluctant to part with them.

The room wasn't dark.

Bright daylight streamed in, illuminating every grain in the tabletop.

But when the boy moved his hand away, all the light seemed to be drawn into the three pearls, then shine back out.

A hazy glow shimmered around them. It was simply...

"Just like the legendary luminous pearls."

The old man murmured, his eyes unfocused.

It was a long while before he came back to his senses, dazzled.

"They're so beautiful."

The old man couldn't stop murmuring. "They really are so beautiful."

He didn't know much about pearls, but anyone with eyes could tell these three were worth a fortune.

Worth a fortune didn't even begin to describe it.

They were probably priceless, weren't they?

In all his long life, the old man had never seen pearls with such flawless luster anywhere else.

Compared to the pearls in his daughter-in-law's necklace, these made hers look like "cheap makeup"—no, like plastic.

The old man's astonished, admiring expression suddenly froze.

His grandson had taken such precious pearls without permission...

And the other party hadn't immediately called the police?

Instead, he had waited all these days, only asking for them back when they came by again.

The young man before him couldn't be described as merely a good person.

He had even made a point of inviting them into a private room to discuss the matter.

Of course, that was partly to avoid drawing attention to something valuable, but it was also