Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Shen Ju regarded Guan Muyao with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

He felt that Guan Muyao, much like Guan Jianshan, possessed an innate authority that commanded respect without needing to assert it.

However, Guan Lifeng had the softening influence of Qin Suxi, and Guan Jianshan benefited from the gravitas of age. These factors always allowed Shen Ju to be a bit more “accommodating” towards them, making them seem less unapproachable.

But facing Guan Muyao, Shen Ju always found it incredibly difficult; even making eye contact felt like a challenge.

He instinctively wanted to lower his gaze.

To hunch his back and scurry away.

Perhaps the age gap wasn't significant enough, yet they weren't peers either. Shen Ju had never encountered such a situation before and lacked any "reference points."

No, that wasn't quite right.

Pei Yan wasn't his peer either.

And it seemed Pei Yan was only a few years younger than Guan Muyao.

Yet, Shen Ju found Pei Yan much easier to get along with.

Perhaps it was because Pei Yan smiled more often.

Shen Ju's thoughts drifted wildly, straying miles away before he hastily reined them in.

Even after pulling them back, he still hesitated, unsure how to begin speaking.

The next moment, he saw Guan Muyao stand up.

996 immediately blurted out: "Host, is he going to hit you?!"

Guan Muyao: "............"

Did he really look like he was about to hit someone?

Shen Ju: "...Bro 996, don't talk nonsense."

Despite saying this.

Shen Ju still took a small step back.

"............"

Guan Muyao was on the verge of exasperation.

But it wasn't just Shen Ju who didn't know how to interact with him; Guan Muyao himself was unsure how to approach Shen Ju.

His own younger brother, whom he had only met when he was already grown up.

And he couldn't just be overtly familiar with them.

This left Guan Muyao uncertain about what attitude to adopt when facing Shen Ju, lacking any clear or specific guidelines.

But there were some things.

What he could do, at the very least, was to make Shen Ju feel comfortable.

Guan Muyao took off the watch from his wrist, his deep voice resonating: "Coincidentally, this is the watch I acquired at the auction tonight."

"It's yours."

As he spoke, he extended it forward.

Shen Ju reached out and took it, only then realizing—

"A watch just acquired at the auction tonight, bro 996, is it really okay for me to take it...?"

"This watch comes with a story."

"Huh?"

"The name of this watch is 'Shuang Xuan.' 'Xuan' means fine jade, and it also refers to a star in the Big Dipper. It symbolizes two stars shining upon each other in their lives. Its creator was separated from his twin brother in childhood—one went abroad, the other stayed in the country. They didn't even know each other existed."

Guan Muyao tapped the watch in Shen Ju's hand: "Until the younger brother occasionally returned to China for tourism and, purely by chance, met someone who looked very much like him. At first, both thought it was just a resemblance, a coincidence, and felt it was fate. They immediately clicked and began traveling together. When it was time to part, they were reluctant to leave each other and kept in touch. Later, the younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia abroad and almost died. The older brother rushed to his side and stayed there. That's when they discovered they were actually blood relatives."

Shen Ju was completely engrossed, quickly asking, "What happened then? How is the younger brother?"

"Don't worry, he survived."

Guan Muyao hesitated for a moment but still reached out and patted Shen Ju's fluffy, round head: "The older brother's stem cells were compatible with the younger brother's, so he could donate healthy hematopoietic stem cells. After the younger brother recovered, he personally handcrafted this 'Shuang Xuan' watch to symbolize the deep bond between him and his brother."

Shen Ju's mouth fell open, utterly surprised.

"But if the meaning behind this watch is so important, why..."

"Why was it put up for sale?"

Shen Ju nodded.

Guan Muyao: "...Because the younger brother said objects are inanimate, but people are alive."

"Huh?" Shen Ju looked puzzled.

"...Meaning, while this watch holds extraordinary significance, if it can fetch a high price, it's more practical to exchange it for something tangible. After all, his brother is already by his side."

"............Oh."

Guan Muyao cleared his throat: "So this watch is for you. You can do whatever you want with it. If it brings you value, then it has meaning."

Shen Ju couldn't help but clutch the watch tightly.

He looked up at Guan Muyao, biting his lip.

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............

Stress Relief Day, also known as the Ant Bazaar.

It was deliberately scheduled during the break for first and second-year high school students. The entire Qichen playground was transformed for the event. As it was also an open day, many parents registered and entered Qichen.

Qichen's event had evolved into what was almost an annual large-scale affair.

Indeed, it wasn't just parents who could use this event to connect with other parents—in such an informal setting, with topics related to their children, it was easy to strike up conversations. This opportunity was far more valuable than usual, so on open day, regardless of their intentions, many parents indeed attended.

—But it wasn't just for the parents.

This event was also very important for Qichen's seniors.

In their final year of high school, as they prepared to transition to the next stage, this period was also crucial for building their own networks and social circles.

After all, once they entered university, everyone might go their separate ways.

During their senior year, maintaining stable relationships or expanding their network was essential—anyone smart and perceptive would recognize the necessity of this.

The Ant Bazaar—a "mini commercial district" run by students—naturally revealed a lot.

Although not everyone might fully grasp the deeper meaning behind this event, being in such an environment, most could sense it to some extent. Or perhaps some inherently perceptive individuals, even if they didn't fully understand due to their age and limited experience, instinctively knew what to do—

At the very least, they had to approach it with a serious attitude.

This was an event, but by no means one that could be casually dismissed or treated lightly.

At the very least, Shen Ju and Jian Yi certainly approached it with seriousness.

Besides some old items, the two also planned to make small felt crafts.

They had started preparing early and had already completed a batch—they had been "practicing" felt crafts since childhood. Back then, Xu Ru had to raise both of them alone. As the saying goes, growing boys can eat a family out of house and home, and Xu Ru was just an elementary school teacher. Even with extra income from tutoring, it probably wasn't enough.

So, from a young age, Shen Ju and Jian Yi had been thinking of ways to help supplement the household income.

As children, they often went to the market near Ankang Alley.

Besides helping Xu Ru buy groceries before she got off work, they also looked for "business opportunities." They later discovered that small handmade crafts had low material costs but required a lot of labor. So, the two children turned their attention to this idea. At first, it was just an experiment, but later they got quite good at making all sorts of small felt items.

Perhaps because they were children and their accessories were made with care, they managed to sell a few. However, securing a stall was tricky. Not only did they have to constantly "drift" from place to place, but some people, seeing they were children, tried to take advantage of them—especially since the market's security wasn't very good back then.

Still, they persisted for several years.

It wasn't until they entered high school, when their schoolwork became more demanding, that Xu Ru finally made them stop.

After all, tutoring fees had risen over the years, and by then, Xu Ru's income as an experienced teacher, combined with her tutoring earnings, was generally enough to get by.

With the Ant Bazaar approaching, Shen Ju and Jian Yi discussed what to sell.

Neither of them had many items to sell, so they decided to make some small crafts themselves before the Ant Bazaar officially began.

Fortunately, their skills hadn't grown rusty.

Shen Ju even made a felt watch, modeled after the one Guan Muyao had given him.

The watch, named "Shuang Xuan," was exquisitely crafted. Its name referenced stars in the Big Dipper, and its dial featured the shape of the constellation, with each star polished from different materials. The position of the star Megrez, near the 5 on the dial, made the entire dial light up with a starry glow at that hour.

Since the watch was named "Shuang Xuan," whenever the hour hand reached 5, a second star would shine, making the "double" in "Shuang Xuan."

The two stars shone together, mirroring each other.

It was truly beautiful.

Shen Ju's felt version captured even the finest details, including the scattered starlight. With the hour hand pointing precisely at 5, one could see the emergence of the two Megrez stars.

Right next to the felt watch was the real one Guan Muyao had given him.

However, a sign reading "Not for Sale" was placed in front of it.

Yet, the presence of this watch undoubtedly made it the most valuable item at the entire Ant Bazaar.

Shen Ju was unaware, but everyone else could tell immediately.

So even though there was a "Not for Sale" sign in front, several people still came over to ask if the watch was for sale, making Shen Ju wonder why they had to ask before giving up.

Just then, another hand reached over and picked up the felt watch beside it.

Seeing this, Shen Ju immediately smiled and called out, "Brother Pei."

Pei Yan had come by to visit Shen Ju's stall.

He then smiled and asked, "Is this watch not for sale?"

Shen Ju shook his head and answered with a smile, "Not even for Brother Pei."

"'Not even for Brother Pei'?"

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, amused, "So it seems I'm pretty special?"

"But if the watch isn't for sale, why's it on display?"

"Yeah, young man, if the watch isn't for sale, why display it?"

Just as Shen Ju was about to answer, a voice cut in.

He followed the sound and saw Guan Muyao walking over with a middle-aged man—who had spoken.

Not only that, but the man's appearance also attracted the attention of many other parents nearby.

Pei Yan turned around and, upon seeing the newcomer, paused slightly before speaking, "Mr. Hu, I didn't expect you to come today."

"Mr. Pei."

Hu Fanghai nodded to Pei Yan, "I had some free time, so I came along with Young Master Guan to take a look."

"Young Master Guan" naturally referred to Guan Muyao.

The people around exchanged glances, and some, recalling the recent project collaborations the Guan family had been involved in, were secretly surprised.

So the Guan family had already connected with higher-ups?

But the next moment, Hu Fanghai turned to Shen Ju and said, "If I remember correctly, this watch was auctioned off a few days ago. I originally wanted to bid on it."

"But Young Master Guan outbid me."

Hu Fanghai then looked at Guan Muyao, "It seems Young Master Guan is a real watch enthusiast, willing to pay a high price for it. But how did it end up in this kid's hands so quickly?"

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Author's note: There will be another update after midnight. [Owl]