Modern Epilogue (4)

Modern Epilogue (4)

Having been on the job for two months, Jiang Yuxun was already used to colleagues addressing one another as “Teacher.”

Ying Changchuan’s voice came through the earpiece, and Jiang Yuxun’s body involuntarily shuddered.

It felt as though a faint electric current had flowed in with the sound, slipping from his ear into the rest of his body.

He quickly shifted his gaze and raised a hand, pretending to adjust the earpiece.

As a graduate of a cultural heritage program, Jiang Yuxun had heard his classmates discuss this topic plenty of times back in college.

Objectively speaking, the internet’s guesses… really did make a certain amount of sense.

But as an employee of an official institution, there was absolutely no way he could say that to visitors!

Jiang Yuxun slowly lowered his hand from his ear. He smiled at Ying Changchuan and responded with impeccable caution, neatly deflecting the question:

“This still requires more historical records or archaeological evidence.”

The moment he finished saying something completely against his true feelings, Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help secretly feeling pleased with himself.

And, just a little, he looked forward to seeing the other party at a loss for words.

The crowd around the roof tile kept growing.

Ying Changchuan finally stepped away from the display case.

But contrary to Jiang Yuxun’s expectations, he didn’t look disappointed at all. Instead, he smiled and murmured softly,

“So… it’s still lacking historical records and artifacts?”

His voice was low and was instantly swallowed up by the noise of the museum.

Yet the thoughtful undertone sent a sharp jolt through Jiang Yuxun’s heart.

—Don’t tell me… the item Ying Changchuan donated just happens to be able to solve this millennia-old mystery?

The thought made an inexplicable sense of unease rise within him.

…Wait, what am I even nervous about?

If Ying Changchuan really could produce such a heavyweight artifact, he should be happy.

Jiang Yuxun hurriedly adjusted his emotions, turned around, and led Ying Changchuan toward another exhibition hall.

“Mr. Ying, this way please.”

Fresh out of university, Jiang Yuxun’s gaze might not be worldly—but it was certainly clear and honest.

He didn’t realize that everything he was thinking had been written plainly across his face.

The man following behind him felt inexplicably delighted.

“Alright.” Ying Changchuan nodded and finally followed after him with a smile.

The Huaguo Museum’s collection was vast; even two full days wouldn’t be enough to see everything in detail.

But most visitors only stayed for half a day at most.

Accordingly, the standard guided route arranged by the museum wasn’t very long.

Jiang Yuxun extended the tour slightly.

By around 12:30 p.m., the two of them returned to the VIP reception hall.

The director, who had been waiting for some time, came forward and invited them into the VIP lounge for tea.

Having completed his assignment, Jiang Yuxun was finally able to sink into a sofa and rest properly.

He stretched deeply and picked up an ice-cold bottle of water he’d just bought from the vending machine.

“Teacher Jiang, you’re only finished now?”

A colleague from the archives department came in to make tea and was visibly startled when he saw him.

“Lunch is almost over—you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

The man worked in archival management, and his own child had just graduated from university. Seeing Jiang Yuxun drinking iced water on an empty stomach, he immediately frowned.

Jiang Yuxun quickly shook his head and discreetly hid the cold bottle behind him.

“I’ll order delivery today.”

As he spoke, he promptly took out his phone and opened a food delivery app.

Seeing this, the colleague offered a few more reminders before finally leaving the lounge.

The Huaguo Museum was located downtown, and at this hour, ordering food delivery wasn’t easy.

Just as Jiang Yuxun was hesitating over what to eat, his phone suddenly vibrated lightly twice.

-: Are you off work and resting now?

Only then did Jiang Yuxun realize—

the online friend who usually messaged him from time to time hadn’t said a single word all morning.

He didn’t think too much about it and replied casually:

JIANG: Just got off work~ I’m ordering delivery.

-: Do you eat takeout every day at noon?

JIANG: Not usually. Today’s work ran late, and the cafeteria’s about to close T_T

-: I see~

While Jiang Yuxun was looking at his phone, the director—whom he hadn’t seen for a while—appeared out of nowhere.

Holding a thermos, he greeted Jiang Yuxun with a smile.

“You did very well this morning!”

“Director Fei.” Jiang Yuxun immediately put his phone away, stood up, and began discussing work with him.

The accident Jiang Yuxun had suffered a few days ago had served as a wake-up call for the entire security department.

Today, staff members had been discreetly following behind Ying Changchuan, and many of them had heard Jiang Yuxun’s explanations.

“…Teacher Jiang may be young, but his expression is clear and his professional grounding is solid. He already represents our museum perfectly in front of VIPs.”

After praising him for a while, the director suddenly shifted the topic.

“However… next time, try to avoid discussing unofficial history with visitors during work. And in daily life, it’s best to read less of that too—so it doesn’t affect your thinking.”

Ying Changchuan seemed particularly interested in that period of Zhou history.

Whatever artifact he saw, he could casually bring up related topics and ask questions nonstop.

As a result, Jiang Yuxun had inevitably discussed several pieces of unofficial history with him.

“Understood, Director Fei.”

Jiang Yuxun responded earnestly.

“I’ll be sure to avoid that in the future.”

“That’s good, that’s good!”

With his instructions delivered, the director finally left the lounge, looking satisfied.

Jiang Yuxun sat back down on the sofa and silently complained to himself—

Don’t think I haven’t been to the director’s office.

If he remembered correctly, that place seemed to be piled with plenty of ancient and modern unofficial histories too.

The lounge was unusually busy that afternoon.

Just as Jiang Yuxun picked up his phone—before he could reply to any messages—someone hurriedly pushed the lounge door open.

Seeing that he was still there, the newcomer finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Teacher Jiang, you haven’t had lunch yet, right?”

“No… what’s wrong?”

The person went to the water dispenser, poured himself a cup of warm water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, then said breathlessly,

“Perfect timing! The director wants you to join them for lunch on Yanxian Island. Hurry and get ready—we’re leaving shortly.”

Modern Zhaoshi was far larger than Zhou-era capital.

Not far from the museum lay Yanxian Lake Heritage Park.

What had once been an imperial garden was now a public park open to all.

There were even hotels and shops built within it.

Although the Huaguo Museum had its own cafeteria, it clearly wasn’t suitable for hosting guests.

As far as Jiang Yuxun knew, whenever VIPs visited, the museum usually arranged meals on Yanxian Island.

Normally, this had nothing to do with a newly hired guide like him.

Yet today, the director had specifically asked someone to invite him along…

That was strange.

It was already nearly one o’clock. Jiang Yuxun didn’t have time to overthink it.

He immediately closed the delivery app and went to the mirror to tidy his appearance.

“Alright, I understand—”

…

Yanxian Island was filled with flowering trees, most of them several hundred years old.

There were even millennia-old ginkgo trees standing tall across the island.

At midday in high summer, even the air felt scorching.

The surface of the lake shimmered with rippling light.

After noon, most visitors retreated back into their hotels, leaving the island quiet save for the occasional, noisy chorus of cicadas.

Ying Changchuan was indeed as low-key as the director had described.

The meal was not only simple, but—contrary to Jiang Yuxun’s earlier worries—there was no drinking at all.

Before three o’clock, the meal had ended, and they began strolling around the island.

The museum director was elderly and not strong on his feet, so he stayed behind to rest at the restaurant.

Ying Changchuan politely declined the company of the other staff members, leaving only the youngest—Jiang Yuxun—to accompany him on a leisurely walk around Yanxian Island.

Although the museum often brought VIPs to the island for meals and sightseeing, Jiang Yuxun had never taken part in such activities before, nor had he prepared any sort of script.

Once they left the restaurant, he relied on what he remembered from his university days, giving casual explanations as they walked.

“Yanxian Island used to be the site of the royal gardens in antiquity. Before the Zhou dynasty, the island was famous for its pear blossoms. After Zhou, however, it gained another defining feature.”

As he spoke, Jiang Yuxun stopped and tilted his head up toward an enormous ginkgo tree.

“That would be this tree.”

Sunlight filtered through the ginkgo leaves, scattering across the ground like碎银—shards of silver.

In midsummer, the ginkgo’s leaves were still lush and green, as though history had left no trace upon it at all.

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help narrowing his eyes slightly.

Ying Changchuan followed his gaze.

“What’s special about this tree?”

As he spoke, a faint note of nostalgia crept into his eyes.

“According to The History of Zhou, this tree was planted jointly by Zhou Taizu and the Minister,” Jiang Yuxun said softly.

The ginkgo, nearly two thousand years old, rose as high as a ten-story building.

It would take ten people holding hands to encircle its trunk.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun fall silent while staring at the tree, Ying Changchuan turned to him and asked gently,

“Teacher Jiang—do you think it’s beautiful?”

The first time Jiang Yuxun had seen this ginkgo was four years ago, when he came here for university.

It had been autumn, when the leaves turned gold. Half the island was carpeted in fallen ginkgo leaves, spectacular from afar.

…And yet, something about it had always felt slightly off to him.

Though they hadn’t known each other long, Jiang Yuxun found himself strangely relaxed in Ying Changchuan’s presence.

Seeing that the director and the others weren’t nearby, he lowered his voice and said honestly,

“I wouldn’t say it’s ugly, but it does clash a bit with Yanxian Island—”

Before he could finish, Ying Changchuan smoothly took over,

“Yanxian Island was once covered in pear blossoms—quiet, ethereal scenery. Ginkgo trees have colors that are too intense; they disrupt the island’s overall harmony.”

Jiang Yuxun: !

Wait—why did Ying Changchuan just say exactly what I was thinking?!

Seeing Jiang Yuxun freeze, Ying Changchuan looked at him in puzzlement.

“What’s wrong, Teacher Jiang?”

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t hide his shock and answered instinctively,

“What you just said… that’s exactly what I was about to say.”

Ying Changchuan smiled, turned, and began walking down the path.

Still smiling faintly, he said,

“That’s exactly what Minister Jiang said back then.”

“What?” Jiang Yuxun’s eyes widened.

Which historical record mentions that? How have I never read this?!

Yanxian Island was dotted with hot springs. After just a few steps, the sound of flowing water reached their ears.

Ying Changchuan lowered his voice.

“Minister Jiang said that ginkgo trees were the most suitable long-lived species for the capital—trees that could survive for thousands of years. Zhou Taizu, on a whim, decided to plant them on Yanxian Island. When Minister Jiang found out, he was furious—said it ruined the scenery, and even questioned the emperor’s aesthetic taste.”

His voice grew slightly hoarse, as though he had fallen into memory.

Jiang Yuxun slowed his steps unconsciously. After a long pause, he murmured,

“But I don’t recall reading this in any official history… or even unofficial ones.”

Ying Changchuan’s account was far too detailed.

If it had been just that one earlier line, Jiang Yuxun might have blamed his own oversight—but this much detail was impossible to miss if it existed in the records.

Ying Changchuan suddenly stopped and raised an eyebrow at him with a smile.

“The histories didn’t record it.”

“Then how do you know?”

“Oh, that?” Ying Changchuan looked into Jiang Yuxun’s eyes, half-smiling.

“They said it privately.”

Jiang Yuxun: “……”

Privately? Then how do you know?!

After dutifully accompanying Ying Changchuan all day, Jiang Yuxun suddenly began to suspect—

did this man even have any artifacts to donate, or was he just spinning stories to fool the director?!

Please don’t let the director ruin a lifetime reputation right before retirement…

By three or four in the afternoon, more visitors began appearing on Yanxian Island.

Ying Changchuan hadn’t deliberately lowered his voice.

Not only had Jiang Yuxun heard him—several nearby visitors had as well.

A small gasp sounded behind Jiang Yuxun.

“Ahhh! I think so too!”

“Minister Jiang loved roasting his boyfriend—so canon!” Another person clutched their companion’s arm and declared through clenched teeth, “I hereby declare it real!”

See?! This is exactly how rumors spread!

For a moment, Jiang Yuxun completely forgot that the man beside him was a “VIP.”

He instinctively looked up and shot Ying Changchuan a sharp glare.

How could he say things like that so casually?!

Ying Changchuan wasn’t offended at all. Instead, he lightly patted Jiang Yuxun’s shoulder, as if nothing had happened, and said,

“Come on. Let’s go take a look over there.”

—

Only then did Jiang Yuxun belatedly realize—

Ying Changchuan was absolutely not a serious person.

He might even be a liar.

Having relaxed from his earlier tension, Jiang Yuxun no longer refused Ying Changchuan’s suggestion to buy ice cream to cool off. His tone grew more casual, even a bit perfunctory.

“There are many hot spring pools on Yanxian Island. This one was built in the early Zhou dynasty.”

He bit into his ice cream while leaning against the railing and spoke offhandedly.

“The spring here has already dried up, so all that’s left are parts of the stone foundation.”

For some reason, Jiang Yuxun suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

After a brief pause, he resumed explaining the stone materials, the layout of the pool, and its architectural features.

He was still wearing his museum uniform, having come straight from work.

A few visitors recognized him and stopped nearby to listen.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone called out from across half the pool,

“So this was built in the early Zhou—does that mean Zhou Taizu used it too?”

“…The historical texts don’t explicitly say so,” Jiang Yuxun thought for a moment before answering,

“but in theory, yes, he should have been here.”

“Oooh—” the visitor dragged out the sound, eyes lighting up despite his fatigue from the heat.

After a few seconds, he turned and smacked the shoulder of a companion who was playing on their phone.

“Stop gaming and look! This is where Zhou Taizu and Minister Jiang used to bathe!”

“Seriously?!”

The two immediately huddled together, buzzing with excitement.

Jiang Yuxun: “Pfft—”

Is there anyone reliable left in this world?!

When did I ever say they bathed here together?!

If Minister Jiang heard this, he’d be climbing out of his grave!

At graduation, Jiang Yuxun’s thesis advisor had once said that compared to society, school was an ivory tower—almost a utopia.

Two months into working life, Jiang Yuxun hadn’t understood what that meant.

Until this moment.

At least at school, no one would twist a teacher’s words like this.

He took a fierce bite of his ice cream.

“Mr. Ying, let’s go.”

As soon as he spoke, he noticed Ying Changchuan gazing thoughtfully at the pool, brow faintly furrowed.

Did Ying Changchuan also dislike the visitors’ interpretation?

“What is it, Mr. Ying?” Jiang Yuxun looked at him seriously.

Sunlight filtered through pear tree branches, resting on his eyelashes, trembling gently with each breath.

“It’s nothing…” Ying Changchuan finally stepped forward alongside him. After two steps, as if recalling something, he turned and asked casually,

“I was just wondering—aside from bathing… did the two of them do anything else here?”

His tone was lazy and offhand, as though he had no idea how inappropriate the question sounded.