Twenty years ago? Hearing this, Su Ziceng felt even more nervous; it coincided exactly with the time Su Qingzhang returned to Mo City and Ye Taina passed away. When old people speak, they always reminisce and describe in a slow tone and pace. Although Su Ziceng was anxious to know more, he did not dare to interrupt, so he had to drink another sip of tea, suppressing the questions that almost burst out.
The gloomy sky began to drizzle like silk. Outside Old Lady Qiu’s room, the balcony was near a centuries-old willow; its green branches swaying, blurring the old woman’s memory.
"At that time, Mussen had just made a name in the jewelry world, and Mussen’s Blessing had just debuted at the international jewelry exposition. However, for Z country, which had not yet opened up, the fame of the jewelry set was not very prominent. So, when Mussen’s jewelry first entered the market, it did not catch much attention; even I overlooked it." Old Lady Qiu was somewhat annoyed when mentioning this; missing such a rare piece of jewelry right in front of her eyes was indeed a great pity.
"But, doesn’t Qiu Zhi have a piece of Green Love?" Su Ziceng had not inquired about the origin of that cufflink, but it was obviously procured from abroad by Qiu Sheng Jewelry.
"Yes," since Old Lady Qiu had the intention of making Su Ziceng her granddaughter-in-law, she didn’t plan to conceal it anymore, "but that was only a few years ago, I bought it from a Japanese businessman."
Twenty years ago, when Mussen’s Blessing appeared, it didn’t catch the attention of the people in Z country, but keen overseas buyers noticed it. Thus, the jewelry set was eventually bought by a Japanese businessman. That Japanese businessman spent nearly one hundred million on Mussen’s Blessing, and since then, it never appeared on the market again, until five years ago.
"I heard that the Japanese businessman who previously bought it declared bankruptcy after Japan’s economic bubble, and only then did his Mussen jewelry start circulating in the market again. When I knew about this, it was too late, so I could only manage to buy a cufflink." What Old Lady Qiu truly wanted to purchase was the entire set of Mussen’s Blessing, but due to the peculiar conditions of that Japanese, she could only acquire that cufflink.
Indeed, judging by the size and rarity of the diamonds, the Red Love that Su Ziceng had was supposed to be the most valuable piece in Mussen’s Blessing. The cufflink owned by Qiu Zhi seemed less significant in comparison.
"Where are the other three pieces of jewelry now? Did that Japanese businessman sell the rest as well?" As far as Su Ziceng knew, although the source channels were unclear, including Yan Wuxu’s earrings, Qiu Zhi’s cufflink, and the Blue Love mentioned by Ye Taina in the Rose Handbook, entrusted to Pello and set into a pen, there should still be three pieces of the jewelry marketed.
"As I know, that Japanese only had one piece of jewelry left, not three. In fact, when Mussen’s Blessing first appeared in Z country twenty years ago, there were only four pieces, not a complete set of seven." Old Lady Qiu reminisced.
"Only four pieces?" Su Ziceng was surprised; excluding the Lover’s Stone she and Pello had, there should have been five, so where did that remaining piece go?
"Yes, and the only remaining piece of Mussen’s Blessing in that Japanese’s possession is ’Yellow Love’." When Old Lady Qiu finished speaking, Su Ziceng’s teacup fell to the ground. The delicate purple-clay cup did not shatter but instead spun around.
It was actually Yellow Love, Su Ziceng’s heart raced; she had discovered Yellow Love over a decade earlier than before. She was so excited that she was momentarily lost for words.
Qiu Zhi was still asking by her side, "Did it burn you?" Seeing Qiu Zhi’s anxious look, Old Lady Qiu also smiled broadly, feeling more and more that the two matched well.
"It’s fine," Su Ziceng picked up the teacup, holding the cup still warm with tea, "That Japanese wouldn’t sell that necklace?"
Fifteen years later, when Su Ziceng was thirty-five, Yellow Love was auctioned for fifty-five million due to "in-house chaos" involving Hang Yishao. Now, the price of this necklace would still be high. Su Ziceng was glad to have known about Yellow Love so early, but it was merely a futile worry as she didn’t have over fifty million to buy a necklace now.
"The price is secondary; that Japanese was also peculiar, saying ’Mussen’s Blessing’ was spiritually endowed and could only be sold to someone destined, so no matter how much I pleaded or insisted, he refused to sell the necklace to us." Five years ago, despite being over seventy, Old Lady Qiu went all the way to Capital City in Japan, spending a whole month there to understand the temperament of that Japanese collector.