Otherworldly Merchant

I’d done Yin Xinyue a great favor with the murderous ancient painting’s case. 

It made her more dependent on me, and almost every day, she’d come to visit me at my antique shop. 

Sometimes, she’d help me clean the shop or wash my clothes. In my heart, I had a feeling that we were living together. 

I was reluctant, indeed, since I didn’t know what she liked in me. 

Yin Xinyue, apparently, understood Li Mazi’s thoughts. However, she showed no interest in him. 

But, since Li Mazi had just rescued her, whether she’d done it deliberately or not, she often introduced Li Mazi to a few of her girl friends.

Actually, except for his age, his slightly despicable character, and his son, he wasn’t a bad man. Wasn’t it true that the ‘cute uncle’ was a trend now? Li Mazi belonged to this category. He got money and he put on airs. He was also considerate, and he had a straight but humorous character. He could talk well with girls ten years younger than him. 

Honestly, if we could match Li Mazi and help him rebuild his family, I thought it would be pretty good. 

The other night, I sat in my antique shop like usual, listening to the radio and watching the sky with my mind blank. 

All of a sudden, I thought about the man wearing the Kumamon t-shirt. I wondered where he was. Although we’d cooperated on multiple occasions, he was still a riddle to me. He was a tricky riddle that I couldn’t reason or solve. 

Overthinking things gave me a headache. Determinedly, I came inside and turned on my computer to download a movie. 

While I was watching with gusto, a woman walked into my shop. She was wearing a sexy, hot pink skirt that shrouded her round buttocks, revealing her long, fair legs. As she was walking on a pair of high heels, she was around a head taller than me. 

She was truly stunning! 

Although she wasn’t as beautiful as Yin Xinyue, her attractiveness to men was much stronger than Yin Xinyue’s. 

My first impression was that she was a prostitute or something.

But, I still asked, “Good evening, are you here to sell antiques?” 

“No, no.” The woman shook her head. She seated herself in front of me and looked around, her face panic-stricken. I didn’t know what she was looking for. 

After checking around, she exhaled then said, “I want to ask something. Do you know Yin Xinyue?”

I nodded, “I know her. What about her?”

“Are you in a relationship with Yin Xinyue?” asked the woman. 

My heart jolted once as I looked at her in confusion. “What? Who are you?”

The woman smiled. “No, nothing.” Then, she reached out and touched my clothes, even lifting my sleeve for a closer inspection. Next, she reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. 

I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. What was this woman doing? 

I immediately asked, “Hey, hey, big sister, what are you doing?”

I didn’t expect that me addressing her as big sister would enrage her. “You blind bat, what did you call me? Do I look older than Yin Xinyue? You shouldn’t address a lady like that!” 

I was perplexed and I couldn’t understand the situation. What kind of mental disease did this woman have? 

I couldn’t do anything but explain it to her, “It’s just a polite way to address someone.”

“Cut it out.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I get it now. You’re nothing more than a poor guy. Well, Yin Xinyue spoke highly of you, as though you were the rich son of a wealthy family. However, you’re clearly inferior to my boyfriend! Your fashion sense is terrible, and you don’t even wear a watch. There’s nothing luxurious in your shop. You use a Xiaomi phone. You have no taste. I knew it. How could Yin Xinyue have a better boyfriend than me…” 

I was suddenly enlightened, I really was. This woman had come to my shop, at night, just to feel superior. These kinds of arrogant, self-centered women were really annoying. 

However, I wasn’t enraged as I considered that she was just a patient with mental illness. “I think you’ve found the wrong person. I’m just a friend of Yin Xinyue’s. We don’t have that sort of deep relationship.”

“Really?” She instantly cheered up. Instinctively, she rubbed the golden necklace on her neck, gently stroking it. “So, it’s just Yin Xinyue’s one-sided love. Haha, even you, a poor man, doesn’t like Yin Xinyue. How could she be proud and fancy in front of me?”

Then, she turned around and left. 

As I watched her leave, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’d just met someone that really liked to show off! Anyhow, I didn’t actually take the matter seriously. 

The next day, when Yin Xinyue came over, I found that she had a bad expression on her face. She looked like she’d just had a fight with someone as her eyes were red. 

I asked her, “What happened? Did you quarrel with someone?”

Yin Xinyue sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you. Currently, I have a strange client. That client is extremely jealous, and she wants to compete with me over everything. She doesn’t spare anything, and I just quarreled with her. This sort of idiot is really hard to serve.”

I burst out laughing. “I already know your new client.”

Yin Xinyue was surprised. “How do you know that client?” 

I simply and frankly told her what had happened last night. 

After listening to me, Yin Xinyue’s beautiful face blushed. “How dare that woman come here and make a mess? I do respect her boldness though!”

I hurriedly advised Yin Xinyue to not lose her temper. “Women all have jealousy. But, some of them have reached a realm of their own. Just ignore her and you’ll be fine, okay?”

After I tried my best to calm and comfort her, Yin Xinyue felt better and let her anger drain away.

However, it was just temporary. During the next several days, every time Yin Xinyue visited my shop, she’d come with a lot of hatred. I looked at her pale face due to her indignance, and I knew that the problem was that strange client again. 

I didn’t have any other solutions but to stay by Yin Xinyue’s side to be her aide. 

However, while listening to Yin Xinyue describing the situation, even me, ‘the psychologist’, didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. 

That client of hers was extremely jealous. She constantly thought that she had to have better things than Yin Xinyue. 

For example, several days ago, she saw Yin Xinyue’s bracelet. At first, she mocked and ridiculed Yin Xinyue’s bracelet for a long time. However, the next day, she bought a bracelet exactly the same as Yin Xinyue’s. 

Moreover, when she saw Yin Xinyue’s bag, she examined it thoroughly before coming to a conclusion that Yin Xinyue’s bag was a counterfeit, which I, her poor boyfriend, had bought for her from some cheap shop on the streets. Despite that, the next day, she’d be using a bag identical to the one Yin Xinyue had. 

And, as long as a man came to talk to Yin Xinyue, she’d be so jealous she could die. Normally, she’d come and intervene, trying to seize the man’s attention. Many times now, she’d purposely embarrassed Yin Xinyue, making her lose her face in front of her friends. 

Yin Xinyue was really worried that one day, that woman’s enthusiasm and interest in me would grow. If that happened, she’d think that I wasn’t a bad ‘boyfriend’. Then, she’d try to claim me. 

I couldn’t help but guffaw, thinking that the woman’s envy had reached a morbid level. 

I hurriedly comforted Yin Xinyue, telling her not to worry as I was poor, and she’d seen me and had shown no interest. 

However, I didn’t expect that the woman was really sick. Tonight, just after Yin Xinyue had left, she came to my shop. 

She was proactively trying to befriend me. Her speech was ambiguous and her limbs moved provokingly, asking me if I wanted to be with her. 

I couldn’t help but laugh. I didn’t expect that she’d even envy Yin Xinyue for having a poor man like me. 

I smiled as I said, “I have a girlfriend already. So, sorry, but I can’t be with you.”

After hearing my denial, she began her storm out. “Hmph, you mean Yin Xinyue? I’m pissed off. What do I have that isn’t as good as hers? Why you love her, but not me? My body isn’t sexy enough? Aren’t I more beautiful than her? I’m richer than her and my profile is better than hers. What do you value in her?”

I told her, “You look more beautiful than her and your body is sexier than her, but you’re not my taste. I like types like Yin Xinyue.”

“Nonsense!” I didn’t know what provoked her. She just jumped around and cursed me loudly. 

While scolding me, one of her hands rubbed her golden necklace as if it could give her a boost. “Do you think that I’m so noble you could never reach my level? You don’t need to worry. I know you desire me.”

I took a deep breath, feeling highly insulted. I was generally a calm person, but I couldn’t put up with this woman, let alone Yin Xinyue! 

Should I help Yin Xinyue correct this woman’s behaviour? I ignored the woman and let myself be immersed in my heavy thoughts. 

“You think you’re nobler than me? What are you? You’re just a worker for some boss, right? I’m the boss myself. I don’t need to see my boss’ face every day!” I said. 

“You’re talking nonsense!” Her head rose, determination visible in her eyes. “Who told you that I’m just a worker? I’m a boss myself. However, my company hasn’t been transferred to me yet. My boyfriend told me that as soon as we get married, his company will belong to me. Hmph!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is your boyfriend really rich? Do you believe that I have an item here that not even your boyfriend can afford it?”