Chapter 170: Chapter 146: Is He That Strong? (Please Subscribe)

Modu, as dusk fell.

The last traces of the sunset’s afterglow quietly faded away with the rising city lights and the flickering neon signs.

A gentle breeze blew through the streets, swaying the plane trees on both sides, rustling their leaves, bringing with it the moist air from the riverbank, mixed with the faint scent of gardenia, brushing against Lin Chuan’s face.

Lin Chuan, new to Modu, received an enthusiastic welcome from Youyou, the “host,” to this “fierce general.”

From the airport to the police station, then to the hotel.

Throughout the journey, not to mention her company, Youyou now took Lin Chuan to a traditional restaurant called ‘Moon Full Over West Tower.’

“Youyou, you’ve worked hard.”

Lin Chuan was moved.

Even a scene from a struggling author’s fantasy would be like this.

Youyou sat in the restaurant, which was adorned with simple and elegant decorations, in a flat-shoulder, flower-patterned short dress, looking like a graceful female lead stepping out of an ink painting with the soft sound of a guzheng playing in the background.

She smiled and said, “How could I not be diligent when you’re coming from so far?”

Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and said jokingly, “It’s not rare. If you greet me like this every time, I’d have to come more often.”

“Not only should you come more, but it would be best if you could settle here.”

Youyou blinked and took the opportunity to say.

“You really dare to think big,” Lin Chuan chuckled.

“If you were to settle down in Modu, I could supervise your writing every day.” The dim lighting in the restaurant shone on Youyou, who was smiling beautifully, bright and radiant.

“So that’s your scheme!”

Lin Chuan laughed heartily.

The guzheng in the restaurant played softly, like a mountain spring rippling, its sound echoing in their ears.

Shortly after, a Mediterranean man in his forties, wearing a black suit and a smile, walked into the private room. As soon as he saw Lin Chuan, he greeted him warmly.

“Is this the famous Mr. Lin?”

Lin Chuan stood up to greet him, saying, “Chief Editor Zhang, I’ve long admired your name.”

“It is I who should say I’ve long admired your name, as I often see you topping the trending search charts,” Zhang Yixing said with a hearty laugh.

Youyou smiled at the side, “It seems you two know each other, no need for me to introduce.”

Laughter immediately filled the small private room.

The chief editor, section editor, and the author exchanged pleasantries and quickly became well-acquainted.

At that moment,

before the waiter served the dishes, Youyou took out a brocade box and placed it in front of Zhang Yixing, “Chief Editor, this is an art piece Lin Chuan brought for you.”

The chief editor’s eyebrows raised as he looked at Youyou and Lin Chuan with curiosity and asked, “Is this the ‘Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl’ that Author Lin made himself?”

Lin Chuan nodded, “It’s just a replica.”

“Chief Editor, you can open it now and have a look. The craftsmanship is exquisite; it can easily be mistaken for the real thing,” Youyou highly recommended.

“Then I must open it and appreciate the charm of this bowl,” Zhang Yixing said with a smile.

He positioned the brocade box carefully, gently opened it, and inside lay a Douli Bowl quietly.

In the soft light,

colors on the Douli Bowl flowed like liquid, and the fish depicted on the bowl freely swam through the clear algae, lifelike and vivid.

“Hiss.”

Zhang Yixing looked at the Douli Bowl in the brocade box, and his eyes instantly lit up.

He carefully picked up the Douli Bowl and examined it meticulously. The bowl’s unique Douli shape was sleek and elegant without losing gravitas; the rim flared slightly outward like a blooming flower, the walls were thin and even, and it felt delicate in hand.

“Ting ting—”

Zhang Yixing gently tapped the wall of the bowl with his finger, producing a clear and pleasant sound.

“Is this really a replica of the ‘Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl’?” Surprised and full of admiration, Zhang Yixing couldn’t help but ask Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan nodded, “Indeed, it is a replica.”

“This couldn’t be real, could it?” Zhang Yixing inspected it again and still found it incredible, “Can a replica reach this level of quality?”

He had a limited understanding of antiques.

But he was quite knowledgeable about the ‘Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl.’

Because he had made a big blunder over this particular bowl.

Ah pah, the blunder was made by a friend of his.

He thought to himself, the Douli Bowl he had received last time was already an excellent piece among replicas, but compared to this one, it was not that pretty.

“The craftsmanship of replicas is very high these days; this one still lacks a bit of refinement,” Lin Chuan said modestly.

The replica of the ‘Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase’ he gave to Youyou had even more exquisite craftsmanship and realism.

Even as a replica, its value in the market was considerable.

“Hiss, if there weren’t a small mark at the bottom of the bowl, I really couldn’t tell it was forged,” Zhang Yixing said, still surprised and impressed as he gave a thumbs up.

Lin Chuan smiled, “Chief Editor, you flatter me.”

“It looks like this meal was well worth it!” Zhang Yixing was enamored with the Douli Bowl, full of joy, and then asked with a laugh, “Did you give one to Youyou too? Youyou has been quite daring on your behalf lately.”

Lin Chuan smiled and nodded, “Youyou said she wanted something to put flowers in on her desk, so I made a ‘Jade Spring Vase’ replica for her.”

“Jade Spring Vase, not bad at all,” the chief editor nodded approvingly.

Upon hearing this, Youyou tugged at the corner of her mouth, “Daring? All I did was get a few small recommendations for Lin Chuan.”

“Betting a Year-End Bonus for a recommendation isn’t small at all,” Zhang Yixing said with a laugh.