Rong Qian was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice Xu Yang had been watching her the whole time.

As the auction prices climbed higher and higher, the only “poor person” in the room, Rong Qian, couldn’t help but sigh: “Envy has made me unrecognizable to myself — everyone here is loaded!”

A middle-aged man sitting next to her heard this and smiled. “Miss, you’re far too modest. The watch on your wrist is anything but cheap.”

“Hm?” Rong Qian followed his gaze and glanced at her watch. It had been a gift from Shen Yi — could it really be that valuable?

The middle-aged man asked politely: “Miss, may I take a look at your watch? I’m a watch collector — no one knows watches better than I do.”

“Sure,” Rong Qian said generously, taking it off and handing it over.

The man was meticulous about it — he even put on white gloves. He examined it carefully for quite a while, and a peculiar expression crossed his face. “How strange. This watch was clearly made in the seventeenth century, so why does it look so new?”

“You know what kind of watch this is?” Rong Qian asked.

The middle-aged man nodded. “Of course — Patek Philippe. I recognized it at a glance. And yours is a private custom piece. The older the piece, the higher the collector’s value. There was actually one at a previous auction, from roughly the same era as yours, that sold for over ten million.”

He couldn’t help but mutter to himself: “I shouldn’t be wrong about this — it’s clearly a vintage piece. So why does it look so new?”

Rong Qian was floored. She had heard of this brand before — prices ranging from several hundred thousand to over a million — and hers was a custom piece on top of that. The price was unimaginable…

Shen Yi, you nouveau riche! You spendthrift!

Rong Qian’s heart ached for the money. As someone who thought paying more than a hundred yuan for a watch was already too expensive, this one was practically an astronomical price to her!

Seeing the expert still studying her watch, and worried he might figure something out, Rong Qian quickly took it back. As she put it back on, she suddenly felt like she herself had become “expensive.”

Xu Yang had naturally heard the entire exchange.

Judging by Rong Qian’s reaction, the watch was clearly a gift from someone — and an incredibly expensive one at that. Who could have given it to her? Most likely someone of the opposite sex.

The moment the auction ended, Rong Qian left with Xu Yang. On the way out, she asked him about the painting. Xu Yang explained that items won at auction were delivered by the organizers to whatever location the buyer specified.

“So where will your painting be sent?” Rong Qian asked directly, without a hint of awkwardness about the question.

Xu Yang was equally frank — one bold enough to ask, the other willing to answer: “To my second grand-uncle.”

Sure enough, Rong Qian had guessed as much. Others might not understand why Xu Zhiwei would want to bid on that painting, but Rong Qian knew exactly why — it was because of Yan Qingyao.

“Miss Rong, would you like to find somewhere to sit and talk? Or shall we go straight to dinner?” Xu Yang glanced at the time — just past seven, a perfect hour for a meal.

Rong Qian waved her hand. “Let’s skip dinner — maybe another time. We can talk right here.”

They were standing in an open plaza, with their respective cars parked just outside. Rong Qian intended to say what she needed to say and then leave.

“That works for me. Go ahead.” Xu Yang didn’t press her.

Rong Qian gathered her thoughts, trying to phrase things in a way that would convince Xu Yang to take her to meet Xu Zhiwei. “You said you couldn’t imagine what I could possibly say to your second grand-uncle — well, once you see us meet, you’ll understand. Of course, that’s only if he agrees to have you present for the conversation.”

“Miss Rong, the way you talk, it almost sounds like you’re quite familiar with my second grand-uncle,” Xu Yang said, a teasing note in his words. After all, that was simply impossible.

Rong Qian didn’t want to beat around the bush. She cut straight to it: “Just tell me directly — will you help me or not? It’s a simple yes or no.”

“Miss Rong, I won’t hide it from you. My second grand-uncle is at a private medical clinic. He’s old and relies on medication to sustain his life — he can’t leave his bed. Ever since he retired, he hasn’t seen any outsiders.” Xu Yang didn’t want to mislead her.

Rong Qian understood what he meant. “That’s alright. I’ll find another way.”

“I can help you.” Xu Yang said it suddenly. Rong Qian paused, and Xu Yang smiled. “Because I really want to know — what secret does that painting hold?”

Rong Qian raised an eyebrow. She thought to herself that Xu Yang might seem straightforward on the surface, but his mind was quite sharp.

Xu Yang told her to go home and wait for his call. He needed to go through certain procedures and get certain people’s approval before he could confirm whether she would be able to see his second grand-uncle — and of course, the final decision still rested with him.

Before leaving, Xu Yang asked Rong Qian if she had any message to pass along to his second grand-uncle.

Rong Qian thought for a moment, then said: “Tell him that a criminal investigator named Rong Qian wants to see him. Ask him if he still remembers a letter he gave at that banquet all those years ago.”

“A letter?” Xu Yang looked puzzled.

Seeing that he was about to ask more, Rong Qian spoke first: “Just tell him that. No need to ask anything else.”

“Alright.” Xu Yang respected her wishes.

The very next morning, Xu Yang called Rong Qian and said his second grand-uncle was willing to meet her. He asked where she was and offered to drive over and pick her up.

By that time, Rong Qian was already at the police station. Shortly after, Xu Yang arrived by car.

Rong Qian stepped out using official business as her excuse. Once inside the car, Xu Yang told her: “Originally, you wouldn’t have been able to see him — my second grand-uncle doesn’t know you at all. It wasn’t until I delivered the words you asked me to pass along that he paused, then immediately said he wanted to meet you.”

Rong Qian had been gambling on it — betting that even after all these years, he would still remember her.

Xu Yang asked curiously: “Miss Rong, what’s your connection to my second grand-uncle? Or is it that some elder relative of yours had ties to him?”

Xu Yang had his theories. The only plausible explanation was old grievances from the previous generation, and she was simply the messenger.

“Once we meet him, you’ll know,” Rong Qian said — of course she wouldn’t tell him.

Xu Yang nodded and let it go. Instead, it was Rong Qian who asked him: “How much do you know about your second grand-uncle, Xu Zhiwei?”

“Which aspect do you mean?”

“Just whatever you know — about his past, or the experiences of his life.”

Xu Yang thought for a moment and said: “My second grand-uncle never married.”

Rong Qian was somewhat surprised. For the sake of Yan Qingyao, he had lived out his days alone?

She suddenly remembered — the night he had planned to help Yan Qingyao escape, what had actually happened to him? Why hadn’t he succeeded in taking her away? Why had she ended up falling into Shen Chi’s hands instead?

Rong Qian asked: “Do you know why he never married and had children?”

“I heard my father mention it years ago. My second grand-uncle loved only one woman in his entire life. Even though she had married someone else, he never stopped thinking of her. Later, that woman died — and even then, he still didn’t marry.” Xu Yang said it with a quiet sense of wonder. “In an era like that, choosing not to marry — you can imagine the pressure he faced. His family couldn’t accept it, so he eventually went overseas to do business, becoming a dominant force in commerce, wealthy beyond measure. Only in his old age did he return to the family.”

After hearing all of this, Rong Qian had a fairly complete picture of Xu Zhiwei’s life.

She thought for a moment, then asked: “Have you ever heard of the Shen Family?”

“The Shen Family? Which one? There are so many people with the surname Shen.” Xu Yang genuinely didn’t know who she was referring to.

Rong Qian ventured a name: “Have you heard of Shen Yi?”

She had half-expected him to know something — but unfortunately, he knew nothing at all.

And just as Rong Qian thought she wouldn’t be able to get anything useful out of him, Xu Yang suddenly added: “Speaking of people with the surname Shen — I’ve heard that in the early days, when my second grand-uncle was just getting his career off the ground, there was someone with the surname Shen who kept making things difficult for him. Always stirring up trouble, constantly causing my second grand-uncle problems and refusing to let him live in peace.”

“Was that person named Shen Chi?” Rong Qian said.

Xu Yang was startled. “How did you know?”

Of course she knew. The enmity between Xu Zhiwei and Shen Chi — no one knew it more clearly than she did.