The Xu family’s old residence was nearby—just a five-minute drive away. Xu Shisan was driving, while Gu Xingzhao left her car parked on Antique Street.
Sitting in Xu Shisan’s car, Gu Xingzhao felt incredibly comfortable. The car had a great sense of space and carried a subtle air of luxury. It made her feel almost elevated just by being in it. No wonder Xu Shisan, despite his wealth, always drove this particular car.
Suddenly, she had the urge to replace her own car, which she had bought for 400,000 yuan not too long ago.
Gu Xingzhao asked, “What brand is this car?”
Xu Shisan smiled. “Hongqi Guoli.”
Hongqi Guoli?
Gu Xingzhao pursed her lips. It was a brand she had never heard of before. She had done a lot of research before buying her car, but she hadn’t come across this name.
Curious, she pulled out her phone and searched for it. The price that appeared on the screen made her gasp. She quickly closed the browser.
Suddenly, her 400,000-yuan car seemed perfectly fine. It could last her a good decade, after all—there was really no need to replace it.
Just then, Xu Shisan suddenly asked, “Do you like this car?”
Gu Xingzhao rarely voiced her personal opinions, so Xu Shisan was intrigued.
Awkwardly, she smiled. “It’s alright.”
Mainly, she thought, her wallet couldn’t afford to like it.
Xu Shisan chuckled. “If you don’t mind second-hand, I’ll give it to you. I’ve been meaning to get a new car anyway. Driving the same one all the time is a bit boring.”
Gu Xingzhao fell silent for a moment. “No, thanks. I was just curious.”
Had she not just looked up the price, she might have actually accepted the offer.
Forget second-hand—even a third-hand version of this car would be out of her budget.
Why did Xu Shisan always act like a money-spending deity?
In no time, they arrived at the Xu family’s old residence. The house had gray bricks, dark tiles, and intricate eaves. Walking down the stone pathway, Gu Xingzhao noticed the ancient wood-carved doors and windows, all adding to the aesthetic of the place. The courtyard was beautifully arranged, with a pond of serene green water. It all had a classic elegance, fitting perfectly with the family’s business.
Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but admire, “Your family home is really beautiful.”
Xu Shisan laughed. “When my grandfather was alive, the house didn’t look like this. It was renovated a few years ago. If you had seen it back then, you wouldn’t be so impressed.”
Curious, Gu Xingzhao asked, “Did you oversee the renovation?”
“No, I don’t come back to the old residence much. My uncle lives here; he’s the one who had it remodeled.”
Gu Xingzhao thought to herself that this uncle must have good taste. He probably wasn’t the type to wear flashy shirts.
As they walked through the courtyard, she heard the soft tinkling of bells. It wasn’t until they entered a long, winding corridor and she saw the wind chimes hanging there that she realized where the sound came from.
At that moment, she noticed a tall figure in a black Zhongshan suit walking in the distance and entering a pavilion. The fleeting glimpse of the man’s profile struck her as oddly familiar.
“Who was that, the man in black?” she asked.
“That’s my uncle. Don’t worry about him,” Xu Shisan replied nonchalantly.
He then turned his attention to the electronic lock on the door, verified his fingerprint, and opened it with a flourish. “Welcome to the Xu family treasure vault.”
As Gu Xingzhao followed him inside, her gaze was immediately captured by the vast array of antiques—there must have been hundreds of them. Her thoughts quickly shifted from the uncle she had just seen to the dazzling collection in front of her.
The treasure room was large, and in the center display case sat the object Xu Shisan had shown her earlier—the one that looked like an old gaming console.
The more she looked at it, the more it seemed like the gaming console she had given to Lu Xingyao. Her emotions were complicated.
“I never understood what was so valuable about this thing,” Xu Shisan said, leaning casually against the display case. “It’s been here for as long as I can remember, but there’s no plaque explaining its origin.”
He sighed. “I’ve done a lot of research, but I couldn’t find anything. Honestly, I’m starting to think it’s just an old game console, maybe left behind by some time-traveler!”
Gu Xingzhao felt a pang of guilt. “It’s probably just a coincidence. Time travel? That’s just fiction.”
Xu Shisan chuckled, glancing at his watch. It was only eleven o’clock. If he could keep her around until lunchtime, he could naturally invite her for a meal.
“I’ll go grab us some drinks. Take your time and look around.”
“Alright.”
As Xu Shisan’s footsteps faded, Gu Xingzhao wandered over to another display case. Inside were more items, all similarly lacking any description. Some of the objects even resembled things she had sent to the Lu family—especially that walking stick. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
Just then, slow, measured footsteps approached from behind. Assuming it was Xu Shisan, she called out, “Doesn’t this look like a walking stick?”
A deep, unfamiliar voice answered instead. “It does.”
Startled, Gu Xingzhao quickly turned around. It was the man in the black Zhongshan suit—Xu Shisan’s uncle.
Her eyes traveled up to meet his face, and she froze in place.
The man had a high nose, fair skin that made his slightly red lips stand out, and distinct features. His deep-set eyes were like pools of melted snow—calm and distant. His black hair was meticulously groomed, giving him an air of precision and restraint.
As Gu Xingzhao stood there, stunned, the man approached and stopped in front of her. He seemed to blend into the serene and elegant surroundings.
His gaze swept over the room before settling on Gu Xingzhao. In a low, composed voice, he asked, “Who are you?”
Gu Xingzhao snapped out of her daze, looking at the man’s strikingly handsome face. Nervously, she swallowed. “I—”
“Uncle!” Xu Shisan’s loud voice interrupted, drawing both their attention.
He hurried over, holding two bottles of drinks, and handed one to Gu Xingzhao. Standing beside her, he introduced her to the man in the Zhongshan suit, “Uncle, this is my girlfriend. She’s interested in antiques, so I brought her to take a look.”
The man paused for a moment and then nodded. “I see.”
Xu Shisan, still smiling, turned to Gu Xingzhao. “Ah Zhao, this is my uncle. Just call him what I do.”
Gu Xingzhao forced an awkward smile, hesitating under their expectant gazes. After a moment, she finally managed a stiff, “Hello.”
But deep down, she wasn’t thinking about what to call him. The most pressing issue was that Xu Shisan’s uncle looked exactly like Lu Xingyao, the man who called her “ancestor” every day.
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