"Miss Xiao, I’ve heard from Zi Yan long ago that you are a lovely beauty, and seeing you today, you indeed look quite charming," Song Yanan said, her speech clearly not typical of Zhonghai people.
However, her way of talking was straightforward and bold. Lin Tian felt a sense of kinship upon hearing her; people engaged in art indeed have distinctive personalities. Only those not swayed by messy thoughts can carve exquisite works and truly deserve the title of Jade Carving Master.
"Sister Song, we arrived late, and I am really sorry," Xiao Manxue, being quite personable, quickly started calling her ’sister’ and moved forward to chat, stepping away from Lin Tian’s grasp.
After all, she was a pure young lady, and holding hands with Lin Tian made her feel uncomfortable, her heart inexplicably racing.
"It’s not late; we just arrived too. The young man next to you is very handsome, he must be your significant other, right? It’s perfect, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, truly a match made in heaven," Song Yanan held the young lady’s hand but kept staring at Lin Tian, causing the young lady to blush deeply.
Lin Tian, however, didn’t take it seriously. Handsome man and beautiful woman were indeed true, but being romantic partners or an ideal match was out of the question. The young lady could be fierce like a tigress; managing to get along with her was already good enough, let alone being love interests.
"Young man, how may I address you?" Once everyone was seated, Song Yanan turned to Lin Tian again.
Being called ’young man’ repeatedly was unusual for Lin Tian, yet the term felt oddly warm, inadvertently bridging the gap between them. Some called him Mr. Lin, but Lin Tian found such an address overly formal.
"Sister Song, my name is Lin Tian," Lin Tian said with a smile.
She seemed quite talkative, and from the start, it was primarily her speaking, with Wan Gaoyuan merely accompanying her. Though Song Yanan appeared dominant, Lin Tian felt the contrary: Wan Gaoyuan seemed like the type to not bother with trivial matters and to take charge only in major issues. In personality, the two seemed well matched.
"My name is Wan Gaoyuan, pleased to meet you," he extended his hand timely and shook hands with Lin Tian.
After sitting down, he continued, "Miss Xiao, Mr. Lin, I tend to speak frankly, I hope you won’t mind. I know the purpose of your visit, but I’m afraid the outcome may disappoint you."
He was indeed straightforward. As Song Yanan tugged at him, Wan Gaoyuan spoke earnestly, "This is my call, both of you. The severity of my wife’s back issue has resurfaced, so until she recovers, I can’t allow her to continue with the jade carving. I hope you understand!"
Wan Gaoyuan put the unpleasant news upfront, but his reasoning was sound, leaving Lin Tian with no grounds for objection. Indeed, if he was doing it for his wife’s sake, what could Lin Tian and Xiao Manxue say?
Nevertheless, Lin Tian believed that even without this issue, Wan Gaoyuan might not have agreed to their request. After all, why should he on a first meeting?
"Old Wan, must you always be so blunt? Can’t you speak nicely? You’re making everyone awkward," Song Yanan chided Wan Gaoyuan, then turned back to the young lady, "Let’s go inside and talk, leaving the two men to their conversation."
As she spoke, she led Xiao Manxue and Zi Yan into the studio, leaving Lin Tian with him. However, as Song Yanan turned to leave, she slyly winked at Lin Tian. He understood her hint: persuade her husband, and everything would be manageable.
Her greatest passion was playing with those jade stones; asking her to give it up was something she would not easily accept.
"Boss Wan, you rejected us before we even made our offer, and I suspect the reason isn’t as simple as you mentioned," Lin Tian said with a smile, looking him straight in the eyes.
Lin Tian’s intuition was sharper than anyone else’s, and he had already detected an ulterior motive from Wan Gaoyuan’s expressions and gazes.
"Haha, Mr. Lin, your eye for detail is indeed impressive, I admire that," Wan Gaoyuan said, his tone lighter than before as he smiled, "You’re right, the day I arrived in Xikou City, someone approached me. In the jade industry, they hold some sway. Moreover, the Xiao Family has been unlucky lately, seeming to have stirred up some trouble. Tell me, if you were to choose, who would you partner with?"
"It must be the Bai Family, right, Boss Wan? I could guess it with my toes," Lin Tian said.
Aside from the Bai Family, there seemed to be no one else capable of making such an impression on Wan Gaoyuan. That the Bai Family had approached Wan Gaoyuan on his first day was no surprise to Lin Tian, considering their long-standing presence in the jade industry.
Wan Gaoyuan did not deny it and nodded, saying, "Indeed, it is the Bai Family. Isn’t that right? The Xiao Family has been quite unlucky lately. When it comes to business, I’m someone who believes quite a bit in luck."
"No wonder you like gambling, Boss Wan. While others think it’s just a hobby, I believe you like to test your luck. Interested in playing a couple of rounds now?" As a businessman, it made sense to Lin Tian to believe in these things.
Why are businessmen keen on praying and making offerings if not to seek good fortune and prosperity?
"Haha, I’m starting to like you," Wan Gaoyuan laughed. "Compared to Bai Yuze from the Bai Family, you’re far more interesting."
Being liked by another man wasn’t something to rejoice about, and as for his comment about Bai Yuze, Lin Tian had a good measure of him. It wasn’t that Bai Yuze lacked ability, but he tended to lose composure when faced with someone stronger.
"Boss Wan really has a sense of humor. The Bai Family recently faced some issues, and Bai Yuze hasn’t recovered yet. Normally, he’s quite competent," Lin Tian said nonchalantly, waving over a waiter to bring playing cards and dice.
"The Bai Family had troubles? I just arrived in Xikou City and haven’t heard about it yet," said Wan Gaoyuan, his gaze flickering.
"A few days ago, a tribute of the Bai Family, an Ancient Martial Artist, was killed while visiting a manor with Mr. Bai. It seems he might have offended someone," Lin Tian said as he took the dice cup and playing cards, hinting no further.
Wan Gaoyuan frowned in thought, having met Bai Zhengchu. Though the partnership was not yet finalized, he had intended to proceed. As he had plans for business expansion in Xikou City, hearing about such severe troubles concerning the Bai Family made him hesitant.
It’s common for businessmen to face various troubles, but the worst kind involved loss of life—excluding illegal businessmen. However, even illegal businessmen would not resort to murder unless absolutely necessary.
Once such matters were exposed by the media, endless troubles would ensue.
"Haha, Boss Wan, let’s not dwell on such disheartening matters, lest we spoil our moods. What kind of game do you prefer?" asked Lin Tian.
"Big or small, all based on luck. I don’t like anything contrived. How about three rounds each for cards and dice?" Wan Gaoyuan returned to his senses, his face breaking into a smile once more.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com