Shen Ju truly both respected and feared Guan Muya.
He felt that Guan Muya had an imposing presence without even getting angry, just like Guan Jianshan.
But just as Guan Lifeng had Qin Soxi to back him up, Guan Jianshan had age on his side. In front of Shen Ju, they could always get him to show a bit more “tolerance,” without making him feel too unapproachable.
But when it came to Guan Muya, Shen Ju always found it so difficult—even making eye contact felt hard.
He always wanted to instinctively lower his head.
Hunch his back and sneak away via a detour.
Maybe it was because the age gap wasn’t quite big enough, but they weren’t peers either. This was the first time Shen Ju had encountered something like this, so he had no “reference samples” for the moment.
That wasn’t right.
Pei Yan wasn’t his peer either.
And Pei Yan seemed to be only a few years younger than Guan Muya.
Yet Shen Ju found Pei Yan much easier to get along with.
Maybe it’s because Pei Yan loves to smile.
Shen Ju’s thoughts wandered wildly off track for miles before he hurriedly reined them back in.
Once he did, he was still hesitating over how to broach the subject.
The next second, he saw Guan Muya stand up.
996 immediately yelped: 【Host, is he coming over to hit you?!】
Guan Muya: “…”
Does he really look like someone who’s about to hit somebody?
Shen Ju: 【…Brother 996, don’t talk nonsense.】
Even as he said that.
Shen Ju still took a small step back.
“…”
Guan Muya was just about at his wit’s end.
But it wasn’t just that Shen Ju didn’t know how to interact with him—Guan Muya himself didn’t know how to interact with Shen Ju either.
His own little brother had already grown this big by the time they met.
And he couldn’t just get chummy with them without restraint either.
This left Guan Muya unsure of exactly what attitude to adopt when facing Shen Ju—no detailed playbook to follow.
But some things.
The least he could do was fulfill Shen Ju’s needs.
Guan Muya took off the watch from his wrist, his low voice rumbling: “Perfect timing. This is the watch I just bid on at the auction tonight.”
“Here, take it.”
He held it out.
Shen Ju reached out and took it before he even processed what was happening…
【A watch he just bid on at the auction tonight—Brother 996, if I hold onto this…】
“There’s a story behind this watch.”
“Hm?”
“This watch is called Shuang Xuan. ‘Xuan’ means fine jade, and it also refers to a star in the Beidou Seven Stars, symbolizing twin stars that shine upon each other in their lives. Its creator was separated from his twin brother from childhood—one went abroad, the other stayed in the country. They didn’t even know the other had a brother.”
Guan Muya tapped the watch in Shen Ju’s hand: “Until the younger brother came back to the country for a trip by chance and met someone who looked just like him. At first, both thought it was just a resemblance, a coincidence, fate. They hit it off right away and traveled together. Even when they parted, they were reluctant to say goodbye and kept in touch. Later, the younger brother got leukemia abroad and nearly died. The older brother rushed over and stayed by his side. That’s when they discovered they were blood brothers.”
Shen Ju listened raptly and hurriedly asked: “What happened after that? How’s the younger brother?”
“Don’t worry, he was saved.”
Guan Muya hesitated for a moment, then reached out and patted Shen Ju’s fluffy round head: “The older brother’s stem cells were a match, so he donated healthy hematopoietic stem cells to his brother. Once he recovered, the brother handcrafted this Shuang Xuan watch himself to symbolize the deep bond between him and his brother.”
Shen Ju’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“But since this watch carries such important meaning, why…”
“Why sell it?”
Shen Ju nodded.
Guan Muya: “…Because the younger brother said things are dead, but people are alive.”
“Hm?” Shen Ju looked puzzled.
“…Meaning, this watch has been given extraordinary significance. But if it can fetch a high price, it’s more practical to exchange it for something real—his brother is already by his side anyway.”
“Oh.”
Guan Muya cleared his throat lightly: “So this watch is yours now. Do with it whatever you want. If it brings you value, then it has meaning.”
Shen Ju couldn’t help but grip the watch tighter.
He looked up at Guan Muya and pursed his lips.
“Thanks, Big Bro.”
Anti-Stress Day—the day of the Ant Market—had arrived.
It was specially scheduled for when the freshmen and sophomores had off, and Qichen’s entire sports field was decked out. It was also Open Day, so plenty of parents registered and came in.
By now, Qichen had turned this into an annual mega-event.
And it wasn’t just parents who could use the occasion to mingle with other parents… In this informal setting, with topics tied to their kids, it was easy to strike up conversations—opportunities like this were rare compared to everyday life. So on Open Day, parents showed up regardless of their motives.
…But it wasn’t just for parents either.
The event held big importance for Qichen’s seniors too.
In this final year of high school, right before graduation and heading to the next stage, it was a prime time to build their own networks and social circles.
After all, university might scatter everyone to the winds.
In senior year, maintaining solid ties or expanding connections—if you were smart and sharp enough, you’d know how essential that was.
The Ant Market.
A “mini business district” run by students naturally revealed a lot.
Not everyone might grasp the deeper meaning behind the event, but immersed in the atmosphere, they’d sense it to some degree. Or for those naturally perceptive, even if youth and inexperience clouded full understanding, instinct would guide them on what to do…
At the very least, bring a serious attitude.
This was an event, but far from something you could half-ass.
At least Shen Ju and Jian Yi were taking it seriously.
Beyond some old knick-knacks, the two had also prepared felt handicrafts.
They’d started prepping early and already made a batch… This felt work was something they’d “practiced” since they were little. Back then, Xu Ru had to raise them both alone. As the saying goes, half-grown lads eat their parents poor—not to mention Xu Ru was just an elementary school teacher. Even with her tutoring gigs, it probably wasn’t enough.
So at a young age, Shen Ju and Jian Yi had always racked their brains for ways to chip in.
They used to frequent the market near Ankang Hutong.
Besides helping with groceries before Xu Ru got off work, they scoped for “business opportunities.” They discovered small handicrafts had low costs but demanded lots of labor, so the kids turned to that. At first, just testing the waters, but soon they were churning out all sorts of felt trinkets.
People bought a few probably because they were kids making them earnestly, but stall space was tight. They had to “wander” around, and some folks eyed them as easy marks to squeeze some extra profit from— the market’s security back then was pretty rough.
Still, they stuck with it for several years.
Until high school hit and studies ramped up, forcing Xu Ru to shut it down.
By now, with her seniority as a teacher plus tutoring income, things were manageable.
With the Ant Market coming, Shen Ju discussed with Jian Yi what to sell.
They didn’t have much to offer, so they planned to make small items beforehand.
Luckily, their skills hadn’t rusted.
Shen Ju had even modeled a felt watch after the one Guan Muya gave him.
The Shuang Xuan watch was exquisitely crafted. Named after stars in the Beidou Seven Stars, its dial featured the constellation in the center, each star polished from different materials. The Tianxuan Star, near the 5 on the dial, lit up the whole starry field at that hour.
And since it was Shuang Xuan, when the hour hand hit 5, another star shone beneath the twin Xuans.
The two stars gleamed against each other, inseparable.
Truly stunning.
Shen Ju’s felt version captured even the starry flecks, with the hour hand at 5 to show the twin Tianxuan Stars emerging.
Next to the felt watch sat the real one Guan Muya had given him.
But a “Not for Sale” sign sat in front.
Still, that watch was undoubtedly the most valuable item at the entire Ant Market.
Shen Ju didn’t know, but others recognized it at a glance.
So even with the “Not for Sale” sign, several people asked if he’d sell it anyway, leaving Shen Ju puzzled why they all had to ask before backing off.
Just then, another hand reached over and picked up the felt watch for a look.
Shen Ju spotted it and immediately grinned: “Pei Ge.”
Pei Yan had come too, dropping by Shen Ju’s stall.
He smiled and asked: “This watch isn’t for sale?”
Shen Ju shook his head with a smile: “Not even for Pei Ge.”
“‘Not even for Pei Ge,’ huh?”
Pei Yan raised a brow: “Guess I do get some special treatment?”
“But if it’s not for sale, why display it?”
“Yeah, kid—if this watch isn’t for sale, why put it out?”
Shen Ju was about to reply when a voice cut him off.
He looked over to see Guan Muya walking with a middle-aged man—the man was speaking.
And not only that, the man’s arrival drew gazes from surrounding parents.
Pei Yan turned and paused at the sight, then said: “Mr. Hu, didn’t expect you’d show up today.”
“Young Mr. Pei.”
Hu Fanghai nodded to Pei Yan: “Just bored, so I tagged along with Young President Guan to check it out.”
Young President Guan was naturally Guan Muya.
The crowd exchanged glances; some recalled the Guan Family’s recent project talks and were inwardly shocked.
So the Guan Family’s already connected with top brass?
But the next second, Hu Fanghai turned to Shen Ju: “If I remember right, this watch was auctioned just recently. I wanted to bid on it myself.”
“Ended up with Young President Guan outbidding at a premium.”
Hu Fanghai looked to Guan Muya: “Young President Guan’s clearly a watch enthusiast to drop that much on it. So how’d it end up in this kid’s hands overnight?”
