Master Xuyan shook his head, “Where did Madam Du’s thoughts wander? How could I, a monk, be involved in such matters?”
“What should we do then? Please guide us, Master,” Du Rulan said, “Should my husband and I continue to keep our distance from him, as we did before?”
Master Xuyan shook his head again, “The second young master’s malevolent energy has grown stronger. Even if you keep your distance, it might not have a significant effect. Here’s what you can do: I have a spiritual jade here. Madam Du can give it to Second Young Master Yan. It will help suppress the malevolent energy.”
He extended his hand, and in his palm lay a white oval-shaped jade that had been intricately carved. While white jade was common, this one had five small, round, pure black dots on it, each the size of a fingernail. If these five dots were connected with lines, they formed a pentagon, which was very strange.
“Thank you, Master!” Du Rulan expressed her gratitude and extended her hands, carefully taking the spiritual jade. She vaguely saw a silver thread flash across each of the five black dots, but when she looked again, there was nothing. She dismissed it, thinking it was a reflection from the outside light.
As they parted, Du Rulan inadvertently forgot her handbag.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had finished sightseeing and trying local snacks in Province S, and then went to try the meat-filled buns. The pork filling in the buns was a rich, soft, succulent, and flavorful shade of red. Both of them agreed that it was worth the visit, a d they ended up eating three in a row, completely disregarding their image.
The owner of the meat bun shop was a young woman. She found Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s demeanor quite attractive. Even eating a meat bun seemed different with them – taking small, deliberate bites while engaging in hushed conversations, it had an alternative kind of elegance, like a living advertisement. She held her phone sneakily, wanting to take a photo, but was afraid of being noticed.
By the time she gathered the courage, both of them had finished their meat buns and were at the counter, saying they wanted to buy forty more to take away.
Huangfu Yuchen had already noticed that many girls in the queue were pretending to turn around but were actually sneaking glances at Yan Ge. His face turned cold, and he casually lifted his arm, seemingly unintentionally placing it around Yan Ge’s shoulder. He knew that some of the attention was directed at him too.
Yan Ge turned his head, raised his left hand, and extended his index finger to cover Huangfu Yuchen’s eyes, signaling him not to look. At the same time, he glanced sideways, implying that he shouldn’t pay attention to it.
Huangfu Yuchen’s lips curled slightly and the sourness in his heart dissipated a bit. He pinched Yan Ge’s ear as his hand rested on his shoulder.
Their interaction successfully diverted most of the onlookers’ attention. However, a few girls seemed even more excited and thrilled, leaving others baffled.
After buying the meat buns, the two of them headed to the parking lot.
—’Horseshoes point south, people look north, gazing at green grass and rising yellow dust…’
Yan Ge pulled out his phone from his pocket. The caller ID said—“Mom.”
Huangfu Yuchen glanced at the screen and opened the car door, indicating for Yan Ge to take the passenger seat.
Yan Ge answered the call.
“Come home for dinner tonight.”
Huangfu Yuchen was helping Yan Ge fasten his seatbelt when he heard Du Rulan’s casual, commanding tone through the phone and his eyes darkened.
Yan Ge said, “I’m out of town.”
“Out of town?” Du Rulan frowned and looked at the spiritual jade in her hand. She was about to urge Yan Ge to come back today, but worried that he might become guarded. So she softened her voice, sounding gentle, “Are you on a trip? Take care and come back safely. When will you be back?”
The unusually gentle tone made Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen raise their eyebrows simultaneously.
“Next Tuesday,” Yan Ge said.
Du Rulan, “Okay, come over next Tuesday evening for dinner, okay? Do you have time?”
“Come over,” not “come back.” Yan Ge’s heart lacked any fluctuations with her attitude. “Alright.”
The call ended with Du Rulan’s clearly relieved tone, “Alright, I won’t affect your fun.”
As soon as Yan Ge hung up, Huangfu Yuchen decided, “I’ll go with you then.” He wanted to see what the Yans were up to.
Yan Ge chuckled, “Don’t be so tense. Do you think they could harm me?”
Huangfu Yuchen ruffled Yan Ge’s hair. Yan Ge had suffered this treatment for over twenty years. But now, he had him, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt him.
“Let’s go,” Huangfu Yuchen started the car.
The two of them enjoyed their trip until Tuesday morning before driving back to the capital. With their profound cultivation, they didn’t feel tired, so they took a shower together upon their return.
Yan Ge’s slender yet strong figure fascinated Huangfu Yuchen. Under the pretense of helping to wash his back, Huangfu Yuchen pulled him into an embrace. As they rubbed against each other, they ended up hugging tightly….
Seeing that it was still early, they slept for a while before getting up, getting ready, and heading to the Yan residence.
Everyone from the Yan family was present.
Due to traffic, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were about fifteen minutes late. Surprisingly, Du Rulan greeted them with a warm smile, showing no signs of displeasure. When she saw Huangfu Yuchen, there was no hint of unhappiness on her face either.
Yan Jianqiang was also calm, as if the incident at the supermarket had never occurred.
“Second Brother, Mr. Huangfu, come and sit,” Yan Weifeng invited.
Only Yan Yan still seemed to dislike Yan Ge, giving him several resentful glances.
Yan Si approached Yan Ge with familiarity, smiling as he called out “Second Uncle”, and then hugged his leg. He glanced curiously at Huangfu Yuchen but didn’t show any fear, tilting his head back to observe him.
Yan Ge smiled and ruffled his hair, exchanging an affectionate glance with him before patting his head.
“Mr. Yan, Mrs. Yan, sorry to bother you. This is a small gift as a token of respect,” Huangfu Yuchen spoke up, presenting the gift boxes on the coffee table. Even though the Yan family hadn’t treated Yan Ge well, they couldn’t afford to be discourteous and risk being looked down upon.
Yan Jiaqiang said, “You’re considerate. Please sit. You’re our guest.”
After a smooth meal, everyone moved to the living room.
Du Rulan retrieved several gift boxes from under the tea table. Yan Ge glanced at them and counted five in total.
Du Rulan took the top one and handed it to Yan Ge. “This is a blessed jade that I had consecrated at the temple. Each of you children will have one to carry with them. While it may not necessarily be effective, it’s for peace of mind.”
Yan Yan moved closer with curiosity, “Mom, which one is mine?”
“Here.” Du Rulan smiled and gave one to Yan Yan. She distributed the other three to Yan Weifeng, Zhang Qiaoqiao, and Yan Si.
Yan Yan immediately opened the box, liking the gift. This jade was valuable, at least twenty to thirty thousand. His mother was quite generous. However, he soon pouted. Since it was a collective gift, Yan Ge’s surely couldn’t be worse.
With a mischievous smile, Yan Yan looked at Yan Ge and extended his hand to snatch the box from him. “Second Brother, let me admire your peace jade.”
Yan Ge chuckled lightly, “Of course.” He had intentionally let Yan Yan snatch it. Otherwise, with his abilities, how could Yan Yan possibly take something from his hands?
Huangfu Yuchen noticed a flicker of unease in Du Rulan’s eyes. It seemed she was nervous. He became cautious and looked at the gift box in Yan Yan’s hand. ‘Could there be something unusual about the jade inside?’
Yan Yan opened the box, and his eyes lit up. He took the jade from the box, looking reluctant to put it down. “What a beautiful jade! Second Brother, can we trade?”
Yan Jiaqiang and Yan Weifeng were somewhat surprised. The jade was indeed exquisite. They looked at Du Rulan, puzzled.
Before Yan Ge could speak, Du Rulan scolded Yan Yan, “What are you trying to do by trading? Aren’t they all the same?” She snatched the jade back and returned it to the box. Realizing she had overreacted, she changed her expression, speaking gently to Yan Yan, “This jade might be slightly more beautiful than the others, but they all have the same properties. Your second brother was missing for two years. It’s only fair for me to compensate him. Yan Yan, listen to me.”
Yan Ge smiled slightly, not saying anything.
Yan Yan’s eyes were still on the box, a hint of reluctance in his expression. “Since they all have the same properties, what’s the harm in trading? Mom, if you’ve given it to Second Brother, it’s his. And Second Brother hasn’t said he doesn’t want to trade with me. Second Brother, shall we exchange?”
Yan Ge nodded with a smile, “Alright.”
Du Rulan’s face turned serious as she slapped Yan Yan’s shoulder, scolding sharply, “Yan Yan, wjy don’t you understand anything? It’s just a piece of jade. I compensated your second brother, and you’re causing trouble.”
Her slap was not gentle at all and Yan Yan’s eyes reddened instantly. He realized that crying like this would be embarrassing, and he abruptly stood up, dashing upstairs to his room, and forcefully slamming the door shut.
Du Rulan glanced at the second floor with worry, then turned her head, smiling gently at Yan Ge and saying warmly, “Remember to keep it close to you. It will bless you with safety.”
“Thank you, Mom. It’s getting late, and I have to go back with Yuchen.”
“Alright,” Du Rulan nodded, “Drive safely.”
As soon as Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen got into the car, Huangfu Yuchen took out the jade, trying to sense its energy fluctuations. He paused for a moment, put the jade back into the box, and then took it out again.
“Baby, this jade is unusual,” Huangfu Yuchen said, “When you don’t touch it, you can’t feel its energy fluctuations, but when you touch it, you can sense it clearly.”
“Where did she get something like this?” Yan Ge asked as he reached out. He was nervous, afraid that there might be something strange about the jade. What if something happened to Yuchen when he touched it?
Huangfu Yuchen pushed away Yan Ge’s hand, “She gave it to you, so it’s bound to be unusual. Don’t touch it for now.”
“Are you alright?” Yan Ge quickly scanned Huangfu Yuchen.
“I’m fine.” Huangfu Yuchen was afraid that Yan Ge would touch the jade, so he held it in his hand. “Let’s talk about it after we get back.”
Seeing Huangfu Yuchen’s expression, Yan Ge knew that he wouldn’t give it to him, so he could only start the car.
Back at the villa, the two of them sat in the living room to examine the jade.
Yan Ge reached out, but Huangfu Yuchen slapped his hand away, giving him a stern look.
Huangfu Yuchen contemplated. If Du Rulan was really up to something, and this attempt failed, there might be another one. He needed to find out what was going on. Moreover, with Yan Ge by his side, he could intervene in time if anything happened. Thinking of this, he handed the jade to Yan Ge.
Yan Ge held out his hand, and the jade fell into his palm. His keen eyes caught a silver thread-like gleam flashing from the five black dots, and a strange feeling passed through his mind. Although it was difficult to put into words, it was definitely unsettling. He instinctively let go of the jade, and it dropped onto the carpet.
Huangfu Yuchen quickly placed his hand over Yan Ge’s, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”
Yan Ge shook his head, frowning at the jade on the carpet, “I’m fine. It’s just that this thing really doesn’t feel right, it’s very strange.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s expression turned cold. What exactly was Du Rulan trying to do?
“Don’t overthink it. Let’s have someone investigate whether there were any strange actions on the days when Du Rulan called you and the two days before. Besides, tomorrow is the cultivator exchange meeting. Let’s bring this jade along. Wang Zhiyuan is a local after all, so he might know what’s going on with this jade.”
“Yeah, I’ll make the call.” Yan Ge took a few steps, then turned back to instruct, “Yuchen, don’t touch it directly again.”
“Rest assured.” Huangfu Yuchen used the lid of the gift box to cover the jade, sealing it once more.
Yan Ge had dealt with detective agencies before when he started his company. He searched for the phone number online, made the call, offered a high price, and asked them to investigate Du Rulan’s whereabouts on the day she called him.
On the other hand, Huangfu Yuchen called Ji Chang, asking him to deliver the invitation letter to them early the next morning.
The two temporarily set the matter aside, washed up, and went to bed.
Ji Chang had initially thought that there was no hope for Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen to attend the cultivator exchange meeting, and he was pleasantly surprised when he got the call and readily agreed. Afterward, he called Old Wang.
Wang Zhiyuan was also delighted and told Ji Chang to treat Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen with extreme courtesy.
Master Xuyan shook his head, “Where did Madam Du’s thoughts wander? How could I, a monk, be involved in such matters?”
“What should we do then? Please guide us, Master,” Du Rulan said, “Should my husband and I continue to keep our distance from him, as we did before?”
Master Xuyan shook his head again, “The second young master’s malevolent energy has grown stronger. Even if you keep your distance, it might not have a significant effect. Here’s what you can do: I have a spiritual jade here. Madam Du can give it to Second Young Master Yan. It will help suppress the malevolent energy.”
He extended his hand, and in his palm lay a white oval-shaped jade that had been intricately carved. While white jade was common, this one had five small, round, pure black dots on it, each the size of a fingernail. If these five dots were connected with lines, they formed a pentagon, which was very strange.
“Thank you, Master!” Du Rulan expressed her gratitude and extended her hands, carefully taking the spiritual jade. She vaguely saw a silver thread flash across each of the five black dots, but when she looked again, there was nothing. She dismissed it, thinking it was a reflection from the outside light.
As they parted, Du Rulan inadvertently forgot her handbag.
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had finished sightseeing and trying local snacks in Province S, and then went to try the meat-filled buns. The pork filling in the buns was a rich, soft, succulent, and flavorful shade of red. Both of them agreed that it was worth the visit, a d they ended up eating three in a row, completely disregarding their image.
The owner of the meat bun shop was a young woman. She found Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s demeanor quite attractive. Even eating a meat bun seemed different with them – taking small, deliberate bites while engaging in hushed conversations, it had an alternative kind of elegance, like a living advertisement. She held her phone sneakily, wanting to take a photo, but was afraid of being noticed.
By the time she gathered the courage, both of them had finished their meat buns and were at the counter, saying they wanted to buy forty more to take away.
Huangfu Yuchen had already noticed that many girls in the queue were pretending to turn around but were actually sneaking glances at Yan Ge. His face turned cold, and he casually lifted his arm, seemingly unintentionally placing it around Yan Ge’s shoulder. He knew that some of the attention was directed at him too.
Yan Ge turned his head, raised his left hand, and extended his index finger to cover Huangfu Yuchen’s eyes, signaling him not to look. At the same time, he glanced sideways, implying that he shouldn’t pay attention to it.
Huangfu Yuchen’s lips curled slightly and the sourness in his heart dissipated a bit. He pinched Yan Ge’s ear as his hand rested on his shoulder.
Their interaction successfully diverted most of the onlookers’ attention. However, a few girls seemed even more excited and thrilled, leaving others baffled.
After buying the meat buns, the two of them headed to the parking lot.
—’Horseshoes point south, people look north, gazing at green grass and rising yellow dust…’
Yan Ge pulled out his phone from his pocket. The caller ID said—“Mom.”
Huangfu Yuchen glanced at the screen and opened the car door, indicating for Yan Ge to take the passenger seat.
Yan Ge answered the call.
“Come home for dinner tonight.”
Huangfu Yuchen was helping Yan Ge fasten his seatbelt when he heard Du Rulan’s casual, commanding tone through the phone and his eyes darkened.
Yan Ge said, “I’m out of town.”
“Out of town?” Du Rulan frowned and looked at the spiritual jade in her hand. She was about to urge Yan Ge to come back today, but worried that he might become guarded. So she softened her voice, sounding gentle, “Are you on a trip? Take care and come back safely. When will you be back?”
The unusually gentle tone made Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen raise their eyebrows simultaneously.
“Next Tuesday,” Yan Ge said.
Du Rulan, “Okay, come over next Tuesday evening for dinner, okay? Do you have time?”
“Come over,” not “come back.” Yan Ge’s heart lacked any fluctuations with her attitude. “Alright.”
The call ended with Du Rulan’s clearly relieved tone, “Alright, I won’t affect your fun.”
As soon as Yan Ge hung up, Huangfu Yuchen decided, “I’ll go with you then.” He wanted to see what the Yans were up to.
Yan Ge chuckled, “Don’t be so tense. Do you think they could harm me?”
Huangfu Yuchen ruffled Yan Ge’s hair. Yan Ge had suffered this treatment for over twenty years. But now, he had him, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt him.
“Let’s go,” Huangfu Yuchen started the car.
The two of them enjoyed their trip until Tuesday morning before driving back to the capital. With their profound cultivation, they didn’t feel tired, so they took a shower together upon their return.
Yan Ge’s slender yet strong figure fascinated Huangfu Yuchen. Under the pretense of helping to wash his back, Huangfu Yuchen pulled him into an embrace. As they rubbed against each other, they ended up hugging tightly….
Seeing that it was still early, they slept for a while before getting up, getting ready, and heading to the Yan residence.
Everyone from the Yan family was present.
Due to traffic, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were about fifteen minutes late. Surprisingly, Du Rulan greeted them with a warm smile, showing no signs of displeasure. When she saw Huangfu Yuchen, there was no hint of unhappiness on her face either.
Yan Jianqiang was also calm, as if the incident at the supermarket had never occurred.
“Second Brother, Mr. Huangfu, come and sit,” Yan Weifeng invited.
Only Yan Yan still seemed to dislike Yan Ge, giving him several resentful glances.
Yan Si approached Yan Ge with familiarity, smiling as he called out “Second Uncle”, and then hugged his leg. He glanced curiously at Huangfu Yuchen but didn’t show any fear, tilting his head back to observe him.
Yan Ge smiled and ruffled his hair, exchanging an affectionate glance with him before patting his head.
“Mr. Yan, Mrs. Yan, sorry to bother you. This is a small gift as a token of respect,” Huangfu Yuchen spoke up, presenting the gift boxes on the coffee table. Even though the Yan family hadn’t treated Yan Ge well, they couldn’t afford to be discourteous and risk being looked down upon.
Yan Jiaqiang said, “You’re considerate. Please sit. You’re our guest.”
After a smooth meal, everyone moved to the living room.
Du Rulan retrieved several gift boxes from under the tea table. Yan Ge glanced at them and counted five in total.
Du Rulan took the top one and handed it to Yan Ge. “This is a blessed jade that I had consecrated at the temple. Each of you children will have one to carry with them. While it may not necessarily be effective, it’s for peace of mind.”
Yan Yan moved closer with curiosity, “Mom, which one is mine?”
“Here.” Du Rulan smiled and gave one to Yan Yan. She distributed the other three to Yan Weifeng, Zhang Qiaoqiao, and Yan Si.
Yan Yan immediately opened the box, liking the gift. This jade was valuable, at least twenty to thirty thousand. His mother was quite generous. However, he soon pouted. Since it was a collective gift, Yan Ge’s surely couldn’t be worse.
With a mischievous smile, Yan Yan looked at Yan Ge and extended his hand to snatch the box from him. “Second Brother, let me admire your peace jade.”
Yan Ge chuckled lightly, “Of course.” He had intentionally let Yan Yan snatch it. Otherwise, with his abilities, how could Yan Yan possibly take something from his hands?
Huangfu Yuchen noticed a flicker of unease in Du Rulan’s eyes. It seemed she was nervous. He became cautious and looked at the gift box in Yan Yan’s hand. ‘Could there be something unusual about the jade inside?’
Yan Yan opened the box, and his eyes lit up. He took the jade from the box, looking reluctant to put it down. “What a beautiful jade! Second Brother, can we trade?”
Yan Jiaqiang and Yan Weifeng were somewhat surprised. The jade was indeed exquisite. They looked at Du Rulan, puzzled.
Before Yan Ge could speak, Du Rulan scolded Yan Yan, “What are you trying to do by trading? Aren’t they all the same?” She snatched the jade back and returned it to the box. Realizing she had overreacted, she changed her expression, speaking gently to Yan Yan, “This jade might be slightly more beautiful than the others, but they all have the same properties. Your second brother was missing for two years. It’s only fair for me to compensate him. Yan Yan, listen to me.”
Yan Ge smiled slightly, not saying anything.
Yan Yan’s eyes were still on the box, a hint of reluctance in his expression. “Since they all have the same properties, what’s the harm in trading? Mom, if you’ve given it to Second Brother, it’s his. And Second Brother hasn’t said he doesn’t want to trade with me. Second Brother, shall we exchange?”
Yan Ge nodded with a smile, “Alright.”
Du Rulan’s face turned serious as she slapped Yan Yan’s shoulder, scolding sharply, “Yan Yan, wjy don’t you understand anything? It’s just a piece of jade. I compensated your second brother, and you’re causing trouble.”
Her slap was not gentle at all and Yan Yan’s eyes reddened instantly. He realized that crying like this would be embarrassing, and he abruptly stood up, dashing upstairs to his room, and forcefully slamming the door shut.
Du Rulan glanced at the second floor with worry, then turned her head, smiling gently at Yan Ge and saying warmly, “Remember to keep it close to you. It will bless you with safety.”
“Thank you, Mom. It’s getting late, and I have to go back with Yuchen.”
“Alright,” Du Rulan nodded, “Drive safely.”
As soon as Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen got into the car, Huangfu Yuchen took out the jade, trying to sense its energy fluctuations. He paused for a moment, put the jade back into the box, and then took it out again.
“Baby, this jade is unusual,” Huangfu Yuchen said, “When you don’t touch it, you can’t feel its energy fluctuations, but when you touch it, you can sense it clearly.”
“Where did she get something like this?” Yan Ge asked as he reached out. He was nervous, afraid that there might be something strange about the jade. What if something happened to Yuchen when he touched it?
Huangfu Yuchen pushed away Yan Ge’s hand, “She gave it to you, so it’s bound to be unusual. Don’t touch it for now.”
“Are you alright?” Yan Ge quickly scanned Huangfu Yuchen.
“I’m fine.” Huangfu Yuchen was afraid that Yan Ge would touch the jade, so he held it in his hand. “Let’s talk about it after we get back.”
Seeing Huangfu Yuchen’s expression, Yan Ge knew that he wouldn’t give it to him, so he could only start the car.
Back at the villa, the two of them sat in the living room to examine the jade.
Yan Ge reached out, but Huangfu Yuchen slapped his hand away, giving him a stern look.
Huangfu Yuchen contemplated. If Du Rulan was really up to something, and this attempt failed, there might be another one. He needed to find out what was going on. Moreover, with Yan Ge by his side, he could intervene in time if anything happened. Thinking of this, he handed the jade to Yan Ge.
Yan Ge held out his hand, and the jade fell into his palm. His keen eyes caught a silver thread-like gleam flashing from the five black dots, and a strange feeling passed through his mind. Although it was difficult to put into words, it was definitely unsettling. He instinctively let go of the jade, and it dropped onto the carpet.
Huangfu Yuchen quickly placed his hand over Yan Ge’s, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”
Yan Ge shook his head, frowning at the jade on the carpet, “I’m fine. It’s just that this thing really doesn’t feel right, it’s very strange.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s expression turned cold. What exactly was Du Rulan trying to do?
“Don’t overthink it. Let’s have someone investigate whether there were any strange actions on the days when Du Rulan called you and the two days before. Besides, tomorrow is the cultivator exchange meeting. Let’s bring this jade along. Wang Zhiyuan is a local after all, so he might know what’s going on with this jade.”
“Yeah, I’ll make the call.” Yan Ge took a few steps, then turned back to instruct, “Yuchen, don’t touch it directly again.”
“Rest assured.” Huangfu Yuchen used the lid of the gift box to cover the jade, sealing it once more.
Yan Ge had dealt with detective agencies before when he started his company. He searched for the phone number online, made the call, offered a high price, and asked them to investigate Du Rulan’s whereabouts on the day she called him.
On the other hand, Huangfu Yuchen called Ji Chang, asking him to deliver the invitation letter to them early the next morning.
The two temporarily set the matter aside, washed up, and went to bed.
Ji Chang had initially thought that there was no hope for Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen to attend the cultivator exchange meeting, and he was pleasantly surprised when he got the call and readily agreed. Afterward, he called Old Wang.
Wang Zhiyuan was also delighted and told Ji Chang to treat Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen with extreme courtesy.
