The elder was clad in rather traditional robes, the vibrant crimson color clearly marking him as the host of the day's celebration, Old Master Su Ruisheng. Despite being eighty years of age, Old Master Su showed few signs of decay. While his eyebrows and beard were entirely white as frost and snow, the skin on his face lacked significant wrinkles, and there were no liver spots present.

If one were not overly critical, few would likely disagree with describing Old Master Su as possessing the countenance of a vibrant youth despite advanced years.

At this moment, Old Master Su was engaged in animated conversation and laughter with a friend beside him, clearly in high spirits. Seeing this, Hao Baolai approached lightly, bowing deeply and respectfully to offer his greetings: "Old Su, I've come to pay my respects on your birthday."

"It's Baolai," Old Master Su turned, his smile deepening. "You are so busy with work, yet you made a special trip to see me. That is truly thoughtful."

"Master is teasing me," Hao Baolai chuckled. "I live right here in Hu City. If I didn't come by, I'd deserve to be spat out by everyone. I might as well just jump into the sea."

"Having the intention is what matters; whether you can come in person is secondary."

As he spoke, Old Master Su's gaze settled upon Gao Dequan. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled, "You are Little Gao from Cidu, aren't you? Long time no see, I almost didn't recognize you."

"Old Su has an excellent memory. Today is your grand birthday; I wish you fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea and longevity like the Southern Mountains." Gao Dequan smiled, after all, they had only met a few times before, and that was seven or eight years ago. That Old Master Su remembered him now was likely due to Su Wenyi's efforts.

"Good, good, thank you."

Old Master Su smiled, his gaze shifting again. This time, however, it fell upon Wang Guan, and without any pause, he smiled directly, "This young gentleman must be Young Friend Wang, yes?"

"Old Master Su knows of me too?" Wang Guan smiled, though he knew it was a rhetorical question. After all, as long as Su Wenyi hadn't concealed matters regarding the Mao Porcelain, there was no reason for Old Master Su not to know about him.

However, to Wang Guan's surprise, Old Master Su knew more than he had anticipated.

"A rising star in the Hidden Circle, the main proprietor of the Shiyi Pavilion in the Capital." Old Master Su's eyes were filled with admiration. "What is most commendable is possessing a peerless treasure yet remaining unknown, forgoing the chance for widespread fame—that is not easy."

"Ruisheng, your news travels fast,"

At the same time, Elder Yan expressed some astonishment. "The matter from yesterday, and you know about it today? It seems that even though you rarely leave home, you are perfectly aware of every ripple in Hu City."

"Yesterday? What happened yesterday?" Old Master Su looked genuinely confused.

"Heh, so you didn't know, you were just guessing blindly," Elder Yan found it strange too.

Wang Guan, however, understood that a misunderstanding had arisen due to unequal access to information. But he had no intention of clarifying; on the contrary, he was secretly pleased to let things remain ambiguous.

Thinking this, Wang Guan quickly interjected, "Old Su, when I was in the Capital, Elder Qian asked me to relay a message to you: wishing you the longevity of the crane and the tortoise, and years matching those of the pine and cypress."

"Ah, Young Friend Qian is thoughtful," Old Master Su smiled, momentarily forgetting to exchange news with Elder Yan.

Just then, Su Wenyi strode over, nodded to several elders nearby, and immediately stated, "Dad, many guests have arrived outside, hoping to see you."

"Very well."

Old Master Su rose cheerfully and gestured to the group, "Please be seated for a moment, I must go out and attend to them briefly."

Everyone naturally agreed and watched Old Master Su depart. Elder Yan then beckoned, "Wang Guan, come sit here and keep this old man company for a chat."

Wang Guan scratched his head, feeling it inappropriate to refuse. He promptly brought over two stools and placed them next to Elder Yan, then pulled up a seat for Bei Ye, before beginning to quietly discuss insights on antiques with Elder Yan.

As for Hao Baolai and Gao Dequan, there was no need to worry about them. Both were well-connected; there were certainly people present they knew, or who knew them, ensuring they wouldn't lack company.

It was Bei Ye who felt a bit bored. She took a sip of the tea Wang Guan offered, set the cup down, and idly surveyed the surroundings. Then, she sharply noticed someone watching her, and her gaze followed, catching Su Yu's in a brief encounter.

Bei Ye paused, unconsciously offered a light smile, and nodded in a friendly manner. Su Yu's expression was cool, her clear eyes flickered, and she suddenly pointed at the white jade bangle on Bei Ye's wrist, asking, "What is that?"

This is where the difference between men and women manifests. For instance, when men look at women, they primarily focus on whether she is beautiful, secondarily on whether she is beautiful, and lastly, still on whether she is beautiful—that is called focus. When women look at women, however, it is much more complex. From attire and ornamentation down to every accessory, these are the details they scrutinize.

Thus, Su Yu easily spotted the anomaly of the white jade bangle Bei Ye was wearing.

Yes, it was an anomaly. Bei Ye was wearing a long, narrow-sleeved gown today, which naturally could not conceal the white jade bangle. Under the sunlight, the white jade bangle radiated a soft luster. Of course, that wasn't the main point; the key was that upon the pristine white jade, a blood-stained phoenix, appearing as if reborn from fire, was so vivid, so lifelike, that it seemed ready to spread its wings and fly out.

"The bangle?" Bei Ye hesitated slightly before taking off the white jade bangle and handing it to Su Yu.

In reality, handing objects over in this manner is quite unsafe, especially in the world of antiques. During the transfer, if the receiver fails to hold it properly and the item drops and shatters, it becomes impossible to assign blame.

Fortunately, this did not happen. Su Yu’s slender fingers gripped securely, and she took the white jade bangle steadily, examining it for a moment before a flicker of astonishment crossed her eyes.

Initially, she had categorized the bangle as merely a piece of craftsmanship, only finding the phoenix motif realistic and wondering about its appearance since there were no marks of carving or inlay, which sparked her curiosity.

But upon holding it, Su Yu immediately realized something was amiss. The jade quality of the white jade bangle was as translucent as congealed fat and felt warm and exquisitely smooth; it was certainly not fake jade. What, then, accounted for the pattern on the bangle?

Su Yu, puzzled, traced her slender finger over the crimson, blood-stained phoenix, feeling only smoothness under her touch, without any trace of carving or dyeing. It seemed as if the pattern had grown naturally within the bangle itself, becoming one with the entire piece.

"How strange—no... I should say, how marvelous."

At this moment, Su Yu too was slightly moved. She gently raised the bangle into the air, allowing for a clearer view. The once slightly translucent white jade bangle instantly seemed to become transparent. Then, a bright, vivid blood-red stain bloomed under the sunlight; the white jade completely vanished, as if only a phoenix was soaring in the air.

"Vermilion Bird!"

In an instant, someone exclaimed in awe. Indeed, the phoenix pattern was red, and there were even wisps of flame patterning distributed around its body. In Chinese mythology and legends, a divine bird appearing in this form was more accurately described as the Vermilion Bird (Zhuque) than a general phoenix.

"Xiaoyu,"

Elder Yan looked over, neglecting his conversation with Wang Guan, his face alight with surprise. "What is that thing in your hand?"

"A bangle, Elder Yan, please take a look; the item is wonderfully mysterious..." A certain brilliance showed in Su Yu's eyes as she then brought her five fingers together, straightened them, and placed the bangle flat in her palm, gently handing it over.

Elder Yan immediately took the white jade bangle and examined it closely. His face filled with shock. "How is this possible? The blood staining has merged into the bangle, even forming the pattern of the Vermilion Bird—it defies reason."

"Elder Yan, what are you saying?" Hao Baolai, intrigued, glanced at the bangle and then hesitated slightly. "Elder Yan, this isn't perhaps made of glass imitation material (liaoqi)?"

So-called liaoqi is made by mixing emulsified glass with lead powder, then adding a waxy filler, and pressing it in a mold to form an object. The glass provides clarity, the lead powder increases the density, and the waxy filler conceals the transparency and unnatural sheen of the glass. Such an item can be produced in a small workshop.

This type of object can be highly deceptive to collectors unfamiliar with the characteristics of jade. However, since synthetic liaoqi is cast in a mold, neither raised nor sunken patterns show any trace of toolwork, and even patterns formed within the material are not an issue.

Of course, artisans who counterfeit jade generally would not go to this trouble. Only novelty items sold in shops would have various bizarre patterns cast inside the liaoqi.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Elder Yan glared. "Although I am old, I am not so senile that I cannot distinguish between jade and liaoqi. I can confirm, this bangle is made of jade material, and moreover, it is top-grade Hetian mountain jade..."

"Elder Yan, please don't get agitated, I was just guessing casually," Hao Baolai quickly explained.

"Don't guess without examining it in hand,"

After a sharp rebuke, Elder Yan repeatedly studied the bangle. After a long while, he exclaimed excitedly, "A masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship! To be precise, it should be the ingenious design of the Creator... In this vast world, there truly is nothing one cannot encounter..."

"Brother Yan, if you have something good, you shouldn't just admire it yourself; you should let us have a look too," an elder chuckled, reaching out unceremoniously to ask for the white jade bangle.

"What would you know?" Elder Yan scoffed. "Go discuss your real estate and financial trades."

"Brother Yan, don't dismiss everyone with one sweeping statement," someone was displeased and retorted, "I am an expert..."

"You call yourself an expert when all the collectibles in your room were acquired at auctions?"

Elder Yan was even more disdainful, then turned with a hint of reproach, "Xiaoyu, with such a treasure, why didn't you show it to Grandpa Yan before?"

"Grandpa Yan, the item isn't mine; it belongs to her,"

Su Yu pointed towards Bei Ye beside her, a hint of inexplicable emotion crossing her eyes.

At this moment, seeing the surprised gazes of everyone converging on her, Bei Ye felt a touch of shyness and instinctively moved closer to Wang Guan, habitually linking her arm with his. Wang Guan smiled, completely at ease, and said, "This is my girlfriend; this item is the token of our love that I gave her."