Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Gu Jinyao noticed Su Hua’s slight unease and said in a casual tone, “Miss Su gave me two paintings by Bada Shanren. It’s only right that I help you.”

This explanation was reasonable enough.

Su Hua felt that she might have been overthinking things again.

She then heard Gu Jinyao add, “Besides, I wouldn’t say I’m just helping you. Once you’ve completed your apprenticeship, you’ll be able to restore both ancient paintings and ceramics. I’ll have to ask for your help then.”

Hearing him say this, Su Hua instantly felt much more at ease.

She gave a soft smile. “Mr. Gu, you’re too kind.”

Gu Jinyao’s eyes dimmed slightly as he said, “Just call me by my name from now on. ‘Mr. Gu’ sounds too distant.”

Despite his suggestion, Su Hua didn’t dare to be too familiar with him.

After all, she had a massive ‘vinegar jar’ at home who guarded against Gu Jinyao every day as if he were a thief. She didn’t want to do anything that would make him unhappy.

Feeling neglected, Hua Tianshou covered his mouth with a cough and said, “Hua’er, take a good look at this Dragon-ear flat flask. Memorize the shape, dimensions, and the patterns on it. I’m particularly fond of this flask; I’ll teach you how to fire one later.”

Su Hua saw right through him.

It wasn’t that he liked the flat flask so much; he just wanted to show off her photographic memory to Gu Jinyao.

They say the elderly become like children, and that certainly applied to him. He took every opportunity to show her off, wishing the whole world knew what a talented disciple he had recruited.

Su Hua had no choice but to indulge him. “Master, I’ve already memorized it. The patterns, dimensions, the size of the mouth, and the mark on the base-I remember them all clearly. When I have a moment later, I’ll sketch it out for you so you can use it as a reference to fire a new one.”

As expected, Hua Tianshou patted her head and said to Gu Jinyao in a praising tone, “This disciple of mine is naturally gifted and has a photographic memory. I really struck gold when I took her on.”

This wasn’t the first time he had done this.

Su Hua and Gu Jinyao shared a knowing smile, neither of them calling the old man out.

Seeing Gu Jinyao smile, Hua Tianshou became even more enthusiastic. He said to Su Hua, “In the future, whenever Jinyao brings things over, you should be the one to restore them.”

The items Gu Jinyao brought were all incredibly precious ancient ceramics, often worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan.

When it came to restoring ancient paintings and calligraphy, Su Hua was an expert with over a decade of experience. However, she had only been learning to restore ancient ceramics for a little over two months.

To be honest, she felt a bit apprehensive.

Antiques were different from other things. They were precious and unique; if you broke them, they stayed broken, with no room for error. One had to be extremely careful and cautious.

Usually, masters wouldn’t even let apprentices touch such items until they had served at least three years.

Su Hua politely declined, “Master, Mr. Gu came here because of your reputation. It’s better if you handle it personally.”

However, Gu Jinyao spoke up. “It’s fine. I’ll leave them to you from now on. I trust you.”

Su Hua paused. “I’ve only been learning ceramic restoration for two months. Are you sure?”

“Old Master Hua showed me the Five-Colored Plum Blossom Pattern Yuhuchun Vase you restored not long ago. It was perfect. Just aim for that level. Restoring antiques isn’t about how long you’ve been studying. Some people spend their whole lives doing it and their skill remains mediocre. Others, like you, reach the top tier after only two months.”

It was hard to refuse such a sincere request. Unable to sway him, Su Hua agreed.

Hua Tianshou had recently acquired some top-grade Da Hong Pao tea and insisted on having Gu Jinyao stay for a drink. Su Hua was also pulled in to keep them company.

The three of them sat at the tea table, chatting and laughing about everything from antiques to everyday life.

Of course, most of the conversation was between Hua Tianshou and Gu Jinyao. Su Hua sat quietly to the side, helping them with the tea and occasionally adding a comment.

As a disciple, she knew her place. Serving tea and assisting her master was only natural.

Hua Tianshou took a sip of tea, set down his cup, and asked, “Jinyao, do you have a girlfriend?”

Gu Jinyao glanced at Su Hua imperceptibly and replied, “No, I’m single.”

Hua Tianshou didn’t believe him. “You’re so handsome and successful in every way. How could you not have a girlfriend?”

Gu Jinyao’s gaze swept over Su Hua ever so lightly. “My standards are a bit high.”
Hua Tianshou burst into laughter. “It’s a good thing for young people to have high standards. Better to go without than to settle for something subpar.”

Gu Jinyao gave a noncommittal hum, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile.

Hua Tianshou stroked his beard and said leisurely, “As it happens, I have a granddaughter named Suosuo who is also single. She’s very beautiful and delicate-the type you young men like. Would you like to find some time to meet her?”

The smile on Gu Jinyao’s lips stiffened.

A trace of imperceptible disgust flickered in his eyes.

A second later, he said politely, “Thank you for your kindness, Elder Hua, but I’m in no rush to find a girlfriend.”

It was a polite but firm refusal.

Hua Tianshou felt rather disappointed. “Then what kind of girl do you like? I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

Gu Jinyao lowered his gaze to the teacup in his hand, his tone indifferent. “Relationships are a matter of fate and first impressions, much like how you choose an apprentice.”

Hearing this, Hua Tianshou reached out and patted Su Hua’s shoulder. “That’s true. I liked this girl the moment I laid eyes on her. I felt she was meant to be my apprentice.”

Gu Jinyao calmly raised his teacup to his lips and took a slow sip.

Me too, he said in his heart.

I liked her the moment I laid eyes on her.

He set the teacup down and lowered his lashes. His thick eyelashes concealed the secrets hidden in the depths of his eyes.

Seeing that his cup was empty, Su Hua picked up the teapot to refill it for him.

“I’ll do it myself.” Gu Jinyao reached out to take the teapot, and his hand accidentally brushed against hers.

Reason told him to pull back, but his hand uncontrollably closed over hers.

Skin met skin.

His palm was burning hot.

Startled, Su Hua jerked her hand back as if she had received an electric shock.

With a dull thud, the teapot landed on the tea table and began to roll toward the edge.

It was about to crash onto the floor.

Gu Jinyao was quick. He leaned forward and snatched the handle of the teapot, setting it steadily back on the table.

That teapot was an antique from the Republican era.

Not only was it worth a fortune, but more importantly, it was Hua Tianshou’s favorite; it was the only one of its kind left in existence.

It was a close call for Su Hua.

She raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead. This sudden scare caused her to overlook the brief physical contact from a moment ago.

She assumed Gu Jinyao hadn’t done it on purpose. He probably just wanted to take the teapot and pour the tea himself.

Nevertheless, she stood up and said to Hua Tianshou, “Master, I’m going upstairs to help you sketch that Dragon-ear flat flask.”

Hua Tianshou took a sip of tea and smiled. “Go ahead.”

Su Hua said politely to Gu Jinyao, “Mr. Gu, please take your time with the tea.”

Gu Jinyao gave her a slight nod. “Alright.”

Su Hua turned and went upstairs. She took out her paper and brushes, mixed her pigments, and began to sketch the Dragon-ear flat flask.

That evening.

Gu Beixian came to the shop to pick her up.

After they got into the car, the driver started the engine.

Gu Beixian took Su Hua’s hand in his, idly rubbing her fingers with his thumb.

Suddenly, he caught a scent and said in an unreadable tone, “You have the scent of a strange man on you.”

Su Hua paused.

It was uncanny. Was this man part dog or something?

Gu Jinyao had only accidentally held the back of her hand for a moment. Could he really smell that?

Su Hua told him the truth. “Gu Jinyao asked my Master to restore a porcelain vase and came to pick it up today. My Master was hosting him for tea and asked me to help refill his cup. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, so I did it. While I was pouring the tea, he accidentally touched my hand. I felt it was inappropriate, so I made an excuse to go upstairs. That’s exactly what happened, and Master was there the whole time.”

Gu Beixian’s eyes suddenly turned cold, and a flicker of imperceptible mockery flashed in their depths.

However, he said nothing. He simply opened a box of disinfectant wipes.

Pulling one out, he took Su Hua’s hand and began to wipe it.

He wiped with extreme care. Not just the back of her hand, but even the gaps between her fingers and her nails-over and over again.

He didn’t stop until he had used up the entire pack of wipes.

Su Hua remained still, quietly letting him clean her hand. For some reason, she felt that at this moment, he seemed particularly insecure.

She slowly scooted closer to him and reached out to hug him.