Chapter 146: Something Is Up

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was chatting and not paying attention, Qianyin quietly slipped back to her room. She pushed the door open cautiously, only to find Molan already asleep. Her complexion was somewhat pale, lacking her usual vitality.

Qianyin sat beside Molan, just as Molan often watched over her. A serene smile touched Qianyin’s lips, reminiscent of the time they first met. Two youthful faces, two pairs of small, delicate hands—they had once looked at each other and clasped hands, overcoming hardships together and striving to become the best they could be.

Reflecting on their past ways of interacting made Qianyin smile. Looking back, there was no other word for those days but naive. At that time, they truly were the most important people in each other’s lives.

As she pondered, thoughts of Lengxue surfaced, and her heart gave a sharp, painful throb. Qianyin gritted her teeth, struggling to push these thoughts away, only to find her mind flooded with images of him. When she was with the others, she hadn't dared to even think about him, but now that the memories were unleashed, her face began to pale, and tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

Qianyin stood up and walked to the window. With stubborn resolve, she tilted her head back, letting the tears slide down her cheeks and land on the windowpane. Gazing out at the scenery, she told herself to let time wash it all away. Time is the greatest healer; it would pass, even if the recovery was slow. She kept comforting herself in her heart: it will pass.

Lying on the bed, Molan smelled the familiar scent of medicine and stirred awake. Seeing the figure by the window, she carefully climbed out of bed, put on her shoes, and walked lightly to Qianyin’s side.

Qianyin was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a hand tapping her shoulder until she turned, startled, to see Molan’s beautiful face. Molan smiled faintly, and seeing the tears on Qianyin’s face, reached out to wipe them away.

Molan embraced Qianyin and said with a smile, "It will pass. We have been through so many hardships before, and we survived them, didn't we? Cheer up; things will get better for us."

Qianyin said nothing; she just nodded desperately, leaning quietly against Molan so she wouldn't collapse. In truth, she wasn't that strong—not really.

Molan felt a deep ache in her heart. If only Lengxue were still alive; then Qianyin wouldn't have to suffer such heartbreak. Perhaps people like them should just focus on their careers, make money, and enjoy their freedom, rather than being trapped by love.

Time ticked away, and Old Xian came to the door and knocked. "You two girls, stop sleeping. It’s time to eat."

The two had stood for so long that their legs were a bit numb. They crouched down to rub each other’s feet, then stood up with a smile, walking out hand in hand. They were truly close sisters, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Old Xian watched them, envious of such a bond, yet he felt no desire to possess it himself. Such connections demanded too high a price. At his age, he viewed all things with a sense of detachment.

As they sat at the table, Qianyin noticed that An Feng was missing. She glanced at Molan’s expression; it was so calm, as if nothing had happened, yet those who knew her could see the glint of tears in the corners of her eyes.

Qianyin knew better than to pick at someone’s wounds. After all, rubbing salt into a wound could be fatal. She was a living example; though she could rise like a phoenix, not everyone was a phoenix.

Old Master Mo and Old Xian kept piling food into Qianyin’s bowl until it resembled a small hill. She enjoyed this feeling of familial care and the atmosphere of the room.

In this moment, it felt as if the recent divisions had never occurred. Everyone wore a faint smile; it was quiet and beautiful.

Boss Jin wanted to speak up, but with An Feng absent, could the two girls make the decision? When Lengxue was by Qianyin’s side, things were easy, but could they rely solely on these two girls?

Qianyin occasionally placed a chicken leg in Molan’s bowl, then glanced at Boss Jin. She had been curious about why he had come; perhaps there was progress regarding the "Seven-Colored Light Jade"?

"Boss Jin, why did you come here so suddenly? Did you come specifically to see me?" Qianyin asked with a playful smile.

In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to Boss Jin. The intensity of their stares was hard to ignore. Boss Jin set down his chopsticks, looked at everyone present with a serious expression, and after a moment, said with a smile, "You could say that. Mostly, I have a favor to ask of you."

Molan nodded. Boss Jin was a busy man; it was only natural he wouldn't visit unless there was a reason.

"I have something to attend to as well," Old Master Mo added, glancing at the others. His weathered face held a look of helplessness that seemed strange to everyone.

Molan looked at her grandfather. Was it about Mo Fan?

"The matter with the medicine shop in Nanjing hasn't been resolved. Wang’s subordinates are still there, so we can't just send someone to take over. I have to go personally to sign the contracts." After saying this, Old Master Mo looked at Old Xian; the shop was intended for him.

Qianyin and Molan sighed. Problems always came one after another, yet when there were none, things were peaceful.

"Is your matter urgent, Boss Jin? If not, we could go to Nanjing first and then handle your affairs," Molan suggested, considering the most thorough approach.

Qianyin didn't mind; she was happy to follow Molan’s lead. Once the matter with the boss was finished, she planned to retire in Nanjing, so she hoped to buy a house there during the trip.

"It’s not exactly urgent, just a trip to Ximen City. An underground auction is being held there, and my property is being auctioned off. I want to take it back. Even if I can't, I’ll make those people pay dearly!" As Boss Jin said this, his knuckles cracked loudly, a sound everyone in the room could hear.

Aside from Qianyin, Boss Jin, and the two bodyguards, no one else knew what had happened. Everyone was curious; what had been stolen from Boss Jin that made it so urgent and important?

Seeing Boss Jin’s state, Qianyin had no choice but to explain everything. It was the boss’s doing—those people were too brazen to openly put the items up for auction.

After hearing the details, everyone was shocked. The price fetched at the last auction had been incredibly high. If there were a lot of items, the price per piece might drop, but it would attract more bidders and generate even more money.

Boss Jin was suffering a massive loss. Although there had been a little left in the warehouse, the fact that it had been emptied out was enough to make anyone furious.

Old Master Mo liked Boss Jin quite a bit; after all, he had gifted him chess pieces and had been very friendly toward Molan. The Mo family had decided to count him as a friend, and Old Master Mo had no objections to Molan and the others going to help him reclaim his property.