Master Su, meanwhile, smirked. The flattery inflated his ego like a balloon. With a faint flick of his wrist, he turned to the stall owner. "Do you let just anyone wander in here these days? Look at the scene this girl is making. Get rid of her. Now."
The stall owner hesitated for a split second. His eyes darted toward Master Su, then to the girl standing quietly at the edge of the crowd. The mounting pressure from the crowd and Master Su's imposing status was enough to crush any uncertainty he had. He took a step forward, his face a mask of forced authority.
"This isn't a place for you, little girl," he said flatly, waving his hand. "Please leave."
Li Ziqing, who had only just emerged from her daze, now stared at him—confused at first, but soon her confusion gave way to fury. Her eyes darkened, and her voice rose sharply.
"Why?" she demanded.
The stall owner froze. He hadn't expected her to push back. She looked young, harmless even. He thought a few stern words would be enough to scare her off. His momentary hesitation betrayed his surprise, but his pride was quick to recover. His face hardened.
"You dare to argue?" he snapped. "Don't forget this is a night market. Stirring up trouble here is not wise."
But Li Ziqing didn't retreat. Her spine was straight, her gaze unflinching. Maybe in her previous life, she would have backed down—swallowed her anger, turned and left without a word. But this was no longer the same Li Ziqing.
With the system came strength.
"Night market or day market," she said coldly, "I'm still a customer. You have no right to throw me out without reason."
She pointed at Master Su and the overly made-up woman beside him.
"Which of your eyes saw me causing a scene? It was them, throwing around insults like they came from a gutter."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The stall owner's mouth opened, but no words came out.
Li Ziqing wasn't done.
She turned to the bystanders who had chimed in earlier with scornful remarks.
"And you," she said icily. "You think I'm interested in that man? Which one of you saw me seduce him? Do you believe every girl who glances in someone's direction is looking to climb into his bed? Don't assume everyone is as low as that woman clinging to an old man like a leech. It's disgusting."
The air went still. Even the ever-buzzing noise of the night market seemed to hush for a beat.
Master Su's face twitched. He was stunned silent, his ego struggling to process the blow.
The woman beside him was seething, but beneath the rage, there was a flicker of satisfaction. This foolish girl had just poked the bear. Now she was doomed.
Yet on the surface, she played her role, screeching as if truly aggrieved.
"You little slut! Do you even know who Master Su is?" she spat venomously. "He's the owner of Tianjin Jewelry! You dare speak to him like that?!"
But Li Ziqing's face remained indifferent.
"Tianjin?" she echoed with mock confusion. "Never heard of it."
That sentence was the final crack.
Master Su's face turned scarlet. His fists clenched. Tianjin Jewelry was his pride—built from the ground up through years of effort. He had two storefronts in central Wuhan. Though not on par with the giants like Jin Yu Fang or Yao Jin Zhuba, it had carved a reputation of its own. For someone to dismiss it so casually… it was intolerable.
Without warning, he shoved the woman aside like an annoying obstacle. She stumbled in her heels and almost fell.
He stormed forward, stopping right in front of Li Ziqing. His bulky frame towered over her, trying to drown her in sheer presence.
But Li Ziqing didn't even blink.
"So arrogant," he sneered. "So disrespectful. Do you even understand what power is, little girl? I could crush you like an ant."
Li Ziqing suddenly laughed. Loud and carefree.
People looked at her like she'd gone mad.
After a moment, her laughter died, and she fixed her sharp gaze on Master Su.
"Power?" she repeated with a smirk. "Do you know what skill is?"
Her voice grew cold, precise.
"When a person possesses true skill, even brute power must bow its head. Power can only destroy. But skill? Skill can be precise. Fatal. It can command power itself. I have skill. And you?"
She slowly turned her gaze to the people around them.
"You have a crowd of fools boosting your ego."
Murmurs swept through the crowd. Some people shifted uncomfortably. Others turned quiet, unwilling to meet her gaze.
Master Su's lips curled into a snarl. His pride was wounded, but he didn't make a move—this was still the night market. Public outbursts had consequences here.
But that didn't mean he would let this girl off.
He exhaled harshly and shook his head.
"You ignorant little bitch," he growled. "You say you have skill? Then prove it. Let's make a bet."
Li Ziqing's eyes narrowed, curiosity piqued.
"A bet?" she asked, her voice calm. "What kind of bet?"
Seeing the change in the girl's expression, Master Su assumed she was finally showing signs of fear. His lips curled into a smug smile. Good, he thought. But he had no intention of letting her off so easily. Hadn't she called him old and disgusting in front of everyone? He would make her pay. Humiliate her. Crush her dignity.
Turning slowly, he gestured to one of his bodyguards standing beside an open trolley that held three rough, uncut jade stones.
"That," he said arrogantly, pointing to the stones, "is my bet."
Li Ziqing's eyes narrowed as she looked at the raw jade. She understood instantly. Before she could respond, however, a concerned voice cut through the tension.
"What's going on here?"
A youthful man's voice, clear and slightly breathless, came from behind the crowd. Li Ziqing turned and saw her uncle, Li Jianping, hurrying over with a confused expression.
He had been so absorbed in examining a stone at another stall that he hadn't noticed when Li Ziqing wandered off. When he looked up and saw she was gone, panic struck him. It was only when he spotted the growing crowd near the cutting area by the entrance that a terrible feeling clenched at his gut.
He immediately approached.
His eyes widened when he saw his niece standing alone in the middle of the circle, face-to-face with a towering man he didn't recognize. Alarm surged through him.
"What's going on?" he demanded, stepping protectively toward her. "Why are you arguing with strangers?"
He turned toward Master Su, ready to say something, but the man beat him to it—laughing mockingly.
"Oh?" Master Su raised an eyebrow, eyes gleaming with mock amusement. "So you're with this young man?" He then turned fully to Li Jianping and added condescendingly, "You're too late. Your girl's already challenged me. And now… she'll have to pay the price."
"Challenged?" Li Jianping echoed, his brow furrowed.
He turned back to his niece, about to scold her, but Li Ziqing simply met his eyes with a calm, steady gaze—reassuring him without a word.
She then turned back toward Master Su, her voice unwavering. "I agree to the bet. But first," she said coolly, "let's hear your stakes."
Master Su's smugness faltered slightly. She dared to accept the bet without even knowing the terms? Did she truly not take him seriously? But he quickly concealed his surprise beneath a mocking grin.
"Nothing much," he said with exaggerated casualness, "but if you lose… you'll sleep with my bodyguards tonight."
The crowd gasped.
A wave of outrage passed through Li Jianping's face before it twisted into fury. He exploded.
"You bastard!"
He lunged forward, fists clenched, but Li Ziqing immediately grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Uncle, calm down," she whispered. "I have a plan."
Something in her voice—her confidence, her composure—soothed the fire in his chest. Over the past few days, he had begun to see a change in her. She was no longer the timid, easily frightened girl he had once known. Now… she exuded something different. Authority. Strength.
Still glaring at Master Su, Li Jianping reluctantly stepped back.
Master Su, oblivious to the shift in tone, took great pleasure in his perceived control of the situation. He chuckled, drunk on power.
Li Ziqing, unfazed, turned toward him with a cold smile. "Alright then," she said, voice sharp as a blade. "If I win, you'll run naked—yes, completely naked—from this stall all the way back to your home."
Silence.
The crowd was stunned.
Master Su's face froze in disbelief. Had he heard that right?
"You—!" He gritted his teeth, jaw twitching. "You little wench…"
He looked around at the stunned crowd. Everyone had heard it. If he backed out now, he'd be ridiculed for the rest of his life.
"…Fine," he spat. "I accept."
With a flick of his wrist, he turned to the stall owner. "Go call the management committee. Let's make this official."
The stall owner immediately sprang into action.
The Night Market wasn't just a random cluster of street vendors—it was a powerful, self-governed economic zone supported by underground and political forces. There was a formal committee responsible for overseeing disputes and enforcing public bets. Once registered, a public bet was binding. There would be no backing out.
Within minutes, a middle-aged man with a badge bearing the insignia of the Night Market Authority arrived. His face was expressionless as he listened to both parties state the terms of the bet.
"So the girl agrees to identify the highest-value jade stone among the three," the man said, writing swiftly. "If she wins, Master Su runs home unclothed. If she loses…" His expression darkened slightly. "She is to submit to… the company of Master Su's guards for the night."
There was a tense pause. He looked at both parties. "Do you both confirm these terms?"
"I do," Master Su said, chin raised defiantly.
"I do," Li Ziqing said, her voice ringing with clarity.
"Then let the bet begin."
Li Ziqing walked briskly into the stall, her expression calm and steady. Li Jianping followed closely behind, his forehead already breaking into a nervous sweat. His mind was in chaos. He wanted to pull her aside, to talk some sense into her, but he hesitated. He didn't want to scare her.
"She said she had a plan," he reminded himself silently.
"Maybe she's planning to call that president from Hongtian Real Estate? That would be the smart move..." With that thought, his heart calmed just a little.
Ahead of him, Li Ziqing didn't notice his anxious glances. Her mind was focused, and without hesitation, she pulled out the "Lucky Coupon" from the system's inventory. Trust your instincts, the system had said.
"Let's enjoy this to the fullest," she muttered softly to herself, her eyes scanning the display.
One by one, she selected seven rough stones and placed them carefully in a cart. She didn't hesitate, didn't overthink. When she was done, she pushed the cart to the counter and pulled out a thick wad of cash.
"Ninety-eight thousand yuan," the stall owner said, looking at the calculator.
Li Ziqing handed over the full amount without flinching. The stall owner paused. Even Master Su had never paid so decisively. Was this girl backed by someone powerful?
Li Jianping's jaw tightened. He wanted to say something, but when he saw Li Ziqing's serene expression, he swallowed his words. "This girl… she's not even nervous?"
The stall owner gave her a strange look but accepted the money. Meanwhile, Master Su, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes. "She's seriously loaded. Did I mess with the wrong person?"
Unfazed by the scrutiny, Li Ziqing motioned to Li Jianping and one of the store's workers.
"Please pick any three," she said.
With their help, three stones were selected from the original seven. Li Ziqing then wheeled them straight to the cutting area.
She placed the stones down confidently. "Please begin," she told the cutting masters.
Two machines roared to life. One began slicing through Master Su's first stone, the other through Li Ziqing's.
Master Su stood a few feet away, a woman clinging tightly to his arm. She sneered, lips curled with disdain.
"Little girl, you're so stubborn. Why not just give up? You'll have to sleep with the bodyguards anyway."
She glanced around smugly. "Master Su is the disciple of a revered jade appraiser. His cutting success rate is nearly 45%. That's considered god-tier in the jade world. What do you have?"
Li Ziqing turned and looked her up and down, then gave a dismissive chuckle.
"If he's so amazing," she said lightly, "then why isn't his Tianjin Jewelry on the Fortune 500 list? Why is he still stuck peddling stones in Wuhan?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Master Su's face flushed red with fury. His woman choked on her own spit.
He took a threatening step forward but stopped when he saw the committee officer from the Night Market's management standing at the edge of the crowd. He clenched his jaw and hissed at the woman beside him, "Shut up."
Suddenly, a voice called out from the cutting table.
"White. Nothing inside."
Everyone turned to look. It was Master Su's stone. The cutter shut off the machine and stepped back.
Master Su's lips tightened. The stone had looked so promising — perfect skin, smooth texture — yet it was just worthless rock. He gritted his teeth but kept calm. "Doesn't matter. Hers won't have anything either."
As if on cue, the other cutter let out an excited shout.
"Green! There's green!"
The crowd surged forward. A window had been opened in Li Ziqing's stone, and a patch of jade glimmered under the light.
Master Su's smirk vanished. His pupils shrank.
The woman on his arm immediately snapped, "So what? It's just a small patch. Could be a fluke!"
Li Ziqing simply crossed her arms. "Keep cutting."
Li Jianping was trembling like a leaf. Sweat trickled down his temples. His throat was dry, and his eyes were glued to the machine. For someone who'd loved jade his whole life but never dared gamble, this was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill.
Suddenly, the room went silent.
The cutter's voice trembled, "…Oh my God. It's… it's Imperial Green…"
A moment of stunned silence. Then chaos.
The shop owner gasped. "Imperial Green?! No way!"
"Holy crap! She really found Imperial Green?!" someone shouted.
"She bought it just now! I was here! She paid cash!"
"Quick, light the fireworks!" the shop owner roared. "We just opened Imperial Green in our shop!"
His workers rushed around in a frenzy, setting up long chains of celebratory fireworks. Within seconds, the air cracked and popped as colorful sparks burst across the sky. The entire market froze for a beat… then rushed toward the stall in a tidal wave of excitement.
"Where is it? Where's the stone?"
"Let me see! Imperial Green! It's real?"
"Goddamn, this girl's luck is heaven-defying!"
"Hey boss! Cut another! Maybe she has more!"
"Forget the bet! That alone is worth millions!"
Li Jianping was frozen for a beat, mouth agape. Then he exploded with joy.
"A Qing! We're rich! We're actually rich!"
Laughing uncontrollably, he picked her up and spun her around in joy.
"Uncle! My head's spinning! Put me down!" she giggled.
"Ah—sorry, sorry!" He gently set her down, his face flushed with joy. "A Qing, did you see that? Imperial Green! We actually opened Imperial Green!"
Li Ziqing smiled. "Yes, Uncle. It's real. It's ours. And it's not a dream."
Li Jianping turned toward the cutter, eyes blazing.
"Don't cut anything else! Just polish it. Be gentle — not a single scratch on that jade!"
The master cutter nodded quickly. "Understood! I'll treat it like my own child!"
By now, a massive crowd had formed outside the stall.
"I heard it was a teenage girl!"
"She beat Master Su?! That girl?"
"Where's that legendary piece? I want to witness history!"
"What's her name? What stall did she buy it from?"
"That Master Su is so dead…"
"How much would this Imperial Green sell for on the market?"
More fireworks burst in the air. The Night Market was ablaze with excitement.
But in the center of it all, Li Ziqing stood calmly, her fingers brushing against the still-warm stone, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
The night was far from over.