Chapter 6: Can't You Understand Plain Language?

Madam Ling took out a brocade box, and Shi Yi cast a curious glance at it.

The jade pendant inside was severely damaged, shattered into multiple pieces, with several tiny fragments so small that its original form was barely recognizable.

At such a level of damage, only the country’s top jade restoration masters would dare to take on this task.

A woman in a blue gown looked at Shi Yi with a malicious smile. “Girl, don’t just say you’ll try your best. You must give it your all. Don’t disappoint Madam Ling.”

Another woman in a red dress stepped forward, smiling sweetly. “Madam Ling, rest assured. My daughter-in-law is quite skilled. Her grandfather, Master Shi, is an expert in restoring jade antiques. She has inherited his true techniques and can definitely restore it to its original state.”

Shi Yi’s gaze briefly flicked toward the woman—this was Song Yashi, the original mistress’s malicious mother-in-law.

At home, she belittled the original mistress at every turn, yet now she wore such a grand hat, clearly using her to curry favor with the Ling family.

Madam Ling looked at Shi Yi. “Girl, this jade pendant has been passed down through the Ling family for generations. Its auction price is at least several hundred million yuan. Can you restore it well?”

All eyes turned to Shi Yi in unison.

Chu Yifan exchanged a glance with Song Yashi, then said to Shi Yi, “If you can restore it well, I will agree to your request.”

Shi Yi shot him a sharp look. To get rid of this scumbag, she had no choice but to bet everything on this.

In her past life, she had some expertise in jade; she had carved a few pendants in her spare time, and with the original mistress’s memories, this should be manageable.

Shi Yi picked up the brocade box and examined it carefully, then said to Madam Ling, “It can be restored.”

Madam Ling’s face lit up with joy. “Girl, how long will it take?”

“Three hours,” Shi Yi replied.

Everyone looked at her skeptically—three hours? That’s too bold!

Chu Yifan’s expression turned serious. He lowered his voice and said to Shi Yi, “You must not mess this up. If there’s the slightest mistake, don’t even think about divorce.”

Shi Yi laughed bitterly. If it weren’t for so many people watching, she would have liked to give this scumbag a good beating. Didn’t he say he wanted a divorce? She agreed, yet now he’s reluctant?

Her voice firm: “It will be fixed in three hours. If I mess it up, I’ll compensate at full value.”

“You, can you afford that?” Chu Yifan glared at her.

The others began whispering among themselves.

“She still thinks she’s a Shi family heiress? A fake daughter disowned by the Shi family, talking big.”

“True. The Shi family raised her for years, only to throw her out. Quite pitiful.”

“If you ask me, the Shi family kicking her out is her own fault. I heard she’s not welcomed even after marrying into the Chu family.”

…

Having just arrived in this world, Shi Yi knew nothing beyond the original mistress’s memories. What kind of monsters were these people? What kind of life did the original mistress endure?

She wanted to lose her temper but took a deep breath to hold back. She wasn’t good with words and preferred action over talk.

But she couldn’t just beat them all, could she?

“I believe in her. If she messes up, I’ll pay the compensation,” a resonant male voice suddenly came from behind.

Then, a tall figure approached. He was slender and tall, long legs striding confidently. Against the light, his beauty seemed unreal.

The voice sounded very familiar, and Shi Yi’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at him.

The man wore sunglasses; his skin was pale and luminous like jade, radiating an irresistible charm.

Shi Yi glanced quickly and froze.

Because this man’s face was exactly the same as the handsome man she had been entangled with the previous night!

No, it couldn’t be him...

Shi Yi took a deep breath. With the sunglasses hiding his eyes, it was possible he merely resembled the man.

Their eyes met briefly, and the man averted his gaze, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Si Ye, you vouch for her?” Madam Ling stepped forward.

Si Ye smiled faintly, looking at Shi Yi again. “She has no problem restoring jade, Grandma. You can rest assured.”

“All right, all right,” Madam Ling beamed. “Since Si Ye says so, girl, go ahead and repair it. Even if it doesn’t turn out well, this old woman won’t blame you.”

“Thank you,” Shi Yi said gratefully to Si Ye. After all, he was the first to believe in her in this world.

Soon after, a servant led Shi Yi to the Ling family study.

She pushed open the door.

Inside, the study was filled with books, precious calligraphy, and paintings. Shi Yi placed her restoration tools on the waist-high red wooden table.

Restoring this pendant could only be done by bonding. First, she had to carefully clean the fractured surfaces with a professional brush, then evenly apply a high-efficiency adhesive—epoxy resin—on them. The most crucial step was to align the fragments precisely, ensuring a perfect fit.

During the adhesive’s curing process, it was best to fix the pieces with tape or weigh them down to prevent displacement.

Though the steps seemed simple, they required great patience. One misstep could ruin all the work.

Shi Yi began cautiously brushing the broken edges. This jade pendant was harder to restore than a jade bangle; too much force could cause further breakage.

Easier said than done.

Fortunately, the original mistress had grown up alongside her grandfather, participating in many jade restorations.

Not to mention a pendant shattered like this, she had even been involved in repairing more severely broken pieces.

Though she had the original mistress’s memories, her hands didn’t fully obey yet. Half an hour later, a fine layer of sweat formed on her brow.

Shi Yi suddenly realized the original mistress was quite remarkable—just hopelessly infatuated.

A woman who isn’t lovesick can live a little longer.

After gluing all the fragments, Shi Yi exhaled heavily.

She looked up abruptly and saw a figure sitting opposite, staring at her intently.

“Who are you?” Shi Yi’s hands trembled, nearly dropping the painstakingly restored pendant.

The man before her had sharp, defined features, handsome brows and eyes, warm and jade-like, smiling gently at her.

Wasn’t this the charming gentleman from last night?

Shi Yi was stunned. She carefully placed the pendant down.

With a cold gaze, she said, “Hey, sir, I told you not to bother me. Don’t you understand human language!?”

After speaking, Shi Yi hurriedly stood, wanting to leave quickly.

Having sat too long, her legs went numb, and her body tipped straight forward.

Si Ye’s expression changed slightly; with long arms, he swiftly caught her.

Unprepared, she found herself seated on the man’s lap.

Their warm bodies pressed tightly together, a rich fragrance filling the air, stirring chaos within.

Si Ye recalled the sensation from last night; his Adam’s apple moved up and down involuntarily.

Shi Yi’s head rested against his chest, hearing his powerful heartbeat. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

But her legs were too numb. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t stand.

The man’s gentle voice whispered in her ear, “Did I hurt you last night?”