CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: APPRAISING THE ZITHER

Lin Wanwan felt that the ancient zither in her hand was quite extraordinary, but she couldn’t discern its true value. She didn’t really want to ask Xiao Chong, so she planned to have Lu Shouyue take a look at it.

After troubling Lu Shouyue several times, Lin Wanwan decided to reciprocate by bringing him a pair of nephrite jade paperweights as a gift.

This pair of paperweights was purchased by Lin Wanwan from the main store of Treasure House in Xiaoxi Town. They claimed to be crafted by a renowned artisan, and the store touted them with extravagant praise. Lin Wanwan thought the craftsmanship was indeed remarkable, so she bought them for a few taels of pepper!

The paperweights were from the Great Tang, which inherently gave them a certain prestige, so Lin Wanwan didn’t feel guilty about gifting them.

By the time it was nearly six in the modern evening, carrying the zither, she took a cab directly to Lu Shouyue’s antique shop, as he happened to be there today.

"Mr. Lu, you’re a man of culture, this item suits you well. Please accept it as a thank-you for all the times I’ve troubled you. I hope you don’t find it too trivial!" Lin Wanwan handed over the gift as soon as she saw Lu Shouyue.

Today’s Lu Shouyue appeared more spirited than usual. Although he still wore a seemingly ordinary white shirt, he somehow looked more handsome.

Lin Wanwan wondered if it was because she had been in a good mood lately, making everything seem more beautiful.

Lu Shouyue accepted the box from Lin Wanwan, looked at it for a while, and laughed, "It’s hardly any trouble at all, you didn’t have to go to such expense. Is that the ancient zither you’re holding?"

Lin Wanwan nodded and carefully took the ancient zither out of its case, placing it on the coffee table.

With just one glance, Lu Shouyue blurted out, "This is quite the aged Jiaowei Zither."

Lin Wanwan replied, "I just don’t know what significance it holds."

Lu Shouyue spent a long time examining it, then pulled out his phone to take a comprehensive video recording, and asked Lin Wanwan, "Would you be willing to put this zither up for auction with us?"

Lin Wanwan shook her head, "I don’t want to sell it; I just want to know about its history."

Lu Shouyue showed a visible look of disappointment and wryly smiled, "I thought it was a big business opportunity, only to realize it’s all show and no touch!"

Lin Wanwan couldn’t help but laugh at him, "Mr. Lu, I didn’t expect that from you."

Lu Shouyue chuckled openly, "What am I like?"

Lin Wanwan shrugged and said, "Not as serious as I imagined."

Hearing this, Lu Shouyue laughed heartily, and after a while, he asked, "Mind if I try playing it a bit?"

Lin Wanwan gestured, "Please, I’m all ears."

Lu Shouyue immediately turned around to sit down, plucking the strings lightly for a tune, the lingering notes echoing in the air.

Lin Wanwan discreetly pursed her lips, feeling a pang of inferiority.

It’s one thing for Xiao Chong from the Great Tang era to play so well—after all, they were exposed to such things from a young age, influenced by societal trends. But how did modern-day Lu Shouyue also manage to play so exceptionally?

Isn’t he an archaeology professor? Unaware, one might assume his skill level was from a music academy.

"Mr. Lu, you truly are incredible. Is there anything you can’t do?" Lin Wanwan sincerely marveled.

Lu Shouyue, still immersed in his own world, opened his eyes after a while and said to Lin Wanwan, "The sound of this zither is extraordinary. Are you really not going to sell it? Honestly, I really like it, and I’ll let you name your price within a billion."

Lin Wanwan gasped; a university professor casually offering up to a billion! He must have a mine at home!

She realized her own experiences were too limited after all!

However, the next moment, she caught on, "This zither indeed has a remarkable background, right?"

Gently caressing the zither’s surface, Lu Shouyue said, "I have a bold thought. This might be the Jiaowei Zither lost after the Song Dynasty, the very one made by Cai Yong. Of course, even if I’m mistaken, this zither is still worth a high price in my collection—priceless, especially to someone who truly values it."

Lin Wanwan was a bit dazed. If it were indeed that particular zither, it would fetch a sky-high price, even in the Great Tang era. Did Xiao Chong really gift away his treasure zither? Wasn’t it always said that the zither had been retained by the Imperial Family?

"So, Wanwan, selling it to me? You won’t lose out on the price, as no ancient zither has been sold at the price I’m offering." Seeing Lin Wanwan in silence, Lu Shouyue prodded once more.

Lin Wanwan snapped back to reality and with a smile, shook her head, "As you said, Mr. Lu, priceless treasures can’t be bought. Mr. Lu, don’t deprive me of my pleasure. Throwing money at me—I can’t handle it. I need to leave quickly before I waver. Thank you! Goodbye!"

While speaking, she was already packing up the zither to leave.

Lu Shouyue chuckled, "No need to hurry if you’re not selling. You’ve just gifted me such fine paperweights, I ought to reciprocate in kind. ’Offering me a small token, return you with a grand gesture’—that’s my life motto. Come, let’s go to the car market and get you a car? I noticed you always take cabs, that’s not very convenient."

Lin Wanwan waved him off, "No need, really. Each time I trouble you, you give me more than enough grand gestures. Besides, taking a cab is so much more convenient. I don’t have to worry about parking."

Lu Shouyue accompanied Lin Wanwan downstairs. Seeing how resolute she was, he could only feign a wounded sigh, "Alright then, let me at least give you a ride back? Let me play chauffeur for once?"

This time, Lin Wanwan didn’t refuse, smiling, "Sure."

Once in the car, she placed the zither case carefully on the back seat, strapping it in with three seat belts before sitting in the front passenger seat. A zither worth nearly a billion—she couldn’t risk any bumps or scratches!

Before starting the car, Lu Shouyue asked, "Oh, by the way, I booked a meal at Jie Yuting tonight. Would you like to join me?"

"Hmm... Alright." The thought of Jie Yuting’s delicious food made Lin Wanwan’s mouth water uncontrollably. "Why doesn’t he allow takeout though?"

Lin Wanwan especially wanted to take some food home for Qingyu to try, but Jie Yuting, being rather eccentric, had a rule that anyone who took his food out would be blacklisted, not to be served again.

People with a certain level of skill tend to have quirks, yet everyone goes along with it because his culinary artistry leaves nothing to be desired. There’s no shortage of gluttons willing to dine there.

Lu Shouyue laughed, "Geniuses always have some quirks. But honestly, consuming food on the spot does preserve the flavor better. Why do you want to take it out?"

Lin Wanwan shrugged, "Even if it loses some flavor, it’s still many times better than what’s made outside. I want to have it as a midnight snack!"

Lu Shouyue suggested, "That’s simple. Hire someone to make the reservation, and have them pack it up. If Jie Yuting wants to blacklist them, so be it. Besides, you often supply him with top-quality seafood, so next time, just ask him to do you a favor. Otherwise, stop selling him the seafood—hit back a little."

Lin Wanwan laughed heartily, "Mr. Lu, you must have done this before, right?"

Lu Shouyue, also laughing, said, "Take a guess."

They soon arrived at Jie Yuting’s private restaurant. As parking was difficult, Lin Wanwan got off first while Lu Shouyue went to find a spot for the car.