Hua Yan, who rushed to the antique jade street, was grabbed by the neck as soon as she got out of the car. Just as she was about to get angry, she turned her head and rolled her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be at the company right now?"
"I'm here with you." Hu Li hugged her and smiled.
Today, they indeed needed to host some officials from the National Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Tax Bureau, and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office for a visit to the company. In reality, they were here to receive some red envelopes from the company or accept some well-packaged ordinary gifts containing valuable items. Of course, wining, dining, and entertainment were also essential parts of the agenda.
After dinner, Hu Li escorted these people to the entertainment city where drinks and hostesses were arranged, and then he slipped away on his own. With his foreign investor status, his departure wouldn't invite complaints from these guests.
A breeze blew over from Hu Li's direction, and Hua Yan caught a whiff of a rich woman's fragrance, contrasting with Hu Li's usual light and dry scent. She smirked mischievously at Hu Li, not saying a word for a while.
"Xiao Yan?" Hu Li was genuinely puzzled by Hua Yan's sudden change in demeanor.
"You smell different." Hua Yan said slowly, her tone cool, as if she had discovered a significant issue.
"You've got a keen nose. I was accompanying some people to the entertainment city, so I picked up some fragrance. But rest assured, I brought those people in and left right away. Can you trust me?"
"Hmph." Hua Yan suppressed a smile and started looking at the wool materials along the way. Initially, she had planned to buy a piece of ready-made jadeite for experimentation, but with Hu Li around, she decided to buy two or three pieces of jadeite for fun. When Hu Li went to the capital last time, his company had accumulated a lot of business, so besides eating, all he did was work in Haibin City. At this time, finding him some entertainment was also good.
"Boss, I'll take these three pieces." Hua Yan walked around and bought three pieces from the middle shop.
"Do you want to unwrap them now, ma'am?"
"Yes."
"If you really like them, I can have Wu Wen help you get some from Myanmar."
"Buying them personally is more fun. But if my experiments succeed, I will indeed need you to get more wool materials." The raw jadeite materials at Muyun Pavilion were all handed over to Feise Jiannian to pass through. If it turns out as she suspected, she will need a lot of wool materials.
"No problem. It doesn't matter how many you need. Actually, that jadeite mine was yours from the start; I was just investing." Because the money for that mine was invested by Hu Li, this cooperation seemed to be between Hua Yan and Feise Jiannian, but it was actually between Feise Jiannian and Hu Li. As for later matters, Hua Yan had already handed over to Hu Li's company.
Of the three pieces of wool, two pieces were gambled on. Only one piece was lower-grade jadeite. Hua Yan sighed repeatedly, without extraordinary abilities, it was half the effort and half the result. If three pieces could turn green, it must be dog shit luck.
"Xiao Yan, shall we buy a few more?" Seeing Hua Yan's lowered lips, Hu Li thought she wasn't happy because she didn't solve the best jadeite.
"Guest, buy a few more pieces. The first time you bought one, it turned green. Your luck has just begun. Continue, and you will surely have a big harvest." The boss, who kept an eye on six roads and ears to the eight sides, immediately spoke up, smiling and hoping that Hua Yan, the goddess of wealth, would buy a few more pieces.
Unfortunately, Hua Yan was not a gambler. She shook her head and left. On the way back, Hu Li answered a call.
"Call Ke Shaozheng and tell him to go to the hospital to handle this matter. I don't have time right now."
"Who's going to the hospital?" Hua Yan asked strangely. Although from Hu Li's expression, it seemed like it wasn't someone very important.
"It's from Huda. Cai Cai fainted and was taken to the hospital. Her brother wants me to go to the hospital."
"Doesn't she have family on the mainland?"
"Yeah, actually, because she gave up her life in Germany to come to the mainland, she fell out with her family. That's why her brother called me."
"Can't you go?" It seemed like Cai Cai knew both of them, and Hu Li's involvement might strain their relationship. Although she didn't want any entanglements between Hu Li and herself.
"I can. Don't worry. With Ke Shaozheng going, he'll handle everything properly. Are you hungry?"
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"Yeah, a bit." Hua Yan rubbed her stomach. Recently, she had been eating a lot more than usual. Before, one bowl of rice was enough, but now she needed two and a half. She was really worried about getting fat.
"Then how about I go back and cook for you?"
"Good idea."
Back at the villa, Hu Li told Hua Yan that the food was ready and called her, then she took her jadeite nest back to her bedroom. Hu Li took a deep look at the jadeite in Hua Yan's hand and then went out to buy groceries.
When Hu Li returned home again, he had chickens, ducks, fish in his left hand, and a variety of colorful vegetables in his right. He opened his coat wide, revealing his pristine white shirt stained with vegetable juice, looking like he had fought with the vegetables.
This attracted Ke Shaozheng's loud exclamations, "Wow, cousin, you actually went to buy groceries yourself, and you've gotten your clothes so dirty. Aren't you supposed to have cleanliness obsession?" He glanced outside and became more certain that Hu Li had personally bought the vegetables.
"Why are you here?" Hu Li asked as he walked towards the kitchen. Halfway there, the housekeeper took the things from Hu Li's hands and went to the kitchen to clean them.
"Cousin, you're too heartless. I just went to the hospital to visit Cai Cai for you, and now you won't even let me have a sip of water?"
"Get it yourself." Hu Li went upstairs to change clothes. Passing by Hua Yan's door, he thought about knocking but decided against it.
Following like a ghost, Ke Shaozheng smiled and said, "Cousin, why do you have this expression of wanting to knock but not daring to?" Hu Li actually showed such an expression to a woman; maybe he was serious. But that's good; the more he liked a woman, the better. When the time came, it would be easy to get benefits from his woman.
"This is the second floor. Do you want me to kick you downstairs?"
"So many rules. Even when there's a guest, I can only stay on the first floor... Cousin, how about making an exception?" Hu Li flashed a sly smile, and Ke Shaozheng panicked, "Don't kick me, I'll go down by myself."
Watching the scene on the second floor, Hu Er's eyes were full of smiles. Ke Shaozheng was malicious and often wanted to get some information from his master. He didn't think about how his master would let him succeed.
During the meal, Ke Shaozheng stayed by dint of persistence. Hu Li and Hua Yan sat on one side, and Ke Shaozheng sat on the other. However, the food on the table was a bit special. Because there were three dishes, every time Ke Shaozheng wanted to pick up a chopstick, he was stopped by Hu Li.
Moreover, after Hua Yan tasted the other dishes, she smiled slightly at Hu Li and ate only the three dishes in front of her. It was because these were the three dishes that Hu Li had started.
"Cousin, why does Miss Hua Yan only eat those three dishes? Is there something wrong with the other dishes?" Ke Shaozheng said on his own, stopping his chopsticks.
"If you're worried, don't eat." Hu Li picked up a chopstick of food for Hua Yan, saying without raising his head.
Ke Shaozheng was so angry that his face turned purple, like pig liver. He couldn't beat Hu Li. Ke Shaozheng focused his attention on Hua Yan, his eyes disdainful, and asked with blame: "Miss Hua Yan, are you being too discourteous to everyone by monopolizing those three dishes?"
"Mr. Ke, you're thinking too much. I come from a humble background and am used to having only three dishes at a time. So with a table full of dishes, I only eat these three in front of me. Why is Mr. Ke, from such a prominent family, arguing over three dishes with a little woman like me?" Hua Yan wasn't angry, keeping a playful thought in her mind.
"Hu Li initially felt displeased hearing Ke Shaozheng's words, but when Hua Yan calmly responded in such a manner, he felt like laughing again. So he said nothing and just watched Hua Yan play.
"You... Miss Hua Yan is indeed eloquent. No wonder even my cousin, who doesn't usually like women, is captivated by you," Ke Shaozheng said with a menacing look in his eyes but a smiling face.
Hua Yan smiled and replied, "Hu Li doesn't like women? Could it be that he likes men instead?" She glanced meaningfully at Hu Li, casting a questioning look at Ke Shaozheng.
Suddenly, the temperature in the dining room dropped, and Ke Shaozheng distinctly felt the chill emanating from Hu Li directed at him. Glancing at Hu Li's expressionless face but dark eyes, his heart raced. Knowing Hu Li was displeased, Ke Shaozheng quickly softened his tone and smiled at Hua Yan, "Miss Hua Yan misunderstood. My cousin likes women, he likes women."
"You two enjoy your meal. I have something to do upstairs," Hua Yan said, thinking about her ability and not wanting to waste more words on Ke Shaozheng. She filled her stomach and left directly.
Watching Hua Yan's leisurely figure leave, Ke Shaozheng gritted his teeth tightly. Damn woman, when Hu Li gets tired of playing with you, let's see how I'll deal with you. Hu Li's dark eyes were already tinged with a smile. He liked Hua Yan's reckless behavior and true nature.
Ke Shaozheng wanted to blow some wind to Hu Li and said, "Cousin, you saw it too. This woman has no manners, she has the face of a commoner. There are many beautiful and well-born women. Why do you need her?
"And Cai Cai woke up in the hospital and asked about you? You might as well have a relationship with Cai Cai. Or should I find a few for you, cousin?"
"I don't like it. Some people criticize my character behind my back. Has cousin been having too easy a time recently?"
"I meant well. I won't say anymore. I have something to do," Hu Li's words carried a threat. If Ke Shaozheng really started investigating him, he would definitely be taken in for questioning by the police for a few days. Although nothing would happen, he had an inexplicable fear of mainland police interrogations. Ke Shaozheng hurriedly left.
In the bedroom, Hua Yan picked up the jadeite and tried to absorb it with her mind. However, after half a day, it seemed like nothing had changed. Although there was a slight chill seeping into her body from the jadeite, she wasn't sure if it was due to the jadeite.
After tossing and turning for half the day, Hua Yan fell asleep, but the jadeite remained in her hand.
The next day, as she woke up and sat up, the jadeite in her hand fell off the bed with a clatter. Hua Yan looked under the bed and couldn't help but widen her eyes. She carefully picked up the stone and examined it. Its shape clearly matched the jadeite from last night.
It seemed like it had worked. Hua Yan didn't bother to wash up and rushed to the living room to find Hu Li to prepare more than ten pieces of jadeite material for her. However, there was no sign of him in the living room.
At that moment, a servant said, "Miss Hua Yan, Master has gone to work, but he instructed to leave breakfast for you. Also, Mr. Hu Er asked me to tell you that he had some business to attend to but will be back soon."
"What time is it now?"
"It's already past ten."