Ye Fan strode back to the hotel, and as he opened the door, he saw Liu Piaoxu sitting on the sofa.
A bottle of red wine and an empty wine glass were placed on the coffee table.
Liu Piaoxu, on the other hand, was holding a glass of red wine.
She was wearing silk pajamas, her hair was still wet, clearly having just come out of the shower.
Ye Fan couldn't help but frown.
"You showered in my room?"
Ye Fan was a little confused about what this woman was trying to do.
She was indeed too beautiful, and in this state, she was too seductive. Ye Fan feared he wouldn't be able to control himself and do something beastly.
"Have a drink with me."
Liu Piaoxu didn't look up, her gaze still fixed on the window.
Outside, the lights were brilliant, thousands of households illuminated, yet Liu Piaoxu felt extremely lonely at this moment.
Perhaps the scene before her touched the softest part of her heart, which was why she wanted to find Ye Fan for a drink.
Sitting opposite her, Ye Fan frowned slightly. "Are you troubled?"
He poured himself a glass and looked at Liu Piaoxu.
"Ye Fan, do you know what loneliness is?"
She spoke softly, her voice like a celestial melody.
Gone was the indifference of the past, replaced by an endless sense of vicissitude.
Ye Fan's heart trembled. At this moment, he seemed to feel Liu Piaoxu's inner hardship.
But he still gave a wry smile, "If I said that no one in this world understands loneliness better than I do, would you believe me?"
He had lived two lives. In his previous life, as a tomb keeper, he had always lived alone, never experiencing family affection, friendship, or love.
Even though he had family in this life, due to circumstances, they were often separated.
Fortunately, fate had been kind to him, allowing him to meet Shen Tianyin, and this woman before him.
However, Ye Fan was a reserved person and didn't know how to express his emotions.
Finally, Liu Piaoxu slowly turned her head, looking at Ye Fan with a peculiar gaze.
"What? You think I'm just placating you?"
Liu Piaoxu shook her head and brushed a strand of hair from her ear.
"I know you have secrets, but I won't ask. If one day you want to tell me, I will be here, just like now, sitting by your side, quietly listening to you pour your heart out."
Smart women never put the ones they love in a difficult position.
Ye Fan smiled and nodded. "I think there will be such a day."
Saying that, he placed his wine glass on the table.
It was a simple conversation, but Liu Piaoxu's mood seemed to improve slightly.
"Did you see Feng Ting?"
Ye Fan nodded. "I've already spoken with him. He agreed to cooperate with us, but he can only be considered an external force. Our true reliance is still on ourselves. Therefore, we can contact Feng Xiao tomorrow."
What Feng Ting said made sense, so Ye Fan did not dismiss it.
"In this competition, Feng Xiao will definitely invite formidable experts to assist. Do you have confidence?"
Liu Piaoxu couldn't help but frown. If they lost, they might not have even the last sliver of a chance.
Although she could abandon that batch of goods, it wasn't just about a batch of goods; it was about the dignity of the Dark Alliance.
If this matter was left unresolved, who would trust the Dark Alliance in the future?
An organization that couldn't even protect its own goods would have no credibility.
Ye Fan smiled confidently. "If it were other competitions, I might have some reservations, but when it comes to appraising treasures, I don't think I've ever lost."
With his Divine Eye, Ye Fan could easily see through even the most intricate items.
Moreover, there was only one Grand Appraiser in the entire Jiangnan region, and three first-class appraisers. Besides them, there were only second and third-class appraisers. These people posed no threat to Ye Fan.
Among the first-class appraisers, Old Lei was one of them and would definitely not help Feng Xiao. The other two were comparable in skill to Old Lei, so Ye Fan didn't pay them much mind either.
Only that Grand Appraiser, Ye Fan was rather eager to meet.
Seeing Ye Fan's confidence, Liu Piaoxu was reassured.
"Wishing us great victory in this competition."
She raised her glass and gently touched Ye Fan's, then they both drank it down.
The next morning, Liu Piaoxu informed Feng Xiao that she had arrived in Jiangnan and asked him to arrange the competition.
Upon learning of Liu Piaoxu's arrival in Jiangnan, Feng Xiao was overjoyed and eagerly arranged for the competition to take place that evening. For fairness, the venue was set at the Antique Association.
This time, Feng Xiao did not plan any tricks or schemes. In his opinion, with Elder Zheng on their side, it was the greatest guarantee of an assured victory.
At this moment, in the Feng family villa, Feng Xiao's face was filled with joy.
"Uncle, I have already notified Elder Zheng. Elder Zheng is quite interested in that Ye Fan, and he assured me that he will make Ye Fan look utterly miserable tonight."
His subordinate said excitedly to Feng Xiao.
Because he was in a good mood, Feng Xiao nodded with satisfaction.
"Go to the warehouse and select a few treasures. I want to see what kind of skill that Ye Fan really possesses."
Ye Fan's reputation had already spread from Jiangcheng to Jiangnan.
However, the people of Jiangnan had not witnessed Ye Fan in action, so their knowledge of Ye Fan's reputation was mostly hearsay.
It was precisely for this reason that Feng Xiao did not believe Ye Fan was as strong as the rumors suggested.
"Yes, I'll go right away."
The subordinate quickly left.
Feng Xiao was beaming with joy, even fantasizing about getting Liu Piaoxu in his mind.
...
While Feng Xiao was actively preparing, Ye Fan and the others were also preparing.
Ye Fan had specially brought a few precious items from Jiangcheng this time.
With the current reputation of Bogu Zhai and Tianyin Pavilion, it was not difficult to find a few treasures.
"These are the most prized possessions of Bogu Zhai and Tianyin Pavilion, their hidden treasures, never displayed to outsiders. Therefore, even if he invites a first-class appraiser, they might not be able to see through them."
Ye Fan said with full confidence.
However, Liu Piaoxu wore a look of doubt. First-class appraisers had sharp eyes and were very knowledgeable. If they managed to see through these items, everything would be irreparable.
Seeing Liu Piaoxu's expression, Ye Fan felt displeased.
This woman clearly didn't trust him.
Therefore, since the competition was to be held at the Antique Association that night, Ye Fan directly called Old Lei, asking him to come to the hotel for a chat and to examine the items.
Upon hearing Ye Fan's call, Old Lei eagerly rushed over.
He was also very curious about what kind of items Ye Fan had prepared.
In just half an hour, Old Lei arrived at the hotel.
In the hotel's conference room, three people were seated, with three items placed on the table.
At this moment, Old Lei was frowning deeply, his face filled with surprise.
Old Lei couldn't see through these three items at all.
Even if he could discern the approximate era, he couldn't determine the specific details, let alone the authenticity.
He looked up suspiciously. "Brother Ye, where did you find these items? Why are they so obscure?"
Antiques, generally speaking, are mostly ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, and jade.
Appraisers also focus their efforts on these items.
However, the three items Ye Fan had chosen were none of the types he was familiar with.