Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

Wu Jiajia's expression changed, but she still stood up to give her boyfriend face and nodded to Xu Xing, saying, "Hello, Brother Xu."

Xu Xing nodded to her as a greeting, then said to Sun Hao, "We're all colleagues, don't be so formal, have a seat."

Sun Hao grinned and nodded, but when he sat down, his back remained straight, and his posture was noticeably more respectful than when he was with others.

This scene, witnessed by the other students, sparked their own thoughts.

Wu Jiajia just boasted that Sun Hao is a restorer in the Chengxinzhai porcelain group, and that even if his annual income is inflated, he definitely earns at least a few million.

He's considered one of the better-off people in his group.

Yet this person was so humble in front of Chen Xinyi's boyfriend.

This indicates that Chen Xinyi's boyfriend has a much higher social status than Sun Hao, and his income is naturally much higher as well.

For a moment, everyone looked at Chen Xinyi with envy, and their gazes toward Xu Xing became even more fervent.

Wu Jiajia sat next to Sun Hao, her expression not looking good.

She was determined to show off in front of Chen Xinyi today, but unexpectedly, Chen Xinyi brought something even more impressive without her noticing.

Judging from Sun Hao's attitude, Xu Xing's income and status probably far exceed Sun Hao's.

She bit her lip, and taking advantage of a lull in the pleasantries, leaned close to Sun Hao's ear and whispered, "What's the deal with this Brother Xu?"

Sun Hao glanced at her and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Xu's annual income is ten times, even dozens of times, mine!"

Wu Jiajia gasped.

She knew Sun Hao's true income: his base salary was 800,000 yuan a year, plus performance bonuses, which brought his annual income down to four or five million yuan.

Ten times that is forty or fifty million, and dozens of times that is one or two hundred million, or even two or three hundred million!

Thinking of this, most of her competitive and provocative thoughts instantly disappeared.

Wu Jiajia was unusually quiet during the subsequent dinner.

Instead of openly or secretly competing with Chen Xinyi as before, he lowered his stance and toasted her.

Chen Xinyi and Wu Jiajia were classmates for four years in college and both worked in Chang'an after graduation, competing with each other openly and secretly for so many years.

Wu Jiajia was always competitive and wanted to be superior to her in everything, and she had never seen her so polite to her before.

However, she wasn't the type to hold a grudge, and when Wu Jiajia took the initiative to make amends, she didn't give her a hard time.

It has a sense of forgetting past grievances with a smile.

After dinner, someone suggested going to a karaoke bar for an after-dinner chat. Chen Xinyi looked at Xu Xing and asked with her eyes.

Xu Xing nodded indifferently.

So the group moved on to a nearby upscale KTV.

The private room was dimly lit and the music was deafening.

Several karaoke enthusiasts took turns singing, while the others drank and played dice, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xu Xing sat on the sofa in the corner, holding a glass of soda water, looking relaxed as he watched the lyrics flickering on the screen.

Chen Xinyi moved closer and sat down next to him, her faint perfume wafting over.

Thank you for tonight.

Her voice was somewhat muffled by the music as she leaned close to his ear, but her warm breath brushed against his earlobe.

Xu Xing turned his head to look at her.

In the dim light of the private room, her face was flushed with the effects of drinking, revealing a more genuine softness than her usual alluring and outgoing nature.

"Fair trade".

Xu Xing raised the watch on his wrist, his tone indifferent.

Chen Xinyi suddenly laughed when she saw his stubborn attitude.

"Sometimes you're really boring."

She leaned back on the sofa, tilted her head back, and took a sip of wine, her neck and throat lines graceful.

"But it seems pretty reliable."

The party ended around 11 p.m.

Xu Xing called a designated driver and helped the slightly tipsy Chen Xinyi into the back seat.

She leaned on his shoulder with her eyes closed, her breath reeking of alcohol.

The car drove into a high-end residential area in Qujiang and parked downstairs.

Xu Xing helped Chen Xinyi out of the car. Her steps were a little unsteady, but she was conscious.

"Shall I take you up?"

"I can manage without it."

Chen Xinyi steadied herself, broke free from his embrace, and tidied her hair.

The hallway was brightly lit, and although the blush on her face hadn't faded, her eyes were clear and bright.

"Thank you for tonight, you really made me look good."

She looked at Xu Xing and said very seriously.

Xu Xing waved his hand dismissively: "I said, fair trade."

Chen Xinyi nodded, her throat bobbing twice, but she managed to control herself.

She waved and disappeared into the elevator. She muttered to herself, "That damned Lin Wan got off easy..."

Xu Xing got into the car, and the designated driver drove out of the residential area, disappearing into the night of Chang'an City.

After returning to the apartment, Xu Xing washed up, changed into his pajamas, and leaned against the headboard.

After spending some time cuddling with Li Yuting, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

……

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.

Xu Xing was awakened by the ringing of his phone. He picked it up and saw that it was Wang Benquan.

"Mr. Wang."

"XCMG, did I disturb your rest?"

Wang Benquan sounded much more relaxed than he had a couple of days ago.

"No, is there something you need, Mr. Wang?"

"Yes, I'd like to ask you to come to the shop in Beilin District. There's something I need to discuss in person. Is that convenient?"

"Okay, I'll be there in about an hour."

"Okay, then I'll wait for you."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Xing got up, washed up, changed into simple casual clothes, and drove out.

Chengxinzhai, located in Beilin District, is an old shop with a large storefront decorated in an antique style. It is hidden in an old street with bluestone slabs.

Xu Xing parked his car and went inside. The shop assistant, who had obviously been instructed, immediately came to greet him.

"Mr. Xu, Mr. Wang is waiting for you upstairs. Please come with me."

The second floor houses the office area and collection room. The shop assistant led Xu to the innermost lounge and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Pushing open the door, I entered to find Wang Benquan sitting in front of the tea tray, brewing tea.

Upon seeing Xu Xing, he immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Engineer Xu is here, please have a seat."

Xu Xing sat down opposite him.

Wang Benquan handed over a cup of freshly brewed tea; the tea liquor was clear and the aroma was enticing.

"Pre-Qingming Longjing tea, a gift from a friend, I'll try it."

Xu Xing picked up his teacup, took a sip, and nodded: "Good tea."

Wang Benquan took a sip of tea, put down his cup, and said solemnly, "Engineer Xu, I've invited you here today for two main reasons."

"Firstly, regarding what happened the day before yesterday, on behalf of my uncle and myself, I apologize to you again for making you suffer that day."

Xu Xing waved his hand and said, "Mr. Wang, you're being too serious. What's done is done, and besides, you're not responsible for this."

Wang Benquan shook his head and said, "I must apologize, and I've already reached an agreement with my cousin-in-law."

He paused, then continued, "In addition to the cost of restoring the original Yongzheng double-dragon-eared vase, he offered an extra piece of his collection as compensation: a painting by Lan Ying from the late Ming Dynasty, with a market value of over three million."

Xu Xing raised an eyebrow slightly.

Wang Benquan continued, "You can choose to have the painting done or you can choose to cash it out. If you choose to have the painting done, it's yours. If you want cash, I'll discount it at the market price and add some to make it a round number, four million."

Xu Xing pondered.

Four million in cash is tempting, but he can draw energy from his own antiques, and the quality of the items won't be affected after he absorbs it.

Therefore, it is more cost-effective to draw a picture, since it is not only taxed but also quite troublesome to use money to buy antiques and resell them.