Chapter 5

The Starstone of Jade Star, the Blood Fog Lotus of Narcissus Star, and the Mermaid of the Undersea Star are known as the three greatest treasures of the universe. They share the common traits of being extremely beautiful, rare, and mysterious.

Yan Ning had the fortune to witness two of these treasures, and indeed, as the rumors said, they were both enchanting and beautiful.

However, sometimes, the more beautiful something is, the more brutal it can be. The Star stone feeds on blood, the Blood Fog Lotus is a carnivorous flower that grows in the depths of swamps, and both use their stunningly beautiful appearances to attract prey.

The boy, now facing her, had hair as black and smooth as night, and his skin was pale and cold like jade. His facial features were exquisitely delicate, almost divine. His eyes, set in long, narrow sockets, were deeper and darker than the Star stone. There were tear-shaped moles under the corners of both eyes, perfectly symmetrical. His lips were thin on top and slightly fuller on the bottom, giving them a sensual appearance, but the pale color of his lips made him look somewhat sickly.

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yan Ning, his eyes as dark as ink, the red marks left by the slap standing out vividly on his porcelain-white cheek.

Yan Ning’s mind unexpectedly showed the image of the Blood Fog Lotus swaying in the wind after it had finished feeding, along with the winding red river at its roots.

Beautiful yet dangerous. This man might not bode well.

Yan Ning stood up from the grass, gave a light nod to the couple, bent slightly, took two steps back, then turned and left quickly.

After returning to the classroom from the playground, she stood at the window and gazed at the cherry blossom grove, but the two figures were no longer there.

Qiao Yingxue turned around and asked, “Ningning, your face is a little red. Did something happen?”

“Ah, no. I just ran back from a distance. I’ll be fine after a short rest,” Yan Ning replied as she sat back in her seat, letting out a long breath.

Men and their looks are truly terrifying.

—

After school, Yan Ning said goodbye to Qiao Yingxue and Zhao Xiaolu at the school gate, then turned to walk toward the bus stop across the street.

She had informed Uncle Zheng that she would be home later, so the driver had already picked up Yan Yu and didn’t wait for her.

Yan Yu was in eighth grade, and their school schedules were the same. It was likely that they would often return home together from now on.

The No. 802 bus slowly arrived from a distance and stopped in front of her.

The bus made multiple stops along the way, taking more time than expected. By the time Yan Ning reached Qixi Plaza, it was already nine o’clock.

She took the elevator to the fifth floor and, as she looked up, saw a large Qixi Supermarket sign. Yan Ning adjusted the strap of her backpack and walked slowly toward it.

The snack supermarket, located inside the shopping mall, extends from the entrance with neatly arranged shelves filled with various snacks, candied fruits, and beverages. Perhaps because it was late, there weren’t many customers in the store.

The owner was a refined man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. At this moment, he was sitting on a single sofa in the rest area, reading a book.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Yan Ning quickly walked over and apologized to the store owner, who was also the person who introduced her, Qin Xian. “I didn’t expect the bus to be so slow.”

Qin Xian looked up, put down his book, and smiled gently, “No need to worry about it. There’s only you as a customer tonight. Please, take a seat.”

Yan Ning sat down, and Qin Xian stood up, casually asking, “We have coffee and black tea. Which one would you prefer, Miss Yan?”

“Black tea.”

Qin Xian placed the freshly brewed black tea in front of Yan Ning, “Is it still the same as last time?”

Yan Ning took a sip of the tea and said lightly：”No, I’m here today to buy something from you, Mr. Qin.”

“Oh?”

Yan Ning took out her black phone, opened an image, and handed it to Qin Xian. “I want to buy something like this.”

“K2 Battery?”

“Do you have it here?”

Qin Xian looked up, his expression unchanged. Inside, he was surprised. It was just like the first time Yan Ning came in and took out a rare gem from Jade Star, which had shaken him. But with his exceptional business skills, he suppressed his excitement and trembling body, striving to maintain his composed and refined image.

After a moment, he gently shook his head, “This item has appeared in the product catalog before. However, due to its relatively high price and the lack of demand, the store doesn’t have it in stock.”

“Can it be ordered?”

“It can, but we would need half of the full payment as a deposit first.”

“How much is the deposit?”

“1.5 million.”

“Ah—” The price was actually within Yan Ning’s expected range. K2 raw material was a rare and high-grade energy source. Even purchasing it directly from an interstellar energy station wouldn’t be cheap. Plus, there would be extra costs from transferring hands. This price seemed reasonable.

She had actually thought the price might be higher, considering it was a product from another planet.

Common sense suggests that imported goods are generally more expensive than local products, and most people subconsciously believe that foreign products are superior to domestic ones. Moreover, when it comes to alien technology, it’s hard to believe that no one would be interested.

So, there’s only one possibility: the store owner’s primary interest doesn’t lie in this, so he hasn’t heavily promoted it. People who are passionate about UFOs or interested in this kind of thing probably don’t know about this store.

She got lost in thought for a moment, but Yan Ning quickly snapped back to reality and focused on the problem at hand.

The price of the battery was indeed not higher than expected, but she didn’t have that much money. A deposit of 1.5 million, and another 1.5 million due upon delivery.

This morning, Uncle Zheng had given her a card with 50,000 inside. He said it was living expenses provided by Tang Minrou.

She thought, perhaps the Yan family was indeed wealthier than an average family. She was somewhat happy about this, as she wouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet for the time being.

It seems she was too happy too soon—she was probably born to work hard.

Three million. How long would it take to save that up?

What should she do?

Sell more stones?

The last gem only sold for a few thousand. Thinking of 3 million, Yan Ning felt a pang of regret. How many of her cherished items would she need to sell to make up that amount?

No, she had to find a way to make money.

Qin Xian picked up a book beside him and continued reading, quietly waiting for Yan Ning to consider her options.

“Excuse me, after paying the deposit, how long will it take for the goods to arrive?”

“About a month.”

A month seemed a bit long, and it made the urgency feel less pressing.

“Could I see the detailed images in the product catalog?” Yan Ning asked.

She was definitely going to buy it, but she needed to confirm the details first. The different models of the optical brain battery looked very similar, but small details made all the difference in compatibility.

Qin Xian could tell that Yan Ning was serious about buying. After leaving for a moment, he returned and handed her something similar to an iPad.

It looked almost identical to an iPad, but it was actually an electronic catalog of the store’s products.

Yan Ning opened the catalog and found the K2 battery. She carefully examined the images to confirm the model and details—it was indeed the same as the original battery for 007.

She let out a sigh of relief and was about to return the electronic catalog to Qin Xian when her finger accidentally touched the screen, flipping to another page. On the page was a platinum necklace embedded with a light blue gemstone.

It looked familiar. She brought it closer and realized it was exactly the necklace Yan Wan was wearing today. The name was the “Platinum Rare Gem Necklace,” priced at 2 million.

A 2 million platinum necklace, with a gemstone smaller than half the size of a pinky nail…

Yan Ning raised her head to look at Qin Xian.

“…”

Qin Xian took the catalog back with a smile, as if he hadn’t noticed her shocked expression.

“Which foolish… rich person bought this necklace?” Yan Ning blurted out.

“Sorry, it involves customer privacy, so I can’t disclose that,” Qin Xian replied gently. “So, Miss Yan, would you like me to place an order for the K2 battery for you?”

“Is it possible to place an order at any time? I might come back later,” Yan Ning asked.

Qin Xian’s expression didn’t change, and his attitude remained as calm as before. “Yes, when you decide to place an order, just call ahead.”

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Qin.” Yan Ning stood up, preparing to leave.

Qin Xian also stood. “Miss Yan, if you have any rare gems for sale, you can contact our store.”

“…Ah, okay.”

What a shady businessman!

—

Just as Yan Ning exited the Qixi Supermarket, she received a call from Uncle Zheng asking for her location—he was on his way to pick her up.

Half an hour later, Yan Ning got into the car on Mingda Road.

Out of habit, she hadn’t told Uncle Zheng she was at Qixi Plaza. Instead, she had him meet her at Mingda Plaza, which was two streets over. When he arrived, she had just come out of the mall, holding a bag of takoyaki in her hand.

Yan Ning sat in the passenger seat and handed the bag she was holding to Uncle Zheng. “The little octopus balls are so delicious. I bought a portion for you too.”

Inside the bag was a box of takeout octopus balls.

Uncle Zheng took it and set it aside. “Thank you.”

“Thanks to Uncle Zheng for picking me up. Taking a taxi back would have been quite expensive,” Yan Ning said as she sat in the passenger seat and popped another octopus ball into her mouth.

The solidly packed balls were drizzled with a sweet-salty sauce, sprinkled with shredded pork, seaweed, and bonito flakes. With one bite, the rich flavor filled her mouth, and as soon as she bit into the ball, she immediately tasted the chewy octopus legs inside.

For Yan Ning, it was simply a heavenly delicacy. She sighed in satisfaction. “This is really so delicious!”

“Was everything smooth?” Uncle Zheng asked, his gaze on the road ahead, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Yeah, overall it went well. Have Mom and Dad come back yet?” Yan Ning asked.

“Mr. and Mrs. are on a business trip due to a new project. If you need anything, feel free to contact me,” Uncle Zheng replied.

“Oh, okay.” Yan Ning nodded.

When they arrived back at the Yan family home, Yan Wan had just gotten home too.

The two ran into each other at the door. Yan Wan quickly walked over, hooked her arm around Yan Ning’s, and asked warmly, “Ningning, why are you home so late? Have you eaten?”

“Mm, just some snacks. I had a little something earlier,” Yan Ning replied calmly, her expression composed.

Yan Wan pulled her inside. “Well, I haven’t eaten yet either. Auntie must have made a lot of good food, let’s eat together.”

“Looks like the two young ladies have already met,” Uncle Zheng remarked.

“Yeah, we saw each other in the cafeteria today. As soon as I heard there was a super beautiful girl I’d never seen before, I guessed it was Ningning. And sure enough, it was,” Yan Wan explained with a smile to Uncle Zheng.

Yan Ning didn’t resist and let Yan Wan lead her to the dining room.

Uncle Zheng trailed behind, watching the two sisters’ backs. His mind felt at ease. Everything was just as Mr. and Mrs. had hoped—Miss Wan and Miss Ning were getting along well, at least for now.

Yan Ning had just eaten a serving of octopus balls and wasn’t really hungry, so she ate absentmindedly during dinner.

“Is the food not to your taste?” Yan Wan asked.

“No, Aunt Chen’s cooking is really delicious. I just ate something outside, so I’m not that hungry.”

“Oh, I see. Then don’t force yourself,” Yan Wan said, subtly observing Yan Ning’s behavior, a faint smile curving at the corners of her mouth.

By the evening, Yan Ning appeared much more well-behaved than she had at noon—her head lowered, her eyes downcast, silent and reserved, looking completely like a quiet, pitiful little thing.

Yan Wan felt like she had uncovered a little secret about Yan Ning, and she secretly calculated the best time to peel off her mask.

Yan Ning was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to get 3 million, while also aware that Yan Wan’s gaze kept lingering on her, though she couldn’t be bothered to engage. She lifted her eyes again and noticed the necklace on Yan Wan’s neck. “Your necklace is really beautiful.”

Yan Wan was a bit surprised. She put down her chopsticks and touched the necklace around her neck, revealing a sweet smile. “Do you think it’s pretty too? It’s a Valentine’s gift from Brother Si Yue. I don’t even know where he bought it. Although the gem isn’t big, it has a kind of indescribable mystery to it. I liked it the moment I saw it.”

“Mm, it’s really beautiful,” Yan Ning complimented, thinking to herself, 2 million, of course it’s special.

If anything made it seem so mysterious and unique, it had to be the scent of money.

“By the way, Ningning, you probably don’t know Brother Si Yue yet, right? He’s in college now, but next time he comes back, I’ll introduce you to him.”