Gu Zheng glanced at Lu Yan. What was his motive for asking the works to be appraised?
Lu Yan said indifferently, “I heard that there’s a calligraphy expert among the guests attending the banquet today. Why don’t we invite him to appraise whose calligraphy piece is the real one? What do you think?”
Tang Ruge said generously, “Is the expert you’re talking about Mr. Wu?”
Lu Yan nodded. “Yes.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone had already invited the old gentleman over. He walked in arrogantly and scanned the crowd. He met Tang Ruge’s eyes and smiled.
“Miss Tang.”
Tang Ruge said gently, “Mr. Wu, both Mrs. Gu’s and my gifts are Old Master Wang’s last work, Thousand Words Life. Please identify which one is a fake.”
Gu Yao was uneasy and said in a low voice, “Lu Yan and Tang Ruge have joined forces to deal with us? Lu Yan must have already arranged for someone to verify the authenticity of the works. Even if Tang Ruge’s calligraphy piece is fake, that expert won’t tell the truth.”
Mr. Wu glanced at the two works, then asked, “May I ask where you got this Thousand Words Life from?”
Qiao Xi’s expression changed. This Thousand Words Life was left behind by her grandfather. She could not expose her grandfather’s identity in front of everyone, so she could only say ambiguously, “I bought it from an antique shop.”
Tang Ruge glanced meaningfully at Qiao Xi, then smiled and said, “This Thousand Words Life is a treasure collected by my father. He heard that I was coming to Li City to celebrate Old Madam Gu’s birthday, so my father gave this to me.”
From the looks of it, it seemed that the truth was already decided.
The Tang family was a family of porcelain and scholars. Tang Ruge’s father was even a famous collector. How could he have collected a fake? Moreover, this was a birthday gift for Old Madam Gu. How could they dare to make a mistake?
On the other hand, Qiao Xi only said that she bought it from somewhere else. Without the help of professionals, the possibility of buying a fake was extremely high.
Tang Ruge said gently, “I’ll have to trouble you to do an appraisal test, Mr. Wu. Maybe Mrs. Gu’s calligraphy work is real. Don’t malign her.”
Although she said that, Tang Ruge was very sure that her piece was the real deal. How could something from her father’s collection be fake?
After she said that, not only did everyone think that Qiao Xi was giving a fake work as a gift, but it also made everyone think that Tang Ruge was kind-hearted. She was unwilling to make things difficult for Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi slowly raised her eyes. “Appraise it.”
Everyone looked at her in disbelief. She was really willing to appraise it? If she left with the calligraphy piece now, no one would say anything. After all, this was a matter concerning the Gu family, but she insisted on doing this in public. If that happened, she would be the one losing her reputation.
Tang Ruge said indifferently, “Since Qiao Xi has said so, I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Wu.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Mr. Wu instructed his assistant to place the two sets of works on the table. He took out a magnifying glass from his tool bag and began to appraise them seriously.
Qiao Xi glanced indifferently at Lu Yan and sneered. “Young Master Lu, do you have a new ally?”
Lu Yan smiled at her. “I really don’t understand what you’re saying, Miss Qiao. However, I can tell you the answer to this appraisal in advance. No matter whose calligraphy piece is fake, the final result will be detrimental to you. Tang Ruge’s reputation in the calligraphy industry far exceeds yours. Who do you think everyone will believe more?”
Qiao Xi’s expression was calm.
Then, Lu Yan took a few steps closer, his eyes filled with gentleness. “But if you agree to my pursuit, I can help you. I definitely won’t let you lose your reputation in front of everyone.”
When Gu Zheng heard this, his eyes instantly turned cold.
Qiao Xi slowly raised her eyes. “Young Master Lu, you’re really heartless. You can betray your own allies just because you want to, but I’ve never liked relying on others. I prefer to have my fate in my hands. Without your help, I can still turn the tables.”
In the art circle, her reputation was indeed not as good as Tang Ruge’s, but this calligraphy piece was the last work of Mr. Wang. Had Tang Ruge never thought that Mr. Wang was related to the Wang family, a wealthy family in Li City?
At this moment, Mr. Wu had already put down the tools in his hand. He stood up and said seriously, “Everyone, after my careful appraisal, I’m sure that Mrs. Gu’s Thousand Words Life is a fake!”
Everyone sighed.
The banquet hall was in an uproar now. Everyone started discussing. “Mrs. Gu really gave a fake as a gift!”
😉