Chapter Sixty-One: Unveiling the Painting

Tiger’s words were barely out of his mouth when Qin Feng swung his hand and slapped him hard across the face. Tiger’s burly body was thrown back as if hit by a speeding car, crashing heavily to the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

“Noisy,” Qin Feng spat coldly, then turned his back on Tiger and faced the antique shop owner. “Boss, I’ll take this painting. One hundred thousand, right?”

The antique shop owner stood stunned by what he’d just witnessed. When Qin Feng addressed him, he quickly nodded, bobbing his head like a woodpecker. “Yes, yes, one hundred thousand. Fixed price!”

“Card,” Qin Feng said, pulling a bank card from his pocket and handing it over.

The shop owner took the card, his hands trembling as he swiped it.

Ding!

A clear electronic chime rang out, and the machine spat out a receipt. The transaction was complete.

“Uh… Sir, do you need it wrapped?” The shop owner stared at the receipt, still in disbelief. Truth be told, even at a hundred thousand, there was profit to be made—he’d picked this item up at the flea market for barely ten thousand.

“What are you planning?” Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, his smile half amused, half warning.

“No, nothing at all.” The shop owner hurriedly shook his head. He wouldn’t dare argue now—this man had just knocked out Tiger, a notorious tough guy!

Ignoring the shop owner, Qin Feng strode to the landscape painting and lightly brushed his hand over it.

“An original by Wu Daozi?” Qin Feng’s lips curled into a sly smile. He’d seen something hidden within the painting just moments ago. Though not quite like the previous piece, it held its own secrets—only revealing them would tell exactly what.

Without sparing the shopkeeper another glance, Qin Feng took the landscape painting and walked out the door. Behind him echoed Tiger’s painful groans and the hurried, panicked footsteps of his cronies.

“This kid’s ruthless…” The antique shop owner watched Qin Feng’s departing figure and muttered, his eyes filled less with sympathy than with gloating. Tiger and his gang had long been a nuisance around here, and today they’d finally met their match—well deserved.

Qin Feng had no time to concern himself with that. His mind was wholly occupied by the landscape painting.

Upon returning home, he eagerly unrolled the scroll and examined it closely.

The brushwork was exquisite, the mood profound—truly a masterpiece. But what piqued Qin Feng’s interest was the painting hidden within the scroll.

“There’s definitely something strange here,” he murmured, a playful smile appearing on his lips. He fetched his tools for unveiling hidden paintings—such work required more than just keen eyesight. Use too much force in the wrong place, and you could ruin the painting inside as well as the outer layer.

From his toolbox, he took a blade as thin as a cicada’s wing.

He drew a deep breath, steadied his hand, and carefully sliced along the seam of the scroll. As the blade moved, a faint musty odor wafted up—this painting had been hidden for a long time.

With a final tear, the last layer gave way, revealing what lay beneath.

Behind the landscape was a portrait of a court lady: she wore a gauzy robe, her features delicate as a painting, and she reclined languidly on a chaise, holding a round fan that half-concealed her face, lending her an extra touch of allure.

“Marvelous! This artistry, this spirit—surely an authentic work of Tang Bohu!” Qin Feng could not help but praise. This was worth far more than the landscape covering it.

He estimated that if he sold it, it would fetch at least this much… Thinking of the figure, he held up eight fingers, his eyes narrowed in delight.

Knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, hurried knocking shattered Qin Feng’s reverie.

“Who is it, so late at night?” Qin Feng rose, annoyed, and peered through the peephole—only to freeze in surprise.

Standing outside was a tall, strikingly beautiful woman—Lin Wanting herself. She wore a black, low-cut evening gown, her long legs glimpsed beneath the hem. Her wavy hair tumbled carelessly over her shoulders, and her red lips parted, radiating irresistible allure.

Yet her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.

Qin Feng stood stunned for a few seconds before coming to his senses and quickly opening the door.

“Wanting, why are you here so late?” he asked.

Lin Wanting said nothing. She lowered her head, and tears fell like a string of pearls, one after another.

“What’s wrong? Who bullied you?” Qin Feng was thrown into a panic. Since he’d known Lin Wanting, she’d always seemed the epitome of a strong woman—even when kidnapped by the Wen brothers, she had never been so distraught.

She only sobbed harder, her tears flowing like rain, and her fragile beauty made Qin Feng’s heart ache.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Tell me what happened—I’ll help you fix it.”

“Qin Feng, I… I…” Lin Wanting choked out, unable to form a complete sentence.

“Come inside first,” Qin Feng said, gently pulling her in and closing the door. He poured her a glass of water.

Lin Wanting took the cup, drank a few sips, and gradually calmed herself.

“So, what happened?” Qin Feng asked softly.

Lin Wanting lifted her tear-stained face, biting her lip, hesitating.

“Did something happen at Lin Corporation?” Qin Feng asked.

She shook her head, then nodded, before finally speaking: “My father… he mortgaged the company…”

“Mortgaged it? Why? Didn’t Baiyun Group promise to help?” Qin Feng’s brow furrowed.

“He… he was tricked, and somehow signed a contract without realizing…” Lin Wanting broke down again, unable to keep from crying.

Qin Feng was momentarily stunned, then understood—it must be Wen’s doing. He’d seen fathers cheat their sons before, but this was the first time he’d seen one betray his daughter!

“So what now?” Qin Feng asked.

“My father owes them a billion, and now he wants me to sell Jade Pavilion…” Lin Wanting’s voice faltered, she buried her head between her knees, her body trembling.

Rage surged through Qin Feng. These bastards dared target Lin Wanting!

“Did they do anything to you?” he asked, his tone edged with menace.

Lin Wanting shook her head. “They said… they’ll give me three days. If I can’t repay within three days, then…”

“Then what?” She bit her lip, unable to speak, but Qin Feng had already guessed the answer. His eyes flashed coldly.