I Am The Third Party (GL) - Chapter 23

I picked up a black stone and asked the bald man sitting on the stool stringing beads, “Boss, can this be cut?”

The bald man wiped his hand on his blue pants, and his slightly bulging eyes behind his glasses glanced at my hand, “Yes, it can be cut.”

“This is obsidian.” Xiao Xuewu put down the agate beads in her hand and looked over.

“I didn’t know, you know anything about this?”

Xiao Xuewu paused. “I’ve seen people wearing it before, and it looks like it.”

“Miss, you’re not mistaken, it’s obsidian, it wards off evil. Do you want it? You want me to cut it for you,”

I asked hurriedly. “Can you cut it into a square?”

The bald man adjusted his black-rimmed glasses frame, took the stone, looked it over carefully, moved the stool to the side of the workbench, started cutting the stone, and the saw teeth flashed white light, sparks flew out, and it made a squeaking sound.

“Obsidian isn’t very expensive. If you like it, I’ll wait until I get my salary and buy you a good one at the jewelry store. Why bother coming here?” Xiao Xuewu said. The bald man who was cutting the stone raised his eyelids to glance at her, then lowered his head again. I looked at her and poked her with my hand. The boss was still there, why was I saying this?

“I don’t really want it, I just suddenly wanted to come and see it,” I said.

Xiao Xuewu nodded and smiled at me. “As long as you like it.”

“Hehe.” I smiled foolishly.

As for stones, you have to go to the market to feel them.

My grandfather said that stones are spiritual. They need to be handled by people and passed on by people’s hands before they can attract people and increase their value.

Take jade, for example. There has been a saying since ancient times: “People nurture jade for the first thirty years, and jade nurtures people for the next thirty years.” Jade must first gain popularity before it can nourish people. The same is true for other stones.

Most of the stones in jewelry stores are raw stones that have been directly processed. They don’t have the chance to be cherished. Meanwhile, those seemingly worthless stones at the flea market have probably had several owners and countless legendary stories.

The bald man asked me again, “What are you using them for? A necklace?”

“Can they be made into earrings?”

“Yes, they’ll be ready soon.”

Xiao Xuewu glanced at my ears, curious. “You don’t have pierced ears. Are these for someone else?”

I stared at the bald man’s embedded stones for a moment. “Hmm.”

Xiao Xuewu sighed softly in my ear and suddenly asked, “For Qi Xi?”

I was stunned. I glanced at her quickly, then immediately lowered my head.

After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded. I didn’t expect Xiao Xuewu to be so unpredictable, her guesses so accurate.

“That’s not fair. Boss, you’re giving it to her and not to me?” Xiao Xuewu joked, winking at me.

This girl is really shameless. I said, “Okay, okay, let’s go together. You can choose. It’s too expensive for me to afford.”

“I’m just kidding,” Xiao Xuewu said.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t wear them very often.”

Since she didn’t want them, I didn’t bother spending the money. Just as my bald head had finished inserting the stones, I put the earrings in a small plastic bag and handed them to me. “Obsidian absorbs evil spirits. Take them out every week and soak them in purified water.”

I looked at the bag. “So particular!”

————————————————-

There are always those people in this world who despise you to death, but they happily do the same stupid things, taking the saying “the officials are allowed to set fires, but the people are not allowed to light lamps” to the extreme.

“Ha, why are you still level 31? I’m already 40!” Qi Xi said, shaking her phone in front of me. The level 40 number above the farm interface hurt my eyes.

I was furious, “What qualifications do RMB players have to show off in front of diligent and down-to-earth loyal players? What kind of skill is it to charge diamonds for growing vegetables? Go away and don’t bother me.”

“No matter what my process is, it’s enough that my result is better than yours.” Qi Xi grinned proudly, tilted his head and lay on my thigh, clicked on the recharge interface with his index finger, and clicked the yellow button, “Recharge diamonds, one thousand!”

Recharge, recharge, just recharge all the money for several properties!

“Qi Xi.”

“What do you want me to do?”

I reached sideways to the handbag on the small table beside the sofa, took out a small plastic bag from it, and poured the square black earrings into the palm of my hand, “I have something for you.”

Qi Xi was busy collecting the vegetables, and didn’t notice my movements at all, “What is it?”

I stretched my hand in front of her, “Here, please take a look.”

I hesitated for a long time before making the decision to give her this earring.

I was afraid Qi Xi would be angry at me for doing this. I’d peeked at the shape of this earring in Qi Xi’s notebook, and the earring she’d drawn was now on Yan Sinan’s ear.

And it was just a small earring, but Qi Xi had specifically drawn it in her notebook, suggesting it held special meaning for her.

Qi Xi didn’t like others intruding on her privacy, so my actions were indeed abrupt…

but I…

“Little fairy,”

Qi Xi called out to me.

I lowered my head, afraid to breathe, imagining her rage burning through me, scorching my body until it was completely shattered.

“You like me.”

My eyes widened, pupils dilated, not daring to move a single eyelash.

I saw the four Chinese characters for “You like me” drift slowly from her lips, suspended in mid-air, frozen in time. The clock, which usually ticked in silence, was silent, mute.

Qi Xi’s face grew larger, and without warning, his cold lips pressed against my equally cold mouth.

I slowly raised my hands and spread my fingers apart. Cold air slipped through them, unable to grasp anything.

I estimated my heartbeat stopped for four seconds, until Qi Xi’s lips left mine and I regained the strength to regenerate my bl00d.

She stood up and went into the study, closing the door. I sat quietly on the sofa for a long time, motionless. Only when the lights across the street went out did I curl my lips, burying my face in my hands and burying my head in my knees.

The obsidian lay squarely on the coffee table, reflecting the light. I picked it up and held it high in my palms. “You soak it in purified water once a week. How particular.”

The next morning, Qi Xi greeted me as usual, but she returned late after leaving. I was already asleep when she entered. She spent less and less time at home, and even when she did, she no longer chatted with me. Her attitude was polite, but I knew it wasn’t politeness, it was distance.

After that, she never came back.

Xiao Xuewu used her salary to buy me two more gifts: a small ceramic bowl with a large cat painted on it, and another time, a small pot of sunflowers.

The weather’s been very cold. A few days ago, it started snowing non-stop. I went back to my USTC dorm

and rummaged through my drawers to find a bulky down jacket. I put it on, and it wobbled like a bear when I walked. Xiaoli despised me several times, and finally dragged me out to buy a long lace-trimmed one. When Xiao Xuewu saw me wearing it, she said it looked good. I laughed to myself: What’s the point of looking good if no one’s going to see it anymore?

Chinese New Year is approaching, and Dad has called me several times to urge me back home. Mom is waiting to go shopping with me for New Year’s goods.

He’s also shown off his Twenty-Four Fists technique several times, discussing his friendship with Uncle Yan, and lavishly praising Yan Sinan, comparing me to him and making me look worthless. I smiled and replied, “Dad, wait until I get home and complain to Mom.”

At the mention of Mom, Dad immediately calmed down, his attitude completely changing, calling me a good daughter and telling me not to complain to Mom.

It’s like this in my family: Mom protects me and loves me, while Dad is sharp-tongued and loves to criticize me, but he’s afraid of Mom.

Back then, Dad was reluctant to start a business, and I really wouldn’t have been able to do it without Mom’s support. Ah, thank you so much, Mom. So I bought Mom a nice dress and only a few pairs of socks for Dad, letting him bully me. Humph.

Seeing that it was almost New Year’s Eve, I closed the shop two days early. Yuzai and Xiaoyu packed up and went home early. I asked Xiao Xuewu, “Will you go back to your hometown? Have you bought the tickets?” She replied, “No, I’m staying with friends. They have a lot of family and friends, so it’s quite lively.”

I didn’t want to ask too much, so I just said, “Okay, if you need anything, just tell me. My house is not big, but there is still room for beautiful women.”

She nodded shyly and said okay.

—————————————————–

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I was packing up. I had just folded a pile of shirts and put them in my suitcase when there was a hurried knock on the door.

“That knock is a bit violent.”

I walked out, wondering who it was, and then I heard sharp shouts from outside.

“Qi Xi, you big bastard, get out here now. I know you’ve been living here recently. If you have the guts, come out. If you’re still hiding in there, don’t blame me for being rude!”

Looking for Qi Xi?

I’d never heard that voice before. I crouched down to peer into the peephole. A pretty girl, in a white fur coat and blue sweater, beneath a crimson woolen skirt. Her large, bright eyes were dazzling, though her gaze was rather fierce.

I opened the door, “Miss Wei Ling, are you looking for Qi Xi? She’s not here.”

Once I opened the door, I realized Wei Ling was followed by four burly bodyguards. I instantly regretted opening the door. What if Miss Wei took her anger out on me? How could a weak woman like me stand up to so many strong men?

Wei Ling was stunned when she saw me, and it took her a long time to recover. Then she burst into a strange laugh. I shrank back, timidly looking at her, holding onto the door handle, not daring to let go.

Wei Ling’s laughter had worn off, and she stepped closer, patting my face. “Oh, another one!” “What’s up? Where’s your sister Qi Xi? Are you tired of playing around? Don’t want you anymore? You were so impressive at the restaurant that day, but why aren’t you so impressive now?”

I frowned and opened her hand. “She and I aren’t that kind of person.”

Wei Ling was startled again, stepped back, and took a closer look at me, her smile fading.

“She took you home to live with you, but she didn’t do it with you?” she asked.

She didn’t do it with me? What did she do? Could it be…

Oh my god, I told you it wasn’t that kind of relationship!

I said, “Yeah.”

Wei Ling looked at me in amazement and asked, “Is it true?”

I said, “Really? Why would I lie to you? Bank Cards don’t cost much.”

Wei Ling’s expression froze, and she turned around and said, “Wait for me outside.”

“Yes, young lady!”

She hurriedly pulled me in without taking off her shoes. I closed the door and hurriedly said, “Don’t worry, don’t worry, change your shoes first.”