Chapter 290: Many Secrets He Refused to Let Her Know
Qin Yumo lifted his gaze toward Cheng Lie upon hearing this: "A forgery? Hah, I spent half a million to buy this piece."
"It’s still a forgery," Cheng Lie looked at him, his eyes dark as ink.
Qin Yumo found this man truly insufferable. It was bad enough that he always went against him during normal times, and now he had the audacity to declare publicly that the painting he bought was fake.
His friend had helped him procure this piece—how could it possibly be a forgery?
"Don’t make baseless accusations, Cheng Lie. I never thought you’d stoop so low. You’re quite skilled at falsely accusing people, aren’t you?" At this moment, Qin Yumo couldn’t hold back anymore. Being called out by Cheng Lie in public, anyone would feel angry and indignant.
Cheng Lie pointed to a specific spot on the painting. "Mr. Wen, take a closer look. The signature style of Li Jiayun’s landscape paintings is that they appear somewhat rough at first glance, yet their artistic conception is profound. In authentic works, the mountain stones are layered with light ink, then accented with darker ink to create depth and structure. However, in this painting, there’s no structural layering at all. It looks like a mere copy: impressive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it reeks of deliberate imitation in every detail."
Mr. Wen listened to Cheng Lie’s explanation. He had felt something was off from the beginning, and this insight finally made the discrepancy clear.
Mr. Wen couldn’t help but nod.
He turned to Qin Yumo. "Yumo, he makes a valid point. There’s indeed a problem with this painting."
Qin Yumo’s face paled. When had he ever encountered such an incident? He hadn’t expected that the artwork he had meticulously acquired would turn out to be a forgery.
Being exposed was one thing, but what made it worse was that Cheng Lie had been the one to catch it.
Of all people, why did it have to be Cheng Lie, this man he so thoroughly despised?
Qin Yumo couldn’t stand being in the room anymore and turned on his heels to leave.
Seeing Qin Yumo storm off in anger, Wen Lin—who had always disliked Qin Yumo—beamed with delight. She looked at Cheng Lie. "Mr. Cheng, I didn’t realize you were so talented. You managed to pinpoint the forgery just like that."
"Indeed! Young man, how did you figure that out?" Mr. Wen, too, was curious.
To possess such skills in art authentication, one must come from a well-off family.
Could it be that he had misunderstood him earlier?
Qin Chi Jin added, "Mr. Wen, you don’t know this, but Cheng Lie has been studying painting since he was a child. He’s come across countless works over the years."
The first time Qin Chi Jin had been amazed by Cheng Lie was because of his artwork. Of course, it wasn’t the kind of ethereal artistry they were discussing now. The painting Cheng Lie showed him back then had convinced him to invest wholeheartedly in his cultivation.
So that’s how it is, Mr. Wen thought. It seems Cheng Lie’s family background had been quite solid in the past.
Mr. Wen then pulled Cheng Lie aside to inquire further, while Wen Lin stood nearby, sneakily watching Cheng Lie.
The more she looked at him, the happier she felt inside.
She genuinely liked this mature and steady man. Even though he was younger than her, she honestly didn’t mind.
After the banquet ended, Cheng Lie left the Wen Family residence. Qin Chi Jin approached him with a sly smile. "Cheng Lie, I didn’t expect this, but you sure are something! Did you notice? That young lady from the Wen Family is completely smitten with you."
Wen Lin, that girl, was famously proud and arrogant, and now she likes Cheng Lie of all people? How amusing.
"I’m not interested in her."
Listening to Cheng Lie’s detached tone, Qin Chi Jin instantly knew Wen Lin would face heartbreak soon.
Judging by this boy’s performance tonight, if he continues to develop in Beijing, he will undoubtedly become an extraordinary figure in the future.
You need to be this cold and ruthless, this decisive, to achieve great things.
A while later, Cheng Lie’s phone rang.
In the dimly lit interior of the car, the faint glow of the young man’s phone screen illuminated his face, softening his expression.
"Shi Fei," Cheng Lie said faintly. Just those two simple words carried a gentle undertone.
A stark contrast to his earlier cold demeanor.
Qin Chi Jin glanced at Cheng Lie, noticing how the young man sat upright, his face turned toward the car window, attentively listening to whoever was speaking on the other end.
"Cheng Lie, what are you doing?" Yun Shifei asked as she dried her freshly washed hair.
Since their relationship had returned to what it once was, they started making daily phone calls again.
"I just got off work."
"So late? Why are you working overtime even on weekends? Your boss is horrible, exploiting you like that," Yun Shifei frowned.
Cheng Lie murmured a brief "Mm."
During this era, phones didn’t have the best soundproofing. As the car quietly navigated through the streets, Qin Chi Jin’s nosy instincts couldn’t help but notice Yun Shifei’s words.
Upon hearing her comment, Qin Chi Jin frowned instinctively.
And when Cheng Lie responded with just a soft "Mm," Qin Chi Jin felt an irresistible urge to object.
What was that? He was probably the most humble "boss" in the world, always meticulously accommodating the boy. How had it turned into him being labeled as heartless?
Yun Shifei quickly switched topics, chatting with Cheng Lie about her experiences at the welfare center and mentioning how Fang Kaiyi asked why he hadn’t been there.
That cold and distant boy had grown increasingly outgoing under their influence, actively seeking closeness with them now. There was nothing more heartwarming than that.
Even someone like Cheng Lie—so emotionally reserved, indifferent to others unless they were someone he cared about—felt a glimmer of happiness at Fang Kaiyi’s transformation.
After hanging up the call, Qin Chi Jin couldn’t help but frown, looking at Cheng Lie. "Am I a heartless boss?"
He felt deeply wronged.
Cheng Lie chuckled lightly. "Aren’t you?"
"I am? Look at how much I’ve given you—have I ever denied you anything?"
"All of this is based on the foundation of our cooperation."
Qin Chi Jin: "...You little brat—living this clear-headed, you miss out on so much happiness."
Cheng Lie’s piercingly honest remark left Qin Chi Jin momentarily speechless.
A while later, he added, "I used to think your relationship with her was great, but now I realize you both have issues."
Cheng Lie’s brows furrowed. "What makes you think that?"
As someone with experience and a self-proclaimed master of romance, Qin Chi Jin pointed out Cheng Lie’s shortcomings.
"Look at you. You go to a banquet, but you keep it low-key, not wanting her to know. I imagine there are plenty of secrets you’re keeping from her, aren’t there?"
Cheng Lie’s lips pressed tightly together upon hearing this, his gaze lowering to obscure his emotions.
"Cheng Lie, let me tell you this—you like someone because you’re willing to share every part of yourself with them. Only then can the two of you experience genuine feelings and truly be together."
Qin Chi Jin lectured Cheng Lie earnestly, finally understanding why Cheng Lie and Yun Shifei—despite their shared affection—weren’t together.
Cheng Lie couldn’t bring himself to be open and vulnerable with the girl. How could they ever truly be together?
As Qin Chi Jin spoke, Cheng Lie listened. Deep down, he knew Qin Chi Jin was right.
But how could he bare himself completely to Yun Shifei? Cheng Lie felt those ugly, dark, venomous parts of himself were impossible to fully present to her.