"Sister Shanshan, I need to go out for a bit. Could you please keep an eye on the clinic for me?"
After bidding farewell to He Shanshan, Chen Nan rode his bicycle to the antique market.
There were two types of talismans.
The first type was ordinary talisman paper. While easy to make, these talismans were consumables and couldn't be worn at all times, as many were susceptible to water and fire.
The second type was a high-grade talisman, with the inscriptions carved onto jade. This was both aesthetically pleasing and could be worn close to the body.
Although Chen Nan had saved Jiang Jiancheng's life, Jiang Jiancheng had helped him multiple times, and this debt of gratitude needed to be repaid.
Otherwise, his mind would not be at peace!
Giving him a high-grade talisman was a way to repay the favor he owed.
It was afternoon, so the antique market was not crowded.
Some roadside vendors dozed, while others played poker in small groups.
Chen Nan walked past them one by one. Although there were many pieces of jade, few caught his eye.
Those jades simply couldn't bear the power of the inscriptions. Once carved, they would shatter instantly.
Finally,
Chen Nan stopped in front of Bao Yu Xuan.
It was a building designed in an ancient style, with carved beams and painted rafters, appearing grand and magnificent.
"Bao Yu Xuan... the name sounds a bit familiar!"
Chen Nan felt the name was like a distant echo, but he didn't dwell on it and walked inside.
He had inquired before; Bao Yu Xuan was the largest jade store in Jizhou, offering many mid-to-high-end jades. With enough money, one could even buy top-quality mutton-fat jade.
As expected, upon entering Bao Yu Xuan, Chen Nan's eyes lit up.
The display cabinets were filled with many jade pendants and raw stones.
White jade, green jade, yellow jade, all kinds were available.
Of course,
The prices were not cheap, with the cheapest starting at five thousand.
After more than half an hour of selection, Chen Nan finally chose ten pieces of material and asked the sales associate, "I'll take these ten pieces. Can I get a discount?"
Even though these were the cheapest pieces, they added up to fifty thousand yuan.
The sales associate smiled, "I'm sorry, sir. Bao Yu Xuan's prices are transparent. Whether you buy one piece or a hundred, it's the wholesale price."
"Pack them up for me!" Chen Nan winced in pain.
This was all the money he had, fifty thousand yuan.
"Sell these jades to him at half price!"
A clear and melodious voice, like that of an oriole, announced as a tall, fair-skinned, and beautiful young woman walked in with a smile.
She had a classic oval face, delicate eyebrows, and large eyes that were currently narrowed into slits. A pair of light blue framed glasses perched on her small nose.
Seeing her slightly upturned lips, Chen Nan felt as if lightning had struck him, and he instinctively wanted to slip away.
But the girl extended her hand, blocking his path, a teasing smile on her face. "Chen Nan, what's your deal? Why are you trying to run when you see me? Are you afraid I'll eat you?"
"Do we know each other?" Chen Nan felt a pang of panic.
At this moment, he finally remembered why the name Bao Yu Xuan sounded so familiar.
It was because of the girl in front of him.
The girl's surname was Jian, and her given name was Ning.
She had been Chen Nan's classmate for three years and was recognized as the school beauty.
Suitor after suitor, admirer after admirer.
Although Chen Nan liked Jian Ning, he knew the vast gap between them and never even considered a relationship.
Normally, there would be no connection between him and Jian Ning.
But,
Chen Nan had personally destroyed their pure classmate relationship.
After learning that He Shanshan was getting married, he felt like he had gone through a breakup and couldn't get over it for a long time.
Just then, his best friend suggested that the best way to overcome heartbreak was to start a new relationship.
So,
Brother Nan did something he now considered insane.
At the graduation ceremony, he publicly confessed to Jian Ning: "Jian Ning, I like you. Please give our future children a chance to call you Mom. Waiting online, urgent..."
The entire school was in an uproar!
Neither teachers nor students had ever witnessed such a crude way of confessing.
Jian Ning, her face red, fled the school.
After that,
Chen Nan was wrongly accused and imprisoned for intervening in a fight.
Who would have thought he would run into her here today.
Seeing her half-smiling expression, Chen Nan felt guilty. He then tapped his forehead in surprise. "Jian Ning? Is that you, Jian Ning? My goodness, how have you become so beautiful? Tsk tsk tsk, I never expected to meet you here. Could this be fate bringing us together from a thousand miles away?"
"Stop joking!" Jian Ning's face flushed.
Although she was accustomed to compliments, very few dared to be so flippant in front of her.
"Sister Na, please make some tea," Jian Ning said to the sales associate, then gestured to Chen Nan, inviting him to sit at the resting area by the window.
Chen Nan took a deep breath.
Although he had behaved inappropriately three years ago,
Since she didn't mind, why should he?
After they sat down, Jian Ning lit a stick of fine agarwood. Its fragrance soon perfumed the air with a sweet, fruity scent.
Jian Ning's expression turned a little somber. "I heard about what happened back then. I sympathize with your experience."
"It's nothing much," Chen Nan changed the subject. "What about you? Why didn't you continue your studies?"
Jian Ning sighed softly. "Studying was too boring. Instead of dedicating my limited life to reading and learning, I'd rather do something I enjoy."
Chen Nan was surprised. "How could a top student like you find studying boring?"
Jian Ning casually replied, "So, during my first year of university, I completed all four years of coursework. I majored in jewelry design and am now a senior jewelry designer."
Chen Nan's mouth twitched.
Listen to her! Was that something a normal person would say?
Although Jian Ning was a bit boastful, Chen Nan knew she was an exceptional woman.
Whether it was her looks,
Her knowledge,
Her temperament,
Her demeanor,
Her abilities,
Or her family background, she was one in a million.
Jian Ning smiled meaningfully. "I remember, at graduation, you asked me a question and said you were waiting online, very urgently. Do you still want to know the answer?"
Chen Nan was mortified. She was clearly bringing up something he wanted to forget.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do,
A middle-aged man dressed as a migrant worker suddenly walked in from outside. He had dark skin and a slight stoop, clearly a country person.
However,
Chen Nan frowned. "This person is clearly a normal individual, so why is there a lingering dark energy around him?"