On Monday, those who had work went to work, and those who had school went to school. After arguing with Director Zhang, Ding Hanbai took a leave of absence. He didn't specify for how many days, but since Director Zhang was away on a business trip to Fujian, he was in no hurry.

He slept until the sun was high in the sky, combining breakfast and lunch into one meal. After washing up and coming out of his bedroom, he once again saw those two vexing trunks. Ding Hanbai walked slowly to the room next door and let out an earth-shattering roar: "Ji Zhenzhu! Get out here!"

The door was ajar. Ji Shenyu appeared in the crack, his expression unchanging even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him. "What is it?"

"What do you think? What's the meaning of leaving these trunks here? You think you're setting up a stall in the Glassworks District?" Ding Hanbai had just woken up, his voice a little hoarse. "I'm giving you until the end of today to clean this up, or I'll chop up the trunks and nail them into stools."

As he spoke, he pushed the door with his hand, not controlling his strength. The door panel, carved with vines and flowers, banged open completely. Ji Shenyu, standing in the center of the room, flinched, and was immediately bathed in a full measure of sunlight, so much so that even the fine hairs on his forearms seemed to become distinct.

"Senior Brother," Ji Shenyu didn't try to court disaster, peacefully using softness to overcome hardness. "Once I unpack my things, where should I put the trunks?"

Ding Hanbai said, "The machine room is for storing things."

Ji Shenyu nodded, relieved. As long as they weren't being chopped into firewood, it was fine. He had no more questions. During the silence, he met Ding Hanbai's gaze for two seconds. He knew his own eyes were blank, and he also knew that in Ding Hanbai's eyes was that 'Well, well, well' look again.

Ding Hanbai had always been willful, never bothering to hide any of his emotions. Ji Shenyu's expressionless face reminded him of the cloying phrase "a face as fair as crown jade," and then he immediately recalled Ji Shenyu's rotten skills, and his gaze couldn't help but turn contemptuous.

A pretty straw bag is still a straw bag.

Not everyone was present at noon, so there were only a few people around the round table for the meal. The weather was hot and Ding Hanbai didn't have much of an appetite. He sat on the sofa with a bowl of mung bean soup, sipping it slowly. "Hanbai, how many days are you planning to rest?" Ding Erhe came over after finishing his meal and picked up the remote to turn up the TV's volume. "Why isn't the new Fifth Junior Brother eating?"

Ding Hanbai was completely unconcerned. "Who cares about him? He's probably not hungry."

Ding Erhe's quiet voice was layered under the background noise from the TV. "I heard from my dad that he's not just Ji Fangxu's apprentice, he's actually his illegitimate son."

"Are you sure?" Ding Hanbai put down his bowl. He could now roughly understand Ding Yanshou's actions. Ji Fangxu must have entrusted his son to his father's care. In that case, no matter how much of an idiot Ji Shenyu was, since his father had agreed, he had to do his best to take him in.

Ding Erhe added, "Look at him, a boy with a face as fine as pearl and jade. His fate is quite good. He didn't inherit his biological father's family business, but by coming to our family, he gets to have a slice of the pie."

Ding Hanbai just smiled and said nothing, but the amusement in the corners of his eyes and brows exposed his disdain completely. This disdain made Ding Erhe a little awkward and also a little resentful. He sat for another moment before getting up to leave.

"Pathetic," Ding Hanbai said lightly. "You don't need to whisper things in my ear. Those few shops—whoever wants them can have them. They're barely hanging on by a thread, are they even worth you and me fighting over?"

He never spared anyone's feelings. If he saw through something, he would curse it; if he looked down on something, he would spit on it. He found it strange too. The Jade Pavilion had been in decline for so long, so why were they still treating it like a treasure, afraid an outsider would seize it? Could they not have some ambition?

Ding Hanbai lay back on the sofa, trying to summon some sleepiness, but he had slept enough and was actually full of energy. The afternoon was at its hottest. He prepared to go back to his bedroom to enjoy the air conditioning. The short distance from the Front Courtyard to the Small Courtyard was enough to make him break out in a sweat. Just as he stepped through the arched gateway, he froze beside the Lucky Bamboo.

The seats and railings on the North House's veranda, the stone table and stools, the lawn and flowerbeds... every flat surface was covered with open books, leaving practically no place to step. Ji Shenyu was squatting in front of a trunk with his back to the entrance. He scooped up a dozen more books, ran down the steps, and upon seeing Ding Hanbai, his face was flushed red and beaded with sweat. "Senior Brother, the books got a little damp on the way. Is it alright if I air them out?"

Ding Hanbai said, "You've already put them out to dry, what's the point in asking?"

"I'll put them away as soon as the sun sets." Ji Shenyu then filled up the veranda in front of the South Room as well.

In the courtyard where he had lived for twenty years, Ding Hanbai suddenly became clumsy, like a greenhorn entering a brothel, or like a worldly monk caught by the Buddha himself. He spent money like water, especially when it came to buying materials and books, which he never kept track of. So, starting from a patch of lawn by the wall, he began to look, pausing with every step. The more he looked, the more his heart itched with curiosity.

Aside from a few novels, almost all of Ji Shenyu's books were related to antiques and curios. He even had many that were impossible to find on the market. Ding Hanbai walked to the stone table, a bit dazzled by the selection, making his eyes ache. Then the thought of asking to borrow one came to mind, which made his mouth feel just as uncomfortable.

Ji Shenyu hadn't even eaten. He had been running back and forth under the scorching sun dozens of times without stopping. By now, his energy was spent, and he looked like he was about to get heatstroke. He ran to the stone table with the last few books, tossed them down, and leaned against the edge of the table, panting.

Ding Hanbai immediately zeroed in on the book 'Like Mountains, Like Seas'. He picked it up and stared at the cover, saying, "I've been looking for this one for over half a year. When it comes to Marine-salvaged artifacts and artifacts unearthed from mountain tombs, this is the most detailed."

Ji Shenyu evened out his breathing. From being harshly criticized yesterday to being yelled at this afternoon, this was the first time the other man had spoken to him calmly. He understood Ding Hanbai's unspoken meaning—he just wanted to take a look.

But he couldn't let him look for free. He offered the book and asked, "I have too many books. Can I put some of them in the study?"

Ding Hanbai was secretly delighted but accepted the book with a blank expression. "Fine, put some in there."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Ji Shenyu first gathered up a few books that weren't very damp and had been aired out enough. He had to hurry and put them in the study, in case Ding Hanbai went back on his word. Besides, he was curious about what the study looked like inside and had wanted to see it for a long time.

The study was even more spacious than the bedroom, filled with tall cabinets and low cupboards. A half-man-high stack of Xuan paper was piled beside the desk, the carpet was thick and soft, and the air smelled of ink. Ji Shenyu put down the books and curiously glanced at a painting on the desk. Before he could get a clear look at the painting, his eyes were dazzled by a gleaming gold bookmark at the corner of the desk.

A sheet of pure gold, as thick as paper in some parts and as thin as a cicada's wing in others. It was a glittering cloud, far more exquisite than he had imagined.

Ji Shenyu had no time to admire it. Holding his breath, he ran back into the courtyard and rushed right up to Ding Hanbai to snatch the book away. Ding Hanbai had just finished reading the table of contents and said, displeased, "What's wrong with you?"

Ji Shenyu was flushed with anger. "The Gold Bookmark is right there on the desk, go and see for yourself!"

Ding Hanbai feigned ignorance. "Then I must have remembered wrong. It wasn't tucked inside the book."

"Give me back my Jadeite Earrings!" In his panic, Ji Shenyu grabbed Ding Hanbai's clothes and made a move toward the bedroom. "My master gave those to me! I didn't lose the bookmark, don't even think about pocketing my things."

Ding Hanbai violently shook him off. "Pocket? Who'd want them?!"

He went into the room and took out the earrings. He hadn't wanted to keep them in the first place, he just saw their exquisite craftsmanship and wanted to study the technique for a couple more days. "Here, here, take them!" He shoved them into Ji Shenyu's hand. The hooks seemed to prick Ji Shenyu's palm, but he paid it no mind, still preoccupied with the book.

Ji Shenyu wasn't the least bit intimidated by Ding Hanbai. He turned and left briskly, making sure to take the copy of 'Like Mountains, Like Seas' with him.

The doors to the two bedrooms closed at the same time. Only a wall separated them, yet it was as if they were divided by a chasm. Ji Shenyu placed the book on the windowsill to continue drying. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he spotted a box of peach crisps on the table.

The box of peach crisps had been a gift from Jiang Caiwei. He felt that in this family, Jiang Caiwei was the kindest to him.

Ji Shenyu couldn't bear to eat too many. He slowly chewed and savored one piece, but his stomach was still hungry. So, he took out a bag of Southern Red Agate to distract himself. He chose a piece of red and white material, put his tool to it to sketch, his wrist steady and his fingers firm. The lines were drawn in one fluid motion. After finishing the drawing, he began to carve.

He carved with intense concentration until evening, then put down his knife and rubbed his flattened fingertips. He had no way to polish the piece. Unless Ding Hanbai allowed him into the machine room, he would have to borrow books. The two of them were like interlocking buckles, one link connected to the next. There was no brotherly affection between them, nor any goodwill between peers, only... bad blood.

Ji Shenyu went into the courtyard to collect his books. Just then, Jiang Caiwei returned from work, followed by Jiang Ting'en, who was just home from school. Jiang Caiwei helped out, and Jiang Ting'en joined in. They were done in a few minutes.

"Thank you, Auntie." Ji Shenyu expressed his thanks. Seeing Jiang Ting'en standing by the window looking at the copy of 'Like Mountains, Like Seas', he said, "If you like it, you can take it and read it."

Jiang Ting'en was quite happy. "Junior Brother, how old are you this year?"

"Seventeen by East Asian age reckoning, with a spring birthday."

"Then you're half a year younger than me." Jiang Ting'en slung his schoolbag. "You're not in school anymore?"

Back in Yangzhou, Ji Shenyu had already finished his second year of high school. After the summer vacation, he would have started his third year. However, he dropped out and came here before the vacation even began. To Ding Yanshou, his entire existence was an appendage, so he would never make any other requests, such as attending school.

In fact, on his way here, he had already prepared himself to go help out at the Jade Pavilion, ready to be at Ding Yanshou's beck and call at any time.

After the books were put away, Jiang Caiwei came into the room to check if he was short of anything. Ji Shenyu picked up the Nanhong from the table and said, "Auntie, thank you for taking care of me and running around for me these past few days. This is for you."

"Let me see!" Jiang Ting'en snatched it. "Auntie, he carved you!"

It was of red and white material, a graceful young girl standing tall. Her whole body was crimson red, while only her pleated skirt was pure, flawless white. It was the first time Jiang Caiwei had received such a gift. She held it, unable to look at it enough. "It's so beautiful. The skirt looks like it's blowing in the wind. I love it so much."

Ji Shenyu said regretfully, "It just hasn't been polished yet."

Jiang Ting'en said, "That's easy. I'll find Eldest Brother to open the machine room and get it polished tonight." After speaking, he looked at Ji Shenyu. The tall boy looked quite intimidating when he was serious. "Junior Brother, that day you carved the Lucky Bamboo, the direction of the branches and leaves was a mess. How come the pleated skirt is flowing so smoothly with the wind?"

Ji Shenyu dodged the question, "I just had an exceptional burst of inspiration this time. Otherwise, I was afraid Auntie wouldn't like it."

Dinner was ready. Jiang Caiwei pushed them out, and Jiang Ting'en didn't get a chance to ask any more questions. As they reached the veranda, they bumped right into Ding Hanbai, whose eyes immediately fell on the book in Jiang Ting'en's hand.

Glancing again at Ji Shenyu, he cursed inwardly: Little Southern Barbarian.

Everyone was present that evening. A seat for Ji Shenyu had been added to Ding Hanbai's left. Every time he tried to pick up food, Ding Hanbai would nudge him with his elbow. When he raised his bowl to drink soup, he was jostled, causing some of it to spill.

"What are you trying to do?" Ji Shenyu said through clenched teeth. "Are you happy wasting food?"

Even while sitting, Ding Hanbai was more than half a head taller than him, his broad shoulders crowding him. "This is how this family is. If you're skilled, you can be domineering and do as you please. If you have no skill, you'll be a coward and get pushed around."

Ji Shenyu retorted, "I don't see what skills you have, just lazing around at home all day."

Ding Hanbai picked up the last meatball and put it in his own bowl. "Cursing out a superior and not getting fired, that's what you call skill." He then picked up the cabbage leaf from under the meatball—half-cooked and coated in oil—and placed it in the other's bowl, saying loudly, "Zhenzhu, eat up. Senior Brother won't laugh at you even if you get fat."

Ji Shenyu squeezed the words through his teeth, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

As the meal was ending, Ding Yanshou, who had had a busy day, put down his bowl and chopsticks and suddenly said, "Shenyu, Fangxu always wanted you to stay in school, and I think so too. Continue with your third year of high school. We'll talk again after you graduate."

Ji Shenyu felt like a wonderful surprise had just fallen from the sky. He broke into a grin and nodded. "I will, thank you, Master!"

From the corner of his eye, Ding Hanbai caught a glimpse of that 100-percent brilliant smile and was nearly dazzled. He figured Ji Shenyu's academic performance must be average. A fool is a fool, the same in every aspect.

When everyone else had left, only Ding Hanbai's family of three remained in the living room. Jiang Shuliu was grabbing a handful of raisins for an after-dinner snack, and Ding Yanshou was watching the weather forecast. "Dad," Ding Hanbai remembered something, "I heard that Ji Shenyu is Master Ji's illegitimate son?"

Ding Yanshou didn't hide it. "Yes. He was kicked out by Fangxu's wife the same day the funeral was over."

Ding Hanbai felt a strange curiosity and smiled slyly. "Didn't he get any of the family inheritance or anything?"

"He did. Those three trunks." Ding Yanshou said, "Fangxu hadn't made anything with his own hands for a long time. These past few years, he was dabbling in antiques. After he fell ill, Shenyu took care of him, even his bedpan. His wife had already taken possession of almost everything in the house. The moment he passed away, his wife blocked the doorway and told Shenyu to pack, afraid he'd take one extra thing. Shenyu gathered the books, and the materials are what he saved up himself over the years."

Ding Hanbai added, "And the platinum-set Jadeite Earrings."

Ding Yanshou hadn't seen them. "They must be fake. If they were real, she wouldn't have let him take them."

"Impossible, it's natural jadeite!" Ding Hanbai immediately stood up. Even if Ji Shenyu was trying to fool him, he wasn't blind. Besides, would he treasure them so much if they were fake? He hurried back to the Small Courtyard and bumped right into Jiang Ting'en.

"Eldest Brother, I was looking for you." Jiang Ting'en held up a clenched fist. "I want to go to the machine room to polish something."

Ding Hanbai took him to the machine room in the South Room. He glanced at Ji Shenyu's bedroom; the light was on and the door was ajar, but there was no sound. "You carved something?" He opened the door and went in, gesturing for Jiang Ting'en to show him under the brightest light in the machine room. "Let me see."

Jiang Ting'en opened his hand. Knowing that Ding Hanbai and Ji Shenyu didn't get along, he was evasive. "I carved Auntie."

Ding Hanbai picked it up. "You carved this?"

"Yeah, I carved it..." Jiang Ting'en's eyes darted around, not really wanting to admit it. "I ate some ice cream and felt so good that my knife moved as if guided by a spirit. I didn't expect it either."

Ding Hanbai asked, "Are you feeling divinely inspired right now?"

He didn't wait for Jiang Ting'en's reply. Clasping the Nanhong, he sat down in front of the polishing machine and said irrefutably, "I'll polish it. It'll save you from ruining it if your inspiration doesn't strike again."

Jiang Ting'en was indignant, but then he thought that since it was a gift for Jiang Caiwei and didn't belong to him anyway, he might as well let whoever do it. Still, he asked uncertainly, "Bro, is this piece really that good?"

Ding Hanbai's expression always improved when he saw a good piece. "It's good Nanhong. The drawing is vivid and lifelike, the knife work is clean and deft, without a single flaw or shortcoming. The skill level is better than even Keyu's or Erhe's."

Jiang Ting'en felt a surge of anger. So, Ji Shenyu had been hiding his true skill, which meant that in the end, his own level was still dead last. He was quite dejected. "Bro, I'm heading back. Just give it to my aunt directly when you're done polishing."

Ding Hanbai closed the door and turned on the machine. He worked on it all night before it was done. Only after being polished could the Nanhong be considered truly complete. He admired it. Under the light, the Nanhong had a brilliance it didn't normally possess. Putting aside the masterful technique, the reason it was so good was the distribution of its lines.

A rough diamond is nothing special; only with a good cut can it become a dazzling gem. Jade is the same. The first priority is for the carving to look good. A higher level is for it to appear flawless upon close inspection, displaying the artisan's skill. The highest level is when the finished piece beautifies the original material to its utmost limit, where changing a single cut would be wrong, and moving it even a millimeter would be too much.

Obviously, Jiang Ting'en did not have this ability. He couldn't do it even if he opened his Ren and Du Meridians.

It was late. Ding Hanbai decided to give it to Jiang Caiwei the next day. As he passed the room next door on the way back to his bedroom, he noticed the once-ajar door was now open. He coughed to announce his presence, then strode into the room, just in time to see Ji Shenyu drying his hands.

Ji Shenyu's hair was wet from a recent shower, but while his hair could wait, his hands had to be dried properly. He hadn't expected Ding Hanbai to suddenly show up, and he forgot to lower his raised hands. "Is there something you need?"

Ding Hanbai sniffed the air. "What are you putting on?"

Ji Shenyu rubbed his ten fingers together. "Putting on lotion..."

Ding Hanbai walked closer and saw the hand lotion and exfoliating cream on the bed. Then he grabbed Ji Shenyu's hand. It was smooth and slick, fragrant and warm. The fingerprints on all ten fingertips were faint, showing a pale pink, without the slightest hint of a callus.

In their line of work, they had to use knives and apply force. Not having calluses was harder than climbing to heaven!

Ding Hanbai asked in disbelief, "You... Have you fucking learned the craft or not?!"

Ji Shenyu struggled free, feeling exceptionally embarrassed, but he couldn't explain it to this person. From that brief touch, he had felt it: Ding Hanbai's hands were covered in a thick layer of calluses, all marks of hard work.

"You use exfoliating cream to grind down the calluses as soon as they form, and put on lotion every day after washing?" Ding Hanbai asked in a rough voice. He picked up the hand lotion, sniffed it, and threw it back down. "Be careful you don't wear your fingers down to the bone one day!"

Ji Shenyu clenched his fists and said nothing. His fingertips throbbed with pain. How could one not get calluses in their line of work? Of course it hurt to grind them off. Sometimes he would even grind off a layer of skin, revealing the raw flesh underneath.

"I... I can't have calluses," he stammered. "Forget it, there's no point in telling you."

Ding Hanbai didn't think too much about it, nor did he ask. He probed about something else: "Those Jadeite Earrings of yours, are they real or fake?"

Ji Shenyu was visibly startled. He looked at him, a bit dazed. Ding Hanbai thought the light in this room was too good, making the boy's eyebrows look soft and his eyes bright. He sat down on the edge of the bed and started acting like a rogue. "Let me see them again, or I'm not leaving."

Ji Shenyu didn't move. "Fake jadeite."

Ding Hanbai pounded the bed in anger. He had actually been mistaken!

"There was originally a real pair, but my master's wife took them," Ji Shenyu said suddenly. "Master wanted to make another pair for me, but I begged him to use fake jadeite."

"Why?"

"Fake ones aren't valuable, so Master's wife wouldn't want them. I don't care if they're real or fake. Since Master gave them to me, I treasure them."

"If you treasure them so much, why did you give one to me so casually?"

Anger welled up in Ji Shenyu as he remembered Ding Hanbai tricking him. "I only gave it to you temporarily. I'll redeem it later when I have something good." He turned his face to look at Ding Hanbai. "Did you figure out it was fake jadeite?"

Ding Hanbai couldn't keep a straight face and changed the subject. "Was Master Ji your father?"

As expected, Ji Shenyu was silent for a long time. "I only called him that once. I kept thinking I'd call him that again later, but I kept putting it off until he was on his deathbed."

He had cried while calling out, and Ji Fangxu had passed away with a smile.

A sudden pang of sorrow struck Ding Hanbai's heart. He turned his head to look at Ji Shenyu and saw a drop of water fall from the tip of his hair onto his cheek, looking just like a falling tear.

He got up and walked out. "Get some sleep."

Ji Shenyu burrowed under the covers, feeling unsettled in the darkness. A moment later, the window opened a crack from the outside, and a gold bookmark flew in with a swoosh, landing right beside his pillow. He stared in surprise at the shadow outside the window, not knowing what Ding Hanbai meant by this.

"You have so many books, this bookmark is a gift for you," Ding Hanbai said coldly. "After you dry your hands, dry your hair too."

The shadow left. Ji Shenyu's brow smoothed, and he fell asleep.