Although asking for items from his "ex-wife" was embarrassing, Yan Shouyi had no other choice if he wanted to survive.
The two sat facing each other, both feeling awkward and uncomfortable.
"Something that can only be obtained through marriage..."
Li Qing'er frowned, trying hard to recall, but felt she possessed nothing at all.
Especially after leaving the Li family, she was unsure of her own identity.
Seeing Li Qing'er's state, Yan Shouyi didn't want to pressure her, so he said:
"I'll be leaving Rongcheng in about three days. If you find any clues before then, feel free to call me."
He then left his phone number.
Li Qing'er looked at the string of numbers on the paper and silently accepted it.
Perhaps it was a lingering hope, but she still didn't want to completely sever ties with Yan Shouyi.
Maybe in the future, if she encountered any insurmountable difficulties, she could seek Yan Shouyi's help.
Despite the embarrassment, as an ordinary person, Li Qing'er had to fight for survival. Faced with someone like Yang Jie, she was helpless.
Realizing how difficult ordinary life was, even if it meant meeting Yan Shouyi awkwardly, Li Qing'er had to leave herself a way out.
Just as Yan Shouyi was about to leave, Li Qing'er suddenly thought of something and quickly said:
"If what you want isn't something from the Li family, but something of my own... perhaps I know what it is."
"What is it?" Yan Shouyi quickly asked.
Li Qing'er unzipped the collar of her top.
Yan Shouyi quickly turned his head away.
Could the thing that could save his life truly be Li Qing'er's chastity?
If that were the case, fate would be playing a cruel trick.
If he truly got involved with Li Qing'er, he would be letting down Lin Zitong. If he didn't, he could never be with Lin Zitong.
Damn it! Why must heaven torment me so!
Yan Shouyi was starting to lament and feel angry, when he saw Li Qing'er pull out a piece of jade from her clothing.
The weather had turned cooler, and the jade had to be stored close to the body, which was why Li Qing'er had unzipped her collar, causing Yan Shouyi to overthink.
"Your expression seems strange, what happened suddenly?" Li Qing'er asked curiously.
Yan Shouyi coughed twice. "N-nothing... Could the item you're referring to be this piece of jade?"
Li Qing'er took off the jade, held it in her palm, and slowly said:
"If what you want is something that belongs to me, then perhaps it's only this. Back then, I impersonated Li Qing'er and went to the Li family. Everything I ate, used, and wore was bought by the Li family. Only this piece of jade did I bring into the Li family myself. This is a Shou Xin Jade. I recall it was left to me by my grandmother. I've carried it with me all these years and never parted with it."
"May I see it?" Yan Shouyi asked.
"Yes."
Li Qing'er handed the Shou Xin Jade to Yan Shouyi. Yan Shouyi took it and examined it carefully.
The Shou Xin Jade was made of mutton-fat white jade, with a warm, moist texture, and it was crystal clear. It still held Li Qing'er's body temperature and a faint scent of youth.
The Shou Xin Jade was carved into a statue of a deity, but the deity's specific features were unclear, so Yan Shouyi could not determine its purpose.
From his perspective, the Shou Xin Jade was valuable, but it had no other special functions.
It couldn't compare to treasures like the Red God Umbrella, the Eastern King Gourd, or the Soul Slayer Blade. It was just an ordinary, albeit expensive, piece of jade.
After examining it, Yan Shouyi was greatly disappointed. He felt this jade was unlikely to be what he was looking for.
Seeing Yan Shouyi's disappointed expression, Li Qing'er also lowered her head somewhat dejectedly. Besides this, she had nothing else.
She felt a sense of loss for being unable to help Yan Shouyi.
However, just as Yan Shouyi was about to return the Shou Xin Jade to Li Qing'er, his heart suddenly stirred.
It felt as if a string was tied to his heart, and someone had tugged at the other end.
He quickly realized it was the Wood Bird San Yuan, connected to his heart, subtly alerting him.
Could this Shou Xin Jade possess a magical quality he couldn't perceive?
Human perception was much weaker than that of animals, let alone San Yuan, which possessed human consciousness and thought processes along with animalistic perception.
Therefore, Yan Shouyi instinctively chose to believe San Yuan, confirming that this Shou Xin Jade was indeed what he was looking for!
"Isn't it what you were looking for?" Li Qing'er asked softly.
Yan Shouyi shook his head and said, "I'm not sure yet, but it should be. Can you give me this Shou Xin Jade?"
After all, this Shou Xin Jade was Li Qing'er's heirloom, possibly the only thing left to her by her grandmother. Yan Shouyi felt a pang of guilt taking something like this from her.
But Li Qing'er said:
"Since I've taken it out, I was prepared to give it to you. Although the Shou Xin Jade was left to me by my grandmother, it is, after all, an inanimate object. I must also let go of the past and look forward. So, if it's useful to you, take it."
Li Qing'er's magnanimity saved Yan Shouyi a lot of trouble.
Yan Shouyi accepted the Shou Xin Jade readily and then asked, "I won't take it for free. How about this, I'll divine a fortune for you, it's guaranteed to be accurate. You can ask about anything you wish."
Such an opportunity was rare. Li Qing'er naturally knew its preciousness. She smiled and said:
"I only need seven numbers. If you predict them correctly, half the winnings are yours."
Yan Shouyi froze.
Was Li Qing'er joking with him?
Didn't he and Long Feicheng just tease Yang Jie like this earlier?
Yan Shouyi coughed twice. "If you want to divine your wealth, calculating lottery numbers is a bit too direct. I can tell you where you can go to get rich."
"I was joking," Li Qing'er blinked. "I don't have anything I need to divine."
"Aren't you curious about your future at all? For example, luck, wealth, or relationships?" Yan Shouyi thought Li Qing'er was too shy to ask for his help, so he added, "Divining a fortune is not difficult for me, nor does it incur any loss. I simply don't want to take your item for nothing."
"I know."
Li Qing'er waved her hand and said with a smile:
"Only those who are lost need someone to point the way for them. But I am not lost at all. Although I have left the Li family and my basic necessities are a problem, I have already decided what I want to do in the future, so you don't need to worry too much about it."
Hearing Li Qing'er's words, Yan Shouyi felt a sense of enlightenment.
He hadn't expected Li Qing'er to grasp so many life philosophies in such a short time.
It seemed she had suddenly understood life.
This was good. Many people spent their entire lives busy, never knowing what they truly wanted, living in a daze until death.
Even Yan Shouyi himself couldn't be as carefree as Li Qing'er at this moment.
He still had many unresolved questions, many unfinished tasks, and no certainty about his own future.
He looked at Li Qing'er with envy and said, "This is very good."
"Thanks to you, too. Compared to my life in the Li family, I feel like I'm living more authentically now," Li Qing'er smiled.
"Regardless, I still want to exchange something for it."
Yan Shouyi thought for a moment, fumbled in his backpack, and finally took out a peace talisman folded into a triangle.
"This is a peace talisman. It has no other function except to keep you safe and ward off some misfortunes. Its effect might be similar to your Shou Xin Jade," Yan Shouyi introduced.
Li Qing'er thought for a moment and nodded, accepting the peace talisman.
"Then I'll accept it. Thank you."
"I should be thanking you."
Yan Shouyi disliked owing favors. After exchanging the peace talisman for the Shou Xin Jade, he felt a little better.
He got up and said, "I've finished my business and am leaving now. I wish you smooth sailing and peace in the days to come."
Li Qing'er's pupils flickered slightly, and then a surprised smile bloomed. She said to Yan Shouyi, "I also hope you and Lin Zitong have a long and lasting relationship."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Yan Shouyi turned and left without lingering. After casting a glance at Yan Shouyi's receding back, Li Qing'er regained her usual composure, lowered her head, and continued her work.
The two parted as if they were ordinary friends who had met by chance in a humble steamed bun shop, smiling and nodding at each other before going their separate ways.
A relationship, thus, came to an end. Fortunately, both parties were very open-minded, leaving no lingering attachments or regrets.
...
Outside the steamed bun shop, Yan Shouyi patted the shoulder of Long Feicheng, who was squatting by the roadside, eating a steamed bun and smoking.
Long Feicheng looked back. "Are you done talking?"
"Yes, it's over," Yan Shouyi nodded.
Long Feicheng chuckled. "If it were me, I'd definitely have a 'breakup bang' before leaving!"
Yan Shouyi kicked Long Feicheng angrily. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm a married man! Besides, you and Lu Caiwei didn't work out either, and I haven't seen you go look for her... What breakup bang are you talking about!"
Long Feicheng said mournfully, "What breakup bang? I never even got to first base! My progress with that ghostly sister from Ping'an Building is better than with Caiwei."
Seeing Long Feicheng's sadness, an uninformed observer might think he was truly a good man heartbroken by love.
Only Yan Shouyi knew Long Feicheng inside out. If Lu Caiwei was a "sea queen," then Long Feicheng was a "sea god"!
After all, he still had the glorious record of "calling prostitutes to the hotel to spend money first, then playing cards with them, and finally winning all the money back."
If Lu Caiwei truly ended up with Long Feicheng, within three years, she would definitely transform from a "house goddess" into a resentful woman. Therefore, it was a good thing that they were fated to be apart.
A person like Long Feicheng was only suitable to meet a woman who could control him. Perhaps only when that woman appeared would Long Feicheng have the possibility of becoming a rich man.
Yan Shouyi patted Long Feicheng's shoulder and said,
"Let's find another quiet place. I still have some matters to attend to."
Long Feicheng quickly covered his pockets. "I'm out of money, I'm really out of money!"
"You still have bus fare, don't you?"
"It's only two yuan, what do you want?"
"Let's go to West Lake. It's my territory now, no matter what, so we should be able to find a quiet spot!"
So, the two got on a bus at the roadside stop and, three stops later, arrived at the West Lake.
The West Lake had already recovered, its surface as calm as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the blue sky.
With the arrival of autumn, Rongcheng's West Lake annual chrysanthemum exhibition had begun. At this time, West Lake Park was bustling with people, full of life.
Looking at the lively West Lake, Long Feicheng murmured, "Today, in this vast West Lake, it might truly be impossible to find a quiet spot..."
Yan Shouyi sighed. "It's not that there isn't one. Never mind, follow me."
Long Feicheng followed Yan Shouyi, bewildered, and squeezed into West Lake Park, following the crowd for several hundred meters.
On the shore of West Lake, Yan Shouyi led Long Feicheng across a covered bridge to an area where tourists were forbidden to enter.
Two men in suits stood guard outside the entrance.
"Brother Yan, tourists are not allowed in here. Is it really okay for us to come here?" Long Feicheng asked nervously.
"What are you afraid of? Just follow me."
In fact, this entrance was none other than the entrance to West Lake Elegant Residence.
West Lake Elegant Residence once belonged to the Li family, but now it belonged to their Yan family. Yan Shouyi's presence there was only natural, and no one could stop him.
"Hello, gentlemen. This is a non-visitation area. Please turn back," the man in the suit politely advised.
Yan Shouyi said calmly, "This leads to West Lake Elegant Residence, right? I need to go in. Notify the people inside to prepare a room and good tea for me."
When going to his own property, Yan Shouyi naturally spoke with the tone of an owner. However, the man in the suit clearly didn't understand Yan Shouyi's meaning.
The man in the suit asked cautiously, "May I ask who you are...?"
"My surname is Yan. You can call the manager of West Lake Elegant Residence and ask if he knows me," Yan Shouyi replied.
The man in the suit dared not delay. After all, ordinary people had no idea of West Lake Elegant Residence's existence. The young man before him, by mentioning West Lake Elegant Residence, had already shown he was no ordinary person.
So, he immediately contacted the manager of West Lake Elegant Residence.
Upon hearing that a young man surnamed Yan had arrived, the manager's tone became somewhat panicked:
"Yan surname?! Could he be the new owner of West Lake?! Quickly let him in, I'll go out to meet him! Do not be negligent!"
The man in the suit was greatly astonished.
When did West Lake get a new owner?
Did it no longer belong to the Li family?
After hanging up the phone, the man in the suit looked at Yan Shouyi with shock and curiosity.
"Mr. Yan, please come in!" He bowed and cleared the way.
Yan Shouyi nodded and walked in silently. Long Feicheng was stunned for a moment and quickly followed.
So this was what it felt like to own West Lake Elegant Residence. Everyone bowed and scraped to you, and no one dared to block your path wherever you went.
Yan Shouyi sighed inwardly. No wonder money and power made so many people lose their way, because these two things could truly make one feel comfortable.
How many people who had enjoyed money and power could return to their original intentions and resist those temptations?
"Mr. Yan!"
The manager of West Lake Elegant Residence, while putting on his shoes, ran towards him, looking rather flustered, clearly still uncertain about Yan Shouyi, the "new owner of West Lake."