Chapter 71
Zhuang Yan was surprised for a moment. These South China Sea pearls were extremely precious and were reserved for the palace. Very few were ever given to the common people. How could they be given away so casually?
"This is too valuable, I can't accept it!" Zhuang Yan retreated repeatedly. Although she knew that Zhu Zijin was a jewelry merchant and might have some wealth, she didn't expect that he would give away such a precious mermaid pearl so casually.
"It's just an ornamental item, nothing special." Seeing her resolute refusal without changing her expression, Zhu Zijin had no choice but to use a combination of persuasion and pressure: "Besides, I consider Lady Zhuang a friend, and it's nothing for friends to exchange gifts."
"If Madam Zhuang refuses to accept it, does it mean she doesn't want to be friends with me?"
He said everything, good and bad, all by himself. Zhuang Yan opened her mouth to refute, but saw Zhu Zijin slip into the side courtyard and wave to her from afar.
Zhuang Yan held the wooden box, at a loss. The thumb-thick mermaid pearl shimmered with iridescent colors in the sunlight, and was quite beautiful.
Inside the side courtyard, Zhu Zijin was humming a little tune and about to enter when he suddenly caught sight of Cui Pei emerging from the side like a gust of wind, his limbs dangling as if they had lost all their strength, his posture indescribably strange. He pulled Cui Pei aside in a few steps.
With a pained expression, he asked, "Young master, what brings you here?"
Zhu Zijin, looking completely nonchalant, said, "What else could I be doing? I'm here to see my uncle!" The boy grinned and leaned closer. "I've heard everything. Uncle went up the mountain alone to save Fourth Sister, and single-handedly took on the entire Dragon Tiger Stronghold!"
He glanced over with slight displeasure and said, "Why didn't you call for me at this crucial moment of heroism?"
Cui Pei looked up and let out a long sigh, then put his arm around Zhu Zijin's shoulder and said, "If we go up the mountain to call for you, Wen Tao will definitely become suspicious."
The two whispered to each other, "Now that the eldest has gained Wen Tao's trust, it's only a matter of time before he finds out the whereabouts of the longevity silver. At this point, you should visit the Wen residence less often, lest you arouse suspicion..."
Before Cui Pei could finish speaking, Zhu Zijin shoved his arm aside, interrupting him. "I know, I know!" he said, turning and going inside.
Seeing Zhu Zijin about to push open the door, Cui Pei immediately called out, "Young master, knock on the door—"
"Squeak—"
A door opened.
Cui Pei clutched his shattered heart, rubbed his still aching arm muscles, and limped away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"Who let you in?"
All four windows in the room were closed, and perhaps because of poor air circulation, Zhu Zijin noticed that the air pressure in the room was very low as soon as he entered.
The young man sitting by the long table frowned, his face looking very unpleasant.
Zhu Zijin swallowed hard, thinking to himself, "That bastard Cui Pei didn't even tell his uncle he was in a bad mood, and rushed him here to die?"
"Ahem... um..." Zhu Zijin felt inexplicably guilty, touched his nose, and said, "It's nothing, I just came to see you. I'm glad you're alright..."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
"stop."
The young man's clear voice seemed to carry a hint of laughter, which made Zhu Zijin's scalp tingle. In an instant, as if a flash of inspiration had struck him, he seemed to understand why Cui Pei's posture was so strange.
Before he could even explain himself, the young man's voice slowly rang out.
"It's been a long time since I've tested your skills. Today is a good day for us to have a friendly competition."
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