Chapter 152 He Can't Reveal His Weakness
When they left the Zhongshan family, Michiko insisted on looking them in the eye. Only after they turned the corner did Qin Tian's back relax. She grabbed Tong Zhongyuan's hand and ran. The winter wind blew on her face, white mist rose from her mouth, and her long hair fluttered like wings. They ran past an intersection, where they were sure Michiko wouldn't hear. She finally couldn't help but scream, hugged Tong Zhongyuan's neck, and stomped her feet wildly.
Tong Zhongyuan leaned forward, smiling brightly, letting her cling to him. A faint ray of sunlight penetrated the thick clouds, briefly and dazzlingly illuminating this winter afternoon.
"I think she'll agree!" She chirped excitedly, looking up. "What if she doesn't agree? Should we raise the price a little? Tong Zhongyuan, how come you're so outstanding! You weren't like this when you were a child."
He laughed: "Oh? What was I like when I was a kid?"
"When you were little, you had a bad temper, were scheming, loved to bully others, were self-righteous, and were arrogant."
"Sounds pretty much the same as it does now."
Qin Tian laughed heartily: "You are quite self-aware."
Tong Zhongyuan had no ability to resist the defenseless smile, bright and clear eyes, and the intimacy he longed for. He couldn't help but hold her in his arms and bury his head in her neck.
"So, do you like it?"
Qin Tian's face flushed. This guy could change the subject to flirting in an instant anytime, anywhere.
Tong Zhongyuan knew she was shy, so he hadn't expected her to answer that question. He let her go, took her hand, and waved.
"Let's go shopping."
"What are you buying?"
He looked at her meaningfully.
“How did you get things from the British Museum out of the country when you were in the UK?”
She came to her senses and raised her hands with him on the streets of Tokyo. Their hands were raised high in the sunshine and cold wind, as if they were saying hello to the uncertain future, and as if they were saying goodbye to the past.
The Japanese are heavily influenced by Tang and Song dynasty culture, and wide-mouthed cups and bowls like these are common in porcelain gift shops. The two, longtime collectors of antiques and expert visual judges, simultaneously selected a wide-mouthed bowl of the same size. The salesperson produced a matching, elegant box, placed the bowl inside, and then prepared to wrap it in layers of Japanese-style wrapping paper.
"No need, this is fine." Qin Tian said.
The salesperson gestured to her, "Are you really not going to use it?" After receiving an affirmative response, he placed the box in a bag and respectfully handed it to her.
Despite being a winter weekday, the Nakamise Shopping Street in front of Sensoji Temple was bustling with people. Tong Zhongyuan, carrying a bag of porcelain, held Qin Tian's hand as they weaved through the crowd. Qin Tian, unsure of where he was going, followed him, talking on his phone.
"Transformation to the Heavenly Eye?!!!"
Ming Yuanxing stood up from his seat in shock.
"Yes, although it cannot be scientifically tested, I am very sure that it is authentic. There is absolutely no mistake. Tong Zhongyuan thinks so too."
"Does Xiaotong think so too? Are you saying that Xiaotong is also in Tokyo now?"
Qin Tian paused. Didn't Ming Yuanxing know that Tong Zhongyuan had come to Tokyo? They had just met today and had encountered the Tianmu of the Transformation. She had been so busy all the way that she hadn't had time to ask him why he came to Tokyo.
"Well... I met him this morning..."
"That's good. I feel more at ease with Xiaotong here. I'll make arrangements immediately. Finance will prepare the funds to Shangbo's overseas account, and I'll have Xiao Chen from Legal send you the contract. Return immediately after you get the Tianmu. Since Xiaotong is here, I won't elaborate on the safety instructions. After security check, send me the flight number and I'll arrange for you to pick me up."
"Director Ming... Actually, they haven't agreed to sell it to us yet..."
"I know. Don't feel pressured. We'll make all the necessary preparations, and leave the rest to fate."
Tong Zhongyuan went directly to the airport last night to buy a ticket on the spot, but he could only buy a red-eye flight on a budget airline. It was already 2 a.m. when he landed at the airport. The most efficient way is to find a hotel with vacancies in an area with many hotels. He took a taxi to Ginza, called the hotel along the way, and checked into a five-star hotel with vacancies. After a few hours of sleep, he went to the Datang Museum to find Qin Tian. The next thing was to encounter the Tianmu and buy packaging bags. He didn't stop all the way and didn't have time to tell Qin Tian about the bronze counterfeiting gang. He planned to go back to her hotel to get her luggage, let her check out and go with him, and then talk slowly when they got to his hotel.
While she was fully focused on the call, he opened her bag and found the hotel's business card, hailed a taxi, and stuffed her in.
Qin Tian was constantly on the phone, with calls from finance and legal, and hadn't noticed where he was going. It wasn't until the car stopped and he looked up that he realized he was at the hotel entrance.
Two men were standing outside the hotel, smoking. When a car pulled up, their eyes darted over. Tong Zhongyuan paid for the ride and got out, leaning sideways to hold the door. Smoke rose from the man's mouth. With a flick of his finger, he extinguished the unfinished cigarette and straightened up like a waking animal.
Qin Tian was about to get out of the car, phone in hand, when Tong Zhongyuan, without warning, grabbed her head and pushed her inside. The force was so strong that she fell backward onto the seat, and her phone fell to the ground. Before she could react, Tong Zhongyuan had already slipped in, closed the door, and shouted, "Airport! Now!"
The elderly driver turned around blankly and said something in Japanese, staring at the two people, confused as to why someone who had just paid got back in the car.
Tong Zhongyuan gestured hurriedly, "GO! Drive!"
The driver gave an embarrassed smile and continued to ask the customer for his opinion in Japanese.
Tong Zhongyuan's hand gripping the front seat headrest loosened weakly. He was silent for a moment, unlocked the car door, pushed it open and got out.
Qin Tian was at a loss, vaguely uneasy, not knowing what had happened, nor whether it was appropriate for her to get off the car now.
Tong Zhongyuan leaned over and stretched out his hand, saying calmly, "We're here, come out."
The smoking man had already walked to the car door, straightened his collar, and politely asked in Chinese, "Miss Qin?"
Despite the cold weather, the man, dressed in a formal suit and not tall, looked strangely out of place. In recent years, the Shanghai Museum has been working to redeem cultural relics from overseas, and Qin Tian has interacted with numerous institutions and private museums in Tokyo and Kyoto. Her first reaction was that perhaps Ming Yuanxing knew about the transformation of the Tianmu and had sought help from a Chinese acquaintance.
She also asked politely: "Yes. I am Qin Tian, who are you?"
"My last name is Qian, and I work at an auction house. The boss heard you were in Japan and wanted to have dinner with you and get to know you."
The sense of dissonance grew more pronounced. Which auction house? Which owner? Without any prior phone communication, they just said they wanted to eat. Qin Tianxia subconsciously glanced at Tong Zhongyuan. Tong Zhongyuan's expression was cold, and he didn't look at her. He extended his hand to the man surnamed Qian: "I'm Tong Zhongyuan. Nice to meet you."
The man looked up and saw him, a puzzled expression on his face, but he still reached out his hand and shook it. Then he turned to Qin Tian and said, "How about we leave now? The car is ready."
Before Qin Tian could answer, Tong Zhongyuan replied, "Please tell the boss, I'll come with her."
The man turned his gaze towards Tong Zhongyuan again and stared at him for two seconds: "Wait a moment."
He walked a few steps away, making sure Qin Tian was still in his sight, and started making a phone call. A few seconds later, he hung up and walked back, looking at him with a reassessing gaze, and said respectfully, "Mr. Tong, the boss said it's his honor to dine with you. So, shall we dine together now?"
Tong Zhongyuan nodded slightly.
A black business car came and stopped in front of them.
Qin Tian's unease grew. She was inexplicably dragged out for dinner by a stranger. The usually cautious Tong Zhongyuan not only didn't stop her, but even introduced himself and disrespectfully declined. Since getting out of the car, Tong Zhongyuan hadn't made any eye or physical contact with her, standing half a meter away, as if they were colleagues on a business trip. This brought back a part of her memory. In fact, during the first three months she knew Tong Zhongyuan, he often felt unfamiliar. Whenever she thought she understood him a little, he would act out a profound wake-up call.
The Tong Zhongyuan in front of her made her feel the him of that period again, strange and distant, with a straight figure, a cold aura, and an unpredictable sense of distance.
Tong Zhongyuan barely communicated with Qin Tian during the entire car ride. He knew Qin Tian was anxious, but under surveillance, he couldn't think of any way to get a message to her. She didn't know about his relationship with Qin Tian.
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