Chapter 258

The owner stopped Lily, unwilling to miss the lucrative opportunity. "Ma'am, wait! Thank you for admiring his work. That's a great compliment. I'm in charge; he has no choice in assignments. He'll take your order, and I promise a perfect craft. You won't be disappointed!"

"Boss, I…"

"Shut up! Get out if you don't want to do this!"

After Lily paid the deposit and received her receipt, she approached the young man's carving. She examined it, then picked up a wood scrap. "Sir, may I take this?"

"Of course!" the owner replied casually; it was just a small scrap.

Shortly after leaving the shop, Lily heard footsteps. She stopped, sensing someone behind her. She smiled, continued walking, then quickly turned into an alley. Pressing herself against the wall, she waited. Sure enough, her pursuer appeared, looking around.

"Looking for me?" Lily asked, emerging with a faint smile. Exposed, he admitted, "Why do you want me as your craftsman?"

"I think you have great craftsmanship!" Lily smiled.

"You've seen nothing I've made. How would you know?" He was unconvinced. "Are you trying to make things difficult?"

"What would I gain from that?" Lily produced the wood scrap. "I have seen your work. Weren't you crafting one just now?"

"I'm not finished yet." His rebelliousness softened when discussing his carvings. "I know, but it looks great even unfinished. Plus…" she paused, "You carved most of the shop's items, didn't you? Including what I bought today."

The young man was surprised. "How did you know that?"

"I see similarities in the techniques, strength, and line flow."

The owner, therefore, had been bluffing about professional artisans handling private orders. He simply wanted to attract customers. After all, most weren't craft experts and didn't care which artisan made their piece.

The young man's eyes lit up. "You're a craftsman too?"

She shook her head. "No. But I have a question. Did your boss buy the wood in bulk? Or…"

"Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity. That's all." Looking at him, she asked, "You can't tell me?"

After a moment, he said, "The boss bought it in bulk. Ask him about his sources."

"Everything?" she asked, waving the scrap. "Including this?"

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