Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Let’s just say Uncle Edward invited me to the cultural exhibition as compensation. Don’t be so shallow. If I’d wanted money, I could have just buttered you up. I could have tricked you every few days – there’s nothing I couldn’t have gotten that way," I opened a can of cola, took a big sip, and let out a sigh of relief. "I’m still going to work at Sam Yates’ company – he won’t really get back at me, right?"

"No, he won’t. I’m working there to keep an eye on him – don’t worry!" Lydia Lin shook her head at me. "I used to think you’d use your looks to get ahead, and I even envied you for a while!"

"Then I’ll just use my talents to impress a rich old man and marry him – that way, you won’t have to worry about me. I should go online and find a handsome old man to target first!" I said half-jokingly.

Lydia Lin burst out laughing. "You always know how to leave me speechless. Every time I think I’ve figured you out, you surprise me again."

"Don’t tell Mrs. Lin about what happened today, okay? Leave the invitation here – go back to sleep! We have to work tomorrow!" I took the juice bottle away from Lydia Lin, pushed her out the door, and kept the invitation for myself.

"You heartless woman! You got me hurt and made me worry about you, and this is how you treat me?" Lydia Lin complained from outside the door.

But she knew what I was like now – when I set my mind to something, I didn’t back down. And since she was naturally soft-spoken, she couldn’t argue with me.

The next day at work, I took Edward Yates’ suit to the dry cleaner.

The cultural exhibition was on the weekend. Lydia Lin and I stood Sam Yates up – we didn’t go to his welcome party.

"The opening ceremony is this morning, but it’s just a bunch of messy events. The actual exhibition won’t start until the afternoon. I’ll take you in through the back door so we can skip the line," Lydia Lin said, holding the invitation as she led me into the exhibition hall. "The theme of this cultural exhibition is ‘Family History.’ I heard they’re displaying a lot of precious cultural relics."

I was holding the dry-cleaned suit. Once we were inside, I handed it to her. "Does your Uncle Edward have an office here? You can sneak it in for him. Then we’ll look around the exhibition, and after that, we can quietly –"

"Uncle Edward!" I hadn’t finished speaking when Lydia Lin, holding the dry-cleaning bag, ran over to Edward Yates. "Janie’s here to return your jacket."

Edward Yates was with his secretary, making a final tour of the exhibition hall. Lydia Lin held out the bag, and the secretary immediately stepped forward to take it. Edward Yates’ expression softened slightly. "Since you’re here, you two can look around first. Do you want me to arrange a guide for you?"

Lydia Lin looked at me. "Do you want a guide? A lot of these cultural relics have interesting stories behind them."

I smiled. "It’s just the two of us – we can look around casually. If you don’t mind, I can be your guide."

Lydia Lin didn’t care either way, so she nodded eagerly. She pointed randomly at an exhibit. "Then tell me – what’s the real theme of this exhibition? Don’t just repeat the fancy name on the banner outside."

"Maritime Silk Road!" I said in two words.

Edward Yates’ eyes shifted slightly. "Go on, young lady."

"Besides showcasing the Maritime Silk Road, it’s also displaying artifacts unearthed from the Nanyue Kingdom. I don’t recognize most of the other stuff, but I know what a jade burial suit is," I pointed to a glass case in the distance – it held a one-of-a-kind treasure. "In tomb-raiding movies, they say this thing has beauty-enhancing effects. If I could, I’d love to lie in it and try."

"Tsk, your ‘guidance’ is so lazy!" Lydia Lin curled her lips and went to a corner to call Victor Yates.

"Wait, I know what gold is too!" I said, then realized Edward Yates and his secretary were still standing there. I immediately looked embarrassed.

"Come with me – I can tell you about a few of these exhibits," Edward Yates signaled for his secretary to leave. He stopped in front of the glass case holding the jade burial suit I’d mentioned. "Actually, this is a silk-thread jade suit, not a gold-thread one."

"Huh?!" I leaned in for a closer look and saw that the label on the case did say "silk-thread jade suit." "I was wrong!"

"Haha, there are hundreds of exhibits on display today, divided into several sections. Which section do you want to see first?" A rare smile appeared on Edward Yates’ usually serious face.

"Ancient jewelry, of course. I’ve heard that many of the craftsmanship techniques used by ancient artisans have been lost," I said.

"Nowadays, people are already working on reviving these ancient techniques. For example, filigree inlay and kingfisher feather inlay – some craftsmen are already practicing them. And intricate carved balls? Their craftsmanship was deciphered a long time ago," Edward Yates walked toward a certain direction. "Since there’s no one else here, let’s talk about what happened last time."

I knew the invitation to the cultural exhibition hadn’t been given to me for nothing. But I had no intention of asking for compensation. "Mr. Yates, you’re overthinking this. Like I told Mr. Yates (Victor), when I said I didn’t want compensation, I wasn’t playing hard to get. If I’d wanted to play tricks, I could have easily won over Mr. Yates (Sam) and become your daughter-in-law. Do you believe me?"

Edward Yates frowned slightly. "Go on."

"Can you pretend you didn’t see me, let me finish looking around the exhibition on my own, and then sneak away with Lydie? You don’t have to take the trouble to show me to the exit yourself," I said, sounding hurt but not wronged. Edward Yates was a seasoned businessman who had built his fortune through the 1990s financial crisis – he was far more shrewd than Sam or Victor could ever be.

He was a true old fox.

My wariness and resistance were written all over my face. "I want to be pursued and cared for too. I have my own desires – I want to receive roses, not be treated like –"

I didn’t finish the sentence, but gave a helpless smile.

To achieve my goal, sometimes retreat was the best way forward. Taking the scenic route was also a way to get what you wanted.

"Take this cultural relic, for example. Look at this jade crown from the Liangzhu culture – after thousands of years, it still looks magnificent. Is it flawless? No. And that jade bead – they say it was part of royal jewelry. It’s still round and smooth today, but who’s to say it wasn’t because the woman who wore it polished and cared for it every day?"

A smile appeared on Edward Yates’ face again. "Your insights are quite unique – I’ve never heard such an explanation before. There’s also a cultural and creative products section nearby! Don’t worry, this isn’t the exit!"

I thought to myself – was the jewelry section you were heading to earlier actually your office, you old fox? I wasn’t some shallow woman who could be bought off with a little money. "I can go to the cultural and creative section on my own. I don’t want to take up any more of your time, Mr. Yates."

"Am I really that old?" The old fox, Edward Yates, touched his face. Instead of leaving, he followed me to the cultural and creative section.

I pretended not to hear his question, walked ahead of Edward Yates, and looked around the cultural and creative section.

While I was there, I saw the history of the cultural exhibition – Edward Yates had been the driving force behind five out of the ten previous exhibitions. He loved antiques, which matched what I’d learned about him.

"You said you liked ancient jewelry, right?" Edward Yates said from behind me. "There’s an ancient bead exhibition coming up soon. If you’re interested, I’ll ask Lydie to bring you an invitation!"

My heart skipped a beat – I knew the old fox was probably about to take the bait. But I kept my composure and frowned. "As long as you don’t trick me into going to the exit again, Mr. Yates, I’ll come!"

Edward Yates laughed, the glint in his eyes growing brighter. "Haha, I won’t – this is the last time. It’s a deal, then. I’ll save you an invitation!"

"Then I need to go home and do some research first – I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you again, Mr. Yates," I thought. I’d laid out enough bait; now it was time to stop. If I was too obvious, I couldn’t hide from the old fox’s sharp eyes. Showing a little bit of my scheming – but leaving some flaws – would make the fish (Edward) find it interesting and tempted to take the bait…

After the second visit to the exhibition, Edward Yates started calling me "Sam" (a more intimate form of address). The fish had officially taken the bait.

Every day, a beautifully wrapped rose was delivered to my desk at work.

Sometimes, it was a small, not overly luxurious gift.

After a year of keeping an appropriate distance, I "couldn’t resist" the old man’s pursuit and became Mrs. Yates!

Oh, and I forgot to mention – Sam (Edward) was a widower.

From start to finish, I didn’t use any underhanded tricks. But I achieved the ultimate goal I’d come to G City for!