Chapter 32: Master of Pretenses

"Ah." Jiao Yue played along with her grandfather, though she was genuinely delighted.

How could she not be? She was dying to know what expression the Emperor of the Great Yu Empire would wear if he discovered that this particular piece of jade had been carved into peach blossoms.

It was just that this Zhao Chengye was far too suspicious, yet she was currently powerless to do anything about it. Fortunately, she had already examined her grandfather’s aura and the overall energy of Mount Lanzhi just a moment ago. Everything seemed perfectly fine, suggesting that even if Zhao Chengye harbored ill intentions toward the Meng family, he would not be making a move anytime soon.

So, she would wait. She would wait until her spiritual power grew stronger, and then she would properly test this eerie master jade carver.

She had been cultivating her spiritual power incessantly since the moment she was born—three days ago—without a single break. She refused to believe that anyone could match her speed of cultivation.

Meng Qingyun looked up at Meng Wenxuan, who was standing to the side. "Seventh Son, go fetch the jade bestowed by the Emperor, and have your eldest brother bring over the other pieces we selected. We must trouble Master Zhao to carve these designs for us."

Meng Wenxuan acknowledged the order and left.

Meng Qingyun and Zhao Chengye chatted about various aspects of carving. Once they reached an understanding, Zhao Chengye picked up the paper, pondering how to begin carving the five patterns Meng Qingyun had drawn. Seeing the peach blossom design, he recalled the family head mentioning earlier that he had intended to carve a peach blossom motif for the baby using pink jade.

Pink jade was exceptionally rare in this world; even if the Meng family possessed some, they couldn't have much, and this might very well be the only piece. Yet, the head of the Meng family was actually using it to create a plaything for his little granddaughter.

He sighed with emotion, "The Meng family head truly dotes on his granddaughter!"

It was not uncommon to see a spoiled girl, but to be pampered to this extent at only three days old was absolutely unprecedented. Even an imperial princess could not compare to the level of adoration this Meng girl, nicknamed Moon Bud, received.

Jiao Yue felt speechless. Her grandfather doting on her was their own business, but something about the way he said it carried an ambiguous undertone.

At that moment, Jiao Yue heard her grandfather’s inner thoughts: "Hmph, I want everyone to know that I dote on my granddaughter. Before, it was because she was the first Meng daughter in centuries; now, it is simply because she is my little granddaughter. Such an adorable baby girl—who wouldn't hold her in their palms and spoil her?"

Simultaneously, Jiao Yue heard her father’s inner thoughts: "My daughter is so cute; what’s wrong with my father spoiling her? You, a jade carver, should just stick to your duties. But wait… could it be that little Moon Bud insisted on coming to the study with Grandfather because of this jade carver?"

Just then, Jiao Yue saw her father and eldest uncle enter. Her uncle came in empty-handed, while her father carried a stack of boxes. Indeed, being the eldest had its perks; he didn't hesitate at all to order his younger brother around.

Jiao Yue couldn't help but admire her father’s cleverness—he had actually guessed her motive for insisting on following her grandfather. With such a sharp-witted father, would she be even more brilliant in this life than in her last?

"Master Zhao," Meng Wenxi said with a polite bow. Zhao Chengye stood to return the gesture before sitting down again.

Meng Wenxuan placed the stack of brocade boxes on the table—six in total. He took the top box, glanced at his father, and placed it before Zhao Chengye, opening it for him. This was the first time Zhao Chengye had seen this specific piece of jade. He picked it up cautiously and examined it carefully for a long moment.

"I must say, carving a peach blossom pattern is indeed the best way to minimize waste," Zhao Chengye remarked honestly.

Meng Wenxuan sat down below his eldest brother. Recalling the confused look his daughter had given Zhao Chengye earlier, he began to study the master, making no effort to hide his gaze this time.

Zhao Chengye’s eyes darted toward Meng Wenxuan. *So vigilant,* Meng Wenxuan thought to himself. *He noticed the moment I started observing him. Is he a martial artist? But I don't sense any inner energy from him.*

"Why does Seventh Master Meng keep staring at me?" Zhao Chengye asked, his tone stern and direct.

Jiao Yue’s eyes narrowed. Zhao Chengye was far too sensitive; this level of awareness was beyond that of an ordinary person. She wondered if her father could handle him.

Meng Wenxuan looked embarrassed. "Master Zhao, please forgive my rudeness. I am very interested in jade carving and have always wanted to carve a hairpin for my wife myself, but I haven't found a suitable master. Seeing you today, I wanted to learn a thing or two, but I was afraid of being presumptuous, so I didn't dare to ask. I only hoped to learn by watching."

Zhao Chengye’s expression softened upon hearing this. "If Seventh Master Meng is interested, you may come and watch these next few days. How much you learn depends on your own ability, but I must focus while I carve and cannot provide explanations."

Meng Wenxuan’s eyes lit up. "I may watch you carve, Master Zhao?"

Jiao Yue was speechless—Father, you are far too good at acting.

Zhao Chengye smiled. "It is merely a trade perfected by practice. Everyone is just being kind; there is no harm in watching."

Meng Wenxuan immediately stood up and bowed formally. "Thank you, Master Zhao. Please, just call me Wenxuan."

Zhao Chengye did not stand on ceremony. "Then you needn't be formal either, Wenxuan. If you don't mind that I am just a craftsman, you may call me Uncle Zhao."

"Uncle Zhao, that is a great honor for me." Meng Wenxuan was smooth-tongued; he knew exactly how to charm anyone he pleased.

"Mastery of a craft depends first on talent, and only then on effort. You are clever, Wenxuan; learning it won't be difficult, though it will take time."

Meng Wenxuan nodded earnestly, adopting the demeanor of a humble student.

Jiao Yue finally felt at ease. Until she figured out exactly what was going on with him, a man like Zhao Chengye was not to be provoked.

The head of the Meng family opened the other boxes himself, including the pink jade he had mentioned. "Master Zhao, please see which of these pieces best suits the remaining patterns."

Zhao Chengye’s mouth twitched as he saw the jade in the boxes. Each piece was priceless. Was the Meng family truly that wealthy, or was the head of the house just that generous?

Zhao Chengye calmly observed the three generations of Meng men. Seeing their composed expressions, he thought to himself: *Could the Meng family really be so rich that they remain indifferent even when faced with such rare treasures?*

Jiao Yue saw his expression; although she couldn't hear his thoughts, she knew exactly what he was pondering. Just as she was thinking about how to warn her grandfather, she heard him pick up the pink jade to explain its history.

"Moon Bud, this pink jade was part of your great-grandmother’s dowry. There is only this one piece. I wanted to save it for a girl of the Meng family, and I have kept it until now, until you came along."

He set down the pink jade and picked up another piece of jadeite with a deep green base. "This was a gift given to your great-grandfather by the current Emperor when he was still a prince and studying under him..."

As he went through the introductions, it became clear that each piece was one-of-a-kind, with a well-documented and extraordinary provenance. Zhao Chengye understood that the Meng family head was telling him where these treasures came from so that he wouldn't get any wild ideas.

Soon, Zhao Chengye finalized the designs for five of the pieces, leaving only the pink jade. He rubbed the stone in his hands and said to the family head, "This pink jade does not suit these five patterns. If you trust me, may I ponder it further before deciding?"

Meng Qingyun immediately replied, "Master Zhao is too modest. I shall leave it to you, then."

At this, Jiao Yue’s eyes suddenly widened, and she stared at Zhao Chengye’s hands in disbelief.