Chapter 102: Rivals' Malicious Setup

A black Mercedes-Maybach was parked across the street.

Boss Qian opened the rear door and got in.

Inside the car sat a middle-aged man wearing a front-buttoning Tang suit.

The owner of "Ya Zhai," the largest antique shop in the city.

"Boss Zhao, the signature is signed, and the painting is left behind." Boss Qian took out a cigar and lit it.

Zhao Ming, holding two walnuts in his hand, sneered.

"Not bad, well done!"

"This Lin fellow, a latecomer to the trade, relying on those poisonous eyes, has ruined my good deals several times in just a few short months."

Recalling the memory, Zhao Ming ground his teeth in anger: "Just last week, I had just produced a high-quality forgery, and he immediately helped the client identify it."

"Does that kid really not know the rules of the trade?"

"Goods produced in the same city cannot be studied by competitors."

"That kid made Ya Zhai lose face, so I'll make him know what it means to cut off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents."

Actually, during the gap when Lin Xuan went to school.

Someone came to deliver that notice, and they happened to meet Zhao Ming and Boss Qian who had just arrived.

They originally wanted to give Lin Xuan a direct warning and teach him the rules of the trade properly.

But after receiving such important news, they changed their minds.

So they smoothly set up a chain of traps.

Boss Qian blew out a smoke ring. "Is that painting really unfixable?"

Zhao Ming stopped the motion of playing with the walnuts.

"The Tang Dynasty prepared silk is genuine, but that painting fell into the hands of a mediocre trickster a few years ago."

"That person, to save trouble, when bonding the painting core and the backing life paper, did not use the ancient method of paste."

A hint of venom flashed in Zhao Ming's eyes.

"He used modern industrial-grade epoxy resin glue, bonding it strongly; that glue penetrated into the fibers of the Tang Dynasty silk."

Zhao Ming looked at the "Ji Gu Zhai" signboard outside the car window.

"To restore ancient paintings, one must first use warm water to soak and dissolve the old glue."

"But warm water cannot dissolve chemical resin."

"If he dares to use a knife to peel off the backing paper, the modern glue will tear the layer of brittle-as-dust Tang Dynasty prepared silk into pieces along with it."

"I've checked; this kid has no background."

"Two million in breach-of-contract penalties is enough to bankrupt him and force him back to the mountains."

"He shouldn't even think about keeping that adoption qualification."

Late at night, the workshop door was locked.

The street outside was silent.

Lin Xuan returned home but did not rest immediately; instead, he changed into a gray work uniform.

Inside the room, a small workbench had already been placed.

Lin Xuan put on white gloves.

He picked up a long, surgical-grade scalpel.

Beside it sat a white porcelain bowl filled with warm water.

The first step of the ancient mounting removal method: moistening the core.

He picked up an extremely fine goat-hair brush, dipped it slightly in warm water.

The brush tip gently touched a gap at the edge in the bottom right corner of the scroll.

Warm water seeped into the junction between the painting core and the life paper.

Lin Xuan put down the brush and picked up tweezers to grasp the edge of the backing paper.

Waiting for the ancient paste to soften upon contact with water.

Two minutes passed.

Lin Xuan adjusted the force with his fingers, trying to pry open the life paper.

But it did not move an inch.

He added a bit more force.

Hiss.

A very faint sound of fiber tearing rang out.

Lin Xuan immediately released the tweezers and stopped the action.

"Something is wrong; traditional wheat paste or ox-hide glue must soften within three breaths upon contact with warm water."

"But the adhesive layer behind this painting is as hard as an iron plate."

Lin Xuan pushed away the high stool.

With both hands, he held a high-magnification Industrial Microscope and placed it above the painting.

He connected the power; the ring fill light of the microscope lit up.

Lin Xuan bent down.

His left eye pressed against the eyepiece, while his right hand turned the focusing screw.

The vision pierced through the blurry halo, instantly zooming in and magnifying.

The warp and weft threads of the Tang Dynasty silk, thick as sturdy ropes, wove across his field of vision.

In the gaps between those yellowed, fractured silk threads lay a layer of transparent solid crystals.

The crystals clamped down tightly on every single silk fiber.

Welding the painting's core and the backing paper into an inseparable whole.

Lin Xuan straightened up and turned off the microscope.

He picked up the scalpel.

Tilting the blade, he gently scraped along the crystals at the painting's edge.

The metal blade slid across.

Leaving a very faint white mark on the crystal surface. It wouldn't scrape off, nor would it dissolve.

"This painting actually used industrial superglue??"

Lin Xuan was stunned, his fingers gripping the scalpel beginning to stiffen.

Regret stirred in his heart.

Why hadn't he checked more carefully back then?

If he had discovered it on-site, he definitely would not have taken this job.

This was far from a routine repair of mold stains and water marks.

Warm water produced no reaction with the chemical glue.

Using modern chemical solvents to dissolve the resin would see the solvent's corrosiveness instantly devour the thousand-year-old silk.

Forcing it off with a physical blade, the glue's immense adhesive force would peel away the Tang Dynasty silk and mineral pigments along with it.

Clearly, it couldn't be repaired, yet it couldn't be returned either.

That so-called Boss Qian's purpose from the very beginning might not have been to restore the ancient painting.

The image of that face full of bulging muscles, twitching with a smile, flashed repeatedly in Lin Xuan's mind, and he finally realized something was wrong.

He threw down the scalpel and propped his hands on the edge of the workbench.

The studio's account held only a hundred thousand yuan in liquid funds.

Breaching the contract would mean not only that the studio he had struggled so hard to open would be sealed and seized for debt.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would blacklist him for dishonesty.

He would lose his qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time it would trigger a tax audit.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the police had called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms he was selling, and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more suddenly appeared in his account, it would surely be hard to avoid an investigation.

So, to resolve the current dilemma, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped in his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases lay scattered on the table.

The mobile phone screen was lit, displaying rows of adhesive component ratio charts.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

For every chemical term Lin Xuan read, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled from his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink onesie, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it to her.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Go back to sleep as soon as you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the cup, grabbed the edge of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom rung, she climbed onto the chair.

Leaning her arms on the tabletop, resting her chin on the back of her hand, she looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue emitted toxic fumes; he didn't want the child to smell too much of it.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turn is sharp and rigid; the starting stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some folk workshop's crude technique."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, though it should be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"This painting is so ruined that even the signature has been torn off; one can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

Breach of contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and seized for debt.

It would further mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would add him to the blacklist of untrustworthy persons.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities were coming to investigate personally.

The first time he sold a few jade strands, the police officers had called him in for investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would be hard not to trigger an investigation, wouldn't it?

Therefore, to resolve the current conflict, he must start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped on his hand.

Scattered on the table were seven or eight modern chemistry atlases.

The mobile phone screen was lit, displaying a row of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

For every chemical term Lin Xuan read, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing pink one-piece pajamas, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup of warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when getting up at night?"

"Go back to sleep immediately after drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she did not leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the shadowless lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the water cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom crossbar, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

Chemical glue fumes are slightly toxic; he did not want the child to inhale too much.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended one finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the starting stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some folk workshop's crude technique."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, though it should be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"This painting is so ruined that even the signature has been torn off; one can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

Breach of contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and seized for debt.

It would further mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would add him to the blacklist of untrustworthy persons.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities were coming to investigate personally.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the "Hat Uncles" called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were selling family heirlooms and barely managed to bluff his way through.

If another few million appeared in the account, it would be hard not to trigger an investigation.

So, to resolve the current conflict, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases lay scattered on the table.

The Mobile Phone screen was lit, displaying a row of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, Toluene, Erlyujiamian...

Every time Lin Xuan read a chemical term, he crossed it off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink one-piece pajama set, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty Glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket for your night trip?"

"Drink it up and hurry back to bed."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the water cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom rung, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up a white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue fumes were slightly toxic; he didn't want the child to smell too much of it.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke up.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turn is sharp and rigid; the starting stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"The way this Malachite is shaded is built up layer by layer, not some amateur method from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Do you understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi's tone was certain.

"Lord Yan? Are you talking about Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, with a hint of testing in his voice.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. We can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you claim it is his discarded draft?"

Breaching the contract would not only mean his hard-won studio would be sealed and seized to pay debts.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would blacklist him as untrustworthy.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time, the tax authorities would come knocking at his door.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the "Hat Uncles" called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were selling family heirlooms and barely managed to bluff his way through.

If another few million appeared in the account, it would be hard not to trigger an investigation.

So, to resolve the current conflict, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases lay scattered on the table.

The Mobile Phone screen was lit, displaying a row of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, Toluene, Erlyujiamian...

Every time Lin Xuan read a chemical term, he crossed it off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink one-piece pajama set, walked in rubbing her eyes.

Holding an empty glass cup in her hand.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Go back to sleep right after you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi put down the water cup, grabbed the edge of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom crossbar, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue volatilizes with slight toxicity; he didn't want the child to smell it too much.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke up.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line in the clothing on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the start of the stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This method of shading with Malachite is built up layer by layer, not the wild technique of folk painting workshops."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Do you understand it?"

"Mm! This is the work of Lord Yan, but it should be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you talking about Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan asked in return, with a hint of testing in his tone.

"This painting is so ruined that even the signature has been torn off; one can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

Breach of contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and used to repay debts.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would add him to the blacklist of untrustworthy persons.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the princess of the Great Tang would be sent to a welfare institution.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time it would be a tax inspection at his door.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the Hat Uncles called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms and barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would probably be hard not to trigger an investigation.

So, to resolve the current conflict, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Scattered on the table were seven or eight modern chemistry atlases.

The Mobile Phone screen was lit, displaying rows of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, Toluene, Erlyujiamian...

Every time Lin Xuan looked at a chemical term, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan picked up the cold, strong tea on the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled from his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink one-piece pajama, rubbed her eyes and walked in.

Holding an empty Glass cup in her hand.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Go back to sleep right after you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi put down the water cup, grabbed the edge of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom crossbar, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue volatilizes with slight toxicity; he didn't want the child to smell it too much.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke up.

Lin Xuan's hand halted in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a single finger, pointing vaguely at a barely visible fold line on the right side of the scroll.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the brush starts like a snapped hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. One can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

Currently reading: Chapter 102, The Rival's Malicious Setup, latest chapters at.

Breaching the contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and seized for debt.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would blacklist him for dishonesty.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities were coming to investigate personally.

The first time he sold a few jade strands, the police had called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were ancestral heirlooms and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would be hard not to trigger an investigation, wouldn't it?

Therefore, to resolve the current conflict, he must start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's light stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan sat with his head propped on his hand.

Scattered on the table were seven or eight modern chemistry atlases.

The Mobile Phone screen was lit, displaying rows of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, toluene, Erlyujiamian...

Every time Lin Xuan read a chemical term, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing pink one-piece pajamas, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty Glass cup in her hand.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket for your night trip?"

"Drink up and hurry back to bed."

Xiao Sizi held the cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the cup, grabbed the edge of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully beside the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom rung, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the table, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue fumes were slightly toxic; he didn't want the child to breathe them in.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand halted in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a single finger, pointing vaguely at a barely visible fold line on the right side of the scroll.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the brush starts like a snapped hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. One can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

Urgent! Major plot twist! Read quickly.

Breaching the contract means not only that the studio he struggled so hard to open will be sealed and used to repay debts.

It also means the Civil Affairs Bureau will add him to the blacklist of dishonest persons.

He will lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess will be sent to a welfare home.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin gave him.

But he still needs time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax bureau will come to his door for an inspection.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the police officers called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms he was selling, and barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appear in his account, it will be hard not to trigger an investigation, right?

So, to resolve the current conflict, he must start by restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Scattered on the table were seven or eight modern chemistry atlases.

The mobile phone screen was lit, displaying a row of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

Every time Lin Xuan read a chemical term, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan picked up the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing pink one-piece pajamas, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it to her.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Drink it quickly and go back to bed."

Xiao Sizi held the cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

She stepped on the bottom rung and climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the table, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue fumes were slightly toxic; he didn't want the child to smell them too much.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke up.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger and pointed vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turn is sharp and rigid; the starting stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This Malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understood it?"

"Mm! This is Master Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Master Yan? Are you talking about Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan asked in return, with a hint of testing her.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. We can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you claim it is his discarded draft?"

He tossed aside the scalpel and propped his hands on the edge of the workbench.

The studio's account held only one hundred thousand yuan in liquid funds.

Breaching the contract means not only that the studio he struggled so hard to open will be sealed and used to repay debts.

It also means the Civil Affairs Bureau will add him to the blacklist of dishonest persons.

He will lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess will be sent to a welfare home.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin gave him.

But he still needs time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax bureau will come to his door for an inspection.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the police officers called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms he was selling, and barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appear in his account, it will be hard not to trigger an investigation, right?

So, to resolve the current conflict, he must start by restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases lay scattered on the table.

The mobile phone screen glowed, displaying rows of adhesive component ratios.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

With every chemical term Lin Xuan read, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door suddenly swung open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink onesie pajama, rubbed her eyes as she walked in.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Go back to sleep right after you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she didn't leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the shadowless lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the water cup, grabbed the edge of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

She stepped on the bottom crossbar and climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue fumes were slightly toxic; he didn't want the child to breathe them in.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke up.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the starting stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her eyes following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Do you understand it?"

"Mm! This is Master Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Master Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, his tone carrying a hint of testing.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. We can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you claim it is his discarded draft?"

Breach of contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and seized for debt.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would place him on the list of dishonest persons.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he still needed time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities were coming to his door.

The first time he sold a few jade strands, the police had called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were ancestral treasures he was selling, and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would be hard not to trigger an investigation, wouldn't it?

So, to resolve the current conflict, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped on his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases lay scattered on the table.

The mobile phone screen glowed, displaying rows of adhesive component ratios.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

With every chemical term Lin Xuan read, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door suddenly swung open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing a pink onesie pajama, rubbed her eyes as she walked in.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it over.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when you got up at night?"

"Go back to sleep right after you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she did not leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the shadowless lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down her water cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom rung, she climbed onto the chair.

Leaning her arms on the tabletop and resting her chin on the back of her hand, she looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue was volatile and slightly toxic; he did not want the child to smell too much of it.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the start of the stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Master Yan's handiwork, though it must be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Master Yan? Do you mean Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, with a hint of testing in his tone.

"The painting is this ruined; even the signature has been torn off. We can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, that is true, but on what basis do you claim it is his discarded draft?"

Author "Three Hundred Milliliters" recommends reading "The Sickly Little Sizi Knocks on the Door, and I Became the God of Ten Thousand Dynasties" using the "Renren Shuku" APP; download and install it.

Breaching the contract would not only mean the studio he had worked so hard to open would be sealed and seized to pay debts.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would add him to the blacklist of the untrustworthy.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to an orphanage.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities would be coming to investigate.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the police had called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were family heirlooms and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would surely be hard not to attract an investigation.

So, to resolve the current conflict, he still had to start with restoring the ancient painting.

The room's lights stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped up by his hand.

Scattered on the table were seven or eight modern chemistry atlases.

The mobile phone screen was lit, displaying rows of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

Every time Lin Xuan looked at a chemical term, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled from his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing pink one-piece pajamas, rubbed her eyes as she walked in.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it to her.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when getting up at night?"

"Go back to bed as soon as you finish drinking."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she did not leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the shadowless lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down her water cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom rung, she climbed onto the chair.

Leaning her arms on the tabletop and resting her chin on the back of her hand, she looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue was volatile and slightly toxic; he did not want the child to smell too much of it.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended a finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the start of the stroke is like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"This malachite shading method is built up layer by layer, not some amateur technique from a folk workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, but it should be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"This painting is so damaged that even the signature has been torn off; one can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"

The world beneath three hundred milliliters of brushwork lies entirely within "The Sickly Little Sizi Knocks on the Door, and I Become the God of Ten Thousand Dynasties."

Breaching the contract would not only mean the studio he had so painstakingly opened would be sealed and confiscated to repay debts.

It would also mean the Civil Affairs Bureau would place him on the blacklist of dishonest persons.

He would lose the qualification to adopt Xiao Sizi, and the Tang Dynasty princess would be sent to a welfare institution.

Of course, he could sell the treasures Li Shimin had given him.

But he would still need time to find buyers and negotiate prices, and this time the tax authorities were coming to investigate in person.

The first time he sold a few jade bracelets, the police officers had called him in for an investigation.

Back then, he claimed they were ancestral heirlooms and had barely managed to bluff his way through.

If several million more appeared in his account, it would surely be hard not to trigger an investigation.

Therefore, to resolve the current conflict, he must start by restoring the ancient painting.

The room's light stayed on until two in the morning.

Lin Xuan kept his head propped on his hand.

Seven or eight modern chemistry atlases were scattered on the table.

The mobile phone screen was lit, displaying a row of adhesive component ratio tables.

Acetone, toluene, dichloromethane...

Every time Lin Xuan read a chemical term, he crossed one off on the paper.

Lin Xuan lifted the cold, strong tea from the table and gulped it down.

The bitterness crawled down his throat into his stomach.

Just then, the room door was suddenly pushed open.

Xiao Sizi, wearing pink one-piece pajamas, walked in rubbing her eyes.

She held an empty glass cup in her hands.

"Brother Lin Xuan... I'm thirsty."

Lin Xuan stood up, walked to the water dispenser, filled half a cup with warm water, and handed it to her.

"Why didn't you put on a jacket when getting up at night?"

"Drink it quickly and go back to bed."

Xiao Sizi held the water cup and took two sips.

But she did not leave.

Her gaze was drawn to the Shadowless Lamp on the workbench.

Xiao Sizi set down the water cup, grabbed the edges of the wooden chair with both hands, and dragged it forcefully to the side of the workbench.

Stepping on the bottom crossbar, she climbed onto the chair.

She rested her arms on the tabletop, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and looked at the tattered silk painting.

Lin Xuan picked up the white cloth nearby, preparing to cover the scroll.

The chemical glue fumes were slightly toxic; he did not want the child to smell them too much.

"This painting..." Xiao Sizi suddenly spoke.

Lin Xuan's hand froze in mid-air.

Xiao Sizi extended one finger, pointing vaguely at a fold line on the right side of the scroll that was barely visible.

"The turns are sharp and rigid; the brush starts like a broken hairpin."

Xiao Sizi tilted her head, her gaze following the line downward.

"The way this Malachite is layered and blended is built up layer by layer, not some amateur method from a folk painting workshop."

Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"You understand it?"

"Mm! This is Lord Yan's handiwork, but it should be a discarded draft."

Xiao Sizi spoke with certainty.

"Lord Yan? Are you referring to Yan Liben?"

Lin Xuan countered, carrying a hint of testing.

"This painting is so damaged that even the signature has been torn off; one can only roughly analyze the dynasty and time period."

"It is indeed the Tang Dynasty, no doubt, but on what basis do you conclude it is his discarded draft?"