As Chen Qing spoke, she stepped through the main gate of the courtyard.
Inside the gate, besides the two maids standing at the entrance, four more women stood by the screen wall. One of them subtly raised her head upon hearing Chen Qing's voice, only to quickly lower her gaze again.
Chen Qing noticed the maid's small gesture and pointed at her. "Take us for a walk."
The maid, seeing Chen Qing's gesture, politely bowed slightly and made a welcoming gesture, indicating the side gate. In fluent English, she said, "Yes, Miss Chen. Miss Brant, please follow me this way."
Emmanuelle followed Chen Qing as the maid led them through the left side gate and into the second courtyard. Curious, she asked, "It's strange. Why isn't the main gate in the center of the courtyard?"
Chen Qing, who was walking ahead and observing the fully renovated pavilions and corridors, turned to the maid beside them. "Do you know? Explain it to her."
The maid slowed her pace a bit, walking a few steps behind the two. She answered in Mandarin, knowing Emmanuelle had already switched to fluent Chinese, "Miss Brant, this layout follows Chinese feng shui principles. According to the Eight Trigrams, the Xun trigram lies in the southeast and is associated with wind, symbolizing smooth travel. That's why the main gate is placed in the southeast, to ensure safe passage."
Emmanuelle listened intently, nodding as the maid finished. "Fascinating! I'm even more interested now. Could you recommend a book on Chinese feng shui and the Eight Trigrams?"
The maid replied, "The I Ching is the foundation of all Chinese theories on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. However, Miss Brant, the book is quite esoteric. Even many Chinese find it difficult to understand."
"Do you understand it?"
The maid hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can explain the basics."
"Then, teach me over the next few days."
The maid glanced at Chen Qing, who didn't object, and nodded slightly. "It would be my honor."
As they entered the second courtyard, Emmanuelle began to take in the surroundings. Compared to the narrow alley outside, this was truly the hidden gem Chen Qing had mentioned. The ancient trees in the courtyard, the blue-green tiles, and the quaint beauty of the brickwork all exuded an old-world charm. It was still early spring, but she could imagine how, in the height of summer, the lush green of the trees would perfectly complement the architecture.
Chen Qing suddenly spoke again from ahead. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Emmanuelle nodded. "Yes, it is."
Chen Qing added, "Unfortunately, aside from the trees in the courtyard, almost everything else has been rebuilt in the past year."
Emmanuelle was surprised and took another look around. "It doesn't look like it."
Chen Qing turned to glance at her. "Starting from the main gate, it's all been rebuilt. But each tile and brick was taken down one by one, and any missing materials were carefully replaced before the entire structure was reconstructed."
Emmanuelle was astonished and subconsciously glanced at the maid beside her.
The maid noticed her gaze and shook her head slightly. "I only moved in a week ago, but yes, it's just as Miss Chen said. The damage here was so extensive that repairs weren't possible; everything had to be rebuilt."
Walking ahead, Chen Qing added, "Actually, I initially suggested to Simon that he choose a courtyard near Houhai or the Forbidden City. But I can understand why he picked this place—he likes spacious areas. This is a proper five-entry courtyard, and they even added a garden next door when they realized the original building was in poor shape. The total area exceeds 5,000 square meters. Nowadays, there aren't many private residences this large in the city; most similar courtyards have been turned into museums."
Entering the next courtyard, Chen Qing didn't stop. Instead, she headed toward a side gate on the right. Stepping through, they found themselves in a garden modeled after the classical style of Suzhou.
Unfortunately, it was still the wrong season.
Nevertheless, the garden had been meticulously maintained. Even without the greenery, the arrangement of pavilions, ponds, and rockeries still radiated a sense of ancient charm.
Chen Qing walked along the stone path through the garden and headed toward a small pavilion by the pond. She sat down on a stone bench and, as if she had just remembered something, glanced at the maid who had been following them. The maid was about 1.7 meters tall, slender but well-proportioned, with a delicate oval face and almond-shaped eyes that naturally drew attention.
"What's your name?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.
The maid noticed that Emmanuelle had casually taken a seat next to Chen Qing, but she didn't dare do the same. Standing respectfully, she answered, "Jiang Shanwu."
Chen Qing's smile deepened. "Jiang Shanwu, like the famous poem—'Mountains dance like silver serpents, plains race like waxen elephants'?"
Jiang Shanwu nodded.
"Let me guess. You don't happen to have a brother or a sister named Jiang Yuanchi, do you?"
Jiang Shanwu responded, "A younger sister."
"How old?"
"She's two years younger than me and studies at Peking University."
Jiang Shanwu's tone carried a hint of pride as she mentioned the university.
Chen Qing, resting her chin on her hand in a lazy posture, seemed uninterested in the pride in Jiang Shanwu's voice and asked indifferently, "Is she pretty?"
Jiang Shanwu hesitated for a moment before nodding. "She is."
"Bring her over one of these days. If she's good enough to get into this courtyard, she can stay. If she fits in, we'll keep her."
Jiang Shanwu looked up at Chen Qing for a brief moment before quickly lowering her gaze again, her voice soft as she replied, "My sister is only a freshman."
"That's perfect. Her mind is still fresh and untainted. She can be trained from scratch."
Jiang Shanwu bit her lip and met Chen Qing's gaze again. "Miss Chen, my sister won't come, and my parents wouldn't agree to her dropping out of school."
Chen Qing met her eyes and suddenly changed the subject. "Do you speak French?"
Jiang Shanwu blinked rapidly, wanting to deny it, but seeing Chen Qing's sharp yet seductive gaze, she could only nod slightly.
"So, you understood everything I said to Emmanuelle at the main gate?"
Jiang Shanwu hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and said, "Miss Chen, I think what you said was disrespectful. It objectifies women."
"Oh? Objectifying women, huh? What university did you graduate from?"
Jiang Shanwu paused briefly before answering, "Xi'an International Studies University."
"No wonder you've picked up so many Western buzzwords. Objectifying women… Well, I'm from Shanghai International Studies University. Looks like we have something in common." With that, Chen Qing suddenly beckoned to Jiang Shanwu. "Come here."
Jiang Shanwu hesitated, but eventually stepped forward. Seeing that Chen Qing still had her hand raised, she moved closer until Chen Qing's fingers gently lifted her chin.
Chen Qing mimicked a certain man's gesture, tilting Jiang Shanwu's delicate chin upwards. "Jiang Shanwu, that's quite a name. But you'd better be careful. If you're not up to it, beware of a tragic fate."
Jiang Shanwu didn't know how to respond. She couldn't bring herself to pull away, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes.
Emmanuelle, who had been observing this interaction, initially wanted to intervene but suddenly hesitated. For some reason, she found herself too nervous to step in, feeling an instinctive urge to avoid getting involved.
Chen Qing watched as tears began to fall from Jiang Shanwu's eyes. She caught a teardrop with her finger, holding it up as if examining it. She then playfully offered it to Emmanuelle. "Try it. I've heard that tears from pretty girls are sweet."
Without thinking, Emmanuelle leaned in and licked it.
It was salty.
She had been tricked.
Chen Qing withdrew her hand, propping her chin up again, as she watched Jiang Shanwu's silent tears turn into soft sobs. She seemed quite pleased with herself. The strange tension hung in the air for a while until one of Chen Qing's bodyguards, Catherine Elgar, approached, finally breaking the awkward atmosphere.
Catherine glanced briefly at Jiang Shanwu, who was hastily wiping her tears, and addressed Chen Qing. "Miss Ran Yue has arrived."
Chen Qing nodded, stood up, and gave Jiang Shanwu one last look. "Earlier, you gave a good explanation of why the door faces southeast. You seem well-versed in traditional Chinese culture, or perhaps you just prepared in advance. Now, do you know the fifth chapter of the Dao De Jing?"
Jiang Shanwu avoided Chen Qing's gaze, remaining silent.
Chen Qing continued, "Heaven and earth treat all things as straw dogs. So don't forget what I just told you. And don't think you can just quit whenever you want. You're smart. You may not know who you're really working for yet, but once you step into a courtyard like this, it's not so easy to leave."
With that, Chen Qing turned and headed toward the side gate.
Catherine followed quickly behind. She could tell that her boss was in a bad mood. Chen Qing was only
docile around one man, but on most other occasions, she wasn't easy to deal with. She glanced at Emmanuelle, who only shrugged, and Catherine decided not to press further.
The "Ran Yue" Catherine had mentioned was a key figure in Chen Qing's operations in China. At 35 years old, Ran Yue had previously worked in government in Shanghai. After Chen Qing secured her position by Simon's side, she successfully persuaded Ran Yue to join her team. With China's private sector booming, Ran Yue, who was stuck at a deputy division level by age 35, realized her career prospects were limited. Coupled with Chen Qing's lucrative offer, she made the bold decision to resign from her government post.
However, her husband, Cheng Shangxin, had not resigned, leaving a fallback option open—a move advised by Chen Qing. Both Ran Yue and Cheng Shangxin came from prominent bureaucratic families, but due to various historical reasons, their direct support had been lost, leaving them with little hope of climbing higher. However, both still retained significant connections.
The thing about connections, though, was that they required balance.
As the old saying goes, "If you're rich, even distant relatives will come to you; if you're poor, no one will ask after you in the bustling city."
Ran Yue's choice to work with Chen Qing meant reconnecting with the vast influence of the Westeros system, especially since the Westeros system had numerous projects in the Southeast, including Shanghai. Her family connections were suddenly revitalized.
Over the past year, Cheng Shangxin had successfully earned a promotion and moved into a key position within a direct-controlled municipality's development and reform commission.
Of course, this was also influenced by the Westeros system.
With the connections offered by the Ran family, Chen Qing had established an extensive network in Shanghai. Because she leveraged the influence of the Westeros system without having to offer much in return, the results were even greater than expected.
Chen Qing arrived at the front hall of the courtyard, where a woman in her mid-30s, dressed in a fashionable white suit with shoulder-length hair, immediately stood up from her chair. The others in the room rose as well.
Gone was Chen Qing's earlier sharpness. She warmly opened her arms and hugged Ran Yue, smiling. "Sister Ran, you've been working so hard. You haven't been back to Shanghai for days. I bet Cheng is cursing me."
Ran Yue returned the hug with a laugh. "That old ghost won't miss me. He's probably flirting with some young girls."
"Ha! Cheng would never do that."
The two women exchanged pleasantries, and Ran Yue introduced the rest of her group. Apart from her assistant, the other three men were all prominent figures in Beijing's jade industry.
Ran Yue and her team were here to deliver the jade plaques Simon had requested for all the members of the National Style Art Troupe.
Chen Qing was highly efficient and had already completed the task.
After some polite conversation, Lin Su, who had been left to handle the logistics, arrived and greeted everyone. With the introductions done, they quickly moved on to business.
Ran Yue personally opened a large combination-lock suitcase, revealing numerous long, elegant jewelry boxes. Everyone put on gloves before a middle-aged man carefully selected a box and opened it in front of Chen Qing.
Before anyone else could react, Lin Su immediately noticed something off.
Inside the box was a beautifully crafted jade necklace, the chain made of platinum and the pendant of carefully selected Hetian jade, one of the most precious types known as "red skin, white flesh."
However, the engraving on the pendant was wrong.
Simon had given Chen Qing a list of 100 names, all inspired by poems from the Classic of Poetry. Chen Qing had hired top jade craftsmen to design unique carvings for each name, starting from the jade material itself.
Yet, this jade pendant had the word "Nine-Tails" engraved on it, and on the reverse side was a lifelike carving of a nine-tailed fox.
One of the names Simon had chosen indeed referenced a fox—"Youhu," derived from a poem in the Classic of Poetry.
But "Nine-Tails"?
What on earth was that?
A nine-tailed fox?
There was no such name on Simon's list.
Before Lin Su could voice her concerns, Chen Qing had already snatched the pendant. "No mistake—this one's mine."
Lin Su was immediately annoyed. "You—don't forget, he hates stuff like this."
"I've already told the boss. And since you're in charge of the accounts, just make sure everything's in order. I'll pay for this one myself." Chen Qing then turned to the elder craftsman who had accompanied Ran Yue. "Master Ning, can I wear this right away?"
Master Ning wasn't sure what the dispute between the two women was about, but since Chen Qing had been the main point of contact for the project and it had been a significant commission, he naturally maintained a respectful attitude. Smiling, he replied, "Of course. This isn't a talisman that requires consecration. You can wear it immediately. But, Miss Chen, once you put it on, don't take it off too often. Jade needs to be nurtured. It's said that people nurture jade for three years, and jade nurtures people for a lifetime."
Hearing this, Chen Qing suddenly wasn't in such a rush to wear it. She smiled and said, "In that case, I'll wait for an auspicious day." She carefully placed the pendant back in the box, admiring it. "You've done a wonderful job, Master Ning. I'll be sure to bring more commissions your way in the future." Then, turning to Lin Su, she added, "Since you're so particular, you handle the final inspection. I'm exhausted from today. I need to get some rest."
With that, she bid everyone farewell and left the room, taking the box with her.
The group watched her disappear into the inner courtyard, and just as they were about to return to business, they heard a faint melody.
…
There is a fox, gliding along the Qi River. My heart is troubled, but the man I long for has no garments…
There is a fox…
Chen Qing's singing grew fainter as she walked further away.
Lin Su immediately recognized the tune as one composed by a certain man himself, based on the Classic of Poetry's "There Is a Fox." The others, unaware of this, were captivated by Chen Qing's voice. Master Ning, in particular, praised her. "I didn't expect Miss Chen's rendition of the Classic of Poetry to be so melodious. Such national elegance!"
The others echoed his sentiment.
Lin Su just wanted to roll her eyes but restrained herself. Instead, she returned to the meeting room to personally inspect the remaining 100 jade plaques.
Meanwhile, Chen Qing arrived at the inner courtyard, where her western wing room had been prepared for her stay over the next few days.
She entered the room and instructed the maid to prepare a bath. After a long soak, she emerged in a short robe, retrieved her jade pendant, and stood before the full-length mirror, examining both the pendant and her reflection.
Muttering to herself, she said, "'Enchanting the king, ruining the country'—what a crime. A man loses his kingdom and blames it on a woman. What a joke. Even if a man can't control his woman and loses his kingdom, he deserves it."
She finished her monologue, put on the pendant with the ancient engraving of "Nine-Tails," and looked in the mirror. Then, with a satisfied grin, she casually slipped off her robe.
Perfect.
This would nurture a beautiful piece of jade.
After admiring herself a bit longer, she tossed herself onto the large bed. Before wrapping herself in the blanket, she muttered one last time, "Not my problem."
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