Chapter 956: Stubbornness, Obsession, & Greed

Chapter 956: Stubbornness, Obsession, & Greed

"Will he be able to carve it though?" asked Raelle. "I mean, he is a researcher. Asking him to carve this jade would be putting him in a difficult situation."

Xia Zhao laughed out at that, "Why don't you try it then? I assure you, the result might surprise you."

Raelle nodded her head and put the jade back into her pocket. Since her grandfather told her to keep it close to her body, she'd definitely do that for him. Whether it was really good for her health or not, didn't really concern her. As long as her grandfather said it was, no scientific reason could convince her otherwise.

"How to take these pills?" Raelle asked another question. "Is there anything to keep note of or avoid?"

Xia Zhao shook his head, "There is nothing in particular that you have to avoid."

"Say thank you to Young Master Ru," said Grandfather Xiang.

"Uncle, you're being too formal now. Firstly, it was Ru who took a liking to your granddaughter. Second, with the ties between the Xia Clan and Xiang Clan, there is no need to say such words."

Grandfather Xiang smiled and nodded his head.

Raelle held the medicine bottle and thought about something before asking, "Uncle Zhao, can you tell me what is the identity of Young Master Ru?"

Xia Zhao was momentarily lost when Raelle addressed him like that. After composing himself, he spoke up, "There are a lot of identities. But everyone knows him as Young Master Ru. You can ask your grandfather, from a young age, everyone called him Ru."

"What are you doing here?"

Xia Zhao stood up and looked at Mu Chenyan who asked that question with an ugly expression. She looked at Grandfather Xiang and then at Raelle before her eyes settled on Xia Zhao once again. She seemed to be ready to pounce on him and rip his limbs.

"Hello to you too, Yan Zi," said Xia Zhao.

Raelle looked at the two of them. It was her first time hearing someone call Mu Chenyan, Yan Zi. It definitely sounded very endearing and the way he spoke actually showed that he had a lot of patience for the person in question. Because not even a slight crease could be found on his face. And even in his eyes, you won't find any displeasure regarding the rude question Mu Chenyan asked.

"Chenyan, is that a way to talk to a guest?" came Grandfather Xiang's voice.

"The question is why do we have him at home as our guest today?" grumbled Mu Chenyan. "Didn't I tell you not to show up in front of Elder Xiang?"

"Chen! Yan!"

Mu Chenyan pressed her lips together and looked at Grandfather Xiang, "What? What have I done? He just showed up and you're standing up for him again. Even after all these years, you're still protecting him."

"It's because you're being unreasonable," said Grandfather Xiang. "And it's not like I have lost contact with Xiao Zhao in all these years. He always came to see me when I was in the country or when he went to Country G."

"Why don't I know about that?" asked Mu Chenyan.

"Oh, I think that's because of me," Raelle raised her hand to get between their conversation. "My dearest Yanyan, you forget the world around you when you're focused on me. So, it's obvious you didn't notice what Opa had been doing or whom he was meeting."

Mu Chenyan rubbed her nose and furrowed her brows. She had to agree that she did seem to forget everything when she was focused on Raelle. But she thought she knew everything happening in Grandfather Xiang's life as well. It's not like he had much going on in his life so she might have overlooked a lot of things.

"But you told me you guys hadn't met in years," said Mu Chenyan.

Both Grandfather Xiang and Xia Zhao avoided that question and looked away from her. Mu Chenyan snorted at their reaction and sighed to herself. There was no point in asking. They both were keeping secrets from her. Tsk.

Raelle was about to leave when Mu Chenyan stopped her and whispered to her, "Elle, my baby, how about you help your Yanyan?"

"What can I do for you?" asked Raelle.

"Help me negotiate the price of a painting he has," said Mu Chenyan.

Raelle looked at her and then turned to face Xia Zhao, "Uncle Zhao, are you willing to sell 'The Fiery Autumn' painting?"

Xia Zhao glanced at Mu Chenyan before he shook his head at Raelle, "It's not for sale."

Raelle nodded her head and turned to Mu Chenyan, "He is not selling."

Mu Chenyan was dumbfounded by this turn of events. "Elle, I asked you to negotiate a price!"

"I can't negotiate a price when the painting is not even for sale. Do you want me to force someone to sell their personal belongings against their will? That's not the way I work. You know already. If he was selling, I'd definitely buy it for you at any cost. But the fact is, he is not even considering selling it."

"Whose side are you on?"

"I don't take sides," reminded Raelle making Xia Zhao's lips curl up when he heard that. From this small exchange, he understood why Young Master Ru took an instant liking to Raelle and even had been exceptionally patient around her.

Mu Chenyan groaned, "I really asked the wrong person. Can't you forget your reasonings for a moment and focus on the fact that your Yanyan wishes to have that painting?"

"Stubbornness is another form of obsession. Obsession is another form of greed. And greed is a curse. The tighter your hold on the sand, the faster it'll slip through your fingers. Don't aim for what doesn't belong to you. When it's time to let it go. Make your life easy and let it go."

Mu Chenyan was left staring at Raelle's face not knowing what to say to her in this situation. But she had to accept that Raelle was right. Her stubbornness to obtain that painting had turned into obsession and was bordering on the line of greed now. She needed to stop before it was too late.