"No need."
Lin Fan forced a smile. "Actually, it's not an antique. A friend gave it to me, and I just didn't want him to be sad."
"Then you definitely need to get it repaired!"
Tian Mengyao pulled out her phone. "Believe me, a professional can restore it perfectly. No one will be able to tell."
"Really, there's no need."
Lin Fan grabbed her arm. "Since someone gave it to me, it's mine..."
As he spoke, he looked down, his pupils contracting sharply.
"What's wrong?"
Tian Mengyao curiously followed his gaze.
"There seems to be something inside the cover."
Lin Fan pointed at the cover of the ancient book.
At the straight tear, a small triangular piece was revealed, its material completely different from the rest.
"Could it be a treasure map or something?"
Tian Mengyao's eyes sparkled. "Xiao Fan, let's take a look quickly."
"Hey, hey, even if it is a treasure map, it belongs to someone else."
Lin Fan reminded her.
"Why worry about that? If we find it, we'll just turn it in to the country."
Tian Mengyao pulled Lin Fan's arm and walked into the clinic.
"You~"
Lin Fan was both amused and exasperated. Were all women the same?
Wang Ying's attitude changed drastically upon hearing his master was wealthy.
Tian Mengyao became so excited upon seeing the possibility of treasure in the book.
They entered the clinic, turned on the lights, placed the "Qing Nang Zhen Jie" on the table, and then sat facing each other in chairs, scrutinizing it intently.
"Xiao Fan, what exactly is this thing?"
Tian Mengyao leaned over the table, examining the four large characters on the cover.
"It's a long story. A feng shui master gave it to me as a family heirloom."
Lin Fan hesitated. Clearly, the item was hidden in a layered compartment, and the ancient book would have to be destroyed to retrieve it. But what if Duan Wen Shi decided to look at his heirloom one day?
"A feng shui master!"
Tian Mengyao exclaimed. "Could it contain the location of an ancient emperor's tomb? Like Qin Shi Huang's tomb?"
"Can you stop making things up? Qin Shi Huang's tomb? It's right there, why would it need a treasure map?"
Lin Fan said irritably.
"I was just giving an example, I didn't say it was definitely his."
Tian Mengyao pouted, but her curiosity couldn't be suppressed. "Xiao Fan, let's look?"
"I just got it today, I haven't even read its contents yet."
Lin Fan shot her a glance. "Besides, if we destroy it, what if he asks for it back later?"
"How about I copy down the contents of the book? It's already damaged anyway. Then I can give him a new one."
Tian Mengyao suggested.
"This... that's acceptable."
Lin Fan nodded slightly.
He was also curious what treasure was hidden within the book.
"Give me paper and ink, I'll do it myself."
Tian Mengyao rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and slender arms.
The clinic was not short of paper and ink.
When business was slow in the beginning, Lin Fan had tried every possible method, including prescribing and dispensing medicine according to ancient practices, and he had even practiced calligraphy for a while.
Unexpectedly, because of the incident of saving Jiang Hu Xue, Xiao Fan Clinic quickly gained a reputation, and the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were naturally put away.
The Xuan paper was laid out, and the ink was ground.
"Alright, can you do it?"
Lin Fan was a little uneasy.
"Remove the 'can you' and let me show you the skills of your great aunt."
Tian Mengyao arrogantly tilted her chin, full of confidence.
"Here, you do it."
Lin Fan, amused, moved aside.
Tian Mengyao took a deep breath, opened the ancient book, and began writing.
Lifting the brush, placing the ink, swish swish swish, it was as smooth as flowing water.
Lin Fan watched from the side, his gaze darting between the ancient book and the freshly copied manuscript.
Not a single character was wrong!
Even the handwriting was identical!
In comparison, he sometimes couldn't even understand his own writing.
Who would have thought this silly girl actually had some talent.
"Grind the ink."
Tian Mengyao instructed.
"Mm-hmm."
Lin Fan assisted her. In less than an hour, over five thousand words had been written.
Tian Mengyao put down her brush, feeling a sense of accomplishment as she looked at her work.
Five sheets of Xuan paper, filled with small regular script, lay on the table, their neat characters resembling freshly produced works of art, full of pleasing beauty.
"Beautiful!"
Lin Fan exclaimed.
"Of course, who do you think wrote it?"
Tian Mengyao was so proud her tail was almost sticking up to the heavens.
"I've been practicing for over ten years since I was a child. My father even hired a renowned master to guide me. It's no exaggeration to say that I could make a living selling calligraphy in the future."
"That's impressive!"
Lin Fan patted her small head.
"I have many outstanding qualities."
Tian Mengyao half-closed her eyes, enjoying the praise, and continued to praise herself.
"There's a mouse."
Lin Fan suddenly said.
"Ah!"
Tian Mengyao's face changed drastically, and she let out a sharp shriek, jumping onto the table.
"Where? Where?"
Tian Mengyao trembled all over, her face a mask of misery as she looked around.
"Just kidding."
Lin Fan burst into laughter.
"You!"
Tian Mengyao bared her teeth and claws, and with great momentum, lunged at Lin Fan.
Lin Fan opened his arms and embraced her.
"I'll beat you to death, beat you to death!"
Tian Mengyao was furious and continuously pounded Lin Fan's back with her small fists.
"I heard you were pushed down today. Does it still hurt?"
Lin Fan tightened his embrace.
Tian Mengyao's movements stopped. "It hurts a lot."
She pressed her head against Lin Fan's neck, her voice full of grievance. "If you, you bad guy, weren't away from home, how could I have been bullied?"
"Next time I see him, I'll break his legs, okay?"
Lin Fan gently stroked her back.
"Mm-hmm."
Tian Mengyao nodded lightly, and the little bit of grievance in her heart immediately disappeared.
After a moment of tenderness, Lin Fan placed her back on the chair.
"Does it still hurt?"
"No, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Tian Mengyao's pretty face flushed, and her beautiful eyes glistened with a dewy sheen.
This bad guy had insisted on checking if she was seriously injured.
Then, under the guise of treatment, he kept rubbing and kneading her. It was so embarrassing!
"Let's get down to business."
Lin Fan said, already starting to dismantle the ancient book.
"I'll help you."
Together, they quickly tore the ancient book apart.
The "Qing Nang Zhen Jie," which the Duan family had kept secret from outsiders for generations, soon became a pile of tattered pages.
On the tray in front of Lin Fan, lay irregular fragments.
"Xiao Fan, this doesn't seem to be a treasure map."
Tian Mengyao held a fragment, examining the script on it.
"No matter what it is, let's piece it together first."
The two of them started working again, their curiosity piqued. They didn't even notice it was already past ten o'clock at night.
Fortunately, the fragments had legible text, so piecing them together wasn't too difficult.
Time ticked by.
Finally.
As midnight approached, an ancient scroll made of animal skin appeared before them.