C7 Refuse to Admit It

Yaen Feilong let out a soft sigh. Amidst the scornful looks of the crowd, he approached Elder Su.

"We do have a history, after all."

"Indeed, we're old friends, so let's not worry over such a trivial issue," Elder Su quickly added.

Chu Yue'er was fuming, stamping her foot in frustration. Why was her grandfather siding with him? His intentions were clearly not good.

Elder Su had hoped the matter would be put to rest, but to his surprise, Yaen Feilong, in full view of everyone, picked up the porcelain vase and smashed it to the ground.

The crowd was shocked by his action. Had he lost his mind? Didn't he realize the value of that object? He looked like he couldn't possibly afford to pay for it.

Luo Xiaofeng spoke without a hint of sympathy, "Don't think that breaking this object will make us forget what happened. I've recorded everything you said."

Chu Yue'er couldn't hold back her anger. "This is not the place for your outbursts."

Yaen Feilong, undistracted, continued to sift through the shards.

"I'm speaking to you. Are you deaf? This is incredibly disrespectful," Chu Yue'er said, glaring at him.

With a slight smile, Yaen Feilong retrieved a shard from the debris.

"Here is the proof you've been looking for."

The crowd was confused.

"While it may look quite exquisite and genuine, a counterfeit is still a counterfeit. The porcelain firing technique is markedly different from the original," he explained.

After Yaen Feilong finished, people started to pass the shard around, examining it closely.

Luo Xiaofeng refused to look and dismissed Yaen Feilong's explanation with a sneer.

Yaen Feilong could claim it was fake, but she would need to see a comparison to believe it. Could he really find another genuine piece to destroy? After all, no two leaves in the world are identical.

Chu Yue'er, already feeling defiant, sided with Luo Xiaofeng this time.

It appeared that truth was indeed held by the few, as the saying goes.

Yaen Feilong, having revealed the answer, was not about to let them accuse him unjustly.

With that in mind, he picked out the least valuable vase in the room, a modern, mass-produced piece from a factory.

"Elder Chu, if I were to accidentally break a small porcelain bottle here, our relationship wouldn't suffer, would it?"

"You must be joking," the old man immediately wanted to see what Yaen Feilong was up to.

After all, this was a matter that put his own reputation on the line. He himself had attested to the authenticity of the item.

Following the clear sound of breaking porcelain,

Yaen Feilong casually picked up a shard for everyone to examine closely.

Since it was a modern manufacture, the two pieces were nearly identical.

Upon closer inspection, the crowd began to see the sense in Yaen Feilong's words.

"Actually, I've been duped in this area before and lost quite a bit of money, which is how I acquired this little trick."

"Miss Yue'er, for someone so young, you've already achieved quite a bit. But some lessons can only be learned through experience, which is why I sometimes find myself envious of you."

Yaen Feilong's compliments were merely to save face for everyone.

At this point, Elder Su's expression had soured.

Luo Xiaofeng wished the elder would step in and say something.

But seeing the indifferent expression on the face of the person across from him, she realized she needed to take action herself.

Why is everyone being so easily swayed by Yaen Feilong?

"You can't expect us to believe you just because you've said a few unsubstantiated words."

"If you want a verdict, I'll give you one. If you need evidence, I'll provide it. So what exactly are you trying to prove with your baseless arguments now?" Yaen Feilong asked, feigning ignorance.

Luo Xiaofeng was at a loss for words.

Chu Yue'er, meanwhile, was crouched down, examining the broken pieces.

She stood and approached Yaen Feilong, her eyes losing their previous intensity and softening.

"I may have been a bit too rash earlier."

"No worries. We young people should be full of vigor, right? If there's an issue, just speak up. Don't bottle it up inside like some do."

Yaen Feilong's jest hid his observation that Chu Yue'er's demeanor seemed a bit unsettled, more disordered than before. Despite her makeup, it was evident that she was not her usual confident self.

Given her family's status, the patriarch must have consulted numerous doctors to no avail. From what I can gather, it seems to be a case of prenatal deficiency.

"Did you catch what I was saying just now?" Chu Yue'er, noticing Yaen Feilong's distant gaze, felt compelled to prompt him.

"Sorry, my mind was elsewhere and I missed what you were saying. Did you ask me something? Could you please repeat it?"

"Even though I'm inclined to believe it's a fake, how did you figure it out?"

Yaen Feilong had discerned the inner workings of the object at first glance, but he had spent a few extra minutes examining it to avoid drawing undue attention to himself.

He gave her a cryptic smile. "That's a secret of mine, not something I can share lightly."

"Then how about you teach me? I'm willing to pay whatever it takes to learn."

Yaen Feilong advised her not to make light of the situation. It was hard to believe that a lady of the Chu family's stature would want to learn such things from him.

"I'm not kidding. There's always someone better out there, and it seems you surpass me in this ability. There's no shame in learning from you. Right, Elder Su?"

Elder Su chuckled, a hint of awkwardness in his smile.

"Would you accept me as your apprentice?" Chu Yue'er asked earnestly, her eyes brimming with hope.