Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Qu Yi Xian let out a scoff and laughed.

A cultural relic appraiser, sure, and now add “genius”… Does she not know what a genius looks like?

Geniuses—nine out of ten have thick-rimmed glasses perched on their noses. At worst, they’re refined and scholarly, exuding intellect, deeply knowledgeable, and naturally full of spirit and cultivation.

No way Fu Xun looked like that—tattooed arms, wild and free-range since childhood, a total untamed type.

She went back to the homepage and typed “Fu Xun.”

With only one bar of signal, intermittent and weak, even the desert wind seemed enough to scatter it.

While waiting for the page to load, Qu Yi Xian lit a cigarette.

Halfway through, the blank page finally began to load. From the search bar to the first post, it printed out in clear, ink-like text, page by page.

There were surprisingly few web pages about Fu Xun, let alone a personal Baidu encyclopedia entry.

She scrolled through a few pages and scoffed. “Just a front, and they call him a genius… a second-rate hustler.”

But the next second, her laughter froze.

She slid into Weibo and saw a photo.

The background was a three-sided, 3D circular giant screen. Fu Xun wore a neat, sophisticated shirt and trousers, leaning against the podium, one hand in his pocket, standing casually.

He was in profile to the camera, shirt sleeves rolled up slightly, revealing a small section of a tattoo on his left arm.

The tattoo didn’t diminish his elegance; it actually accentuated a wild, roguish charm.

He stood under focused lighting, lips curved in a smile, exuding effortless charm.

The Weibo post was short and blunt, just one sentence: “Oh my god! Are cultural relic appraisers really this handsome now?! Totally kills me!!!!”

Qu Yi Xian scratched her chin and decided to retract her previous judgment.

Fu Xun might really not be a second-rate hustler…

Who could look this dazzling and be a second-rate hustler?

She glanced at the blogger’s bio—“Professional grave-digging archaeologist, old auntie.”

…Interesting.

Qu Yi Xian flipped through the blogger’s posts along the timeline. Not much about Fu Xun besides that photo, only a few hundred-word long post with popular science info.

The content wasn’t very detailed, but every point hit exactly the right spot.

“Fu Xun, successor to Mr. Fu Wangshu, ancestral home Nanjiang.

Mr. Fu Wangshu is a top domestic antiques appraiser. Fu Xun, as his only son, was personally taught by him. By ten, he could authenticate relics, became famous young, and by twenty, his net worth exceeded a hundred million.

This is why he is called a ‘genius cultural relic appraiser.’

According to my teacher’s gossip, Mr. Fu Wangshu started saving bridal gifts for Fu Xun from his first birthday, and every birthday gift was a treasure ‘picked up’ from the antiques market.

You might not understand—let me give an example: Junior level—antique appraiser, can become department head in an auction house or pawn shop, salary above three thousand; higher level—senior appraiser, salary above ten thousand, unlimited depending on skill, especially for first-class appraisers.

My male god was already a first-class appraiser before he was even an adult…

And don’t forget, Mr. Fu Wangshu, already a top domestic expert at the time, his judgment even when ‘picking up bargains’ is priceless, accumulated over decades…

Seeing this, don’t you want to marry into the Fu family as a daughter-in-law?

That’s not even the best part. My male god Fu Xun himself is a walking money-making machine.

Once he authenticates relics, after confirming their value, his fee is usually a proportion of the item’s value. Rumor has it… rumor! Hundreds of thousands worth of relic authentication can’t even hire him…

I’ve been lucky to witness him appraise on site, in a white shirt, black trousers, gold-rimmed rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose, gloves on, exuding pure ascetic godliness.

Finally.

Do you know what the name ‘Fu Xun’ represents in the archaeological world?”

He’s an authority.”

Qu Yi Xian digested this.

Fu Xun really was a cultural relic appraiser, a top-tier expert worth over a hundred million.

Besides that, he was the founder of the Star Brilliance Rescue Team and its sole investor.

Her first encounter with Fu Xun had been in a dormitory at Hukou Hotel.

Their next encounter, he was a volunteer at the Sonandaje Nature Reserve in Kekexili, and he had even tricked her.

She lowered her gaze and looked at that photo again.

A walking money-printing machine…

The description fit quite well.

Qu Yi Xian twitched her fingers and casually tapped “Follow.”

She thought it was a pity that the blogger only had about twenty zombie fans.

She started the engine and headed in a broad direction.

The Toyota Land Cruiser immediately tore through the sand, kicking up a wave of dust. With the roar of the engine, she slammed the accelerator, like a leopard charging into the wilderness, sand and stones flying.

At that extreme speed, her mind was clearer than ever.

Fu Xun didn’t like exposure.

There was no Baidu encyclopedia page for him, and very little information online. If, as the blogger said, Fu Xun was someone completely unrelated to her, why would he bother descending into the mortal world to meet her?

The route map in Sheng Zi’s hands seemed fine at first glance, but on closer inspection, it always circled one place—Dunhuang.

In Dunhuang, out Dunhuang.

What exactly was he looking for? Or… was he looking for her?

Her tangled thoughts unraveled, and Qu Yi Xian’s mind finally cleared.

She slammed on the brakes, the momentum and seatbelt nearly throwing her off, dizzy and reeling as she leaned back against the seat, coldly tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Right.

He was looking for her.

Fu Xun was a seasoned outdoor adventurer. Judging by the equipment in the Land Cruiser, he was willing to spend money and knew exactly where to spend it for the best results.

A few days ago, she had been busy with the search and hadn’t noticed.

Looking back now, Fu Xun seemed like a hidden, lurking hunter. A man who had given her such extreme pressure the first time they met—how could he be all restrained, almost invisible, like a ghost?

The real Fu Xun should be like last night, when he cornered her against the wall.

Irresistible, stirring.

His traversal route had been designed to meet her at the right time.

Otherwise, how could he have visited Dunhuang several times but only this time revealed his whereabouts to Yuan Ye, conveniently arranging a long-awaited reunion?

All along, he had been guiding her, leading her to discover his presence.

Then he threw out bait, using Jiang Yuan, who mattered most to her, to lure her in.

But what about his motive?

What was Fu Xun’s motive?

——

After fixing the Land Cruiser’s shock absorbers, Qu Yi Xian returned to Dunhuang. The first thing she did was send the Land Cruiser back to the factory for inspection.

She had a trip to lead the day after tomorrow, so she needed to depart by tomorrow night at the latest, first reaching Xining. From Xining, she would follow the Northwest loop for seven days, dropping off passengers in Lanzhou.

Time was tight. She needed to eliminate all safety hazards in the Land Cruiser as quickly as possible.

She had just sent the Land Cruiser in and was talking with the technicians about its issues when Yuan Ye drove in with the SUV for a wash.

Qu Yi Xian didn’t notice at first, but then she heard the car washer whistle and shout loudly, “What’s that SUV doing, running around!”

She turned her head and happened to lock eyes with Yuan Ye, who was cowering inside the car.

Qu Yi Xian gestured for the mechanic to start inspecting the Land Cruiser first. She stood in place, arms crossed, chin slightly raised.

Yuan Ye wanted to cry.

To avoid Qu Yi Xian, he had just taken an afternoon order: a family group of four for a two-day Dunhuang tour starting tomorrow. He never expected that washing a car would backfire and make him run straight into Little Qu Ye.

He sulked, tail between his legs, and slinked out of the car.

Qu Yi Xian smiled, “What do you see me running for?”

Fear! What else!

Yuan Ye, timid, glanced at the Land Cruiser that had taken quite a beating from sand and wind: “Little Qu Ye, you’re inspecting it?”

Qu Yi Xian hummed, “Has he left?”

Yuan Ye nodded, “Left a while ago. Just needed to buy a ticket to accompany him to Nanjiang.”

Qu Yi Xian picked a spot to sit and handed him a cigarette. “Did he say when he’ll be back?”

Yuan Ye took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear. “No.”

He pulled out the Land Cruiser key and handed it to her. “The car’s in the garage.”

Qu Yi Xian looked at the key, paused for a moment as if recalling something. Then she lifted her eyes and said, “Yuan Ye, last time I told you, apply to the investor for a helicopter when we get back.”

Yuan Ye remembered clearly. “I remember, I remember.”

Qu Yi Xian hummed again and said seriously, “Now I think one helicopter isn’t enough. Even a private airstrip wouldn’t be too much trouble for Fu Xun.”

Yuan Ye: “…”

No, why was Little Qu Ye suddenly talking nonsense again?

——

That night.

Yuan Ye tactfully conveyed the extremely unreasonable request from the team leader, Qu, to Fu Xun.

He had expected Fu Xun to blast him for being ungrateful, wolf-hearted, lion-mouthed… he was ready to be scolded senselessly, but instead, the man remained calm.

Even in a good mood.

Fu Xun seemed to think for a few minutes seriously: “No problem.”

Yuan Ye was stunned.

He picked at his ear, worried that the earwax he hadn’t cleared in a long time was causing hallucinations.

“Wait until September, I’ll think of a plan,” Fu Xun asked, “Did she say anything else?”

The airstrip request was so absurd that even if Qu Yi Xian had given him ten more guts, he still wouldn’t have voiced it.

Yuan Ye racked his brain and finally remembered: “Oh, Little Qu Ye also asked me when you would be back.”

Fu Xun was silent for a few seconds, then said: “No rush.”

“When she can’t hold her patience…” I’ll be back.