Husband and Wife The Disillusioned Traditional Chinese-style Girl

Lin Yu stood frozen in shock: "???"

Just moments ago,

he had regarded Shen Buyao as the epitome of a gentle, traditional Chinese maiden.

But in the next instant, her roaring outburst—like an enraged immortal—left him utterly dumbfounded.

Hallucination. This had to be a damn hallucination, right?

Even in his past life, when he’d met online friends who turned out to be catfishes, he’d never cursed like this.

Judging by Shen Buyao’s demeanor, this seemed like her everyday norm?

Thinking back to the young man’s reaction when he asked for directions earlier… now it made sense!

Inside the shop,

the man who’d been berated picked up the scroll from the floor, still muttering weakly:

"Boss Yao, this… this should be authentic, right?"

Shen Buyao grabbed an inkstone from the counter, poised to hurl it at him.

The man recoiled like a startled snake, scrambling backward.

"Authentic my ass!"

"Paper boiled with gardenia and black tea—your sister could tell it’s fake just by touching it!"

"Can’t even distinguish single-weave from double-weave royal silk? Get the hell out of here!"

The man was left speechless, yet oddly unoffended.

As he reached the door, he even called back:

"I’m off now, Boss Yao. Wishing you booming business!"

"Next time I get my hands on something top-tier, I’ll bring it straight to you!"

When the man stepped outside, Lin Yu caught a glimpse of his face—and his shock doubled.

The man being scolded looked at least thirty-five, with the weathered face of a middle-aged guy.

Shen Buyao… was she even twenty-five?

From their brief exchange, Lin Yu pieced together a wealth of information:

First,

Shen Buyao’s expertise was undeniable.

The man didn’t question her verdict on the forged painting—either he already knew it was fake or he trusted her judgment completely.

Either way,

it proved Shen Buyao wasn’t just skilled; she was a force to be reckoned with.

Second,

Shen Buyao commanded immense respect on this street.

A man decades older than her got chewed out to his face,

yet not only did he not retaliate—

he even wished her prosperity on his way out?

Her status was clearly exceptional.

Third,

a conclusion drawn from the first two points:

Shen Buyao had formidable backing.

Only someone with unimaginable connections could run a business with this level of audacity.

An ordinary person trying this would have their shop wrecked within hours.

Lin Yu was still staring blankly at the man’s retreating figure when another roar erupted from inside:

"You there, kid!"

"Yeah, you! What’re you buying?"

Lin Yu awkwardly turned to the window.

He was the only one standing at the stall outside—the words were unmistakably aimed at him.

He desperately wanted to ask, "How much for the beans?"

But he feared invoking the antique-dealing sister’s wrath upon his entire family.

Before he could formulate a response,

Shen Buyao leaned out the window, studying him intently.

"College kid!"

"Aren’t you the student from our apartment complex?"

"What was your name again… Shower?!"

Lin Yu: "…"

Yeah, sure. Shower.

Might as well call me Loofah while you’re at it!

They’d lived under the same roof for months, and she still botched his name?

Did he really leave that little an impression?

After silently ranting, Lin Yu forced a smile:

"Yao-jie, it’s me, Lin Yu."

"‘Lin’ as in ‘forest,’ ‘Yu’ as in ‘feather.’"

"Didn’t expect you to recognize me."

Shen Buyao brightened, propping her elbows on the wooden window frame:

"Aha, it really is you!"

"I’m not senile yet—of course I’d recognize you!"

"Here with classmates for some market fun?"

Lin Yu glanced left and right.

He’d love to conjure up a classmate right now—

someone to hide behind if Shen Buyao’s temper flared.

Unfortunately,

he was alone.

Lin Yu sighed:

"No, Yao-jie, I came by myself."

At this,

Shen Buyao fiddled with the crescent moon hairpin on her head, as if pondering something.

Noticing the cloth bag in Lin Yu’s hand, she nodded thoughtfully:

"Oh… well, come on in then."

Lin Yu didn’t overthink it.

He’d come here with a purpose.

However eccentric Shen Buyao’s temper was, as long as she could help, that’s all that mattered.

Stepping into the Treasureless Pavilion,

the interior matched his expectations of an antique shop.

Neatly arranged shelves emitted the distinct fragrance of sandalwood—

probably sandalwood.

Displayed in varying compartments were antiques of different sizes and conditions.

In one corner stood an aged tea table with an exquisite set of tea utensils.

Alongside the antiques were several standing vintage clocks, their pendulums steadily ticking.

A closer look at the shelves revealed many items bore traces of restoration.

Lin Yu had heard rumors:

Shen Buyao wasn’t just skilled in antique restoration—she also repaired old clocks and watches.

Approaching the counter,

his eyes immediately locked onto four keyboards hanging on the wall behind it—

Keyboards?

Keyboards?!

Lin Yu blinked hard, doubting his vision.

Was the antique-savvy sister also moonlighting as a computer repairwoman?

Moving closer, he noticed something even stranger.

The keyboards were different brands and models,

yet all shared identical damage—the space bars were shattered.

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Wait…

No way?

Just as he spiraled into confusion,

a girl’s cooing voice blared from the speakers behind the counter:

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

"Husband Yao, get ready! I need to clear this traditional mode quest!"

"It requires a couple to complete—I’ve been waiting forever…"

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Shen Buyao had been about to step out from behind the counter to greet her apartment-mate,

but at the sound of her "wife’s" voice, she spun back around.

Then,

as if Lin Yu were invisible, she snarled into the standing microphone:

"Stop rushing me, you numbskull!"

"Some idiot came in earlier and wasted my time."

"Plus, there’s a pocket watch to fix—can’t you wait five damn minutes?"

"What quest is this anyway…"

"Ten-star ‘Narcissus’?"

"You think you can clear that?!"

The girl’s voice replied:

"We don’t need to clear it! Just scoring points will complete the quest."

"Husband Yao, how much longer?"

"I’m getting impatient here!"

Lin Yu: "…"

Since when was this a free-for-all podcast?

A standing mic with speakers—

Was buying headphones that hard?

The battle-scarred keyboards on the wall had already hinted at the answer.

Either Audition or Dance Battle.

Ten-star "Narcissus."

Based on his past life’s three-star Dance Battle skills, it had to be the latter.

Had any other girl from the apartment spouted such lines, Lin Yu wouldn’t have batted an eye.

But hearing it from Shen Buyao—dressed head-to-toe in traditional elegance—was downright surreal.

Before he could process further,

Shen Buyao smacked the counter and barked:

"College kid…"

"You know where the arrow keys and spacebar are, right?"