Following the shopkeeper’s guidance, the group arrived at the most elaborately decorated counter. Inside, a pair of ice-jade, emerald-green bracelets rested.
“You’re an expert, so I won’t need to introduce them further. Top-grade jade, the treasure of our establishment, eight hundred thousand.”
Xiao Xun nodded. “Indeed, indeed. I’ll take it then. Please take it out!”
Liu Shijia quickly waved her hand. “Cousin, it’s too valuable. I can’t accept it.”
Xiao Xun smiled. “You’re the only young lady in our family. If I don’t dote on you, who else would I dote on?”
The shopkeeper donned gloves, carefully placed the bracelets on a velvet tray, and handed them to Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun took the bracelets and personally fastened them onto Liu Shijia’s wrist. They fit perfectly.
“They look so beautiful. Just wear them like this.”
Ladi couldn’t help but gasp. These were bracelets worth eight hundred thousand. Everyone said Xiao Xun had struck it rich this year, and it seemed to be true. He bought them without even batting an eye.
The two friends recalled their previous impertinent behavior and felt so embarrassed they wished they could sink through the floor.
Ladi’s face also turned extremely awkward.
The sales assistant was also flustered. Recognizing their major boss, and seeing the shopkeeper groveling and being so generous with his spending, she feared losing her job if he decided to make trouble later.
Casting aside any thoughts of saving face, she walked over with a shame-filled expression. “I’m sorry, Mr. Xiao. I was blind earlier and offended you. I will certainly correct my ways from now on.”
Xiao Xun didn’t bother to argue with a sales assistant. He waved his hand. “It’s good to admit one’s mistakes.”
Liu Shijia looked at the bracelet on her hand, liking it more and more. She said joyfully, “Cousin, thank you. You’re always the best.”
Xiao Xun then remembered his main purpose was to buy an opening gift. He pointed to the white jade cabbage in the display cabinet.
“I’ll buy that one too.”
The shopkeeper looked troubled. “Mr. Xiao, that is not for sale. It is solely for display in the shop.”
“Is it fake?”
“Not at all…”
Xiao Xun said, “How much is it? Name your price. If you find it difficult, I can call Tan Wenpei.”
The shopkeeper took out his phone. “Please wait a moment, I’ll ask my supervisor for instructions.”
After speaking, he made a call, explained the situation to his supervisor, and then quickly nodded in agreement, abasing himself to the dust.
Hanging up, the shopkeeper took out the white jade cabbage, placed it in a transparent box, then packed it into a small red leather case and put it on the counter.
“Mr. Xiao, our supervisor said you can just take it.”
Xiao Xun nodded. “Then I won’t be polite.”
“Please.”
Liu Shijia’s two friends quickly followed them out. Seeing an opportunity to get acquainted with an important figure, she couldn’t let it pass.
Seeing that the two hadn’t gone far, she ingratiatingly said, “Shijia, Shijia’s cousin, don’t walk so fast! Aren’t we going somewhere else to have fun?”
Her innocent gaze seemed to have forgotten what had just happened.
Liu Shijia waved her hand. “No, I won’t be going. You go ahead and have fun yourselves.”
Xiao Xun had no desire to continue with them. He said plainly, “It’s getting late. Let’s call it a day!”
Leaving the others standing there with regret.
They had a prime opportunity to build a good relationship with Liu Shijia’s cousin, but they had foolishly missed it with their immature judgment.
The remaining few had lost the mood for sightseeing and went home separately.
Arriving at the underground parking lot, Xiao Xun got into his car and drove them directly to the Fengming Pavilion branch in the city center.
He handed the small leather case to Zhao Yu man. Zhao Yu man took it. “It’s so heavy! What is it?”
“An opening gift.”
Zhao Yu man casually handed it to the lobby manager beside her. “The ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to begin. I knew you’d wear this, so I prepared a suit for you. Hurry and change.”
“This is the restaurant you opened, and I’m just a shareholder. I’m here to freeload today, so I won’t participate.”
“As a major shareholder of the restaurant, how can you not participate?”
Xiao Xun said as he walked towards the second floor, “I don’t really like appearing in public. That’s how it is! Arrange a private room for me. I’m hungry.”
Soon, various fragrant and delicious dishes were brought in. Zhao Yu man stayed by his side, constantly serving Liu Shijia.
Xiao Xun felt extremely awkward. “She’s all grown up. Let her serve herself. You don’t need to take care of her like this.”
Zhao Yu man chuckled. “Isn't an older sister meant to be doted on? I wish I had a younger sister.”
After lunch, Xiao Xun, fearing Liu Shijia might have other strange ideas, drove her straight home.
In the afternoon, he inspected the company. It was now operating formally, with professional supervisors overseeing it. As long as it wasn’t about major strategic decisions, they wouldn’t bother him.
Finding it rather uninteresting, he returned home.
In the evening, seeing Xiao Xun looking worried, Mu Jiahe asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Xun shook his head. “Nothing.”
Mu Jiahe gently patted Xiao Xun’s back. “I know you’ve been wronged. It’s my fault for not paying enough attention to you.”
“No, don’t overthink it. I’m just worried if we can win this battle.”
Mu Jiahe smiled and lay beside Xiao Xun. “When we go there, I’ll show you our Santirroman arsenal. How about that?”
Hearing this, Xiao Xun suddenly remembered something. “Right, how did you bring the blueprints I copied from the internet to the other world?”
Mu Jiahe countered, “You ate your fill in this world, would you be hungry in that world?”
Xiao Xun thought about it and shook his head. “No.”
Mu Jiahe asked again, “Then if you drank a lot of water in this world, would you need to use the restroom in that world?”
Xiao Xun thought about it and nodded. “Yes.”
After Mu Jiahe’s questioning, Xiao Xun guessed, “Could our bodies be vessels? Can they carry things from one world to another?”
Mu Jiahe nodded. “You’re indeed smart. You understand with just a hint.”
“Then you…”
Xiao Xun stood up, looked Mu Jiahe up and down, and then showed a surprised expression. “Could it be…”
“What are you imagining? I folded the blueprints into very small squares, put them in plastic bags, and held them in my mouth to bring them to that world.”
Hearing Mu Jiahe say this, “This plot of yours seems so familiar. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
“Alright, the more we talk, the more improper it gets. I was worried about you just now.”
Xiao Xun took out his phone and browsed the news. “There’s nothing much happening tomorrow. Shall we go see a movie?”
Mu Jiahe asked curiously, “Why the sudden thought of seeing a movie?”
“There’s a new movie released recently. It’s quite popular.”
Mu Jiahe seemed to recall something. “Are you referring to that doomsday movie?”
Xiao Xun nodded. “Yes. The whole world is talking about it lately. Some people are even making movies about it, making people anxious.”
“Yes! I’ve heard about it too. After all, this is the last prophecy of that nation.”
Xiao Xun looked into Mu Jiahe’s eyes. Her thoughts seemed to have drifted elsewhere. “So, what should we do now?”
Mu Jiahe said to Xiao Xun resolutely, “Living for today is more important than anything.”
When the time came, the two returned to the other world.
Xiao Xun lay on the bed, feeling a different kind of warmth. He looked at the fireplace not far from the bed. It was piled with firewood, burning with a fierce flame, making the entire home very warm.
“I remember that used to be an iron cabinet! How did it become a fireplace?”
Mu Jiahe explained, “That was always a fireplace. It was mainly to prevent people from climbing in through the chimney, so it was covered by a cabinet.”
This fireplace was also reactivated specifically for Xiao Xun, considering the cold here.
Xiao Xun looked at Mu Jiahe’s face illuminated by the fireplace's glow and couldn’t help but exclaim, “You are so beautiful.”
Mu Jiahe gently rested her left hand against her cheek, looking at Xiao Xun’s face. “Really?”
“Mm.”