Page 5

It was precisely to raise Gu Jiuque's medical expenses that Grandpa Gu, already past seventy, agreed to accompany his employer overseas for an auction. His employer had promised that once the deal was completed, Grandpa Gu, as the appraiser, would receive a substantial reward.

No one had expected that Grandpa Gu, who had never misjudged an item in his entire life, would make a mistake at that auction. He mistook a forgery for a priceless rarity and strongly urged his employer to spend a fortune on it.

Once the news spread, the Antique Appreciation Studio's centuries-old reputation was ruined overnight. The employer who had wasted a huge sum on a fake went around claiming that Grandpa Gu had conspired with the seller to swindle him. Rumors raged, and Grandpa Gu could not defend himself. Overcome by shock and fury, he coughed up blood several times and died with resentment before Gu Jiuque could wake up.

When Gu Jiuque woke up in the hospital, he was met with one devastating blow after another: his entire family was dead, the old residence had burned down, the Antique Appreciation Studio had closed, and he himself was disfigured and paralyzed.

From that day onward, Gu Jiuque could no longer speak a single word.

And Bai Yuesheng—Bai Yuesheng, who had grown up with him, who had shyly confessed to him that very day and sworn they would grow old together, devoted until death—had taken the Gu family heirloom stained with Gu Jiuque's blood and gone around appraising treasures and hunting bargains while the four members of the Gu family died tragic deaths for various reasons, and Gu Jiuque lay unconscious in the hospital, disfigured and paralyzed. He rose to fame in one stroke and happily became everyone's beloved darling.

He had even concealed why Gu Jiuque had been gravely injured and fallen unconscious in the sea of flames, telling people everywhere that he had saved Gu Jiuque from the fire. Gu Jiuque knew nothing of any of it.

After Gu Jiuque woke up, Bai Yuesheng, having tasted the benefits of treasure appraisal, said not a word about this strange encounter. He simply had no way to explain why the Gu family heirloom had burrowed into his palm and vanished without a trace.

He had hidden it all with such perfect composure. Gu Jiuque's tone was unreadable. "You confessed to me just so you could borrow the Jade Celestial Pivot?"

Noticing the suspicion and contemplation in Gu Jiuque's cool gaze, Bai Yuesheng pressed his lips together in displeasure. He was clearly unhappy with the scrutiny and doubt in Gu Jiuque's words. Yet that resistance and irritation transformed in an instant into an innocent, coquettish pout. "Gu Jiuque, you idiot, you big idiot! How could you think that? How could I possibly confess to you over a stupid piece of jade? What kind of person do you take me for? Of course I borrowed that jade because I liked you! It's your Gu family's heirloom, and it's something you've worn close to you since childhood. If I can't have you, can't I at least be close to your jade pendant?"

As Bai Yuesheng spoke, he gave another heavy humph and puffed out his lips, pretending to be pitiful. "You actually think that about me. I'm so hurt!"

Hurt?

Gu Jiuque gave a soft laugh. How hurt could he possibly be?

Could it compare to the pain of his parents and relatives dying tragically overnight, of the old residence where he had lived since childhood being reduced to ruins? Could it compare to falling overnight from a gifted young man with a bright future into a disfigured, disabled mute, only to be pointed at and cursed as a jinx and a worthless cripple? Could it compare to spending ten years restoring the old residence to its former state, finding evidence that proved his enemies had plotted against Grandpa Gu, only to be burned alive in that painstakingly restored home by his ex-boyfriend's admirer just before he could expose his enemy's true face? Could it compare to watching the person he loved marry his enemy, smear the Gu family for that enemy's sake, and flaunt their love before the Gu family ancestral graves?

Gu Jiuque's eyes were unfathomable. His heart was bleeding, yet his smile became even gentler and warmer.

That facade of deep affection gave Bai Yuesheng the wrong impression. He mistakenly believed that he was still the childhood sweetheart Gu Jiuque treasured like a jewel, the one he had sworn to protect for a lifetime.

"Now you know you were wrong, right?" A reproachful voice interrupted Gu Jiuque's memories. Bai Yuesheng stood before him, his delicate face full of adorable innocence. Reaching out, he touched the jade at Gu Jiuque's neck and said haughtily, "Fortunately, your boyfriend has never been petty. Let me borrow this jade to play with, and I'll forgive you!"

Gu Jiuque instinctively caught Bai Yuesheng's hand. He studied Bai Yuesheng's face intently. Separated by ten years, he suddenly found the Bai Yuesheng before him incomparably unfamiliar.

Gu Jiuque remembered how, in his previous life, Bai Yuesheng had intercepted the Jade Celestial Pivot and still calmly lied to his face, claiming that he had never seen the Gu family heirloom again after Gu Jiuque woke up. The book described Bai Yuesheng's inner thoughts, saying that the male lead feared that telling the truth would attract villains' covetous attention, and feared even more that he would be captured and sliced up in a laboratory. So he secretly swore that in this life, he would do everything possible to repay Gu Jiuque for the gift of the treasure.

And what had he done? Stepped over the corpses of the Gu family, taken over the Gu family's Antique Appreciation Studio, then lived happily ever after with the Gu family's enemy.

What an ingenious way to repay a favor.

Gu Jiuque found it laughable just thinking about it. He laughed at how, back then, drowned in the pain of losing his family and home, he had been so moved when Bai Yuesheng held his hand affectionately at his hospital bed and swore to support him for the rest of his life. After leaving the hospital, he had even patiently taught Bai Yuesheng how to identify antiques at Bai Yuesheng's urging.

What had Bai Yuesheng said back then?

"Don't immerse all your thoughts in the pain of the past. I believe Uncle, Auntie, Grandpa, and Grandma wouldn't want to see you so despondent from heaven, either. Why don't you teach me how to identify antiques? First, it can be a pastime and help take your mind off things. Second, I can use the knowledge you teach me to appraise treasures and hunt for bargains. Then I can support you!"

With such deep affection and goodwill, how could Gu Jiuque, who had lost every member of his family and been left all alone, refuse? Yet Gu Jiuque had never imagined that when Bai Yuesheng said he would use him, he would use him so thoroughly.

Unfortunately, given another life, Gu Jiuque no longer wanted to use his entire family's lives to fulfill Bai Yuesheng's protagonist halo. He lowered his head and gazed at Bai Yuesheng's delicate face. The midsummer sunlight made his eyes shimmer with tender allure. In the slightly intoxicating sunlight, Gu Jiuque explained gently and patiently, "The Jade Celestial Pivot is the Gu family heirloom. Without the elders' permission, I can't lend it to you."

"However, I can lend you something else."

When Bai Yuesheng heard that Gu Jiuque would not lend him the Jade Celestial Pivot, he lost interest in his words despite his disappointment. Still, he tilted his head with feigned curiosity and asked innocently, "What are you going to lend me?"