Gold Star Rosewood Worth Over Ten Thousand Yuan per Half Kilo?

That deep purple hue beneath the jewelry store's brilliant lights seemed to lay bare a quiet, ancient world.

Zhou Chaoxian's mocking laughter cut off abruptly.

His face instantly turned a livid purplish red, as though someone had seized him by the throat.

He was no ignorant fool.

That color, that texture, that subdued purple so dark it was almost black...

Song Qiuya's gaze had already been completely captivated by the little piece of wood in Chen Lin's hand.

She reached out her slender fingers and took the wood, still wrapped in toilet paper, from him. Her movements were gentle, as though she were touching a priceless treasure.

"Qiu Ya! You..." Zhou Chaoxian began, unwilling to give up.

"Mr. Zhou, I have an important guest to attend to. Please make yourself comfortable."

Without even turning her head, Song Qiuya cut him off in an icy voice.

She took Chen Lin by the wrist, turned, and headed straight for the VIP room.

The gesture was natural and intimate, without the slightest hesitation.

Zhou Chaoxian stood frozen. Every subtle glance in the lobby now felt like a stinging slap across his face.

Unable to stay another moment, he hurled the offending bouquet of roses into a nearby trash can and slunk away.

The VIP room's door closed, shutting out the outside world.

Song Qiuya placed the piece of rosewood on the velvet tablecloth, hurried over to the bookshelf, and took down a thick illustrated guide-Rosewood Appreciation.

She opened the book, put on white gloves, and picked up a magnifying glass, carefully comparing the pictures with the wood in her hand.

The seconds ticked by.

Her breathing gradually grew quicker.

"Chen Lin, this piece of wood..."

She looked up, her usually cool eyes now brimming with irrepressible delight and astonishment.

"The grain on the cut surface spirals, and it's full of golden flecks... The color is blood red, and the texture is dense..."

"This is the finest grade of gold star rosewood!"

"It's worth at least ten thousand yuan per half kilo!"

Chen Lin's eyes went wide.

Over ten thousand per half kilo?

He instantly lost his composure and grabbed Song Qiuya's hand.

"Qiu Ya, you're not kidding, are you?"

Her hand was soft and slightly cool. As his large, warm hand enclosed it, a faint shiver ran through her.

Song Qiuya's cheeks flushed instantly. She instinctively tried to pull away, only to discover that Chen Lin's grip was too tight for her to free her hand.

So she simply gave up.

She shot him a reproachful look and said softly, "It's true. When have I ever lied to you? How much do you have? I can help you find a buyer."

Chen Lin's mind raced.

He had thought it was just ordinary small-leaf rosewood, worth perhaps a million yuan or so. At most, he had planned to have a set of heirloom furniture made for himself.

But now, making furniture from gold star rosewood worth over ten thousand yuan per half kilo?

That wasn't luxury anymore. That was sheer insanity.

What a waste!

Chen Lin made his decision at once. He had to keep the longest rosewood log, the one over three meters long. He could sell the other two.

He looked at Song Qiuya and chose his words carefully. "Well... I have quite a lot. You'll need to find someone with serious buying power."

At that, Song Qiuya smiled confidently.

"Don't worry! The business owner I know runs Yicheng's leading timber company!"

With that, she stood, picked up her phone, and moved aside to make the call.

Chen Lin sat quietly, watching her talk on the phone.

She spoke clearly and efficiently, radiating the commanding presence of a formidable businesswoman.

It was hard to reconcile the woman before him with the shy girl from two nights earlier, who had become so flustered when he held her hand that she hadn't dared lift her head.

That contrast was deadly.

The call ended shortly afterward.

When Song Qiuya turned around, she met Chen Lin's unwavering, faintly teasing gaze.

The commanding businesswoman's aura she had just built up crumbled instantly, leaving her that easily embarrassed girl again.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" she chided.

Chen Lin rose and walked toward her, step by step.

Song Qiuya immediately grew nervous. Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, and her mind filled with images of their night on the Cross-River Bridge two days earlier.

She instinctively stepped back and said nervously, "Don't..."

Before she could finish, Chen Lin reached out and gave her a gentle tug, pulling her into his arms.

"Did you miss me?"

His scent, mingled with a faint hint of fresh grass, enveloped her. His low question came almost against her ear, his warm breath turning it scarlet in an instant.

Song Qiuya stopped struggling. She lightly bit her lower lip, unable to say a word.

Chen Lin lowered his head and looked into her flustered, evasive eyes.

Song Qiuya was mortified and couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

Two nights ago, it had been dark, with dim lighting. At least she'd had an excuse.

Now it was broad daylight!

Being held so tightly by a man and stared at in this brightly lit VIP room was far too embarrassing!

After he had watched her for a while, Song Qiuya grew both embarrassed and annoyed.

"You're shameless!"

Feeling the soft body in his arms and breathing in the faint fragrance lingering in her hair, Chen Lin felt heat surge through him.

He cupped Song Qiuya's face. The smooth, burning warmth beneath his hands made him pause.

Then he slowly leaned forward and kissed her soft red lips.

Song Qiuya's mind went completely blank.

She had no idea how much time passed.

Only then did she snap back to her senses and hurriedly push Chen Lin away, her pretty face red enough to bleed.

"I'm going to the restroom!"

She tossed out those words, shot Chen Lin a fierce glare, and hurried into the restroom in her high heels.

Chen Lin stayed where he was and rubbed his nose, savoring the memory of that softness.

Before long, the VIP room's door opened.

A tall figure walked in.

It was a sophisticated woman of thirty with finely sculpted features.

Her dark business skirt reached her knees, matte black stockings hugged her long, straight legs, and her slender heels clicked against the floor.

Seeing Chen Lin alone in the VIP room, she paused in surprise before regaining her composure. "Where's Qiu Ya?"

Chen Lin looked a little awkward. "She went to the restroom."

The woman gave him a meaningful look but asked nothing further.

Just then, Song Qiuya emerged from the restroom. Most of the blush had faded from her face, though a trace of romantic warmth still lingered at the corners of her eyes.

She smiled at the newcomer and went over to greet her. "Ruyan, you're here!"

Then she introduced them.

"This is Liu Ruyan, the general manager of the Zhengtian Group."

"This is Chen Lin."

Liu Ruyan extended her hand, gave Chen Lin a brisk handshake, and got straight to the point.

"Qiu Ya said on the phone that you have some top-grade gold star rosewood?"

Song Qiuya quickly handed her the piece of wood from the table.

Liu Ruyan took it, retrieved a professional high-powered flashlight and magnifying glass from her bag, and examined it closely.

The longer she looked, the brighter her eyes grew.

Finally, she switched off the flashlight and murmured, "This color, this texture, this grain packed with golden flecks... It really is top quality!"

She raised her head, her sharp eyes full of anticipation as she fixed her gaze on Chen Lin.

"Mr. Chen, may I ask..."

"How much wood of this quality do you have?"

Chen Lin thought for a moment, then held up two fingers.

"About two or three tonnes, I suppose?"

"How much?!"

Liu Ruyan sprang up from the sofa, disbelief written all over her exquisite face.