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{Chapter: 179 Gui Qingtong's little strategies!}
Mei Yuxian was known not just for her beauty and formidable business skills, but also for her wide range of refined hobbies.
All of them, without exception, leaned toward the elegant and cultured.
In addition to her well-known fondness for plum blossom paintings—a love that symbolises perseverance and purity—she also harbored a deep appreciation for blue and white porcelain, an ancient art form treasured for its delicate craftsmanship and serene beauty.
Thus, when Mei Yuxian heard that Lin Yuan would be participating in the event centered around blue and white porcelain, her eyes instantly lit up with interest.
At the moment, the Mei family villa was brimming with an assortment of rare antiques and treasures, each one more dazzling than the last. In the midst of this grand display, Mei Yuxian proposed a lighthearted yet challenging mini-game: a test to distinguish the authentic blue and white porcelain jars from the expertly crafted imitations.
Given her passion for blue and white porcelain, it was no surprise that Mei Yuxian had extensive knowledge in the field. She could easily discern between authentic relics and masterful counterfeits with a single glance.
Naturally, when two people shared a similar hobby, a natural bond could form between them. Shared passions had the power to build rapport and favorable impressions without the need for a single word.
Mei Yuxian, meticulous as always, had gone so far as to personally select an authentic blue and white porcelain jar from her collection. Using it as a reference, she had instructed her company's ceramic factory to produce a batch of imitations—nearly identical to the untrained eye.
The rules were simple: identify the real jar among the fakes.
To raise the stakes and make things more exciting, Mei Yuxian even promised rewards to those who could guess correctly.
In the original novel's plot line, it was Ye Feng who had succeeded in this game.
Everyone else—no matter how confident they appeared—had guessed incorrectly.
Only Ye Feng, with his uncanny abilities, had managed to pick the authentic piece from among the fakes, earning Mei Yuxian's recognition and goodwill.
Ye Feng's success wasn't merely based on luck. His background as a mercenary king supposedly endowed him with exceptional skills in observation, judgment, and even treasure appraisal.
As for why a battle-hardened mercenary would possess such sophisticated knowledge of antiques—Lin Yuan couldn't quite remember the flimsy explanation the original novel had provided.
And frankly, it didn't matter to him anymore.
This time, things would not unfold as the novel intended.
Lin Yuan had taken deliberate action to prevent Ye Feng from winning this game again. The imitation porcelain jars had been subtly altered, making it nearly impossible for even the most seasoned expert to distinguish the authentic piece from the fakes.
Moreover, Mei Yuxian's personal dislike for Ye Feng—already sown deeply—would further diminish the impact, even if by some miracle Ye Feng succeeded.
In the original storyline, Ye Feng's small victory here had helped him build a budding relationship with Mei Yuxian, eventually gaining her favor.
But now, in Lin Yuan's hands, even that slim opportunity was going to be crushed.
Every method, every chance that once belonged to Ye Feng—Lin Yuan intended to obliterate them all.
---
Meanwhile, outside in the spacious courtyard near the garden area, Lin Yuan approached the trunk of his car.
He opened it smoothly and carefully retrieved a blue and white porcelain jar he had prepared in advance.
Balancing the jar steadily in his arms, he made his way towards the group of porters who were still moving and arranging the other porcelain jars.
The scene was busy but orderly, as workers handled the fragile jars with utmost caution.
Lin Yuan walked straight up to them without hesitation.
"There's one more jar here," he said casually, his voice calm and natural. "Aunt Mei said to add this one to the batch as well."
The porter closest to him looked up.
Upon seeing the jar Lin Yuan held—a perfect match in style, shape, and aging patterns—the man accepted it without raising any suspicion.
He briefly examined the porcelain surface for cracks or damage, then nodded and placed it with the rest of the jars meant for the upcoming game.
Lin Yuan wasn't particularly surprised by their reaction.
It wasn't that the porters lacked vigilance—they were simply not experts in antiques. Besides, the jar he brought was virtually indistinguishable from the ones produced by Mei Yuxian's factory.
From outward appearance to subtle detailing, there were no glaring flaws.
After all, Lin Yuan had made sure of it.
The real, authentic blue and white porcelain jar that served as the template was extraordinarily valuable.
Lin Yuan recalled from his memories that the authentic piece alone was worth tens of millions.
However, that precious original was not stored here among the crowd.
Instead, it would only be brought upstairs later, just before the guessing game began. It would be carefully mixed among the counterfeits, raising the difficulty of the challenge.
No matter how exquisite this batch of imitation jars appeared—and they were indeed masterful reproductions—their true market value was only in the range of tens of thousands.
A mere fraction of the real one's worth.
Thus, Lin Yuan's addition was flawlessly blended among them.
Naturally, there was no need to be overly concerned about the small details.
After all, Mei Yuxian had ordered the creation of more than a dozen imitation blue and white porcelain jars. Adding one more or one less among so many would hardly make a difference to anyone who wasn't paying extremely close attention.
Besides, considering Lin Yuan's own appearance and demeanor—graceful, calm, and dignified—it was even less likely for anyone to suspect him.
Unless someone was familiar with the intricate plotlines of the original novel, no one would believe that a young man like Lin Yuan would go through the trouble of slipping an additional porcelain jar among the batch that Mei Yuxian had painstakingly commissioned.
Thanks to this natural advantage, Lin Yuan executed his plan smoothly, without encountering the slightest obstacle.
After successfully inserting the especially crafted imitation jar into the batch, Lin Yuan brushed off his hands casually and made his way back toward the banquet hall on the second floor.
As soon as he approached the grand, ornately carved doorway leading into the hall, Lin Yuan caught sight of a familiar figure rushing toward him.
It was Gui Qingtong, her delicate features filled with a mix of urgency and relief the moment she spotted him.
"Big Brother Lin Yuan, where have you been?" Gui Qingtong asked breathlessly, her voice soft yet anxious.
Lin Yuan offered her a gentle smile and replied casually, "I just went to the restroom. What's the matter?"
Hearing his calm tone, Gui Qingtong finally relaxed. She took a small step closer and lowered her voice slightly. "My mother wanted to give you a special gift. She had something prepared just for you, but then you disappeared and she couldn't find you," she explained.
Lin Yuan turned his head slightly to glance across the room.
Sure enough, just a short distance away, Mei Yuxian was surrounded by a group of juniors. She was smiling graciously as she handed out small gift boxes, each containing delicate bracelets and necklaces, the kind of trinkets that, while modest to her, were worth hundreds of thousands of yuan in the luxury market.
"I see. Then let's go over together," Lin Yuan said with a light chuckle, reaching out to pat Gui Qingtong's head affectionately.
"Hmm!" Gui Qingtong nodded vigorously, a bright smile blooming on her face.
While Mei Yuxian was preoccupied entertaining the guests, Gui Qingtong took the opportunity to cling lightly to Lin Yuan's arm.
She had recently learned a few subtle tricks from the internet, so she shyly implemented one now.
She gently pulled Lin Yuan's hand closer to her chest as they walked, her small face heating up slightly with nervousness.
'According to what was said online,' Gui Qingtong thought to herself, 'while walking, Brother Lin Yuan's arm will naturally bump against my chest, and then he'll definitely feel it and be moved by my softness…'
Holding her breath, she secretly tilted her head to observe Lin Yuan's expression.
However, much to her disappointment, Lin Yuan's expression remained perfectly calm and composed. There wasn't even the slightest flicker of surprise or awkwardness on his handsome face.
Gui Qingtong's heart instantly sank a little.
She became slightly depressed, but Lin Yuan, oblivious to the storm in her heart, remained unaware.
In truth, even though Gui Qingtong had purposely pulled his arm closer, the subtle movement was hardly noticeable through the thick layers of her clothing, especially amidst the bustling, lively atmosphere of the banquet.
They were only a few steps away from reaching Mei Yuxian when Gui Qingtong finally let go of Lin Yuan's arm, her heart still a little tangled in confusion and disappointment.
Nearby, a young man gulped down a few mouthfuls of milk from a glass, his eyes inadvertently drifting toward Gui Qingtong's figure.
Watching this, Gui Qingtong suddenly remembered her mother's full, mature figure—something she herself had not yet developed.
She hesitated for a moment, glancing down at her own chest. A small, envious pout formed on her lips.
For a fleeting second, she was tempted to drink more milk, hoping to speed up her development.
But after a second thought—recalling that one day, she would naturally inherit her mother's curvaceous beauty—she restrained herself.
"I really envy Mom…" she whispered softly to herself, her gaze filled with a mixture of longing and determination as she stared at Mei Yuxian, who still looked breathtakingly full and alluring even beneath a modest purple loose-fitting dress.
'In the future… It'll be fine. I'll catch up.'
Gui Qingtong tightened her small fists lightly in resolve.
'When I marry Brother Lin Yuan, I'll grow up into a woman as beautiful as Mom…'
Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment at her own bold, shy thoughts.
'Brother Lin Yuan… he won't dislike me because of this, right?'
Her delicate little face was a picture of confusion, insecurity, and blossoming hope.
Lin Yuan, completely unaware of the emotional turmoil inside Gui Qingtong's heart, simply focused his attention ahead.
At that moment, Mei Yuxian, graceful and elegant as ever, was walking toward him.
Earlier, she had distributed small meeting gifts to the juniors—nothing extravagant by her standards but enough to impress everyone else.
Yet when she approached Lin Yuan, she carried in her hands a box that was clearly different.
The packaging was much more refined, the craftsmanship more luxurious, the weight heavier with significance.
Everyone's eyes immediately sharpened, curiosity filling the air.
Many people tried to discreetly peek, wondering what on earth could be inside that box to warrant such obvious special treatment.
Without a doubt, the gift Mei Yuxian prepared for Lin Yuan was something more special.
It was a small yet deliberate public acknowledgment of Lin Yuan's unique place in her heart and attention.
The atmosphere subtly shifted as the surrounding girls and young ladies stole glances at Lin Yuan, their gazes filled with admiration, jealousy, and a faint trace of envy.
*****
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