Chapter 15 Guilt smelled his careless tenderness and ran back to find her
Three days into the British Museum's exhibition of Chinese Treasures from Two Thousand Years, some raised concerns that it felt too distant compared to other exhibits. The exhibition's curator considered removing some of the glass shielding to reduce the distance between visitors and the artifacts. Tong Zhongyuan immediately objected, arguing that the exhibit, primarily composed of porcelain, was extremely fragile and could suffer irreparable damage if not handled with care. The curator accepted his suggestion and retained the existing shielding. However, for some highly interactive artifacts, their mounting bases were strengthened, and the glass shielding removed. Under dedicated supervision, these artifacts were displayed to visitors on time, demonstrating their mechanical properties. The revolving vase was one such example.
Tong Zhongyuan happened to be passing by when the incident occurred. He witnessed the crowd gasp as the revolving vase slipped from the displayer's hands and crashed to the ground. Tong Zhongyuan shouted at the security guards who rushed over, forbidding anyone to pick up the vase and its fragments. A cordon was set up at the scene, and the area was immediately cleared for photography. Later, staff brought in a large display stand, where he replaced the fragments on the ground in a precise, accurate position. After securing them, he brought them to his restoration studio.
Over those two days, he watched the high-definition surveillance footage of the shattered jar crashing to the ground more than a thousand times, finally pinpointing the original positions of all the fragments at the scene. By the time he'd finished labeling all the numbers, he'd been up for two nights. It was worth it, he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Compared to spending a month comparing them after the scramble, two days of sleeplessness was nothing.
When the museum was discussing compensation measures, he said the best way to show his sincerity was to return the rotating bottle and restore it. The museum director agreed. He then called Qin Tian to inform her of her flight details.
He understood that this was painful for her, considering her situation. But he didn't feel he had anything to apologize for. He had done everything within his responsibilities. As for the rest, that wasn't his responsibility. In fact, Qin Tian didn't need to take the blame on himself. She was just a staff member, and she didn't seem to be able to distinguish between work and feelings.
He had originally planned to hand over the Heart-Transforming Bottle after arriving in Shanghai and then head to the hotel for a nap. He'd only gotten a little sleep on the plane during those three days. But on the way here, he changed his mind. Rather than wasting time explaining the Heart-Transforming Bottle's status and his plans, answering their various questions of disbelief, it would be easier to demonstrate it visually.
He patched up A5, and the five pieces joined together to form a small curved surface. While it hadn't been finely sculpted, it already had a rough outline. He paused, glanced at his wrist, and saw it had been exactly one hour. This hour of repair replaced an hour of Q&A.
Tong Zhongyuan took off his headphones and glasses. He methodically packed up his tools. He walked over to Qin Tian and Song Suiyang and made a request.
"I hope to stay at the Shanghai Museum to repair the revolving vase until it is completed before returning. It is expected to take two to three weeks."
Song Suiyang looked at him with resentment, not knowing how to respond. Just now, Tong Zhongyuan had used the same tools in the Shanghai Museum's restoration room to complete the restoration of a corner in just one hour. Now he said he could complete the restoration of the rotating vase in two to three weeks. A restoration of this complexity would take at least six months at the Shanghai Museum! She wondered what his purpose was in coming to the Shanghai Museum. Was it to prove that their restoration department was a complete makeshift team? With his arrogant appearance and calm eyes, he politely announced to her that everyone present was garbage.
Qin Tian looked at Tong Zhongyuan, his eyes filled with fatigue. Song Suiyang had just told her that comparing the porcelain fragments alone would have taken a month's work, and he'd finished it in two days. Song Suiyang suspected the British Museum had some incredible technology, but she knew it didn't. If it did, it would be that the British Museum had Tong Zhongyuan, while the Shanghai Museum didn't.
Qin Tian extended his hand to him: "Welcome to the Shanghai Museum. It is an honor for the Shanghai Museum."
Xiao Zheng waited outside the restoration room for a long time, but he wasn't in a hurry. He'd even planned to tell the company the good news tomorrow. The British Museum would pay compensation, and their Asia United Insurance would probably only provide a symbolic amount.
The three of them walked out of the repair room, and Xiao Zheng immediately stood up. Qin Tian said it was all right and asked him to go back first. Xiao Zheng then walked away with a relaxed pace.
Qin Tian asked Tong Zhongyuan: "Have you booked a hotel?"
"It's nearby."
"Do you need me to take you to the hotel?"
Tong Zhongyuan smiled. Now he understood why Qin Tian always smiled when he asked her if she needed help. So that's how it felt.
"No," he said, "I can just walk over."
Song Suiyang passed by Tong Zhongyuan and suddenly stared at him intently. Her eyes were complicated, a mixture of resentment from their recent breakup and a desire for reconciliation, but ultimately, it all transformed into admiration for the great master. She said goodbye respectfully, "Teacher Tong, be careful on your journey. Please get some rest. I'll be going home now."
After Song Suiyang left, Qin Tian and Tong Zhongyuan slowly walked to the museum entrance. Tong Zhongyuan looked up at the bronze-shaped building. When he left Shanghai, the new museum hadn't yet been built.
Qin Tian said, "I'll talk to the curator about this tomorrow. Restoration work won't take one or two days, so you should adjust to the time difference and have a good rest these few days."
Tong Zhongyuan remained noncommittal: "It depends on the situation."
Qin Tian nodded: "Then I won't see you off. Be careful on the road."
"Wait a moment." Tong Zhongyuan called her. Qin Tian stopped.
Tong Zhongyuan opened the suitcase and took out a well-wrapped express package from under his clothes.
"Your stuff."
He stood beneath the majestic Shanghai Museum, his shirt gleaming with moonlight, and extended his right hand toward her, holding up her package, just as he had extended his hand to her countless times during their childhood.
Qin Tian took the express from him.
"Good night." He dragged his luggage and turned to leave.
It was already 2 a.m., and Qin Tian still couldn't sleep. He had just suffered from insomnia yesterday. He had thought that the Heart Bottle Transformation would go more smoothly than expected, and that he would definitely get a good night's sleep today, but he was still tossing and turning.
She sat up from the bed for the fifth time, turned on the light, and looked at the two Chinese artifacts on the bedside table.
When she opened the package at home, she carefully inspected it. The packaging was intact, with no signs of having been opened. Not only that, Tong Zhongyuan had even put a shockproof protective cover on the outside of the package.
He really was... really frustrating. Only yesterday had she completely let go of her guilt and was able to give him a cold, unforced look without any pressure. It had only been a day.
The next day, Tang Zhixu went to work and unexpectedly found that Song Suiyang, who was always late, had arrived early, while Qin Tian, who was always punctual, had not arrived yet.
Song Suiyang hadn't slept well that night. She was so excited that she woke up at dawn and came to work early. She told Tang Zhixu about her adventures yesterday, and Tang Zhixu was also very surprised.
"Isn't he an antiquities appraiser?"
"Qin Tian is mistaken. I thought, how could He Wu's son not know how to repair it? This skill must be inherited by someone, otherwise it will be lost."
"What about Qin Tian? Why didn't he come?"
"How should I know? Just ask her. We went home together after finishing yesterday."
As they were talking, Qin Tian rushed in. Her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing a T-shirt and sneakers. Her image as a career elite lasted only one day, and today she was back to her old self. She fell asleep just before dawn, and when she woke up, she had overslept.
She saw Tang Zhixu, pulled him over, and walked to a deserted place.
"About that matter, do you think it's not a good time to ask Director Ming now?" Qin Tian said worriedly.
Tang Zhixu was confused by what she said. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Are you talking about Italy?"
"Yeah, didn't you ask me to ask Ming last time?"
Tang Zhixu didn't know why she suddenly thought of this. Isn't the most important thing now the Heart-Transforming Bottle? But in an instant, he suddenly understood. The son of He Wu that Song Suiyang described to him just now was not a human being, but a god. From appearance to personality to ability, he was impeccable. Judging from her appearance, it is not impossible for her to carve a longevity tablet for him later. He listened intermittently. He knew that Song Suiyang was crazy. But even if her words were half-measured, this man named Tong Zhongyuan was indeed a dimensionality reduction striker in the field of restoration. Qin Tian said that he had lent her the internal catalog of the British Museum, and she was able to determine the origin of the cultural relics, which led to what happened later. Her face showed that she had not slept well, and there was a blue color under her eyes. It should be that seeing this man yesterday reminded her of her worries.
He considered it for a moment, "It's definitely not the best time. Director Ming hasn't entered the museum yet. When he does, he'll definitely go see the Zhuan Xin Vase first. The restoration department is all here, so it's hard to say anything. If you can wait, wait until this is over before asking."
"It's not that I can't wait," Qin Tian hesitated. If it were just the eleven artifacts, she could wait. But now Tong Zhongyuan had brought two more, right here at her house, and she was feeling anxious.
"But?" Tang Zhixu spoke for her.
Qin Tian was torn between her inner self and her inner self. Tang Zhixu was reliable and had always been on her side, so telling him was no problem. The problem was that telling him wouldn't solve the problem, and he would even reveal the whole story of how he had used Tong Zhongyuan. The key was that Tong Zhongyuan wasn't in the UK right now, but in Shanghai. Perhaps today, or tomorrow, someone at the Shanghai Museum would recognize him. Every time someone knew about him, there was a greater risk.
"Forget it, no buts." She made a decision and decided not to tell him.
Tang Zhixu looked at her steadily: "Don't worry. Since Director Ming dared to handle it this way, he must be able to bear the consequences. You won't implicate Tong Zhongyuan."
Qin Tian sighed in his heart. He only knew one side of the story.
Qin Tian was still worried when he left, and Tang Zhixu suddenly felt an indescribable annoyance in his heart.
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