Chapter 106: Strict Tutoring at Home

The doctor entered and saw the man shirtless, wearing only a pair of high-quality black pants. His kneeling posture revealed the faint contours of his muscles through the fabric. Fu Yanyan was always distant and cold, stern and indifferent. Yet now, kneeling with his head bowed and sweat streaming down, he retained an air of elegance and nobility that seemed to erase the scars of burns on his body.

“He…”

“Oh, we don’t need to worry about him. Mr. Fu is strictly disciplined; he has to remain kneeling for a while,” the assistant said, pulling the doctor toward the arena. They began carrying the fainted youth, who, despite his delicate features, was surprisingly heavy.

Zhong Huayan took the opportunity to step outside and received a call. It was from the client who had planned to sell a treasure last time. After the incident with Hongshu, the client still chose to come to Zhong Huayan’s company to sell the treasure.

For safety, she sent the location, and the client said they would send a secretary to deliver the treasure. Zhong Huayan called Hongshu over to explain the process.

“Later, a boss will have their secretary come to deliver the treasure. Stay behind me, prepare the tea, and observe how things go. It’ll help with your future work. If you see something you like, I might buy it and give it to you.”

To be precise, this was a business of the Fu Group. Fu Yanyan had recently been preparing to set up a branch company to receive overseas national treasures for free and return them to China at no cost.

Zhong Huayan was skilled in appraisal, which could greatly reduce the company’s losses.

Thinking of this, Zhong Huayan sighed deeply.

She sincerely regretted that her own actions had ruined the bright future of the young monk! He should remain untainted, revered by thousands, handling matters wisely. Why resort to indiscriminate killing? Why conceal the truth? What if the truth came out someday, turning him into a pariah or condemning him to prison for life?

She wished Fu Yanyan could always walk in the light, rationally dealing with problems and bringing villains to justice, rather than acting in such a despicable way on his own accord.

If anyone should be punished, it was him—for his violent approach, harming the innocent and refusing to admit it.

Thinking of these things, Zhong Huayan felt worse than if she had died.

***

Soon, well-dressed staff stepped out of several luxury cars, led by a woman of captivating charm. She walked with the grace of a gentle breeze through delicate willows, her secretary outfit fitting impeccably.

“Hello, are you Miss Li Yanyan? I’m the secretary from Guan’s company. I heard your assistant was kidnapped last time? You’ll need to be careful—the waters here in Aomeng can be quite turbulent beneath the surface.”

Behind her followed several bodyguards, all wearing white gloves and holding boxes of various shapes, each containing valuable items.

They entered a private inner room, and Fu Group’s bodyguards closed the door behind them, standing guard in the dark corridor.

The secretary lightly waved her hand and unfolded a calligraphy piece. Though the repair was somewhat imperfect, it was still legible. It was done on ink-and-wash paper, bearing the seal of Hongyi, a likeness of the Buddha. The characters flowed in orderly silk-like strokes, with red calligraphy in the center, evoking an ancient style.

Zhong Huayan touched it lightly, and with just one glance, she could tell its authenticity and origin.

“Not bad. This is an authentic piece of calligraphy by Master Hongyi. Its value should be around several hundred thousand.”

The secretary was slightly startled, the tea in her hand pausing and rippling.

“Impressive—you judged its origin and authenticity at a glance.”

“Instant expertise comes from experience. Authenticity is a matter of touch. As for origin, calligraphy and paintings usually bear a seal, often the artist’s signature.”

The secretary smiled faintly and opened several other items.

“These are extraordinary pieces. The first is a Qing White Jade intricately carved pendant vase with five blessings and a poem inscription. The white jade vase wobbles delicately on a rosewood stand, with fine gilded carvings. Beside it are a pair of green jade nine-dragon bottles and a white jade double-happiness jade pendant. The jade is top quality—you can tell by the texture alone. But these are worth far less than the following few pieces.”

As Zhong Huayan approached the larger white and green jade items, she was inwardly stunned by the ancient aesthetic. These cultural relics truly belonged back to their homeland.

Meanwhile, the secretary was captivated by the woman before her.

She had seen beautiful women before but never one so talented and full of charm.

“Truly remarkable. Even just the names alone I doubt I could memorize. Please, tell me more about these larger pieces. I’m very interested. When my boss sent me here, I wasn’t told anything about these items.”

Zhong Huayan studied them carefully before speaking slowly.

***

“This brush pot is carved with a landscape painting. It’s the brush pot from ‘Shishi Cangshu.’ Judging by the style, it dates to the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty. It’s well preserved, and even the jade itself is exquisite. This brush pot’s value alone surpasses the other relics, starting at seven million yuan.

“Next is this white jade carved ruyi-shaped vase with banana leaf and lotus patterns. The vase’s body is white with yellow spots and also dates to the Qianlong era, valued in the tens of millions. And this large green jade tripod is a square ding with beast face patterns and four legs. It has a ‘Bing’ character inscription beneath. Its value is also in the millions.”

The secretary grew restless, opening WeChat to message Guan Yujing.

[Boss, Miss Li is incredible! She identified everything correctly, and even the prices match exactly. She also explained that the later pieces are a four-legged square ding, a plum-patterned vase, and a brush pot…]

The secretary looked a little lonely as she watched the message, for the boss had read it as usual but did not reply.

Zhong Huayan noticed something else: when the secretary rolled up her sleeve, the delicate wrist was covered with bruises and scars, looking recent. They didn’t seem like marks from affection but more like abuse.

The contrast between the bruises and the secretary’s sweet, lovely face was stark; it was almost impossible to tell she bore any wounds. The secretary, somewhat gloomy, placed her phone on the table.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She smiled politely. Having grown a bit closer to Guan Yujing today, it was strange that he still didn’t reply.

“Your wrist…”

The secretary finally noticed the bruises on her wrist, which looked more obvious than yesterday. She gave a self-deprecating smile and pulled her sleeve down.

“It’s fine. I just fell.”

Zhong Huayan didn’t press further; the injuries didn’t seem consistent with a fall.

“What’s your boss’s name? I’m Hongshu. I’d like to register it and invite him to tea next time.”