Chapter 154 A Slap
With this sudden turn of events, no one could believe that Tong Zhongyuan would voluntarily hand over the paper. But Qin Tian's pale face after reading the paper clearly showed that it was not an act. James looked at Tong Zhongyuan expressionlessly. No one knew that they had asked Qin Tian to come to Tokyo, and Tong Zhongyuan came with them at the last minute, so there was no way he was prepared. The problem was that this was too much of a coincidence. Just when he was half-believing and half-doubting, Qin Tian finally reacted and snatched the paper from the table. James pounced and grabbed the paper first.
"Give it back to me!!" Qin Tian glared at James and shouted.
James handed the torn paper to his men. Qin Tian saw it and ran towards the man again. Tong Zhongyuan dodged and blocked her. He said solemnly, "Qin Tian, don't do this."
"Get out of here!" Qin Tian pushed him with all his strength, but he couldn't move him at all.
James watched with a cold eye, and his judgment of the paper's authenticity became more certain. The only question was why Qin Tian's paper was in Tong Zhongyuan's hands.
"Mr. Tong is so kind and generous. I am deeply grateful for your kindness. It seems that Mr. Tong and Miss Qin have a different relationship. Miss Qin gave the paper to you, Mr. Tong, which she would not give to anyone else."
"I promised her to restore three porcelain pieces from the Shanghai Museum, and she gave the thesis to my studio. It just so happened that I came to Tokyo to discuss cooperation, so I brought the thesis with me."
Qin Tian closed his eyes. Yes, he had agreed to restore the three pieces of porcelain, and she had said that the paper she gave him was his. The golden Buddha statue, the Tang Dynasty jade wall, and the artifacts listed on the official website were all his achievements, his formula for success, the spoils of his unscrupulous pursuit. Tong Zhongyuan was loyal to himself. She was the dishonest one, the wavering one, the self-indulgent one!
James laughed out loud. "I've heard Mr. Tong is a rare talent, and the rumors are true. It's my honor to meet Mr. Tong today."
James stood up and personally handed the suitcase to Tong Zhongyuan.
"This is also a small token of my appreciation. Consider it a return gift."
Tong Zhongyuan glanced at it but didn't take it. He just grabbed Qin Tian's wrist and said calmly, "It's not that I look down on Mr. Li, but I can still earn this little money. Consider this paper as a friendship, so we can meet again in the future. We won't have dinner. I'll take my colleague back to the hotel first."
"Of course. See you later then."
Qin Tian was wordlessly dragged out of the restaurant by Tong Zhongyuan's wrist. His grip was so strong that it caused a dull pain. She suddenly found it a bit amusing. What was he worried about? Was he worried that she would make a scene on the way out? Yes, he was a proper man. If she made a scene, he would be embarrassed.
By the time they left the Japanese restaurant, it was already dark. The remaining heat from the day had dissipated, leaving only a chill. Tong Zhongyuan still held her wrist, waving from the street.
She twisted her wrist and his eyes were immediately on her face.
"Let go."
He loosened the grip a little, but still held her wrist and looked at her steadily.
"We'll talk about it when we get back."
"I told you to let go." Qin Tian repeated.
Her eyes were especially bright in the twilight, a fire burning in them. This wasn't the first time he'd seen such an expression, and he knew what she was thinking. Just hold on a little longer, it would be over soon. Once they got in the car, they could talk freely.
"Sorry, I have to take you back."
"Tong, Zhong, Yuan," Qin Tian said word by word, "Let the fuck go!"
Tong Zhongyuan's grip tightened. He could already see an empty car approaching. Thirty seconds at most. Just get on board. Just get on board.
Qin Tian began to struggle, and she struggled to break free, using her free hand to pry his fingers apart. Tong Zhongyuan's fingers clasped tightly, unmoving. The more Qin Tian struggled, the tighter his grip tightened. His sharp jaw, tightly pursed lips, and his merciless gaze cast into the distance made all her resistance seem like she was just being unreasonable.
That day, she nervously presented him with the precious gifts she'd accumulated over several months. The moment he accepted them, the world brightened. She was the one who said, "I give it to you, so it's yours." And this was his response.
She gave up struggling and walked towards the center of the street. Her resolute face was illuminated by the taxi lights, pale and bright, almost transparent. Tong Zhongyuan was startled and suddenly exerted force, dragging her back. She was pulled back with great force, and suddenly turned around, his terrified face magnified in front of her. She raised her hand high and slapped him in the face coldly. With a "slap" sound, his face tilted to the side, in this silent night.
On the table littered with cups and dishes, James frowned as he picked up the torn paper and pieced it together. A subordinate hurried in and whispered something in his ear.
His frown relaxed a little, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "You have a very fierce temper."
He folded the paper, put it back in the envelope, and handed it to his subordinate.
"That's it. Send this data to Hong Kong. The boss is waiting. The next batch of porcelain will be reproduced according to this radiation level. Verify the authenticity of the data as soon as possible."
The night was as dark as ink, the glow of the streetlights flickering in the chilly wind. The chill seeped from the soles of my feet, spreading to every inch of my skin. Amidst the pitch-black sky, scattered white specks drifted silently; it was snowing.
The taxi stopped quietly in front of the two men, the door slowly opening. The low roar of the engine was particularly clear in the silence. Tong Zhongyuan shifted his feet, as if awakening from a long silence. White mist rose from his mouth and dissipated into the cold air.
His hand still lingered on Qin Tian's wrist. He held the car door and gently pushed Qin Tian inside. A clear red mark was visible on Qin Tian's wrist. She opened her bag, found the hotel's business card, and handed it to the driver. The driver took the card, smiled knowingly, and nodded.
Tong Zhongyuan also got in and showed the driver the words "Haneda Airport" on his phone's translation screen. The driver was stunned and pointed at the hotel's business card. Tong Zhongyuan shook his head.
“Haneda Kūkō.”
He looked through Qin Tian's bag. She had her passport with her. The most urgent thing now was to get her out of the country. Nothing else mattered.
Qin Tian directly snatched Tong Zhongyuan's phone away, pointed at the business card and said, "Here it is!"
Although the driver didn't understand, he knew exactly what Qin Tian meant. Now he was even more confused and said something in Japanese, probably asking them to confirm the address.
"Hotel!" Qin Tian shouted again, pointing at the business card.
Tong Zhongyuan's face burned with pain. Qin Tian's slap had been so strong, it was obvious that half his face was covered with her palm print. He Wu hadn't hit him since he was ten years old. This was the first slap he had ever received in his otherwise smooth life. To say he wasn't angry would be a lie. He was simply suppressing his anger, hoping to get out of here immediately. A minute ago, he'd been thinking that once he got in the car, he could explain it to her. But now, even half an explanation seemed too much.
"Go to the airport first, and you return to Shanghai. I'll bring your luggage and the Tianmu back tomorrow."
Qin Tian laughed out loud after hearing this. "You brought it back? Who are you? An expert from the British Museum, what does that have to do with the Shanghai Museum? Why would you bring something back from the Shanghai Museum? You sent me away today and flew back to England tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, the Heavenly Eye will appear in the British Museum. No, it should appear in your studio. I almost forgot that the British Museum means nothing to you. Why would you risk your life for them?"
Tong Zhongyuan looked at her sarcastic face gloomily and said in a suppressed tone, "Who do you say I am?"
"You? Don't you know it yourself? An arrogant cultural relic restoration expert, a profit-seeking British Chinese, a hypocritical gentleman, a short-term colleague you'll soon no longer need to see!"
Tong Zhongyuan's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists. He picked up Qin Tian's phone and flung it back at her. The sound was like a sharp blade in the cold night.
"Call Tang Zhixu and ask him to pick you up at the airport tonight. I hate stupid people. If you have a temper, just vent it when you get back home. Let your old lover comfort you. He has been with you all these years, so it seems he doesn't mind stupid people."
The snow was falling heavily, forming a hazy web beneath the streetlights. The heater vents emitted a faint hum, and the windshield wipers moved mechanically, stagnating in the frozen air.
The driver's uneasy eyes flickered between the two of them, reflected in the rearview mirror. He sighed softly, picked up the hotel business card, and glanced at it again. The tires rolled over the ground, and slowly left the alley.
The car slowly drove into the main road, and snowflakes danced in the beam of the headlights like countless tiny silver flakes.
Qin Tian leaned against the car window, her forehead pressed against the cool glass. Her breath created a small white mist on the window, which quickly dissipated. The street scene passing by the window blurred into a stream of light and shadow, and the neon lights were colorful in the snow.
Tong Zhongyuan just stared out the window without saying a word.
No one asked the driver where he was taking them. Time inside the car stretched, and every second seemed extraordinarily long.
The taxi stopped at the hotel entrance. The driver whispered, "We've arrived," in Japanese. Tong Zhongyuan paid the fare, opened the door, and walked out. Qin Tian got out silently and walked into the hotel.
Tong Zhongyuan caught up with her and blocked her way. He didn't look at her, but his voice was earnest.
"You can't stay here tonight. They already know your hotel address."
"They got the paper and won't make things difficult for me anymore." Qin Tian said calmly.
Tong Zhongyuan stared aimlessly into the distance, his fingers tangled in his hair. Snow fell silently, and the whole world was silent.
"The problem is they didn't get it. I changed the data."
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