Winter nights were long. When Ji Shenyu awoke, the sky was still pitch-black, and so was the room. Perhaps because he had thrown up twice, even his breathing was faint and weak, no match for the powerful heartbeat in his ear.

Only then did he realize that he had long since left his own blankets and was now tucked into Ding Hanbai’s embrace. The other man was holding him in an encompassing posture, their chests pressed together, their legs intertwined. He couldn’t break free and called out weakly, “Senior Brother.”

This senior brother was a heavy sleeper, only answering groggily after a long moment.

“It’s still early.” Ding Hanbai’s voice was hoarse. He shifted his arm, pulling Ji Shenyu even tighter. The other’s cool nose touched his cheek, a little itchy, so he smiled, his eyes still closed as the smile chased away his sleepiness.

The table lamp was turned on. He lowered his gaze, “Why did you call me?”

Ji Shenyu looked up, “How did I roll into your bed? I’m sorry.”

Ding Hanbai said, “It’s fine.” He feigned magnanimity, not planning to admit he was the one who had pulled the other into his arms. After speaking, he didn't let go. Their gazes met in the exceptional quiet, and the lamplight added a touch of warmth.

Ji Shenyu was quite surprised. When he came over last night, he hadn’t expected Ding Hanbai to be nice to him; it was just that compared to Ding Erhe’s disgust, he could better accept Ding Hanbai’s disdain. Unexpectedly, Ding Hanbai had pulled him into the room, given him water, fed him candy, and now, holding him close, he didn't seem to feel any dislike at all.

“Senior Brother?” he asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Ding Hanbai found this baffling, “What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong’?”

Ji Shenyu didn’t know how to say it. “Why are you acting like such a nice person?”

Ding Hanbai almost fainted from indignation. “What, you think I’m actually an asshole?! Since I was a child, I've returned lost money, been selfless and public-spirited, and given money when needed... You ungrateful brat who can’t tell good from bad.”

Right after his retort, Ji Shenyu lowered his head and nuzzled him, deliberately and gently, with the hair of his forehead. He didn't like cats or dogs, but he had seen how kittens and puppies acted cute to curry favor. For a moment, he was stunned and didn't know how to respond.

Ji Shenyu used his body to express affection only because he couldn't say the words of gratitude face-to-face. The sky brightened inch by inch. He turned to look, saw the world of ice and snow outside the window, and wanted to rush over for a better look.

Ding Hanbai held him back. “It was snowing last night, didn't you see?”

Ji Shenyu stammered, “I saw it.” But he had been too busy paying attention to Ding Hanbai and Wu Nuomin to be amazed by how much it had snowed. He turned his face back and asked, “Senior Brother, does Boss Wu's daughter like you?”

He saw that Wu Nuomin wasn't very warm towards others, which was why he asked.

Ding Hanbai said with a smile, “Isn't it obvious? A young girl’s fluttering heart can’t be hidden.”

Ji Shenyu hesitated. “That’s... not so good.” He felt it wasn't good but didn't know what wasn't good about it, or why. “Um, Sister Xiaomin...” Suddenly, it dawned on him. “You still have Sister Xiaomin. Do you just like girls with ‘Min’ in their name that much?”

Ding Hanbai said, “Nuomin means 'green jade' in Mongolian. She's green jade, I'm white jade, don't you think we're a match?”

Ji Shenyu couldn't refute it; they really were a good match. He met Ding Hanbai’s eyes, seeing the delighted look in them, as if he were thrilled by their mutual affection. He suddenly felt melancholic and said, “But you two live so far apart.”

Silence. The burst of jealousy Ding Hanbai had expected was nowhere to be found. How strange. He was someone who'd get jealous even over his own self and argue about it, so why had he gone mute now that it was another person? He asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Ji Shenyu answered, “I was thinking, in a few years when Wu Nuomin is older, you two will get married. It won't be convenient for me to live in the small courtyard then. I wonder which courtyard I should move to.”

Ding Hanbai opened his mouth, about to spit blood. He shoved Ji Shenyu away in anger. He was baffled. He's lived arrogantly for twenty years, and now he's in a one-sided love affair. This feeling of frustration... could this be karma?

Before Ding Hanbai could figure it out, Ji Shenyu had already rolled to the window to look at the scenery. He opened the window a crack and touched the snow on the outer windowsill. It sometimes snowed in Yangzhou’s winters, but never this heavily. Before his eyes, the road was white, the trees were white, everything was white.

Ji Shenyu was mesmerized. When they went out, he dashed off, frolicking in the snow.

The group headed for Balin Right Banner. Boss Wu and his employee led the way in their car, with Ding Hanbai's group following behind. The road was slippery and the car was cold, swaying slowly. Ding Hanbai glanced at the rearview mirror and asked, “Are you still feeling sick?”

Ji Shenyu, sitting in the passenger seat, replied, “Much better.”

Ding Hanbai continued, “There are snacks from home in the bag. If you're hungry, have one to tide you over.”

His concerned words flowed endlessly, a complete reversal of his usual style. After a few sentences, he glanced at the rearview mirror again and met Ding Erhe’s eyes. Ding Erhe hadn't expected Ding Hanbai to be so good to this fifth junior brother, but he met his gaze openly, without flinching.

They arrived at Balin Right Banner uneventfully. The snow was deeper, its whiteness dazzling. As they drew closer, cars crisscrossed the area. While not exactly bustling with voices, it was exceptionally lively.

Stalls stretched as far as the eye could see, with buyers from all over the country. The Annual Stone Market was this grand every year. Ding Hanbai wrapped his coat tighter as he got out of the car, frowning, afraid of getting snow blindness.

He turned his head and saw Ji Shenyu running over, packing a snowball. The next moment, a sharp pain in his butt—he'd been hit hard. He was extremely sensitive. “What do you mean by hitting my butt?”

Ji Shenyu replied, “Last time by the little river, didn't you hit me too?”

So it was just tit for tat. Ding Hanbai couldn’t be bothered to argue further. He gave a cold snort and strode forward. Ji Shenyu caught up, and they finally plunged into the market, a riot of colorful stones. Balin Chicken-Blood Stone was the most famous, with its varying shades and tones of red, set against the pure white snow, creating a scene of ultimate, decadent beauty.

Ji Shenyu was entranced. They passed several stalls with high-quality goods, but he didn't see Ding Hanbai stop. He asked, “Senior Brother, was the Chicken-Blood Stone at that last stall not good enough?”

Ding Hanbai said, “Bright red and translucent, it was good.”

Ji Shenyu asked again, “Then why didn't we buy it?”

Ding Hanbai rolled his eyes at him. “What’s the hurry.”

The market covered a large area. They walked for a long time and were only halfway through. Ji Shenyu was either asking for advice or marveling at the beautiful stones, while Ding Erhe, though looking with interest, remained silent the whole time.

If the selection was good, everyone who went would get credit. If the selection was bad, whoever made the decision would take the blame.

Ding Hanbai finally stopped, squatting down in front of a stall to examine a few stones, then directly asked for the price. The price was extremely high; the reason the stall was deserted was that everyone had been scared off by it.

“Judging by your accent, you’re not a local?” Ding Hanbai said. “Just these few pieces, don't let them get stuck on your hands.”

The owner was a tall, middle-aged man with thick brows and sharp eyes. He didn't show a businessman's shrewdness but rather exuded a formidable aura. He said nonchalantly, “I'd rather be stuck with good things than sell them cheap.”

Ding Hanbai smiled, put his hands in his pockets, and continued to browse, but he committed the stones and the man to memory. Ji Shenyu, by his side, asked, “Senior Brother, those pieces of Chicken-Blood Stone are top-grade Mutton-fat Jelly Stone. Should we acquire them?”

Ding Hanbai asked in return, “What’s your opinion?”

Ji Shenyu said, “In such a huge market, more than one place has top-grade goods. But the asking price is several times that of others. Is it really worth it?”

Elsewhere, it might be an exorbitant price to trick a foolish nouveau riche, but this was Balin Right Banner. How many fools would come all this way specifically to buy material? The seller had been in this business for years and wouldn't be so short-sighted as to ruin his own reputation.

Ding Hanbai said, “Just Mutton-fat Jelly Stone isn't enough. From the moment we entered until now, all the stones with dense veins of color have been mostly dark red or even purplish; a little too much and it's inferior. But those few pieces were an extremely pure red. Furthermore, the vast majority of Chicken-Blood Stone is a mix of red and white. A good distribution of color makes for good Chicken-Blood Stone, but a translucent, completely red Da Hong Pao Stone is the absolute finest.”

Ji Shenyu’s eye wasn’t sharp enough. After understanding, he couldn’t help but look back at that stall. The asking price might be higher than its intrinsic value, but because it was rare and exquisite, and its value would increase after further processing, the seller was confident someone would buy it. He glanced at Ding Hanbai again, unsure if Ding Hanbai would be that buyer.

The further back in the market they went, the more deserted it became. The bulk of the Chicken-Blood Stone was at the front; the back was basically other types of stone. But Ding Hanbai became interested, wishing he could stop for a moment at every stall.

There were large quantities of Balin Frosted Stone, pinkish-white like the Hibiscus Stone from before, as well as yellow and green ones, a myriad of colors. The Taohuadong Stone was even more beautiful, its colors exceptionally delicate and vibrant. Ding Hanbai moved among them, examining goods, asking prices, and after building enough suspense, placed seven or eight orders.

Even though he was trying to stay out of it, Ding Erhe couldn’t hold back any longer. He asked, “Hanbai, we’ve always done seventy percent Chicken-Blood Stone, twenty percent frosted stone, and ten percent miscellaneous. The money you’ve spent on frosted stone has already exceeded the budget.”

Ding Hanbai said, “This year, I'm changing it. Sixty percent frosted stone, twenty percent each for Chicken-Blood and miscellaneous.”

Ding Erhe asked, “Did you discuss this with Master?”

Ding Hanbai hadn't discussed it with anyone; he made the decision entirely on his own. He continued browsing, placing more orders when he saw something good. It was only when they returned to the car to rest at noon that he said, “From Jade Pavilion's perspective on the market, when it comes to stone, one must look at Chicken-Blood and Tianhuang. Year after year, why has our business volume decreased? Because the market is becoming saturated. To put it bluntly, customers are tired of it, it's no longer in fashion.”

Ding Erhe argued reasonably, “This isn't clothing or shoes, what does fashion have to do with it? Besides, Chicken-Blood and Tianhuang are the leaders among stone materials. Is Jade Pavilion going to lower its standards?”

The eldest and second eldest were arguing in the front, while Ji Shenyu watched the battle from the back seat, holding a box of pastries. Ding Hanbai, stroking the steering wheel, replied, “Chinese people like the colors red and yellow; there's a sentimentality to it, a longing to be touched by a bit of imperial elegance. But that won't necessarily be the case in the future. Things are developing so fast. Just take beaded bracelets of all colors, for example. People are no longer confined to a single aesthetic model.”

“As for lowering our standards,” Ding Hanbai’s confidence didn’t wane, “don’t all uncarved stones look like lumpy tumors? Is the Jade Pavilion sign just for show? Did we learn our craft for nothing? Not carving top-grade material doesn't mean lowering our standards. On the contrary, with Jade Pavilion’s touch, we elevate the style of those things.”

Not just elevate, but make customers fall in love at first sight, make it wildly popular. To be manipulated by trends is for the mediocre; there's only a way forward by reversing the trend. After speaking, Ding Hanbai was thirsty and downed half a glass of cold water. Ding Erhe thought for a long while, then asked uncertainly, “Can we do it?”

Ding Hanbai led him into the trap. “If we're not of one mind, and fellow apprentices are trying to trip us up, then it'll probably be tough.”

The chewing stopped. Ji Shenyu held his breath. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn. Ding Hanbai had been making veiled accusations, and now, after a while, he brought it out into the open, “Was it your East Courtyard that broke the Jade Incense Burner?”

A long silence, then Ding Erhe answered softly, “I apologize on behalf of Keyu.” He couldn't stay any longer, took a pack of cigarettes, got out of the car, and walked away. His pride and dignity stripped bare for all to see, his face flushed with shame in the ice and snow.

Having explained his purchasing intentions and forced out a belated apology, Ding Hanbai was satisfied. He turned back and saw the pastry crumbs at the corner of Ji Shenyu’s mouth. An inexplicable anger flared up. “Who do you think I'm standing up for? You're just sitting there munching away happily. Have you got no sense at all?!”

Ji Shenyu hastily lunged forward, offering him a red bean paste pastry.

Ding Hanbai wasn’t satisfied. “I want a peanut crisp, too.” The other person fed him. No one cared about the flaky crust crumbling. As he opened his mouth, their eyes met in the not-so-spacious car.

Ji Shenyu was slightly dazed. He took another milk biscuit and fed it to him, completely forgetting to fill his own stomach. It wasn't until Ding Erhe returned that he came to his senses, as if caught doing something, and dazedly shoved the pastry box into Ding Hanbai’s hands.

Ding Hanbai passed it to Ding Erhe, a classic case of carrot and stick.

Past noon, the ice and snow had melted a little. Several cars drove up in a line, and a large crowd of people surged toward one spot. Ji Shenyu had never seen such a spectacle. He tugged on Ding Hanbai’s arm to watch the excitement. When boxes of stones were unloaded, he exclaimed in surprise, “Jadeite rough stone, are they going to gamble on stones?!”

Ding Hanbai warned, “You can look, but you can’t touch.”

Hundreds of pairs of eyes gleamed. The rough stones seemed to possess a magical power; though dull and gray, they hid a universe of green within. Prices were written on the surface of the stones, some with circles drawn directly on them to indicate they could be made into bracelets. A thousand, ten thousand, over a hundred thousand—the prices made the buyers rub their hands in anticipation.

Ji Shenyu asked, “Senior Brother, can you tell which piece is top-grade?”

Ding Hanbai said, “‘Even an immortal would have trouble judging an inch of jade.’ Am I that amazing in your eyes?” Stone gambling was like regular gambling; experience and luck were both indispensable, and luck was perhaps even more important.

A three-thousand-yuan stone with good ‘seed and water’ was being rubbed or cut. The buyer was nervous, and the crowd of onlookers wasn't relaxed either. Ding Hanbai’s gaze shifted and landed on Ji Shenyu. The boy was full of curiosity at this new sight, gripping his arm tightly.

What was it like? Like a child looking at toys in a shop window, or candy in a glass jar.

Ding Hanbai said, “You’re about to drool. Go pick one, let’s see your luck.”

Ji Shenyu was incredulous. “You want me to gamble? Didn’t you say I couldn’t touch?”

They were there to purchase stone materials, the accounts already set up. Ding Hanbai said, “I'll pay for it myself for you. If it's good, it's yours. If it's bad, it's on me. Go on.”

Ji Shenyu was beyond excited, but he had no experience in stone gambling, only a belly full of curiosity. Naturally, he didn't dare choose an expensive stone. He wandered around and picked a neat and regular-shaped one. Two thousand yuan. What it would look like when cut was unknown; it might be worthless.

He held his breath. One slice. Light-colored, with a hint of green, and a touch of faint lavender.

Ding Hanbai came over. “Well now, Lavender and Green Jade.” This exaggerated praise made Ji Shenyu happy, but the material was indeed not bad. It was enough for a pair of bracelets, and the leftover material could probably be made into a string of beads.

On the first day, they mostly observed. Apart from the orders they placed, the only thing they had in hand was this piece of jadeite. By dusk, the crowd gathered for stone gambling gradually dispersed, as no one wanted to travel the snowy roads after dark.

The area was spacious, with no traffic jams, but there were also no rules; all the cars drove wherever they pleased. The heavy snow had turned the surroundings completely white. After driving for several kilometers, it still looked the same. The sense of desolation grew heavier, and there were few cars left.

Ding Hanbai realized they've taken the wrong road and immediately turned the steering wheel to go back.

Just then, a beat-up van appeared head-on, turning from who-knows-where, and screeched to a halt, blocking the road. Its aggressive manner was truly concerning. Ding Hanbai slammed on the accelerator, intending to speed past it. But a Tall-and-Skinny man and two burly thugs jumped out of the van. One of them took a pistol from his back, loaded it, and BANG!

It was too close. One of the tires deflated, and their car shook violently, sinking to one side.

What's more terrifying is that they couldn't predict where the next shot would land.

Withered trees and white snow. They'd actually been ambushed on this trip.

Perhaps it wasn't a hair's breadth from disaster, but their safety was uncertain. Ding Hanbai calmly unbuckled his seatbelt and took a deep breath. Suddenly, his palm felt warm... it was Ji Shenyu, who had silently taken his hand. He didn't know if it was out of fear, seeking protection, or mustering up courage to give him strength.

“Senior Brother,” Ji Shenyu’s voice was small, “feel my sleeve.”

Ding Hanbai pulled a small carving knife from his sleeve. Then, he squeezed that hand again.

Whatever came his way, he would deal with it.

Ding Hanbai had no intention of being a hero saving a damsel in distress, but he was determined to protect this Little Southern Barbarian, this fifth junior brother... this person in his heart.

Author has something to say: Ji Shenyu, a man from Yangzhou who carries a restricted knife with him all day, really makes one feel safe.