"Jenny, it's great to see you. Are you here to cross the Grand Canyon too?" Ian Lawson struggled to express himself in clumsy English.

"No, I came from Lhasa. After seeing the roof of the world, I stopped by Zhamu Town to check out the mysterious dynasty that's lasted over a thousand years."

On the way? But Lhasa and Zhamu Town aren't on the same route.

Ian Lawson's limited vocabulary couldn't express his confusion, so he just nodded repeatedly, pretending to be appreciative, and chatted with Jenny in a halting manner.

A few days later, eager to return home, Ian Lawson finally made his way back to his city after several twists and turns. Meanwhile, Jenny had become his shadow along the way, constantly chattering and boasting about his travel experiences to Ian Lawson, and enthusiastically inviting Ian Lawson to team up again for the next hiking trip.

As for this invitation, Ian Lawson neither agreed nor refused. He wasn't sure if, once he started working, the heavy pressures of life would allow him to maintain his hobbies.

Many times along the way, a thought crossed Ian Lawson Jr.'s mind: maybe it was that necklace that attracted Jenny. With this realization, Ian Lawson didn't mind Jenny's persistence—according to international practice, as the discoverer, Ian Lawson had the right to decide the fate of the artifact. Even under Chinese law, the item should be handed over to the authorities for safekeeping, and it wasn't up to Jenny to say anything about it.

Back in X City, Jenny followed Ian Lawson step by step to the antique shop. With a subtle signal, Uncle Carter had the shop assistant keep Jenny occupied, then pulled Ian Lawson into the back of the shop to ask about the situation.

Chapter 2: Doubts (Part 2)

Ian Lawson didn't say a word and began taking out the goods he had purchased along the way, one by one. As soon as he saw the antique watches, Uncle Carter couldn't help but rush over to examine them closely, grinning from ear to ear—of course, the items found beside the corpse had already been packed away in Ian Lawson's sleeping bag. In any case, these items were enough to compensate Uncle Carter for his efforts.

"That foreigner you brought in, is he a big customer?" Uncle Carter put down the watches, his eyes shining as he asked eagerly.

"I can't figure him out. You know my English isn't great, and I don't know much about foreigners. But I get the feeling this guy is pretty shrewd. If you can rip him off a bit, I won't object."

The things left behind by the ancients are called antiques, but in the extremely impoverished material conditions of ancient times, how much could they really leave for modern people? The antique shops lining the streets have been selling "antiques" for years, but most of what's left in the shops are fakes, with replicas being the majority. This time, Ian Lawson managed to buy a few genuine antiques, which was more than the total number of real items the shop had acquired over the years.

"Good, good, good," Uncle Carter said, rubbing his hands together, his face full of excitement. "All these watches still work. With a little repair and some oil, they'll fetch a good price. Anzi, Uncle Carter knew you wouldn't waste money. You've really helped Uncle Carter out this time. And there's that foreigner—I'll make sure to get a good deal out of him. Anzi, you must be tired. I'll give you a few extra days off. Go home and rest. Do you have enough money?"

"I'm good," Ian Lawson replied quickly.

Uncle Carter didn't stand on ceremony with Ian Lawson. After the Luo family was rehabilitated, the government gave them some compensation. Later, the government encouraged people to buy stocks, saying it was to support national development. Ian Lawson's father, a bit naive, converted all the compensation money into stocks, and unexpectedly, this "foolish" move made the family rich. Ian Lawson never lacked money, but the family's values emphasized modesty, so Ian Lawson earned his own pocket money. Since Ian Lawson said he didn't need money, Uncle Carter didn't insist.

"Uncle Carter, don't tell that foreigner where I live," Ian Lawson reminded him.

"Got it. I'll just say you're a hired hand. You go out the back door," Uncle Carter said, opening the back door of the antique shop. Ian Lawson quietly shouldered his bag and slipped out the back.

"Finally, I shook off my tail," Ian Lawson hummed excitedly as he got into a taxi.

Ian Lawson's current residence was in a high-end neighborhood called Xingyue Garden. When Ian Lawson graduated, the school was about to reclaim his dorm, and just as he was stressing over finding a place to rent, a regular customer at the antique shop overheard his complaints and, on a whim, offered to share an apartment, solving Ian Lawson's problem. That customer became Ian Lawson's current landlord—Carolyn Turner.

Carolyn Turner is 29 this year and has worked for years at a foreign company, serving as the manager of the company's public relations training department. She often brought "foreign friends" to the shop to buy semi-genuine antiques as travel souvenirs. Over time, she got to know Ian Lawson, who worked odd jobs at the shop, and the two would chat whenever they had a chance.

That apartment of Carolyn Turner's was originally meant for her marriage, but on the eve of the wedding, the groom couldn't stand her domineering ways and ran off on his own. Although Carolyn Turner was so angry she wanted to hire a hitman, she had no choice but to continue living alone. Every day after work, thinking of the empty house and the runaway groom, Carolyn Turner couldn't help but feel the urge to drown her sorrows.

As time went by, Carolyn Turner came up with the idea of taking in a tenant. On one hand, having a man at home would make the place feel more like a home when she returned; on the other, she'd have someone to talk to when she was lonely, someone to share her thoughts with while watching TV; and he could help out with some chores as well.