Old Wang's Politeness Actually, I Do Need Your Help

After a round of intense back-and-forth,

Lin Yu was settled by Shen Buyao onto the chair where she had just been drying her undergarments.

Shen Buyao herself insisted on washing some fruit,

even though they had just finished eating.

It was unclear whether Shen Buyao genuinely had a big appetite or simply felt compelled to uphold the etiquette of hosting a guest.

Seeing that he couldn’t stop her, Lin Yu resigned himself to waiting patiently.

Ding!

His phone chimed with a WeChat notification.

He couldn’t guess which of his fellow "clan friends" might have sent it.

Lin Yu pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen—

Wang Biao?!

Why would he suddenly message Lin Yu?

And with a voice message, no less—one that was over twenty seconds long.

Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom,

Lin Yu didn’t bother being overly cautious. He turned the volume down slightly and played the voice message out loud.

Wang Biao (Voice Message): "Hey, Yu, buddy, y’all closed up shop early today at the flower store, huh? Thought at least Boss Chen would still be around. A pal of mine gave me some jasmine tea, and since I was passing by your place, I figured I’d drop some off for you two. Saw you weren’t there, so I left it with the neighbor. Get it from ‘em tomorrow."

Lin Yu: "……?"

Was this… a gift?

They’d only met twice—hardly the kind of friendship where someone would casually drop off treats.

Even if they were at that stage,

Wang Biao was still the older, more established "big bro" in their dynamic.

If anything, Lin Yu should be the one bringing gifts.

After some thought,

Lin Yu figured Wang Biao’s sudden shift in attitude must be tied to their run-in at Gui Street’s Gui Xing.

Back then, Lin Yu had been accompanied by "Antique Sis" and the "King of Dirty Jokes,"

effectively letting him "borrow their prestige like a fox borrowing a tiger’s might."

But even so—

Would Wang Biao really go as far as sending gifts just because he wasn’t sure about Lin Yu’s connections?

At most, he’d send a WeChat message now and then to check in.

There had to be something else going on!

Lin Yu (Voice Message): "Thanks, Biao-ge. You’re makin’ me feel bad now. Let’s grab drinks sometime when you’re free!"

Lin Yu (Voice Message): "Biao-ge, was there something you needed from me today?"

Whether or not the gift had actually reached him,

he had to acknowledge the gesture first.

"When you’re free" might never happen, but it was the polite thing to say—

a way of accepting the "gift" and the implied favor.

Only then could he ask what this was really about.

True to form, Wang Biao proved himself a down-to-earth guy.

A reply came through in no time.

Wang Biao (Voice Message): "Listen, buddy, I’m not one for beating around the bush, so I’ll just say it straight. If you ever come across any top-tier, rare goods in the future, skip Gui Xing and bring ‘em straight to your ol’ Biao-ge. I’ll make sure you don’t walk away empty-handed!"

Ah.

So that was it—the little "gift" was a play for the "treasures" Lin Yu might have.

Wang Biao’s nose was sharp as ever!

Though Lin Yu had only interacted with Huang Feirong’s mother, Sister Hong, once at Gui Xing,

his first impression of her wasn’t the type to casually leak client info.

So Wang Biao’s intel was likely his own guesswork.

This message was both testing his theory

and feeling out what kind of person Lin Yu was—whether he’d spin tall tales or not.

Before Lin Yu could reply,

Shen Buyao returned with a plate in hand.

"Didn’t have much fruit left—just some blueberries. They’re sweet, though."

"Were you chatting with someone outside earlier?"

Seeing Lin Yu nod,

her expression turned complicated as she added:

"I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I turned off the water and caught a bit of the voice."

"Sounded like some old man."

"Lin Yu, you’ve been living in a den of women for so long…"

"Don’t tell me you’ve started thinking you’re one of them?"

Lin Yu: "……"

What kind of nonsense was this?

He was this close to giving her a hands-on lesson in the difference between men and women.

Remembering that Shen Buyao knew Wang Biao, Lin Yu decided to get her take.

So, under the guise of "proving his innocence," he played Wang Biao’s voice message again.

"Oh, it’s just Old Wang. Was wondering who you were talking to."

"Him saying stuff like that doesn’t surprise me at all."

"That guy’s a smooth operator—well-connected all over Pingchuan."

"Though I am a little surprised you two know each other."

After listening, Shen Buyao’s face relaxed slightly.

Lin Yu: "……"

She’d completely missed the point!

He nudged the conversation back on track:

"Seems Biao-ge’s got good intel, figuring out so fast that I’ve got ‘goods’ on me."

Shen Buyao didn’t bat an eye. Calmly, she said:

"If you’d met before and he only knew you as a college student, it’s no shock he’d peg you as the seller."

"Gui Xing hasn’t seen antiques of that caliber in ages."

"The regulars there all know each other—and they definitely know the state of Pingchuan’s antique market."

"If it wasn’t one of the old hands selling, it had to be an outsider or a newbie with something special."

"You showed up at Gui Xing for the first time, and the very next day, Sister Hong put out the promo."

"Wang Biao putting two and two together? Totally normal."

Her words confirmed Lin Yu’s own suspicions.

What Shen Buyao didn’t know was that Lin Yu had already flashed a hint of his "financial power" in front of Wang Biao—back during the rent negotiation.

That was probably why Wang Biao was so sure it was him.

At this point, keeping up the act with Wang Biao was pointless.

Lin Yu went ahead and replied:

Lin Yu (Voice Message): "Biao-ge, didn’t realize you were into this stuff too. Next time I get my hands on something new, I’ll come straight to you."

It didn’t take long for a response:

Wang Biao (Voice Message): "That’s what I like to hear, buddy! You’re my kind of guy. Anything you need in Pingchuan, just say the word."

Remembering Wang Biao’s status as a real estate big shot, Lin Yu smirked to himself.

Lin Yu (Voice Message): "Biao-ge, hope you don’t mind me asking, but there is a little favor I could use your help with. Heh. You heading to Gui Xing tonight? Let’s talk in person?"

Watching Lin Yu’s expression, Shen Buyao guessed:

Was this guy planning to pull out another antique to sell?

Normally, she’d have pressed him for details.

But today, she stayed quiet—just pulled over a chair, straddling it backward.

She folded her arms over the backrest and rested her chin on them,

watching him with idle curiosity.

……