Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Qu Yixian’s brow twitched slightly as she glanced at Fu Xun.

He sat lazily, as if the topic under discussion had nothing to do with him, his gaze resting on the background of the entryway, slightly dazed.

She withdrew her eyes and looked back at the yellow-haired man.

The yellow-haired man enjoyed being watched. He lowered his head to sip his Maojian tea, grinning: “When the woman found out the fish-and-algae jar in her hands was fake, she nearly went crazy. She couldn’t believe her heirloom had turned into a counterfeit. Our Brother Xun has always been straightforward with relic authentication—no fakery. Feeling the rough flaws on the jar’s rim, he said, ‘The porcelain rim of this polychrome fish-and-algae jar is rough, and the glaze hasn’t aged. It should have just come out of the kiln.’”

“To point it out this clearly, anyone would understand. The woman, in fact, had suspected all along that Liangzi meant no good, but she didn’t want to believe it. After all, they had been together for over two years, bought a house, the family accepted him, and she was carrying his child—what more could she want? Even raising a turtle together, they had feelings for it. Besides, they started as a couple, inseparable.”

“Brother Xun is kind. Seeing her like that, he made a call to Master Tie on her behalf. But people need to be ruthless when the time comes. Sure enough, the woman didn’t show gratitude; while Brother Xun was on the phone, she slipped the cloud-patterned jade pendant away.”

“After taking the pendant, the woman called Liangzi. I remember that day clearly. Liangzi asked me out, saying he wanted to pay the interest first. After collecting the money, he invited me to the ‘Red Dust’ bathhouse. Halfway through the massage, he took a call—it was the woman. Liangzi thought I was asleep and didn’t shield the call from me.”

“The woman told Liangzi she knew the fish-and-algae jar had been switched, but with her household in chaos, she didn’t want to make a fuss and worry her family. This was a family heirloom—if her family knew Liangzi secretly swapped it with a fake, they would have been furious.”

“Liangzi felt the woman was considerate. When he spoke again, his tone had improved. He stalled her, telling her to stay home and take care of the pregnancy. Since he had old ties with Master Tie, he would quickly resolve her brother-in-law’s debt. At that time, Liangzi had even bought plane tickets and brought along a hostess to go on a vacation abroad.”

“The woman probably sensed he planned to flee, so she set a trap. She said she had been bewitched and stolen the jade pendant from Brother Xun. She wouldn’t pursue the fish-and-algae jar issue if Liangzi returned first, sold the pendant, and exchanged it for the jar. As long as her brother’s debt was repaid, everything else could go to him. If he wanted to leave, she wouldn’t stop him. Once things settled, she’d explain to her family, and they could part amicably.”

“Liangzi wasn’t stupid. He worried this was a trap to lure him back, so he had her send photos of the pendant. After seeing them, he realized its value was at least twice that of the fish-and-algae jar. As long as he could pawn the pendant and get the money, whatever happened—prison or Brother Xun discovering it—she would bear the consequences herself.”

The yellow-haired man sighed, squinting: “Once someone handled the aftermath, Liangzi naturally felt tempted. He had the woman bring the pendant to the hotel to meet him. Just in case, he booked two rooms opposite each other along the same corridor. I was in the next room; when she arrived, he moved a chair to the door to observe. An hour later, confirming she came alone, he opened the door to let her in.”

“I’m not too clear about what happened afterward. Liangzi wouldn’t let me hear such deceitful matters. The woman probably stayed in the room for half an hour. The next I heard were sounds of objects being smashed in the adjacent room. Sensing trouble, I immediately complained to the front desk about the noise from Liangzi’s room and had the hotel manager check.”

“The woman intended that if talks failed, she and Liangzi would end together. She brought a knife, disfigured him with deep wounds exposing bone. She was also severely beaten by Liangzi. By the time she reached the hospital, she was barely alive, and the child didn’t survive. I was busy getting her to the hospital, and Liangzi took the opportunity to flee. I haven’t seen him since.”

Qu Yixian nodded: “Sounds like an eight o’clock TV drama.”

The yellow-haired man laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his messy hair: “Life, I guess, is like that.”

Qu Yixian twirled her cup and asked Fu Xun: “I remember you said the cloud-patterned jade pendant matter involved a death. What’s the story there?”

The yellow-haired man quickly answered: “What else? The woman felt guilty toward her parents who raised her for over twenty years and committed suicide. Her brother, close to his sister, died in a car accident after seeing her off. A fine intellectual family, ruined by Liangzi—scattered and broken. Only the elderly couple remained, burdened with repaying that debt at their age.”

“That incident caused a huge scandal in Nanjiang. Someone on the forum even made a supernatural story about the polychrome fish-and-algae jar, driving its price sky-high. About four years ago, in June, Brother Xun found Master Tie and had him retrieve the jar and return it to the woman’s family.” The yellow-haired man clicked his tongue, full of envy.

Whether he envied Fu Xun’s generosity or that the woman’s family didn’t spend a penny while a rich fool redeemed their heirloom was unclear.

“That’s pretty much it. The rest you should already know,” the yellow-haired man said, dry-mouthed.

He gulped a cup of Maojian tea, then got up to grab a half-bottle of mineral water from the hotel counter and drank it down.

Tie Ye, smiling, asked: “Miss, any questions?”

No questions, actually.

Fu Xun, being directly involved, would know the details better. The specifics could be confirmed privately when it was just the two of them. As this was background information for collaboration, it wouldn’t affect the larger situation, just let her understand the sequence of events better.

Tie Ye’s question reflected his eagerness to know what she had regarding Pei Yuliang.

She didn’t hold back: “Pei Yuliang had my car pawned at the three major pawnshops in Dunhuang at the end of June to appraise the jade pendant. Master Tie must know. As for news, I might not know more than you, but I’m timely.”

She tapped the spot underfoot: “This place counts as my territory.”

Tie Ye smiled, intrigued: “Miss Qu, are you blaming me for not inviting you?”

Qu Yixian, seeing he understood her meaning, added politely: “Of course not, I’m just saying it’s more convenient for me to operate in the Northwest.”

Tie Ye had always known Qu Yixian wasn’t a small player. Initially, he had been cautious because of Fu Xun; later, he hesitated to provoke trouble, hence the stalemate.

Now, with her deliberate and measured words, Tie Ye’s impression that Qu Yixian was not someone to provoke was reinforced.

In his line of work, staying ahead requires skill, connections, and social aptitude. He had no intention of confronting Qu Yixian directly. Seeing her approach, he immediately showed sincerity: “Naturally. With Miss Qu and Mr. Fu assisting, I won’t intervene recklessly. But since you’re willing to help, I also want to understand the situation in detail. If I need help later, I won’t be caught off guard, unsure which hand to extend first.”

Reasonable and careful.

Qu Yixian nodded in satisfaction: “Master Tie, what exactly do you want to know?”

“Nothing else really concerns me,” Tie Ye said, playing with his cup. His gaze slid from Fu Xun’s face to Qu Yixian, lingering a few seconds before he smiled: “I want to know if you have any leads on Pei Yuliang’s current location.”

Since Pei Yuliang could lie low for so many years over a single cloud-patterned jade pendant, even though he’s showing cracks now, it’s not easy to catch him slipping.

At the beginning of September, he worried the strict inspection at the Dunhuang conference would expose his movements, so he left Dunhuang in a hurry.

By the end of September, news of the cloud-patterned jade pendant spread from Quan Xiao, becoming known throughout the entire antiques circle.

Shortly after, Shen Zhizhi went missing a few days ago, and this morning her body was discovered in the tombs of the Dulan ancient cemetery.

These events seem unrelated, but there’s a subtle thread linking all the clues together.

All of this is connected to Quan Xiao.

He may seem like a temporary contact Yuan Ye found, but if you calculate carefully, which of these events isn’t tied to him?

Her expression was normal, revealing no unusual emotion.

Tie Ye only saw her furrow her brow in thought for a few seconds, then, slightly smiling, answer: “Yes.”

Just that one word, firm and decisive, dropped like a hammer.

Tie Ye laughed heartily. Without asking where the clue was or what it was, he raised his cup, speaking cheerfully: “In that case, I’m relieved. From now on, whether it’s manpower or money, as long as Mr. Fu and the lady need it, just speak up.”

He reached over, draping an arm around the yellow-haired man seated below, patting his shoulder: “As for me, I’ll be returning to Nanjiang tomorrow. Second half of the year, too many things—can’t waste time here. I’ll leave a few people behind, staying in this room, so they can lend a hand whenever needed.”

Fu Xun interjected at the right moment: “Leaving people behind is useless. She has a whole team under her command; if she needs people, she won’t bother others first.”

He had dealt with Tie Ye for many years, but never discussed matters other than Pei Yuliang, let alone submitted information.

Tie Ye, wanting to get money back from Pei Yuliang, had to rely on Fu Xun’s influence. Therefore, he feared and respected Fu Xun, not daring to act rashly.

Since Fu Xun spoke, Tie Ye also knew leaving people behind was pointless. Persisting would only make him irritating unnecessarily.

Knowing his limits, he said: “Then we’ll follow Mr. Fu’s decision.”

After sending Fu Xun and Qu Yixian off, Tie Ye closed the door, brow furrowed, standing silently behind it.

The yellow-haired man, still feeling proud to have gained Tie Ye’s favor, hadn’t yet celebrated when he saw Tie Ye’s expression. Cautiously, he asked: “Master Tie, do you think something’s wrong here?”

“No.” There was nothing wrong. Fu Xun retrieving the cloud-patterned jade pendant was inevitable. Since the goal and request were aligned, there was no worry that Fu Xun would betray them.

Tie Ye had the judgment to recognize that.

He took a couple of steps into the living room, then turned to ask the yellow-haired man: “When we initially received news from Dunhuang, investigated Qu Yixian, and eventually tracked her to the hotel… don’t you think it seems like someone deliberately led us here step by step?”

The yellow-haired man’s intellect couldn’t connect the dots. He racked his brain: “Isn’t that… just following the sequence? Your choices brought you here, right?”

“Yes.” Tie Ye rubbed his head, muttering under his breath: “But I still feel like I was played by that brat Fu Xun.”

Ever since he got the news from Fu Xun that Pei Yuliang had the cloud-patterned jade pendant, he knew Fu Xun was simply using him to achieve his own goals.

After all, he also benefited conveniently. Unless something unexpected happened, when the pendant surfaced again, Fu Xun could sit back, watching him dig up Pei Yuliang, and the gains would be Fu Xun’s.

But ever since Qu Yixian got involved, things changed…

Tie Ye even wondered if he was still part of Fu Xun’s calculations. Could it be that Fu Xun led him to Dunhuang just to clarify the full story of Pei Yuliang?

…

Damn brat!

So in Fu Xun’s mind, he was just a mouthpiece.

By the time they left the hotel, it was already four in the afternoon.

Dunhuang is nearly two hours ahead of Nanjiang. It should have been evening, with the sun low, but the sky in Dunhuang was bright, like early afternoon. A gentle breeze blew, the temperature comfortably cool.

Qu Yixian was a little surprised at how easily the matter was resolved.

But mostly, she felt relieved.

Nothing is more exhausting than being attacked from both front and back.

After getting in the car, she checked her phone first.

The message notification bar was clean, no unread messages.

Qu Yixian relaxed and called Yuan Ye.

Yuan Ye answered quickly, “Little Qu, have you and Xun Ge finished talking?”

Qu Yixian had already told Yuan Ye in advance that she had something important to handle with Fu Xun this afternoon and might not be able to reply promptly, asking him to stay sharp.

She hummed and asked, “How’s it over there?”

“Pretty good. I’ve arrived at Qili Town now.”

Qu Yixian asked again, “What about Jiang Yun?”

“She’s right beside me.” He held the phone toward Jiang Yun. “Quick, say something so Little Qu knows I’m not bullying you.”

Jiang Yun ignored him, not even glancing at the phone, and pushed it away. “What? You’re blocking my game.”

Yuan Ye pouted. “Little Qu, listen, when you’re not around, she despises me so much.”

Hearing Jiang Yun’s voice reassured Qu Yixian. “I’ll wait for you along the main route into Dunhuang city to meet up.”

Yuan Ye exclaimed, “Then we’ll talk when we meet.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Qu Yixian drove, avoiding the city roads of Dunhuang, taking a shortcut to the rendezvous point with Yuan Ye.

The car was very quiet. To avoid awkwardness in the solitude, she casually turned on the broadcast channel for traffic updates. When an advertisement came on, she casually asked, “Huangmao said that the five-colored fish-and-algae patterned jar was recovered by Master Tie on your behalf in June four years ago? If I understand correctly, you had just returned to Nanjiang from Kekexili then.”

Fu Xun’s memory of the timing was vivid; he didn’t need confirmation and could quickly recreate the scene in his mind.

A few years ago, Pei Yuliang had worked with Master Tie, meeting many influential people. The five-colored fish-and-algae patterned jar had been secretly sold by him. Once he disappeared, tracing the jar’s whereabouts was extremely difficult.

Fu Xun had spent considerable effort, using multiple channels to recover the item, feeling a strong urgency.

Afraid of missing the opportunity and unsure how long he’d have to wait.

“That matter back then had nothing to do with me,” he clarified. “When she came to me, she already knew Pei Yuliang had swapped the jar. She wanted me to intervene and make a fake appraisal in front of Master Tie. She intended to use the jar as collateral to temporarily resolve the crisis. Once her family caught their breath, she would find a way to fill that gap.”

“My professional ethics and principles forbid me from making a false appraisal. That’s the first rule in the Fu family. I only agreed to help her gain a few days of leniency from Master Tie. I didn’t expect that, in desperation, she would choose this method. Helping her recover the jar is a matter of principle; within my capability, if I can help, I will.”

The quiet country road stripped away the city’s bustle; even the faint hum of electricity seemed to fade. The car was quiet and gentle.

“The news of the jar’s recovery came during the last week I volunteered in Kekexili. During that week, Uncle Fu was negotiating on my behalf. The night it was confirmed tradable was the night before you entered Kekexili. The reason I immediately left my post, besides the scheduled evacuation time, was that a plane was waiting for me at Lhasa airport that very morning.”