**Chapter 44: Testing the Edge, A Dinner Invitation**
I swallowed hard, licked my lips, and looked at Wu Tingxiu’s expressionless face before speaking slowly: “Well… it’s said that the Suihou Pearl was discovered by the Marquis of Sui during one of his travels…”
I recounted the legend of the Suihou Pearl, then fell silent, unsure what else to say.
“And then?” Wu Tingxiu studied me thoughtfully. “Why are you looking for the Suihou Pearl?”
“We…”
I glanced at Wang Yang, who cut in with two words: “Guess.”
Hearing that, I nearly choked.
*Guess?!*
A flicker of displeasure crossed Wu Tingxiu’s face as she let out a cold laugh. “So, my uncle sent you to dig up my grandfather’s grave, is that it?”
Wang Yang replied, “If you know, then you know. If this blows up, you won’t be able to handle the fallout.”
Wu Tingxiu frowned, lost in thought.
I knew Wang Yang was just throwing out nonsense to muddy the waters. But damn, he had guts—if Wu Tingxiu actually called her uncle to confirm, we’d be screwed.
Either Wang Yang was betting she wouldn’t check, or something else was at play, because after a few minutes, Wu Tingxiu finally said, “You can leave.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
Her grandfather’s grave had been dug up, and she was just letting us go?
Before I could process it, Wang Yang nudged me with his elbow. I quickly stood up, grabbed Hong Yunpeng, and the three of us walked out.
Only after leaving did I realize we’d been in a villa.
We hailed a cab back to Hongyuan Yizhai. The ride was silent, none of us speaking much.
Once back at the shop, I opened my mouth to ask questions, but Wang Yang cut me off: “Don’t ask me. I don’t know anything either.”
“You don’t know?” Hong Yunpeng raised his voice. “Then why did Wu Tingxiu let us go?”
Wang Yang shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe there’s bad blood between her and her uncle.”
“But how did you—”
Wang Yang shot him a look. “What was I supposed to say? That Liu Hun sent us to dig up her grandpa’s grave? Even if she didn’t come after us, you think Liu Hun would let it slide?”
I rubbed my chin. “At this point, we should figure out how to explain things to Liu Hun…”
Hong Yunpeng plopped onto a chair. “Explain my ass! If this guy hadn’t gone and ambushed Liu Hun, would we even be in this mess? Let *him* explain it himself.”
Wang Yang ignored him, instead looking at me like he was waiting for my take.
I took a deep breath but came up empty.
Hong Yunpeng broke the silence. “What if we go back tonight?”
Wang Yang scoffed. “Use your brain, man. If it was *your* family grave, wouldn’t you be on high alert? Plus, there are cameras there.”
“Cameras?” I raised an eyebrow.
Wang Yang nodded. “Before I got caught last night, I spotted a few on the utility poles. I was gonna warn you, but before I could, someone knocked me out.”
I rubbed my chin. “Cameras at a gravesite? Wu Tingxiu already knew someone might target her grandfather’s tomb?”
“Probably.”
“Then that means she knows what was inside the coffin?”
A thought struck me. “What if we go talk to Wu Tingxiu?”
“About what?” Wang Yang asked.
“Ask her what was in the coffin.”
He rolled his eyes. “You really think she’d tell you?”
“She didn’t seem *that* unreasonable. Won’t know unless we try.”
For some reason, I didn’t dislike Wu Tingxiu. In fact, I felt oddly at ease around her.
Maybe it was because she smoked the same brand as Ying-jie, but something told me she might help.
I knew it was a stretch, but right now, it was our only shot.
If we could find out what was in that coffin, maybe I could fake a replica using my family’s techniques and pass it off as the real deal.
I had Hong Yunpeng reserve a private room at Zuixian Lou, then asked Wang Yang to get in touch with Wu Tingxiu for a dinner meeting.
Say what you will about Wang Yang, but the guy had connections—high or low, he knew everyone in Guangling.
A hundred bucks later, we had Wu Tingxiu’s number.
By evening, I pulled out the suit Ying-jie had given me. The moment I put it on, I looked like a whole new person.
Hong Yunpeng eyed me enviously. “When’d you get a suit like this?”
I grinned. “Like it? I’ll take you to get one sometime.”
“Wouldn’t wanna impose,” he said, rubbing his hands.
Wang Yang smirked. “Gotta admit, in that suit, you really do look the part of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“You calling me a fraud?” I shot back.
He laughed. “Fine, fine—dashing and debonair. Happy?”
Booking a private room at Zuixian Lou wasn’t cheap—over three grand.
Luckily, I still had the money from selling that inkstone I’d stumbled on earlier, so it wasn’t a problem.
Once seated, Hong Yunpeng asked, “You think Wu Tingxiu’s actually coming?”
I looked at Wang Yang, who said, “Her secretary picked up. I told her to pass on the message: if Wu Tingxiu doesn’t show tonight, she’ll regret it.”
Hong Yunpeng grimaced. “Why’d you say it like *that*? We’re the ones asking for a favor!”
Wang Yang shrugged. “If I’d said we needed help, she’d have hung up on me.”
I sighed. “Doesn’t matter. As long as she comes.”
Wang Yang eyed me. “You really think you can get her to cooperate?”
I shook my head. “No guarantees…”
He threw up his hands. “Then what’s the point?”
“We’ve gotta try.”
Just as we were debating, the sharp *click-clack* of heels echoed outside. The sound stopped at our door.
It swung open, revealing Wu Tingxiu—same outfit as this morning, but now with sunglasses.
Two men in black suits flanked her. She scanned the room, confirming it was just the three of us, then took a seat.
Removing her shades, she looked at us. “Well? What do you want?”
I forced a smile and nudged Hong Yunpeng, who quickly poured her tea.
“President Wu, please, have some tea,” he said warmly.
After a brief hesitation, she took a sip.
I exhaled. “President Wu… there’s something we’d like your help with…”
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*(Note: Translated with a balance of natural English flow while preserving the original tone—mysterious, tense, and slightly witty. Adjusted dialogue tags for smoother readability and trimmed redundant phrasing where appropriate.)*