Lu Xingyao’s grin was so wide it felt like it was worth nothing. Carefully, he tucked the note into his chest pocket, thinking to himself, See? How could the Ancestor not care about me?
He flipped the small game console in his hand, tentatively pressing one of the buttons. The dark screen suddenly lit up, and the unexpected animation startled him! Various shapes of blocks started falling from the top of the screen, and in his panic, his fingers frantically pressed random buttons.
Gu Xingzhao, who had at some point stood behind him, couldn’t help but laugh at his clumsy efforts. She debated whether or not she should teach him how to play.
The game was simple enough: just the same challenge over and over, with the goal of breaking the highest score.
But before she could write out any instructions, Lu Xingyao had already figured it out. In no time, he was managing the falling blocks with surprising skill.
Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up. Not bad for the so-called “First Young Master” of the capital—he’s got some talent!
Even though the game console was meant to cheer him up, it was actually quite entertaining, and it helped exercise the brain.
She patiently watched from the side until, to her amazement, Lu Xingyao—a complete beginner—surpassed her highest score in just a short time.
Gu Xingzhao: …This is how people lose themselves to games.
When the game ended, Lu Xingyao looked like he had just found the world’s most valuable treasure. He eagerly ran off to show it to Lu Xingyan.
Holding the console, he first sat to Lu Xingyan’s left, then quickly switched to his right.
Lu Xingyan: “?”
Finally, Lu Xingyao sat cross-legged in front of him, waving the glowing console in front of his face. He sighed dramatically, “Sigh, I really don’t know why the Ancestor gave me this…”
Hearing that, Lu Xingyan finally took notice of the object in his nephew’s hand. Though he didn’t know what it was, it was clearly glowing.
Did the Ancestor really give that to him?
Lu Xingyao put on a conflicted expression. “Maybe everyone got one. After all, the Ancestor has never been one to play favorites…”
He turned to look at Lu Xingyan, barely concealing the smugness in his voice. “Third Uncle, you got one too, right?”
Lu Xingyan: “…”
It was obvious that his nephew was still bitter about that chicken leg. His thoughts didn’t even need to be written on his face.
Gu Xingzhao: …‘Never plays favorites,’ huh? Is he throwing shade at me?
That night, Xu Shisan carefully placed the artifact he had just restored into a display case in the family’s treasure vault. He selected another fine piece and stored it securely in the vault as well.
The Xu family’s treasure vault housed many relics from various dynasties. Some had clear labels, but others, due to their age, had no known origins. Nonetheless, they were passed down from generation to generation, with strict orders that anything placed in the vault was significant and should never be casually disposed of.
After securing the artifacts, Xu Shisan didn’t leave immediately. He decided to wander around the vault for a while.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a square display case. Inside was a small, pitch-black object that looked oddly familiar.
After a moment, Xu Shisan reached into his pocket and pulled out the handheld game console he had borrowed from Gu Xingzhao’s house the last time he visited. He placed it next to the artifact for comparison, and a silent realization hit him: …
Why does the relic passed down by my ancestors look exactly like this handheld Tetris game?
Xu Shisan shook his head. It must be a coincidence, he thought. Didn’t they once dig up a stone shovel that looked just like a modern phone case?
Still, he pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of the relic, and sent it to his uncle.
Xu Shisan: Uncle, take a look at this.
Xu Shisan’s Uncle: ?
Xu Shisan quickly typed: Doesn’t the relic in our family’s vault look suspiciously like a game console?
After a long wait, he finally got a response.
Xu Shisan’s Uncle: Stop wandering around aimlessly.
Used to his uncle’s boring personality, Xu Shisan wasn’t surprised. He shrugged and forwarded the picture to Gu Xingzhao.
Xu Shisan: Guess what? I just found a family heirloom in our vault, and it looks exactly like the game console I borrowed from your house.
At that moment, Gu Xingzhao had just returned from the past and was lounging in bed with a face mask on. When she saw the message, she didn’t think much of it at first. But as soon as she opened the picture, she jolted upright in bed, shouting, “What the heck?!”
Immediately, she thought of Lu Xingyao. She had just given him a game console.
Zooming in on the picture, she compared the object’s shape and the placement of the buttons. It looked exactly like the console she had just given away.
Suddenly wide awake, she called Xu Shisan on video.
On the other end, Xu Shisan nearly dropped his phone when he saw her call coming through. Hurriedly, he ran a hand through his hair and straightened his clothes before answering with a charming smile, only to be met with Gu Xingzhao in pajamas and a face mask.
Xu Shisan deflated. “Why are you calling me at this hour?”
Realizing it was the middle of the night, Gu Xingzhao cleared her throat. “That picture you sent me—what exactly is it?”
Xu Shisan turned the camera toward the display case. “This? It’s something that’s been in our family’s vault for generations. I just discovered it.”
He usually avoided the treasure vault, ever since he had broken something there as a child and his grandfather had spanked him so hard he couldn’t sit for three days.
Gu Xingzhao was starting to piece things together. This must be the same game console I gave to Lu Xingyao. But how did it end up in Xu Shisan’s family treasure vault in the future?
Curious, she asked, “What else is in your family vault? Can you show me?”
Xu Shisan was always generous with her, so he happily gave her a tour with his phone, showcasing the various items.
There were vases, jewelry—everything seemed pretty normal until she saw a slightly larger display case and immediately shouted, “Wait, stop!”
Inside the case was a rusted cane, worn down by time. But she recognized it—it was the cane she had given to Lu Qing.
And over there, in another case, was the lamp that Shunyu and Lu Youtang were currently using!
As she looked around, Gu Xingzhao could vividly imagine how much Lu Qing and the others must have treasured the items she gave them.
She felt a lump in her throat, her emotions stirring unexpectedly.
Xu Shisan turned the camera back to his face, mumbling, “What’s so special about this stuff? If it weren’t for storage, I wouldn’t even bother coming in here.”
He clearly found all these ancient objects boring compared to the jade pendant around Gu Xingzhao’s neck.
Suddenly, Gu Xingzhao found Xu Shisan oddly endearing, a smile creeping onto her face. “I didn’t realize your family vault was so interesting.”
Xu Shisan’s eyes lit up. With a mischievous smile, he said, “If you like it, become my girlfriend, and you can come to my house and see it anytime! There’s a lot more to explore!”
Gu Xingzhao: … That brief moment of affection just got thrown out the window.
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