Chapter 514 - 452: Crack
Chapter 514: Chapter 452: Crack
It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, so there was basically nothing to do. All the young women could relax and enjoy the whole day. Uncle Lu had even said they didn’t need to cook. Since Lu Jianling and Yang Liu’er weren’t going out, they decided to put on the Jade Bracelets, jade bead strings, and earrings Brother Lu had given them, wanting to admire themselves a bit at home. When Bai Junfan arrived, he naturally noticed their jade jewelry.
He followed Yang Liu’er into the kitchen, stroking her Jade Bracelet and asking where she got it. When he learned that the jade was brought back from the Northwest by Brother Lu, Bai Junfan’s eyes grew brighter. He told Yang Liu’er to take good care of it, saying the jade was of superior quality and considerable value. More importantly, it was full of Spiritual Energy!
Yang Liu’er didn’t have time to dwell on what this so-called "Spiritual Energy" was or what it was for, because very soon, her mood was completely ruined.
Bai Junfan only stayed for a short while. Before he’d even had two cups of tea, he made an excuse about having something to do and said he wouldn’t stay for dinner. He asked Yang Liu’er to walk him out. Yang Liu’er took him directly to the small, newly purchased courtyard she had tidied up to be elegant and tasteful. She told him: this was the home she had saved up to buy with the money from her clothing business with Lu Jianling—a home for the two of them!
Bai Junfan was overjoyed, pulling Yang Liu’er into a tight embrace and kissing her.
After their sweet lovemaking, before Yang Liu’er even had a chance to pour out her heart and tell him how much she’d missed him, Bai Junfan started talking about Lu Jian Country!
He said Lu Jian Country was in the prime of his life, a widower for many years, and that one look at his eyes was enough to know he was no good—that he harbored unspeakable, filthy intentions toward Yang Liu’er... Yang Liu’er didn’t argue. She thought, ’Since my beloved doesn’t want me living with the Lu Family, I might as well do as he says and move out. The house is already bought, anyway!’
But she didn’t get the advice she expected. Instead, she heard Bai Junfan whisper in her ear, "For Lu Jian Country to be able to produce so much high-quality jade just to please you means he has more! He might have even discovered a Jade Mine. Jade from the Northwest is extremely precious, and the Spiritual Energy it contains is even purer and richer... You can seduce him, lead him on, and pry some concrete, useful information out of him! But remember: don’t let it become real. You’re my woman. Protect yourself. I absolutely forbid any other man from touching you!"
Yang Liu’er felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her entire body felt half-dead, unable to move or speak.
Even though Bai Junfan apologized and tried to sweet-talk her afterward, she realized then that a crack had formed in her heart—one that would not close.
In the car, Xiao Man asked Gu Shaojun, "That piece of Chicken Blood Jade you just got, was it a gift from Brother Lu?"
"Yeah," Gu Shaojun nodded.
"Brother Lu gave me a piece last time, too. I took it home to show my grandpa, and he said it was top-grade Chicken Blood Jade, something very valuable. How could you just accept it when he offered it?"
"If you can accept one, why can’t I?"
"I prescribed him medicine for his injuries! It counted as my consultation and prescription fee!"
"Don’t worry, I’m not the type to accept things from people for no reason. I’ll just owe him a favor for now and find a suitable gift to give in return later. Brother Lu is a good man, with a temperament similar to those of us who knock around in the army. He got injured saving over a hundred people this time. He’s an iron-willed man, responsible and dependable. He’s worth befriending."
As Gu Shaojun spoke, he reached out and ruffled Xiao Man’s hair. Back at the Lu Family’s house, he and Brother Lu had hit it off so well talking about the current situation in the Northwest. But since they were guests in someone else’s home, he couldn’t be too forward. He hadn’t been able to get close to his little brat for hours. Just watching her sit beside him had made his heart and hands itch with anticipation.
"Besides, I only accepted this Blood Jade because of you."
"What does it have to do with me?"
"Brother Lu said this piece of jade is a pair with yours. You took one piece, leaving the other one all alone. Of course I had to take it!"
Gu Shaojun said, pulling out the Chicken Blood Jade and handing it to Xiao Man. "Here. Keep them together. They need to be a pair. It’s more satisfying to look at them that way, isn’t it?"
Xiao Man: "..."
’It’s not like I didn’t want them to be a pair. Brother Lu only gave me one.’
"Then I’ll take them. Chicken Blood Jade is rare, and these two are top-grade. I’ll put them in that special place to be nurtured, and save them for a day when they’re truly needed."
"Okay."
Gu Shaojun turned the steering wheel to make a turn, sighing with a frustrated frown. "The sun sets way too fast. The whole day is over just like that? We haven’t even said or done anything."
Xiao Man’s eyes darted around, and she said casually, "If there’s something you want to say, you can say it now. As for what you want to do... it’s already dark. It’s not too late to get up early and do it tomorrow."
Gu Shaojun gritted his teeth. ’Little brat, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?’
Seeing his mischievous claw reaching for her again, Xiao Man laughed and dodged. "Driver, could you please be a little more professional? You need to focus on driving when you’re on a main road! Please turn left in fifty meters. The passenger has reached their stop and needs to get out, thank you!"
Gu Shaojun drove forward another ten or so meters, then suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road. Xiao Man was surprised. "Hey, why did you stop? We’re not there yet."
Gu Shaojun chuckled. "That’s the point. We can’t arrive. If we get there and the passenger gets out, what’s the driver supposed to do?"
"W-well, you can’t just stop here..."
"For now, you have to listen to the driver. In a little while, I’ll listen to whatever the passenger says!"