The Tycoon's Enchanted Mermaid

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: You Are Really Ruthless

“Continue,” Qin Yu said.

Wei Lan looked at him and said, “Since Dong Jikai could collect it, it means the Green Jade Incense Burner had once entered the market. If it really came from an Emperor’s Tomb, by regulation, it should not be privately owned or circulated. Of course, if it was one or two hundred years ago, naturally, there were no such regulations. What I mean is, there are shady traces behind it, and all the information we know now has been arranged.”

“For example, the certificate from the Wanrong Auction.”

Tomb robbers have always been rampant, it’s highly possible that hundreds of years ago, or maybe just decades, they stole the incense burner and it changed hands overseas before Dong Jikai bought it with money and brought it back to the country.

Otherwise, given the quality of this incense burner and the historical significance of its origin from a royal tomb, it would definitely be coveted by major museums and impossible to circulate casually in the market.

Who would have thought that Tang Bufan, blundering as he is, would actually luck out, thought Wei Lan silently.

Qin Yu sat up, his gaze falling onto the Green Jade Incense Burner, his eyes deep and distant, “My goal is to figure out its provenance, to find the other antiques that were unearthed with it.”

“Then we’ll need to thoroughly study it. How about I take it to the antique appraisal firm and let those old experts have a look? They’ve spent a lifetime studying old relics, they might be able to deduce something,” Wei Lan suggested.

Ah Da depended on the incense, Qin Yu wouldn’t let Wei Lan take the incense burner away, “Take a photo of it.”

Wei Lan tried to persuade him, “Third Young Master, it’s best to handle such things in person, photos may not be adequate…”

He was cut off halfway, seeing the look in Qin Yu’s eyes, Wei Lan immediately corrected himself, “But we can try.”

Although he didn’t know why Qin Yu wouldn’t let him take away the incense burner, he was certain that Qin Yu had his reasons.

“Third Young Master, there’s something I need to tell you,” Wei Lan said, putting away his frivolous demeanor, his tone turning serious.

Qin Yu leaned back, squinting his eyes slightly, as if signaling him to continue.

Wei Lan’s gaze fell on the mermaid girl at the base of the incense burner, his voice distant and floating, “Items like this that come from graves, we in the circle all agree on one thing: they’re for collection only, and it’s especially taboo to wear them on one’s person, particularly jade.”

“I see there’s something inside the Green Jade, and I can tell you the truth, it’s not very auspicious. Jade nurtures both life and soul, and many ancient emperors and nobles were fond of using living sacrifices in their burials. Resentment and spirits, these things are sometimes beyond scientific explanation. Whether they exist or not isn’t the issue; the fact is they’re inauspicious, and we should respect that.”

Wei Lan spoke very tactfully, hoping to convince Qin Yu not to keep the incense burner close by, to avoid attracting bad luck.

“Don’t think that we antique enthusiasts are superstitious and feudal-minded. A consensus reached by an entire circle is never unfounded; it’s based on bloody lessons.”

“I understand what you mean,” Qin Yu said, thinking of Ah Da who frequently used the incense burner, and then he chuckled, “However, it seems a bit late now.”

This startled Wei Lan, “What do you mean? You didn’t really put that thing in your bedroom, did you? You haven’t actually used it, have you?”

Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, unabashedly saying, “Every night.” If he didn’t use the incense, the young lady would throw a little tantrum.

“You… you really are ruthless!”

Wei Lan gave him a thumbs-up; pursuing benefits and avoiding harm is human nature, and even more so, the richer someone is, the more cautious they become about such matters. It’s just that Qin Yu had an air of disdain for all and feared no taboos.

“It’s getting late; you’d better start taking pictures.”

After speaking, Qin Yu stood up. Ah Da had been gone for so long, he had no idea what she was up to by the lake.

“You mean, you want me to take the photos myself?”

Watching Qin Yu’s retreating figure, Wei Lan cursed under his breath and took out his phone, thankful its resolution was decent.

…

As the night fell, the verdant hills by the lake turned into massive shadows, like giants standing and overseeing, while gentle breezes brought cool moisture and the pleasant sound of flowing water.

The lakeside pavilion was lit brightly, and the sheer curtains fluttered. Ah Da, cuddling her phone, leaned comfortably on a bench, chatting with her anti-black fan group friends on Weibo. Through her explorations over time, she had become familiar with and learned to use all the functions of a smartphone.

Her most frequently used apps were WeChat and Weibo, where she mostly chatted with two friends from the anti-black fan group. Ah Da seldom offered her own opinions and mainly watched them complain and chat.

In their eyes, Su Qingtong was a pitiful figure in the entertainment industry, lacking both background and support—today mistreated by her company, tomorrow bullied by colleagues, and the day after coerced by the capital. Ah Da had asked Bronze Sword about this, and she replied that it was all lies—how could she ever be bullied by anyone?

Ah Da felt that made sense—Bronze Sword wasn’t one to suffer losses willingly, except for with Yao Qingzhi, who was an exception.

Due to a show, the anti-black group had been bombarded with 999+ messages daily—who would have thought there were only three people in the group?

Just as Ah Da narrowed her eyes, her phone started to vibrate incessantly. Messages from the anti-black group popped up rapidly.

Bai Zhouliu (group owner): No way, I’m so upset I can’t even eat. That Wang Qingyi really is despised by everyone in the entertainment industry—dammit, she makes me so angry. She went on that crappy show and blabbered nonsense. All the old actors know to avoid talking about certain unspoken rules in the industry, but there she was, losing her mind and laughing ha-ha, claiming she witnessed people exchanging their bodies for resources. Then she insinuated things about Qingtong—what the hell does she think she is? She drinks without eating; if she had even a few more peanuts, she wouldn’t be this screwed up—what a totally messed-up, plastic surgery freak!

Is it wrong to like Qingtong: Just got back from the plaza; it feels like Qingtong’s haters have doubled. Exhausted!

Bai Zhouliu (group owner): Don’t panic; just give me some time. I’ll show them what it means when one person with one smartphone can create a miracle. I won’t sleep tonight until I’ve cleaned up the plaza.

Is it wrong to like Qingtong: Wang’s brain-dead fans are too many. The plaza is filled with edited photos they’ve posted, despite the fact that it was Wang who first caused trouble on the show. Now leveraging her horde of fans, she’s playing the victim and accusing us of being seated by code—I’m so done.

Bai Zhouliu (group owner): There’s no helping it. Qingtong doesn’t have big capital backing her, and she doesn’t have many fans; it’s normal that we can’t beat them now. Don’t get discouraged. Once her drama airs and gains fans, we’ll recruit more people. Then we won’t have to be afraid.

Is it wrong to like Qingtong: There are rumors that Qingtong nailed a major female role with a big director; it’s probably true, or else Wang Qingyi wouldn’t have lost it on the show. We need to prepare early.

Ah Da: What preparations do we need to make?

Bai Zhouliu (group owner): Didn’t Qingtong have an svip skin collaboration last week? They sold a total of one hundred thousand copies, but the seven-day sales are only a thousand. Wang Qingyi’s fans have been mocking us; it’s so upsetting. Starting tonight, let’s promote daily on the super talk—I refuse to believe we can’t increase sales!

Is it wrong to like Qingtong: There’s hardly any genuine fans on super talk; it’s all haters. Selling a thousand is already impressive. I’ve bought a hundred myself at 18 each—it really is expensive.

Ah Da knew about the collaboration; since she was new to using smartphones and didn’t have a bank card to make payments, she hadn’t bought the skin yet.