Qin Yanan’s upbringing allowed her to maintain a ladylike demeanor even when feeling annoyed or disgusted, but her emotions still seeped out from between her brows.
She had promised her great-grandfather to pay a visit, but the young man in front of her made her feel extremely repulsed… It wasn’t that she didn’t have any expectations, but rather that she didn’t have any hopes to begin with.
Pretending to be mature, speaking with frivolous words – he knew that Qin Yanan’s great-grandfather, Qin Peng, was a legendary figure, yet he dared to boasting about being long-time friends. This was simply too audacious.
One should know that those who could be called old friends by Qin Peng were mostly deceased, enshrined in the Eight Treasures Mountain, and the few still alive were witnesses to the country’s turbulent history. Even if one was younger, they could only call themselves “young friends” in front of Qin Peng. These “young friends” formed the core of the current Huaxia country.
Yesterday, a fast courier was sent from Junsha, arriving at the Qin family’s old residence in the evening. It was immediately handed over to Great-grandfather, who was celebrating his 110th birthday. Qin Yanan naturally had to prostrate herself, and in Great-grandfather’s study, she saw her father carefully opening the courier for him.
The courier was a letter with a single poem: “Immortals stroke my topknot, and I receive longevity.”
The poem was taken from Li Bai’s “After the Chaos, I Recall My Past Travels to Jiangxia, and Give This to Governor Li.”
The calligraphy was exquisite, and even Qin Yanan, with her critical eye, knew that the writer was a master in the field of calligraphy. Such skill was extremely rare in contemporary calligraphy, and even when compared to masterpieces throughout history, it wouldn’t fall short.
However, her father and great-grandfather’s eyes were even more discerning and authoritative. Father’s surprised gaze was probably similar to when he admired the Tang Dynasty’s “Lan Ting Xu” at the Xiangnan Museum. As for Great-grandfather, he only praised four words: “Immortal aura is full.”
A piece of calligraphy with immortal aura? It must have been created with an extremely high and refined state of mind, without a single hint of mundane worldly air.
How could a mortal not have worldly air? Unless the writer was an immortal themselves.
The letter didn’t have a signature, and when Father asked, Great-grandfather remained silent. Afterwards, he called Qin Yanan over and instructed her to do a few things.
Qin Yanan felt that Great-grandfather’s instructions must be related to the letter, and so, she suspected that it had something to do with the young man in front of her, Liu Chang’an.
Qin Yanan had never thought that the letter might be Liu Chang’an’s work. Liu Chang’an might have been born with a talent for calligraphy, but he couldn’t possibly have the skill to create such a masterpiece, let alone convey the emotions and atmosphere within. She thought about it and probably Liu Chang’an had some connection to the master, but other than that, there was no reason for her to have dealings with this ordinary young man.
Regarding Liu Chang’an’s claim of being an “old friend,” Qin Yanan’s heart calmed, and she smiled again. “Great-grandfather has sent you a gift.”
This was one of her purposes for coming. Qin Yanan pointed to the carriage.
“Yes, indeed.”
Liu Chang’an walked into the carriage, and Qin Yanan narrowed her eyes.
The carriage was extremely spacious, with an area larger than Liu Chang’an’s small storage room. There were two rows of hanging chairs on both sides, with twenty fully armed warriors sitting on them. When Liu Chang’an and Qin Yanan walked in, the twenty people stood up simultaneously, their eyes fixed on Liu Chang’an.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Liu Chang’an said casually, then looked at the black object in the center of the carriage.
The black object was about two meters long, one meter two wide, and eighty centimeters tall. It seemed to be made of bronze and gave off a sense of ancient nostalgia. The surface colors, which included blue-green, pink, yellow, and white, were extremely bright and vivid. The dragon and phoenix patterns, which included the dragon and tiger, were lively and seemed to have been painted recently.
It was a coffin, but in certain situations, the word “coffin” wasn’t taboo. It meant promotion and wealth, and sending coffin-shaped gifts to government officials wasn’t a problem. However, no one would actually send such a large coffin.
“For me?” Liu Chang’an looked at Qin Yanan, meeting her gaze.
Qin Yanan was observing Liu Chang’an’s reaction, thinking that he would be shocked when he entered the carriage and saw this scene. This was her plan, but unexpectedly, when their eyes met, there was no surprise or forcing, only a clear inquiry.
A frivolous and opportunistic young man who could maintain a calm and bright gaze in such a dim carriage?
Qin Yanan turned on the lights, and the lamps on the top and sides of the carriage lit up, shining on the black bronze coffin. The dragon and phoenix patterns on the coffin’s lid were vivid, with two dragons facing each other and two phoenixes flying amidst them.
When Liu Chang’an saw the phoenix and dragon patterns, his expression changed slightly, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and fear.
“Yes,” Qin Yanan replied, genuinely curious about why Great-grandfather would send such an extravagant gift to Liu Chang’an and even dispatch a large guard to escort it. This level of security was usually reserved for national treasures.
“Great-grandfather said that I’ll be staying in Junsha for a long time, and you can come find me whenever you have something,” she said, taking out a name card.
This was the part Qin Yanan was most resistant to. Although her parents were working in Xiangnan Province, Qin Yanan wasn’t particularly interested in this middle-tier city. Occasionally visiting her parents was fine, but staying here long-term was boring. Great-grandfather had never revealed when she could return to the capital or leave, only telling her that she had a job waiting for her here.
Great-grandfather seemed to have the intention of letting her get close to Liu Chang’an, which was what Qin Yanan couldn’t accept. Now, Qin Yanan just wanted to complete her task and leave.
“Find you?” Liu Chang’an took the name card, looked at it again, and smiled wryly. “Okay.”
When Qin Yanan saw his smile, she took a deep breath, thinking that he was really looking down on her. Did he think she was willing? Did he think finding her would be beneficial to him?
“The problem is, this coffin is too large, and I don’t have space for it at home.” Liu Chang’an walked down, pointing to his small storage room.
As a young man, he was pointing out his own home to a woman who might be from a prestigious family, and he didn’t show any shame or embarrassment. Was his face really as thick as the bronze coffin?
Qin Yanan wasn’t someone who looked down on people because of their family background or wealth. However, she did despise those who were poor but didn’t bother to improve themselves, instead relying on others to solve their problems.
“This car is also a gift to you,” Qin Yanan said, and the twenty fully armed warriors quickly got off the carriage and left.
Only Qin Yanan and Liu Chang’an were left.
“The largest and most famous bronze coffin in the world is the coffin of Zeng Hou,” Liu Chang’an’s expression turned serious. “In fact, Zeng Hou was just a small lord, unknown in history. There were many more bronze coffins that weren’t known to the public. During a certain period, coffins like this, which symbolized the sealing of souls before burial, especially with the phoenix and dragon patterns, held extraordinary significance. Did your great-grandfather have any other instructions to pass on?”
“Is this not a replica?” Qin Yanan was puzzled. “He only said it was a return gift and hoped you would accept it.”
In reality, Qin Peng had asked Qin Yanan to convey this message with a more sincere and polite attitude.
“Is this not a replica?” Liu Chang’an smiled, and it was clear that he didn’t need Qin Yanan to personally deliver the gift. Qin Peng probably wanted him to meet the descendant of Ye Shiwen, “Alright, I’ve accepted it… Please pass on my thanks to him, and I’ll take care of his beloved granddaughter.”
In an instant, Qin Yanan’s face reddened, and her breath quickened. The delicate and elegant curve of her neck seemed to thicken slightly, and her chest heaved. She unconsciously pulled at her clothes to prevent the buttons from popping off.
“Goodbye.” Qin Yanan slightly bowed, turned around, and left. This was her way of showing respect to her great-grandfather and suppressing her emotions.
Take care of her? Who could say that so easily?! Qin Yanan would eventually find someone who would take care of her, but it would definitely not be Liu Chang’an.
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