Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 887: Chapter 883: There’s a Trick

Huo Sining’s heart trembled, and she suddenly raised her head.

”Besides the weight, the appearance also has something strange about it. If I’m not mistaken, this thing should have an additional layer of substance on the outside, forming a second casting. There must be another layer inside.”

Zhou Shitao paused in his speech, carefully choosing his words before continuing to explain.

Huo Sining felt a complex mix of emotions. At this moment, she realized that the gap between her and Zhou Shitao wasn’t something that could be shortened by just an extraordinary Heavenly Eye.

Compared to Zhou Shitao’s decades of rich experience and keen insight, she still had a long way to go.

Although Huo Sining had briefly mentioned it to Zhou Shitao before, she had been vague about it, and Zhou Shitao had not seen the incense burner. He had no idea what the specific situation was.

But now, simply by weighing the incense burner in his hand, Zhou Shitao, relying on his experience and intuition, deduced that there was something unusual about it and that his analysis matched exactly what she had seen with her Heavenly Eye.

This kind of skill had no choice but to earn Huo Sining’s genuine admiration.

No wonder Zhou Shitao could become a pillar of the industry. His abilities were indeed unfathomable.

Huo Sining let out a long sigh in her heart, nodded in agreement, and said, ”That’s what I think too. This person deliberately made this incense burner look like a Qing-style Beigualing Furnace, probably to confuse people. So I think there’s a good chance that a genuine Xuande Furnace is hidden inside.”

Zhou Shitao shook his head. ”Whether it’s genuine or not can’t be concluded for now, but the fact that this person went to such great lengths to conceal it proves that the item inside is definitely not simple. But I can’t handle it myself; I need to find someone else to help.”

Saying this, Zhou Shitao took out his phone and made a call. ”I have something good here. Bring your baby over and help me clean something.”

Who knew what was said on the other end, but Zhou Shitao quickly agreed. ”Stop talking nonsense. If it’s not something good, you can pick any item from my place.”

The person on the other end happily hung up after hearing this. Zhou Shitao glanced at the incense burner a few more times before stopping.

”Had you not come to me with this, I would have almost forgotten. Last time you left something at my place, that black, squarish thing. I’ve taken out the item for you.”

Zhou Shitao suddenly remembered something and patted his forehead as he spoke.

Huo Sining was overjoyed and looked up at Zhou Shitao. ”Really?”

Zhou Shitao nodded. ”But the item is not with me now. It, along with your enamel piece, has been borrowed by the old curator of the Forbidden City.”

”Ah?” Huo Sining looked puzzled.

”The old curator wanted to acquire your enamel piece last time, but you didn’t agree. He pestered me several times, and I couldn’t refuse any longer. So, I found a compromise and lent both the enamel piece and the other item for half a year. He’ll use them for some exhibitions and will return them after they are done.”

As Zhou Shitao explained, he took a folder from a cabinet behind him and handed a contract to Huo Sining. ”This is a rental contract. I signed it on your behalf. Keep it well. In case the Forbidden City has any issues, this contract will serve as a guarantee.”

”Oh.” Huo Sining nodded, not looking at the contract, and directly stuffed the folder into her backpack.

Zhou Shitao looked at Huo Sining’s expression, smiled, and curiously asked, ”Aren’t you interested in what that square object is?”

Huo Sining paused, then responded with a triumphant smile at Zhou Shitao. ”Isn’t it just a Cizhou Kiln Porcelain Pillow from the late Ming and early Qing? Not worth much.”

Huo Sining’s indifferent attitude left Zhou Shitao a bit confused. He was stunned for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, a mix of relief, pride, and amusement on his face. He then couldn’t help but ruffle Huo Sining’s hair and sighed. ”I’ve really underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to have figured it out, saving me the trouble.”

Huo Sining stuck out her tongue timidly. ”I was just speculating, not entirely sure.”

Zhou Shitao didn’t believe that. He had witnessed Huo Sining’s appraisal skills. The items in the Baiyang Box were personally tested by him. If she had been born ten or twenty years earlier, even he might not have matched her.

However, this only made Zhou Shitao appreciate her more. With such talent and a grounded attitude, Huo Sining’s future path would likely go beyond his expectations.

To have such a gifted disciple as his closed-door disciple, Zhou Shitao felt extremely fortunate. But fate seemed fleeting. He didn’t have much time left and wasn’t sure how many more years he could mentor her. He wouldn’t see how far she could go.

Thinking of this, Zhou Shitao’s expression grew more complex. His eyes were filled with anticipation and deep regret.

It was also at such times that Zhou Shitao felt time was the most powerless thing. An inexplicable sense of ”I was born before you, but when you were born, I was old” engulfed him.

However, Zhou Shitao’s melancholy didn’t last long. In less than half an hour, an old man in a Tang suit rushed into the Zhou Family home. He didn’t even bother to look at Huo Sining and the others in the room, going straight to Zhou Shitao and anxiously asking, ”Where’s the item?”

Zhou Shitao’s mouth twitched as he handed over the Qing Imitation Xuande Furnace to the old man. After looking at it for a few moments, the old man frowned and tentatively asked, ”Is there an inner layer?”

”It’s been fired twice, and the weight is off. It should have an inner layer,” Zhou Shitao replied nonchalantly.

The old man didn’t understand how Zhou Shitao figured this out, but he didn’t bother to ask. He just nodded. ”Alright, give me half an hour.”

Saying this, the old man directly hugged the incense burner, brought his box, and familiarly pushed open a door at the back of the study, entering a hidden room adjacent to the study.

Neither Zhou Shitao nor Huo Sining moved, while Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan were very curious about the old man, not knowing what he was going to do. The three exchanged glances, all looking puzzled and confused.

After watching that tightly closed door for about two quarters of an hour, the door finally opened from the inside. The old man came out, holding a black object, and exclaimed in surprise, ”Hey, you were right after all!”