He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 9

The black iron gate swung open slowly, and the robotic butler appeared, guiding Ivan into the villa.

Unlike the Pushiu residence, Cui Li’s home lacked ornate decorations. Ivan passed through a courtyard filled with lush greenery and reached a living room that was simple, bright, and featured a futuristic interstellar aesthetic.

In the living room, Commander Cui Li was eating breakfast with a handsome male Zerg dressed in casual home clothes. Seeing Ivan, a warm smile spread across Cui Li’s face. “Xiao Bai, have you eaten breakfast yet? Come, sit down and join us. It has been so long since I last saw you. How have you been lately?”

Cui Li was extremely hospitable. Ivan walked forward and said politely, “I have not eaten yet. In that case, I will humbly accept. Thank you, Uncle Cui Li.”

Ivan sat down without ceremony, took the bowl and chopsticks offered by the robotic butler, and began breakfast with Cui Li and his spouse.

Looking at the table filled with delicious food, Ivan chose some meat buns that were within reach. Throughout the meal, Ivan did not mention his reason for visiting. They finished a hearty breakfast in comfortable silence. Cui Li chatted softly with his spouse. Afterward, the male Zerg left in gorgeous attire. Cui Li then set down his bowl and chopsticks and led Ivan to his study.

Sitting behind his desk, Cui Li asked, “What brings you to me today?”

“Uncle Cui Li, I will not beat around the bush.” Ivan accepted a cup of tea from the robotic butler. “My spouse was detained by your office for acting bravely. I was wondering when you might be able to release him?”

Cui Li was rocking back and forth in his chair absent-mindedly, but he froze when he heard this. He had not expected Ivan to spend the meal behaving composedly only to bluntly get straight to the point. He could not help but look at Ivan with new respect.

“You and I are both of the four great noble families of Harley Star. You should know that many things are not as simple as they appear. The office acted as it did for a reason; this is not something you or I can decide.”

Ivan smiled, set down his cup, and stared at Cui Li. “Uncle, human effort can achieve anything. Think about our four great families; we are supposed to be the leaders of Harley Star. How can we let others lead us by the nose?”

Standing up, Ivan walked slowly toward Cui Li and lowered his voice. “Uncle, I am the only one left in the Pushiu family. I do not care much for the hollow title of the four great families, and I care even less about who rules Harley Star. The next mineral extraction license is approaching. I just want to live a quiet life with my spouse and stay away from trouble.”

Ivan spoke with deep sincerity, and Cui Li’s expression grew increasingly complex.

“Xiao Bai, compared to you, that child of mine is really falling behind.”

Ivan’s mouth twitched. He hated the comparison trope no matter where he went. He suppressed his internal annoyance and immediately said, “Not at all, Uncle. You are being too modest.”

However, looking at Cui Li’s attitude, Ivan thought for a second that he had a chance, only to hear him hesitate. “The extraction rights are a matter of great importance. It would be difficult to guarantee there will not be any slip-ups.”

Ivan curled his lips into a smile and produced the Pushiu family’s entry ticket. Despite the advanced interstellar technology, many important events still retained ancient traditions.

He placed the long, gold-stamped red strip of paper onto the desk in front of Cui Li. Cui Li’s breath hitched. He stared intensely at the crucial ticket, as if verifying its authenticity.

“Uncle Cui Li, I trust you. Tomorrow, Tovis and I will come to visit you in person.” Ivan bowed slightly, left the ticket, and turned to leave.

Cui Li did not stop him. Once Ivan had departed, he quickly and cautiously grabbed the invaluable piece of paper. After confirming it was genuine, he exhaled heavily, sank back into his chair, tilted his head, held the ticket up to his eyes, kissed it firmly, and then burst into laughter.

After leaving, Ivan went straight back to his villa to wait. The house was quiet. Arui and Lotte had gone shopping, and Ivan had nothing to do. He had no friends or relatives here. On his first day, he had deleted all the contacts of the fair-weather friends he used to hang out with. Of the few people he knew, two were out playing, and one was locked in a cell.

After thinking for a while, Ivan took out the dark green jade he had purchased at the auction. Staring at the stone, his eyes gleamed. A piece of jade this large, undamaged, and with such high translucency, approaching Imperial Green, was a priceless treasure. He could not imagine that such a thing was right in front of him, for him to do with as he pleased.

Rubbing his hands together, Ivan ordered tools from the Star Network. In the interstellar era, delivery was incredibly fast. Within five minutes, everything he needed arrived. He closed the door, set up his workstation in the courtyard, took out the fist-sized jade, and began to cut and polish it.

The piece was about the size of an adult’s fist. The outer skin was not entirely worn away, but Ivan could not bear to cut directly into it, so he used a grinder to slowly polish away the outer layer, bit by bit. His movements were careful and meticulous.

Zzzzzzt!

The grinding sound was piercing, but Ivan did not notice. He was fully immersed, focused on the green beauty emerging from within. Once the skin was removed, the entire Dragon Stone jade was revealed.

Ivan stared at the translucent, water-washed jade in his hand and chuckled. As a jewelry designer, he could already see various designs taking shape in his mind. His heart surged with excitement. Ignoring his hands, which were slightly numb from the machine, he cradled the jade and hurried to the study.

He measured the jade with a ruler and picked up a pen to sketch designs on paper. The jade was oval-shaped, fifteen centimeters at its widest point, enough for a round bangle. The smaller pieces on the sides could be made into accessories. He drew a large leaf, a safety buckle, and decided the remaining pieces could make two rings and a string of beads for a bracelet. He planned to use every single bit so that not a sliver would be wasted.

Ivan was full of joy. He took his sketches and returned to the courtyard to begin cutting. To his delight, just as he stepped out the door, he saw the person he had been working so hard for at the courtyard entrance.

Tovis was back. The days of detention had not made him look weary. Standing in the courtyard with sunlight washing over his soft brown hair, making it look golden, he stared fixedly at Ivan.

Ivan was happy and was about to say hello when he saw Tovis’s gaze shift from his face to his hands, specifically to the jade he was holding.

Ivan hesitated. Was it a bit insensitive to play with his spouse’s late father’s heirloom right in front of him?

Just as Ivan was trying to hide the jade and think of an explanation, Tovis broke the silence. He walked closer and asked faintly, “Where is Arui?”

Ivan hurriedly shielded his odd tools and replied, “He went out to play with Lotte.”

Hmm. Tovis walked into the house on his own.

Ivan put the jade into his storage space and chased after him. “Take a shower. I will call them to come home. Are you hungry? I will have them pick up some food on their way back.”

Fine. Whatever is fine. Tovis took off his dusty jacket and walked slowly into the bathroom. As Ivan looked for Lotte’s contact info, Tovis whispered, “Thank you.”

He had been released by Commander Cui Li himself. Before he left, Cui Li had been in high spirits, even praising him for managing to find such a good master despite his dismissal from the military. Tovis had been stunned, only realizing outside the office that when Ivan said he would save him, he had not been making empty promises; he had actually done it.

He had returned home with a complicated heart, unsure how he had arrived. When he saw Ivan in the courtyard with a smile reaching his eyes, his feelings became even more tangled. Seeing Ivan holding that beautiful stone, Tovis chose to ignore it. Though it was his father’s heirloom, it no longer belonged to him; how Ivan chose to handle it was his business. So, he walked inside as if he had not seen it.

But a simple greeting did not feel like enough to settle the debt of Ivan’s rescue. So, following his heart, Tovis offered his thanks.

Ivan paused in the middle of dialing and tilted his head with a playful wink. “Oh, you are welcome! Who else would do it if not your spouse?”

The frivolous comment was more than Tovis could handle. His mouth twitched, and he slammed the bathroom door shut.

Ivan stared at the frosted glass door, his smile fading slightly, and dialed Lotte’s light-brain.

“Hey, are you back yet? Not yet? When will you be?”

“Hm? Arui wants to play a bit longer? No way! Bring him back now!”

“What? He is crying and making a scene at the mall?”

“Tsk, naughty child. If he comes back late, he is getting a spanking!”

“He is still crying?” Ivan smiled and pulled out his trump card. “Tell him his brother is home. If he comes back late, I am taking his brother out to play, and he will not see anyone.”

“Hahahaha, he will be back soon. Good. And buy some food while you are out. We are not cooking today.”

“Right, buy plenty. Let us celebrate.”

In the shower, Tovis stood naked under the spray, letting the water run over his face and down his skin, soothing his body. He pressed the shampoo pump and rubbed it into his hair. Listening to the lively voice from outside the door, he washed the foam away, raised his face, and wore a smile at the corners of his eyes.