It took Su Huai three days to meticulously assemble the painting by Bada Shanren and Zhu Da.
The fragments were exceedingly delicate, posing a formidable challenge during the assembly process.
Upon completing the assembly, she embarked on the intricate restoration.
Enduring countless trials and tribulations, she finally restored the painting seamlessly, leaving no trace of the painstaking effort.
Upon the completion of the artwork, she found herself remarkably satisfied with the Ink Lotus painting.
The entire piece demonstrated a refined and resolute brushstroke, characterized by a majestic and timeless style. The artistic conception was austere, incorporating Zen principles into the painting. The composition was succinct, yet it left a lingering aftertaste.
Zhu Da broke new ground in concept, composition, and style, employing varying shades of ink and bold brushstrokes to depict the lotus flowers.
The lotus stems were robust and upright, executed in a continuous stroke. While appearing to sway in the wind, they exuded an air of grace, harmonizing with the tilting lotus leaves.
With the restoration completed, the next step was to find a buyer.
She called Shen Yuan, inquiring, "Which auction house in Kyoto is more reliable?"
Shen Yuan, astonished, responded, "You repaired such a fragmented painting in such a short time?"
"Yes, there are no visible traces of restoration."
"Wow, you're amazing!"
Su Huai slightly furrowed her brows, holding the phone away from her ear. She felt that Shen Yuan and Shen Huai, despite being siblings, had vastly different personalities, with Shen Yuan being overly lively. Nevertheless, they complemented each other well.
After some inquiries, Shen Yuan called back, "I've checked. The most reputable auction houses in Kyoto are Zhengrong Auction and Poly Auction. Both boast an impressive success rate of 80%. These two auction houses almost monopolize over half of the high-end collectors in the country, individuals with fortunes ranging from tens of billions to even hundreds of billions."
Su Huai inquired, "Which one is closer to us?"
"Zhengrong Auction is slightly closer."
After a brief contemplation, Su Huai said, "Then, let's go to Zhengrong Auction."
"Alright, I'll come pick you up."
An hour later, Su Huai and Shen Yuan arrived at Zhengrong Auction.
Upon entering the hall, they were surprised to see a lengthy queue. At least fifty or sixty people from all over the country, bringing their collections for auction, were ahead of them.
Because of the necessary pre-auction processes such as authentication, negotiation of starting prices, and paperwork, the procedure was quite cumbersome.
Since they had come this far, Su Huai and Shen Yuan joined the line in the hall.
From morning till noon, the queue had only decreased by half, and both of them were beginning to feel weary.
Su Huai suggested, "Shouldn't we consider another auction house?"
"Let's wait a bit longer. The other place might not have fewer people," Shen Yuan replied, bending down to massage her sore legs.
After a while, she straightened up, stretched lazily, and suddenly exclaimed, "Look, handsome guy!" pointing towards the elevator.
Her voice was not low, attracting the attention of the crowd. However, their glances quickly shifted to Su Huai, who stood out with her stunning appearance.
With all eyes on her, Su Huai felt a bit embarrassed. She turned her head, avoiding the collective gaze, and looked in the direction indicated by Shen Yuan.
The man was indeed quite handsome—tall, wearing a stylish black jacket and pants, with short hair. His facial features were handsome and profound, especially his eyes, deep and compelling, carrying a story within them, directly piercing Su Huai's heart.
At first glance, Su Huai recognized him as the man she had bumped into at the Kyoto Grand Hotel some days ago. He had eyes remarkably similar to A Yao's.
Thinking of A Yao, Su Huai felt a stifling sensation, struggling to breathe, her heartache gradually condensing into a small ball.
Pressing her chest, she furrowed her brows.
The man seemed to notice them, tilted his head to say a few words to someone behind him, and left.
Shortly afterward, staff in suits with ties approached Su Huai, saying, "Excuse me, are you Miss Su Huai?"
Su Huai nodded, "Yes."
"Our CEO would like to meet you."
Su Huai was slightly surprised, "I don't know your CEO."
The staff member glanced at the painting in her hands, "Aren't you here to auction ancient paintings?"
"Yes."
"Our CEO wants to see the painting in your hands."
Su Huai and Shen Yuan followed the staff, taking the elevator to the CEO's office.
The office was spacious, decorated in an antique style. A painting of bamboo by Zheng Banqiao adorned the east wall, backed by large French windows.
The CEO, a young man of about twenty-five or six, sat in a black leather chair.
He appeared young, handsome, and neat, dressed in a black jacket that seemed somewhat out of place amidst the antique decor.
The CEO was the same man Su Huai had seen in the hall earlier, the one with eyes so similar to A Yao's.
Su Huai was stunned.
Up close, the man's eyes resembled A Yao's even more, almost identical.
But that was where the resemblance ended. The nose, face shape, skin tone, and height were all different from her memory of A Yao, who was a fair and slender youth, akin to a character stepping out of a manga.
The man before her had a darker complexion, a strong and sturdy physique, short hair, and distinct facial features—clearly embodying all the characteristics of a mature and handsome man.
Shen Yuan's eyes sparkled again as she whispered, "Such a young, handsome, and stylish CEO."
The man stood up, walking towards them with long strides.
Su Huai remained standing silently, her eyes fixed on his.
Those eyes seemed like a key unlocking her painful memories. Once opened, layers of untouchable pain emerged.
The man reached her, extending his right hand, politely saying, "Hello, Miss Su, I'm Gu Jinyao."
Upon hearing the name "Yao," Su Huai hesitated for a moment. Subconsciously looking at the hand he offered, she noticed his long and powerful fingers, with a thin callus on both sides of the index finger.
The hand of someone who frequently held a gun.
Shen Yuan, sensing Su Huai's hesitation, lightly tapped her arm, signaling her to shake hands.
Su Huai then reached out to shake his hand.
They shook hands for an unusually long time, surpassing the duration of a normal handshake.
Since laying eyes on Gu Jinyao's eyes, Su Huai's mind had become somewhat blank and dreamlike, oblivious to the fact that the handshake had gone on for too long.
It wasn't until Shen Yuan cleared her throat and said, "Su Huai, open the painting and show it to Mr. Gu," that Su Huai snapped back to reality.
She quickly withdrew her hand.
Gu Jinyao took the painting, lifted his eyelashes slightly, and glanced at her left hand, which had been injured by a door and left with a scar. The fingernails were still a dark purple color, not fully healed.
His gaze chilled as he took the painting
and unfolded it carefully. After examining the artwork and the seals on it, he asked, "This is an authentic work by Bada Shanren. How much are you planning to sell it for?"
Shen Yuan hastily replied, "I checked online, and the auction prices for Bada Shanren's Zhu Da's Ink Lotus painting have consistently exceeded ten million."
Gu Jinyao ignored her and repeated the question to Su Huai, "How much are you planning to sell it for?"
Su Huai's face turned pale, and she absentmindedly replied, "Any amount will do."
Gu Jinyao placed the painting on the table and said calmly, "I'll offer 12 million. I'll buy this painting."
Su Huai was astonished, "You want to buy it?"
Gu Jinyao nodded, "My father is an avid collector of Bada Shanren's paintings, and we happen to lack an Ink Lotus painting."
Seeing his sincerity, Su Huai rallied herself and said, "This painting is severely damaged, and I repaired it. You don't need to offer such a high price."
Whether it had been repaired or not could be easily determined with instruments.
Su Huai had no intention of hiding it, nor could she.
Gu Jinyao looked at her without expression, "Money can't buy what I like. Let's settle at 12 million. Cash or transfer?"
Su Huai hesitated for a moment and then said, "Either is fine."
"Provide your account details. I'll have our finance department transfer the funds to you."
Su Huai didn't expect him to be so straightforward. After a brief pause, she said, "Don't you need to have an appraiser verify its authenticity?"
Gu Jinyao glanced at the painting on the table, his tone confident, "Bada Shanren's Ink Lotus art stands alone through the ages. It's difficult for ordinary people to replicate. Even if they do, they can only imitate the form, unable to capture his unique charm. This painting is authentic. The seals on it are also genuine. I trust my eyes."
Su Huai wanted to say more.
However, Shen Yuan touched her hand, indicating that she should stop.
Su Huai then provided her bank account details.
Gu Jinyao seemed to have enabled real-time large-sum transfers. After signing the contract, Su Huai received a notification of 12 million deposited into her account.
Everything went smoothly, and Su Huai felt a bit unreal, as if she were dreaming.
After expressing her gratitude to Gu Jinyao, she left with Shen Yuan.
As they reached the door, they heard Gu Jinyao calling, "Su Huai."
That call seemed to be filled with deep affection.
For some reason, a thin layer of tears welled up in Su Huai's eyes.