Chapter 82: The Black-hearted Boss

  The stone weighed two catties and three taels. The shop owner was unusually generous, calculating it as a whole number of two catties. Tong Qiang took out his bank card and swiped 100,000 yuan. The cutter master next to him glanced at Tong Qiang, shook his head, and casually swept the stone with his eyes, without even having the urge to draw lines for cutting. This stone, anyone with a little knowledge of jade gambling would know that it's impossible to produce green, and the 100,000 yuan was really just throwing money away.

  The cutting machine cut off a small piece of the edge, a white flower-like piece, no green color can be seen. The boss and several customers nearby didn't even bother to look, but as the cutting machine continued to run, when the second knife came down, the cutter suddenly startled, his hands trembling, eyes full of disbelief.

  "Xiao Zhu, bring water over, quickly bring water over." The cutter master shouted urgently, staring incredulously at the bright green color in the middle of the stone, and actually cut out green with just the second knife.

  Quickly rinsed with water, the emerald green color of the jade in the middle of the fur is crystal clear and translucent. The whole body is still hidden in the stone, but this refreshing and dazzling green color, under the foil of water droplets and light, is extremely vivid and dripping with freshness, absolutely a top-quality jade.

  "Has it come out green?" The shop owner choked on a mouthful of smoke, staring in disbelief. The onlookers nearby were also stunned, having just gambled on a piece of stone that had unexpectedly yielded jade.

  The master cutter now had the spirit, swallowed a mouthful of water, and began to focus on continuing the cutting, no longer as careless as before. The several men in the store revealed their naked desire, for a moment, the only sound in the store was the cutting machine.

  Waiting is the most torturous, giving people a kind of seconds-like-years feeling of anxiety. Amidst the buzzing sound, the edges and corners of the stone were cut off, discarding the wrapping of the stone, revealing the jade that had been hidden inside for who knows how many years.

  "Miss, your jade." The master cutter washed the jade in a water basin and handed it to Tong Diao with trembling hands. This was the first time he had cut such a vibrant green jade after more than ten years of cutting jade. The entire piece of jade was crystal clear green, as if it were about to drip green water droplets. This piece of jade was worth at least tens of millions.

  Everyone in the store gazed at Tong's palm, where a snow-white hand cradled a vibrant green jade that refracted dazzling light, perfect like a painting. It was an incredibly intact piece of jade, without any flaws whatsoever. This was the same stone that had been left unwanted in the corner for over two years.

  It's actually an old pit glass species, Tong Jing was also very surprised, looking at the fine and pure jade in his hand, the green color is extremely pure, bright, transparent, and even, against the light, the entire table tennis-sized jade presents a transparent state, which is a rare treasure among jades. What Master said back then was indeed correct, one must believe in their own sense of touch.

  Made it! Tong Jing smiled with a crescent-shaped eyes, almost immediately wanting to call Tan Jieyan on her phone, but just as she reached into her bag, she suddenly stopped. She was really muddle-headed, Tan Jieyan was so astute, he would definitely ask her how she knew about the gambling stone, no wonder he wanted to tell her that there was another soul living in this body.

  In an instant, Tong's eyes were filled with joy, but it faded a bit. Such a happy thing couldn't be shared with Tan Jieyan, how suffocating!

  "Miss, are you selling this jade? I'll give you five million." The shop owner's intestines were already green with regret, he composed himself and smiled at Tong Jiang, thinking that even if he had to cheat, he would get his hands on the old glass.

  "Five million, that's a bit too high. I think it's around four million on the market." A man next to him immediately pretended to be shocked and opened his mouth, this was their usual trick, they sang in harmony and deceived many people.

  "Yes, boss, wasn't it last time a foreigner wanted to carve a jade Buddha, that's why you quoted such a high price." A man chimed in, seemingly understanding why the shop owner had quoted such a high price. He then whispered to Tong Ying, who looked a bit stunned, "Little girl, quickly agree to sell, if you pass up this opportunity, there won't be another one like it. With 5 million yuan, you can buy an apartment in the city center and still have over a million left over. You're really lucky, and the shop owner is being honest with you."

  This old glass species, at least it's worth tens of millions, five million, and these people actually dare to say that. Tong Jiao widened her eyes, looking at the men speaking one after another, her ears hurt a bit. Do they really understand jade?

  Everyone in the store stared at Tong's wide-eyed, stunned expression, secretly rejoicing in their hearts. Five million might have scared this little girl silly, and she probably never thought that this piece of jade could sell for five million. If only they had known, they would have started with three million. Damn it, they gave this foolish girl an extra two million for nothing.

  Tong Jing was thinking about what to do with the extremely fine jade in her hand when her phone rang. On the other end of the line was Mu Fang's urgent voice, "Xiao Jing, where are you?"

  "Mu Ge, I'll be right back, wait for me at Zhen Bao Xuan." Tong Jiao hung up the phone and hesitated as she looked at the jade in her hand. The previous owner of this body would never have understood gemstone gambling, so suddenly producing such a high-quality piece of jade would definitely raise suspicions with Mu Ge too. But having managed to obtain such an excellent piece of jade herself, Tong Jiao couldn't share it with anyone, and she felt like crying. The most painful thing in the world was having incredibly good news but being unable to tell anyone about it - it was suffocating, like having cat claws scratching inside her heart.

  Suddenly, Tong's eyes lit up and she quickly walked to the counter, putting down the jade. Looking at the excited gaze of the store owner, a basin of cold water was poured over him. "I'm not selling the jade, help me cut off a piece, process it into a men's ring, platinum base, jade surface, make five men's rings, and take away the remaining jade when I come to pick up the rings."

  It just so happens that it's the Lunar New Year, and it would be perfect to give this to Tan Jieyan as a New Year's gift. Tong Jing picked up the pen and paper on the table and quickly drew five male ring designs. "Process them according to these designs, I'll pay for the processing fee when I pick up the rings. It would be best if you could rush the job, it needs to be done by the first day of the Lunar New Year."

  "Alright." The shop owner had originally thought that if the little girl didn't sell, he would forcibly follow Tong Ying and snatch the jade away. But as soon as he heard the name Zhen Bao Xuan, he naturally didn't dare have any crooked ideas.

  Nowadays, looking at Tongyuan wanting to leave the jade for processing, the store owner's eyes are full of sinister colors, quickly agreeing, taking over the pen, and writing a receipt in characters that only he can recognize. "Five men's rings, miss, this is the receipt, you take it well, I will process it overnight, on New Year's Day, you can come to pick up the goods."

  Worried that Mo Fang would get impatient, Tong Jiang quickly glanced at the receipt in her hand, frowned slightly at herself for being so flustered, and then swiftly stuffed the receipt into her bag. She left the store and jogged towards Zhen Bao Xuan.

  "Where did you go?" Mu Fang looked at the figure running over from the crowd, his worry finally easing up. Although he knew that Tong Jiao had just gone to another store to take a look around, but with her not in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Maybe he was being overly cautious.

  "Mu Ge, are you done? Let's head back then." The gambled stone was cut into jadeite, making Tong Jiao very happy. Although using such a high-quality jadeite to make a man's ring might be a bit of a waste, perhaps an ordinary designer would say that Tong Jiao was being extravagant, but for him, the value of a gift didn't lie in its monetary worth, but in the thought behind it. Since he couldn't share this good news with Mu Ge and the others, at least he could let them wear the rings he gave them and share in his joy.

  "Didn't you see anything you liked?" Looking at Tong Ying's smiling face, Mu Fang also felt exceptionally good, and intimately rubbed Tong Ying's head, "Like whatever you want, I'll give it to you, don't be polite with me."

  "Never mind, Mu Ge, let's go home. We'll be having dinner soon." Tong Jiao mysteriously shook her head and pulled Mu Fang away from the antique city.

  Dividing line

  At the same time, Tan's mansion.

  "Second brother, don't overwork yourself, look at the dark circles under your eyes." Tan Jingyu leaned against the door frame, smiling and teasing Tan Jieyan who had returned with dark circles under his eyes.

  "Have Mom and Dad and big brother come back?" Tan Jieyan directly ignored Tan Jingyu's teasing voice, having only slept at five o'clock in the morning and sleeping for two hours. Except for the dark circles under his eyes, Tan Jieyan had a cold and stern face, with an air of dignity that made it impossible to tell how tired he was at this moment.

  "I'm back, talking to Grandpa in the study upstairs." Tan Jingyu yawned boredly. It's really too boring at home, it's not as good as living with Xiao Yatou and fighting with Xiao Fangfang, but unfortunately, Tan Jingyu hasn't come back for two years, and he doesn't dare to make trouble on New Year's Eve, or Grandpa will definitely break his legs.

  In the study, Old Master Tan sat upright at his desk, still wearing a suit even at home, with a stern face that was as dignified as a military man.

  "Dad, this is the best Rain Before Dragon Well tea that Guohua and I bought. Mrs. Tan, although already fifty-five years old, was dressed very elegantly, businesswomen also pay attention to maintenance, her skin was fair and delicate, her beautiful face looked no more than forty years old, handed over the tea canister in her hand."

  "Hmm, Xiaojing, you should also take a step back. What's the point of doing business on such a large scale? The daughter-in-law of the Tan family doesn't need to go out and show off." Old Master Tan neither liked nor disliked his only daughter-in-law.

  Tan's mother, Ruan Jing, was the daughter of a business family and was very capable and astute, able to handle everything with ease. However, her exceptional ability and strong personality made it difficult for people to find fault in her, which also meant that she didn't win over Old Master Tan's favor. Under the influence of feudalistic thinking, Old Master Tan believed that women should be like his late wife, managing the household and raising children, rather than doing business outside and being seen in public.

  "Yes, I know, Dad." Ruan Jing lowered her head and responded with utmost respect, then retreated back to Tan Guohua's left side, moving with grace and etiquette, truly a woman who couldn't be faulted.

  "Grandfather, Father and Mother." Knocking on the door of the study, Tan Jieyan walked in, his face cold and stern. Even though they were his closest relatives, due to their estrangement since he was young, Tan Jieyan and his parents had little affection left for each other, mostly just respect for their elders.

  "He's back, but his face doesn't look too good. Take your time with those things, no need to rush." Old Master Tan was most satisfied with this grandson, and the tense expression on his face finally softened a bit, filled with concern as he looked at Tan Jieyan. This grandson had grown up by his side since childhood, and his personality was very similar to his own. Whether it was when he was in the military or in politics, Tan Jieyan had always made Old Master Tan proud, so even though he had three grandsons, he still favored Tan Jieyan the most."

  "I understand." Tan Jieyan responded with a single word, perhaps already accustomed to the distant affection between members of the Tan family.

  "Alright, you all go down and rest for a while. We'll be eating soon." Old Master Tan waved his hand, indicating that the three people in the study should leave, before opening the documents on the desk to take a look.

  "Ji Yan, don't be too tired, this path of politics is not a one-time achievement, take it slow." Nowadays, he has been working as a civil servant in the military district. Although Tan Guohua's rank will be promoted to the next level after a few years, for Old Master Tan, working as a civil servant in the military district is extremely unpleasant. Tan Guohua also knows that his father is unhappy, but there is no way to make up for it. Sometimes he feels that when he left, leaving this son with his father, until now, there is basically no affection between parent and child, but rather a sense of distance and estrangement between superiors and subordinates.

  "Thanks, Dad." Tan Jieyan really didn't know how to communicate with his own father. They met less than two or three times a year and occasionally made a phone call once a month, but it was always just a brief exchange of pleasantries before hanging up.

  "Xiao Yu, don't sit like that, I'm afraid your grandfather will scold you again." Ruan Jing came downstairs and looked at her son sitting lazily on the sofa with his legs propped up on the coffee table, a doting expression appearing on her carefully made-up face.

  Tan Jingyu's face resembles Ruan Jing, and he has been mischievous since childhood. He grew up following Tan Guohua and Ruan Jing, although Tan Jingyu is naughty, but his mouth is sweet, and he is close to Ruan Jing in the end.

  "Mom, Grandpa won't come down until it's time to eat. Mom, how did I discover that you're getting younger and younger every year?" Tan Jingyu jumped up and intimately wrapped his arms around Tan Mu's shoulders, playing with his lips, "If we go out, others will definitely think you're my sister."

  "You little scamp, talking nonsense!" Tan's mother scolded with a smile, but her face was full of joyful smiles. Any woman would be delighted to be praised for being young and beautiful, especially when the praise came from her own beloved son.

  Tan Guohua is a very introverted man, even a bit dull, and naturally won't say sweet nothings. Tan's mother had initially liked his simple and honest character, but after all these years of marriage, she would occasionally feel that such a man was really too uninteresting, without any romantic flair. Women, whether young or old, always expect romance, but Tan's mother is also an extremely intelligent woman, who knows her husband's character, only occasionally feeling a little disappointed.

  But Tan Jingyu, this young son, has met his mother's expectations for romance. The high-end clothes and cosmetics that have been delivered one after another, such lavish praise, today he came back with a big bouquet of roses, making Tan's mother smile all morning without disappearing.

  Tan Guohua stood indifferently on the side, watching the interaction between his younger son and wife. The kind of intimate fusion he felt was very strange to Tan Guohua. Tan Jingyu also had a cold face, neither envying nor jealous, as if the people in front of him were just familiar strangers. After all, except for when they first entered the study room, Tan Mu only glanced at Tan Jieyan once and didn't put her eyes on him again.

  Although they are both her sons, the reason why Tan Mu has such a big bias is that when Tan Jieyan was young, he always followed Tan Lao Yezi and was not close to himself. It's also because Tan Jieyan looks too much like the cold and stern Tan Lao Yezi, which makes Tan Mu not like to be in contact with Tan Jieyan, even if it's not intentional. Once the generation gap is formed, it's hard to erase after so many years. When her eldest son Tan Zhan was born, Tan Mu had great expectations and joy, that was the crystallization of their love.

  After the birth of Tan Jieyan, the second son, this joy had naturally faded a lot. Due to Tan Guohua's work transfer, Tan Mu herself was busy with business and no longer had time to take care of Tan Jieyan, who was born not long ago. Naturally, a nanny was hired, and then handed over to Tan Lao Yezi to take care of. It wasn't until the birth of Tan Jingyu, the youngest son, that Tan Mu's business got on track. After many years of busyness, she suddenly felt that life and family were the most important things. Therefore, Tan Jingyu became Tan Mu's most beloved youngest son, while Tan Jieyan, who was sandwiched in between, had been neglected since childhood.

  "Dad, Mom, Jiyen, you're back too." After going upstairs to take a shower and changing into casual clothes, Tan Jia's eldest son, Tan Zhan, came down the stairs. In terms of personality, Tan Zhan was more like Tan Guohua, with a simple smile on his dark face, showing his fondness for seeing his loved ones.

  "Dad, Mom, Jiyen." As Tan Zhan's wife, Dong Yue was a gentle and virtuous woman, soft-spoken and warm. With seven months of pregnancy, she looked even more plump and lovely.

  "Big brother, big sister-in-law." Tan Jingyu nodded in greeting, his eyes lingering on Dong Yue's face for a moment. She was also a quiet woman, but to Tan Jieyan, she seemed very ordinary. If she wasn't his own sister-in-law, Tan Jieyan might have even ignored her existence.

  But Tong Jiang was different, that child, although also quiet and well-behaved, occasionally silly, yet made people like her from the bottom of their heart. Occasionally seeing her unexpectedly cute appearance, it was really both helpless and loving. Tan Jie's cold and stern face slowly softened a bit, after getting familiar with her, she even dared to tease him, in the morning she even complained that he was nagging, without thinking about how much trouble she had caused.

  Dong Yue was taken aback, staring blankly ahead before turning to look at Tan Zhan, who also seemed somewhat perplexed. Tan Jieyan had always been cold and reserved in nature, and Dong Yue had seen him many times before. However, his gaze never lingered on her, which made Dong Yue feel slightly hurt. After all, they were family, and she too wanted to gain the affection of Tan Zhan's family.

  But Tan Zhan said that this younger brother was like this, cold and distant to everyone, and Dong Yue had gotten used to it. However, today, she clearly felt Tan Jieyan's lingering gaze on her face, and his stern expression softened.

  "Second brother." Tan Jingyu smiled slyly and quickly rubbed against Tan Jieyan's side, bumping his body. The two were about the same height, so Tan Jingyu quickly spoke into Tan Jieyan's ear in a very low voice that only they could hear, "Second brother, did you see Eldest Sister and think of Little Yaotou? A day without seeing her feels like three autumns."

  "Are you free?" Tan Jieyan glanced sideways at his younger brother with a cold expression, although he was said to be the center of attention, but on the surface, he still had an icy demeanor, completely unable to see his true emotions.

  "Second brother, who's teasing whom? I absolutely won't make fun of you." Tan Jingyu is also thick-skinned now, directly ignoring Tan Jieyan's sharp gaze, smiling ambiguously, thinking about Xiao Yatou, Second Brother has nothing to be ashamed of, he was the one who planted a big strawberry on Xiao Yatou's neck back then.

  Tan Zhan smiled as he looked at his two younger brothers, who seemed to have suddenly become closer. He couldn't help but feel a little envious. The three brothers had been separated since childhood and only met occasionally after growing up, each with their own work. Now, looking at the sudden closeness between Tan Jieyan and Tan Jingyu, Tan Zhan really felt a pang of envy. They were brothers connected by blood.

  "Big brother, we still have a while before dinner, let's chat nicely among the three brothers. Sister-in-law, don't mind me borrowing big brother for a bit." Tan Jingyu smiled and walked directly towards Tan Zhan, putting his arm around his shoulder. He didn't dare to put his arm around second brother's shoulder, but big brother was different. Big brother was too honest, making Tan Jingyu feel that it was really true that dragons give birth to nine sons, each with a different personality. How did the Tan family have a big brother with such an honest temperament? It was as if he were their father, but at least their father was a bit more cunning than big brother.

  "Alright, alright." Tan Zhan nodded enthusiastically and quickly followed Tan Jingyu to a small hall on the side. Tan Jiyan still trailed behind them with an indifferent expression, but didn't mind the three brothers gathering together to communicate their feelings.

  In the small room, with the door closed, Tan Jingyu immediately returned to his lazy appearance, talking about things that happened while interviewing in various places. Tan Jingyu's identity was special, originally only known by Old Master Tan, not even Tan Father and Tan Mother were aware of it, after all, this involved military secrets. However, Tan Jieyan was too clever, less than two years after Tan Jingyu left, Tan Jieyan had already guessed that Tan Jingyu might have entered the Military Intelligence Bureau. Unable to hide it, Tan Jingyu naturally confessed honestly.

  At this moment, Tan Jingyu is fooling around with Big Brother here, and Tan Jieyan can't help but withdraw his gaze, quietly sipping tea. Only Big Brother and Dad would be fooled by Little Yu, thinking he's really relying on family connections to slack off at the Liberation Army News Agency.

  What was Xiaotong doing at this time? Tan Jieyan thought that at this moment, there were only Tongtong and Muzi in the apartment, and he felt suffocated in his chest. That child, sometimes really stupid to the point of being annoying, didn't she know how to avoid suspicion a little bit?

  "Second Brother, are you lovesick?" Tan Jingyu teased Tan Jiyuan again, who was lost in thought.

  "Tan Jingyu!" Suddenly, Tan Jieyan's severe gaze turned to Tan Jingyu, who was speaking without reserve. Could this be said at home? If Grandfather knew about the relationship between Xiaotang and himself, with his current power, Tan Jieyan could do nothing. The matter of Cheng Tianan had always made Tan Jieyan unhappy, and every time he quarreled with Xiaotang, it was also because of Cheng Tianan.

  "Second brother, I was just joking, right, big brother." Tan Jingyu smiled and shrugged his shoulders, his eyes complex and deep. It seemed that second brother really wanted to go against grandfather, but it wouldn't be that easy, as second brother would have to confront the entire Tan family.

  "Little Lord is just joking, Ji Yan, don't be angry, Little Lord is just outspoken." Tan Zhan rebuked with a glance at the smiling face of Tan Jingyu. Little Lord knew that Ji Yan didn't like these jokes, but he still deliberately provoked Ji Yan. However, Tan Zhan also knew the rules of the Tan family, and his own wedding with Dong Yue was arranged by Grandfather, so Ji Yan was just unhappy, after all, who would want their parents or elders to choose a wife for them?

  "Big brother, don't spoil him, he's becoming more and more lawless." Tan Jieyan wasn't really angry, he knew his big brother, even if big brother found out about Xiaotang's existence, he wouldn't tell grandfather, but Tan Jieyan had to be on guard because he couldn't afford to lose.

  "Big brother spoiled me, how about you, second brother, are you jealous?" Tan Jingyu smiled and directly fell onto Tan Zhan's body, hugging Tan Zhan and acting coquettishly.

  Tan Zhan laughed, looking at Tan Jingyu who had suddenly become a child, and couldn't help it. Tan Jiyu's cold face also softened, and the three brothers chatted idly, with Tan Jingyu occasionally making a fuss, which made them seem harmonious.

  After nightfall, the whole of Beijing was immersed in the lively atmosphere of the Spring Festival. Fireworks exploded beautifully in the distant sky, and the Tan family gathered around a table, while Li Cheng and Old Master Tan's personal guards also gathered around a large table. The dishes were extremely sumptuous, and it was only natural that they would be joyful and harmonious when the whole family came together once a year.

  Horizontal line

  Except for New Year's Eve, the garden is peaceful. Families who had their reunion dinner early are now done eating and the children are happily running around downstairs, showing off their red envelopes to their friends.

  "What are you doing here?" Mei had not even eaten the New Year's Eve dinner, and Mu Fang looked at him directly rushing in as a guest, extremely dissatisfied. Those good-looking eyebrows were furrowed into caterpillar shapes. Last time, he shouldn't have told Metel Xiaotang's address.

  "Ting Ting baby, you won't kick me out, will you? It's Chinese New Year, you can't just leave me alone in a foreign country, holed up in an apartment eating instant noodles." Mettel looked at Tong Qiang with a pitiful expression, still holding the steaming hot roast duck, trying not to look like a freeloader, "Ting Ting baby, if you kick me out, I'll just squat outside your door, and people will say you're abusing an international friend."

  Mu Fang was completely speechless, while Tong Dang on the side dryly laughed, imagining Metel crouching at the door gnawing on a roasted duck, this scene felt somewhat awkward no matter how you thought about it.

  "Alright, darling!" One, two, three! Without hearing any dissenting voices, Mette excitedly shouted out loud, instantly shedding her previously utterly wronged little wife demeanor. Mette swiftly ran over, wanting to give Tong Qiang a passionate French hug, but Mu Fang's quick eyes and hands pulled Tong Qiang into his own embrace instead.

  "After eating, you have to wash the bowls and chopsticks." Mu Fang crossed his arms over his chest, lazily throwing out the condition left by Mettle, having already seen Mettle's thick skin, couldn't drive him away, so he might as well make use of him.

  "Uh-huh, uh-huh." He nodded like a little chick pecking at rice, as long as he could stay, never mind washing dishes, even if it meant sweeping the entire house inside and out, Mettel had no objection.

  Is that all you're going to say? Mu Fang glanced at Mettel, who didn't refuse in the slightest. If Tan Jingyu were here, he would absolutely not agree - that scoundrel was exceptionally shameless. Suddenly, Mu Fang thought of what he had done... Mu Fang hesitated for a moment before pulling Tong Dang towards the table to start eating their New Year's Eve dinner.

  Tong Ying originally cooked seven dishes and a soup, which was already too much for two people to eat. Since Mettel brought roasted duck over, Tong Ying cut up a plate of fruit to make it ten whole plates.

  "Darling, this is so delicious." With a mouthful of pearl-like balls, Mette's words were unclear, but the bright blue eyes sparkled with delight. It was even better than roast duck.

  "What is this? Tongtong treasure." He added another piece of meat roll, and Metel almost swallowed his tongue. Compared to the exquisite dishes eaten in restaurants, Tong's home-cooked dishes with extremely good flavors made Metel realize the power of Chinese cuisine once again.

  "This soup is both fragrant and thick." Just as Mettel was about to continue praising, she saw the evil smile on Mu Fang's face change subtly, still smiling but making Mettel quickly swallow the soup into her mouth. She looked pitifully at Mu Fang, like a little wolf cub being bullied by its master, "Why be so fierce? It's really delicious!"

  Half an hour later.

  Outside the window, the night sky was low and dark. Tongyuan and Mufang had already moved directly to the sofa, ready to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Although every year's Spring Festival Gala is very boring, they still habitually sat in front of the TV. In the kitchen, Mettel was rolling up her sleeves washing dishes, glanced at the living room where Mufang and Tongyuan were drinking fruit tea and watching TV, pouted, feeling like a poor little apprentice being bullied.

  Bully of international friends! Director Mu is a cunning and sinister fox! Mettel hummed, but unfortunately, he only dared to hum in his heart. If he spoke out, he would definitely be driven away. Although he was French, he didn't want to spend the New Year alone in his apartment, so this pair of genius designers' hands could only fall to washing dishes with plastic gloves on.

  Splash, splash, splash...

  "Darling, I've finished washing up. Can I come and watch TV now?" After spending over 10 minutes tidying up the kitchen, Mette cautiously poked her head out of the kitchen, asking with a flattering and pleading gaze at Mu Fang, as if she was afraid he would refuse, and would immediately squat in the corner and cry pitifully.

  "Come on." With a lazy smile, Mu Fang beckoned him to join the TV-watching party, ignoring Metel's wife's usual complaining expression.

  A smile floated on the doll-like face, and Mettel immediately ran over with a pitter-patter, originally wanting to sit next to Tong Jiao. Unfortunately, upon seeing Mu Fang's sly and enchanting smile that seemed to be laughing yet not quite laughing, she hesitated for a moment before retreating back to sit beside Mu Fang instead, pitifully twisting her fingers in distress, it was just too unfair.

  When the clock struck twelve, Mu Fang glanced sideways and saw Tong Jing sending a text message on the sofa. Even if he didn't look, Mu Fang knew she must be texting Guan Yao. With that kind of gaze and that small face full of smiles, it was completely the happy smile of a girl immersed in love.

  The Tan family mansion, just after 12 o'clock, Tan Jiaoyan, who was keeping vigil, took a look at his vibrating phone and quickly opened it to see that it was indeed a text message from Tong Jing. His thin lips curled up slightly as he quickly replied with a "past" and then continued watching the Spring Festival Gala with the rest of the Tan family as if nothing had happened.

  At this time, everyone's mobile phones also rang, all of which were New Year's greetings. Tan Jieyan had just replied to the message, and his actions did not attract attention from the Tan family members. Only Tan Jingyu smiled meaningfully, looking at his second brother's expression, he was sure that it was a reply to Xiao Tong. In previous years, when sending New Year's messages to his second brother, he would send them after 12:30, and they were all group messages, the same as those sent to Guan Yao and his elder brother.

  The Spring Festival Gala has ended, it's already half past twelve, and I've also eaten dumplings to usher in the new year.

  Mei Tuo was extremely reluctant to leave, almost as if she wanted to cling to the door frame and refuse to go. Unfortunately, under Mu Fang's absolute no-negotiation premise, she could only bid a miserable farewell to Tong Qiang, then gave Mu Fang a fierce glare before leaving Tong Qiang's apartment at 12:30 in the freezing cold of minus six or seven degrees Celsius.

  "Goodnight, Mu Ge." Tong Jiao and Mu Fang bid each other farewell, then turned to head towards the bedroom. She took out her phone and quickly opened it, responding to Tan Jieyan's text message. [Mayor, I'm one year older]

  "I know, if I go back to the city tomorrow, I'll give you a red envelope." Tan Jieyan couldn't help but smile at Tong Jing's sudden message.

  [Thick red envelopes that need to be wrapped, can't be stingy!] With a smile in her eyes, Tong Jiang began to look forward to receiving the red envelope from Tan Jieyan. In front of him, she always had a childlike feeling, spoiled and not happy, but no matter what, Tong Jiang knew that Tan Jieyan would never ignore her and would always indulge her. [By the way, congratulations on getting one year older, Mayor!]

  This kid is getting more and more mischievous, Tan Jiyang looked at his phone with a hooked thin lip, because he was in his own room, so his fingers quickly pressed the keys to continue sending short messages to Tongyuan.

  "Ah, Mayor, I have a New Year's gift for you tomorrow. Want to guess what it is?"

  ……

  Standing on the balcony, Mu Fang quietly gazed at the night outside the window, with a faint sense of loss in her heart. But it's okay like this, Guan Yao should take care of Xiao Tang, that man is elegant and gentle, and very doting on Xiao Tang.

  Dividing line

  New Year's gift

  The next day, early in the morning, on New Year's Day, the weather was fine with sunshine.

  He got up early, although he had been staying at Tong's place for days, but still had to visit clients and friends. Looking at Tong who was still curled up on the bed sleeping, he slightly bent down, his slender fingers stroking her delicate cheek, then placed a red envelope beside her pillow before turning around and leaving the house.

  When Tong Jiang woke up, she picked up the red envelope and couldn't help but smile, especially at the thick stack of money inside. It suddenly made her feel like a kid again, as happy as if she had drunk honey. She quickly washed up, ate some dumplings, and then hastily left the house to retrieve the men's ring she had previously bought, intending to give it to everyone as a New Year's gift.

  "Tong Tong baby, Tong Tong baby." Just as Tong Tong had just come out of the apartment building, Mette suddenly popped out from the corner and gave Tong Tong a big hug. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was a robbery on New Year's Day. "Tong Tong baby, Happy New Year! Here's your red envelope."

  "When did you arrive?" Tong Jing stared at Mettel, who was hugging him, and struggled to free himself from his arms. He glanced at the time on his wrist, but it was only 8 o'clock. His place was at least half an hour's drive from Yiran Garden, so when did he arrive?

  "It's seven o'clock, I've been waiting here all along, and I saw Director Mu leave. However, I knew you were definitely sleeping, Tiantian darling, so I didn't even go up to disturb you." Metel said with a smug expression, thinking that now that Director Mu had left, no one would be able to disturb his date with Tiantian.

  At seven o'clock in winter, the sky had just lit up for a short while. For Metel's characteristic of not playing cards according to the rules, Tong Jiao was completely speechless and could only take him to the antique city together. Anyway, when ordering the ring, he also ordered one for Metel.

  Although Mettel has been to China many times, he had never been to the Antique City. He was immediately drawn in by the architecture here. As a fashion designer, he is used to designing, but seeing such ancient Eastern buildings still left him wide-eyed with wonder.

  "I'll go to the front store to get something, you take a look around." Tong Jiong reminded Mettel and immediately walked towards the store, imagining Tan Jieyan's expression when he received the ring.

  "Miss, you've arrived. The ring has been processed according to the design drawing you provided." The shop owner was still holding a cigarette in his mouth and smiled as he greeted Tong Duan, taking out a brocade box from the cabinet and handing over five jade rings to her.

  "Thank you." Tong Ying smiled and thanked, indeed the old pit's glass seedling was processed into a particularly beautiful jade ring, with colorful light flowing on its surface. "I'll take the rest of the jade away, how much is the processing fee?"

  "Miss, you're joking, right? Your jade has all been made into five rings, there's none left. How about 10,000 yuan for the processing fee?" The shop owner spoke in a leisurely tone, sitting calmly in his chair, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Tong Diao, tapping his pipe on the counter. "I'll give you a discount on the processing fee, it's the New Year after all, how about 8,000 yuan?"

  "Boss, are you trying to cheat me out of my old glass kind?" Tong Jing's smile disappeared, and she looked up at the obviously deceitful store owner.

  "This is a top-quality jade, miss. You think it's as common as cabbage in Beijing? You want to know how much it costs? I'll tell you, it's not cheap. And you're lucky I was able to cut it into a ring for you. What, do you still want to try to swindle me? The shop owner's expression suddenly turned stern, and he stood up, sneering coldly, "You don't even bother to ask around, Jiang Yuan is well-known in this area for being honest with children and fools. If you want to try to cheat me, see if you have the guts!"

  "What's wrong, boss? It's the New Year, who doesn't want to live? You come to the store to cause trouble." A loud and arrogant voice rang out. Several men who had entered from the entrance surrounded Tong Ying, their faces ferocious and sinister. "What's going on? Little girl, you're quite bold, daring to cause trouble in the store?"

  "I'm calling the police!" Tong Jing furrowed her brow, took a slight step back with her feet, avoiding the several men in front of her, and pulled out her mobile phone from her bag.

  "Miss, are you out of your mind? Look at the receipt I gave you, it's clear and obvious. It says here that your jade was processed into five men's rings. Even if the police came, or even if the king himself came, I, Jiang Yuan, wouldn't be afraid of you!" The shop owner sneered, waving the receipt that Tong Ying had just handed over.

  Yesterday, he had the heart to sell this top-grade jadeite at a low price, but as someone in the antique and jade industry, he still has some feudal superstitions. Jiang Yuan was also worried that he would go too far and cause trouble, so he compromised and cut off one-third of the jadeite to make five men's rings, and privately kept the remaining large piece of jadeite for himself.

  I'm really a pig brain! Tong Jiao looked at the receipt on the white paper with black ink, and after making great efforts to widen her eyes, she finally recognized it. It said that her jade would be made into five men's rings, but there was no mention of the weight or size of the jade. In fact, at the time, Tong Jiao had been afraid that Mo Ge would discover it, so she had hastily left without taking a closer look. Moreover, in this line of work with antique and jade products, reputation is most important, and Tong Jiao really hadn't expected that there would be such an unscrupulous shop owner.

  It's broad daylight, yet they're bullying people and cheating their own jade! Tong Jing frowned in dissatisfaction, feeling that the good mood of the New Year's morning had been ruined by these shameless scoundrels.

  "Hey, what's going on here?" Metel strolled over after hearing the commotion and quickly scanned the scene with her bright blue eyes, spotting five or six men bullying someone. "What are you doing? Don't you have any gentlemanly demeanor? Bullying a little girl like this?"

  "Hey, another foreigner coming to show off, how dare you, on our Chinese territory, can't even tolerate your kind of behavior. I, Jiang Yuan, have been running this shop for so many years, and I've never seen anyone as bold as you, daring to come here on New Year's Day to cause trouble. Do you think just because you're a foreigner, you're superior? We Chinese men are all real men, not afraid of you!"

  Seeing people gathering outside the store, Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and spoke with a righteous tone, trying to stir up public outrage. "Everyone, judge for yourselves! This receipt is written clearly in black and white. I helped process your jade, miss, but you're actually bringing a foreigner to extort me? Do you think Chinese people are easy to bully?"

  "Just because you think of yourself as a foreigner doesn't make you anything special."

  "So what if the police come? Even if they're biased towards you foreigners, don't be afraid, boss, we'll testify for you." Several men also shouted loudly, each one filled with righteous indignation.

  "Tong Tong, what's going on?" Metel was still very useful at critical moments, quickly taking the receipt from Tong's hand and scanning it. The turtle-like man didn't understand, Metel twitched the corner of his mouth, then looked at the brocade box in her hand. The five emerald rings were beautifully crafted, with a classic elegance that didn't lose its luxury, they were top-quality emeralds.

  "What's going on? Everyone, take a look, this young lady wants to process the ring, I processed it according to the design drawing, this is the receipt, it's clearly written that the jade was processed into five men's rings." The shop owner snatched the brocade box from Tong Ying's hand and showed it to the crowd at the door. Seeing the connoisseurs widening their eyes, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but reveal a smug smile. "This is actually old pit glass, if I were greedy, I would have exchanged this top-grade jade for ordinary jade long ago. As a result, you actually colluded with this foreigner and set up a trap to extort me."

  Everyone's gaze at Tong Jiang immediately added a hint of disdain. This old pit glass type is an extremely precious top-grade jadeite. If the shop owner was really greedy, he would not have processed it, and the receipt clearly stated that this jadeite is extremely rare. Processing five rings already required a lot of jadeite, where would there be any extra? Do they think this is something you can get as much of as you want?

  Tong Ying and Meite looked at each other, both of them wide-eyed and speechless for a moment. Tong Ying knew she had been too careless, which was why the shop owner had taken advantage of her. Unwilling to give up, like a fierce little cat, her mind quickly turned over, thinking about how to get her jade back.

  Come back again at night, this method is feasible, greedy people are afraid of death, when the time comes to put a dagger on his neck, he will definitely return his own jade.

  "Get Director Mu over here." Metel's eyes lit up, and he quickly spoke to Tongtong, who had been bullying him with a set of tricks.

  "Okay." Tong Ying nodded and quickly dialed Mu Fang's phone, reporting the address. Mu Fang had just come out of a meeting with an investor and was puzzled as to why Tong Ying had gone to the antique city. However, upon hearing the noise in the background of the call, he immediately told Tong Ying to calm down, saying he would arrive in ten minutes.

  "These days, the conscience of Chinese people has been eaten by dogs. They collude with foreigners to extort us Chinese." The shop owner seemed still not satisfied, still glaring with a look of indignation.

  In the corner, Tong Ying and Mette were both hanging their heads in shame, one was being glared at fiercely by many Chinese people, and could only stand obediently beside Tong Ying, waiting for Mu Fang to come and rescue them.

  "Hey, you're a big man bullying a little girl and that's justified? You're not even ashamed of yourself." Mu Fang's clear voice rang out, as the crowd turned around, an extremely handsome and charming man wearing round-headed leather boots walked into the store with a strong and proud aura.

  The peach blossom eyes scanned around and found Tong Jiang and Mei Te Er standing in the corner with pitiful expressions, but they didn't seem to be injured. Mu Fang felt relieved, hooked his thin lips into a lazy smile, and turned his head towards the shop owner who had been heard from afar, "I just asked Ge Bao Xuan's He Lao about it, and it seems that you, Old Jiang, haven't been idle in doing these sneaky things. Just at the police station and the industrial and commercial bureau, there are many complaints, swindling and cheating, you've done them all."

  "What are you talking about?" A pale face, Jiang Yuan had indeed done many things to cheat customers, but most of them were outsiders and tourists, and he would return the money and goods after being caught. Although he was a cheater, the other party had no evidence, and Jiang Yuan also had some connections on the road, so most things were settled. Now, hearing Mu Fang's tone and looking at his elegant outfit, Jiang Yuan knew that he had offended someone he shouldn't have. But since he had secretly kept the remaining jade for himself, he was determined to keep it hidden forever.

  "Boss Jiang, what you said makes sense, but let's think about it the other way around. Would someone be foolish enough to extort your jade? Normal people wouldn't do such a thing out of thin air. So, Boss Liu, we didn't extort your jade. We're not stupid enough to come and ask for it back. Besides, this old glass-like jade isn't even worth much. Even if we wanted to extort you, we wouldn't bother with something as worthless as this. Your small shop probably doesn't even have jade worth a fortune."

  He raised an eyebrow, picked up a chair and sat down, propping up his legs, exuding the elegance of a noble young master with a hint of evil charm. His eyes were filled with icy laughter as he said, "Mr. Jiang, hand over the remaining jade to us, and we'll consider this matter settled today. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"

  The crowd that had been watching with one-sided interest was also shaken at this moment. Yes, such an obvious thing, just now when Old Jiang said it seemed to be true, but thinking about it again, something didn't feel right. If Old Jiang hadn't secretly kept their jade, who would be so foolish as to bring a clear receipt to ask Old Jiang for the remaining jade?

  "I didn't think you were a smooth talker, but I, Jiang Yuan, am not someone to be easily intimidated!" Jiang Yuan took one look at Mu Fang and saw that he wasn't easy to fool, and his tone, his aura, seemed to suggest that he wasn't a good person. Jiang Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he gave a signal to the man standing beside him.

  Mufang caught Jiang Yuan's small movements, fortunately before coming, Mufang had already called He Lao of Zhenbao Xuan to ask about the situation and understood what happened, knowing Jiang Yuan's character, immediately made a phone call to Guanyao, guessing that he should have arrived soon.

  Indeed, in less than three minutes, more than a dozen men rushed over from outside, and the crowd of onlookers around them also retreated far away with a whoosh, lest they suffer the misfortune of being affected by association.

  "Is this the only way to deal with it?" Mu Fang looked at the dozen or so men surrounding him, his thin lips curled into a cold smile. In the entertainment industry, in Kyoto's private clubs, these things were not unfamiliar to Mu Fang. As the saying goes: "When you reason with them, they play dirty tricks on you; when you play dirty tricks on them, they talk about the law." Probably soon, Guan Yao would arrive, and Jiang Yuan would definitely discuss the law with Guan Yao.

  "Hmph, don't think that Jiang Ye is someone to be trifled with. Today's matter will end just like this, everyone will part ways amicably, otherwise...". With a cold and menacing tone, Jiang Yuan threw out the threatening words, staring at Mu Fang, these people would absolutely not be able to get away with it."

  "What if not? Are you going to gang up and fight?" Guan Yao's gentle voice came over, wearing a black casual outfit, glasses on his face, looking elegant and refined, without any aura, but as the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Guan Yao's face was still recognizable by many in the underworld.

  Damn it, how did even Director Guan get dragged into this! Jiang Yuan was taken aback, then smiled shamelessly and changed his strategy to talk about the law. "Director Guan, why have you come? There's been a homicide here, and I, Jiang Yuan, am suspected of murder, that's why you've been invited."

  "What's going on?" Guan Yao didn't even glance at Jiang Yuan, and directly walked towards Tong Tian.

  Tong Jing roughly explained the situation, still angry with herself for being careless and thoughtless. She scrunched up her face in frustration, thinking that if she hadn't been so careless, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

  As soon as they heard that the ring was a New Year's gift to themselves, whether it was Guan Yao or Mu Fang, including Mei Te Er, their eyes lit up. When they looked at Jiang Yuan beside them, they felt extremely disgusted. How dare he bully Xiao Tang like this on New Year's Day? He actually made Xiao Tang unhappy on the first day of the year. You scoundrel, I'll beat you to death!

  "Jiang Yuan, don't try to fool me. Give the rest of the jade to Xiaoting. Today, I'll consider it a favor to you." Guan Yao smiled warmly and patted Tongying on the back, signaling her to let him handle things. He turned around, his sharp gaze piercing through his glasses as he stared at Jiang Yuan, who was trying to be sly.

  "Director Guan, you can't use your power for personal gain and bully me, a common citizen. It's clear that this young lady is trying to extort me, but somehow I've become the defendant? This receipt is written clearly in black and white. Director Guan, even if this case reaches Zhongnanhai, I'm not afraid of being in the right! Jiang Yuan refused to let go, even if it means offending Director Guan. With the remaining jade, after carving, it can be sold for at least 8 million yuan. At worst, he won't stay in Beijing anymore. With money, anywhere is home."

  Guan Yao furrowed his brow, and although he knew the value of such jade, he wasn't an expert. However, seeing Jiang Yuan's fearless attitude, Guan Yao understood that Tong Qiang's remaining jade must be worth a lot of money; otherwise, Jiang Yuan wouldn't dare to confront him like this.

  "Director Guan, you've arrived, I won't make a scene, I'll forget about the processing fee, consider it an apology to the young lady. But I really didn't take the young lady's jadeite, Director Guan, you can't bully ordinary people just because of your position, being an official means serving the people." Jiang Yuan shamelessly smiled and nodded at Guan Yao, refusing to admit that the remaining jadeite was with him.