Xiao Xingyu put down the teacup, spread his long legs naturally, and just sat there relaxedly. His noble and unruly demeanor naturally emerged from every pore of his body.
"Do you know Ru Kiln?" he suddenly asked Zhang Moyan.
Zhang Moyan was stunned for a moment, quickly recovering from the "mama's boy" perception, and retrieving some information: "I know a little bit. 'Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Ding' are the five famous kilns, with Ru Kiln being the leader. Because of its exquisite craftsmanship, the Ru Kiln's celadon was chosen as the imperial porcelain for the imperial palace during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song."
Xiao Xingyu nodded slightly, propping up his chin and asked with interest: "What else, do you know?"
Zhang Moyan continued answering earnestly, like a good student called on by the teacher. "In ancient times, porcelain kilns were generally named after their place of production. In a broad sense, Ru kiln refers to the kilns in Ruzhou, also known as Ruzhou kiln. In a narrower sense, Ru kiln refers specifically to the Ruguan kiln, which produced celadon for the Northern Song Dynasty court."
Xiao Xingyu looked at her with admiration, stretched out his hand and gestured for her to continue.
Zhang Moyan was now very glad that she had done her homework these days and did not indulge in novel writing.
"Celadon craftsmanship reached its peak during the Northern Song Dynasty, and the azure-glazed porcelains of the Ru kiln were the finest, representing the pinnacle of Northern Song celadon. Unfortunately, the Jingkang Incident led to the collapse of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Ru kiln subsequently vanished, surviving for a mere 41 years. Today, fewer than a hundred Ru kiln porcelains remain in existence worldwide, each one exceedingly rare, precious, and priceless."
After speaking eloquently, Zhang Moyan waited quietly for Xiao Xingyu to give her grades and comments, just like a student waiting for her teacher to mark her homework.
However, Xiao Xingyu did not mark the homework, but continued with what she was saying.
At this moment, his entire temperament changed.
He said: "After the Jingkang Incident, Ru kiln porcelains were imitated throughout the dynasties, and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, imitations were even more fruitful. With the strong support of government departments at all levels and the joint efforts of generations of scientific researchers and Ru porcelain craftsmen, the bean green, sky blue, and moon white glazes of Ru kiln celadon were successfully fired one after another. However, only the sky blue glaze, which is 'the place where the rain passes through the blue sky and the clouds are po (fourth tone),' is still only occasionally produced by skilled artisans. Its color development mechanism remains difficult to quantify and requires further research."
Xiao Xingyu's voice sounded quiet and solemn in the silent night, like a long river of time flowing in an unknown world where one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.
"From the second year of Jing Kang in the Northern Song Dynasty, which was the first year of Jian Yan in the Southern Song Dynasty, 895 years have passed to today..." Xiao Xingyu sighed softly.
Perhaps it was because of his heavy tone, or because the number 895 was too weighty and gloomy, but Zhang Moyan and Xiao Xingyu both fell silent for a moment.
Zhang Moyan could feel something from Xiao Xingyu's unfinished words, but it was very vague and she couldn't tell what it was.
Xiao Xingyu didn't let her think about it and told her directly, "So, our Xiao family's unfinished business cannot be completed in three to five years, or even thirty to fifty years. Your reporting is like asking a child who never gets a perfect score on a test when they can get one. It's meaningless except for causing stress and anxiety."
The man's eyes were too dark, and the light from the crystal chandelier reflected into his clear eyes, like twinkling stars. He said this with sincerity, but his metaphor was subtly melancholic. Zhang Moyan didn't like it and wanted to dissuade him from thinking this way, but she opened her mouth and didn't know what to say.
Xiao Xingyu glanced at the table and said, "Have some tea."
Zhang Moyan picked up the teacup and took a sip like a puppet, feeling mixed emotions, and couldn't taste any flavor of the Dahongpao.
Xiao Xingyu watched her put down the teacup. "You just said I was an expert in this field. I really don't deserve it. I left the porcelain industry for many years." He tilted his head, "and I still have no plans to return to my old job."
Zhang Moyan frowned and asked in confusion, "Why did Teacher Xiao give up studying celadon porcelain?"
The picture seemed to pause for a moment, and for a moment in the living room you could hear a pin drop.
"A child's talent may not necessarily be great when he grows up. You know that when Jiang Lang's talent is exhausted, right?"
Xiao Xingyu smiled carefree and unrestrainedly, leaning back on the sofa, and sighed with a tone of regret that yesterday was not worth keeping, "Spiritual energy is gone anyway, and there's no way to get it back."
Zhang Moyan shook her head, puzzled. "No way, Teacher Xiao, your skills are still up to par, right? Weren't you the only one who discerned the true identity of that Lotus Brush Washer at the auction last week?"
Xiao Xingyu waved his hand: "That's basic quality. In other words, it's just living off my past achievements. I know exactly what I'm capable of."
Having said this, Xiao Xingyu's meaning was very clear.
Zhang Moyan wasn't stupid. From the moment they first met, Xiao Xingyu's impulsive demeanor didn't give him the slightest hint of a runaway talent. She figured the main reason he refused the interview was out of concern for his family.
This reason is often the most difficult to overcome.
"Okay." Zhang Moyan lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes falling on her eyelids.
Although Xiao Xingyu's words were not tough, the fact that he was willing to belittle himself to this extent was enough to show his determination not to participate in the show.
It would be a lie to say that she was not discouraged. At this moment, she even wanted to call Jin Xueyang immediately to tell him that her favor as his savior was of no use.
"Then I won't bother Teacher Xiao anymore," Zhang Moyan said. She wasn't one to argue. She took her bag and put it on her shoulder. She stood up and extended a hand to Xiao Xingyu. "Thank you very much for your straightforwardness."
Xiao Xingyu sat there without moving, his eyes following her hand, down her arm, shoulder, neck, until they stopped at her cheek: "How did you get here?"
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