Otherworldly Merchant

“Stop talking nonsense!” The woman was enraged. She ran to one of my shelves and grabbed two meticulously ice-cracked porcelain vases, throwing them to the ground. “You wait here. Tomorrow, I’ll ask my boyfriend to come and buy your shop! Hmph, I’ll make you die of starvation! Serves you right for not having good taste!”

Then, she panted as she turned around and left. 

I was shocked for quite a long time and couldn’t get myself together. So, did she come here to confess to me or to wreak havoc in my shop? 

It was good that the vases she’d smashed weren’t expensive. I just considered it a negligible loss. 

As soon as the woman had left, Li Mazi arrived. He bitterly asked me, “Is that sexy woman competing against Yin Xinyue to claim you? I really envy you.”  

When he mentioned the word ‘jealous’, I couldn’t help but explode as I scolded him. However, Li Mazi was really thick-skinned, and he basically ignored my rebuking. He pretended to be deaf as he turned on the computer and started watching a movie. 

I thought things would end with this, however, the very next day, the woman returned. Moreover, she brought a young, second-generation rich man who was driving a Mercedes Benz with her. 

The woman was exceptionally content as she entered my store and pointed at me. 

Unwilling to see her, I asked, “Why did you come here again?”

The woman sneered. “Yesterday, I said that I’d ask my boyfriend to buy your shop. Name a price. We don’t care how much. My boyfriend can buy it anyway.”

I looked at the man, noticing the irritation in his eyes. However, to satisfy his woman, he had to suppress his annoyance. 

I smiled. “One billion renminbi.”

The man didn’t know if he should cry or smile. “Brother, give me face, okay? Give me the real price.”

“Then, one hundred million,” I said. “Sigh, so your boyfriend doesn’t have even one hundred million? Well then, your boyfriend isn’t as rich as I am, you see?”

She was extremely jealous, right? I’d stick to this mental point and make her pay a heavy price. 

“Shut up!” the woman fumed. Unconsciously, she stroked her golden necklace. “My boyfriend is way richer than you! One hundred million? Okay, go, buy that shop for me.”

The man said begrudgingly, “Qingqing, please don’t make a mess here. This shop is, at most, valued at a few million. If you like, I’ll open an antique shop for you. Is that okay?”

“You…” Qingqing ground her teeth. “Why don’t you go and kill yourself? Some girls have boyfriends that can die for them, and all I’m asking you for is a little money. You don’t even want to satisfy me. Okay, I want to break up!”

“You shouldn’t be that fickle,” the man said. “What about this? You go home first, and I’ll stay to negotiate with this brother.”

Qingqing shot me a malicious glance before she left. Looking at her creamy and soft thighs, I felt a little pitiful. How could such good legs accompany a mean girl like her? 

After the girl had left, the man exhaled in relief. He patted my shoulder. “I’m sorry, bro. My girlfriend just has a mean streak, her heart’s not that bad. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be with her.”

I shrugged. “So, her heart isn’t bad? I wonder which features you like in her.”

The man sighed helplessly. “Actually, Qingqing wasn’t always like that. Her previous self and her current self are complete opposites. She used to be a bright and generous girl. Every month, she’d donate to the Red Cross. I don’t know what happened, but she changed within one night. It seems like whenever someone has something that she thinks is better than what she has, she can’t stand it and she becomes extremely jealous.”

“Really?” I was surprised as I stared at the man. “Was she in an accident? Did you bring her to see a psychologist?” 

The man told me that he’d brought her to no less than twenty psychologists. However, Qingqing didn’t cooperate as she mocked and ridiculed them before suddenly complaining that her knowledge in psychology wasn’t as good as theirs. Due to this, she wanted to go to university and take a course in psychology. 

I kept silent for a while. It seemed that she didn’t only try to compete with Yin Xinyue. 

Now, I pitied the man standing in front of me. Only he could stand Qingqing’s odd behavior. 

The man asked me if I could let him rent my antique shop for a while. After Qingqing’s temper had cooled, he’d return the shop to me. 

Of course, I didn’t agree. This shop was left to me by my grandfather. Also, I didn’t need the money, so I immediately rejected him. 

Eventually, the man left, filled with disappointment. 

However, before he left, I asked him, “Do you know about the golden necklace Qingqing was wearing? Is it really expensive? Why she must touch it whenever she needs to boost her confidence?”

When he started talking about the golden necklace, the man sounded so helpless. “A friend of hers gave it to her. Actually, that chain isn’t really worth much. But, ever since she started wearing it, she doesn’t want to take it off and she needs to touch it many times a day. It’s strange, really.”

“Would you say that she changed after she started to wear that golden necklace?” I asked, half joking. 

The man smiled. “Yeah, you got that right.”

After the man had left, I phoned Li Mazi, asking him to come to my shop to discuss a new commission. 

As soon as I mentioned business, Li Mazi became happy. He told me to wait for a while as he’d immediately head over. 

Shortly after, Li Mazi walked through the door, looking utterly worn out. But, he still happily asked, “What kind of business is it?”

I asked him, “Do you remember the long-legged girl that paid me a visit several days ago? That long-legged lady has an otherworldly item, but she doesn’t know it. If we can take that otherworldly item, we’ll be rich.”

Li Mazi was startled and immediately started asking me the details. 

Actually, I soon felt that something was strange. Even if she was a person with strong tendencies towards jealousy, she wouldn’t be acting so haughty. And, I could see that the long-legged girl didn’t look that healthy as even her shadow on the ground was a little dimmer. Apparently, it was a sign that she was being affected by the otherworldly item. 

I’d also noticed her instinctive moves. Every time she felt guilty, she’d touch the golden necklace!

At first glance, I knew that the golden necklace wasn’t worth much and that it didn’t really match Qingqing’s high-end style. Thus, I wondered if the necklace could be an otherworldly item...

That’s why I’d called Li Mazi over to go and probe the situation. He needed to check if the girl’s necklace was the problem. 

As Li Mazi listened to me, his mood became increasingly cheerful. “You want me to stalk that girl? I’m sure I’ll fulfill my mission.”

“Stalking my ass! She’ll take the necklace off at night. You should disguise yourself as a courier and deliver something to her. Just find a chance to check if her character changes or if it’s still annoying.” 

Li Mazi instantly nodded. To him, it was a good job he could never ask for. 

After discussing our plans, Li Mazi left to start his part while I stayed behind to think it over. 

I was filled with doubt. What kind of item could affect the wearer’s character, slowly turning them into a different person? 

I was sure that the golden necklace wasn’t something normal. This was because regular otherworldly items didn’t cause such effects. 

As I worried for Li Mazi, I wiped away the cold sweat drenching my brow. I was really worried that he’d encounter something dangerous.