After finishing dinner, Cen Sui did not stay out any longer and parted ways with the three girls before heading home.
She sat in the taxi on the way back, staring blankly out the window. As the streetlights passed in rows before her eyes, she suddenly recalled the golden finger[1]Golden finger is a special ability or cheat-like power that helps the character succeed in the story. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1370234_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1370234_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); mentioned by that vast, distant voice before her soul returned.
She really could not understand what “Rosewood,” “crisscrossed,” and a golden finger could possibly have to do with one another.
In fact, she did not have such a strong desire for a golden finger to begin with. Living life with one’s feet firmly on the ground had always been the best way to face the world.
What she felt now was mostly curiosity.
After thinking for a moment, Cen Sui took out her phone, opened a search app, and typed the three characters “rosewood” into the search bar.
She knew quite a bit about clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, and cosmetics, but when it came to something like rosewood, she truly did not know even the slightest thing.
After searching on her phone for a while, she formed a rough impression of rosewood.
It was a type of precious wood. In terms of price alone, it was even more expensive than golden silk nanmu, a name she had at least heard before. Just like golden silk nanmu, it had been an imperial exclusive in ancient times and could not be used by ordinary people.
Even a small string of rosewood prayer beads, if the texture was good, could be sold for a very high price.
Aside from prayer beads, the only other things it brought to mind were Ming and Qing dynasty antiques or modern furniture.
There was no one around her who loved collecting antiques.
Cen Sui wondered if the golden finger had something to do with furniture.
But she did not understand anything about these solid wood pieces anyway.
No matter how many distinct characteristics these woods had, she would not be able to recognize any of them.
When she arrived home, Father Cen and Mother Cen were not back yet. Cen Sui greeted Aunt Tang, the housekeeper, and while reacquainting herself with the layout of the home, she also went through all the solid wood furniture in the house.
Her father was, in a sense, a company president, and their family was wealthy, so there were quite a few pieces of solid wood furniture at home.
But no matter how long Cen Sui looked, she still could not tell what kind of wood any of them were made from.
So she temporarily gave up and went upstairs to take a shower first.
When she finished her shower and went back downstairs, Father Cen and Mother Cen had just returned.
Seeing the two of them, Cen Sui felt a strange sense of traveling through time. The corners of her eyes and her heart both prickled with a sudden ache.
Father Cen and Mother Cen brightened when they saw her. Mother Cen even smiled and said, “Sui Sui has grown prettier.”
Cen Sui walked up to them, forced down her emotions, and smiled as she said, “Mom is pretty too.”
Mother Cen’s smile was warm and her voice gentle. “Have you eaten dinner?”
Cen Sui walked beside her. “I have. I ate with Miner and the others.”
Mother Cen looked back at her and repeated, “You really have become prettier.”
Because she felt deeply apologetic, feeling that she had not been a good daughter in the past, Cen Sui stayed close to Father Cen and Mother Cen and talked a great deal. In her heart, she silently vowed that she would let them live happily for the rest of their lives.
The family of three sat in the living room eating fruit, a harmonious and warm scene.
Still thinking about the rosewood matter, Cen Sui casually asked her father, “Dad, I heard from a friend that rosewood is very expensive. We have so much solid wood furniture at home. Do we have anything made of rosewood?”
Children love to brag to one another, so Father Cen did not feel anything was strange. He smiled and said, “That wood truly is expensive, and we do have one piece at home. It is not small either. I only managed to get it through a friend after quite some effort.”
Cen Sui looked at her father, her eyes brightening slightly. “What is it?”
Father Cen was still smiling. “The bookshelf on the south side of the study by the window is rosewood.”
Once she heard this, Cen Sui understood. Crisscrossed must be referring to a location on the bookshelf. Honestly, such a simple thing, yet it insisted on being phrased like a little riddle.
Father Cen noticed that Cen Sui seemed interested in wood, so he chatted with her for a while about different types of timber.
When they finished talking about wood, Mother Cen joined the conversation and, without realizing it, the topic drifted into everyday family matters. Suddenly remembering something, Mother Cen turned to Cen Sui and said, “By the way, Jingjing is coming to our house tomorrow and will be living here from now on.”
When Cen Sui heard the name Jingjing, it took her a moment to react before she realized they were talking about her cousin Tong Jingjing.
Tong Jingjing was one year older than her and would be graduating with her bachelor’s degree in a few months. She was currently in the stage of interning and preparing her thesis and would probably start working directly after graduation.
Cen Sui did not have much of an impression of this cousin because they rarely interacted.
They were not in the same social circle and only exchanged polite greetings when they met.
Tong Jingjing had been studying in Su’an City for several years and did not often visit her home.
Cen Sui remembered that this had not happened in her previous life, so she asked Mother Cen curiously, “Why is she living with us?”
Father Cen spoke. “Jingjing is about to graduate. Your aunt came to me, so I arranged a position for her in the company and let her come work directly. She will graduate in a few months, so it is convenient for her to live here and go to work.”
Their house was large anyway, so adding a few more people was no problem.
Cen Sui nodded. She did not have any particular feelings toward Tong Jingjing, so she did not ask or concern herself further.
In the novel’s plot, Tong Jingjing had only appeared by name once.
She had no connection to the female lead Lin Yuxi, nor to her.
After chatting with Father Cen and Mother Cen until late at night, and feeling her heart settle with a warm sense of reassurance, Cen Sui finally went upstairs to sleep.
However, lying in bed, she could not fall asleep because she was still thinking about the item on the rosewood bookshelf.
She rarely entered the study in the past, so she had no idea what was inside.
She waited until Father Cen, Mother Cen, and Aunt Tang were all asleep before putting on a jacket and quietly sneaking downstairs.
Her soft slippers made almost no sound on the floor. Cen Sui walked lightly as she opened the study door, then gently closed it behind her and reached out to turn on the light.
Father Cen’s study was decorated in a very traditional style, with solid wood bookshelves and a solid wood desk and chair.
Following what her father had said, Cen Sui found the rosewood bookshelf. Compared with the other bookshelves, this one was not particularly large. Yet because the wood used was precious, even a shelf this size counted as a major piece.
Muttering “crisscrossed” under her breath, Cen Sui lifted her head to look at the items on the bookshelf.
Naturally, there was nothing else on the shelf, only books. New and old volumes were neatly lined up, filling the air with the scent of paper and ink.
Starting from the bottom tier of the bookshelf, she counted upward to the seventh shelf, then counted from the left side of the seventh shelf to the eighth book.
Fixing her eyes on the book, Cen Sui moved a chair over from beside the desk. She stepped onto it barefoot and reached out to take down the book.
It was a very old and worn book. The cover looked like it was made from the hide of some animal, and it was bound with thread.
Holding the book carefully, Cen Sui stepped down, put her slippers back on, and sat on the chair. She curiously examined the front and back covers. On the front, she saw three large characters: Record of Treasures.
She laid the book flat across her thighs. Just as she was about to open it, a sudden and indescribable tension rose in her heart.
She did not know whether this book really could give her a golden finger. And if it could, she did not know what might happen next.
Although she had already experienced several strange things, humans are naturally curious about and afraid of the unknown.
Pinching the edge of the book between her fingers, Cen Sui took a deep breath and flipped open the cover.
The moment she opened it, a burst of brilliant golden light shot out from between the pages, so dazzling that she could barely keep her eyes open.
Just when Cen Sui could no longer resist the urge to shut her eyes, a powerful force suddenly surged out from between the pages. It struck her head-on and poured into her body, racing through every corner of her being in an instant.
She felt countless images flash through her mind. Her head throbbed intensely, and she raised her hands to clutch it tightly.
She thought her brain was going to explode, yet after a moment everything suddenly returned to calm.
Cen Sui opened her eyes while still holding her head. She looked down at the book on her lap. The blinding golden light had vanished, leaving only an old, worn, gray-paged book.
She had no idea what had just happened. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly put the chair back where it belonged, tucked the old book under her arm, and hurried quietly back upstairs.
Entering her room, she locked the door from the inside, crawled under the blanket with the book in her arms, and lay there. All she could hear was her own heartbeat pounding heavily.
Nervously she wondered: What exactly happened to her just now?
Unable to think of an answer, she pulled out the old book and began flipping through it again.
It turned out to be a book on antique appraisal. From the looks of it, it was not compiled by a single person. It seemed to be the accumulated work of several generations.
Inside, the contents were extremely comprehensive. From metalwork and jade artifacts to porcelain, wooden items, paintings, and various miscellaneous antiques, it covered everything.
Whenever Cen Sui looked at an entry, it seemed as if a corresponding appraisal scene would unfold clearly in her mind.
It was only after she had read about ten pages that she suddenly realized something. How was she able to understand all of this? And why did it feel as though these skills were ones she had already mastered long ago?
Thinking it over, she understood. This truly was a golden finger.
Not only the contents of the book but also the accumulated appraisal experience of the people who had compiled it over several generations had all been transferred to her.
But one thing still confused her. Her life did not have much to do with antiques. Why give her this kind of golden finger?
Her family’s business dealt in gold, silver, jadeite, and diamond jewelry. Although it was somewhat related, it was still different from the antique trade. Shouldn’t a jewel-related cheat have been more fitting?
Ever since the moment she returned to this life, she had already made up her mind. In this lifetime, she would study hard and inherit the family business. She would grow and strengthen their jewelry enterprise so that her parents could live comfortably and enjoy their later years in peace.
For now, her family only had a few jewelry stores in Su’an City.
Their brand had a bit of name recognition within Su’an City, but once outside the city, no one knew of it.
A momentary sense of confusion rose in Cen Sui’s mind.
But the feeling quickly passed, because she found that the art of appraisal was actually quite interesting.
Fighting against her drowsiness, she spent another two hours reading the Record of Treasures.
She eventually fell asleep right on top of the soft leather-bound book. Because she had stayed up very late, she woke up the next day already at noon.
After washing up and going downstairs to eat, she discovered that her cousin Tong Jingjing had already arrived at their home, her luggage placed in the guest room and unpacked.
With her stomach growling, Cen Sui headed toward the dining room. As she passed through the living room and saw Tong Jingjing, she greeted her politely.
But Tong Jingjing stared at her in a daze, unable to react for a long time.
Once she finally reacted, she hurriedly smiled and called out, “Sui Sui.”
Mother Cen stood up from the sofa and looked at Cen Sui. “You finally got yourself out of bed. Hurry and go eat.”
Cen Sui nodded, walked over, and hooked her arm around Mother Cen’s, speaking in a childish tone. “Dear Mother, what delicious food do we have today?”
Standing where she was, Tong Jingjing stared at Cen Sui’s back in a daze, thinking to herself: This is the vicious supporting character Cen Sui from the novel? She looks nothing like her character persona. At this point in the story, she has not yet been dumped by the male lead Chen Yu, so she should be dressing in a soft, pure, modest style to feign innocence.
But this stunningly beautiful girl, dressed with a cool and sharp style tinged with subtle sensuality, radiating an overwhelming presence—this is the supporting character Cen Sui?
Before coming to the Cen household, she had already confirmed that she had indeed transmigrated into a novel she had read.
The male lead was named Chen Yu, the female lead was Lin Yuxi, and the supporting character was her cousin Cen Sui. Everything matched.
The cannon fodder she had transmigrated into was also named Tong Jingjing, a character who appeared only once in the novel.
The original Tong Jingjing had been a somewhat insecure person. Her inferiority led to an overly strong sense of pride and stubbornness. She had always refused to interact too much with her wealthy uncle’s family, using this as a way to prove she had backbone.
But she was not the original. She had read the entire novel and knew the plot clearly. She knew that the supporting character Cen Sui would go mad for the male lead, acting recklessly all the way until the end, ruining every advantage she originally had. Her final fate was extremely tragic.
Since Cen Sui did not know how to cherish everything she possessed, then she might as well take over.
This was why she went against the original character’s behavior and took the initiative to request a job at the Cen family’s jewelry company, even choosing to move into the Cen family’s villa.
Everything that Cen Sui did not cherish, she would firmly seize in her own hands.
The villa, the garden, the luxury cars, the company, and even the wealthy marriage prospects that Cen Sui would eventually lose—everything would become hers.
Mother Cen was chatting with Cen Sui, and they were almost out of the living room when she noticed that Tong Jingjing was still standing in the same spot, unmoving.
Mother Cen turned back to look at her and smiled as she said, “Jingjing, come eat.”
Tong Jingjing snapped out of her drifting thoughts and hurried after them.
Cen Sui also glanced back at her and felt that this cousin seemed a bit strange.
References[+]