The feelings between the two were even stronger than Li Chonglou had imagined, to the point where they were practically glued together just riding the elevator, chatting about everyday life with each other as if no one else were present.
Li Chonglou felt extremely awkward listening to them.
As members of the Yu family, their residence was undoubtedly impressive. Upon entering, Li Chonglou was immediately captivated by a pair of intricately carved redwood pieces.
"What is this?"
Lin Qing smiled and asked, "Oh? Do you also find these things interesting?"
Yu Qing placed the bag in her hand on a nearby counter and glanced back. "Only you seem uninterested in these items."
Yu Qing rolled her eyes, but it wasn't in disdain; it was a form of teasing.
Li Chonglou was accustomed to their way of interacting and simply ignored it, though Yu Qing's words did surprise him slightly.
"So, this is your collection, Sister Qing?"
Yu Qing chuckled, "Yes. I've been interested in these things since I was young. Not only are they full of artistic merit, but they also hold their value, and even appreciate."
Hearing this, Li Chonglou immediately understood that Yu Qing was like him, and his surprise grew even stronger.
In this day and age, it was rare for women to be interested in antiques. It had little to do with family background, as long as one had the opportunity to be exposed to them.
For example, Yu Ke, as a young lady of the Yu family, had absolutely no interest in such matters.
However, Li Chonglou didn't reveal his own background. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the redwood carvings. "Sister Qing, judging by the craftsmanship, this should be from a previous dynasty, right? If it was made by a master, this piece alone might be enough to buy a house in the city!"
Yu Qing was also a bit surprised. "Little Li, you know about these things too?"
"A little bit?"
Yu Qing's eyes lit up. "Then do you know anyone who acquires these items? And more importantly, someone who understands them!"
"Can I take a closer look?"
Yu Qing nodded repeatedly and quickly walked over, while Lin Qing smiled and shook her head, heading inside to prepare food.
As Yu Qing came closer, Li Chonglou caught a faint, pleasant fragrance, somewhat like perfume, but also like natural body scent, easily conjuring up pleasant thoughts.
Li Chonglou quietly collected his thoughts, focusing on the redwood carving.
It was a rhododendron, about thirty centimeters tall. Redwood carvings were relatively common, but this one was different. Its grain seemed random, yet each cut was perfectly placed.
The entire piece appeared both abstract and remarkably lifelike!
The more Li Chonglou looked, the more he appreciated its artistic refinement, feeling a sense of reluctant admiration.
After a while, Yu Qing couldn't help but ask, "Little Li, what do you think it's worth?"
Li Chonglou's thoughts were drawn back, and he said seriously, "Sister Qing, this is a genuine piece. However, not many people can appreciate this kind of work. As for the price, for those who understand it, it's priceless, but for those who don't, even a million might be considered an insult."
Yu Qing sighed. "That's exactly what the master I consulted said. But the problem is, where can I find someone who understands it right now?"
Li Chonglou asked doubtfully, "Sister Qing, judging by what you're saying, are you in urgent need of money? Trying to sell it quickly?"
Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Yes. If I can't find the right person in a few days, I'll have no choice but to sell it for cheap."
Yu Qing's words further convinced Li Chonglou that the Yu family was in serious trouble, forcing even its members to start selling possessions to raise money!
However, he hadn't managed to find out the specifics. Li Chonglou said gravely, "Sister Qing, if you can avoid selling it, try not to do so casually. The price difference is too significant."
Li Chonglou placed the carving back in its original position. Yu Qing waved her hand, "Forget it, let's not worry about it. Come and eat."
At that moment, Lin Qing, wearing an apron, brought out all the dishes.
They were still steaming hot, including braised lion's head, boiled fish slices, stir-fried pork with red peppers, and more. There were five dishes in total, all looking and smelling delicious!
As Li Chonglou sat down and took a bite under their expectant gazes, his eyes lit up.
"How is it? Is my husband's cooking good?"
Although Yu Qing asked the question, her confidence was evident, showing no concern that Li Chonglou might find it unappetizing.
In fact, her confidence was justified. While Li Chonglou hadn't eaten every delicacy in the world, he had tasted many delicious dishes. This was the first time he had encountered such ordinary yet exquisitely prepared food.
He praised it wholeheartedly!
"Brother Qing, did you graduate from an eight-star hotel? If you opened a restaurant with this skill, forget one redwood carving, you could easily make ten!"
Li Chonglou gave him a thumbs-up, and Lin Qing's face lit up with a happy smile.
"I knew it! My husband's cooking is the best in the world!"
"Alright, stop praising me, or it'll get cold. Let's eat quickly."
Li Chonglou was very satisfied with this meal. He even felt it was a pity that his third brother couldn't join them, as such exquisite food was hard to come by, even with money, outside!
However, despite his satisfaction, Li Chonglou tried his best to extract some information about the Yu family from the two of them, but all his attempts failed.
Whenever the conversation touched upon their family matters, they would immediately and sensitively change the subject, giving him no opportunity to probe further.
What's more, they kept asking him about Yue Hai. They repeatedly asked, "Little Li, you never mentioned why your friend came to the Yu family. Who is this friend you mentioned? Tell us about them? Perhaps we know them."
Li Chonglou had a vague suspicion but remained composed. "I don't know. He was called over last minute. He was supposed to return yesterday, but I can't get through to him now."
Yu Qing exclaimed in surprise, "You mean you can't find him now?"
Li Chonglou nodded and spoke frankly, "Sister Qing, are you worried that I'm trying to sneak in to cause trouble?"
"This..."
The two exchanged embarrassed glances, surprised by Li Chonglou's directness.
Li Chonglou smiled. "Sister Qing, you don't need to worry about that. I am the owner of Tong Gu Ming Jin, and Yue Hai is my employee. If you want to investigate, you can find out. Besides, you should have visitor records here, right?"
Speaking of visitor records, Yu Qing showed a slight, forced smile. She and Li Chonglou hadn't even registered their names when they entered, so it was hard to say if they could be traced.
However, Yu Qing reconsidered. Li Chonglou didn't even know the way to the certificate, so he likely wouldn't lie about this.
Moreover, her intuition told her that Li Chonglou wasn't the type of person to scheme.
People are like that sometimes; not everything requires evidence. Intuition is the best tool.
"Little Li, Sister Qing believes you. But with just a name, it's difficult for us to help you find him."