Chapter 492: Intangible Cultural Heritage

After Chen Ling finished speaking, the scenery around him gradually disintegrated. Around those apricot-red eyes, the scene returned to reality. Chen Ling watched Yao Qing's eyes, which showed a brief moment of confusion, and after a while, slowly stood up. "It's him," Chen Ling said.

With these eyes, Chen Ling had glimpsed a corner of Yao Qing's "life script." There was no more direct or convenient way to verify. Even if someone could freely alter their appearance or others' perceptions, life experiences would not lie. Although he had "peered" for a long time just now, in reality, it was but an instant. The only drawback was that this eye technique seemed to consume a lot of mental energy. Even when observing an ordinary person with no mental power, and only a fragment of their "script," Chen Ling had expended a considerable amount of mental energy. If he were to use this eye technique on a Divine Path holder, the consumption would likely be much greater. However, this also implied that the technique's potential was far higher than Chen Ling had imagined. Theoretically, with enough mental energy, he could, in the future, even read anyone's complete "script" in a single glance, discerning the past and future of any character. All individuals would hold no secrets before him. Of course, this was still merely Chen Ling's hypothesis for now. If he truly reached that level, he could be considered a conceptual "God of Drama."

After Chen Ling's confirmation, Su Zhiwei walked directly towards Yao Qing on the ground, preparing to help him up. But before she could reach him, Yao Qing quickly propped himself up with his hands and stood. "Sister Zhiwei, I don't think this guy is reliable," Yao Qing said, glaring at Chen Ling aggressively. "Just look at his eyes; he's clearly not a good person, and he's carrying a boning knife like some kind of deranged killer... I'm not against you getting a boyfriend, but you can't put yourself in danger!"

"He's not my boyfriend," Su Zhiwei said helplessly. "He's just a guest visiting today." Hearing this, Yao Qing was momentarily stunned. He looked Chen Ling over again, then glanced at Yang Xiao, who was standing at the back, and let out a long sigh of relief. That's more like it! Sister Zhiwei wouldn't like a violent pervert like him anyway. The gloom on Yao Qing's face instantly disappeared. He picked up the square gift box nearby, carefully brushed off the dust, and handed it to Su Zhiwei. A radiant smile appeared on the young man's face: "Sister Zhiwei! I brought you a gift!"

Su Zhiwei took the gift box and smiled slightly. "You didn't have to go to such trouble." "No, it's necessary! Sister Zhiwei, you're a great scientist now, and it's rare for you to return to Gusu, so it definitely needs to be a grand occasion," Yao Qing said with a grin. "Sister Zhiwei, Grandma said my skill level is very high now and I'll be able to take over soon. I embroidered this piece for several months; it's definitely a rare treasure, the kind you could directly auction off! Shall I find a place to frame it for you?"

Seeing Yao Qing about to open the door and go inside, Su Zhiwei was startled and immediately reached out to stop him. "Yao Qing, you can't go back now." "Why?" Yao Qing looked at her in confusion, then noticed the hiking backpack on her back. "Sister Zhiwei, didn't you just get back? Where are you going now?" Su Zhiwei opened her mouth, unsure how to answer for a moment. After all, Chen Ling had only said they needed to escape, and they hadn't actually decided where to go. "Anywhere will do," Chen Ling suddenly said. "As long as it's far from here, safe, and a place we can temporarily settle down." Hearing this, Yao Qing keenly sensed that something was wrong and immediately asked: "Sister Zhiwei, has something happened?"

"Yao Qing, I'll explain to you when there's time." Su Zhiwei recognized the urgency in Chen Ling's tone and quickly said, "You go back for now, and don't come here again recently, okay?" After speaking, Su Zhiwei nodded slightly to Chen Ling, and the group immediately walked away from the street.

Yao Qing stood stunned for a moment, then hurriedly followed them. "Sister Zhiwei, if you're looking for a safe place, why not come to our house! Our house is absolutely safe, and there are many empty rooms, so settling down definitely won't be a problem... My grandma hasn't seen you in a long time either; she misses you a lot." Su Zhiwei paused, considered seriously, then looked at Chen Ling, seemingly seeking his opinion. "Where is your house?" Chen Ling asked. "Quite far, about seventy or eighty kilometers from here? It's on the other side of Gusu." "Seventy or eighty kilometers..." Chen Ling pondered seriously. This distance undoubtedly placed them outside Tianlang's hunting range, yet not entirely out of Gusu. This meant that while settling Yang Xiao and the others, he could secretly transform and return to monitor the area, confirming Nie Yu's movements. It was the "golden distance" Chen Ling had envisioned. "Alright," Chen Ling immediately nodded.

Although Su Zhiwei didn't fully understand the situation, she trusted Chen Ling. She then turned to Yao Qing and said: "Then let's pay a visit to Teacher Xiao..." "Great!" Hearing that Su Zhiwei was willing to go back with him, Yao Qing's eyes immediately lit up, excited like a child. "My car's parked right at the entrance! Follow me!" Yao Qing rushed across the street like a gust of wind, saying he would go open the door and turn on the air conditioning first. Watching the boy's receding back, Yang Xiao asked curiously: "Dr. Su, the Teacher Xiao you mentioned is..." "Have you heard of Suzhou embroidery?" Su Zhiwei explained as she walked. "It's one of the four famous embroideries, part of Gusu's historical heritage, and also a national intangible cultural heritage... Yao Qing's grandmother is the current inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage. Their family manages an entire intangible cultural heritage museum, and their status in the cultural world is quite prominent." Su Zhiwei paused, then added: "However, Teacher Xiao is quite old now... Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Yao Qing will be the next inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage."

"Intangible cultural heritage inheritor..." Chen Ling looked at the skipping figure of the boy walking away, and the scene he had just witnessed flashed in his mind. He was deep in thought.

Su Zhiwei lowered her gaze to the exquisite gift box in her hands. After a moment of hesitation, she opened a corner of it. Inside the gift box was a meticulously framed hanging scroll. The frame was entirely black, appearing to be made from expensive wood. Within the frame, countless delicate silk threads intertwined, and vibrant colors spread like ink, sketching a natural and lively painting. It depicted a gray and white Jiangnan cottage, a softly flowing river, the needle-like drizzle of Jiangnan, and verdant foliage swaying gently by the bank. In the corner of the Suzhou embroidery scroll, two lines of neat and clear small characters were signed:

August 13, 2024, From Yao Qing to Sister Zhiwei:—"The Mortal World."