Chapter three

Lantian turned face towards the owner of the voice. It was a girl of younger age, wearing fabric of cloud color. She had a fresh and natural feature which Lantian found herself hard to take her eyes away from. The same, the female junior also watched the Wu's girl without moving her optics anywhere. She could perceive, clearly that the person who was standing before her was a female; however, she felt that this woman was very awesome in the male suit and her charm was shown like the Tai mount.

"Is it yours?" Xiaolan said.

The girl turned her face. "Yes, it's mine," she stated.

Xiaolan made a short glance at her mistress before she strolled on purpose to give the hanging to the claimer. Immediately, something popped up in the head of Lantian. She said, "Wait" and rapidly snatched the hanging from the hand of her maid.

This action surprised both her maid and the female junior. However Lantian didn't care, she said to the girl, "What is your name?"

"Caihong," the girl said.

"Miss Caihong, you said this hanging is yours. Do you have evidence?"

"On the back of the pendant has the letter Hong."

Lantian spun the jewelry and saw like the girl named Caihong had stated; nonetheless, she did not have intention to return it yet.

"This cannot prove that this hanging is yours."

Hearing it, Caihong narrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she said.

"You might take it from others and name yourself after the letter on the pendant."

Caihong popped her eyes, "Do you want to say I am a thief?"

"I did not say. You said it."

Immediately, the face of Caihong changed from light pink peony to red. Seeing that expression, Lantian knew that she was angry with her, but her mind was not distressed. She held the grin and walked her strong body to stand before Caihong about two steps, then she asked, "What is your surname?"

The younger lady didn't open her lips, and her eyes looked in another direction.

"Even a surname is hidden. How can I believe this pendant is your property?"

Caihong raised up her eyes then threw an irate look at Lantian, "It's really mine. Please give it to me."

In contrast, Lantian replied with a glance of seduction towards her. "You did not tell your surname," she stated.

Hearing the sentence, Caihong shut her mouth.

"This pendant is not made from expensive jade. If you take it to sell, it does not give you much money."

"It's mine," Caihong said in a slightly harder tone. "I don't steal it. How can I sell it?"

Lantian held a smirk. "Being poor is not bad, but being poor and stealing is very bad," she claimed.

"I have said many times." Caihong tie her eyebrows. "It's my property."

"If so, why don't you tell me about your surname?"

Once again, the girl latched her mouth, while her eyes looked away.

Lantian giggled, "If you are a pure person, say about your clan."

Though, Caihong did not open her lips.

"Where is your house?"

She still kept mouth shut.

"If you do not tell, then I don't give you."

Caihong returned her stare at Wu. "It's not yours," she said.

"Yes, it's not mine, but I am the one who picked it up."

"Give it back to me."

"Tell me your surname or your house."

Caihong turned her face away.

"Miss, I told you already that it is not expensive jade. If you need money, I can give you. Don't take the property of others."

Caihong returned her annoyed feature, "I told you already as well that I don't take it. It's mine."

"If so, tell me. Is there any mark?"

"Near the letter Hong, there is a small broken mark."

Lantian inspected the pendant that was stored in her left palm. It really had one tiny broken mark like the girl mentioned.

"Is there anything else?" she said.

"There are few black veins on a mandarin duck's wing. Near eyeball of the bird has a red dot."

She scanned the whole jade. It really had all the girl had described.

"How can you know it has all of these?" 

"It has lived with me for almost eighteen years. How can't I know about it?"

"Almost eighteen years?" Lantian smirked. "So, it means you are still seventeen."

Hearing it, Caihong seemed to awake. She dropped her eyes and her mind was nervous as she became aware that her mouth said something that a girl should not expose, especially to strangers.

"Well," Lantian moved closer then she extended her left hand to give the hanging since she didn't have any more excuse to keep it, "here it is."

Without waiting, Caihong enlarged her right hand to get her thing. Unintentionally, her fingers touched the fingers of Lantian. At that moment, a strike shocked through the veins of two of them from the point their skins were meeting directed to their hearts. Like they were scheduled, their two pairs of eyes rose and glanced at each other. At that time, the two girls seemed to feel that they felt one feeling run inside their minds. However, even though they shared the same string, Lantian could see and know what it was while Caihong doubted what it was.

Perhaps the connection was hard to handle, in a quick manner, Caihong separated her hand, then walked away without saying goodbye. Though Lantian still watched her from behind until she disappeared from her sight into the green trees.

"Miss," Xiaolan called. 

Lantian woke up and rotated her face. 

"We should go back."

"Um." Lantian nodded. Before she left, she took a glance at the direction Cailong had taken.

**

**

*

Yang's girl performance was still on the stage. 

The boredom came back to mind. Lantian could not be patient, she told, "I go first."

"I go with you, miss," Xiaolan said.

"No, you stay here to look after my mother. And also search for the girl whose name is Caihong."

"Yes." Xiaolan nodded.

Before leaving, Lantian eyed her ma for a bit. Lady Chen was having a big smile among the riches' women. After seeing that, Lantian's mind was at peace to move her feet to pass behind where Wei's and Liu's sons were staying towards the exit.

The two men did not perceive Wu's daughter because they were busy watching the first young mistress of Yang dance her own creation on the stage. A short moment later, Chen Huan, a son of golden fish Chen, appeared in between.

"Young master Chen, where are you coming from?" Wei Feng said.

"I went to the bathroom," Chen Huan stated.

"Why did you take so long? Are you not well?"

"I'm good. Where is my father?"

"Over there. Sit next to millionaire Yang."

"Young master Chen," Liu Tao said, "do you know him? He is Mayor Wu."

"I know. I saw him several times," Chen Huan claimed.

"And do you know who that young man is?"

"He is his son."

"Wow, you are great."

"Enough. We go."

"Where do we go?" Wei Feng said.

"Out of this place. It's boring," Chen Huan stated.

"Don't you go to tell your father?" Liu Tao said.

"No need. Come on."