Chapter 5: The Masked Heroine

The young man sported a "granny-grey" hairstyle, as flamboyant as his grin.

"Brother, I’m heading to the auction house for an appraisal right now. You won’t be able to look down on me so easily anymore!"

A lazy voice emanated from the video call: [I’m at the auction house now. Appraiser Chen is here with me; I’ll have him take a look.]

The young man held the jade pendant closer. Moments later, Appraiser Chen’s voice sounded: [Young Master Ji, this pendant is worthless. You’ve been swindled again.]

The same lazy voice returned, dripping with mockery: [Born gullible and wealthy—you’re either being scammed or on your way to being scammed. You’ve been like this since you were a kid; I’m used to it.]

"Ji Yuanjing! I hate you!"

Once he finished his outburst, Ji Yu lost his breath and collapsed to the ground! He happened to fall right at Chi Mu’s feet.

Chi Mu: "..."

A crowd quickly swarmed around them, and a cacophony of voices rose up.

"Oh my, why did he faint?"

"Does anyone know first aid? Someone help him!"

"Why don't you go?"

"What if I mess it up and he tries to extort me for medical bills?"

"That poor girl, he fell right at her feet. She’s never going to hear the end of this."

"..."

There were many onlookers, busy taking photos and videos, but not one dared to step closer, fearing unnecessary trouble.

Chi Mu, already caught in this "extortion" situation, remained silent. She calmly laid Ji Yu flat, checked his breathing, pulse, and pupils, then produced three silver needles. She inserted one into his *Renzhong* point, one into his *Hegu* point, and after turning him onto his side, she inserted the final needle into his *Fengfu* point.

Her movements were fluid, swift, and precise.

Two seconds later, Ji Yu woke up. He opened his eyes, staring blankly. When his gaze landed on the shattered pieces of the jade pendant, the blankness was instantly replaced by profound agony. "My multi-million dollar pendant..."

Chi Mu felt a pang of sympathy and comforted him, "Don't be sad. It’s not a loss that this piece broke; it was worth at most a thousand dollars."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yu felt a dull ache in his chest and fainted again.

This time, Chi Mu slapped him awake. "Save the fainting for after I leave."

Ji Yu: "..."

Seeing that Chi Mu was actually walking away, Ji Yu ignored his heartache and scrambled to a sitting position. "Hey! What’s your name? You saved me—how can I repay you?"

Chi Mu walked with her back to him, waving a hand. "Not necessary."

Little did she know, as she left Panjiayuan, she had acquired a name: "The Masked Heroine." The onlookers had coined it for her.

...

After leaving Panjiayuan, Chi Mu tucked a bowl under her arm and headed to Kuangu Auction Company.

Inside the president's office at Kuangu, Ji Yuanjing watched the recording of Chi Mu reviving Ji Yu. He said to his assistant, "Get me a full background report on this woman."

"Understood."

Ten minutes after the assistant left, he returned.

Ji Yuanjing raised an eyebrow. "That fast?"

The assistant wore a complicated expression. "Mr. Ji, the woman is here."

"?"

Ji Yuanjing paused, then offered a mocking, knowing smirk. "No wonder she didn't want Ji Yu's reward; she was aiming for bigger fish with me. It seems this woman knew Ji Yu’s identity all along. How calculating."

"Mr. Ji, will you see her?"

"Yes. I want to see how greedy she really is."

The assistant went out to fetch Chi Mu. She arrived at the front desk and asked to see the owner. A man in a suit and leather shoes immediately led her to the office without asking a single question.

She thought to herself that Kuangu was indeed Haishi’s premier auction house; their professionalism was quite impressive.

Upon entering the office, she looked at the two men sitting on the sofa and asked, "Which one of you is the boss?"

Ji Yuanjing sipped his coffee, casting a condescending, arrogant look at Chi Mu. "Speak. What do you want?"

Chi Mu: "?"

This boss was truly arrogant. She retracted her earlier assessment—the boss lacked class.

Seeing her silence, Ji Yuanjing sneered, "Don't bother with the 'hard-to-get' act. Name your price within reason, and I'll pay it. Otherwise, don't expect to get a single cent."

Chi Mu rolled her eyes, pulled out the porcelain bowl, and placed it on the coffee table. "Get it appraised. Whatever it's worth, that’s what I want. I don't want a penny more."

Ji Yuanjing: "?"

Ji Yuanjing: "You're not here to ask for a favor?"

Chi Mu couldn't hold back. "Who are you? Why would I ask you for a favor?"

"You saved Ji Yu!"

"Who is Ji Yu?"

"?" You don't know his identity? Then why are you here?"

"For an appraisal and auction. Isn't this an auction company?"

"..."

Ji Yuanjing fell silent.

Meanwhile, the appraiser, Chen Feng, held the bowl Chi Mu had brought, handling it with extreme care, his face alight with excitement. "My god!"

"This is a Qing Dynasty Qianlong imperial enameled bowl with a design of apricots and swallows!"

"Authentic! Absolutely authentic! The pattern, the craftsmanship—it’s top-tier!"

"The valuation is at least one hundred million!"

"This is a treasure!"

...

Chen Feng couldn't stop singing the bowl's praises. Ji Yuanjing was astonished, his gaze toward Chi Mu now filled with curiosity. "Is it yours?"

Chi Mu rolled her eyes again. "The rules of the antique trade: never ask where an item came from."

This boss was truly an amateur.

Ji Yuanjing felt his ears burn from the retort. He had his assistant bring over a consignment agreement, his demeanor shifting to a polite, professional tone, devoid of his earlier arrogance. "This is the consignment agreement. If there are no issues, please sign here."

Chi Mu reviewed the document and signed it. "I need the money. Please have your company auction it as soon as possible."

"Very well."

...

At the Haishi branch of the Fu Group.

Song Yuan presented a video to Fu Ningli. "Master Ning, Miss Chi Mu actually seems to know a thing or two about medicine."

In the video, Chi Mu, dressed in black and wearing a mask, performed acupuncture on the unconscious Ji Yu. Her eyes were focused, her technique practiced and effortless.

Fu Ningli watched it five times. "When did this happen?"

"It was the top trending topic this morning. Netizens were digging into the 'Masked Heroine' who appeared at Panjiayuan. The topic was suddenly pulled just now; I checked, and it was the work of the Ji family in Haishi."

Song Yuan observed Fu Ningli’s expression, carefully choosing his words. "I have a classmate who studies traditional Chinese medicine. He said Miss Chi’s acupuncture technique requires at least ten years of practice."

Ten years?

She was only twenty-two.

Fu Ningli rubbed his temples, recalling what Chi Mu had said in the car.

*They can't do it, but I can.*

*Ningli, can you trust me just once?*

*There is nothing worse than this.*

Fu Ningli lowered his eyes, looking at his legs, paralyzed for years. Ripples stirred in his otherwise calm heart.

Trust her once?

Is it really possible?

Song Yuan waited to the side, not daring to speak. After a long silence, he saw Fu Ningli pull out a finance magazine and retrieve a small slip of paper tucked inside.

He held it between his fingers for a long time, but still did not make the call.

Song Yuan sighed: He must be too embarrassed to dial.

...

Ten days later, Chi Mu received a call from Ji Yuanjing. "Your bowl has been auctioned. The final price was 130 million. Finance will transfer the funds to your bank account."