Lin Yun! No, she should be called Lin Wanqing now—standing in front of the antique market stall, her eyes fixed on the pair of jade bracelets in the glass case.
The bracelet is entirely emerald green with excellent translucency, gleaming lustrously under the light. Inside, there are a few strands of emerald green like clouds and mist, with delicate patterns as smooth as flowing water.
She remembered it clearly; this was the first gift the Emperor had ever given her.
They had only known each other for a short time then. She improved the blueprints for the musket, and he sent her a jade bracelet and a headdress as a thank-you gift.
And now, these bracelets have actually appeared in a modern antique market!
"Boss, how much are these bracelets?"
Lin Wanqing's voice trembled slightly, and her fingertips unconsciously pressed against the glass cabinet.
The stall owner, a lean middle-aged man, glanced at her and slowly took a sip of tea: "Young lady, you have a good eye. This is an antique from the Qing Dynasty court. It has excellent luster and unique patterns. It's not common on the market."
“I know.” Lin Wanqing took a deep breath, trying to make her tone sound calm. “Name your price.”
The shop owner smiled and shook his head: "Not for sale."
Lin Wanqing was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
"This is the prized possession of my shop, displayed to enhance its prestige, not for sale."
The shop owner spoke casually, but his eyes revealed shrewdness: "If you like other things, I can recommend a few to you."
Lin Wanqing pursed her lips, her gaze still fixed on the pair of bracelets.
She didn't believe it and asked again, "Where did you get it from?"
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips: "What, young lady, are you very interested in this bracelet?"
“Yes,” she said directly, “these bracelets are very important to me.”
The shopkeeper put down his teacup and finally looked at her properly: "Oh? How is it important?"
Lin Wanqing was silent for a moment.
She couldn't very well say that she wore this bracelet in her "past life," could she?
After a moment's consideration, she changed her approach: "An elder in my family once had a pair that looked similar, but they were lost, and I want to find them again."
The shop owner clicked his tongue and shook his head: "That's difficult. Jade of this quality is almost extinct on the market now."
"So please name your price," Lin Wanqing insisted. "Any price is fine."
The shopkeeper stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Girl, you really want it?"
"I really want it."
“Okay.” The shopkeeper stood up, took out a business card from under the counter and handed it to her. “This bracelet was left with me by an old customer. If you really want it, you’ll have to get past him first.”
Lin Wanqing took the business card, which only had a name and phone number printed on it—Zhou Shi'an.
---
After returning home, Lin Wanqing stared at the business card for a long time before finally dialing the number.
A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Who is this?"
"Hello, is this Mr. Zhou?" She tried to make her voice sound calm.
"I saw a pair of jade bracelets at the antique market. The owner said they were yours, and I'd like to ask... if you could part with them?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"What's your name?" the other person suddenly asked.
"Lin Wanqing".
"Lin Wanqing..." the man repeated softly, his tone somewhat subtle, "Come to 'Tingyuxuan' teahouse at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon, and we'll meet and talk."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Lin Wanqing held her phone, her heart inexplicably racing.
Who exactly is this Zhou Shi'an?
The next afternoon, Lin Wanqing arrived at "Tingyuxuan" on time.
This is a quaint teahouse, decorated in the style of a Jiangnan garden from the Ming and Qing dynasties. You can smell a faint sandalwood fragrance as soon as you enter.
The waiter led her to a private room on the second floor. When she opened the door, she saw a man sitting by the window.
The man was around forty years old, wearing a dark gray Chinese-style long gown. He had a thin face and a scholarly air about him.
He was fiddling with a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, and when he saw her come in, he slightly raised his eyes.
"Miss Lin?"
“It’s me.” Lin Wanqing nodded and sat down opposite him.
Zhou Shi'an didn't rush to talk about the bracelet, but first poured her a cup of tea: "Try it, it's top-quality Longjing tea."
Lin Wanqing took the teacup, took a small sip, and found the tea to be fragrant and refreshing—it was indeed a fine tea.
“Mr. Zhou, those bracelets…” she got straight to the point.
Zhou Shi'an smiled and asked, "Why is Miss Lin so fixated on those bracelets?"
Lin Wanqing was silent for a moment before deciding to tell the truth: "They have special meaning to me."
"Oh?" Zhou Shi'an raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
She took a deep breath and said slowly, "I have...dreamed about them."
Zhou Shi'an's fingers paused slightly, his gaze suddenly sharpening: "Dreamed about it?"
“Yes.” Lin Wanqing looked directly into his eyes. “In my dream, these bracelets were mine.”
Zhou Shi'an stared at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "Interesting."
He took the pair of jade bracelets from the brocade box he carried with him and gently placed them on the table.
"Miss Lin, do you know the origin of these bracelets?"
Lin Wanqing shook her head.
“They originally belonged to an empress during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng,” Zhou Shi’an said slowly. “Her name is not recorded in historical books, but unofficial folk tales refer to her as ‘Lin Jia’.”
Lin Wanqing's breath hitched.
"This empress was well-versed in Western learning, improved the soap formula, and promoted the Qing Dynasty's overseas trade." Zhou Shi'an's gaze was meaningful. "Unfortunately, she suddenly fell into a coma in the sixteenth year of Yongzheng's reign and never woke up again."
Lin Wanqing's fingers trembled slightly.
Of course she knew these things—because that was her!
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