C12 Emperor Green

Gu Mingfeng glanced at the stone on the servant's tray, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he struck a match and lit his cigar. His gaze danced through the rising smoke as he gestured towards Lin Qingwan. "Go ahead and choose if that's what you want."

Lin Qingwan's laughter was light and hopeful. "I've been on a lucky streak lately. I have a feeling I'll be able to pick out the stone with jade in it."

Lan Chengye overheard and chuckled, "I share that sentiment. Our dear niece seems to be touched by fortune."

Leaning against the wall with arms folded, Lan Yan offered a scornful laugh. "And who exactly do you think you are? Do you believe you're as fortunate as our former Patriarch, who could simply pluck jade from any random stone?"

Lin Qingwan inwardly scoffed at Lan Yan's past assumption that her success was mere luck. Approaching the servants, she surveyed the stones on their trays. She picked up a peculiarly shaped, blackened rock—its long burial had marked it—but after a moment's inspection, she returned it, sensing no trace of jade within.

She then lifted a smaller stone, but before she could examine it, Lan Chengye approached with an encouraging grin. "Niece Xian, I have high hopes for that stone. Remember, the best things often come in small packages. Why not choose that one?"

"It's too tiny; even if it contains jade, there wouldn't be much," Lin Qingwan dismissed the stone with a frown, feeling no jade presence. Her attention shifted to another stone in a nearby tray, her lips curving into a smile as she cradled it in her arms.

This stone was by far the largest, nearly as big as a soccer ball. After scrutinizing it, she confidently told Lan Chengye, "This is the one I want."

"But Niece Xian, despite its size, this stone is the least likely to contain jade," Lan Chengye pointed out, gesturing towards the remaining stones with a smile. "You haven't seen them all yet. Perhaps consider looking a bit longer?"

"No need, I'll stick with this one," Lin Qingwan replied, her voice laced with casual determination. "I'm not an expert; I'm relying on luck. Who knows? It might just be my lucky day." She nestled the stone in her lap as she settled onto the sofa, then turned to Gu Mingfeng with a questioning look. "Second Brother, what do you think of the stone I've chosen?"

Gu Mingfeng gave a nod, his face devoid of emotion. "Very good."

"Tsk, praising a stone picked at random? They're clearly amateurs," Lan Yan scoffed, addressing the old butler. "Since they've made their choice, have the family's stonecutter come and cut it open right here. They'll see soon enough that they're chasing fantasies. To think there's jade in there is laughable."

Soon after the old butler departed, a stonecutter with a white beard, well into his sixties, was ushered in. He approached Lin Qingwan, gave a slight bow, and carefully took the black stone into his hands. Settling cross-legged on the floor, he laid out all his tools from his bag, including a small electric grinding machine. With a furrowed brow, he gently began to polish the stone.

"Do you think there's jade in this stone?" Lan Yan inquired.

"It's rare to find jade in a stone this size," the stonecutter replied, looking up. After a moment's pause, he added, "But it's not impossible. There could be jade. We'll see once I've finished grinding."

As the stonecutter worked, layers of the stone's surface peeled away, drawing the attention of everyone in the living room. The Lan Family members, convinced the stone was solid, seemed eager to salvage some pride after Lan Yan's earlier embarrassment, casting their barbs with thinly veiled sarcasm.

"Just a naive young girl, thinking bigger is always better."

"Disregard good advice and you'll learn the hard way," they jeered. "I heard a piece of jade recently sold for twenty million. What a missed opportunity. Perhaps the stone our patriarch pointed out contained jade."

Amidst their chatter, a look of excitement flickered in the stonecutter's eyes, his hands beginning to tremble with anticipation.

"Second brother, why is there a green light inside the stone?" Lin Qingwan chimed in at the right moment.

"It appears to be jade," Gu Mingfeng responded, his voice steady.

The onlookers, who had been mocking Lin Qingwan, turned to see a faint green glow emanating from within the black stone. They were stunned; only a few thin layers had been removed. Could it be that they had uncovered jade so quickly?

Lan Chengye and his daughter's faces paled, a pang of regret stabbing at their hearts. If this stone truly contained a large piece of jade, their remorse would be profound, enough to turn their insides green with envy.

Lan Yan blinked and scoffed, "Even if there is jade, it's probably just a tiny speck on the surface."

But no sooner had she spoken than the polisher's hand shook, and a layer of stone skin peeled away, revealing a dazzling green light from within.

The Lan Family collectively gasped. Though the stone wasn't fully polished yet, it was clear that the jade inside was substantial.

Hearts raced as the polisher's movements quickened. With the final layer of stone skin falling away, they were enveloped in a brilliant green glow.

The polisher's voice shook with emotion. "This is imperial green of the glass variety... I've finally seen it today. This is nothing short of a miracle!"

Everyone stood in awe. The jade that emerged was an unblemished oval, radiating a soft green light, and even without the outer stone skin, it weighed a hefty dozen or so pounds.

Lan Chengye's throat felt parched as he reached out to touch the jade, only to be beaten by a pair of delicate, fair hands that swept in and cradled the stone in an embrace.

"Haha, big brother, didn't I say my luck was good? I knew there was jade in there!" Lin Qingwan laughed merrily.

Gu Mingfeng, too, was taken aback, having not anticipated the successful reveal of the jade. A slight smile played at the corners of his cool lips.