Chinese Novel

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Chapter 229: Being a Thief

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?Mobile reading Undoubtedly, beautiful women are always treated with special consideration wherever they go. At the Eighty Electronic Book event, other university representatives also came for free visits, and Chen Yue, who should have been behind in line, was actually the very first to complete her registration. The three of them waited at the main entrance for a long time before the bus finally arrived, wobbling slowly into view. Under the guide's direction, the students queued up and began their tour. Almost every artifact was hailed as a national treasure, and the guide spoke at length about the historical significance of each item, as if they were priceless treasures. Qin, however, remained unconvinced. During his assignments in Europe, he had seen such displays countless times—things elevated to the status of priceless in China were often clearly priced and, in fact, far less valuable than the guide described. Lin Caivé, too, seemed equally unimpressed. She was a descendant of a cultivation family, which had preserved its traditions for several centuries. To her, many of the family's artifacts were merely household decorations—some even had to be relegated to the kitchen and never considered truly significant. "Lin, how many antiques do you have at home?" asked Qin, the younger brother. For once, Lin, the beautiful woman, didn't feel embarrassed. She replied, "If we define antiques solely by time, then actually quite a few!" He shrugged and said, "That explains why you didn't seem surprised at all. By the way, have you told your family about the things I showed you?" It hadn't been an issue before, but as soon as he mentioned it, Lin became furious. She huffed, "Such an important matter—of course I should have informed my elders!" "And how did they respond? Hm, didn't they encourage you to take the initiative and get closer to me, to become friends with me?" He immediately sensed the core of the matter. Lin Meiyuan blushed slightly and huffed, "Of course not! Do you think those things are important? Our Lin family doesn't lack anything at all—stop daydreaming!" Well, then, why are you blushing? They continued walking, moving from one floor to the next. At the third floor, the ancient artifacts section, a section was cordoned off with colorful ribbons, reportedly undergoing restoration work. Suddenly, Qin Feng felt an intense urge to enter that area and take a closer look. This feeling was so strong—it had never happened before since entering the museum. As he glanced around at his classmates, by the time they reached the second floor, the line had begun to loosen, and by the third floor, it had turned into a scattered, loose group. Everyone was searching for items that interested them, fully absorbed in their own pursuits, no longer paying attention to who was beside them. Seizing the moment when no one noticed, he slipped quietly through the ribbons. Due to the large number of visitors today, the cultural heritage restoration work has been temporarily suspended. This area is currently empty, which is precisely why he feels so at ease and unconstrained. There are at least fifteen cameras on the roof, fully covering the area from the outside, yet Qin Feng still manages to identify blind spots and proceeds inward along those unmonitored zones. The stronger this feeling becomes the deeper he walks. Directly ahead, a large restoration table appears, with hundreds of ceramic fragments and numerous bronze pieces arranged upon it—though he still hasn't figured out what exactly draws him here. Outside, the students are thoroughly engaged in their visits. Chen Yue beams with satisfaction; this is the first organized group activity she has led as a counselor, and despite a few minor hiccups, it has been overall a great success. The minor annoyance she felt—being slightly nauseous from the bumpy ride—was certainly nothing significant, but upon thinking about how the young man had lost six points and been fined 200 yuan, she couldn't help but feel pleased. She glanced around and noticed that everyone familiar was there. Hmm, where had Lin Caivé gone? And where was Qin Feng? Could it be that the two of them had gone off together to do something mischievous? Chen Yue initially worried. Then, as Lin, the beautiful female counselor, appeared in her sight, she waved and called out, "Caivé, come here!" Lin walked calmly over and asked, "Chen Teacher, what's on your mind?" While searching for Qin Feng, the counselor inquired, "Where's the one with the surname Qin? He's missing now!" "I don't know. I just went to the restroom a moment ago. What are you looking for him for, Chen Teacher?" Lin Caivé asked, puzzled. She replied, "That guy isn't a quiet type—don't do anything to upset me, or else I'll be the one to face the embarrassment, not just me, but our Plain University!" "It shouldn't happen," Lin Meiyu, though she didn't particularly like Qin Feng, thought he wouldn't go out of his way to be mischievous—after all, they were all adults. Or perhaps he'd stolen the cultural relics. That would be even less likely. First, the museum was packed with cameras; second, he simply didn't care one way or another about such things. Chen Yue scanned the entire third floor and indeed couldn't spot him. She quickly took Lin Meiyu's hand and said, "Caiwei, hurry and help me look for him—there's a real bad feeling about this!" Seeing the counselor so concerned, Lin Meiyu couldn't possibly refuse. The two of them began searching separately. Within the area enclosed by the colorful cloth, Qin Feng had already reached the restoration table, gazing at the piles of ceramic and metal fragments. He simply couldn't make sense of what stood out among them. He felt himself already quite close to what had drawn him in, so he simply closed his eyes and fully immersed himself in the sensation to pinpoint the location. Indeed, it worked—following the direction of the feeling, he quickly identified a spot. When he opened his eyes, there lay a mound of soil mixed with bronze fragments, about the size of a pomelo. The soil, wrapped in the bronze fragments and covered with green patina, had largely lost its original hue. It was tucked in a corner of the restoration table, carelessly piled among other fragments. Qin Feng simply couldn’t understand why this nearly green mass of soil evoked such a strong sensation in him—this feeling carried a sense of familiarity and long-buried recognition, and above all, a deep desire to claim it for himself. If it were a truly valuable antique, it would make sense. But a mere mound of ordinary soil with a few fragments—something even archaeologists might separate without gaining substantial value—seemed utterly incongruous. There were several large trays on the ground, cluttered with scattered fragments of the same kind. Yet that sensation didn't diminish—it grew stronger. Without realizing it, he reached out and touched the mass. When his fingers made contact, he could feel a warmth, not cold. "Qin Feng, what are you doing?" a soft, commanding voice called out. Qin Feng jumped, turning to see Lin Caivé. Her head had slipped through the junction of the colorful fabric, her large eyes fixed on him.