On Wednesday morning, Xi Xianqing was drawing up designs.

Although the efficiency of drafting on a light screen was significantly higher than traditional hand-drawn jewelry design, Xi Xianqing had retained the habit of manual drawing over the years.

Using gray card paper and a fine-liner, he meticulously combined technique and craftsmanship in each stroke—from faceted detailing to metal texture. This was not only a mark of respect for his clients but also a reminder to himself to stay true to his roots.

Ye Lu knocked on the door and entered the room. “Xianqing, about the banquet necklace Mrs. Xu commissioned, Old Li’s side provided some gemstones for the main piece.”

Xi Xianqing looked up at Ye Lu and glanced at the tray of colorful gems she held, then silently turned back to his drawing.

Understanding his temperament, Ye Lu explained, “They say the southern mines haven’t been yielding well lately. This is the best batch they’ve managed to pick out. If you decline again, they’ll need a reason.”

Xi Xianqing also quickly gave a reason: “Ugly.”

“…” Ye Lu wanted to say but hesitated, “If you actually look closely, the color of this pigeon’s blood ruby is quite bright, with minimal cracks. Do you want to leave it first, as a spare?”

Xi Xianqing: “Small.”

Ye Lu: “…”

Xi Xianqing said, “The hue is mediocre, the clarity is poor, and, most importantly, Mrs. Xu typically prefers gowns with voluminous, dramatic skirts. The main stone for the necklace isn’t substantial enough to match her dress’s grandeur.”

Ye Lu lamented, “For Mrs. Xu, indeed, these stones are quite underwhelming… It was me who didn’t consider that. I’ll inform them.”

Xi Xianqing’s hand remained steady as he held the pen. “Uncle Li has plenty of stock he’s just unwilling to part with. Tell him, if this is the extent of his sincerity, I’ll consider working with different raw stone suppliers next year.”

Ye Lu replied softly, “Understood. The car has been prepared, and I’ve picked out some outfits for you. Today’s event is more important; please select one.”

Xi Xianqing lifted his wrist slightly, sketching the final facet line of the gemstone with a fine-tipped pen.

He looked up at the clothes Ye Lu had selected on the rack, frowning. “Why are they all light-colored?”

“Forgive my presumption, but lighter colors convey warmth, which might increase the chances of a successful negotiation,” Ye Lu said courteously. “And I’d also like to ask for permission to accompany you to this meeting with Mr. Zhu.”

Xi Xianqing: “…”

Ye Lu continued, “Xianqing, we really can’t afford to mess this up again.”

“I didn’t mess it up.” Xi Xianqing’s expression was impassive. “At our first meeting, I clearly stated my requirements and the compensation I could offer. He simply felt the terms weren’t agreeable and turned me down.”

Ye Lu knew his temperament too well. “His refusal might not have been just about the terms not being agreeable. Let me ask you, did you bring bodyguards with you when you went on that blind date that day?”

Xi Xianqing: “I just attended an auction, so naturally, I had bodyguards with me.”

Ye Lu sighed, “And was it true that you also directly declined the person’s invitation for a meal?”

Xi Xianqing remained calm. “Aunt Ye, you know I don’t like eating out.”

Ye Lu exhaled softly. “If it wasn’t for Mr. Zhu taking the initiative to change his mind that day, we’d likely still be desperately searching for a 15th District Seven doctor, pleading for someone to treat your condition.”

Xi Xianqing’s hand, dipping into the paint, paused slightly.

“First, people from District Seven have grown up in a different environment from ours, so a process of mutual understanding and compromise is inevitable.”

Ye Lu said, “So we need to approach this with sincerity—”

“He calls gemstones ‘silicon dioxide,’” Xi Xianqing stared into Ye Lu’s eyes.

Ye Lu: “Well, that….”

Xi Xianqing: “He can’t distinguish between a brooch and a lapel chain, and thinks lapis lazuli and sapphire are the same.”

“When we went to the District Seven hospital for a consultation, didn’t we also struggle to understand the medical terminology at first?” Ye Lu replied helplessly. “Besides, isn’t our sole goal right now to cure your illness?”

Xi Xianqing didn’t say anything.

Ye Lu took the freshly ironed suit jacket from the rack, softening her tone. “What is our ultimate goal? What have you worked so hard for all these years?”

“Think about our future,” she said to Xi Xianqing. “Think about the young lady.”

Xi Xianqing’s gaze lingered on the suit in Ye Lu’s hands.

“If we want to make the negotiation more approachable, something more casual would be better,” he replied, putting down his pen and averting his gaze.

Ye Lu’s pursed, understanding that he had compromised. “Alright, I’ll prepare accordingly.”

To facilitate inter-district exchanges, District Six and District Seven had constructed a cross-district highway several decades ago, greatly reducing travel time between the areas.

When Xi Xianqing and Ye Lu arrived at the restaurant, Zhu Ming and Zhou Zhou had already been there for a while, sitting with their backs to them, whispering over the menu.

Zhou Zhou pointed to an item on the light screen menu, “Wow, since when did they add roast duck? And it’s an exclusive recipe from a District Two Michelin chef. This must be delicious ah, Zhu-ge!”

Zhu Ming nodded, “En, but the salt-crusted chicken I got last time was great, too, and that was takeout. Imagine how much better it’ll be fresh.”

Zhou Zhou hesitated, “Good point. So, which one should we get today?”

Zhu Ming, unfazed, said, “Order them all. We’re not the ones paying anyway.”

Xi Xianqing and Ye Lu, who heard clearly from the back: “…”

Ye Lu cleared her throat and softly interrupted, “Mr. Zhu.”

Seeing the person in the wheelchair turn his head, Xi Xianqing slightly raised his eyes and looked over.

Born into an artistic family, Xi Xianqing had a habit of subconsciously observing the color scheme on people he met.

This was because a person’s preference for a specific color scheme often mirrored aspects of their personality.

However, the colors on Zhu Ming were always monotonous—extremely pure black and white.

His hair was soft and shiny black, as were his eyes and lashes, yet he consistently chose clothes in simple, pure tones of white or beige, which made his complexion appear an unhealthy pallor.

Such stark contrast typically wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. But Zhu Ming happened to have a delicate, almost refined face that could be considered exquisite from an artistic perspective.

He always smiled—gently, affectionately, or even teasingly.

Yet, the smile never quite reached his eyes, as if veiled in a faint mist, like a cunning mask.

A curled-up white fox spirit had been lying on Zhu Ming’s lap, but when someone entered, he straightened up. “Forgive me for not being able to get up. And who is this lady?”

Ye Lu said, “You’re too polite. I’m Ye Lu, Mr. Xi’s assistant.”

Zhu Ming smiled warmly, “Nice to meet you. Just call me Xiao Zhu. This is my assistant, Zhou Zhou.”

Ye Lu released her own spiritual manifestation—a gray heron, which gently tapped the fox’s fluffy tail with its beak as a gesture of greeting.

Zhu Ming withdrew his spiritual manifestation and turned his gaze to Xi Xianqing’s face, his smile turning slightly playful. “We were just looking at the menu. What would Mr. Xi like to eat? Or are you going to be satisfied just watching, like last time?”

Xi Xianqing: “…”

Ye Lu quickly cleared her throat, “No, no. We just came over from District Six, and we’ve been eager to try this chef’s creations. How about this—I’ll go with Xiao Zhou to order outside, and you two can chat here for a bit.”

Zhou Zhou scratched his head and stood up. Ye Lu thoughtfully closed the private room door behind them, leaving only Xi Xianqing and Zhu Ming inside.

Zhu Ming propped his chin on his hand, smiling as his gaze swept over Xi Xianqing. He broke the silence. “You’re not wearing anything today.”

“What?”

“You’re always wearing something shiny. The first time, it was cufflinks; the second time, it was a necklace made of blue stone… lapis lazuli.” Zhu Ming asked briskly, “Nothing today?”

The mother-of-pearl carved cufflinks and lapis lazuli lapel chain were actually gifts from Xi Xianqing’s close friends.

One friend was the heir to a century-old suit fabric family in District Six, and the other was a fellow classmate from his time at a top jewelry academy. Both considered themselves noble artists, likely never imagining their meticulously crafted pieces would someday be simply labeled as “shiny things.”

Still, Zhu Ming’s choice of topic was skillfully selected–Their prior conversations had all been rather unpleasant; if forced into polite small talk, it would only feel awkward and stiff.

But since Zhu Ming asked about aesthetics and style, Xi Xianqing couldn’t entirely ignore him.

After a brief silence, Xi Xianqing rolled up the sleeve of his left arm.

Zhu Ming leaned in to look. “Huh? Why is the watch face… so shiny ah?”

“This is a mother-of-pearl watch face with a blue lacquer finish.”

“En, I’ve never seen watch needles shaped like this—it looks like a fork.”

“…It’s an iris needle, generally slender and elongated.”

“I don’t quite get it,” Zhu Ming admitted sincerely, “but it looks very nice.”

Xi Xianqing seemed to pause, glancing at him. After a moment, he responded with a stiff “en.”

Zhu Ming continued to stare at his face, a slight smile on his own, saying nothing further.

When Ye Lu opened the door, she saw Zhu Ming and Xi Xianqing sitting across from each other, sipping tea. The atmosphere was quiet, their expressions calm and unreadable.

Yet somehow, she sensed that the tension between them had eased significantly… compared to when they first met.

Ye Lu took a prepared agreement from her bag. “Xiao Zhu, this is a draft based on the requirements you mentioned verbally before. We’ve consolidated everything into the proposed terms.”

Zhu Ming replied, “Thank you for the trouble. Zhou Zhou, take a look first.”

Zhou Zhou nodded, took the agreement, and began reviewing it carefully.

Xi Xianqing faintly said, “My request is simple, cure my illness and keep it confidential.”

The atmosphere had just eased a bit, and he started to make the same old mistakes again.

Ye Lu hurriedly rephrased his words with a softer tone. “Of course, Xiao Zhu, we’ll also do our best to meet your requests. We can adjust the terms at any time before the agreement is signed.”

“It’s a mutual benefit. My requirements are also straightforward: a marriage, and a lab pod.”

Zhu Ming’s gaze shifted slightly. “However, before signing this agreement, I have a small request. Mr. Xi, may I see your spiritual manifestation?”

As if anticipating Xi Xianqing’s reaction, he said, “I assure you, confidentiality is my oath as a healer to a patient. Everything that happens today remains between the four of us.”

Ye Lu didn’t answer for Xi Xianqing, she just turned her head to look at him.

Xi Xianqing was silent for a long time and finally nodded.

Zhu Ming spoke softly, “Zhou Zhou.”

Zhou Zhou answered, pulling out a notebook and pen, then sat beside Zhu Ming across from Xi Xianqing, shifting into the familiar consultation mode they often used in their live sessions.

Somehow, with just a change in posture, both Xi Xianqing and Ye Lu could clearly feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere between them and the two seated across.

–Especially Zhu Ming, his eyes seemed focused and intense—gone was his usual casual, mischievous look, the same expression he wore while joking about snagging some free chicken.

Xi Xianqing stood in silence, and after a moment, a small glow began to form at his feet, gathering into a visible shape and gradually coalescing into a discernible outline.

Zhu Ming didn’t take his eyes off it, his voice low. “Manifestation speed is normal, cohesion of mental energy looks solid, and concentration of neuro-proton particles seems stable so far.”

Zhou Zhou nodded, quickly jotting down notes.

“Bipedal, pointed beak… It’s from Galliformes,” Zhu Ming continued intently. “Likely Phasianidae, if there are no surprises.”

Xi Xianqing remained silent, and the outline of his spirit form beside him grew even clearer.

Having graduated from District Seven’s medical school and having been engaged in live broadcast consultation for more than a year, Zhu Ming and Zhou Zhou were considered to have seen a lot. But as Xi Xianqing’s spirit fully materialized before them, they were simultaneously silent for a second by tacit agreement.

Zhu Ming: “What is that? Some kind of mutated giant green bird?”

Zhou Zhou: “Uh… a massive blue pigeon?”

Xi Xianqing’s face was as black as charcoal. Ye Lu cleared her throat. “Maybe you two could change your angle a bit and take another look?”

Zhu Ming thought for a moment and seemed to realize something. “Zhou Zhou, push me around a bit.”

A slightly dazed Zhou Zhou responded with an “Oh,” then stood up to maneuver Zhu Ming’s wheelchair to view the spiritual manifestation from the side.

The moment they shifted their perspective, both of them simultaneously let out a dazed “Ah~”.

“It’s a peac0ck,” Zhu Ming murmured. “That… really is rare.”

A change in perspective could dramatically alter perception, much like how a star fruit seen head-on looked like a yellow star but revealed its full, three-dimensional form when viewed from the side.

Just now, when they were facing Xi Xianqing’s spirit form directly, they only saw a proud, somewhat temperamental large green-blue bird.

But when they shifted to view its tail, Zhu Ming witnessed the most beautiful spiritual manifestation he had ever seen in his medical career.

–It was a cascade of turquoise feathers, a waterfall of vivid emerald and sapphire hues layered in intricate patterns, looking almost unreal in its breathtaking beauty.

An extremely rare, elegant male peac0ck spiritual manifestation.

In that instant, Zhu Ming’s heart raced.

For a patient, having an unusual spirit form often indicated some anomaly, not exactly a favorable sign.

But for a researcher, a peac0ck—compared to the common feline, canine, rodent, or rabbit spirit forms—was exceptionally rare and of immense research value.

If it was coupled with a rare disease…

He felt uncontrollably excited.

“Visually, it appears quite healthy, with no visible abnormalities,” Zhu Ming observed. “If possible, could you control it to spread its feathers? We’d like to assess their condition.”

Zhou Zhou, unable to contain his eagerness, held his notebook tightly and asked, “Mr. Xi?”

The air grew slightly tense. The large peac0ck held its neck high, standing in a dignified pose.

Meanwhile, the peac0ck’s owner mirrored its proud stance, standing tall with his jaw clenched, remaining silent.

Ye Lu, standing behind him, hesitated. “Xianqing, should I explain?”

After a long time, Xi Xianqing spoke, “No need.”

Zhu Ming watched as the proud, striking young master turned around, and with difficulty, uttered three words: “It can’t open.”

Zhou Zhou didn’t quite catch on, assuming that this was just another one of those noble airs, prioritizing privacy and decorum. “Hmm? But if you don’t cooperate, we won’t be able to conduct a thorough examination ah.”

Xi Xianqing was silent again.

But Zhu Ming seemed to catch onto something. He stared intently at Xi Xianqing’s face and asked softly, “Are you unable to open the feathers voluntarily?”

Xi Xianqing still didn’t respond, but his expression visibly darkened.

This meant that Zhu Ming had hit the nail on the head.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to open it, but that he couldn’t.

Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened as he looked at Zhu Ming, but Zhu Ming’s heart was slightly moved.

A spiritual manifestation was a projection of a person’s psyche and spiritual world, yet it also adhered to certain natural laws.

Plant-based spiritual manifestation could bloom and bear fruit, while animal-based ones retained behaviors tied to their natural instincts. Anomalies in these behaviors were closely connected to the owner’s gene expression, spiritual pathways, and psychological fluctuations.

Given that the subject of study wasn’t a physical entity, this was a complex and challenging field to start with—yet that was precisely why Zhu Ming found it so captivating.

A striking young heir from District Six, with such a beautiful green peac0ck spirit form… unable to display its feathers. And in District Six, where beauty and aesthetics defined one’s success.

Suppressing the surge of excitement within, Zhu Ming softened his tone, trying to guide him. “Can you recall when was the last time you were able to open your feathers? Were there any unusual occurrences then?”

Xi Xianqing squeezed out three words after a long time, “I don’t know.”

In all Zhu Ming’s years as an online doctor, even seven-year-old patients could usually describe issues with their spirit forms. Yet he had never encountered an adult patient who was so uncooperative.

“Mr. Xiao Xi ya,” Zhu Ming said in a serious tone, “if you can’t cooperate with us properly, then we won’t be able to build trust from the foundation. Future treatment won’t be pleasant…”

“I don’t know,” Xi Xianqing interrupted him in a hoarse voice. “I really don’t know.”

Zhu Ming was stunned.

Xi Xianqing’s Adam’s apple moved, “Because I’ve never opened my feathers.”

Zhou Zhou’s eyes went wide, and Ye Lu behind him rubbed his temples, as an unspeakable silence filled the air.

“There was no ‘last time’ I opened them.”

Xi Xianqing turned his face away and said coldly, “Because from birth until now, I’ve never once succeeded in opening my feathers.”