Chapter 309: Zhang Xinyao’s Tragic Life

"Glutinous rice species. The water content is decent." The cutter handed the sliced stone to a waiting assistant.

"Congratulations! This is quite a find. It’s worth at least five hundred. You spent five and got five hundred back. A small profit, but still a win!" someone nearby cheered.

"Same to you! May everyone find their perfect stone." The winner beamed, clearly delighted.

With a few chuckles, the crowd dispersed. Some wandered off to browse for stones that caught their eye.

Zhu Yanyi watched the scene, then sighed. "No wonder people call it 'crazy stones.' The stones aren't crazy. The humans are."

"Why so sentimental? We’re here to have fun. They’re just playing. Ordinary people don’t gamble on stones unless they have some savings." Yan Aohan remained unfazed. "One cut can make you poor, the next can make you rich. It’s all about luck." He looked at Zhu Yanyi. "Want to try? Maybe your luck is good."

Zhu Yanyi pointed at herself. "Forget it. My luck is just average." In her past life, she hadn’t even won a five-yuan consolation prize. From her previous life to this one, her best luck had been drawing the auspicious bracelet in the Underworld. Now, asking her to gamble on stones? She had no interest.

It wasn’t that Zhu Yanyi disliked money. She never considered herself noble. She liked money, but she refused to become its slave.

"Don’t worry about wasting my money. I can support you," Yan Aohan smiled.

Zhu Yanyi chuckled lightly. "I like money. That’s vulgar, I know. But I don’t want to be a slave to it. I won’t do anything or take any risks just for money." She pointed at the stones. "I’ve never believed I have the fortune to carve jade from these rocks."

"Being too calm isn’t good," Yan Aohan said, smiling at her. "Ani, have you noticed? You always stand apart, as if everyone else is drunk and you’re the only one awake. You view everything from a god’s perspective. That’s not healthy. You lack the passion and vitality of your age."

Zhu Yanyi paused, slightly stunned. "Do I?"

"Don’t you?" Yan Aohan had noticed this oddity for a while. Zhu Yanyi worked hard to study and help others, but she never truly immersed herself in anything. Even in chaotic situations, her spirit seemed detached. She appeared to be among the crowd, yet she kept herself isolated. She lacked the youthful energy of her age, instead giving off a sense of deep weariness.

She was only eleven, yet she seemed to have seen through all of life, observing everything with cold detachment. She did good deeds, but she wasn’t controlled by them. The seven emotions and six desires seemed unnecessary to her. Yan Aohan worried about such a Zhu Yanyi. "Entering the mortal world is hard enough. Don’t learn that detached, otherworldly attitude from the Wise Monk."

Zhu Yanyi glanced at Yan Aohan, her heart settling. Had she really become too cold? She began to reflect. Since her rebirth, she had always watched from a distance. She saved those she could, avoided those she shouldn’t, and protected her family. But she realized she was always too clear-headed. This clarity only reminded her to work hard; it never reminded her to blend in with life.