Ancient Moon Pavilion. <br><br>If you are someone from the circle, you must have heard of this name. As the most famous and reputable antique store in the city, the guests of Ancient Moon Pavilion are almost all social elites. <br><br>And the place where Ziling Ren said she had seen this jade insignia was precisely in this Ancient Moon Pavilion. It was said that not long ago, when Ziling Ren was conducting an interview with the owner of Ancient Moon Pavilion, she saw a collection that included this very same jade insignia. <br><br>Xavi asked Ziling Ren what kind of person the owner of Ancient Moon Pavilion was. <br><br>Ziling Ren immediately frowned, gritting her teeth: "An old hag who's absolutely still stuck in menopause!" <br><br>It was rare to see such an expression on Ziling Ren's face, so Xavi cast her a questioning look. <br><br>Ziling Ren said, "Weird as hell. The moment you step in, she says 'Not seeing guests, please leave.' Even though it’s a nice, warm spring day, her room is as cold as winter. And the way she talks is icy cold too!" <br><br>Xavi replied calmly, "I heard you're a journalist?" <br><br>Ziling Ren snorted, "Journalist, so what? Can't journalists have personal feelings? Besides, when I write my articles, I uphold my professional ethics and absolutely never let personal bias affect my report! But that old hag, well, she’s really something else. However, her granddaughter is quite okay... Hmm, seems to be around your age." <br><br>Xavi propped his chin, looking at the scenery outside the car window retreating in reverse. With an indifferent tone, he said, "I'm 20 this year. My orientation is normal, but I have no plans to find a girlfriend for now. So, put away your matchmaker face. Also, when driving, don’t talk... you’re such a typical woman driver." <br><br>"Just watch! I'll make sure you settle down sooner rather than later! I promised your dad, I’ll ensure you’re happy! And then, I’ll get to hold a chubby grandkid in my arms!" <br><br>Seeing Ziling Ren suddenly fired up with determination, Xavi pointed ahead in horror and shouted, "Careful... the car, the car!!" <br><br>Female drivers are really scary. <br><br>But thankfully, they safely arrived at Ancient Moon Pavilion. Ziling Ren, being the deputy editor-in-chief of a newspaper, had relatively flexible work hours. As for Xavi… well, that old professor of his probably thought that if no one came to class, he could just cancel it and focus on his own research—a great way to start the day, maybe? <br><br>... <br><br>"I remember... Miss Ren, isn't it?" <br><br>The one responsible for receiving Xavi and Ziling Ren in Ancient Moon Pavilion was a receptionist lady. Clean and elegant, she left a good impression on people. <br><br>"You remember me?" Ziling Ren asked curiously. <br><br>The receptionist lady smiled and said, "In our line of work, remembering guests is crucial. Miss Ren has been here twice, once for an exclusive interview. I’ve read that article, and it was really well-written." <br><br>Ziling Ren smiled sweetly, "Thank you!" <br><br>After serving the tea, the receptionist lady said she would inform the manager and then left. At this moment, Ziling Ren suddenly nudged Xavi with her elbow and leaned close to whisper, “Kid, how about this girl? She's elegant, quiet, polite, and looks about your age. Interested? I could play matchmaker for you!" <br><br>Xavi sighed, "I should’ve just asked you for the address and come here myself." <br><br>Ziling Ren clicked her tongue lightly and shook her head, sighing as well, "You’re already 20, you know. Other kids are having babies at 17 or 18! Are you really planning to wait until I’m old and wrinkled before you give me a grandson?" <br><br>"Even in ten more years, you wouldn't be at that age. Don’t worry; I think you’ve preserved yourself quite well," Xavi replied calmly. <br><br>Ziling Ren, feeling proud, said, "Hmm, you’ve got good taste, kid!" <br><br>Saying this, she patted Xavi’s shoulder and laughed heartily, "But don’t worry. If you didn’t like that one, I guarantee you’ll like the next one who comes out. Let me tell you, it’s hard to find such a classic and elegant woman in today’s society!" <br><br>Xavi was so indifferent this time that he didn’t even bother to sneer. How should he put it? Even a real mother wouldn’t care this much. <br><br>"Editor Ren." <br><br>At this moment, a pleasant female voice suddenly called out. The two turned to look and saw a woman in a cheongsam walking gracefully toward them. <br><br>The long cheongsam, embroidered in light green with golden-threaded lotus flowers, had a mandarin collar and long white sleeves. It was paired with a blue silk belt and light white flat shoes. <br><br>Overall, she was tall, with crescent-shaped brows and perfectly defined beauty under her almond-shaped eyes. Her slender waist complemented a full bust, and her hair, simply styled, was adorned with a single white hairpin. <br><br>Xavi slightly opened his mouth, appearing quite surprised. Seeing this, Ziling Ren couldn’t help but nudge him and whisper, “Didn’t you say you weren’t interested? Look at you, staring dumbfounded now!" <br><br>"Editor Ren, I think your friend isn’t dumbfounded but more so stunned," the woman said with a charming smile. "Xavi, didn’t expect to see you here." <br><br>“Well... quite unexpected,” Xavi nodded. <br><br>Ziling Ren glanced back and forth between the two, then exclaimed, “You two know each other?” <br><br>Xavi had no choice but to explain, “This lady here is named Qingrui Zhang. She was my classmate for over a year." <br><br>Qingrui Zhang said softly, “Xavi, isn’t referring to your classmate as ‘this lady’ a bit excessive?” <br><br>Xavi corrected himself, “Qingrui Zhang, my college classmate.” <br><br>Qingrui Zhang smiled lightly, “Still the same, always saying unlikable things.” <br><br>She shook her head, looked at Xavi and Ziling Ren, and asked in slight confusion, “What’s the relationship between you two?” <br><br>... <br><br>"Editor Ren is actually Xavi’s mom?” Qingrui Zhang was quite surprised but didn’t press further on the topic. Instead, she asked, “What brought you to suddenly take an interest in antiques?” <br><br>At Xavi’s hint, Ziling Ren didn’t mention the jade insignia and instead said the kid at home had suddenly developed a fascination with antiques. Unable to bear the pestering, she decided to play the doting mother and help the spoiled child. <br><br>"Yeah, just suddenly became interested," Xavi nodded. <br><br>Well, this was awkward. <br><br>But Qingrui Zhang wasn’t someone unfamiliar with Xavi. Although they weren’t close, being in the same major and with only two students in their year, it was inevitable they’d run into each other occasionally. <br><br>Someone quiet, who could sit somewhere lost in thought until the end of class, but would greet others, maintaining the bare minimum of social interaction... that was Xavi. <br><br>Maybe because of this unexpected encounter, Qingrui Zhang felt she spoke more to Xavi now than she had over the past few months. <br><br>“Hmm… no problem.” Qingrui Zhang then warmly added, “What would you like to see? I can show you around. If you find something you like, you won’t be scammed.” <br><br>Xavi glanced around. <br><br>This was the main hall of Ancient Moon Pavilion. Display cases were placed around, showcasing many antique ceramics, but the jade insignia Ziling Ren mentioned was nowhere to be seen. <br><br>He shook his head, “Do you have something else? Like, higher-quality collections or something.” <br><br>Ziling Ren quickly chimed in, “Miss Zhang, the collections you showed me last time, could you let this spoiled kid of mine broaden his horizons too?” <br><br>“Sure, come with me.” <br><br>Qingrui Zhang moved aside slightly, making an inviting gesture. <br><br>... <br><br>... <br><br>Meanwhile, this scene happened to be witnessed by two young men who had just entered. One was impressive-looking in the lead, while the one behind, though not bad, was noticeably a step down—a follower, perhaps. <br><br>"Youth Zhong, who’s that guy? Why would Miss Zhang personally invite him?" <br><br>The young man addressed as Youth Zhong slightly frowned but suddenly said, “Let’s meet Madam Zhang first. The rest can wait.”")
