Xu Qingqing was awakened by Lu Qi's relentless phone calls.
After autumn set in, dawn came later and later. It was already past 6:30, but the sky outside the window was still pitch - black.
Xu Qingqing rubbed her eyes and sat up. With a sleepy voice, she answered the phone. "Lu Qi, are you trying to kill me calling this early?"
"Sorry to wake you up," Lu Qi apologized repeatedly on the other end of the phone, his tone laced with a hint of anxiety.
"If there were any other way, I wouldn't call you. But I've run into a problem only you can solve."
"There's actually something that Boss Lu can't handle?"
Xu Qingqing threw off the quilt and decided to wash her face to wake up. Just as she was about to get out of bed, her waist was firmly held by someone. Looking down, she saw Lu Chuanbai's strong arm.
To avoid waking Lu Chuanbai, who was still sleeping, Xu Qingqing carefully removed his hand from her waist and got out of bed into the bathroom.
After Xu Qingqing left, Lu Chuanbai slowly opened his eyes.
Does Lu Qi not want his job anymore?
He had just told Xu Qingqing not to work overtime, and now he was calling to disrupt their peaceful morning!
He shouldn't have let Xu Qingqing work in Lu Qi's shop in the first place.
"Xu Qingqing, could you come a bit earlier? It's not just helping me. I'm sure you'll be interested in this thing," Lu Qi said confidently.
Xu Qingqing washed her face, and the sleepiness on her face faded. "What is it?"
But Lu Qi played it mysterious. "You'll know when you come." Then he hung up the phone.
Xu Qingqing cursed Lu Qi in her heart for being a sly businessman who even tried to manipulate her. However, his words had indeed piqued her curiosity.
Xu Qingqing quickly washed up, tied her hair, and was about to change clothes and head to Lu Qi's shop.
Lu Chuanbai propped his head up with one hand and stared at Xu Qingqing, who was putting on lipstick, expressionlessly.
"You just do whatever he says. Are you stupid, Xu Qingqing?"
They didn't have much time together as it was, and now Lu Qi had to interfere!
He really shouldn't have let Xu Qingqing go to Lu Qi's shop.
Xu Qingqing pursed her lips, her voice filled with curiosity and excitement about the new thing.
"Lu Qi said he has something good for me to take a look at. The program crew is coming to film today, and one parent is missing. Let Amy take my place. It'll be a highlight."
Lu Chuanbai didn't say a word, clearly unhappy.
Xu Qingqing knew how to deal with Lu Chuanbai. She deepened her red lips with lipstick, picked up her bag, leaned over on the bed, and kissed Lu Chuanbai on the face.
The bright red lipstick mark on Lu Chuanbai's fair face was extremely eye - catching.
"Is this enough?"
Xu Qingqing smiled. Seeing the corners of Lu Chuanbai's mouth twitching as he tried not to smile, she knew she had cheered the man up.
"Then I'm going to work. Bye."
When Xu Qingqing drove to the street where Lu Qi's shop was located, she saw Lu Qi squatting outside the door like a fool, chatting with a man with a scar under his eye.
Xu Qingqing thought the man with the scar under his eye looked familiar. She seemed to have seen him recently.
"Scar under the eye... Isn't this Wang Chengxiang, my step - mother's elder brother - in - law!"
Xu Qingqing remembered. Lu Chuanbai had shown her Wang Chengxiang's photo yesterday.
"Brother, could you let me take another look at that bronze zun and pan? Why do you specifically want Xu Qingqing to look at it? My eyesight is pretty good too," Lu Qi said with a smile and reached for the wooden box in the man's arms.
The man dodged, frowned. With the scar under his eye, his face looked extremely ferocious.
Since Lu Qi really didn't want to give it up, he didn't force it. Seeing Xu Qingqing's car parked at the door, he stood up.
"This brother has been waiting since 5 a.m. just to have you appraise his treasure."
Xu Qingqing parked the car, frowned, and looked at the man still squatting on the threshold.
"Aren't there other appraisers? Why do you specifically want me?"
If all the customers specifically asked for her, the other appraisers would surely be angry with her.
"He only let me take a quick look and then never showed it again," Lu Qi shrugged and covered his mouth with his hand, whispering to Xu Qingqing.
"I've seen it. The bronze pan he brought is extremely delicate and gorgeous, but I'm not sure if such fine craftsmanship is from ancient times. If you appraise it as real, try to get him to sell it to us."
Xu Qingqing's eyes fell on the two thick gold chains around the man's neck, as thick as her fingers. She whispered, "This guy seems quite rich. It'll be quite difficult."
"Just try your best for me," Lu Qi said, then smilingly invited the man to stand up.
"Brother, it's crowded and noisy here. Let's go inside and talk."
The scar - faced man sized Xu Qingqing up and down. After seemingly confirming that she was the one he was looking for, he silently turned around and entered the shop.
"Brother, hurry up and take it out," Lu Qi said as he saw the man put the mahogany box on the table. Rubbing his hands, he couldn't wait to see it again.
The scar - faced man gave Lu Qi a fierce glare, seemingly looking down on Lu Qi's impatient look. But he still gently opened the lid of the mahogany box, revealing the true appearance of the bronze pan inside.
Xu Qingqing had initially suspected that Lu Qi was exaggerating. But when she saw the bronze pan in the mahogany box, she couldn't even blink.
The bronze pan in the mahogany box was round, with a folded rim and four square ears on the rim, a long neck, and a drooping belly.
There were double - layer hollowed - out ornaments of hui and chi patterns cast at the rim. Four fire phoenixes were cast on the neck of the bronze bottle.
Four intertwined dragons were cast on the bottom and the abdomen of the bronze ware respectively.
The delicate patterns and the hollowing as thin as a hair made Xu Qingqing hold her breath. She was afraid that a big breath would break the hollowed - out parts.
Even though Lu Qi was seeing it for the second time, the bronze pan still shocked him greatly.
Xu Qingqing couldn't find any relevant information about this bronze ware in her mind. That meant this bronze ware was either fake or had been buried in the ground before it was unearthed.
Xu Qingqing activated the system's recognition function.
"The system has recognized the bronze ware: Its full name is the Ziwu Bronze Zun and Pan. The full set of the ware is about 32 centimeters high. The current Ziwu Bronze Zun and Pan is not tall enough, and a part of it is missing..."
"It was made using the lost - wax method during the Warring States period. The patterns are delicate and complex. There are no traces of forging or casting connection on the entire Ziwu Bronze Zun and Pan..."
Hearing the system's recognition, Xu Qingqing gasped.
Goodness! This was actually from the Warring States period!
Except for the missing part, the Ziwu Bronze Zun and Pan was so well - preserved!
The scar - faced man saw that both of them were fascinated. A look of pride flashed across his eyes, and then he impatiently closed the lid.
"Is this real?"