☆、VIII、Bargaining (2604 words)

As soon as Feng Zihao left, Li Yaxi immediately ran into her spatial dimension and soaked in the spiritual spring for a long time, feeling extremely comfortable. Li Yaxi lay on the small bed in her space, with Little Ears obediently wagging its tail beside it. Looking at the few scattered fruit trees and nothing else in the field, he had only planted them for his own consumption. However, it seemed that ever since he stopped planting vegetables, he often felt dizzy and had chest tightness. After carefully studying the things on the stone, he discovered that the space needed to nurture things, otherwise it would absorb his own life essence to survive. Fortunately, Little Ears had shielded him from some of it; otherwise, his health might be in a much worse state now.

Li Yaxi opened the door early in the morning and saw Feng Zihao holding food in his hand. She raised her eyebrows in a good mood and said, "Good morning. When did you arrive? Why didn't you knock?"

Seeing Li Yaxi looking refreshed, Feng Zihao breathed a sigh of relief and handed him the bag. "Porridge with shredded chicken."

Li Yaxi looked distressed. "I've been eating porridge for days now. Can we have something else?"

Feng Zihao looked at the porridge in his hand and nodded. "Eat first, I'll buy you something else for lunch."

Li Yaxi was speechless and had no choice but to give up. She tossed an apple to Feng Zihao and obediently started eating her porridge. Feng Zihao looked at the apple in his hand, a little reluctant to eat it. This was the first thing Li Yaxi had given him besides a handkerchief, and he wanted to keep it as a keepsake.

Li Yaxi looked at the motionless Feng Zihao, puzzled. "Eat, you can't eat what you look at."

Feng Zihao ate with gusto, taking small bites as if savoring a rare delicacy. Li Yaxi frowned slightly as she watched him eat. Did all young masters eat more delicately than Daiyu (a character from a Chinese novel known for her delicate and unconventional eating habits)?

Li Yaxi finished eating and tossed the toy aside. "Zihao, have you ever been to Panjiayuan? Do you know how to look at jade?"

These past few days, Li Yaxi has been calling him "Zihao," and even now, every time Feng Zihao hears her call his name, his heart races and his body feels uncontrollably hot. "I've never been there before, but I know the way. Yu Shi doesn't."

"Okay, I'd like to go take a look today. Do you have time? Would you like to come with me?" He knew the way; after all, he had spent nearly ten years in City B in his previous life. He just wanted Feng Zihao to spend more time with him and cultivate their relationship.

The two tidied themselves up and went out. Feng Zihao was wearing a white shirt with small black dots, black and blue jeans, and white sneakers. Although it looked simple, none of his clothes were cheap. In the early 1990s, clothing in China was still quite outdated, so people with a bit of background and wealth usually wore imported clothes. You could tell that Feng Zihao came from a well-off family just by standing there.

Li Yaxi wore a pure white cotton short-sleeved T-shirt with a V-neck that accentuated her delicate collarbones. She paired it with blue straight-leg jeans that perfectly highlighted her pert buttocks and long, straight legs. She completed the look with white casual shoes with red stripes, a red baseball cap that covered most of her face, and a black casual bag slung diagonally over her shoulder. Her overall appearance was relaxed, elegant, and full of youthful energy.

"Let's go!" Li Yaxi called out to the person who was lost in thought, and walked towards the door.

Feng Zihao gave a blank "oh," then quickly followed, taking the bag off Li Yaxi's shoulder to carry it for her. Although it wasn't heavy, he couldn't bear to let the little one bear even a bit of weight.

The two arrived at Panjiayuan and saw that the trading area was packed with people. Li Yaxi subconsciously moved a little closer to Feng Zihao. Although Feng Zihao remained expressionless upon seeing Li Yaxi's small gesture, the overwhelming warmth in his eyes revealed that he was in an extremely good mood.

Li Yaxi looked around aimlessly, while Feng Zihao followed behind, shielding her from the crowd. After walking around the entire trading hall, Li Yaxi was at most flushed and tired. Feng Zihao, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat, exhausted from shielding her.

Li Yaxi stopped in front of an inconspicuous stall, looking at a jade bracelet with Pixiu (a mythical creature). Holding it in his hand, he felt a cool sensation, and the tightness in his chest eased a bit. "Boss, how much is this?"

The shopkeeper glanced at the boy, who was even more beautiful than a fairy in a painting, then looked at the young man behind him, and made a six-pointer.

"Six thousand?"

The boss shook his head: "Six hundred thousand."

Li Yaxi clicked her tongue in disbelief. "Damn! Are you robbing a bank?! Why don't you just open a six million one?!"

Seeing the little boy's surprised expression, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Little brother, the older the jade, the more valuable it is. This Pixiu is quite old; 600,000 is really not a high price."

Li Yaxi pouted, "Six hundred thousand can buy a house. Boss, your price is too high. Even if I like it, I can't afford it." After saying that, she got up and pulled Feng Zihao away.

The shop owner could tell from their demeanor that they weren't just there for a casual visit, so he quickly called out to them, "Hey little brothers, don't go! If you really like it, I can give you a discount."

Li Yaxi glanced back at the shop owner. The jade was definitely high-quality; he'd been browsing Panjiayuan all morning, touching at least a hundred pieces, but only this one felt comfortable to the touch. He could afford 600,000 yuan, but it still felt too expensive; after all, that money was hard-earned. "Alright, I really like this jade. I'll buy it for 300,000 yuan."

"Little brother, you've bargained too hard! A discount of a thousand or so yuan is fine, but you have to let me make a little profit!"

"It's only 300,000. If you sell, I'll pay you right away; if not, forget it."

The shopkeeper thought it over and did some calculations, but seeing the little boy's resolute and uncompromising tone, he gritted his teeth and nodded. Li Yaxi took out her card from her bag and went to withdraw money. When she held the jade, Li Yaxi's face lit up with a smile as if she had found a treasure.

Feng Zihao was initially stunned by his bargaining skills, but now, seeing him smiling like a satisfied kitten, his chest swelled with excitement. "You like jade?"

Li Yaxi shook her head. "I don't like it. I like gold; it's valuable."

"Then why did you spend so much money on jade?" Feng Zihao asked, looking at the jade in Li Yaxi's hand with some confusion.

Li Yaxi considered for a moment, then looked at Feng Zihao with a serious yet somewhat helpless expression, "I don't want to waste money buying things I don't like, but I have no choice; I have to rely on jade to nourish myself."

Looking at Li Yaxi's expression, Feng Zihao felt a pang of pain in his heart. "Relying on jade to sustain herself?"

"Hmm," Li Yaxi nodded. "My body is strange; I need to keep some jade around me to nourish it." She showed Feng Zihao the jade pendant around her neck. "I've worn this since I was little. An old man told me that my life depends on it, but as I've grown older, I don't know if its energy is insufficient, but I always feel a tightness in my chest and dizziness. I went to the hospital for a checkup, but they said I was healthy. Later, the old man gave me another piece of jade, and I felt much better. But recently, that feeling has started again, so I had to buy it myself. I've touched many pieces of jade, but only when I touch this one do I feel better."

After finishing his sentence, Li Yaxi looked at Feng Zihao with some unease. "Do you think I'm lying to you, or that I'm a monster?" Actually, those were partly true and partly falsehoods. He just wanted to give Feng Zihao a heads-up so that he wouldn't feel uncomfortable about being different from others in the future.

Upon hearing this, Feng Zihao quickly shook his head. "I believe you. I don't think you're a monster. It's nothing." Yes, he would believe whatever Li Yaxi said. Besides, fate is something that can't be explained. Just like someone whose fate lacks water, their name should include the water element. He could understand that. But he felt even more sorry for Li Yaxi.

Seeing Feng Zihao's completely trusting expression without a trace of doubt, Li Yaxi smiled even brighter. "Really? Zihao, you're so sweet! I don't dare tell anyone about this. People treat me like a monster. Please don't tell anyone either, okay?"

Feng Zihao was reluctant to say no, nodding vigorously. Suddenly remembering something, he grabbed Li Yaxi and pulled her away. Li Yaxi asked twice where they were going, but Feng Zihao didn't answer, only smiling at her. Since she wasn't worried that he would sell her or use her for research, she followed him without worry.