After standing by the nightclub entrance and smoking several cigarettes, I was about to go in to find Liu Zaixi when a voice sounded behind me.
"Mr. Xiang?"
I turned around and saw Liu Zaixi wearing a sexy dress, reeking of alcohol. I didn't know where she had just come from.
"Where did you go?" I asked.
She gave a wry smile and said, "I just sent a customer off. Mr. Xiang, why are you here?"
"I came to find you," I said.
She smiled and said, "Wait for me a moment. I'll go in, tidy up, change my clothes, and then come out."
Ten minutes later, when Liu Zaixi emerged from the nightclub, she had changed into casual wear and the smell of alcohol was much fainter.
"You drink so much every day, can your body handle it?" I asked.
She smiled wryly, "I've gotten used to it long ago."
As she spoke, she walked to the roadside and hailed a taxi, asking me if we were going directly to her place or to get something to eat.
I hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's get something to eat first."
It was clear that she seemed a bit hungry, otherwise, she wouldn't have asked if I wanted to eat.
Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to accompany her to get something to eat.
After all, she had helped me a great deal.
Before long, we arrived at a congee shop. After we sat down, she ordered a seafood congee. "The congee here is good. I always come here to eat after work every day."
I said, "Actually, you don't have to work there. Wouldn't it be better if you opened your own shop?"
"Open a shop?" she asked, playfully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "What kind of shop?"
"Any kind of shop would be better than working there," I said.
"Actually, working there isn't bad. When business is good, I can earn over ten thousand a month. When business is slow, I still make three to four thousand. It's much less troublesome than opening a shop, as I'm using the boss's money and don't have to worry about anything," she said.
"That's true, but you still need to plan for the future," I said. "You can't work there forever."
"The future?" she pursed her lips and smiled, a hint of bitterness flashing in her eyes, "Who knows what the future holds?"
"Is your mother's health any better?" I asked.
"It's still the same. She still needs to take medication."
I nodded, offered her a few words of comfort, and then steered the conversation towards the map.
She told me that she had deciphered the information on the map, but she didn't quite understand its specific meaning. Each character on it contained a wealth of information.
She had compiled all that information and written it down in a notebook.
"You've helped me immensely this time," I said gratefully. "With your skill in deciphering ancient texts, why don't you venture into the antique collecting circle?"
"My skills are nothing special, I only have a superficial understanding. Besides, I know nothing about antiques..."
"You know nothing, but you can learn. Was anyone born knowing everything?"
"No one taught me then."
"If you want to learn, I can teach you."
The moment I said this subconsciously, Liu Zaixi's gaze towards me suddenly seemed to shift.
A flicker of surprise and delight flashed in her eyes. Although it was only for a moment, I still caught it.
Then, her eyes showed a touch of gratitude, "Mr. Xiang, why are you so good to me?"
I froze, somewhat bewildered. What did she mean by being good?
I just casually offered to teach her treasure appraisal.
"We're all friends, and helping each other is only natural," I said with a smile.
"Friends? You consider me a friend?" she asked.
"Of course, otherwise, what do you think we are?" I said.
A complex expression appeared on her face.
Is this woman drunk tonight?
Seeing her silence, I said, "I was serious just now. If you really want to learn treasure appraisal, I can teach you. Then, if you want to change careers and have nowhere to go, you can work at my antique shop in Guangling. I just hope you don't mind."
"Thank you."
For some reason, I felt the atmosphere of our conversation tonight with Liu Zaixi had become a little...
After finishing the congee, we took a taxi to her place, the same shabby rented room.
She handed me the notebook. I opened it and saw it was filled with densely packed text, but it was very clearly organized, with annotations in many places. Her handwriting was also very beautiful.
After receiving the notebook, I should have left, but for some reason, I felt that Liu Zaixi seemed to have something bothering her tonight, so I couldn't help but ask, "Do you have something on your mind?"
"It's nothing much..."
"If you've encountered any problems at work, you can tell me, and I'll talk to Jiang Xueer about it," I said.
"It's not about work. In a little while, it will be my father's death anniversary..." she said faintly.
There wasn't much I could say about such a matter, so I said, "The departed have departed. You shouldn't be too sad."
Just as I finished speaking, my phone rang. I picked it up and saw it was Fatty calling.
"What's up? Fatty."
"Master Xiang, when are you coming back?"
"I'll be back soon. Did something happen?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask, where did you put the White Dragon Jade Horse you mentioned? I couldn't find it in the suitcase."
Hearing him say that, I suddenly remembered that when we boarded the ship, I had only told him that the White Dragon Jade Horse had been found, but I didn't tell him how large it was.
This guy was probably bored at home and wanted to take a look at the White Dragon Jade Horse.
I knew this fat guy's thoughts very clearly.
"What are you looking for? When we came back, remember the suitcase you leaned on to sleep?"
"Yes."
"The White Dragon Jade Horse is in that suitcase," I said. "Don't bother looking for it. If you really want to see it, I'll take you to see it tomorrow."
When I hung up the phone, I was about to bid farewell to Liu Zaixi when I noticed she was staring at me with a furrowed brow.
"Mr. Xiang, did you just say White Dragon Jade Horse?" she asked abruptly.
I nodded, "Uh... do you know about the White Dragon Jade Horse?"
A flicker of something crossed her eyes, and then she smiled, "I've just heard others mention it... were you looking for the White Dragon Jade Horse when you went out of town these past few days?"
I nodded, feeling a little confused. Why did this woman react so strongly upon hearing "White Dragon Jade Horse"?
"Do you have the White Dragon Jade Horse now?" she asked.
I nodded again.
"Where did you put it?"
I asked suspiciously, "Why are you asking this?"
"No... nothing, I'm just curious."
"Is it really just curiosity?" I asked.
She nodded, "Yes, it's just curiosity."
What is this woman up to?
What does the White Dragon Jade Horse have to do with her?
Could she be from one of the Four Great Families?
That's impossible. If she were from the Four Great Families, would she be working in a nightclub?
For a moment, I felt that Liu Zaixi was suddenly shrouded in a veil of mystery...
This woman has a problem!