4

Yang Chen looked up in surprise, his gaze locking onto Zhou Di with intensity. Zhou Di felt a bit uneasy under his scrutiny but still pretended to maintain a composed facade as he met Yang Chen's eyes. Hu Suqiao, too, was taken aback, observing the interaction between the two men. Yang Chen carefully set down the plates before standing up from his seat and walking over to Zhou Di. He continued to regard Zhou Di with unwavering focus, causing Zhou Di to feel a sense of intimidation, prompting him to lower his head and avert Yang Chen's gaze. Finally, Yang Chen spoke:

"These seems to be my belongings, right?"

Zhou Di replied in a hushed tone:

"But...but you promised my leader that you would donate some to us."

Yang Chen responded firmly:

"If I am not mistaken, don't you still have plenty over there?"

At this point, Zhou Di decides to face this person bravely so he raised his voice:

"But those are all damaged."

Yang Chen asserted confidently:

"I've already stated these are my belongings. What I decide to give you will be at my discretion."

Zhou Di countered with confidence:

"How damn you are! Why are you like this? According to the law, these porcelain items should belong to the country, not to you."

Amused by Zhou Di's boldness, Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh:

"Bravo! You've got quite the courage. No one has dared to talk to me in such a manner before. So, tell me, does President Jin dare to compel me to relinquish these porcelain items?"

Zhou Di lowered his head, pursing his lips. He knew the answer, but still struggled to say:

"These are highly valuable items. If they were to fall into the private's hands, they could easily be taken abroad. If that were to occur, it would be a loss of our nation. Do you know how many precious artifacts left by our ancestors have already ended up overseas?

Yang Chen was taken aback for a moment before fixing Zhou Di with a stern stare. After a while, he chuckled and said:

"I didn't expect you to have such stubbornness. I have made it clear that these items are mine and how to deal with them is my choice. These items will stay here and you can leave. Go now!"

Feeling frustrated and unable to find a resolution, Zhou Di could only seethe with anger because he realized he had promised Zhang Zhen to bring the best porcelain items to the bureau. But now it seemed all hope was lost. In a final attempt, he pleaded:

"Can I at least take the damaged porcelain items back to the bureau? You said you would donate them to us and even if repaired, their value has greatly diminished. It may mean little to you but it's precious to us.

Yang Chen raised an eyebrow, expressing impatience and said:

"Those are also my belongings. Just stay here and repair them properly."

Zhou Di was out of his control and shouted:

"Damn it! How dishonest you are! In that case, I'll go back. I promised to help you repair them because you promised to donate them to our bureau. But now you've changed your mind, there is no need for me to stay here. Guard your belongings yourself."

With that, Zhou Di turned around to leave. Then he went towards the door while Hu Suqiao and Yang Zichun stared at them. Yang Chen commanded:

"Stop!"

Suddenly Hu Suqiao's laughter echoed in the room:

"Ha Ha Ha...., Yang Chen, I never thought someone would dare to give you the cold shoulder. Do you need your whip?"

Hearing this, Yang Zichun, who had been playing with his toys, couldn't help but feel a pan of fear. He looked at his father with a frightened expression. Meanwhile, Zhou Di had indeed stopped in his tracks and turned to face Yang Chen calmly, asking:

"Young Marshal, is there anything else?"

Yang Chen sternly replied:

"Stay here and repair those porcelain items properly. I promised to donate some to your bureau if you do your job well. I keep my word. However, with this attitude of yours, you won't get anything. Sort it out yourself and get out!"

Feeling frustrated, Zhou Di returned to his room. He didn't fully understand Yang Chen and he wasn't sure if Yang Chen's promise could be trusted. However, he was cautious about trusting the words of wealthy individuals. Yet, just leaving here like this seemed irresponsible. He muttered to himself:

"Well, I'll just have to take his word for it. Besides, it would be a shame not to repair these items properly."

Zhou Di sighed and continued examining the porcelain items still soaking in the solution. Taking out the cleaned fragments, he placed more into the solution. Walking back to his worktable, he began painstakingly piecing together the shards to the missing part of a plate. Sometimes, it took an entire day to assemble just one plate. Today he had been seated at the worktable for so long that he hadn't even had time for lunch. By the time he finished a bowl, it was already afternoon. He opened the curtains, which had been drawn to shield to the dazzling midday sunlight. However, he was momentarily taken aback to see someone lying on a recliner in a corner of the Chinese garden outside. It was Yang Chen, who had already fallen asleep. The sunlight was casting a perfect slanting glow on his fair and handsome face, as if bestowing upon him a layer of golden light. Zhou Di couldn't help but be captivated by the sight of Yang Chen's peaceful sleeping appearance and murmured to himself:

"How beautiful he is!"

He quickly took out his sketchbook and swiftly drew a picture and added colors to the sketch. The small drawing had no background, only Yang Chen lying on the recliner in his sleeping posture. Zhou Di used colors to outline the sunlight falling on him. Just then, he noticed Yang Chen move slightly, as if about to wake up. Hurriedly, Zhou Di pulled the curtains down, concealing any evidence of his observation. Then he entered the bathroom, gazing at himself in the mirror and sighed as he observed his seemingly perpetually youthful appearance, muttering to himself: 

"Zhou Di, Zhou Di, you're stuck with this baby face for your whole life, looking like you've never grown up forever."

In this way, he discovered that around 2 or 3 o'clock every afternoon, Yang Chen would lie on the recline to read. Butler Yang told Zhou Di that this was the only two hours of the day reserved exclusively to the Young Marshal, a time for solitude and this period wasn't allowed to be distrubed by anyone. However, Yang Chen never expected that there was someone who would peek at him every day during this period. It wasn't until one day when Yang Chen inadvertently glanced in the direction of Zhou Di's room and caught a glimpse of the slightly lifted curtain and the hastily drawn curtain. He knew who lived there, a faint smile crossing his lips. He then resumed his reading, but he discreetly kept an eye on that window. Sure enough, the curtain was lifted slightly once more, prompting him to discreetly observe the corner of the curtain with his peripheral vision.

That evening, as Zhou Di was glazing some bowls he had finished repairing, he heard a knock on the door. He stood up, stretched lazily and walked over to open the door. To his surprise, he found Yang Chen standing outside. He was momentarily stunned, he gazed at Yang Chen's handsome face, unsure of what to say. Yang Chen spoke first:

"I couldn't sleep and saw the light on in your room so I came to see how your restoration work is going." Seeing that Zhou Di didn't seem to intend to invite him in, he continued, "Why not let me in and see how your restoration is going?"

At this moment, Zhou Di finally reacted and quickly stepped aside to let him in. Yang Chen walked around the room, taking a glance then walked over to the shelf where the three finished plates and two bowls were placed. He asked:

"Are these ones damaged?" 

To be honest, Zhou Di found it difficult for him to face Yang Chen normally at this moment. The daily peeking in the afternoon had made him nervous. He didn't know why Yang Chen had come to his room at this time. When he opened the door, images of Yang Chen reading or sleeping on the recliner kept flashing through his mind. So he kept his head down, avoiding direct eye contact with Yang Chen and mechanically replied:

"Yes."

Yang Chen commented:

"Good job! It seems your restoration skills are not bad." Zhou Di remained silent. Seeing that he didn't say anything further, Yang Chen continued, "Did you learn this skill at school?"

Zhou Di replied:

"No, I learned it from a neighbor."

Yang Chen inquired:

"Are you from the Zhou family in Yucheng?"

"Yes."

Yang Chen remarked:

"I heard that's an ancient family." Zhou Di remained silent again. Yang Chen pressed further:

"Tell me how you learned this from your neighbour."

Zhou Di explained briefly:

"There's not much to say. I've just liked antique things since I was a child. I followed someone to watch the repair of porcelain and found it fascinating so I started learning. Later, I chose archaeology as my major in university."

"How old are you?"

"23."

"Married?"

"No."

"Engaged?"

"Yes."

Yang Chen looked at Zhou Di, who kept his head down, in disbelief. Then he walked up to him, lifted his chin with a finger and asked:

"Am I handsome?"

Caught off guard by Yang Chen lifting his chin, Zhou Di had no choice but to look at Yang Chen's handsome face right in front of him. His face turned red and without hesitation, he softly replied:

"Yes, you are."

Yang Chen smiled and said:

"So you've been secretly watching me every day."

Zhou Di was shocked by Yang Chen's words and his playful smile. Suddenly he felt like a thief caught in the act. Nervous and fluctered, Zhou Di didn't know how to face Yang Chen. His face turned red, his mind went blank and just stood there, at a loss. Yang Chen then opened the door and turned back to say: 

"Just focus on repairing these porcelain pieces for me. The ones you gave me are already displayed in the exhibition hall in your Cultural Relics Bureau. And if you think I am good-looking, there is no need to peek at me. Feel free to open the curtain and look at me openly to your content."

With that, Yang Chen walked out, leaving Zhou Di standing there, bewildered and flustered.