Reborn As Super Heiress

Huo Sining smiled and glanced at both Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan, intending to test these two, so she didn’t reveal her judgment immediately, but asked, ”Li Quan, what do you think of this painting?”

Her words were meant to probe Li Quan’s thoughts, to see if he had made any progress during this period, but to Tang Jinchuan, it sounded like something else entirely.

Tang Jinchuan already regarded Huo Sining as a superficial girl. Hearing this, he assumed she couldn’t understand the origin of the painting and wanted Li Quan to guide her, which made him feel even more disdainful towards Huo Sining.

This little girl clearly doesn’t understand but pretends she does, and even puts on airs in front of so many people—it’s truly laughable.

An involuntary flash of contempt crossed Tang Jinchuan’s eyes.

Huo Sining had been secretly observing Tang Jinchuan. Although he concealed it well, she still noticed his disdain for Li Quan in his gaze, and now seeing that he seemed to hold a prejudice against her as well, made Huo Sining even more suspicious of Tang Jinchuan.

This painting is definitely a forgery, but Tang Jinchuan, being from Baofu Zhai, came to Li Quan to resell this painting. Does he really know the truth about it?

If Tang Jinchuan doesn’t know it’s a forgery, it proves he’s misjudged; but if he does know, then he’s doing it deliberately, trying to deceive Li Quan and get money.

These are two completely different situations. If it’s the former, it simply proves his lack of skill, which is understandable, and Huo Sining won’t pursue it further; but if it’s the latter, then he’s malicious and of bad character. Even in future business, Huo Sining would never deal with such a person, or else Jubao Pavilion’s reputation could be ruined, potentially leading to them being swindled by such people someday, perhaps even leaving Li Quan counting money for them.

With these thoughts, Huo Sining formed an opinion about Tang Jinchuan. Though she didn’t show it outwardly, she already had other plans in mind.

Li Quan, when asked by Huo Sining, hesitated. He was silent for over ten seconds, looked at Qiao Zhenhuan, and then cautiously said, ”I think this painting should be an old piece. Its brushstrokes and style are indistinguishable from Shen Zhou’s works, and the seal is correct, so it should be an authentic Shen Zhou. But Boss Tang is just asking us for an appraisal, not necessarily intending to sell.”

Hearing this, Huo Sining couldn’t help but smile wryly, shaking her head slightly.

It seems Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan haven’t learned enough recently, but you can’t blame them for misjudging. This painting is indeed convincingly imitated, with the seal being quite deceptive, making it hard to distinguish real from fake. Without her Heavenly Eye assistance, even she might have been fooled by it. So Li Quan’s answer didn’t disappoint her, just left her a bit regretful.

Seeing Huo Sining shaking her head, Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan were stunned.

Others might not know, but Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan had seen Huo Sining’s treasure appraisal skills and greatly admired her ability. After seeing the painting, though they favored it, they hadn’t rushed to quote a price, waiting for Huo Sining’s decision. Seeing her shake her head left them bewildered.

”Boss Tang, you’re an expert. My eyes are inexperienced, and I’m not entirely sure about this painting. Perhaps you should consult other shops?”

Without explaining to Li Quan and Qiao Zhenhuan, Huo Sining rolled up the painting, turned it into a scroll, and placed it back into the brocade box.

Seeing this action, Tang Jinchuan’s earlier smugness dissipated. When Li Quan responded to Huo Sining, he thought the deal was set, only to find a sudden twist: Huo Sining’s uncertainty caught him off guard. Her actions clearly indicated she didn’t even want to discuss a price, leaving Tang Jinchuan dumbfounded.

”This...Boss Huo, what do you mean? I sincerely came to you for an appraisal. If there’s something wrong with my painting, please speak openly. Didn’t Boss Li just say it was an authentic Shen Zhou? I came with sincerity, and if Boss Li thinks it’s good and wants to take it, as long as the price is right, I am willing to sell.”

Feeling uneasy, Tang Jinchuan hurriedly stood and asked.

Huo Sining placed the scroll back into the brocade box and then looked at Tang Jinchuan with a knowing smile: ”Boss Tang, it’s not about the price. You’re an expert in this field, and you ’sincerely’ brought this painting to us for insight. Naturally, we wouldn’t jump to conclusions. It’s not that we don’t want to acquire it, but before that, I must say a few words.”

When saying this, Huo Sining intentionally emphasized the word ’sincerely’ and gave Tang Jinchuan a meaningful look.

Yet, Tang Jinchuan seemed not to grasp the underlying message. Hearing that they weren’t averse to acquiring the painting, he felt a sense of relief.

He slightly exhaled, having misconstrued Huo Sining’s motion as perceiving something in the painting. He internally cursed her tactics, almost falling for her ploy. He thought to himself what a strategist this young girl was, nearly swindling him out. ”Let’s see what you can expose; just don’t show your true colors upon opening your mouth!”

Tang Jinchuan thought little of it, doubting that Huo Sining could say anything insightful. He sat back down and nodded, saying, ”No problem, Boss Huo, do speak freely. Antiques have varied interpretations across houses, but truth and falseness remain constant.”

This nearly made Huo Sining laugh, although she had to maintain her composure: ”You’re right. It’s just one opinion, and if any part is inaccurate, I ask for Boss Tang’s understanding.”

Tang Jinchuan was waiting for Huo Sining to start speaking. He nodded and casually picked up the teacup from the coffee table, appearing calm and ready to watch Huo Sining’s folly. However, in the next moment, her words changed his expression entirely, leaving him unable to maintain his smile.

”This painting is not a work of Shen Zhou but a replica, likely from the late Qing period to early Republic of China. It’s not by a renowned artist, so if you truly wish to sell it, Boss Tang, it might not fetch a high price.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Jinchuan realized he had misjudged. The young girl before him, though youthful in appearance, was not an amateur. Her confident demeanor showed she had figured out the trick, indicating she wouldn’t be easily fooled.