Chapter 47

Chapter 47

It took Su Hua three days to piece together the painting by Bada Shanren Zhu Da.

It had been shattered into so many fragments that the task was a massive headache. Once the assembly was complete, she began the restoration process.

After much painstaking effort, she finally restored the painting until not a single trace of the damage remained. When the finished work emerged, she was quite satisfied with this Ink Lotus Painting.

The entire piece featured condensed, resolute brushwork and a grand, timeless style. The atmosphere was cold and lofty, incorporating Zen into the art. Though the composition was minimalist, it left a profound, lingering impression.

Zhu Da had broken away from the methods of his predecessors in terms of conception, composition, and style. He utilized variations in the ink’s moisture and tone, combined with rhythmic, expressive brushstrokes, to bring the lotus to life.

The stems were rounded and vigorous, executed in single, fluid strokes. They seemed to sway in the wind, yet possessed an elegant, multifaceted grace that complemented the various angles of the lotus leaves.

Now that the restoration was finished, the next step was to find a buyer.

She called Shen Yuan to ask, “Which auction house in Jingdu is the most reliable?”

Shen Yuan was shocked. “You fixed a painting that was in that many pieces in such a short amount of time?”

“Yes. You can’t see any traces of the repair at all.”

“Oh my god, you’re amazing!”

Su Hua knit her brows slightly and moved the phone a bit further from her ear. She felt that although Shen Yuan and Shen Huai were siblings, their personalities were worlds apart; Shen Yuan was far too lively.

However, it was a good balance for her-one active, one quiet.

Shen Yuan said she would look into it and hung up.

Before long, she called back. “I’ve checked. The biggest auction houses in Jingdu are Zhengrong Auction House and Poly Auction House. Their success rate is as high as eighty percent. These two houses have accumulated more than half of the high-end collectors in the country. These are elite collectors with net worths in the billions or even tens of billions.”

Su Hua asked, “Which one is closer to us?”

“Zhengrong Auction House is slightly closer.”

Su Hua pondered for a moment. “Then let’s go to Zhengrong Auction House.”

“Alright, I’ll come pick you up.”

An hour later, Su Hua and Shen Yuan arrived at Zhengrong Auction House.

When they entered the lobby, they were greeted by quite a sight. They had to wait in line. There were at least fifty or sixty people ahead of them, all of whom had brought collectibles from across the country to put up for auction.

Because the process involved appraisal, auditing, and negotiating the starting price before the auction could even begin, the procedures were quite tedious.

Since they were already there, Su Hua and Shen Yuan joined the queue in the lobby.

They stood in line from morning until noon, yet the queue had only shrunk by half. Their legs were starting to ache.

Su Hua said, “Maybe we should try the other place.”

“Let’s wait a bit longer. The other one might not have fewer people,” Shen Yuan replied, bending over to massage her sore legs. After a moment, she straightened up and stretched.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. Pointing toward the elevators ahead, she shouted to Su Hua, “Look, a hottie!”

Her voice wasn’t quiet.

The crowd turned in unison to look at her. But after only a glance at her, their eyes shifted to Su Hua standing beside her.

Su Hua was simply too striking. With her dark hair, red lips, and a heart-shaped face that seemed to glow, her beautiful eyes were as clear as autumn water. She stood there poised and serene, devoid of worldly desires, looking like someone who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

Under the gaze of so many people, Su Hua felt a bit self-conscious. She turned her head, avoiding their stares, and looked in the direction Shen Yuan was pointing.

The man was indeed very handsome.

He was tall, wearing a stylish black jacket, black trousers, and a short buzz cut. His features were handsome and deep-set-especially those eyes. They were dark and somber, carrying an inherent sense of story that struck Su Hua right in the heart.

Su Hua recognized him instantly.

He was the man she had bumped into at the Jingdu Grand Hotel a few days ago.

He had eyes that looked exactly like Ah Yao’s.

At the thought of Ah Yao, Su Hua’s chest tightened. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe, and her heart gradually constricted into a small, painful knot. She pressed a hand to her chest, her brow furrowed.

The man seemed to notice them. He turned to give a few instructions to the person behind him and then left.

Not long after, a staff member in a suit and tie approached Su Hua. “Excuse me, are you Miss Su Hua?”

Su Hua nodded. “I am.”

“Our Young Master requests your presence.”

Su Hua was slightly surprised. “I don’t know your Young Master.”

The staff member looked at the rolled-up painting in her hand. “Aren’t you here to auction an ancient painting?”

“Yes.”

“Our Young Master wishes to see the painting in your hand.”

Su Hua and Shen Yuan followed the staff member into the elevator and arrived at the Young Master’s office.

The office was large and decorated in a classic, antique style. An Ink Bamboo Painting by Zheng Banqiao hung on the eastern wall, set against a backdrop of wide floor-to-ceiling windows.

Their Young Master was sitting in a black leather chair.
He was very young, perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six, with a handsome, sharp look. Dressed in a black jacket, he seemed somewhat out of place amidst the antique decor.

The Young Master was the same man she had seen in the lobby earlier-the man whose eyes were the spitting image of Ah Yao’s.

Su Hua froze.

Seeing him up close, the man’s eyes resembled Ah Yao’s even more; they were practically identical.

However, only the eyes were similar. His nose, face shape, skin tone, and height were all different.

The Ah Yao in her memory was a fair-skinned, slender youth, as beautiful as someone stepping out of a manga.

The man before her had a darker complexion and a powerful, sturdy build. His hair was cropped short, and his features were deep and well-defined, with sharp angles.

Every masculine trait was pronounced.

He was a handsome, sharp, and mature man.

Shen Yuan’s eyes began to sparkle again as she whispered in admiration, “What a young, handsome, and stylish Young Master.”

The man stood up from his chair and walked toward them with long strides.

Su Hua stood there, still and slender, her eyes fixed intently on his.

Those eyes were like a key unlocking her painful memories; once opened, they revealed layers upon layers of untouchable agony.

The man stopped in front of her, extended his right hand, and said politely, “Hello, Miss Su. My name is Gu Jinyao.”

Su Hua faltered when she heard the name “Yao.” She subconsciously looked at his outstretched hand. His fingers were long and powerful, with a thin layer of calluses on both sides of his right index finger.

That was the hand of someone who had held a gun for many years.

Seeing Su Hua standing there in a daze, Shen Yuan nudged her arm. “Su Hua, hurry up and shake his hand.”

Only then did Su Hua reach out to take his hand.

They shook hands for a long time.

It exceeded the duration of a normal handshake.

Ever since she saw Gu Jinyao’s eyes, Su Hua’s mind had been in a fog. She was so dazed that she didn’t realize the handshake was lasting a bit too long.

It wasn’t until Shen Yuan cleared her throat and said, “Su Hua, hurry and open the painting for Young Master Gu to see.”

Realizing her lapse in etiquette, Su Hua quickly withdrew her hand from his.

Gu Jinyao reached out to take the painting. His eyelashes lifted slightly as he glanced at her left hand, which had once been crushed in a door.

Those beautiful fingers were scarred, and the nails were still a dark purple, not yet fully healed.

His gaze turned cold for a moment. He took the painting, unfurled it calmly, and carefully examined the image and the paper. After checking the several red Seal Imprints, he said, “It is an authentic work by Bada Shanren. How much do you intend to sell it for?”

Shen Yuan spoke up hurriedly, “I checked online. The transaction prices for Bada Shanren Zhu Da’s Ink Lotus Painting have consistently been over ten million in recent years.”

Gu Jinyao ignored her and asked Su Hua again, “How much do you intend to sell it for?”

Su Hua’s face was pale. Her mind was wandering as she said absently, “Anything is fine.”

Gu Jinyao placed the painting on the table and said flatly, “I’ll offer twelve million. I’ll buy this painting.”

Su Hua was incredibly surprised. “You’re buying it?”

Gu Jinyao gave a low hum of affirmation. “My father is a passionate collector of Bada Shanren’s work, and he happens to be missing an Ink Lotus Painting.”

Seeing that he was serious, Su Hua pulled herself together and said, “This painting was severely damaged and has been restored by me. You don’t need to pay such a high price.”

Whether it had been restored or not could be verified by testing it with instruments. Su Hua didn’t want to hide it, nor could she.

Gu Jinyao looked down at her and said expressionlessly, “Money can’t buy my personal preference. Let’s settle on twelve million. Cash or bank transfer?”

Su Hua paused. “Either is fine.”

“Give me your account number. I’ll have the finance department transfer the funds to you.”

Su Hua hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward. She hesitated. “Aren’t you going to call an appraiser to verify its authenticity?”

Gu Jinyao glanced at the painting on the table, his tone certain. “Bada Shanren’s ink lotus art is unsurpassed throughout history; it can be called a Transcendent Grade work. It’s very difficult for ordinary people to imitate. Even if they do, they can only copy the form, not the spirit. This painting possesses both form and spirit; it’s clearly authentic at a glance. The Seal Imprints are also genuine. I trust my own eyes.”

Su Hua wanted to say something more.

Shen Yuan nudged her hand, signaling her to stop talking.

Su Hua then provided her bank account number.

The other party must have enabled real-time transfers for large amounts. After the contract was signed, Su Hua received a notification that twelve million had arrived in her account.

Everything had gone so smoothly that Su Hua felt it was surreal. She was in a daze, as if she were in a dream.

After saying “Thank you” to Gu Jinyao, she took the contract and left with Shen Yuan.

As she walked out the door, she heard the man call from behind her, “Su Hua.”

That call of “Su Hua” seemed to be filled with deep affection.

For some reason, a thin veil of tears suddenly welled up in Su Hua’s eyes.