After Xie Huai and Qi Xu got into the car, Xu Yichen watched them leave with reluctance. “Can’t you guys take the three of us? You two acting so mysterious, what are you up to? Don’t tell me you’re ditching us for some romantic alone time.”
Xie Huai expressionlessly rolled up the passenger window. Tomorrow, Xu Yichen would be signed up for a Chinese tutoring class.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Xu Yichen patted the window, “You called it—I’m mad now.”
The sports car revved and blew exhaust smoke straight in Xu Yichen’s face.
Qi Xu, sitting calmly inside, looked unbothered—just quietly fiddling with the car’s sound system as if letting himself be controlled by fate.
While driving, Xie Huai glanced at Qi Xu, who was busy messing with the screen in the backseat. “Planning to dismantle this car?”
“No, just trying to find the emergency alarm button,” Qi Xu replied honestly.
Xie Huai chuckled. The car stopped at a red light, and Xie Huai helpfully pointed to the sunroof. “It’s up there.”
Leaning back, Qi Xu watched the red light’s countdown lazily. “So, where are you taking me?”
Xie Huai turned the wheel, sped up, and overtook the cars ahead. “Afraid I’m gonna sell you out?”
Qi Xu replied casually, “We’ll see who sells whom when the time comes.”
Fifteen minutes later, Qi Xu spotted a familiar sign—Antiques Street.
Xie Huai led Qi Xu into Qin Yue’s shop. The doorbell jingled as Qin Yue was brewing tea. Hearing the sound, he looked up and said, “Welcome to my little shop…”
Seeing who it was, he shifted his tone. “Oh, what a surprise to see you here. Isn’t school about to start soon?”
Xie Huai stepped aside to hold the glass door open while Qi Xu stepped inside.
Qin Yue stood up and raised an eyebrow. “A new friend?”
Among Xie Huai’s close circle, there were only a few people—Xu Yichen, Fang Qian, Jiang Zimu. The rest were just casual acquaintances, mostly connected through family business interests. He’d never seen Xie Huai bring a new friend to his shop like this.
He walked forward. “Hello, I’m Qin Yue, Xie Huai’s maternal uncle.”
Qi Xu finally met the “Old Qin” from ten years ago. He was clean-shaven now, but the tied-back hairstyle was unexpected—it transformed him from a sly businessman into someone with an artistic vibe.
“Hello,” Qi Xu greeted him, “I’m Qi Xu.”
Qin Yue smiled warmly. “You can just call me Uncle, like Ah Huai does.”
Every family has a rebellious one who won’t follow the rules—Qin Yue was that person for the Qin family.
He was completely independent of the Qin family’s businesses and had no financial ties to the Xie family either. Qi Xu had met Qin Jing, Xie Huai’s parents, but had never met his maternal uncle. In fact, in his previous life, he didn’t even associate the antiques shop owner with the top-tier Qin family.
Considering Shen Zhuohai’s constant dissatisfaction with him—except for his praise of this antiques shop—Shen likely already knew Qi Xu’s true identity back then.
Qi Xu didn’t follow the lead and said instead, “Mr. Qin, sorry to bother you.”
Qin Yue exchanged a sly glance with Xie Huai, then led them to sit at the tea table.
Xie Huai glanced at his watch. “Uncle, I’m here to pick up the thing I asked you to keep for me.”
Qin Yue went to the back room and came out holding a box. His nephew usually only wore a watch on his wrist. “You called a few days ago asking to leave a bracelet. I didn’t know you even wore bracelets.”
Xie Huai placed the box in front of Qi Xu. “Open it and see.”
Qi Xu recognized the keyword and knew there was a bracelet inside, but didn’t expect it to be an agarwood bracelet—and judging by the quality, it was far better than the one he had discarded before.
He didn’t pick it up right away. “What’s the meaning of this?”
Qin Yue crossed one leg, took a sip of tea, and looked at the two young men with interest. He seemed quite curious about his nephew’s answer. Was this supposed to be a surprise gift?
That would be unusual.
Xie Huai looked over. “The other day, you bought an incense burner from the shop. I misread the price—marked 5,000 but charged you more. This is my compensation for that, as I was the clerk on duty.”
Qin Yue: “…”
He uncrossed his legs.
Qi Xu: “…”
“5,000 read as 10,000?”
Xie Huai said confidently, “I’m not very good with numbers.”
The science whiz said that?
Qi Xu suspected he was mocking something.
He picked up the bracelet and examined it carefully, estimating silently, “The value of this bracelet is probably more than the 4,500 extra I was overcharged.”
“Business is all about integrity and honesty. This is the compensation owed to you, our customer,” Xie Huai said, then glanced at Qin Yue. “Uncle, what do you think?”
The phrase “honest business” sounded grand, but Qin Yue, as a crafty businessman, was caught off guard.
He forced a chuckle and gritted his teeth. “Yes, this shop values honest business. It was his mistake, and I bear some responsibility too.”
Basically, all the blame fell on Xie Huai. He shouldn’t have been allowed to work in the shop in the first place.
Qi Xu was a bit puzzled and wondered about Xie Huai’s real intention. “It’s been so long—why only think about it now?”
Qin Yue could tell that Xie Huai came to the shop today just to trick him, his uncle. Whether he paid or not, it was already decided.
Qin Yue said, “A few days ago when we were reconciling accounts, the numbers didn’t add up. I asked him, and that’s when he remembered. Since he knows you, he figured you should be the one compensated, so after some thought, he picked something he thought you’d like.”
The last sentence was loaded with meaning, though it was unclear if Qi Xu understood.
Qi Xu really did need a bracelet. He rolled it around his wrist a few times, feeling how nice it was. “Are you sure you didn’t miss a zero?”
Xie Huai, not sensitive to numbers, replied bluntly, “Nope.”
Qi Xu was about to say more when his phone rang—it was Fang Qian calling, probably to urge them along.
Xie Huai said, “You get in the car first. I need to talk to my uncle.”
Qi Xu put on the bracelet and stepped outside to answer the call.
With no one else around, Qin Yue’s expression changed instantly. “You brat, you even have to scam me when giving a gift. Qi Xu, that young master who just returned to the Shen family, the one I had my brother investigate—that’s who you want to compensate, right?”
Xie Huai raised his hand to cover the bracelet box. “Tell me how much it’s worth, I’ll transfer you the money.”
Qin Yue clicked his tongue twice. “You’re willing to pay, but you’re basically using me as a stepping stone to get the bracelet to him. What’s with all these complicated reasons for giving a gift?”
Xie Huai said flatly, “It’s not a gift, it’s compensation. He just got to the capital, alone and without support… I felt guilty charging him too much.”
Qin Yue laughed aloud as if hearing something funny. “You actually have a conscience.”
He sized up his nephew and said, “You’ve got a big conscience. You had my brother investigate his background and shut down those itching to exploit this. I know the Shen and Xie families are close—but close enough to make you use the Qin family?”
Xie Huai knocked his fingers lightly on the table and said nothing, staring down as if lost in thought.
Qin Yue glanced toward the tall young man outside, head bowed on the phone, then looked back. “He didn’t call me Uncle just now like you did. That’s different from the Shen family people—their real son isn’t favored, stuck with the old master Shen, while they parade a foster son at all the banquets. This guy, though, he doesn’t fight for attention.”
Xie Huai stood up. “Nothing else. I’m leaving.”
Qin Yue walked him to the door, still talking. “Don’t bully that kid when you’re with him. I heard he’s a top student—don’t lead him astray.”
Xie Huai snorted. “Bully him? You haven’t seen him take on six guys at once.”
Qin Yue patted Xie Huai’s shoulder. “Then work hard, don’t get beaten. The favor is 50,000; you gave me a broken bone—transfer that to my bank account.”
Xie Huai pulled out his phone. “Want to bet I call 12315 and report your shady shop?”
Qin Yue: “…”
He waved it off. “Fine, consider it my welcome gift as your uncle. Maybe I’ll bring him home one day.”
Xie Huai frowned. “What are you thinking?”
Qin Yue smirked mischievously, feigning innocence. “Yichen and the others have all been to my place. What else would I be talking about?”
Xie Huai shut the door without replying. Qin Yue stood behind the glass door and waved at Qi Xu, watching the two young men, about the same age, get into a flashy but inconspicuous sports car.
What a beautiful youth.
