Ding Hanbai and Ji Shenyu had thus laid everything bare; it was too late not to be frank anyway. The reprimand Ji Shenyu had anticipated never came. Instead, he received such a warm and gentle sentence, catching him completely off guard.

After a long while, he could only stubbornly say, "It doesn't hurt."

Setting everything aside for the moment, Ding Hanbai stared at him for a long time before leaving. It looked like he was walking away, but he was actually fleeing. The person before him still had the same expression, the one he was most familiar with from seeing it day after day. But then he remembered the other identity, and when the two overlapped, his impulsive emotions gradually cooled, and his thoughts grew hazy.

His heart pounded erratically, time and again. When would he finally figure out the reason?

In a rare show of cowardice, Ding Hanbai decided to simply avoid thinking about it.

The next day, the First Shop of Jade Pavilion finally welcomed its new crowning treasure—the Green Jade tripod censer with loose-ring butterfly handles.

The entryway was tidy. The shop assistants had prepared the display case and its glass cover early in the morning. Once the jade censer arrived, it was placed inside, the nameplate was hung, and a photo was taken for the register. Ji Shenyu stood before the case, his eyes fixed on the nameplate. His name was engraved in the spot for the artist.

Lifting his face, he saw Ding Hanbai's silhouette reflected on the glass cover, right behind him. "Senior Brother, will anyone buy it?" Ji Shenyu asked. "I'm not surnamed Ding. Will the customers not recognize my craftsmanship?"

Ding Hanbai said, "If your craftsmanship isn't up to par and you're not surnamed Ding, customers naturally won't recognize it. But if your craftsmanship is top-notch, even though you aren't surnamed Ding, customers will ask who Ji Shenyu is."

The better the piece, the more people would ask, and little by little, one would make a name for themself in this trade.

Ji Shenyu hid his excitement, and after looking his fill at the real thing, he went to look at the register. The register had a hard leather cover and was impressively thick. Its contents were divided into categories, the vast majority of which were works by Ding Yanshou and Ding Hanbai.

Forgetting what he had intended to look for, Ji Shenyu started counting like a child learning their numbers. He wanted to see whether the father or the son had more works, but before he could finish, a large hand reached over and covered the page.

Ding Hanbai said, "Don't bother, my dad has more."

Ji Shenyu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "I knew it. No one can beat Master."

Ding Hanbai cursed, "You know jack shit. This isn't the master register. Having fewer of my pieces here just means mine sell better." The register only displayed items currently in the shop; once an item was sold, it was removed.

Ji Shenyu didn't want to argue. Ding Yanshou only produced major pieces, so of course they sold more slowly. On second thought, he said, "Senior Brother, when Master gets older, he'll carve more slowly. When that time comes, you and I can produce more work and let Master be the carefree boss."

On the surface, his words were pleasant, but they hinted at something else, an implication that he would diligently manage Jade Pavilion and ignore other matters. Ding Hanbai understood. He knew this was a rejection of his other proposal, yet he couldn't bring himself to be angry.

They stayed at Jade Pavilion for the entire day. When they got off work in the evening, Ding Hanbai gave Ji Shenyu a ride on his bike, pedaling slowly along Yingchun Avenue. The trees along the road were yellow, and fallen leaves would drift down from time to time. Ding Hanbai caught one, and pinching its thin stem, he reached back to playfully mess with Ji Shenyu.

Back in summer, they wore short sleeves that exposed their arms, and a willow branch would have felt very itchy.

Now in autumn, they were wearing jackets, so the leaf couldn't touch anything.

Ji Shenyu plucked the leaf. It was crisp and crumbled at a touch. He gradually worked his way to the thin stem and gave it a little tug. Getting a response, Ding Hanbai inched his fingers forward. The last time, his hand had been slapped, so this time he made a preemptive move, grabbing the other's hand the moment he touched his fingertips.

The handlebars wobbled. Ji Shenyu wrapped his arms around Ding Hanbai's waist, but when he tried to let go, Ding Hanbai held his hand and placed it on his own abdomen. His grip was steady, yet very strong.

He didn't understand why, but he felt very warm.

Too lazy to struggle, he hugged him like that for the rest of the ride.

That evening, the family of four gathered in the living room. Ding Yanshou was coughing, so Jiang Shuliu put a scarf on him. It was made of gray rabbit fur with a small ivory flower for a clasp, looking funnier than a comedy film. The four of them filled the sofa. Ji Shenyu was curled up next to Ding Hanbai, and after the two elders went back to their room to rest, he also started to doze off.

Ding Hanbai glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then turned off the television.

The sudden silence woke Ji Shenyu up. He turned to look at Ding Hanbai, knowing that serious expression meant he wanted to talk about something. Ding Hanbai turned to look at him as well and asked, "What are your plans for following Master Liang?"

Ji Shenyu stammered, "To learn the craft, I haven't thought about doing anything else..."

Ding Hanbai was displeased. "You even made a point to emphasize you haven't thought about doing anything else. Did I hold a knife to your throat and force you to work with me?"

What need was there for a knife? In Ji Shenyu's heart, Ding Hanbai's mouth was no different from a blade. Besides, this person's intentions were as plain as day. His voice was soft, but he was firm. "If you hadn't found out that person was me, who knows how you would have tried to curry favor."

Ding Hanbai gave a chilling smile. "Curry favor? I think you were enjoying it very much. And after enjoying it, you're acting all jealous. Don't tell me you're schizophrenic."

Ji Shenyu was embarrassed by his words and quickly explained that he didn't know before. After he finished, Ding Hanbai said nothing, and the living room fell silent. He had the same question himself and asked, "Senior Brother, what are your plans for following Blind Zhang?"

Actually, Liang Hecheng had already told him, but he didn't quite believe it and wanted to hear it from Ding Hanbai's own mouth.

Ding Hanbai did not disappoint, telling him all the thoughts and wishes in his heart. "You think I'm going to abandon Jade Pavilion, don't you?" He looked at a stunned Ji Shenyu. "Three shops. Whether that becomes four or two in the future is still unknown. This isn't a business that thrives on craftsmanship alone. Is my dad's craftsmanship not good enough?"

Ji Shenyu stared at him in a daze. Ding Hanbai said, "If something isn't working, it has to be changed. If you can't change the market, you change yourself. Jade Pavilion is fundamentally a business. I told you, I'm going to open the city's first legitimate antique city. And after the first, there will be a second, and a third. Have you ever thought about how much bigger the business of one antique city is compared to Jade Pavilion?"

Ji Shenyu replied, "Many times bigger." He could hardly tear his eyes away, completely engrossed in Ding Hanbai's profound gaze. And Ding Hanbai nodded, his eyes and brows brewing with a layer of aggression. "My dad, my grandpa, and the generations before them—their skills far surpassed their business acumen. But things are developing so quickly now. If Jade Pavilion doesn't want to go into decline, it has to change. I will do this. No matter what else I do, I will do this."

Ding Hanbai added, "Even if it doesn't work out, several antique cities can still support Jade Pavilion."

It was a sudden enlightenment for Ji Shenyu. Ding Hanbai's plan was not just to fulfill his own wish, but also to create a safety net. They were sitting extremely close. The sofa was clearly half empty, but in their debate, they had moved even closer.

Ding Hanbai stared at Ji Shenyu as he processed this, his eyes unblinking, as if he were staring at some rare treasure.

Staring and staring, he suddenly smiled.

This person's talent for making things had earned his admiration, and he had even carved a new crowning treasure for the shop. His mid-term exam scores were still among the top.

He was right on the mark, Zhenzhu really was a pearl.

After staring for a long time, his clear gaze turned sticky. Ding Hanbai looked away, turning the television back on as if to deceive himself. A Hong Kong movie was playing, something about zombies. He asked stiffly, "Do you dare to watch?"

Ji Shenyu didn't answer. He thought, with Ding Hanbai right beside him, he probably dared.

The only sound in the room was the movie. They held their breath and watched. Once the opening scenes were over, Ji Shenyu grabbed Ding Hanbai's sleeve at the climactic moment. It was all Ji Fangxu's fault, not only for not letting him eat his fill at dinner but also for making him go to bed early. He had never seen this kind of midnight movie before.

"Senior Brother," Ji Shenyu asked, "do you really want me to get into the antique business with you?"

Ding Hanbai said, "I really wanted you to when I didn't know it was you. Now that I know, it's whatever." He had touched Ji Shenyu's hand yesterday and had said so himself—he didn't want him to get those kinds of scars, to suffer that kind of pain.

After the movie finished, Ding Hanbai turned his head. "Don't think so highly of yourself. If I hadn't met you, would I just do nothing?"

Ji Shenyu quickly said, "But didn't you meet me?"

The words were unexpectedly ambiguous. Even though Ji Shenyu was innocent and meant nothing by it, it still made Ding Hanbai's heart flutter. He said stubbornly, "Meeting you was my bad luck. You came and took over my territory, needed me to take care of you when you got hurt, and even dared to carve on my bike's crossbar. When you're good, it's 'Senior Brother this, Senior Brother that,' but when you're unhappy, you want me to hold you up on a pedestal. I shouldn't have gone looking for you when you got lost back then. It would have saved me so much trouble."

Ji Shenyu knew this person had a sharp tongue and tried to let it in one ear and out the other. Halfway through, he decided to be mischievous. "Senior Brother this?" Seeing Ding Hanbai glare at him, he leaned in closer. "Senior Brother that?"

With a hint of anger, Ding Hanbai irresistibly grabbed Ji Shenyu in a clamp-like hold. The force, the posture—it was only after their bodies touched that he realized the other seventy percent of his action was pure impulse.

Ji Shenyu was only joking. Now, thinking he was about to get hit, he hurriedly apologized... but he had a vague feeling Ding Hanbai wasn't actually angry, so he just said he was sleepy, not knowing what else to do. Ding Hanbai let him go and told him to go to bed first.

Ji Shenyu mumbled, "Aren't we going to bed together?"

Ding Hanbai suddenly flew into a rage. "Who the fuck is going to bed with you?!"

Ji Shenyu was dumbfounded. "I meant, going back to the small courtyard together..."

Before he could finish, Ding Hanbai abruptly stood up and stormed off, still clutching the remote control. Striding out like a shooting star, Ding Hanbai walked under the moonlight. When he got back to his bedroom, his hand loosened, and he saw that he had actually crushed the remote's plastic casing.

He had a night of chaotic dreams, filled with impulse and fantasy, shrouded in a shadow the color of crimson.

It lingered and entangled him. When he awoke at dawn, he finally realized that touch of color was from a fingertip rubbed raw.

Ding Hanbai didn't want to talk to anyone or see anyone. He drove to Jade Pavilion by himself. In old-fashioned terms, he was the young master, and with his bad temper and venomous tongue, he was like an unapproachable god when he was sullen.

The shop assistants were terrified, afraid that the slightest mistake would cost them their jobs. But after a busy morning, they realized their boss wasn't paying attention to them at all. Instead, it was like... his mind was a million miles away.

Ding Hanbai sat behind the counter, directly facing the glass display case in the center of the shop. The jade censer was like a television, invisibly playing scenes. He saw them with perfect clarity: Ji Shenyu huddled in the machine room carving, Ji Shenyu falling asleep from exhaustion, Ji Shenyu secretly doing repairs, Ji Shenyu fleeing in panic in the alley.

The scenes changed, and Ding Hanbai didn't blink for a long time, afraid he would miss a single frame.

'What's wrong with me?' he thought. 'What kind of sickness is this?'

Suddenly, his view was blocked. Old Zhao, the most senior employee, leaned over the counter and asked, "Boss, the big boss originally planned to go to Chifeng at the end of the month to look at Balin Stones. He even placed a deposit on one. Do we need to make any changes?"

Ding Yanshou's cough hadn't gotten better. Inner Mongolia was so cold; a trip there would make him cough up a lung. Ding Hanbai replied, "Bring me the order form to look at. I'll go at the end of the month."

Old Zhao said, "We'll still be staying at Boss Wu's place over there. He and the big boss have already spoken on the phone several times."

Ding Hanbai had gone with Ding Yanshou since he was ten or so and didn't need to be briefed on every little detail. He said irritably, "Move aside, you're blocking the light." The other man moved away, and the jade censer came back into view. He continued to stare at it as if possessed.

It was common to go a day without a sale. It was past six, not yet closing time, but Ding Hanbai had already left early without a trace. He rode his bike aimlessly and arrived at the gate of No. 6 High School at half-past, wanting to do a spot check to see if Ji Shenyu had skipped school.

A flimsy excuse, pure self-deception. Ding Hanbai was annoyed with himself for this behavior. But when the students began to pour out, he spotted the small-running figure of Ji Shenyu with his backpack at a glance. The annoyance instantly faded, replaced by an inexplicable happiness.

"Ji Zhenzhu!" he yelled.

Ji Shenyu jumped, pretending not to hear.

Ding Hanbai changed his tune and called his full name. Only then did the boy trot over. "Running after school lets out? There are so many people, aren't you afraid of being trampled?" He naturally took Ji Shenyu's schoolbag and hung it on the handlebars.

Ji Shenyu hadn't expected Ding Hanbai to show up. He explained, "The shop over there has chocolate that sells out fast. I was afraid I wouldn't make it."

Ding Hanbai asked, "You like chocolate?"

Ji Shenyu said, "I want to buy some for Auntie. She gave me a lot last time, and I feel bad."

Ding Hanbai's expression changed in a flash. "I gave you candy too. How come you don't feel bad about that?"

Ji Shenyu's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "It feels weird to use your money to buy you things."

It was the money from the Joined Jade Rings. He had taken some for pocket money, but he left the rest for Liang Hecheng. Ding Hanbai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What rotten luck was this? His status as a senior brother should have allowed him to order the boy around, but through a strange twist of fate, he had ended up losing on all fronts.

But in the end, Ji Shenyu bought them anyway—a bag of chocolates and a bag of toffee. On the way home, he and Ding Hanbai each had a piece in their mouths, returning home in sweetness. When they reached the covered walkway, he handed over the bag of candy. "Now I don't owe you anything."

Ding Hanbai suddenly flew into a rage. "You're brushing me off with a single bag of candy?!"

Ji Shenyu dodged back into his room. Ding Hanbai followed him in, looking like he was about to deliver a long lecture. Ji Shenyu covered his ears and laughed. Ding Hanbai faltered in the face of that smiling expression, only then realizing he was being teased. He pretended to chase and hit him, going around the bed, circling the table and chairs, and nearly knocking over the low cabinet.

Ji Shenyu quickly steadied the vase on the cabinet, and was suddenly reminded of the Celadon Vase. He hesitated. "Senior Brother, do you remember when you told me to throw away that pile of salvaged fragments?"

"I remember. What about it?"

"I didn't throw them away. I made that Celadon Vase from before..."

His voice was low, but it was like a clap of thunder on a clear day. Ding Hanbai received a huge shock and rushed over, looking like he wanted to lift Ji Shenyu off his feet. "Why didn't you say so earlier? You really know how to keep your skills under wraps!" After going around in such a huge circle, it turned out they had a connection from the very beginning!

Ji Shenyu explained, "I didn't think you would like me—"

Ding Hanbai cut him off sharply, "Who likes you?!"

Ji Shenyu choked, "—like my craftsmanship, not me..."

The expression on Ding Hanbai's face was spectacular, his color shifting between red and white, his eyes flashing. He stalked off, needing to maintain his proud facade even if he had lost all face. He stormed out of the small courtyard without stopping, rounded the screen wall, and plopped down by the edge of the fish pond.

He resentfully grabbed a handful of fish food and scattered it in. His heart beat like the swishing of fishtails, happily creating ripples.

He grabbed another handful, for his day of wild thoughts, and then another, for eagerly going to pick him up from school. He was like a fierce beast, baring his fangs and claws when facing that person, but now, in secret, he was a caged animal.

When he couldn't see him, he thought of him. When he saw him, he smiled. When he couldn't see him, he was mad with longing. When he saw him, his heart bloomed with joy.

Ding Hanbai couldn't believe it. Could he have feelings for Ji Shenyu? But Ji Shenyu was a boy... what kind of nonsense was he thinking?!

He sat there until night fell, then he got up and left.

The next morning, when Ding Yanshou went to feed the fish, he saw a pond full of fish that had been overfed to death, their white bellies floating on the surface. What a tragic injustice.