Zhou Ziwei brought Luan Yuqing back to Gu Dongfeng's house. He rang the doorbell, and when Gu Dongfeng's wife excitedly opened the door, she was stunned to see a very beautiful woman following behind Zhou Ziwei. Her expression immediately turned sour.
Gu Dongfeng's wife knew a little about the relationship between Zhou Ziwei and Liu Xiaofei. She knew that Zhou Ziwei already had a wife, but Liu Xiaofei was still devoted to him.
After witnessing Zhou Ziwei risk his own life to remove the time bomb from Liu Xiaofei's body at the timber warehouse, Gu Dongfeng's impression of Zhou Ziwei had already changed. Furthermore, Zhou Ziwei later saved his life, making it even more difficult for him to interfere in Zhou Ziwei's affairs.
Like her husband, Gu Dongfeng's wife has developed a better and better impression of Zhou Ziwei after these days of getting to know him, and has even basically forgotten the fact that Zhou Ziwei has a wife at home.
Even after returning from grocery shopping today, when she heard the indecent sounds coming from Liu Xiaofei's room, she felt a sense of relief. But now, seeing the woman following Zhou Ziwei, she remembered that Zhou Ziwei was married. The thought that the pure and innocent Liu Xiaofei had been taken by a married man naturally made her feel terrible.
"Who is this? He looks unfamiliar to me!"
Gu Dongfeng's wife opened the door, but blocked the entrance, showing no intention of letting the two in. Instead, she looked at Luan Yuqing and coldly questioned her.
Zhou Ziwei could tell from Gu Dongfeng's wife's expression that things weren't good, so he quickly put on a smiling face and explained, "Auntie, this is Miss Luan... Well, when I went to the street to buy something just now, I happened to see her being bullied by a group of thugs, so I helped her out. And since she's too scared to wander around alone for a while, I brought her here to hide for a bit..."
"oh--"
Gu Dongfeng's wife nodded slowly, but the coldness on her face did not lessen at all. She snorted and said, "Saving people is a good thing... but... why do you always save young and beautiful women? I never see you save an old woman."
Zhou Ziwei was speechless, taken aback by her words. Well... it wasn't that he specifically wanted to rescue young and beautiful women, but the problem was that he hadn't seen any thugs harassing old women on the street. Even if he wanted to show that he wasn't acting out of lust, no one would give him that opportunity...
Seeing this, Luan Yuqing quickly bowed politely to Gu Dongfeng's companion, her expression sorrowful, and said, "Auntie, please don't misunderstand Mr. Zhou. Mr. Zhou is a good man. I... I offended a powerful local figure while trying to seek justice for my fiancé, and was imprisoned by him. I barely escaped today, and if it weren't for Mr. Zhou, I might be dead or alive... Mr. Zhou was only bringing me here out of fear that I would fall into their hands again. But if this has caused Mr. Zhou any trouble, I would feel extremely guilty. If you don't trust me, then... I'd better take my leave now!"
"Hey... don't go..."
Gu Dongfeng's wife is also a kind-hearted person. She was just angry with Zhou Ziwei because of Liu Xiaofei's matter, but she didn't mean to make things difficult for an innocent girl.
Hearing Luan Yuqing's pitiful story, she couldn't bear to kick Luan Yuqing out any longer. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Luan Yuqing's sleeve, a warm smile spreading across her old face. She said, "Don't worry about me, young lady. I just couldn't stand that man's fickle ways, so I deliberately gave him a warning. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. Come, come... come in and sit down. Tell me your story later... um... my old man has some status in this area. If you've truly been treated unfairly, I'll have him get justice for you."
"Thank you very much, Auntie."
Upon hearing this, Luan Yuqing bowed gratefully to Gu Dongfeng's wife once again. She didn't really expect the old couple to help her in any way, but seeing Zhou Ziwei's submissive manner towards the old woman, she knew that she might be Zhou Ziwei's elder, so she naturally dared not neglect her.
Watching the two women, one old and one young, walk arm in arm into the living room, Zhou Ziwei rubbed his nose in annoyance. It seemed that women could communicate more easily with each other, and now he had become an unwanted person.
Seeing that the two women were having a lively conversation, Zhou Ziwei naturally had no intention of joining in. Instead, he picked up the large bag of clothes he had just bought for Liu Xiaofei and hurriedly slipped into Liu Xiaofei's room.
"Hey...you're so annoying, why did it take you so long to get back!"
Liu Xiaofei, who was obediently hiding under the covers, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhou Ziwei come in carrying clothes. Then she glared at Zhou Ziwei and said, "My aunt came to check on me twice. She saw me lying there and thought I... I... it was my first time experiencing that kind of thing, and you ruined my body... She insisted on lifting my blanket to check on me... It really scared me. I couldn't say anything to you... You tore my clothes to shreds. My aunt will definitely think you were raping me. She'll smash your head with a rolling pin until you look like Buddha."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziwei stuck out his tongue and said, "Alright...it's all my fault, okay? Be good, hurry up and get up and put your clothes on!"
Liu Xiaofei pouted and said coquettishly, "No... I want you to put it on me..."
"Alright, alright... I'll dress you, I'll dress you..." Zhou Ziwei shook his head helplessly, then gently lifted the blanket covering Liu Xiaofei. Instantly, her beautiful, dreamlike body was once again revealed to Zhou Ziwei, causing this "newcomer to the world of sex" to waver again. He completely forgot what he was supposed to do, and his hands involuntarily climbed onto Liu Xiaofei's firm, erect breasts, kneading them vigorously as if kneading dough...
"Hmm...you're so mean...you're bullying me again..."
When Zhou Ziwei kneaded and squeezed her, Liu Xiaofei's whole body went limp. She gasped and hugged Zhou Ziwei's head, letting him lower his head and kiss her there for a while. Then she couldn't resist trying to take off Zhou Ziwei's clothes.
"Ah...this...not now..."
Zhou Ziwei felt Liu Xiaofei's small hand touch inside his clothes, and he was startled. He remembered that Luan Yuqing was still sitting outside, and Gu Dongfeng's wife was looking at him with displeasure. If he was still messing around with Liu Xiaofei in the room at this time, how could he face people later...
So Zhou Ziwei whispered in Liu Xiaofei's ear that he had gone out and brought someone back with him.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaofei's lust vanished instantly. She glared at Zhou Ziwei and said, "Pervert... I asked you to help me get dressed, and what are you doing touching me like that... Fine... It seems you can't even dress someone properly, let alone undress them. I'll just do it myself! Hey... turn around, don't peek at me..."
Zhou Ziwei turned around, feeling quite annoyed. Hearing the rustling sounds of her dressing behind him, he was puzzled. They had already reached the point of intimacy, so why wouldn't Liu Xiaofei let him watch her get dressed? It seemed like she had just asked me to help her, so why was she now afraid he would see her dressing herself… Sigh… A woman's heart is unfathomable; that saying is so true…
"Wow...this outfit is really pretty...and it fits perfectly, not too big or too small...hehe...I didn't expect you to have such good taste..."
Hearing the exclamations of praise behind him, Zhou Ziwei turned around and looked at Liu Xiaofei, who was dressed neatly, and he was indeed impressed.
The outfit Luan Yuqing chose for herself was worth over three thousand yuan, but the one she chose for Liu Xiaofei cost over eight thousand yuan from head to toe. The difference in quality was obvious. Liu Xiaofei's family had never been well-off, and she had never worn clothes of this quality before. When she put them on and looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.
Zhou Ziwei scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Well... I don't have such good taste. These clothes were all chosen for you by that Miss Luan."
Liu Xiaofei felt slightly disappointed upon hearing this, but still smiled and said, "Oh... then I must thank Sister Luan properly... Okay... let's go out! Otherwise, it wouldn't be good to keep Sister Luan waiting outside for too long."
After saying that, Liu Xiaofei tidied up the quilt on the bed slightly, carefully put away the bed sheet that was already stained with red, checked around to eliminate all the evidence left after the "crime", and then took Zhou Ziwei's arm and walked out with a big smile on her face.
After the two came out, they found that Gu Dongfeng had also come out of the studio at some point and was chatting with Luan Yuqing, who was sitting on the sofa. Meanwhile, Gu Dongfeng's wife was already preparing to eat.
"Haha... Xiao Zhou... Xiao Fei... Don't just stay cooped up in the house all the time... Come... Take a look at my new work... Hehe... It's been years since I've carved anything, but I didn't expect my skills to not only not have deteriorated at all, but they seem to have even improved! Places that I could clearly see before but couldn't control with my carving knife to make subtle adjustments, I can now do with ease... Sigh... I have to say, Xiao Zhou... Your medical skills are truly amazing! Not only have they stopped this old man's hands from trembling, but they've even improved my sensory sensitivity quite a bit..."
Zhou Ziwei smiled bitterly upon hearing this, thinking that if he had consumed so much soul power and it didn't even have this little effect, wouldn't that be a waste?
He sat down next to Gu Dongfeng with Liu Xiaofei and saw that Gu Dongfeng had carved the small piece of jade he had brought in earlier into a pendant shaped like a monkey.
Among the twelve zodiac animals, the monkey is the most difficult to carve. Because its body shape is similar to that of humans, yet it must also express the differences between humans and animals, it is no easy task to carve the spirit of a monkey on such a small piece of jade. This best shows the depth of the carving skills.
As a master jade carver, Gu Dongfeng naturally had no problem with his carving skills, and the monkey he carved was also quite different from the monkeys in the ordinary twelve zodiac animals.
The little monkey he sculpted was so lifelike that its scratching and rubbing appearance seemed almost alive.
Wow...what an adorable little monkey!
Liu Xiaofei immediately fell in love with the pendant upon seeing it.
"Take it if you like it!" Gu Dongfeng waved his hand generously and said, "Anyway, this belongs to Xiao Zhou. I don't think he'll mind giving it to you! However, this pendant is currently only a rough draft. If you want it, it will take a few more days..."
Zhou Ziwei said, bewildered, "That's strange... This thing was clearly carved by you just now, how did it become mine?"
Gu Dongfeng smiled and said, "This is the material you provided. I only made a few cuts on it. After it's finished, it's still yours, hehe... Don't tell me that the materials were given to me... I'm not a greedy old man. Besides, what use would I have for so many valuable things if I'm already on my deathbed?"
Seeing that Gu Dongfeng still refused to accept the jade fragments, Zhou Ziwei had no choice but to reveal a little of the truth, saying, "Grandpa, please keep them! To tell you the truth... there's more than just this much good stuff you've unearthed from under your old house... what I've brought you is only a small part, so please don't be so polite with me, okay?"
"Uh...really!" Gu Dongfeng was somewhat surprised to hear this, but his expression remained clear, without showing any greed or regret. It was obvious that at his age, knowing that his days were numbered and that there was no one to carry on his legacy, he truly had no desire for money.
Those who are without desires naturally have no wants. Perhaps in his eyes, these jades are nothing more than raw materials that can be used to showcase his carving art.
"Hehe... Even if you unearthed a mountain of gold under our old house this time, it would all be yours. Once the house is sold to you, it has nothing to do with me anymore."
Gu Dongfeng shook his head again and said, "I already said... I don't need so many valuable things, well... but since you brought them and healed my hand, it's fine to leave these materials here for now, hehe... I've been itching to carve these materials lately, so I can use them to practice... I'll return them to you after I've finished carving them all... what do you think?"
"Ah...this...how could I possibly accept this..."
Seeing that Gu Dongfeng was unwilling to accept the jade fragments, Zhou Ziwei naturally didn't insist. However, upon hearing Gu Dongfeng's next words, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
If I had known better, I wouldn't have sent those two big wooden crates back to Dangyang. I should have just brought them all to Gu Dongfeng's house. The value of those jade raw materials would have increased by one or two times after being processed by an ordinary jade carver. But if they were carved by a master like Gu Dongfeng, it would be normal for their value to increase tenfold or eightfold. In that case, wouldn't his batch of jade raw materials worth 1 billion yuan suddenly become 10 billion yuan?
Of course... Zhou Ziwei was just fantasizing about this in his mind. In fact, he understood that although Gu Dongfeng's hands no longer trembled after his treatment, and even his sensitivity had improved, Zhou Ziwei was not a god and could not really make people young again.
As long as Gu Dongfeng's body continues to age, the nerve endings that have temporarily regained their vitality will wither again.
Moreover, putting aside the issue of his hands, Gu Dongfeng is already quite old, and his energy is ultimately limited.
Given Gu Dongfeng's meticulous work ethic, it might take him several days, or even more than ten days, to complete a small pendant. At this rate, it would be quite an achievement if he could finish carving all one hundred-plus pieces of jadeite scraps in his lifetime. Even if Zhou Ziwei were to send all those several thousand pieces of jadeite scraps to Gu Dongfeng, even if Gu Dongfeng were willing to work like a slave for Zhou Ziwei, he probably wouldn't have the energy to do so...
"You old fool, stop showing off your cooking skills and hurry up... bring the kids over for dinner."
Gu Dongfeng's companion poked his head out of the dining room and greeted him with a smile. Gu Dongfeng immediately gave an embarrassed laugh, patted the jade powder remaining on his palm, and said, "Well... it's time to eat. I need to wash my hands first, otherwise that old woman won't let me sit at the table. You guys go ahead first! Don't wait for me..."
At the dinner table, Liu Xiaofei's eyes kept glancing intentionally or unintentionally towards Luan Yuqing. She hadn't shown any unusual reaction when Zhou Ziwei mentioned this woman, but as a woman, how could she be completely unguarded when the man she liked brought home a woman? Although Liu Xiaofei knew that Zhou Ziwei had another wife, she could still be considered a concubine, right? If Zhou Ziwei had just taken her body and then quickly brought home a third wife, Liu Xiaofei would be devastated.
Although Luan Yuqing may look two or three years older than Zhou Ziwei, her mature womanly charm has a different kind of allure compared to Liu Xiaofei's youthful and sunny personality. Perhaps for younger men, such a mature woman is even more attractive.
Moreover, Luan Yuqing always had a hint of melancholy in her expression, making her look somewhat pitiful and easily arousing a man's protective instincts. Therefore, Liu Xiaofei was very worried that Zhou Ziwei would be infatuated with this woman.
Of course... Liu Xiaofei wasn't the kind of foolish woman. Naturally, she wouldn't be jealous without reason or cause, nor would she show hostility towards Luan Yuqing. She was simply thinking about how to get more opportunities to spend time with Zhou Ziwei...
But the thought that Zhou Ziwei might leave Tengchong and Yunnan tonight, and that she didn't know when he would be able to return, made Liu Xiaofei's heart ache. All thoughts of jealousy vanished, and her eyes reddened, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably and falling into her rice bowl...
Volume 1, Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 170: Peeping
When Liu Xiaofei started crying, everyone at the table immediately stopped eating. Gu Dongfeng's wife first glared at Zhou Ziwei, then rushed over and hugged Liu Xiaofei, gently asking her why.
Liu Xiaofei just shook her head and said that she had sand in her eyes. When pressed, she simply put down her rice bowl, stood up and ran back to her room, closed the door and refused to come out no matter what.
Gu Dongfeng and his wife exchanged a glance and could only sigh helplessly.
Although Liu Xiaofei didn't reveal the reason, as people who had been through it, they could easily guess.
Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. Zhou Ziwei had already made it clear that he had a wife, and Liu Xiaofei knew that. But even though she knew that her relationship with Zhou Ziwei would not have a future, she still recklessly indulged in this unreal relationship like a moth drawn to a flame. So... who can she blame?
Although Zhou Ziwei hadn't told them he was leaving tonight, Gu Dongfeng and his wife knew that Liu Xiaofei was probably so sad because she knew they would have to part ways sooner or later.
They were at a loss. They couldn't exactly tie Zhou Ziwei down and prevent him from leaving! Of course, they couldn't persuade Liu Xiaofei to go back to Dangyang with Zhou Ziwei either, since Zhou Ziwei already had a wife. As elders, they couldn't bring themselves to encourage a younger generation to compete with another woman for a husband!
So the elderly couple could only sigh...
Faced with this situation, Zhou Ziwei was naturally very embarrassed. Under the strange looks from Gu Dongfeng and his wife, Zhou Ziwei wished he could just use the transformation to turn himself into someone else.
He didn't intend to start something and then abandon it; he just hadn't yet made up his mind to spend his life with Liu Xiaofei.
Liu Xiaofei was forced to have that kind of relationship with him. He was a normal man with normal desires. If he could remain unmoved by being so tempted by a young and beautiful woman, then he must be a saint or a eunuch.
As it turns out, Zhou Ziwei was neither a eunuch nor a saint, so he couldn't resist taking the easy way out. The result was not easy. Although no one has forced Zhou Ziwei to take responsibility yet, does that mean he can just eat and wipe his hands of the matter and leave without a word?
Sigh... This is giving me a headache... It seems that emotional debts are really hard to repay...
Liu Xiaofei's crying made everyone lose their appetite.
After everyone quickly finished their meal, Gu Dongfeng went back to his studio alone. His wife frowned as she cleaned up the dishes. Luan Yuqing, being perceptive, went to help, but Gu Dongfeng's wife smiled and refused.
Zhou Ziwei silently went to the sofa in the living room and sat down. He saw an open pack of cigarettes on the coffee table, so he took one out and put it in his mouth.
Just as he was about to look for a lighter again, a slender, fair hand picked up a lighter and held it in front of Zhou Ziwei, lighting it with a "pop".
Zhou Ziwei glanced at Luan Yuqing, whose expression was always so melancholy, his lips twitched slightly, and he forced out an awkward smile before leaning over to light his cigarette.
Taking a deep breath and letting the thick smoke fill his lungs, Zhou Ziwei seemed to temporarily forget his troubles.
Of course, he wasn't inhaling drugs, just cigarettes, so that feeling of ecstasy was fleeting. When he exhaled the smoke, he realized that the world was still the same, and his troubles hadn't lessened at all.
"Are you leaving Tengchong?"
Luan Yuqing sat quietly beside Zhou Ziwei for a while. Seeing that Zhou Ziwei's complexion had improved a bit, she finally spoke softly and asked.
"Oh... how did you know?" Zhou Ziwei glanced at Luan Yuqing, somewhat puzzled as to how she knew so much.
"I guessed..." Luan Yuqing seemed to know that Zhou Ziwei was observing her, and lowered her head somewhat shyly, like a bashful little girl.
"Guessed?" Zhou Ziwei smiled wryly. How come women these days are so smart... They could even guess this?
"Hmm...it's just a guess."
Luan Yuqing nodded and said, "I saw that Miss Liu was very unhappy, and there was a deep sense of reluctance in her eyes when she looked at you... so I guess... you must be leaving here and leaving Miss Liu."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziwei could only nod repeatedly and say, "Yes... you guessed correctly, um... you are indeed very smart, and your observation skills are also amazing, but... what do you mean by asking me this?"
Luan Yuqing suddenly raised her head, looked directly into Zhou Ziwei's eyes, and said nervously, "I...I hope you can take me with you..."