Cen Sui found it troublesome to carry a whole box, and since she knew the eight-sided vase with looped handles in her hands was a fake, she was not worried about bumping or knocking it. She simply tossed the box aside and hugged the bare bottle directly in her arms.
She was in high spirits and did not feel tired. Carrying the vase, she browsed through the rest of the stalls and even picked up a few small items.
After finishing the stalls, she still had not had her fill, so she turned around and went to browse the storefronts instead.
At this hour, there were even fewer people moving between the shops than in the stall area. After all, the shops were far more high-end than the stalls, and only those who were truly serious about collecting would linger.
The ones running the shops were all experts. The moment they saw you were not someone from the circle, they had no desire to entertain you.
With Cen Sui’s age and attire, and with her hugging a faux-antique bottle in her arms, naturally no one was willing to receive her.
After visiting several shops in a row like this, she was ignored everywhere.
Then she finally entered one shop. The shop owner saw her come in and actually made her a cup of tea.
It was in a disposable cup, steam rising from the rim.
Cen Sui was indeed thirsty after walking around so much. She lifted the cup, took a sip of the tea, and said to the shop owner, “Thank you.”
The shop owner looked at the vase in her hands and asked her, “Are you selling something?”
Cen Sui glanced at the vase in her arms, curious as well. “Do you want it?”
The shop owner looked at the base of the eight-sided vase with looped handles and said directly, “This is a counterfeit.”
Cen Sui shrugged, her tone calm. “I know it’s a counterfeit.”
Shop owner: “???”
This young lady was rather interesting.
It was only then that Cen Sui finally had the mind to look around this shop.
The shop was divided into an outer and an inner room. Along the wall of the outer room stood sour jujube wood shelves displaying various antiques, along with some glass-covered counter displays. The inner room was arranged with elegant seating, clearly meant for distinguished guests to sit, drink tea, and converse.
A censer was burning inside the shop, its curling smoke lending an especially refined atmosphere to the space.
The incense was premium sandalwood, giving one a calming and soothing effect.
What was most remarkable was that in this shop, at a glance, there were almost no counterfeits.
She had already visited quite a few shops before this, and not a single one was without counterfeits. Most were a mix of genuine and fake.
Her eyes swept around once more and returned to the shop owner standing before her.
Only then did Cen Sui belatedly realize that this shop owner did not look very old and was surprisingly handsome. He did not look like someone who ran an antique shop at all.
Chen Yu was the male lead of the original novel. By logic, his looks should have ranked among the top.
Yet in Cen Sui’s eyes, the shop owner before her had a restrained and steady aura that, paired with his sharply defined features, made him countless times more striking than Chen Yu. This kind of composed and cultured handsomeness carried a stronger appeal.
Still, Cen Sui had no interest in men at the moment. Seeing that he did not seem very old, she guessed and asked, “Are you helping someone watch the shop?”
The man did not mind. His voice was simple and even. “This is my own shop. If you’re not here to sell, are you looking to buy something?”
Cen Sui lifted her cup again and took another sip. “I’ll look around first.”
The man refilled her cup until it was more than half full. His tone carried a calmness completely at odds with his youthful face. “Looking to get lucky and pick up a hidden treasure?”
Cen Sui did not answer. The man turned and went back to his own tasks.
While he busied himself, he continued speaking in that same tone as if he were doing her a favor. “If you want to pick up hidden treasures, you won’t find them in an antique shop. Anyone who opens a shop has usually been in this trade for a long time. There isn’t that much water in the prices, and you won’t make much money flipping the items. If you really want to play, go look at the street stalls, but don’t get your hopes too high. There aren’t many genuine pieces on the market now, and someone like you is the easiest to trick.”
Cen Sui took in his words, though she said nothing.
She placed the eight-sided vase with looped handles on the counter and casually looked around the shop, then asked, “Are the things in your shop all guaranteed authentic?”
The man’s tone held almost no variation. “I don’t sell counterfeits.”
Cen Sui looked back at him, thinking that in times like these, there could not be many people who insisted on never selling counterfeits. He actually had principles.
Everyone was driven by profit. Who would bother with such things anymore?
Besides, the antique world had always been deep and murky. Once you decided to play, you needed the mindset to handle the risks. If your eyesight was poor and you bought a fake, you could only chalk it up to bad luck. You could not blame the person who sold it.
Cen Sui asked again, “Do you think I’m suited for this circle?”
The man glanced at her, looking her up and down as if appraising an antique. After examining her, he said, “No. A young girl like you probably has not even studied history properly. What are you going to use to play at collecting? The money is your family’s, isn’t it? You would be better off using it to learn more things.”
Cen Sui felt a bit displeased hearing this. She turned and stepped to the counter, standing directly in front of the man. Staring at him, she said, “You’re wearing tinted glasses. You look down on me. What’s wrong with being a young girl? What’s wrong with being young?”
The man looked into her eyes seriously. “This field is very deep. Money alone isn’t enough to play in it.”
Cen Sui held his gaze for a moment, then suddenly asked, “What’s your name?”
The man did not answer verbally. He took a business card from the card holder on the counter and placed it before her.
Cen Sui lowered her head, looking at the traditionally styled card, and quietly read, “Rong Mo…”
After reading it, she lifted her head and looked at this Rong Mo. “Boss Rong, I picked up a few treasures from the street stalls today. Would you like to take a look?”
Rong Mo glanced at the eight-sided vase with looped handles on the counter. “This one?”
Cen Sui ignored him. She pulled her bag forward, reached inside, and after a moment took out something. She unwrapped the paper and held it out before Rong Mo, speaking seriously. “A Kaiyuan Tongbao from the Tang dynasty. One of the Five Emperor Coins. It is relatively scarce. I looked around your shop just now. You have the Banliang coin from the Qin dynasty, the Wuzhu coin from the Han dynasty, the Song Yuan Tongbao from the Song dynasty, and the Yongle Tongbao from the Ming dynasty. You just happen to be missing this one from the Tang dynasty.”
Rong Mo froze for a moment when he saw the ancient coin. He looked at Cen Sui, then lowered his head to examine the coin carefully.
He picked it up, turned it over in his hands, felt its texture, and even used a magnifying glass. In the end he concluded it was genuine.
With his judgment confirmed, he raised his head and looked at Cen Sui, asking her, “Are you selling?”
Cen Sui’s lips curved in a smile as she deliberately replied, “Not selling.”
His shop happened to have four of the Five Emperor Coins, and the only one missing was this Tang dynasty piece. Collectors loved complete sets the most, so of course he wanted the one in Cen Sui’s hand to make the collection whole.
Rong Mo looked at her and drew in a breath. His tone, for once, carried a trace of normal human fluctuation. “What will it take for you to sell it?”
Cen Sui continued smiling at him. “Praise me. Beg me.”
Rong Mo: “…”
After a moment, he spoke. “I take back what I said earlier. You do have some ability. It was my own shallow judgment. And also…”
He paused briefly. “You are very beautiful.”
Cen Sui had not expected this mature and serious man to say the last part. A spark of delight rose in her heart.
It almost showed at the corner of her lips, but she quickly pressed it down.
She steadied her expression and her presence, then spoke. “I really don’t know much about this field. I checked online and found that a well-preserved set of the Five Emperor Coins can sell for over a million. The condition of my coin is not bad, right? Since it completes your set, I want four hundred thousand.”
Rong Mo considered it. After a moment, he nodded. “All right.”
Cen Sui was very satisfied. She smiled and said, “Cash for goods.”
She had already placed the item here. The money only needed to be transferred through the phone.
Rong Mo transferred the money to her readily and carefully put away the Tang dynasty Kaiyuan Tongbao.
Once the payment and goods were exchanged, Cen Sui put away her phone. Her face showed the delighted expression of someone who had struck gold.
Yet she did not seem ready to stop there. She suddenly reached into her bag again and began to take something out.
Seeing her movement, Rong Mo looked curious. “There’s more?”
Cen Sui carefully reached into her bag and said, “I just want to show you this one. You might not be able to afford it.”
With that, she took out a wooden box and placed it on the counter. Looking at Rong Mo, she teased, “Do you want to see it?”
Having already made a deal with her and chatted for this long, Rong Mo no longer bothered with politeness.
He directly reached out, took the box, set it before him, and opened it at once. He had assumed that no matter what era the treasure came from, he had seen everything before. It should all be within expectations.
Yet the moment he opened the box and saw the porcelain shard lying quietly inside, he froze instantly and unconsciously held his breath.
After a moment of stunned silence, he lifted his head, breath restrained, and looked at Cen Sui. “You found this?”
Cen Sui stood beside the counter, looking at the porcelain shard inside the box.
Its vivid bluish-green glaze was thin and lustrous, so clear it seemed almost otherworldly. Anyone who truly understood porcelain would instantly recognize that this shard was extraordinary, beautiful to an excessive degree.
What did it matter that it was a fragment? It did nothing to diminish the beauty inherent in its material.
Before Cen Sui could answer, Rong Mo had already gone to retrieve his appraisal tools.
He brought out a small microscope, put on gloves, and carefully placed the porcelain shard beneath the lens.
Cen Sui looked at Rong Mo and deliberately slowed her voice as she said, “Where the clouds break after rain and the sky clears… blue as the sky, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, resonant as a chime, with gentle moisture and fine crackles. If this really is a fragment of Chai ware, how much would it be worth?”
Rong Mo examined the shard under the microscope with full concentration. Without even thinking, he answered, “Priceless.”