At first, I held onto a sliver of hope, thinking perhaps Sister Ying was unable to acknowledge me, but that shred of hope soon vanished.
A staff member approached me and handed me a pack of cigarettes, "Sir, your cigarettes."
I was a bit puzzled, wondering when I had asked for cigarettes.
After taking the pack, I noticed it had already been opened.
Opening the cigarette case, I found a slip of paper inside. Seeing it, I let out a sigh and said to Mr. Cao, "Mr. Cao, I'm going to smoke a cigarette, please excuse me."
Mr. Cao smiled, "Alright, don't forget to call me."
Glancing at the woman, who was both a stranger and familiar, I nodded slightly. Zheng Shuxuan also returned my smile politely.
Upon reaching the restroom, I took out the note from the cigarette pack. It read three words: "Meet at the back door."
My brow furrowed slightly. I left the restroom and headed straight for the back door.
The back of the venue was piled with various items. I looked around, but saw no one.
Just as I was wondering, a familiar voice sounded, "Do you smoke?"
I turned to see Yang Hanxue, wearing a baseball cap and work clothes.
"Brother Yang?" I blinked in surprise.
He glanced around and whispered, "Come with me."
We exited through the back door and arrived at a storage room. He handed me a cigarette and lit one for himself.
"You've already met the young lady, haven't you?" Yang Hanxue asked me.
"I have... she seems to be..."
"She has amnesia."
Although I had anticipated this, hearing Yang Hanxue say it felt entirely different.
"So, you mean she..."
Yang Hanxue nodded, "You know Feng Shu, right?"
I nodded, "I met her once before in Bianhai."
"She's always been by the young lady's side. When I arrived in Guangbei, she contacted me. At that time, when I went to find them, the young lady was severely injured, on the verge of death..."
He took a drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled, "This was the first time I saw her... reborn..."
"Reborn?" My brow furrowed.
"Indeed. The night before, her body had no signs of life. The next day, she woke up, and her injuries were gone," Yang Hanxue said. "I was still skeptical about her ability of immortality, but this time, it completely dispelled my doubts..."
At this point, I took a deep breath and said, "Then why is she here at the appraisal convention? That Water Moon Guanyin statue?"
Yang Hanxue nodded, "Precisely... I hope Brother Xiang won't go back on your word then."
"I said I would help you, and I won't go back on my word, but..."
"The young lady has already said that after this matter is concluded, she can meet with you alone."
I was taken aback, "She... she still remembers me?"
Yang Hanxue replied, "She probably doesn't.
"Then why would she want to meet me alone?"
"This is a complicated matter. When you two meet alone, she should be able to explain it to you," Yang Hanxue said.
My heart was in turmoil. Did Sister Ying really not remember me at all?
A sense of loss spread through me.
After a long while, I asked, "How do you need my help?"
Yang Hanxue said, "First, you need to find a way to enter the finals. Once you reach the finals, I will give you the next instructions... Until then, don't have too much contact with the young lady. If you're exposed then, it will bring trouble to both you and us."
I nodded, "Alright, I understand."
"Brother Xiang, I'm counting on you."
...
Returning to the venue, the second round of the competition had already begun. Fatty sidled up to me, "Mr. Xiang, where were you? It's already started..."
As he spoke, he handed me a number plate and pointed to a "Appraisal Room" nearby, "Mr. Xiang, you're over there."
I took the number plate from Fatty and nodded, then walked towards the "Appraisal Room."
After handing the number plate to the staff at the entrance, I was led inside.
The room wasn't large and contained nothing else. In the center was a square table, with an object covered by a cloth.
On either side of the table stood two staff members, both holding notebooks, seemingly to record the entire process.
I walked over, lifted the cloth, and saw a Zisha teapot on the table.
The teapot was entirely yellow, with bamboo carvings on its surface. The whole pot looked exceptionally beautiful under the lamplight.
It was quite a coincidence. When I first arrived in Guangling, I worked in Sister Ying's shop and spent my days studying Zisha teapots.
Although few of the Zisha teapots in her shop were genuine, after looking at them for so long, I could tell a real one from a fake at a glance.
To be on the safe side, I still walked over, put on the white gloves provided by the staff, picked up the teapot, and examined it for a moment.
When I put the teapot down, I looked at the staff member and said, "This teapot is real, crafted by Gu Jingzhou."
The staff member, with a blank expression, recorded what I said. Seeing this, I turned to leave.
I had only been inside for about five or six minutes. I felt my speed should have been fast enough, but after coming out, Fatty told me that several people had been faster than me.
"Mr. Xiang, I'm not trying to criticize you, but I thought you would take at most a minute inside, who knew you'd be in there for so long," Fatty said.
I asked, "Someone came out before me?"
Fatty tilted his chin and pointed to the distance, "Look, the beautiful Ms. Zheng you took a liking to, and that Mr. Kong over there..."
"Where's Yan Yuhe?" I scanned the area, not seeing her.
"She hasn't come out yet," Fatty replied.
I glanced at Sister Ying, surprised that she had also come out so quickly.
Sister Ying used to know nothing about antiques. How could she this time...
Could it be that after her "rebirth," Sister Ying also gained appraisal abilities?
This seemed highly unlikely.
Then how could she be so fast?
Soon, I noticed Sister Ying walking towards the restroom. A man whose face was obscured stood by the restroom, dressed in a Tang suit.
They spoke briefly at the restroom entrance, after which Sister Ying went inside, and the man quickly left.
I thought for a moment, then said to Fatty, "Did you see the man in the Tang suit?"
Fatty followed my gaze and nodded, "I saw him. What's up, Mr. Xiang?"
"Go and follow him. See where he goes."
Fatty pursed his lips without asking further questions, "Okay."
"Yes, call me anytime if there's any development." I said.
After Fatty left, Yan Yuhe finally emerged from an "Appraisal Room."
"Mr. Xiang, how was your..."
"My side should be fine. As for you, why did you take so long to come out?" I asked.
Yan Yuhe looked a bit embarrassed, "The item I was appraising was a bit special, so it took more time."
I nodded, saying nothing more, my gaze fixed on Sister Ying not far away...