Not Interested

Bai Fangfang's words, along with Professor Wang's subsequent explanations, were completely lost on Gu Ming, who was lost in her own thoughts. She only tightly clenched her left hand into a fist and placed it on her knee.

The moment the class dismissal bell rang, Gu Ming seemed to be jolted awake. She abruptly stood up from her seat, hurriedly explained a few things to Bai Fangfang, asking her to help request a day off, and then rushed out of the classroom without even grabbing her textbook.

"Gu Ming, Gu Ming..." Bai Fangfang quickly took a couple of steps forward but was blocked by the crowd eager to leave the classroom after dismissal. She could only watch helplessly as Gu Ming disappeared from her sight.

Gu Ming ran swiftly out of the school gates; she needed to verify her hypothesis. Just as she waved to hail a taxi, a hand wearing an elaborate gold watch stopped her from opening the taxi door.

"Why are you here?" Gu Ming looked up immediately, showing a defensive expression as she glanced at the other person.

Du Hao was taken aback by Gu Ming's guarded gaze, feeling an uncomfortable sensation rise within him. Being in a position of authority for so long, he felt his prestige was being challenged and instinctively wanted to scold her.

However, noticing the hint of resentment beneath her guarded eyes, he reconsidered and realized he was at fault this time.

With a slight sigh, Du Hao controlled himself and spoke softly, "Ming Ming, we haven't finished discussing what happened last time."

"It's already over," Gu Ming stared steadily at Du Hao, secretly exerting force with her hands to try and open the taxi door.

Unfortunately, Du Hao prevented her from doing so, much like the last time when he suddenly vanished after jumping into a taxi, continuously pressing against the door to stop Gu Ming from opening it.

"Du Hao, have you had enough?" Gu Ming glared angrily at him.

The taxi driver noticed something was wrong and asked Gu Ming, "Miss, are you still not leaving?"

Gu Ming was very familiar with Du Hao's personality. If she didn't comply with him now, she might not be able to leave anytime soon.

"I'm sorry, driver, but I'm not leaving right now," Gu Ming apologized with a smile.

The driver didn't say anything, merely glanced back and forth between Du Hao and Gu Ming, frowned, sighed deeply, and drove away.

Gu Ming sharply sensed the driver's sigh and felt her heart tighten.

Looking up, she saw Du Hao dressed in a GUCCI suit, wearing Italian handmade leather shoes, and sporting that eye-catching elaborate gold watch on his hand. From head to toe, he exuded the unique aura of a wealthy individual.

In contrast, her own outfit, though simple and elegant, couldn't compare to his array of luxury brands.

She didn't feel a shiver at not wearing designer brands while standing next to Du Hao. If she had the skills, she'd achieve as much as she could. Even if she never wore world-famous brands in her life, she wouldn't be a couple of inches shorter than Du Hao.

However, standing together in their current tense atmosphere inevitably led some uninformed and overactive imaginations to form unflattering thoughts.

"Mr. Du, I thought I was clear yesterday. From now on, you take your sunny path, and I'll walk my own solitary bridge. Why are you coming back to me now? Aren't you afraid of paparazzi following us, creating sensational stories? How will you explain this to your newlywed lovely wife when you get home?" Gu Ming couldn't help but scoff at Du Hao's current behavior. "Ming Ming, I know you're feeling bad. I admit I was wrong this time. I don't want to say anything else, just hope you can accept this money considering our past relationship." Just like the last time they met, Du Hao took a check from his checkbook and handed it to Gu Ming.

"So your sentiment can be measured by money," Gu Ming sneered.

"You know that's not what I mean. I just hope you can be a bit happier," Du Hao frowned. He had never seen Gu Ming so sharp; the previous Gu Ming always had a gentle smile.

If it wasn't for this meaning, what else could it be?

Gu Ming stood with her feet together, straightening her back, and said to Du Hao, "Don't speak so sweetly. You just want to use some money to cover up your guilt. Actually, you don't need to feel guilty. You just made the choice that was most beneficial and correct for you. I don't need your guilt, nor do I care about it!"

She despised indecisive men the most. Once a choice was made, it should be decisive. What does it mean to act like she's doing this for his own good? Did she not feel angry about being abandoned, but instead had to joyfully thank him?

After saying these words, Gu Ming felt much more relieved in her heart.

She reached out to hail another taxi, and before stepping into the car, she told Du Hao, "I will never see you again!"

This time, Du Hao didn't stop her. He simply watched as the taxi sped away from his sight.

"You really don't need to feel guilty," Du Hao muttered to himself, a slight smile curling his lips as he tucked the check back into his checkbook and turned to walk toward his own car parked nearby.

He had a meeting at eleven o'clock and needed to hurry.

After getting into the taxi, Gu Ming quickly calmed down. She had more important matters to attend to, and there was no need to dwell on a man who wasn't worth her sadness.

The taxi arrived smoothly at her destination. After paying the fare, Gu Ming headed straight to a well-known antique shop in the city, Ji Bao Shan Fang.

Most items in Ji Bao Shan Fang were of high quality. Many wealthy antique enthusiasts liked to browse here whenever they had time. Professor Wang was the honorary advisor of the shop, and Gu Ming had visited several times with him before, which was quite eye-opening for her.

The owner, Zheng Shan, was a very kind middle-aged man, much like his name suggested. Regardless of whether customers were browsing or buying, he always did his best to meet their needs.

Gu Ming immediately set her sights on a Tang Dynasty jade pot. The jade pot was white, with a basin-shaped mouth, a narrow neck, a bulbous abdomen, and a flat, solid base. It had a lid and a cylindrical knob. The entire body was smooth and unadorned, meticulously carved, clearly not an ordinary piece.

She needed to practice to see what was happening with her left hand. Just having Professor Wang's two small items and Bai Fangfang's Han Dynasty jade cicada wasn't enough.

"Jin Ge, can I see that jade pot?" Gu Ming asked the attendant next to her.

"Hey, why are you here alone today, Little Gu?" Jin Ge looked at Gu Ming with surprise.

"I have an assignment from the professor. I came to get some references," Gu Ming casually lied.

Jin Ge didn't probe further. He knew Gu Ming was well-liked by Professor Wang and that many people often asked him to show that Tang Dynasty jade pot. So he wasn't surprised by her request and carefully opened the glass door to take out the jade pot.

"Take a closer look; this is Zheng's treasure," Jin Ge joked.

"Don't worry, even if I drop myself, I won't damage this jade pot," Gu Ming assured him. She wasn't lying; if she were to drop, at most she'd end up in the hospital for a few days. But if she broke the jade pot, she couldn't afford to compensate Zheng.

Jin Ge chuckled and shook his head at Gu Ming.

Gu Ming took a deep breath and placed her left hand on the jade pot. The moment her left hand touched the jade pot, she felt a surge of ethereal energy rushing from her hand to her heart. Her palm began to warm up, a sensation not inferior to what Bai Fangfang's jade cicada had given her.

She steadied herself, removed her left hand, and placed her right hand on the pot. As she had experienced in the classroom experiment, her right hand didn't bring any unusual sensations.

"Jin Ge, can I see that jade ring?" Gu Ming pointed to a jade ring placed somewhat inconspicuously outside.

"That one isn't very old," Jin Ge cheerfully replied, quickly taking the jade ring out and handing it to Gu Ming.

This time, Gu Ming directly took it with her left hand. Her left hand also felt warmth, though not as intense as with the Money Turtle, and didn't evoke the joyful feeling.

She realized that her left hand seemed to have developed a magical ability to determine the authenticity and age of items based on the warmth transmitted through her hands.

At this moment, Gu Ming wasn't overjoyed. Instead, she furrowed her brows tightly. She was certain that before today, her left hand had been completely normal and hadn't exhibited any such magical phenomena. What on earth was happening?

"Who's here? Oh, it's you!" Suddenly, a slightly arrogant and unfriendly voice reached Gu Ming's ears.