Qin Yu leaned back, the corner of his lips imperceptibly curved, and his deep eyes fell on Tang Bufan's grinning face, giving off a cold and saucy air that somehow managed to be oppressive without even trying.
People who had dealt with Qin Yu always said something like this, "That Mr. Qin, ah, is just like an ancient cold weapon, dangerous and mysterious, a tough nut to crack."
Qin Yu asked, "What do you want, going to such lengths?"
Tang Bufan let out a snort, speaking with self-righteous indignation as if he were the one being wronged, "Look at what you're saying. With the brotherhood between us two, how could I—how could you think of me like that?"
Qin Yu chuckled. Not to mention he never believed in unsolicited kindness in this world, just from Tang Bufan's modus operandi, his raised tail was already a giveaway of his intentions.
No courtesy is ever offered for free; it's either scheme or steal.
"Is that so? Then, I must've misunderstood."
Watching as Qin Yu seemed to take it seriously, Tang Bufan's face suddenly turned an assortment of colors. He panicked, regretting his pretense, "No, you really took it seriously?"
Qin Yu sneered lightly, with an I-knew-it-all-along expression.
Tang Bufan's attitude was like a duck's—unafraid of scalding water, "Fine then, Third Young Master, you've got sharp eyes. I was wrong. I shouldn't have been cheeky. Truth be told, I do indeed have a small favor to ask you this time, but I did genuinely buy that incense burner at the auction to give to you, with absolutely no ulterior motives—Heaven and Earth can bear witness!"
Qin Yu, supporting his temple with his hand, squinted his eyes and drawled lazily, "Speak, what is it?"
Hearing this, a grin that Tang Bufan couldn't suppress stretched across his face. Rubbing his palms together, he said cheerfully, "It's really not a big deal. I recently started an off-road club, you know. As the big boss, I have to bring out something sensational to stand out—preferably a vehicle that's famous, priceless, and of extraordinary significance."
"So, I thought of that dust-covered Knight XVI luxury armored vehicle in your garage, limited to ten units worldwide. Third Young Master, do you think you could lend it to me for a few days to enhance the scene?"
Qin Yu had thought it was something serious, "Sure. In a bit, I'll have Uncle Wen find the keys for you."
Tang Bufan nearly dropped to his knees in excitement, grinning from ear to ear, "My lord, Third Young Master, you are the deity in my heart. From now on, I'll follow your lead with absolute loyalty, ready to move mountains or dive into oceans for you."
"And right now, I'd even call you 'Daddy' if you asked me to."
Seeing his unsightly eagerness, Qin Yu was used to it.
"Get lost."
"Yes, your servant is out of here, ever so thankful for your grand grace," Tang Bufan said joyfully, like a little child, bouncing away, only to dart back, "Almost forgot something. The potency of that incense is strong, don't put too much at once, or if you end up sleeping for days, my dad will kill me if he finds out."
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his face devoid of any significant expression.
"Hehe, then I'm off now."
Tang Bufan turned and dashed out the door, grabbing Uncle Wen and bolting for the garage, "Quick, quick, quick, I'm off to see my darling baby!"
Qin Yu shook his head, stood up with the intention to rest upstairs, but paused as he turned, hesitating for a moment before bending over to pick up the incense burner along with its box from the coffee table.
Back in his bedroom, Qin Yu placed the incense burner indifferently, lay down in bed, turned off the bedside lamp that emitted a warm glow, covered himself with the blanket, closed his eyes, and called it a day.
The spacious bedroom was shrouded in pitch darkness.
He hadn't fallen asleep. In fact, his insomnia had grown more severe in recent years. He had seen numerous doctors in private and tried psychological, physical, and medicinal treatments to no avail. The matter was highly confidential, and even Tang Bufan thought it was just ordinary insomnia.
As the minutes and seconds passed, Qin Yu lay with his eyes closed, breathing evenly, yet only he knew the torment he was enduring at that moment. His body sent out signals of exhaustion, but his consciousness perversely became clearer and clearer. He could hear the sound of the evening breeze gently brushing past the window.
Sure enough, as always, memories of the car accident from ten years ago surfaced in his mind, the pungent smell of gasoline, blurred vision, his immobile body, and the bloodstained ground.
Qin Yu suddenly opened his eyes, staring into the dimly lit room.
At that moment, the incense burner emitted a phosphorescent glow, and on a small bed carved from jade, a little girl lay with her chin in her hands, beneath her a soft, thick animal pelt. She was dressed in a pale green and white Qi Jin dress, with a scarf wrapped around her arms like clouds or mist, and her black hair, as dark as splattered ink, reached her waist, draping down her back and waist, softly sliding off as she swung her snow-white feet.
Ah Da supported her chin with both palms. Her delicate little face, with fine features, and her bright red lips parted occasionally, releasing a deep sigh, "Will he light the incense burner?"
"Why does he always leave me in the corner again..."
"It's always just short of enough…"
Ah Da's eyes instantly reddened. She had been passed from hand to hand, longing and waiting, but to her dismay, not a single person had lit the incense burner. They either placed her in a glass showcase or hid her in a dark, lacquered box.
The story goes back a very long time, when the incense burner that Ah Da resided in was originally an artifact buried within an underground palace. The palace was sealed, with a long-burning lamp that wouldn't extinguish for a thousand years. She slept in the incense burner, woke up, and slept again, until one day upon waking, she discovered she was no longer in the underground palace, but inside a glass cabinet with an ever-changing throng of people who occasionally took her away, labeled her with a price, and shuffled her from owner to owner.
She once stayed with a white-bearded old man for ten years; his room was a trove of collections, where Ah Da was tucked away in a corner under a glass cover.
The old man, with kind eyes and a gentle smile, dusted them daily and talked to them. Ah Da liked the old man, and there she became acquainted with three interesting friends—the lively and beautiful Little Pink Bottle, the calm and collected Bronze Sword, and the Jade Pot, who had an endless stream of stories to tell.
The most impressive was Sister Bronze, who was different from the others; she could separate from her original form and transform into a human to go out and have fun, often not returning for several months. Each time she shared fascinating stories about the outside world, Ah Da felt incredibly envious and developed a longing.
She wished she could also go out and see for herself.
Bronze Sword told her that the sword was her body, and she was a Sword Spirit, which meant she could transform into a human through cultivation.
But Ah Da was different. Her soul had been absorbed by the Green Jade Incense Burner after death. It was said that jade could nourish the soul, but in Ah Da's case, it was quite peculiar; the jade had become the prison that bound her, allowing her to see the world but unable to step beyond the confines of her tiny space.
Upon hearing this, Ah Da was heartbroken and cried while hugging her knees for three whole days and nights until her eyes were swollen, with the Bronze Sword only able to promise to think of a solution.
Once, the Bronze Sword was gone for half a month, and when she returned, she excitedly told Ah Da that she had found a way.
An old folktale once narrated a touching love story, about a scholar from Shangjing who, on the way to his imperial examinations, accidentally unleashed a fox demon that had been sealed for a thousand years by lighting an incense burner. Grateful, the fox demon pledged herself to the scholar in return for his kindness, and after many hardships, their love moved heaven and earth, and they married.
Bronze Sword suggested that Ah Da might also be sealed by the incense burner and needed someone to light it to be released.
The Little Pink Bottle laughed and said such tales were concocted by scholars to deceive others, and the Jade Pot also expressed disbelief, but Ah Da silently took note, thinking she had to try it, whether it was true or not.
Sadly, before she had the chance, the old man met with an accident. Shortly after the grandfather's death, his family hurriedly sold off all the collectibles for cash.
The separation was too abrupt, and before Ah Da could react, she had already been packed on a truck and taken away.