"Is it Ralph Lauren's 'Microcosm'?"
A light shone in Old Tang's cloudy eyes, and he looked excited.
A hint of pride flashed across Ye Yuzhen's face as she smiled and said to Old Tang, "It is indeed Ralph's 'Microcosm.' It took Qian Ning several years to find this book."
Ye Qianning's face showed a smug look. So what if Gu Jueye favored Bai Qianmo? The eyes of the masses are discerning.
The book "Microcosm" she gave her and the cheap wallet Bai Qianmo gave her were not even in the same league.
"Quickly, let me take a look," Old Tang said anxiously.
For someone like Mr. Tang, who has seen all kinds of treasures, the book "Microcosm" remains something he can only look to but never see.
Old Qin also looked surprised: "It seems that there is only one original copy of 'Microcosm' in the world right now."
Old Tang rubbed the emerald green thumb ring on his hand and said excitedly, "Yes, I really never thought I would see this book in my lifetime."
The Gu family members came over carrying an exquisite box.
Old Tang carefully opened it, his eyes widening slightly as he took the book out and examined it closely with a magnifying glass for a while.
Seeing that Tang Lao hadn't said anything for a while, Old Qin curiously stepped forward to ask.
"How is it? Is it the real deal?"
Old Tang glanced at Old Qin, then turned his gaze to Ye Qianning: "Where did you get this book from?"
Ye Qianning was feeling smug about her gift attracting the attention of antique master Tang. When Tang asked her about it, she smiled and said, "I bought this myself when I went to the United States to attend an auction."
Old Tang suddenly chuckled, but the smile was tinged with disappointment.
“M country, oh, little girl, you’ve probably been scammed. This book may be a bit old, but it’s not the only copy of ‘Microcosm’.”
"How is that possible?"
Ye Qianning stared at Old Tang in disbelief, her voice slightly shrill.
Hesitation and excitement caused her to lose her composure and elegance, which she had maintained as a refined young lady.
Old Tang opened the book: "The wear and tear on this book shows obvious signs of human intervention. As for the content, the tone and word choice are typical of M-style English. Ralph, who was born in O in the 14th century, would not have used this tone to write an article."
"Impossible! How could it be fake? I spent a fortune to buy it from an American tycoon. It absolutely cannot be fake!"
Ye Qianning felt as if she had instantly fallen from heaven to hell.
How could the book she's been searching for all these years be fake?
"If you don't believe me, you can have it appraised by a professional appraisal agency. As far as I know, the last time the book 'Microcosm' appeared was at a world tour exhibition held by the Gu family in Country Y. Given the Gu family's wealth and status, they wouldn't have put this book up for auction."
People in high society have some understanding of global trends and the nobility of various countries.
When the Gu family is mentioned, most people feel a sense of respect and admiration.
That is the king under the entire O state DI, a mysterious family that controls the political and economic lifeline of O state. Their family members are very low-key. Some people say that the history of the Gu family can be traced back to the early 12th century. They are the descendants of the royal family who were sent to O state when Genghis Khan attacked O state.
There are also claims that the Gu family are actually orphans of an alien civilization, possessing special abilities and regularly drinking human blood to maintain their longevity.
There are many other fantastical versions of the story, but it is probably this later version that has shrouded the Gu family in an eerie aura.
Ye Qianning felt like a rag doll adrift in the wind, the biting cold wind scraping against her like blades, making her tremble with pain.
She felt a wave of embarrassment as she sensed the contempt and mockery in everyone's eyes.
Ye Yuzhen was also dumbfounded. She thought that Qian Ning's "Microcosm" could help them save face, but she didn't expect that the book was a fake.
Compared to the wallet Bai Qianmo gave, the fake item Qian Ning gave was more ironic.
The aunt and niece both wished they could dig a hole and escape. How dazzling they were at the beginning, how disheveled they were now.
That's so embarrassing.
*
"Huh, what's this...?"
Mr. Tang put "Microcosm" back into the wooden box and immediately noticed that another member of the Gu family was holding a neatly folded piece of drawing paper.
"Whose is this?" Old Tang snatched the paper away and slowly unfolded it to look at it for a while.
The old man was so excited that he trembled all over. If he were still able to walk properly, he probably would have jumped three feet high right now.
The Gu family looked at Bai Qianmo with puzzlement.
"This is the wrapping paper Miss Bai prepared for the gift for Seventh Master."
"What? Bai girl, you actually used this... this kind of thing to wrap a gift? Are you crazy?"
A dark glint flashed in Bai Qianmo's eyes. She hadn't expected Old Tang to show up today, and she certainly hadn't expected that this old man would notice something as simple as a piece of wrapping paper.
Gu Xinyi curled her lip and muttered under her breath, "It's just a piece of wrapping paper, what's the big deal?"
"What do you mean it's just a piece of wrapping paper? Do you know how valuable this painting is?" Old Tang glared at Gu Xinyi.
Gu Xinyi retorted, "How valuable could it be? Bai Qianmo gave Uncle Qi a wallet worth only 3,999 yuan. This piece of tattered paper is worth a dollar if you're lucky."
With a gloomy face, Old Master Tang waved his hand, somewhat annoyed and amused, "Forget it, I won't stoop to the level of a little girl like you."
She'll realize how ignorant she was just now.
"Little Bai, tell me, where did this paper come from?"
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