"I fuck your grandpa!" A loud shout came from behind me. I turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks—it seemed to be the owner of the calligraphy and painting shop. He pointed incredulously at my right hand. "Do you know how much that painting is worth? Even if we sold you, you couldn't pay for it! Are you out of your mind?"

I frowned in displeasure. "I didn't provoke you, so why are you cursing at me?"

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of a stunning face out of the corner of my eye. It was a young woman, holding a painting with a hole in the middle, sighing deeply with great regret. "Maybe this painting and I just aren't meant to be."

It was actually Grace Cooper!

Standing next to her was a cultural relics appraisal expert I'd seen on TV, who also sighed, "What a pity, what a pity."

I opened my right hand and smoothed out the wad of xuan paper in my palm. A black ink bird leapt into view. Looking at the damaged scroll in Grace Cooper's hand, I was stunned. From the murmurs of the onlookers, I finally realized what had happened: Grace Cooper had taken a liking to a Qi Baishi scroll in the shop and was about to buy it. But just at that moment, I had barged in and torn off a piece of the painting.

What the hell is going on here?

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my chaotic thoughts, and pulled out my phone to check the date.

It was actually last summer!

I'd gone back to the summer vacation a year ago!?

More and more people crowded around the shop entrance to watch the commotion, some even pressing against the floor-to-ceiling glass wall outside, jeering. I had no time to think, because the shop owner was gripping my arm tightly, shouting that I had to pay up. "Listen! This is a painting from Mr. Qi Baishi's early years! It's authentic! I just agreed on a price with Ms. Cooper! Eight hundred thousand! Not a cent less! If you can't pay, I'll have to call the police!"

"Let go of me first! I never said I wouldn't pay you!" I shook off his hand from my upper arm and said thoughtfully, "Eight hundred thousand? You can't just say it's authentic and expect me to believe it. Besides, I was pushed into the room by someone else. I shouldn't be the only one responsible for this." I tried to appear calm, but my heart skipped a beat. Nearly a million—how could my family possibly afford that?

This is a disaster!

Smack! Smack!

Before I finished speaking, the shop owner slapped two appraisal certificates in front of me. "See for yourself if it's authentic! Here's one from Mr. William Scott, and another is a certificate from the Beijing Collectors Association after instrument testing!"

I looked at Grace Cooper. Compared to those so-called experts, I was more willing to trust someone who had done charity work.

Grace Cooper looked at me and nodded. "This painting is indeed an authentic work by Mr. Qi Baishi. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been about to buy it." After a moment's hesitation, Grace Cooper took out a checkbook from her bag. "The painting was damaged while in my hands, so I am partly responsible. How about this: I'll pay half."

Her words made me feel a bit embarrassed.

I knew very well that, in fact, Grace Cooper had no need to take any responsibility. She was only doing this because she saw I couldn't pay and felt sympathy for me. Thinking of this, I felt a bit stifled. My dad had told me more than once that a person should act with integrity and take responsibility for their own actions, no matter what.

I knew I was being foolish, but I still reached out to stop her. "Thank you, but this has nothing to do with you. If anyone should pay, it should be the person who bumped into me."

Grace Cooper's hand, holding the pen, paused. She looked up at me. "Are you sure?"

I smiled bitterly and nodded.

After that, the scene quieted down. The shop owner glared at me impatiently, clearly wanting me to pay up. Grace Cooper and the appraisal expert surnamed Liu also stayed, standing quietly to the side. Outside, a dense crowd blocked the entrance, and it seemed there were even reporters and senior staff from the antique market among them.

It looked like quite a commotion, but that was no surprise—after all, it was a painting by Mr. Qi Baishi!

Suddenly, I froze, a sense of déjà vu welling up in my mind.

A year ago?

Grace Cooper?

Beijing Antique Market?

A Qi Baishi painting?

Damn! No wonder this all seemed so familiar! Wasn't this the TV program I watched with my parents last night? Grace Cooper had personally shared her experiences of being fooled over the years, and one segment was about a Qi Baishi scroll—she'd even described it in detail!

Could it be that I really had gone back a year?

What on earth was going on?

I steadied myself and checked the date on my phone again.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I temporarily set aside my deep confusion, opened my wallet, counted out two hundred yuan, and gently placed it on the glass display case.

The owner's anger flared. "Two hundred? That's not even enough for the appraisal fee! What do you mean by this? Forget it! I can't be bothered to argue with you! Go! Call your parents! I'll discuss compensation with them!"

"I think two hundred is plenty." I laid the torn piece of xuan paper flat on the counter and pointed at the bird on it. "This painting of yours isn't very authentic!"

Chapter 2: [Playing the Expert for Once]