Chapter 64
Chapter 64: The Appraisal Results, Exposed
The assistant remembered it clearly.
Last year, someone had come to the Yun Jing Art Association carrying a painting that claimed to be an “authentic Princess Yong Ning piece,” hoping to trade it for money and fame.
It had been fake.
If Vice President Yu hadn’t had such sharp eyes, they might have been fooled.
“Miss Sheng,” the assistant said, “this is our Vice President Yu.”
Then he turned. “Vice President Yu, this is Miss Yun Yi from River City’s Sheng Family.”
Sheng Yun Yi’s heart leapt.
She hadn’t expected to meet the vice president directly.
“Vice President Yu, I—” She had barely opened her mouth before he cut her off.
“The painting,” he said impatiently. “Skip the introductions. I don’t have time. Show me the painting.”
Sheng Yun Yi’s smile stiffened, but she quickly unrolled the work. “Vice President Yu, this was confirmed as something Princess Yong Ning painted at twelve. Please take a look.”
“Oh. This one.”
Vice President Yu glanced once and immediately lost interest. “Fake. No need to look.”
Sheng Yun Yi’s ears rang. For a moment she couldn’t hear anything at all. When she finally found her voice, it came out cracked.
“Y-You… said…?”
“Miss Sheng, your painting is indeed fake,” the assistant said gently. “Last year, a similar piece was brought to the president. We even issued a public notice. How did you still get fooled? It’s probably the same batch.”
“If a real piece surfaced, I’d be the first to know,” Vice President Yu said coldly, checking his watch as he turned to leave.
“Vice President Yu!” Sheng Yun Yi lunged forward. “You only looked once. How can you decide it’s fake?”
Vice President Yu paused, then turned back with a thin smile. “You don’t believe me?”
“Fine.”
He ordered the lights shut off.
The room plunged into darkness, black as ink.
A few seconds later, the lights snapped back on.
Vice President Yu stared at her. “Did you see it?”
“See what?” Sheng Yun Yi asked, confused and trembling.
“The seal,” he snapped, patience gone. “A real piece has a seal here. In the dark, it emits light.”
He sneered. “During the Qian He era of the Ning Dynasty, there were countless works pretending to be Princess Yong Ning’s authentic pieces. You think there wouldn’t be anti-counterfeit measures? You wasted another minute of my time.”
He walked out without looking back, leaving Sheng Yun Yi frozen beside the table.
Her hands shook as she stared at the painting, her mind refusing to move.
Fake?
Three hundred million… for a fake?
“Miss Sheng,” the assistant added, almost as an afterthought, “your painting likely came from the Xing Man Federation Empire. It was among the treasures looted back then.”
“Even as an imitation, it was painted by someone from three hundred years ago,” he said. “But a fake is still a fake. It can’t compare to the real thing.”
The words hit like a slap.
Sheng Yun Yi swayed, her knees turning weak. Cold fear slid up her spine, coiling around her heart until breathing felt hard.
What now?
“We’ll ask the auction house about the source,” the assistant said. “But whether the money can be recovered… that’s uncertain.”
Three hundred million.
These heirs really did have too much money—and too little sense.
He shook his head and left.
—
The next morning, River City No. 7 High School.
Finals were approaching. Even during breaks, students bent over their desks, writing furiously.
After summer vacation, they would be in senior year. The college entrance exam was a turning point in life. No one dared slack off.
Ye Wan Lan had just finished another history practice set.
The questions were easy for her, but she still liked doing them again and again. Every reread tasted different—each pass revealed a new layer.
“Sheng Song came to class,” Su Xue Qing whispered, slipping her a piece of candy. “He’s on crutches. I heard he got beaten badly. He wasn’t supposed to be discharged yet, but he insisted on coming. No one knows who did it.”
Ye Wan Lan unwrapped the candy and said calmly, “He brought it on himself.”
When Sheng Song bullied ordinary students, he never held back. He relied on his family background and hurt people without consequence.
“I heard he’s much quieter today,” Su Xue Qing said, frowning. “But A Lan, be careful. Sheng Song isn’t the type to let this go. Even if he fears you, he’ll find another way.”
“Mm. I’m not afraid.” Sweetness spread on Ye Wan Lan’s tongue. She narrowed her eyes. “The one who should be afraid is him not coming.”
Su Xue Qing still looked uneasy. “A Lan, Sheng Song is only one clique in No. 7 High School. What you did that day—storming into Class 2 in front of everyone—has spread through the whole school. I’m worried other groups will target you too.”
No. 7 High School even had a school bully. Su Xue Qing hadn’t seen them yet, but the rumors alone sounded ugly.
“Perfect,” Ye Wan Lan said, almost amused. “Then I’ll deal with them all at once.”
She tilted her head. “Xue Qing, come with me to the herbal medicine market again today.”
Su Xue Qing blinked. “Did you already use up the herbs from last time? We bought so much.”
“I had the patient use them both externally and internally,” Ye Wan Lan said.
“Then it would run out fast.” Su Xue Qing sighed. “If that’s the case, the cold condition must be serious. River City’s herbal market is missing too many ingredients, and the age of the herbs isn’t good enough either.”
Ye Wan Lan nodded. “Next, I’ll start reaching out to herbal suppliers.”
“Suppliers?” Su Xue Qing gasped. “A Lan, you’re…?”
“I started a company,” Ye Wan Lan said simply. “I’m going to make a big move.”
She looked at Su Xue Qing. “Want to join?”
“Me?” Su Xue Qing shook her head. “I… I haven’t even graduated. I can’t help much.”
“Then think about it,” Ye Wan Lan said. “We have time.”
Su Xue Qing hesitated, then blurted, “A Lan… you also seem to know medicine.”
“Just a little,” Ye Wan Lan said with a smile. “Medicine saves people. Why wouldn’t I learn it?”
Su Xue Qing’s gaze lowered. “Saving people… but I…”
“Don’t overthink it,” Ye Wan Lan said, unhurried. “Look at me. I’m different now.”
Su Xue Qing looked at her, lost.
“Right now, I only want to kill people,” Ye Wan Lan said calmly, “but I haven’t killed a single one.”
She tilted her head, as if presenting a perfectly reasonable argument. “That proves I save many people every day—healing the world and helping all beings.”
Su Xue Qing stared.
Somehow… she couldn’t argue with it.
She struggled through two classes of indecision before finally nodding. “All right. A Lan, I’ll join your company.”
Not so she could return to Sheng Family.
Not for anything else.
To save people.
“Then we’re partners,” Ye Wan Lan said, patting her head. “I’m a qualified boss. I’ll pay salaries and bonuses on time.”
“I believe you,” Su Xue Qing whispered.
Ye Wan Lan was worth believing. She had trusted Su Xue Qing first. Su Xue Qing wouldn’t betray that trust.
—
At the Zhou Family residence—
“Zhi Yuan, you’re too thoughtful,” Madam Zhou said, smiling as she accepted the tea set. “I’ve wanted this for ages. I didn’t expect you’d bring it.”
“Why be polite? How long have we known each other?” Madam Fang said easily. “Little Han brought back an extra set, so I thought of you.”
Madam Zhou’s smile softened. “Qing Han is a good child. Though I heard he spent three million on a painting recently?”
“Oh, come on.” Madam Fang waved it away with a faint smile. “We keep Little Han under strict control. His funds aren’t abundant. He just has a better eye than most—three million, and he picked up a bargain.”
She paused, then added lightly, “He’s nothing compared to He Chen’s generosity. Three hundred million without blinking, just to buy a real Princess Yong Ning painting.”
Madam Zhou’s hand jerked. Her smile cracked. “Three hundred million? For a painting?”
“Min Dan, you didn’t know?” Madam Fang looked honestly surprised. “Yesterday, Little Ya brought Yun Yi to our house. She said He Chen spent three hundred million to buy her a painting and asked us to admire it. I was busy and didn’t get a chance to see.”
Madam Zhou’s breath tightened. She forced herself to inhale slowly, to keep her temper from exploding on the spot.
“I truly didn’t know,” she said, voice strained. “Good thing you told me.”
Good.
So he could throw away three hundred million just to make Sheng Yun Yi smile.
If Sheng Yun Yi wanted Zhou Family next, would he hand it over too?
The more she thought, the hotter her fury burned.
Footsteps sounded.
“Mom? Aunt Fang?” Zhou He Chen walked in from the company.
“He Chen’s back,” Madam Fang said, all warmth again. “I was just praising you to your mother. I said you’re perfect husband material—three hundred million and you don’t even blink. Too bad our Fang Family young ladies don’t have that fate.”
Madam Zhou’s face stayed rigid. She couldn’t force a smile.
“Well, Min Dan, I’ll go,” Madam Fang said. “We’ll meet another day.”
She picked up her bag and left.
The door closed.
Madam Zhou’s voice dropped to ice. “Zhou He Chen. Kneel.”
Zhou He Chen’s expression changed. “Mom?”
Before he could say anything else, a cup flew at his forehead.
He dodged too late.
Thud.
Blood ran down from the cut.
“Mom!” Zhou He Chen’s eyes turned colder. He wiped the blood away with a tissue, his voice tight. “What did I do this time to make you unhappy?”
“You still have the nerve to ask?” Madam Zhou snapped. “Zhou He Chen, what have you been doing all day? Three hundred million for a painting! Do you think Zhou Family has so much money that you can waste it on useless things?”
“It’s an authentic Princess Yong Ning piece,” Zhou He Chen shot back. “How is that useless?”
“Yes. It’s very useful to Sheng Yun Yi,” Madam Zhou said, voice like steel. “What use is it to Zhou Family?”
She laughed without humor. “Where is your brain? Do you think this money is all yours?”
Zhou He Chen exhaled slowly, forcing himself to speak—when his phone rang.
“Speaker,” Madam Zhou ordered.
“Mom, it’s not Yun Yi,” Zhou He Chen said, exhausted. “It’s an unknown number. Probably just a sales call.”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Madam Zhou said. “Speaker.”
Zhou He Chen pressed his lips together, then turned it on.
“Is this Sir Zhou?” a cautious male voice asked. “We’re from Jia Ting Auction House. W-We have a piece of news for you. We hope you can prepare yourself mentally.”