After last year's bustling jade-gambling craze, Boss Xu's jade shop remained a well-known landmark on Bin City's antique street.
However, compared to last year's frenzy, most visitors now ca just to browse and admire. Even those who bought stones did so within their ans—whether or not the stone revealed jade, they were paying for a montary thrill.
Yan and Zhu Jue ultimately chose gold-inlaid jade peace locks. Though simple in design, the materials were of high quality—gold and jade intertwined, symbolizing excellent fortune.
Even though they had completed their main errand by noon, Yan and Zhu Jue weren’t in a hurry to leave.
The peace locks were for their goddaughters—one for Da An’an and one for Xiao An’an. Considering the significant age gap between the "two girls," Yan and Zhu Jue still ordered identical designs to show fairness.
The gold-inlaid peace locks featured a detachable jade centerpiece, allowing them to be worn separately or layered.
For Xiao An’an, who was still small, she could wear just the jade pendant, while Da An’an could sport the full lock.
Yan was very pleased with the choice—though the price was steep.
Two peace locks cost five figures.
But as the saying goes, "The wool cos from the sheep's back."
Though Officer Zheng Yi’s bonus hadn’t arrived yet, Yan ntally earmarked it to pay back later.
After all, the fifty thousand caught at the school last week should have been Lin Fan’s credit.
After placing a deposit at the jade shop, Yan and Zhu Jue decided to stroll around and check out the shops Boss Tu had ntioned—those trying to keep up with the internet era.
Especially—
The "spellcaster" they had passed earlier.
Boss Tu had no interest in joining them, telling the two to explore on their own while he returned to mind his shop. If they ended up buying anything, they could call him to haggle.
"Alright, folks, today we’re doing sothing different—antique shop exploration instead of food reviews!"
"Behind is Bin City’s famous antique street. Check out this shop—staff dressed in traditional outfits, feels like stepping back centuries. Total imrsion, right?"
Yan and Zhu Jue quietly passed a livestrear with a filming crew. Nearby, so vendors had set up tripods, docunting their day while selling goods online in real ti.
But not all shops were like this. Along their walk, so stubbornly stuck to the old ways—opening their doors and waiting quietly for custors.
The tide of progress and new technology had finally reached the antique street.
As the old saying goes: "In prosperous tis, collect antiques; in chaotic tis, hoard gold."
But for ordinary people, antiques were a luxury for the wealthy and enthusiasts.
Most visitors to the antique street were just there for the spectacle—maybe cautiously browsing street stalls or treating the shops like museums, wandering in for a glimpse of history.
Yan and Zhu Jue circled back to the cloaked man’s shop.
This ti, they saw him waving a wand and chanting at passersby, drawing a crowd—and successfully luring many inside.
Unlike traditional antique shops, this one had special glass display windows, allowing a clear view of the interior.
Ancient bookshelves, crystal balls, black-and-white candles flickering, a hexagram emblem seemingly engraved into the floorboards, and a weathered to propped near the entrance as if waiting to be turned to the next page.
Yan and Zhu Jue followed the crowd inside. While others snapped photos with their phones, the two studied the shop.
The books on the shelves were real, not re display props. Near the entrance were the main products—
Parchnt scrolls, assorted crystals and energy stones, scented candles, herbs, exclusive tarot decks, and even artisanal goods like fridge magnets. The checkout counter was an antique typewriter that printed personalized receipts, complete with a quill-pen signature.
Watching the shopkeeper’s theatrics, Yan thought to herself—this was a masterclass in appealing to the target audience. Once inside, it was hard to leave empty-handed.
Most visitors wandered deeper into the shop but circled back to the front after encountering more bookshelves. Yan and Zhu Jue, however, carefully examined the books and an entire traditional Chinese dicine cabinet.
This wasn’t a bookstore, and they couldn’t just handle the owner’s collection—but a glance at the spines revealed texts in multiple languages.
Had they not overheard the shopkeeper’s suspicious mutterings earlier when passing by with Boss Tu, this place would’ve seed like just another niche "magic shop"—the kind that would trend on Xiaohongshu as a must-visit spot.
An antique clock in the shop chid. Yan checked the ti—exactly noon.
The previous wave of custors had finished taking photos and making purchases, leaving only Yan and Zhu Jue inside.
"Apologies, but we’re closing temporarily," the shopkeeper said, starting to shut the door before noticing the two still there.
"Oh, we’ll head out now," Yan said, tugging Zhu Jue’s hand. She had planned to buy sothing small, but if they were closing, no point delaying his break.
Besides, this guy wasn’t one of the "special" people—maybe those chants earlier were just chuunibyou nonsense.
"Wait!" The shopkeeper suddenly called out.
"You two look familiar… Have I seen you before?" He closed his eyes, as if searching his mory, then opened them within seconds.
"Boss Tu’s people?" he asked.
Yan and Zhu Jue were caught off guard by his abruptness. They nodded, and the shopkeeper imdiately raised a hand.
"Hold on!"
"Nature calls—mind watching the shop for a sec? Be right back!"
"Oh, and I’m Zhuo Si—just call Xiao Zhuo." He rattled off this speech like a machine gun before darting into the back.
Yan and Zhu Jue: "…"
Where did this sudden trust co from?!
The two lingered near the entrance, but the "Temporarily Closed" sign was already up. Yan pulled out her phone.
"Jue, what should we have for lunch?"
The milk tea Boss Tu had bought earlier was still in their hands, now lukewarm. Yan absentmindedly sipped hers.
The shop was quiet. It took them ten minutes to decide on hotpot for lunch—but Xiao Zhuo still hadn’t returned.
When nature calls, there’s no rushing it. The two crouched down, comparing group-buy deals on different apps.
By the ti Zhuo Si reappeared, Yan had already secured a voucher.
"Thanks—no custors ca by, right?" Zhuo Si asked.
"Nope. We’re off to eat now," Yan said, standing up—then freezing.
"What’s wrong?" Zhuo Si asked.
"Nothing, just leg cramps from squatting too long. Ow, Jue—" Yan hissed, leaning into Zhu Jue and squeezing his palm.
This was getting ridiculous.
How did this guy suddenly grow a new halo over his head in just a matter of minutes?
Huh? Since when can halos just sprout out of nowhere?
[Supernatural Intern]
What the heck is this?! And it looks way paler than the halos of her roommates!
These halo notifications are getting more and more confusing!
Yan pretended her leg had gone numb, letting Zhu Jue support her as they left the shop. Once they were a good distance away, the two quickly exchanged whispers.
anwhile, after they left, Zhuo Si locked the shop door, officially closing for the day, and posted a notice on the store’s account announcing a temporary break.
Pulling down the blinds over the glass windows to ensure no one outside could peek in, Zhuo Si nearly threw his head back and howled in triumph.
It’s here—it’s finally here!
Just monts ago, he had swapped out the ancient incantation he’d been chanting for three days and tried a different ritual. And this ti, it actually worked!
That so-called "summon a dinsional portal" ritual was completely useless. The old man who sold him the setup had sworn up and down it was foolproof—so centuries-old family secret that would let him trade for anything once he stepped through. What a load of crap!
Turns out, the shady occult thods he found on so ghost story forum were way more effective!
A booming voice had declared him chosen, announcing that within seven days, he would undergo a supernatural trial and beco a "Supernatural Intern."
Since childhood, he’d fantasized about stumbling upon the kind of miraculous encounters found in wuxia novels. After years of obsessing over the occult, his mont had finally arrived!
Zhuo Si was so ecstatic he could’ve cried.
An unknown power, sothing beyond reality—this was the "divine mystery" he’d been chasing all his life. And now, it was here!
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