The stone Yu Nian had chosen was so oddly shaped that the stone cutter didn't know where to start. On the big screen, Feng Chengyuan's handsome face looked cold and aloof. He stared at the stone for a while, then suddenly pointed in a certain direction. "Make a cut along this line," he said.
The stone cutter was taken aback but quickly made the first cut as instructed.
The moment the rumbling stopped, the jade inside was revealed, causing an uproar in the venue.
The inside of the stone was white and gray, with not a hint of green.
Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi both sighed. They hadn't held high hopes for Yu Nian's stone in the first place, so they comforted her. "It's okay. Gambling on stones is always difficult. This is just a competition. You'll have other chances."
After all, gambling on stones not only tests one's strength but also relies a great deal on experience and luck.
There's a saying in the jewelry industry: "Gambling on stones is like gambling on one's life."
If you win, your fortune can multiply a hundredfold overnight. But if you lose, everything will be gone.
Zhou Zhen was secretly delighted. He pretended to look regretful and said, "Mr. Feng, it seems you misjudged this time."
Feng Chengyuan showed no extra expression on his face. He continued to the stone cutter, "Make another cut."
Among the audience were several jewelry merchants. They shook their heads slowly as they looked at Yu Nian's stone.
"Although there's a saying in the jewelry industry that 'one cut can make you poor, the second can make you rich,' this rough stone of hers is of poor quality. No matter how you cut it, it's just a waste stone."
Zhou Zhen laughed even more smugly. "Mr. Feng, I know you're not convinced. But as a judge, you should be magnanimous. You..."
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sudden gasp from the audience.
Zhou Zhen was stunned. He turned his head in confusion and looked at the big screen. The moment he saw Yu Nian's stone, he slammed the table and stood up.
"This... This is impossible?!"
On the big screen, the inside of the stone was shining with a faint green light. Under the illumination, it presented a deep lake - green color, so rich that it seemed to be about to flow... It was actually imperial green!
The stone cutter broke out in a cold sweat after cutting Yu Nian's stone.
Half of it was due to shock, and the other half was due to fear. If he had accidentally damaged this stone just now, he wouldn't be able to afford the compensation even if he sold himself eight times over!
A smile gradually spread across Feng Chengyuan's lips, and his eyes were filled with joy. He looked at Zhou Zhen indifferently.
"Judge Zhou, I've said before, don't speak too soon."
Zhou Zhen was embarrassed. He stiffly sat back in his seat and didn't say a word until the end of the competition.
As the appearance of the gem was fully revealed to the audience, the whole venue erupted into a frenzy.
Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi, who were sitting in the rest area, jumped up excitedly.
"My God! It's imperial green! Niannian, how on earth did you tell? You're truly a genius of the mystic sect!"
A smile curled up on Yu Nian's lips. She subconsciously looked in the direction of the judges' seat in the distance.
With the noisy crowd and the lively atmosphere, Feng Chengyuan shouldn't have been able to see her.
But Feng Chengyuan turned his head and, right on target, gave her a gentle smile.
Yu Nian's heart skipped a beat. She averted her gaze, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Just then, Fu Sui walked past Yu Nian. He gave her a cold look and suddenly said, "It's just a preliminary round. What's there to be happy about? Winning the preliminary round doesn't mean you'll win the final."
Yu Nian lifted her eyelids. "But you, Young Master Fu, couldn't even win the preliminary round."
Fu Sui squinted his eyes. "I'll remember you, Yu Nian. See you in the semi - finals."
Yu Nian didn't take Fu Sui's words to heart at all. She had no idea about the price of jadeite, so she asked Zhong Yaya, "How much is imperial green per catty?"
When she heard the word "catty," Zhong Yaya twitched the corner of her mouth.
"Gold has a price, but jade is priceless. This kind of imperial green is estimated to be worth tens of thousands of yuan per gram."
Hearing this, Yu Nian looked at the stone on the big screen. It weighed at least eight or nine catties. Didn't that mean she was a multimillionaire now?
Yu Nian's eyes lit up, but her excitement didn't last long. Luo Zhi poured cold water on her.
"All these rough stones belong to the organizer. The program team will auction the gems and donate the proceeds as charity."
Yu Nian wasn't too disappointed. She thought that the charity money could help those in need, which was also a blessing.
After all the rough stones were cut, the top twenty gems were ranked according to their market value. Yu Nian's imperial green gem was placed in the middle of the table.
The host excitedly stepped onto the stage. "Congratulations to Daoist Yu Nian for winning the championship of the preliminary round! She actually cut out a top - grade imperial green! This is the first time such a high - level gem has been cut out in our Mystic Arts Competition! It's really worth celebrating!"
Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi also advanced to the semi - finals, but their rankings were in the teens.
After the preliminary round, Yu Nian was dragged by Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi to a celebration banquet.
After a few glasses of warm wine, all three of their faces were a little flushed.
Zhong Yaya suddenly became curious. "Yu Nian, do you have someone you like?"
Yu Nian was taken aback. For some reason, the first face that came to her mind was Feng Chengyuan's.
Seeing Yu Nian's expression, Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi exchanged a knowing look and laughed.
"It seems that even the genius of the mystic sect has someone she admires..."
Yu Nian used to have a good tolerance for alcohol. Maybe she was infected by the youthful energy of Zhong Yaya and Luo Zhi, and she became more lively. In the end, she was a bit drunk.
After several rounds of drinking, Zhong Yaya was carried back by her "zombie" companion.
Luo Zhi was also taken back by her "fox fairy" friend.
In the blink of an eye, Yu Nian was the only one left in the private room.
Yu Nian's face was red. She leaned back on the chair and sat there in a daze for a while. Suddenly, she really wanted to call Feng Chengyuan.
The phone rang for less than five seconds before it was answered.
Feng Chengyuan's cold voice came from the other end of the phone.
"What's wrong, Niannian?"
Actually, Yu Nian didn't know why she called Feng Chengyuan. She just really wanted to hear his voice.
Seeing that Yu Nian had been silent for a long time, Feng Chengyuan seemed to realize something. He asked patiently, "Have you been drinking? Where are you? I'll come and pick you up."
...
Not long after, Feng Chengyuan walked into the private room. When he saw Yu Nian, his steps paused. Then he draped his coat over her.
It was the first time Feng Chengyuan had seen Yu Nian drunk. He found it both novel and extremely cute.
He half - squatted in front of Yu Nian and waved his hand gently in front of her eyes.
"Niannian?"
Yu Nian was startled. She curved her eyes. "You're here?"
Feng Chengyuan nodded and said softly, "Stretch out your hand."
Yu Nian was a bit confused but slowly stretched out her palm in front of Feng Chengyuan. The next moment, a cold touch came.
Yu Nian blinked. It was a lifelike jade pendant in the shape of a fish. Every scale was carved with extreme delicacy. It was obviously the work of a master.
Feng Chengyuan looked at Yu Nian and said in a low voice, "This stone was the result of your preliminary - round competition. It's very meaningful, so I bought a piece and gave it to you."
Yu Nian was stunned for a moment. She put the necklace around her neck and let her body heat surround the pendant.
"Does it look good?"
Feng Chengyuan nodded seriously. "It looks good."
Yu Nian's eyes were bright. For some reason, she suddenly felt a bit shy.