Huang Xiaoyang nodded without the slightest hesitation.
In the afternoon, Huang Xiaoyang took Li Younan to a jade jewelry store owned by his family. His family's business was quite diverse, and the jade business was rather small, with only a single storefront, so Li Younan assumed the jade carving skills there wouldn't be particularly high, though the tools were complete.
When Huang Xiaoyang brought Li Younan over, there was only a young saleswoman in the store, and the master craftsman wasn't there. Huang Xiaoyang brought Li Younan to the workstation where the master did jade carving and said, "I need to go to the company this afternoon, so you can keep busy here."
Li Younan looked at Huang Xiaoyang with some amusement and said, "You're just going to trust me with all the stuff and tools like that?"
This made Huang Xiaoyang, who was about to leave, stop in his tracks. He turned back and said calmly, "Yes, I trust you."
Li Younan was somewhat speechless at such a brief answer from Huang Xiaoyang. What kind of person does sales like that?
After Huang Xiaoyang left, Li Younan took out Yang Manman's jade carving and placed it on the workbench. The store was equipped with all kinds of jade carving tools. There wasn't any business in the store at the time, so the young saleswoman curiously watched from the side.
But she quickly realized that the jade piece Li Younan was about to work on was actually the work of the store's master, which astonished her.
She was well aware of the temperament of the master, who would definitely be furious if anyone touched his work. Since Li Younan was brought in by the owner, she couldn't say anything.
However, when Li Younan started using the tools to remove all the designs from the jade, the young girl was left only with shock.
What was this approach?
But from Li Younan's skillful handling of the tools, there wasn't a single flaw to be found.
There's a saying about how a handsome guy becomes even more handsome when he's focused on his work. Watching Li Younan reshape the jade according to his own ideas, the young girl's eyes were filled with admiration.
Having often watched the master carve jade, the young girl, although not yet skilled herself, had developed a discernment. She could instantly tell that Li Younan's skills were not only exceptional but also aesthetically pleasing.
Skill and aesthetics should be considered separately. Though the master's skills weren't bad, older generations were often stubborn and inflexible. The things they liked were rather unsophisticated, and when they carved, they infused their works with their tastes, resulting in something difficult to articulate—albeit popular among elderly folks.
Clearly, Li Younan's creation was not heading in that direction. As the image on the jade became more defined, the young girl felt overwhelmed by the scene depicted. It appeared to be a basketball court— a player shooting a free throw with the hoop in front and a score of 77:77 prominently displayed, the tension almost palpable. This wasn't jade carving; it resembled a photographic work.
It wasn't until evening that Li Younan finished. Huang Xiaoyang arrived in a sports car to pick him up, showing no intention of looking at Li Younan's masterpiece, simply asking, "Ready to go?"
Li Younan shrugged, "Anytime."
...
At the Seafood Buffet Restaurant. Li Younan sat alone in a corner of the private room. Huang Xiaoyang entered and sat next to him, saying, "I already handed it over to Yang Manman."
Li Younan nodded.
Not many people had arrived yet. After a while, familiar faces began to trickle in. Every time the door opened, familiar faces were almost always what you saw. Everyone seemed quite surprised to see Li Younan and Huang Xiaoyang in the corner. People came over to greet them, and Li Younan smiled back, while Huang Xiaoyang only nodded.
With Huang Xiaoyang there, although everyone wanted to talk to Li Younan, they felt awkward in the presence of the cold-faced Huang Xiaoyang, and soon scattered to find familiar faces elsewhere. The room became lively, with everyone chatting about their recent lives, and soon, nobody paid attention to Li Younan and Huang Xiaoyang in their corner.
After a while, someone entered, and Li Younan's eyes lit up. He waved, "Wang Yue!"
Wang Yue was a tall guy with glasses, looking not much different from a few years ago. His glasses gave him an air of intellectual elegance, but that wasn't actually the case. His nearsightedness came from late-night gaming, and without his glasses, his true nature showed.
He was the most short-tempered in the team, and back then, it was Li Younan who ironed out issues he caused. Because only Li Younan could tolerate his bad habits, he didn't get along with anyone else but had great respect for Li Younan. This was why Huang Xiaoyang called Wang Yue one of Li Younan's followers.
Wang Yue, when it came down to it, was easy to understand. He was like a diode, extremely hating those he disliked and tremendously liking those he liked, with little middle ground. But today, Wang Yue didn't look too well, seeming a bit fatigued. Seeing Li Younan there, he was initially surprised, then greeted, "Brother Nan, you're here too. Why didn't you call ahead?"
Li Younan smiled, "I heard there was a gathering, so Xiaoyang brought me over."
Meanwhile, Huang Xiaoyang sat silently drinking tea.
Wang Yue then sat down beside Li Younan and chatted about his life. He was now working at a startup internet company, earning an average income, but with stock options, there was hope for turning bicycles into motorcycles.
When Wang Yue heard that Li Younan had quit his job and planned to tour the country, he was utterly stunned.
During the chat, Huang Xiaoyang continued to drink his tea, seemingly indifferent to everything.
After a while, a soft-spoken and delicate beauty with long black hair entered. As soon as Wang Yue saw her, his expression changed. He smiled bitterly at Li Younan and said, "Tian Ling and I broke up."
Li Younan blinked and looked at the girl again. Tian Ling was indeed the one with the long black hair, something he knew because Xiaoyang had mentioned it.
But Wang Yue's next words revealed that things weren't as simple as they seemed to Li Younan.
Wang Yue lowered his head and shyly pulled a jewelry box from his pocket, saying to Li Younan, "Since today is an opportunity, I plan to win her back."
Momentarily stunned, Li Younan glanced at Huang Xiaoyang, who still silently drank his tea as if none of this concerned him.
Suddenly, Li Younan understood. Huang Xiaoyang had mentioned that Tian Ling had a new boyfriend. He wouldn't say such things without a solid source, meaning Wang Yue was the one being kept in the dark.
For a moment, Li Younan didn't know what to say… and thinking of Yang Manman, it truly was a complicated love triangle.
Subsequently, Yang Manman came in. She glanced in their direction, then quietly sat in another corner.
The last to enter was a tall guy who announced, "Classmates, I'll cover the bill today. There's great news I want to share with everyone!"
Li Younan looked around; Wang Yue seemed uninterested, Tian Ling had her head down, and Huang Xiaoyang, still indifferent to it all, continued sipping his tea.