Return of the King, Dominating the City

Hua Qingcheng came, and she even specifically called Song Yun, so Song Yun had no choice but to go over to keep her company.

When he arrived, Song Yun found that Hua Qingcheng was even more beautiful than before, and her tone had become gentle, which was refreshing and left Song Yun feeling a bit ticklish inside.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Where’s Xia Tian? Didn’t she come with you?" Song Yun asked curiously.

"She has some matters to deal with in the sect, so it’s just me this time. What, young master of the Song Family, are you unhappy that I came alone?" Hua Qingcheng squinted at Song Yun with a sneer.

"No, no, I’m very happy you came, extremely happy," Song Yun stammered. "You could have told me earlier, so I could make some arrangements for you."

"No need, I’ve been on the road for a while, I’m hungry, take me to eat," Hua Qingcheng said as she pulled Song Yun out of the room. Seeing her urgency, Song Yun could only sigh helplessly.

Since it wasn’t meal time, the two casually found a place to grab a bite. After leaving the store, Hua Qingcheng suggested they go shopping, and Song Yun couldn’t refuse. He promptly declined, but after a few slaps from Hua Qingcheng, he relented.

As they walked down the street, they saw a building with an ancient style. Song Yun noticed Hua Qingcheng had stopped at the entrance of the store, looked up, and saw, wow, Jubao Building. Isn’t this the national chain store owned by Song Tieniu?

"Why don’t we... go in and take a look?"

"Let’s go."

The Beijing Jubao Building was much more impressive than the one Song Yun had encountered in Sunan, and it had more items inside with a higher level of quality.

Song Yun didn’t plan to go to the top-level treasure room to buy anything, and Hua Qingcheng didn’t either.

The first-floor hall was probably two or three hundred square meters, divided into several areas, including ceramics, woodwork, and many other miscellaneous items.

Of course, there was certainly a jewelry section.

The jewelry displayed in this flagship store of Beijing’s Jubao Building wasn’t as dazzling as those in other jewelry stores, but many had historical significance, not something current mass-produced goods could compare to.

Take, for example, the Sea Blue Dream before Song Yun’s eyes. It was crafted by a master artisan who made ten rings in total, scattered around the world. The platinum band had a blue gemstone that resembled a water droplet, with facets almost reaching perfection, only losing some of its dreamlike quality without lighting on it.

Song Yun was curious why none of the jewelry here was lit, only to find out that many of these pieces are aged, so strong lights could cause some damage.

That’s why Jubao Building’s jewelry display cases are not specially lit.

"If you want to buy something, I think this one is nice!" Song Yun pointed at the Sea Blue Dream and said, "There are only ten in the world. Although many works of that master are circulated now, it’s still very collectible!"

"Sir, you have a keen eye!" The saleswoman smiled and said, "This Sea Blue Dream is perfect for women. Wearing it will make your partner more dazzling! Moreover, it’s said that those who obtain this Sea Blue Dream will experience a very beautiful Chapter in their life!"

"I don’t like it; let’s keep looking," Hua Qingcheng shook her head and said.

The saleswoman’s expression changed slightly, her original smile reduced significantly, and her lips curled slightly, showing a hint of disdain.

Song Yun had a strong sense of perception and naturally noticed the salesperson’s small actions, but he didn’t say anything. There are just too many people nowadays who look down on others, even he often did the same, so there was nothing much to say, especially since they hadn’t offended him, right?

Hua Qingcheng walked over to the adjacent counter, looked around, and said, "Sigh, none of these are my type!"

"Miss, really none of these suit your type?" the salesperson asked, "These pieces are considered quite good jewelry, some have been passed down for over a hundred years! Whether in terms of artistic or historical value, they are significant!"

"Not a single one is to my liking!" Hua Qingcheng shook her head, saying, "They just don’t feel right."

"Oh! So what feel do you like?" the salesperson asked blandly.

"Can’t say exactly." Hua Qingcheng frowned, saying, "They just don’t feel right."

"Then perhaps you prefer pieces like those from Zhou Xiaofu?" the salesperson inquired. "Honestly, miss, although they seem flashier than ours, many appear bright due to excessive lighting. However, their prices are comparatively low, costing just tens of thousands, at most over a hundred thousand. Here, the cheapest is two hundred thousand or more, heh, different level!" the salesperson laughed.

"I don’t see how it’s that high-end!" Hua Qingcheng instinctively remarked.

However, this statement sounded off to the salesperson. Because generally, people who "can’t have the grapes" also speak in this tone; for instance, when you can’t afford something but really like it, you tend to say what’s wrong with it, using such criticisms for self-consolation.

Therefore, the salesperson’s smile disappeared from her face.

"Miss, our Jubao Building’s items in Beijing are sought after by high-class socialites. If even such items don’t appeal to you, would you mind helping us understand what truly counts as high-quality?" the salesperson asked. Although she was angry inside, due to the store regulations, she maintained a smile on her face. Someone who didn’t know might think the salesperson was genuinely seeking advice!

"I just said they’re not that high-end, there’s always something of a higher grade." Hua Qingcheng remarked unassumingly, looked at Song Yun, and said, "Song Yun, let’s go to the second floor."

"Sure, whatever you say!" Song Yun smiled, leading Hua Qingcheng to the second floor.

Not everyone needs to put on an act of playing the fool to outsmart others when being looked down upon. The world has never lacked this kind of drama, but when a person reaches a certain level, the thrill of outsmarting isn’t enough to satisfy their vanity. Simply put, bullying someone doesn’t bring them joy and can even make them seem childish.

This is the difference between genuinely elite individuals and ordinary people like us. We seize every opportunity to showcase our superiority, but they emphasize composure and demeanor.

The word ’demeanor’ sounds simple, but genuinely maintaining composure amidst chaos and a smile amidst criticism is extremely challenging. It requires a mindset that doesn’t fluctuate with external circumstances.

Song Yun, for now, was far from having such demeanor, but he had already transcended lowly tastes; thus, instead of proving his immense status and power to the ignorant salesperson on the first floor, he took Hua Qingcheng directly to the second floor.

When all is said and done, it’s meaningless.