Song Chunxia dared to ask this question because she had already sized up Lin Yu's antique appraisal skills in her mind.
No matter how modest Lin Yu was, it didn’t matter.
What truly mattered was how Song Chunxia perceived Lin Yu!
If she regarded him as an expert, but Lin Yu casually spouted nonsense to brush off the matter, the consequences would be obvious.
She had been straightforward with him, yet he chose to hide the truth, not daring to speak honestly.
Could such a person be trusted?
Absolutely not worth befriending!
Not only would it ruin Song Chunxia’s first impression of him, but given her temperament, she might even complain to Brother Biao about it later.
Offending two people for no reason—what a bitter pill to swallow!
Should he showcase his genuine appraisal skills and tell the truth?
After acquiring the "Antique Sister," Lin Yu had indeed mastered the art of antique identification.
Appraising an antique was as easy as pie for him now.
Though he hadn’t yet examined it closely, judging by its appearance and quality…
90% fake!
To anyone with expertise, it was undeniably a counterfeit.
But precisely because it was fake, a dilemma arose!
A gift from a friend?
Even if Song Chunxia dared to say it, could Lin Yu believe it?
If this item were genuine, its value would easily exceed a million.
What kind of close friend would casually give a million-dollar gift?
This gift…
Could it have been Brother Biao’s present to his wife?
If Lin Yu declared it fake, what if the couple ended up fighting over it?
Then Lin Yu would become the villain!
If he ran into Brother Biao later, he’d likely face resentment.
Worse, if Brother Biao had hyped up the item’s authenticity, it might have already strained their marital relationship.
Brother Biao had treated him well.
How could Lin Yu, knowing the risks, push Brother Biao into trouble behind his back?
All these thoughts, however, remained on the surface—the first layer.
At this level, Lin Yu still held the initiative.
He could still control how things unfolded.
But there was a deeper layer to this!
Song Chunxia…
Did she actually know anything about antiques?
Was she aware whether the item in the box was real or fake?
She was Brother Biao’s wife, after all!
Brother Biao was an antique enthusiast who loved collecting old artifacts.
But what about his wife?
Could she share the same hobby?
What if, from the very beginning, Song Chunxia already knew the answer and was testing Lin Yu?
The way he answered would carry an entirely different meaning.
An amateur could be fooled.
But an expert wouldn’t let Lin Yu get away with deception!
Gasp!
Lin Yu suddenly realized—
He had underestimated today’s gathering and Song Chunxia’s intentions for meeting him.
Right off the bat, she had thrown him such a tricky challenge.
Just as Lin Yu found himself trapped between a rock and a hard place—
Mao Ruirui suddenly leaned forward and swiftly closed the opened box.
Song Chunxia: "???"
Lin Yu: "???"
Mao Ruirui’s abrupt action stunned both of them.
At the same time, Lin Yu was reminded once again of the power of sincerity.
"Chunxia-jie, I get it now," Mao Ruirui said.
"You want Xiao Yu to check whether your friend’s gift is real or fake, right?"
"But Xiao Yu isn’t a professional appraiser. He might know a little, but how could he compare to an expert?"
"If he misjudges it and affects your friendship, wouldn’t that be his fault?"
Song Chunxia: "…"
Lin Yu: "!!!"
Exactly! That’s the point!
Ruirui-jie nailed it!
Despite her hearing impairment, her mind worked lightning-fast.
Though she hadn’t caught every detail, she pinpointed the crux of the issue.
And she voiced it without a hint of malice!
This was an innate talent—something impossible to learn.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yu didn’t just sit there dumbfounded.
He nodded in agreement.
"Chunxia-jie, Ruirui-jie really spoke my mind."
"I’m honored you trust me enough to ask, but I honestly don’t dare to judge it…"
"For the reason Ruirui-jie mentioned—my skills are limited. If I mess up and harm your friendship, that’d be unforgivable!"
"If you really want it appraised, Ruirui-jie and I have a friend at the Ghost Market Street. Her expertise is the real deal."
As he spoke, Lin Yu discreetly held Mao Ruirui’s hand under the table.
Having her step in to rescue him was perfect!
[Ding!]
[Masterful move! The Saint’s sweet interaction fills his Dao Companion with joy!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]
Mao Ruirui scooted closer to the table, ensuring their intertwined hands stayed hidden from Song Chunxia’s view.
She had no idea how much she’d just helped Lin Yu.
All she knew was…
She’d guessed his thoughts correctly!
Their minds really were in sync!
Song Chunxia chuckled as she put the box away, unsure whether to laugh or sigh at Mao Ruirui.
The words "head over heels in love" might as well be stamped on her forehead.
No one needed to point it out—her actions gave her away completely!
"Alright, alright, Ruirui’s right," Song Chunxia conceded.
"I have zero interest in antiques. This thing was given to me by Brother Biao’s sister-in-law."
"She claimed it wasn’t worth much, just a trinket to wear."
"But that woman and I have a terrible relationship. Why would she give me something real?"
"I asked Brother Biao if it’s genuine, but he wouldn’t say!"
"So when I ran into Lin Yu today, I figured I’d ask him."
Mao Ruirui: "…"
Lin Yu: "…"
Chunxia-jie was truly a straight shooter.
Calling her sister-in-law "that bitch" in front of others—she really didn’t treat them as outsiders!
Mao Ruirui awkwardly sipped her tea, casting a sympathetic look at Song Chunxia.
"Chunxia-jie… does Brother Biao have another sister-in-law outside?"
"I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was such a situation."
Song Chunxia paused, then burst into laughter.
Lin Yu hastily piled food onto Mao Ruirui’s plate, urging,
"Let’s eat while we talk, eat while we talk."
Covering her mouth, Song Chunxia giggled.
"Ruirui’s just too entertaining! I love hanging out with fun young people like her!"
"Lin Yu, I don’t care what you think, but Ruirui’s a gem. I see her as my own little sister."
"If I find out you’re fooling around behind her back and hurting her…"
"I swear I’ll make you regret it!"
Lin Yu wanted to clarify that they were just close friends for now.
But given Mao Ruirui’s earlier display, that explanation would be hard to sell!
However, he didn’t need to respond.
Mao Ruirui took care of it herself—
She shot up from her seat, frantically waving her hands at Song Chunxia.
"No, no!"
"Chunxia-jie, please don’t misunderstand!"
"How could I ever fool around with Brother Biao?"
"We never contact each other privately!"
...
(Second update. This round of edits might be even more brutal than the last. Some chapters could have over a dozen flagged sections, each requiring rewrites of dozens to hundreds of words. Essentially, it means redoing entire chunks. No choice but to power through. I’ll keep you all posted on progress.)
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
