Everyone followed Shen Yun's gaze at the sound of his voice. Teacher Deng also looked at Jiang Ze, rapidly searching his memory for information about this student.
In an instant, Jiang Ze became the center of everyone's scrutiny.
"Would this student like to come forward and share his thoughts?"
Elder Tong spoke up as well, leaving Jiang Ze no choice but to step forward.
Everyone whispered as they watched him. The archaeology students in particular were discussing who he was, yet no one present seemed to recognize him.
"Shen Yun, you said he's in our department. How come I've never seen him before?"
Dong Jiansheng, who had appraised the vase before Shen Yun, spoke up, looking at Jiang Ze skeptically.
The original owner of this body really had done a miserable job of getting by. Despite his excellent grades, he had so little presence that after a year's leave, nobody recognized him.
"I know him! He really is in our department. I think he took leave last year because of something. I don't know when he came back."
Jiang Ze looked at the speaker in surprise. His hair was a little long, and thick glasses covered half his face. He looked somewhat socially anxious.
Was he a friend of the original owner?
He gave the speaker a friendly nod, then turned to Dong Jiansheng.
"That's right. I only came back to register today. Would you like to see my student ID?"
Although Jiang Ze said that, he had no intention of actually taking it out.
Dong Jiansheng had nothing else to question. He nodded and said no more. Shen Yun spoke up then.
"Right, now that we've confirmed Jiang Ze's identity, Elder Tong is still waiting. Why don't you come over and share your thoughts?"
Shen Yun was growing impatient, eager to see Jiang Ze make a fool of himself.
A hint of amusement in his eyes, Jiang Ze gave him a cool glance.
Since he wanted to put on a show, Jiang Ze would oblige him.
"Since Shen Yun has put it that way, I'll share my thoughts too."
Everyone watched the young man step forward, glance over the porcelain vase, and speak.
"I think this porcelain vase is a fake."
Jiang Ze's words threw the room into an uproar, drawing both ridicule and scorn.
"How is that possible?!"
"My God, how does he dare say that!"
"Is he here to be a joke? He thinks he can decide after barely looking at it?"
Teacher Deng frowned deeply as well.
"Young man, what evidence do you have for saying this porcelain vase is a fake?"
He could not let this student embarrass their department in front of Elder Tong. He glanced at the elder beside him, feeling uneasy.
"Heh, yes, Jiang Ze. We know you have unique insights into antiques, but you can't just make things up. Aren't you making Mr. Deng look bad?"
Shen Yun hurried to chime in, already convinced that Jiang Ze was talking nonsense just to oppose him.
In his previous life, Elder Tong had helped him make a name for himself in the antiques trade. He had seen this vase in Elder Tong's possession long ago, and the elder had never smashed it. It had to be genuine.
After all, Elder Tong never kept fakes. Shen Yun was certain of that.
Shen Yun stood to the side, enjoying Jiang Ze's embarrassment, but Jiang Ze remained perfectly calm in the face of all the doubts.
"Since everyone has so many doubts, why not let Elder Tong appraise it?"
Jiang Ze looked toward the elder, who had remained silent all this time. There was no trace of panic on his finely featured face.
"May I ask why you're so certain this porcelain vase is a reproduction, young man?"
Rather than answering right away, Elder Tong asked a question of his own.
"You may find this amusing, but I'm not actually very clear on this vase's exact provenance. However..."
Jiang Ze deliberately paused, whetting everyone's curiosity before continuing at an unhurried pace.
"This is a Qing Dynasty Blue-and-White Plantain-Leaf Display Vase, the kind people used to place in their main halls. As it happens, I have an identical one at home."
Teacher Deng's eyes widened, and he blurted out in disbelief, "Impossible! There should only be one of these vases!"
Only after saying it did he understand what Jiang Ze meant. Yes, there was only one, so one of the two had to be a fake.
Jiang Ze was clearly implying that the one at his own home was genuine.
The students exchanged looks, unsure whether to believe Jiang Ze's family was that wealthy or that he had really seen the genuine article.
Shen Yun immediately wanted to argue, but when he remembered Jiang Ze's current relationship with Meng Zhiyuan, he gritted his teeth and kept quiet.
Jiang Ze might not be in a position to own it, but that did not mean Meng Zhiyuan was not. Perhaps Meng Zhiyuan really did have the genuine vase at home.
Elder Tong was also surprised by his reasoning. Silently, he put on his gloves and carefully examined the vase again.
No one in the room dared so much as breathe loudly as they waited for Elder Tong's verdict.
When Elder Tong finished examining it, he quietly took off his glasses. His next words delighted Shen Yun.
"This porcelain vase looks genuine to me."
Shen Yun looked smugly at Jiang Ze, barely concealing the mockery in his eyes.
System, is Elder Tong really the protagonist's benefactor? His skills don't seem all that impressive.
Jiang Ze dared to be so certain that the vase was a fake because he had seen it in the system's exchange interface.
That one was unquestionably genuine.
It cost fifty thousand points to redeem, too!
"Host, you can't really blame Elder Tong for this. Although the vase they have isn't the genuine Qing Dynasty piece, it was copied by an exceptionally skilled craftsman in the late Qing Dynasty. The workmanship is extremely similar, so it's perfectly normal that he can't tell~"
Well, damn. So it was a high-quality knockoff. Those weren't just a modern thing-people made them in ancient times too.
Jiang Ze marveled inwardly, but his expression remained unshakable.
With one sentence from Elder Tong, Jiang Ze once again became the target of everyone's criticism. This time, their remarks were decidedly hostile.
"Heh, I knew he was just pretending to be something he wasn't. A genuine one at home? In his dreams, maybe!"
"He's pretty good-looking, a handsome guy. How could he lie right in front of Elder Tong?"
"Exactly. Who knows if he made the whole thing up? He doesn't look like he comes from money. Maybe he saw it at someone else's house, hahaha."
"It belongs to my family. What, do you have a problem with that?"
Jiang Ze's almond-shaped eyes widened. Hearing that familiar voice, he whipped his head around.
What was Meng Zhiyuan doing here?!
The man's deep, cold voice came from the entrance to the hall. Teacher Deng and Elder Tong both looked over, surprise appearing on their faces.
The man was not alone. Two middle-aged men followed behind him, apparently school administrators, both wearing ingratiating expressions.
"Oh, Teacher Deng, isn't it? Come meet Mr. Meng. He donated several teaching buildings to our university, and he's here today specifically to tour the campus."
Teacher Deng glanced at Elder Tong, then saw the vice principal looking respectfully at the man. He immediately understood whose status mattered more.
"I hear you're appraising antiques?"
The man glanced at the porcelain vase on the table, then at Jiang Ze, whose wide eyes made him look like a little deer. A trace of amusement flickered through his gaze.
"Mr. Meng, this is Elder Tong from our Antique Appraisal Pavilion. He's also a leading authority in antique appraisal."
"A leading authority? If he says this one is genuine, does that make the one in my home a fake?"
Elder Tong frowned, his expression souring.
Jiang Ze also came to his senses, muttering inwardly.
There really is a genuine one in my system, but the big shot doesn't have one at home. Is he covering for my lie?
Teacher Deng looked from Jiang Ze to Meng Zhiyuan with a complicated expression.
Elder Tong was stubborn by nature. He did not back down because of Meng Zhiyuan's status, and his voice remained strong and resonant.
"You say yours is genuine, but how can you prove it? Perhaps you misjudged it and mistook a fake for a treasure!"
Meng Zhiyuan gave him a cold look, but Jiang Ze spoke before he could.
"Uncle Zhiyuan, since everyone is here, and Elder Tong has years of appraisal experience, why don't I bring our vase over so we can compare them?"
Jiang Ze knew he had the system, but Meng Zhiyuan did not.
Afraid that he might offend this benefactor of the protagonist and cause another change in the plot, Jiang Ze hurried over to Meng Zhiyuan.
He threw his arms around the man.
Meng Zhiyuan felt a warm, gentle presence settle into his arms and a pair of arms wrap tightly around his waist. His gaze darkened slightly.
Then he heard Jiang Ze begin his performance again.
"Uncle Zhiyuan, please say yes. Sob, sob... I told them we had a genuine one at home, but they wouldn't believe me. They kept mocking me and saying I was pretending. They're all bullying me, sob..."
Jiang Ze worked hard to squeeze out a few tears. Without releasing his hold on the man, he raised his head, his eyes faintly red.
He came just up to the man's neck. As he looked up, his lips accidentally brushed the man's chin, and his voice faltered.
Oh my God, thank goodness I didn't kiss him on the mouth! He won't get angry, will he? I'm making all this up, so please play along for now! I'll explain later! Elder Tong is an important character!
Meng Zhiyuan's throat tightened, and his voice grew noticeably deeper. Even its usual coldness softened considerably, as though he were coaxing the person in his arms.
"All right. Just bring it over. I'll wait here."
Jiang Ze knew the big shot was playing along with his act, but for some reason, the tips of his ears quietly turned red.
With the big shot's approval, Jiang Ze darted out. To everyone else, he seemed eager to fetch the genuine vase from home.
"Ah, Mr. Meng, what an unfortunate misunderstanding. That young man is your...?"
The vice principal wiped the light sweat from his forehead and discreetly shot Mr. Deng a fierce glare.
Who knew what had gotten into Mr. Meng this time? He had specifically requested a tour of the archaeology department, only to walk straight into this unpleasant mess.
"My... boy."
The man paused slightly, changing the form of address just before it left his lips.
Before you continue