You Owe Me, My Love novel Chapter 229

Bai Rong chuckled. “I knew you would say that. Are you some sort of spy?”

Instead of responding directly, he flashed her a wry smile that was tinged with wariness.

Bai Rong knew that she was not going to get an answer, so she did not pursue the matter. Lowering her head, she sipped on her coffee.

With that, the atmosphere grew awkward, as though time stood still.

Cheng Jinrong cleared his throat. “Have you studied history before?”

“I did attend a history class when I studied psychology abroad. It was mainly about using history to predict human behavior and our predestined paths. Why do you ask? Are you interested in history?” Bai Rong asked offhandedly.

“My ex-girlfriend’s father is obsessed with it. He’s an expert in the field, specializing in ancient geography. He even has ancient maps and knows where the wars and important events took place,” explained Cheng Jinrong.

An image of a map she had procured in Tangqian Village appeared in her mind right then. His ex-girlfriend’s father might also know a thing or two about it.

Wait, Cheng Jinrong and Lu Xingzhou know each other. Lu Xingzhou must have a copy of that map. It’s possible that he knows Cheng Jinrong’s ex-girlfriend’s father.

So could it be that Cheng Jinrong wants to buy that piece of land because that’s where the treasure is?

Bai Rong was excited by the idea, and she wanted to tell Gu Mingchen about her hypothesis immediately.

The coffee cup in her hand started to tremble, but she willed herself to calm down. “There’s an expert in every field. I remember that there was a show that appraised antiques. Many people brought their antiques to be appraised and verified. Those appraisers seemed very confident and could see through counterfeits in no time. They were very impressive,” Bai Rong said with awe.

“Silly girl. Those were all exaggerated for the sake of the dramatic effect. The experts had actually studied the antiques for days before they appeared on the show.” Cheng Jinrong chuckled.

“It’s still praise-worthy since they managed to figure out which era the item belongs to. Maybe these experts could even produce a passable counterfeit,” Bai Rong made idle conversation as she wanted to lull him into lowering his guard.

“Many of the authentic antiques are sealed away. The ones on display in museums and exhibitions are counterfeits made by experts. However, many techniques are lost in the mists of time. A counterfeit will never be replicated perfectly.”

Bai Rong drank her coffee and asked, “Do you research this field? Are you interested in antiques?”

“I am. I think it’s fascinating. Antiques can make you feel like you’re transported back in time. You can imagine that you were the one who owned these antiques in the past and think about where you would have placed them as well as their uses. Why did you choose to bury them with you? What makes them meaningful?” Cheng Jinrong went with the flow of the conversation.

“What kind of antiques do you like? It doesn’t sound like you were talking about ceramics,” Bai Rong asked tentatively.

“I like unique pieces.” Cheng Jinrong fished out a jade pendant and placed it on the table. “Do you know who used to own this?”

The jade pendant was exquisite and had an unusual engraving. “Who?” asked Bai Rong.

“The most famous poet in history,” revealed Cheng Jinrong confidently.

Bai Rong smiled. “The person you’re referring to was a traitor. He was punished for his crime. There’s no way something as valuable as this was buried with him. Someone lied to you.”

“You might not be aware of this, but he was a charismatic and talented man with good taste. He also had many friends and loved to shop around. One day, he bought this jade pendant and kept it by his side at all times. However, he was involved in a heinous plot, so he sent the jade pendant to a nobleman who was a good friend of his. Eventually, the nobleman saved him, and the jade pendant stayed with the nobleman,” explained Cheng Jinrong.

Bai Rong shrugged. It was difficult to ascertain who the antique belonged to if it had not been buried in a crypt. But Cheng Jinrong seemed so certain about it that if she disagreed with him, he might get upset. “Have you ever imagined yourself as the poet?”

Cheng Jinrong looked rather embarrassed. “I think he was wronged. The records state that his looks were non-peril, but he was an impetuous bootlicker, which is inaccurate.”

Bai Rong nodded. “I agree with your opinion. He had the foresight to remove himself from the situation. This proves that the poet was not impetuous. Additionally, his mother was very ill. When he resigned from his governmental job, he said that there was no point in owning riches if he couldn’t take care of his mother. He was initially known as one of the most filial men in history, but his name was struck off later on.

“Moreover, he had a wife who died of illness when he was only thirty-two years old. He was in the prime of his life and had a good governmental job, yet he did not remarry. He never even had another lover and chose to remain single for eighteen years instead. This indicates that he was a very loyal man, which was rare.”

Cheng Jinrong clapped, feeling as if he had found someone on the same wavelength as him. “You share the exact same sentiments as me. However, due to his status as a traitor, the emperor could not portray him in a good light. In fact, the emperor did not even want the poet to be recorded in history, so he erased the poet’s name from the list of the most filial people. Nonetheless, the poet’s reputation was too great, and his legacy was passed down by word of mouth. In fact, they all described him as near-perfect. Hence, the emperor had no choice but to include his name in the records, albeit only granting him a few lines to prevent discrepancies.”

“That’s how it always goes. If you’re successful, you’ll be lauded. If you’re a failure, you’ll get criticized. There are many proverbs about the emperor. After he became the emperor, those who knew him in the past sought refuge with him. If someone spoke up about how they suffered together, they would be executed. On the other hand, if they talked about how impressive he was, they would be promoted,” said Bai Rong as she finished the rest of her coffee.

Cheng Jinrong looked at Bai Rong with an odd expression that was a mixture of joy and excitement. It was as though he had finally found a woman who understood him, someone he would never tire of.

“How are you and your husband?” Cheng Jinrong asked out of concern.

“We’re pretty good,” Bai Rong answered simply.

She had ranted to a stranger back then because they had no ties to each other.

But if the stranger tried to interfere with her life, she would be annoyed.

Bai Rong glanced at her phone and changed the topic. “It looks like I’ve set too late of a time.”

“Rong, as you friend, I want to remind you to be careful when you go to Governor Lu’s house. Don’t meddle in affairs that don’t concern you,” urged Cheng Jinrong.