CH 32.1

Northern Suburbs Police Station.

Shi Yunnan and Yuan Rui finished their investigation records respectively, and ran into each other as soon as they came out.

“Yuan Rui.”

Shi Yunnan called him and stepped forward to thank him, “Thank you for the help in the store just now.”

In any case, regarding today’s ‘touch porcelain’ incident, the other party did stand in his camp to help out and vent the anger for him.

“…..”

Yuan Rui heard his thanks, and looked back in surprise. The corners of his mouth raised rapidly, and then he yanked it back into his usual attitude.

“Who needs your gratitude? I wasn’t helping you.”

Yuan Rui looked at Shi Yunnan up and down and snorted, “If you really broke the boss’s jade carving, I would be the first to yell at you until you cry. Unfortunately it’s the boss who doesn’t have good intentions, I, I just simply can’t stand it.”

As the saying goes, virtue is like jade1.

Using bad jade to pit people is not a good thing!

Shi Yunnan secretly observed Yuan Rui, and his impression of this person wasn’t as bad as the beginning.

Recalling their first meeting in the nightclub, Yuan Rui was speaking for Xie Keyue from the perspective of a ‘friend’, but he didn’t play any tricks, and he didn’t have any vicious thoughts. Drinking games and betting money were completely in line with the rules of the nightclub.

Shi Yunnan ‘set a trap’ and deliberately lost dozens of glasses. He secretly stopped Fu Ziyu from helping him drink, as a result, Yuan Rui couldn’t stand it anymore, and scolded Fu Ziyu for being ‘disloyal’.

Last night, when they bumped into each other for the second time at the nightclub, after the drunk Yuan Rui bumped into Wen Yibei, it seemed he wanted to apologize at first?

It was only later when he saw Shi Yunnan that he temporarily changed back to cocky attitude, but in the end, before leaving the police station, he still seriously apologized to Wen Yibei.

Not to mention today’s help, instead of adding fuel to the fire like a person without any three world views, he instead helped him speak the ‘truth’.

Although there was a saying that birds of a feather flock together, compared to Xie Keyue who say nice things in front of you while doing nasty things behind your back, Yuan Rui could indeed be regarded as a person whose words and deeds were consistent.

Unconditionally stick up for his friend, will apologize when doing something wrong, and will defend those who are facing injustice.

Yuan Rui’s starting point for doing things was to stand on the basis of ‘believing himself to be right’. His circumstance wasn’t guilty beyond forgiveness, at most he had a bit of temper, and occasionally did things without using his brain. Otherwise, at such a young age, he was unlikely to cross paths with Xie Keyue.

“How did you and Xie Keyue meet?” Shi Yunan asked.

“What does it have to do with you?”

Yuan Rui immediately raised his eyes in vigilance and couldn’t help but speak up for Xie Keyue, “Keyue is a good person, why are you always on guard against him? Are you afraid that he will steal your inheritance? Besides, didn’t your grandfather and your father treat you well? Keyue and Shi family…”

Shi Yunnan felt angry and ridiculous, “Xie Keyue told you that?”

“What?” Yuan Rui was stunned.

“Xie Keyue and I, one was thrown abroad like garbage and left unattended, and the other was carefully nurtured by the Shi family like a treasure. I didn’t return home for many years, and once I did come back, I was forced to get married because of their business alliance. You think this is what Xie Keyue calls ‘The Shi family treats me well’?”

“…..”

Yuan Rui was stuck, and his face was a little hesitant.

Why is this exactly the opposite of what Xie Keyue said?

Yuan Rui wasn’t a person who liked to pry on the privacy of wealthy families, he felt that it was quite disrespectful.

His initial impression of Shi Yunnan stemmed from Xie Keyue’s description. Afterward, during their first meeting in the nightclub, their confrontation wasn’t considered friendly, which created an even ‘worse’ impression.

Shi Yunnan didn’t plan to forcibly change Yuan Rui’s thought, he also believed that making friends was a personal freedom, “Forget it, suit yourself, anyway, thank you for today.”

Yuan Rui lifted his sunglasses up and muttered, “I told you not to thank me, it’s awkward.”

Shi Yunnan raised his eyebrows and took two steps forward.

“Say……”

Yuan Rui hesitated, and glanced at Shi Yunnan secretly, “If you want to buy jade, go to Yuan family. Why go to some messy black shop instead of a genuine century-old shop? If you come to the jade market without knowing anything, sooner or later you’ll be cheated out of money.”

Shi Yunnan raised his eyebrows, smiled and said nothing.

He finally discovered that young master Yuan Rui was really a tsundere.

These words were clearly intended to remind him ‘not to be fooled again’, but he had to say it in a tone of ‘you’ll be cheated if you’re stupid’, simply disguised his kindness with malicious words.

The two walked out of the police station one after the other, and immediately saw a figure at the door.

Seeing the two of them, Lu Zhao’an came forward, “Mr. Shi, did the transcript go well?”

“Mr. Lu, why are you still here?” Shi Yunnan replied, and couldn’t help but move his gaze to Yuan Rui.

Yuan Rui’s eyes sank, he put on his sunglasses again, and threw a sentence, “Let’s go, I’ve spent an entire afternoon here, it’s boring.”

After he finished speaking, he stepped aside and went another way, intending to bypass Lu Zhao’an.

In the next second, Lu Zhao’an grabbed his wrist, “Where are you going?”

“Lu Zhao’an, why don’t you mind your own business? Isn’t it enough for the Yuan family and my dad to have you as a precious apprentice? You are the cloud in the sky and I am the mud on the ground. You have to make me go back and set off your excellence, don’t you?”

Yuan Rui exerted his strength and pulled Lu Zhao’an’s hand away, seemingly unwilling to be laughed at by Shi Yunnan.

Shi Yunnan watched the show silently and wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

But the other party obviously didn’t give him this chance, he quickly slipped away after shaking Lu Zhao’an off.

Lu Zhao’an stared at his back, a hint of helplessness was mixed in his always calm expression, but he quickly put it away.

He refocused his attention on Shi Yunnan, and apologized in an official tone, “Mr. Shi, I apologize to you on behalf of the market management for the situation that occurred today.”

“I will communicate with relevant departments about boss Chen’s store and suspend the closure of the store during the police investigation.”

“Do you need additional compensation or an apology? As long as it doesn’t violate market regulations, I…”

“No need.”

Shi Yunnan glanced at the time, it was less than four o’clock.

He remembered Yuan Rui’s inconsistent advice just now, and Lu Zhao’an’s identity, so he asked, “If Mr. Lu doesn’t mind, can I trouble you to take me to Yuan family shop to choose a decent jade carving? The elder in my family is going to celebrate 80th birthday, and I haven’t found a suitable one yet.”

Lu Zhao’an readily agreed, “Of course.”

The Northern Suburbs Police Station was not far from the Linglong Jade Market, so the two of them reached an agreement and simply walked back.

Shi Yunnan couldn’t hold back his curiosity, and asked politely, “Mr. Lu is Yuan Rui’s brother?”

Lu Zhao’an replied, “Well, my master2, Yuan Puguang, is Yuan Rui’s father.”

He seemed to have remembered what happened last night, and extended his response, “Although Xiao Rui has a strong temper, he isn’t a bad person, so if he has done anything wrong to Mr. Shi before, please forgive him.”

Shi Yunnan shook his head with a smile, not caring about that matter at all, “You two are fellow apprentice brothers? Mr. Lu has been speaking up for Yuan Rui, but I think he seems to have a conflict with you?”

Lu Zhao’an was silent, but there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes, “Master’s wife was not healthy in her early years, she married my master for many years but failed to conceive any children. Later, my master picked me up from the orphanage…”

Yuan Puguang had been dealing with jade for generations, and Yuan Puguang himself was a famous jade carving master in the industry.

Although he had no offspring, he hoped that someone could inherit his legacy, and that was the reason why he picked up Lu Zhao’an in the first place. Coincidentally, just as the couple had brought home Lu Zhao’an, who was less than six years old, Mrs. Yuan unexpectedly found out that she was pregnant.

“Master only got such a precious son in his forties. While he was delighted, he also naturally had high expectations for him.”

Jade is sleek and warm.

However, Yuan Puguang chose the word “Rui3” because he hoped that Yuan Rui would be unrivaled in this industry.

This matter was not a secret, and Lu Zhao’an also didn’t hide it from Shi Yunnan, “Master is strict with Xiao Rui, and his mother spoils him in every possible way, which has created Xiao Rui’s character today.”

When Shi Yunnan heard this, he could basically understand.

The biological son had limited talent in jade, but the adopted apprentice was first-class talent.

Perhaps when Yuan Puguang praised Lu Zhao’an, he also attacked Yuan Rui, or when he was criticizing Yuan Rui, he also didn’t forget to say some words to lift up Lu Zhao’an.

Yuan Rui was a son born in his dad’s old age, he was spoiled by his mother and other elders, but he was not valued by his father.

Over time, the brotherhood between Lu Zhao’an and Yuan Rui became like this.

“I’m only helping Master handle the jade business. I won’t take a single thing that belongs to Xiao Rui, except that Xiao Rui’s nature is not suitable for the traditional jade carving industry…”

Lu Zhao’an rubbed the thick calluses on his hands, thinking of something, and his train of thoughts were a little gloomy.

When Yuan Rui just graduated from university, he said that he hated jade carvings, and he never wanted to touch them again in this life.

But in reality?

The jade pendant that was accidentally broken in the fight last night was the only piece of work that Yuan Puguang had ever praised Yuan Rui for. The latter had been wearing it carefully, and even had red eyes over it. This wasn’t called dislike.

But in this industry, likes can’t be eaten, and in today’s market, talent also can’t be eaten4.

Lu Zhao’an had a very clear opinion. Whether it was for his respected teacher or for Yuan Rui, his nominal ‘junior apprentice brother’, he had to find a new way out for the declining Yuan Jade.

Shi Yunnan didn’t interject him, and didn’t overly inquire about the privacy of others.

However, he remembered that Yuan Rui’s final outcome in his dream was not bad. After all, he was the second male lead in Xie Keyue’s “male lead” camp, and Xie Keyue still had a bit of a genuine friendship for him.

However, the current Shi Yunnan would not give Xie Keyue any chance to come back in an arrogant manner. He wondered if Yuan Rui’s ending would also change?