Damn!
Li Yang looked at the back of Fang Xiaoqing's head, her pigtails bobbing, and felt a bit dejected.
This woman was most likely teasing him on purpose.
So young, yet so skilled!
Zhao Chen, standing beside them, glanced at the two of them in surprise. He moved to the other side and said in a low voice, "Brother Li, you're something else. You've got such a beautiful girl in your grasp, and she's even offering to kiss you. Tsk tsk tsk, you're really blessed with good fortune."
"You're probably mistaken," Li Yang said, torn between laughter and tears. Fang Xiaoqing was definitely not an ordinary, cunning girl. It was hard to say who had the upper hand.
Upon seeing the three of them enter, a male store clerk wearing a black uniform embroidered with the store's name immediately walked over and asked with a smile, "Hello, esteemed guests. Are you here to appraise treasures or to sell them?"
"To appraise treasures," Li Yang replied.
The male clerk's eyes lit up. Those who came to appraise treasures were like gods of wealth bringing money, and they needed to be treated with utmost care. "Sir, please have a seat over there. What would you like to drink? Xiao Liu, pour some tea for our three guests."
"No need for such formalities. Let's get straight to the point," Li Yang said. "I heard you have a set of twelve zodiac bas-reliefs from the tomb of Wang Chuzhi. Could you bring them out for us to see?"
"Ah, I see. I understand now. May I know your names, esteemed guests?" the clerk asked, surprised, lowering his head.
Li Yang smiled and said, "You want to inquire about our background to test if we are qualified, right?"
"No, certainly not."
"It's alright. After all, the twelve zodiac reliefs are extremely rare, and ordinary people wouldn't be able to afford them even if they saw them, making it a waste of time," Li Yang chuckled. "Just tell your boss that my surname is Li, I'm from Jiangcheng, and my family has been in the antique business for a hundred years. I'm sure your boss will know."
"Oh my, you're the young master of the Li family! My apologies, please escort yourselves and your two guests to a private room. I'll have the boss come over immediately." The clerk glanced at him in surprise, not expecting a fellow professional to arrive.
He then led Li Yang and the others to a private room. The environment here was naturally ten times better than the main hall. Not only was there tea, but also various local pastries from Jiangcheng were served.
After a while, he walked in with a thin, fair-faced middle-aged man. "Boss, this is Young Master Li from the Li family."
"Oh," the middle-aged man looked at Li Yang and smiled, "You do bear some resemblance to Li Da. Are you by any chance named Li Yang?"
"Yes," Li Yang nodded. "Boss, you know me?"
"Your father and I are both reputable antique merchants in Jiangcheng, so we naturally have had dealings. I just didn't expect you to be a bit different from the impression I have of you from the rumors." The boss stared at him.
"What kind of person am I in the rumors?"
"Addicted to gambling on stones, neglecting family business, likely similar to a prodigal son. However, looking at your clear eyes and vibrant spirit, you are definitely not a prodigal son, and you seem to have mastered the art of well-being." The boss smiled, then his gaze swept over to Fang Xiaoqing and he said, "As for you, little girl, you came here and didn't even inform me. How is your maternal grandfather?"
"Hehe, thank you for your concern, Uncle Lou Dong. My maternal grandfather is in excellent health. He can live for at least another eighty years," Fang Xiaoqing said with a giggle.
Li Yang was puzzled. "You know Boss Lou? Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You didn't ask me, did you?" Fang Xiaoqing blinked innocently, her expression so pure it made one want to bite her.
This woman!
Li Yang suspected she was doing it deliberately to see how he would react. "Alright, I won't argue with you."
"Boss Lou, it's getting late. Why don't we get straight to the point?"
"That's what I was thinking too. I'm getting old, I can't stay up too late," Lou Dong nodded with a smile and handed a key to the clerk who had first greeted them. "Go to my office, open safe number seven, and retrieve the Ox zodiac."
"You've been with me for a long time, you know how to do it, so I don't need to say much. But this item is exceptionally precious, so I must remind you to be extra careful."
"Yes, Boss. Please rest assured, I will not let the treasure be damaged," the clerk replied, nodding. He immediately took a few people and headed to the office.
Lou Dong sat down and said, "Little girl, I heard your maternal grandfather acquired a set of twelve zodiac reliefs. Is it true?"
"Of course, it's true." This girl, Fang Xiaoqing, always spoke with a smile, giving a very pleasant impression. She held Li Yang's arm and said, "And the person who gave that bas-relief to my maternal grandfather was him."
"Oh?" Lou Dong looked at Li Yang in surprise.
Li Yang smiled, "It was just luck."
"It wasn't luck at all," Fang Xiaoqing said. "Uncle Lou Dong, I'll say this upfront. Whether to buy this Ox zodiac, and how much to pay for it, I'll leave it all up to Brother Li."
"So you absolutely cannot underestimate Brother Li."
"Is that so?"
Lou Dong was even more astonished. This was a transaction involving hundreds of millions, and this cunning little girl was handing over the decision-making power to this young man from the Li family. It was truly peculiar.
"Why?"
"Because I've fallen in love with him, and I believe he won't let me down," Fang Xiaoqing said without hesitation.
Li Yang, who had just taken a sip of tea, almost spat it out. His eyes widened as he looked at her. "You?"
"I'm serious. Anyway, I'm determined to marry no one but you in this lifetime."
"No, no, no, Miss Fang. We've only met twice, there's no need for this. Please reconsider," Li Yang said, increasingly surprised.
Lou Dong was also a bit taken aback. Had their relationship progressed to this extent after only two meetings?
Just then, several clerks, pushing a cart, carefully brought in something wrapped in oiled paper.
"Boss, the item has arrived."
"Ah, good. Unwrap it for Young Master Li to see," Lou Dong said, regaining his composure.
The clerks immediately unwrapped the oiled paper, and soon a bull's head was revealed, followed by a man in ancient attire, and then a person with a sheep. It was indeed the figures of all twelve zodiac animals from Wang Chuzhi's tomb.
Lou Dong said, "Young Master Li, please come closer and take a look."
"Alright."
Li Yang's eyes flickered. He had already seen the origin of the item, but he still followed Lou Dong's words, walked to the bas-relief, squatted down, examined it carefully, and touched it a few times before standing up.
Seeing him stand up, Fang Xiaoqing asked, "How is it, husband?"
"Don't call me that," Li Yang said, somewhat helplessly. Being called husband by such a beautiful woman was certainly not an unpleasant thing, but the pace of development was too fast for him to accept.
Fang Xiaoqing giggled, "Okay, Brother Li, how do you find the item?"