This scene was unexpected by everyone. The Suihou Pearl in my hand seemed to have lost its spirituality, instantly turning into an ordinary bead.
The people around me also froze.
"What's going on? How could this happen..."
"Put it down quickly, don't touch it!"
Others chimed in one after another, startling me. I didn't know whether to put down the Suihou Pearl or not.
Wu Tingxiu frowned and said to the crowd, "Everyone here are appraisal experts whom I invited. Mr. Xiang picked up the pearl at my signal, so please bear with me."
After speaking, she unceremoniously asked the others to leave.
Soon, only she and I were left in the office. I put the pearl back into the box, but it didn't return to its previous state.
I looked at Wu Tingxiu, unsure of what to say. She, however, smiled and asked, "Do you think this is the real Suihou Pearl?"
"From the material, I can't tell. After all, I've never seen this kind of material before."
"I, on the other hand, believe it is the real Suihou Pearl," Wu Tingxiu said.
"Oh?" I looked at her with some confusion.
"Actually, my grandfather saw the real Suihou Pearl back then..." She looked at me and continued, "And he even kept a photo, identical to this one. It's just that I never told you."
I was taken aback. She continued, "It seems the legend that the Suihou Pearl can grant immortality is completely unbelievable."
I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say. I had no intention of revealing that there were two Suihou Pearls.
Besides, An Ying had mentioned before that the Suihou Pearl's abilities would disappear once she returned home.
If I guessed correctly, she must have been carrying the "Yang Pearl" back then, and the one placed before me now was the "Yin Pearl."
Looking at the unremarkable bead, I guessed that she must have already returned to her hometown.
"Then how do you plan to deal with this pearl?" I asked.
Wu Tingxiu smiled and said, "How else can I deal with it? No one can prove it's the real Suihou Pearl. Even appraisal experts can't tell its age. To put it nicely, it's a treasure. To put it bluntly, what's the difference between this and ordinary jade?"
She reached out and closed the box, then looked at me, "I'm planning to go to Xiangjiang to partner with someone to open an auction house. Are you interested?"
"Go to Xiangjiang?"
"Yes, everything has been settled over there. If you're interested, you can contribute technical expertise."
"What about your business in Guangling?"
"The business here is mainly hotels, which I've handed over to others to manage. I plan to focus my energy on online antique trading platforms. If the auction house in Xiangjiang is set up, it will be even more beneficial for my development."
Wu Tingxiu chuckled as she said this, "What do you say? Consider it?"
I pursed my lips and said, "Okay, give me a few days. I'll think about it carefully."
"I won't rush you. There are many things to handle in the early stages. Call me anytime after you've made up your mind."
I nodded, glanced at the Suihou Pearl on the table, sighed, and left Wu Tingxiu's company.
After returning, I thought carefully about whether to go to Xiangjiang with Wu Tingxiu.
If Bai Hanyan were still in Guangling, I might not have considered leaving. But now that she had gone abroad and I couldn't contact her, I felt that staying in Guangling or going to Xiangjiang made no difference for the time being.
Since returning to Guangling, I didn't know why, but my longing for Bai Hanyan had become even stronger. It was during this time that I realized, perhaps I liked her...
It's a pity that many things don't go as planned. Life is full of imperfections; if everything were perfect, the word "regret" wouldn't exist.
After discussing with Hong Yunpeng, I asked him if I should go to Xiangjiang. He advised me to go.
He said, "Xiao Fei, staying in Guangling is a waste of your talent. You need to develop in a big city. Xiangjiang is so good. Many major auction houses are located there, and many famous antiques are auctioned there. You'll definitely have more opportunities if you go."
I smiled wryly, "Opportunities or not, I don't really care, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"It's just that I'm a bit reluctant to leave Guangling."
"What's there to be reluctant about? You're not not coming back. If you go there, you can fly back anytime you want."
I thought about it, and what he said made sense. So, I said, "Then maybe I'll go over and take a look first?"
Hong Yunpeng smiled and said, "Of course you should go! But before you go, I think there's something you need to do."
"What is it?" I asked him with some confusion.
He said, "You and Old Master Bai have been in contact for a year. Haven't you asked him for Xiao Bai's contact information?"
I was stunned and didn't know what to say. He continued, "Xiao Fei, I've known you for so many years, and I know your personality very well. You're good at everything, except when it comes to relationships, you're too indecisive. Although that girl Xiao Bai is a bit willful usually, she's genuinely good to you. I can see that you also have some feelings for her. If that's the case, why are you still dragging your feet?"
"Peng Ge, I..."
"Alright, I don't want to know what you're thinking, and you don't need to say it. I'll say it again, relationships are your own business, you decide."
I was a bit speechless. After preparing for half a month, I dialed Wu Tingxiu's number, having made up my mind to go to Xiangjiang with her to take a look.
My plan was to go there first, see the situation, and then decide, as plans can always change.
However, just as I was preparing to leave for Xiangjiang, I received a strange phone call.
I had never seen this phone number before. Unlike a regular mobile number, it had a plus sign followed by the digit 1, and then a string of numbers.
When I answered the call, a familiar voice came from the other end: "Xiang Fei!"
Hearing that voice, I was stunned. I never expected Bai Hanyan to call me.
Logically speaking, after I chose to go to Kunlun Mountain and was gone for half a year, she should have been very angry with me. That's why I never went to Old Master Bai to ask for her contact information, because I didn't know how to face her.
But I never expected her to call me proactively.
After a while, I replied, "It's me..."
"Where are you now?" Her voice was urgent.
"In Guangling."
"Get your passport and book a ticket to come here immediately! I have something very important to tell you!"
"Did something happen?"
"I met An Ying! And she seems to have lost her memory..."
I was stunned and couldn't react for a long time.
"I don't know how to tell you... the situation is very complicated, and I found out she seems... seems..."
"Seems what?" I asked anxiously.
"She seems to have immortal body..."
(The End!)