Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1173: What You Can’t Have Always Stirs the Heart

“Wait.” Master Chen Er instantly suppressed his momentary panic. As someone who mingled with wealthy businessmen and certain officials, a master’s demeanor was essential.

If he couldn’t even intimidate people, how could there be any business to discuss afterward?

The young man in front of him likely wasn’t a local—Chen Er had investigated all the prominent figures in the area over the years.

But as the saying goes, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake... With his local connections and resources, Chen Er believed someone would step up for him if something happened. But even so, a distant water can’t put out a nearby fire.

“Master Chen, you’re not scared, are you?” one of the men in black suits cracked his knuckles with a chilling grin, exuding intimidation.

Chen Er stood with hands behind his back and said calmly, “I’m merely a fortune-teller, not a martial artist. If you want to test my skills, is it in martial arts? If you’re looking for someone who knows kung fu, go ahead—but don’t waste time here.”

The three bodyguards all turned toward Zhong Luochen. He remained silent, eyes closed, massaging his temples, seemingly indifferent.

“Do it,” one bodyguard said coldly.

Chen Er’s heart skipped a beat—these guys were going to use force. He snorted. “In that case, let’s go outside. I don’t want my place messed up.”

Without waiting for a reply, he walked out into the garden—a fairly spacious one, about 50–60 square meters.In the center stood wooden stakes of various heights, the tallest a meter high, the shortest about a foot.

With agile movements, Chen Er leaped up onto the stakes like a nimble monkey and landed on the tallest one. “Gentlemen, please.”

“Plum Blossom Stakes? I’ve trained on these too!” one of the guards sneered and jumped up, launching an attack.

Chen Er remained calm. While most knew him as Master Huang’s disciple, few knew he’d once been Huang’s personal bodyguard. Before becoming his apprentice, Chen Er had truly trained in the Plum Blossom Stakes boxing technique.

Many traditional martial arts had been lost, and most survivors retained only the form, not the essence. While good for health, they weren’t useful in real combat. But inspired by Huang’s teachings on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, Chen Er managed to refine the ancient techniques into something truly formidable—enough to take down most fighters.

Still, no matter how skilled you are, you can't beat a bullet. Though talented in boxing, Chen Er had indulged in a life of luxury and rarely trained seriously. But against three bodyguards? He was more than capable.

The three bodyguards climbed onto the stakes, exchanging blows with Chen Er. Their footwork and strikes showed they weren’t amateurs.

Zhong Luochen slowly opened his eyes after more than a minute of fighting. He and his siblings had all trained in the military when they were young. While not experts, they had keen eyes.

These bodyguards were recruited from the military. Though unfamiliar with the stakes terrain, their balance and combat instincts were solid. Chen Er had the terrain advantage, but without real skill, he couldn’t have held them off for long.

“Enough.” After another two minutes, the guards were clearly outmatched. Zhong Luochen finally spoke.

They instantly obeyed, hopping off the stakes and returning to his side.

Chen Er also descended. Having taken over Huang’s legacy, he had slacked off for months. While he still trained a bit, it was mostly light practice. After this fight, he was drenched in sweat.

“Mr. Cheng, are you satisfied now?” Chen Er smiled faintly. Known for his flair, Master Chen had become an expert at acting impressive over the past half-year.

Zhong Luochen didn’t bother clarifying the misunderstanding. He turned to Cheng Yun and said casually, “Cheng Yun, find time to take him to the company. Have him set up a few formations and see how effective they are.”

With that, he left with the bodyguards.

He had his own way of judging talent. If Chen Er had backed down in fear, he wouldn’t have been worth considering. True experts carry themselves with confidence. Whether Chen Er had true skill in feng shui was another matter, but just based on his martial prowess, he could qualify as a high-end bodyguard.

But this kind of talent was easy for Zhong Luochen to find. As he said, showing up and waiting an hour already proved his sincerity. Now it was up to Chen Er to prove himself worthy.

“…You’re the real Mr. Cheng?” Chen Er frowned.

Only Cheng Yun remained inside. He chuckled, suddenly seeing Chen Er in a new light. Kid, if we’re talking about showing off, I’m no amateur either.

Cheng Yun smiled, sat down, smoothed his trousers, and said calmly, “Master Chen Er, have you ever heard of the Zhong Family in Xiangshan, Beijing?”

…

After exiting the villa, Zhong Luochen quickly got into the car. The driver turned and asked where to next.

Zhong Luochen thought for a moment. “Let’s go to Miss Mo’s studio.”

The driver nodded, secretly noting that the Second Young Master had been visiting Miss Mo’s studio quite often lately. It seemed he really was interested in her.

Rumor had it his engagement with Miss Zhang had stalled… But Zhong Luochen didn’t seem worried. Aside from work, he had little contact with the Zhang family lately.

As for Miss Mo, her background was mysterious. Even with the Zhong Family’s reach, they couldn’t uncover her past. She had only appeared in the city about half a year ago. Her origins, past activities, and family were all unknown.

But one thing was certain—she was a stunning beauty.

Always dressed in a black dress, mysterious and elegant.

…

Her “studio” was a pottery workshop in a newly completed creative park. Since most units were still vacant, the area was quiet.

Yet this workshop was booming—thanks to its beautiful and mysterious lady boss.

Breathtaking was the first impression most students had of her.

But while most came for her beauty, few truly appreciated her skill in pottery.

Many young heirs had pursued Miss Mo, but few ever truly caught her eye. Yet even so, those sons of privilege—usually arrogant and reckless—became unusually well-behaved in her presence, acting as if bound by some invisible code of etiquette.

Today, Miss Mo didn’t show up to teach. In her place was a newly hired pottery instructor—a woman in her forties.

Upstairs, there was a private room just for Miss Mo, where she usually created her work. Rumor had it, only one student had ever been allowed up there.

…

Track: “Qin Sang’s Melody”

Not a live performance—just music playing through the speakers. Sunlight poured in, and from the window, the river view stretched endlessly into sight.

When Zhong Luochen stepped into the upstairs studio, it wasn’t the elegant décor or scenic view that captured his attention—it was the pair of hands shaping clay.

He had stumbled upon this place by chance.

Zhong Luochen had believed he would never again be moved by a woman. His interest in Miss Zhang of the Zhang family had faded long ago, to the point where she was now barely a shadow in his mind. A remarkable woman—yet one he could easily forget.

But that day by the riverside, the woman in the black dress gathering clay from the riverbank had etched herself into his memory.

The students downstairs all called her breathtaking, but to Zhong Luochen, she was untouchable—a rare, distant beauty beyond reach.

Miss Mo’s talent in pottery was exceptional, especially in sculpting human figures—lifelike and vivid, as though she breathed souls into clay.

“Willow grass like jade threads, mulberry low-hanging green. When you long to return, is when my heart breaks. Spring breeze knows me not—why then… slip into my gauze bed?” A soft recitation.

The hands shaping clay paused at the sound.

A beauty’s eyes—enchanting.

Zhong Luochen stepped in with a smile. “Miss Mo, are you feeling homesick?”

“Mr. Zhong,” she nodded slightly. “Please have a seat… Are we continuing from last time today?”

“No rush.” He sat down in his usual spot, a place he had claimed recently. “Miss Mo, how did you like the clay I had sent last time?”

She smiled faintly. “It’s fine quality kaolin. Thank you, Mr. Zhong.”

“It was just a small offering. Besides, kaolin is common—not exactly a precious gift.”

She said nothing more. “Shall we begin, Mr. Zhong?”

“Alright.” He unbuttoned his sleeve cuffs, rolled them up, then grabbed a handful of clay from a nearby cabinet and began mixing it with water.

He glanced at the clay figure on her plate and asked, “This looks like the one from last time. Were you not satisfied with it? Why redo it?”

“I wasn’t satisfied,” she replied while staring at the vaguely human-shaped sculpture.

It had no distinct gender.

“Oh? Even Miss Mo has trouble with a piece?” Zhong Luochen was intrigued. He had seen her create near-masterpieces from memory in mere moments.

She lowered her head, her hair covering half her face. “I forgot his name… and can’t recall his face. Maybe I’ll remember only when I see him again.”

Zhong Luochen could feel it clearly—this woman’s heart was never here.

She was always standing on the bridge, while he was beneath it, passing slowly in a small boat. Just one glance—before drifting away.

“Mr. Zhong, you continue. I have something to tend to,” she said, wiping her hands clean. “I’ll come back later to see your work.”

Zhong Luochen didn’t try to stop her, only watched as she left.

The classroom was now empty except for him. Slowly, he worked the clay, letting his thoughts sink into the process.

Yet no matter what, he couldn’t shape it into a form that satisfied him.

He sighed and looked out the window, a trace of complex emotion in his gaze. “Will I never… obtain love?”

…

Miss Mo exited through a separate passage, drove herself to a small house not far from the creative park.

Carrying two large bags from her vehicle, she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The interior resembled a whimsical playhouse: a slide along the beams, a rock garden, and a pond.

The floor was carpeted in lush green.

Inside, a group of children—none older than a few years, the youngest still crawling—were laughing and playing. Among them, a slightly older girl with red-rimmed eyes chased after a chubby little boy.

“Piggy! You’re being naughty again! Go take a bath! Or I’ll tell Sister Heishui when she gets back!”

The chubby one made a face and scurried up the wall.

Seeing this, Miss Mo finally smiled. She set down her bags and said gently, “Alright, time to eat.”

“Yay! Sister Heishui is back!” The older girl leapt into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Sister Heishui, you smell like that human again! He came to see you today, didn’t he?”

Miss Mo—Heishui—smiled, placing the girl down and patting her head.

The children—little demon cubs—gathered around Heishui, who sat down gracefully. Her long black dress spread around her like a blooming black dahlia.

“That human’s so annoying! Sister Heishui, why don’t you just eat him?” said Piggy, the biggest eater.

The red-eyed girl, clearly the group’s big sister, smacked Piggy’s head. “You idiot! It’s because of that human that those other humans don’t cause us trouble anymore! If we eat him, life’s gonna suck again! Piggy!”

“I am a pig!”

“Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you ever think about!”

“Well, I still don’t like that human!” Piggy pouted. “When I grow up, I’ll eat him first!”

Heishui said nothing. She simply watched the children’s antics with contentment.

This place… was her entire world.

(End of Chapter)