"You have a strong bonding with Zhiren. I have never seen him interact with anyone like this. Not even with his brothers." Old Madam Ji was telling Ru while she decided to accompany Ru on a walk around the Mansion.

"Strong bonding? I don't think so. All we do is argue." Ru answered with a snort.

"Perhaps, that's the beauty of your brotherhood."

Ru didn't comment on that. 'What brotherhood?' She wanted to ask but couldn't since she was indeed Xiao Zhi Ren's sworn brother. At least for the onlookers.

"I heard Young Master Rong has some interest in my husband's antique collection," Old Madam Ji had brought Ru to a different courtyard which had tight security. On her orders, the double doors were opened and Old Madam Ji walked inside with Ru.

When Ru looked at the glass boxes showcasing a whole range of antique artifacts, her eyes surely lit up like a star-laden sky.

"Madam, Miss Yiyi is here," a maid came to inform.

"Didn't you tell her that Xiao Hong is not home?" Old Madam Ji asked sternly.

"We did. But she said she wishes to see you." The maid answered courteously.

Before Ru could say anything, Old Madam Ji gave her an apologetic smile and said, "You look around while I have to see the visitor."

"No, no. I should leave as well. You shouldn't trust me around such treasures of Ji Family." Ru said it in a playful tone but she meant every word sincerely.

Old Madam Ji chuckled at her response and shook her head. "Young Master Rong, you should feel at ease and look around. Oh and let me know if you like something."

"Will you give it to me?" Ru asked with a strange look.

"Sure." Old Madam Ji shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before she turned to leave.

Ru was dumbstruck by her reaction. One had to know that the things inside this huge hall were just like treasures. Treasures which couldn't be bought with money. It was more of like a family's heritage. How can the Mistress of the house be so nonchalant about this?

Ru decided to take advantage of this moment and darted her eyes around to find anything that could pique her interest.

Her own Han Dynasty Chess set was also placed in a glass box. Ru lifted her hand to touch the box but didn't touch it. She knew there would be an alarm on the box. It wasn't a good idea to alert people.

"You and I were not meant to be." Ru had a sorrowful gaze as she looked at that set with forlorn hope.

One might think that the chess set was her moonlight.[1] Because her eyes exactly mirrored those feelings.

There weren't many things that could pique her interest. Especially since she had seen an even magnificent collection back home. But nonetheless, this collection was surely striking.

Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a rare item. She walked up to it with a curious look in her eyes. It was a hand-carved white jade flute. Its surface was polished and it looked akin to a deshelled egg. But Ru's eyes were stuck on the gold moon that was hanging from its one end.

From her memory, she knew very well that Ji Family's emblem had a thunderbolt on it. But a gold moon was something she was familiar with as well. Obviously, it didn't belong to Ji Family but there are other affluent, formidable and yet low-key clans.

This gold moon was the emblem of Xiao Family.

"Xiao?" Ru whispered out as if asking herself. "Xiao Zhi Ren? Xiao Family? Was my initial guess right? Xiao Zhi Ren does have a connection with Xiao Family of Ocean State? Or is it just a coincidence?"

"But with this jade flute being here, it can't just be a coincidence."

[1] 'moonlight': One-sided love or unattainable love. Like we can love moon but can't attain it.