"What, what did you call me?" Tracey felt restless.
"Both you and I know that you're the daughter of our patriarch, so you're the Miss of the R family. Relax, and we will be good to your friend. Now go ahead and do your job.”
With a push from Mira, Tracey stumbled into the villa. An old voice came to her ears, "Welcome home, Miss Tracey."
An old man with a cane stood at the end of the queue. He dressed in a Tang suit. His face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp.
Mira walked towards the old man, "I've invited Miss Tracey back."
"Mira, you promised to take me to Ms. Hawkins!" Tracey was furious to find out that it was a trick. 'What do they want to bring me here?'
"Miss Tracey, don't worry. The patriarch is taking a break in the sanatorium. I can arrange for you to meet her after our conversation." The old man walked close and bowed to Tracey respectfully as the servants did to their masters in ancient times.
Tracey got gooseflesh all over for awkwardness, 'Isn't it a joke? It is the 21st century. Does this etiquette still exit?'
"You... what is it?" Tracey was at a loss.
"Miss Tracey, please come with me. We've been waiting for you for a long time." The hunched old man did not seem to bear any ill will, but Tracey still felt worried about the missing Steve.
Seeing that Tracey was uneasy, Mira smiled, "Miss Tracey, aren't you interested in the secrets of our clan? He will tell you everything."
"What about my friend?"
"He just lost his way. I will go find him right away. I promise to be good to your friend." Mira smiled brightly, and Tracey was persuaded.
"Come, Miss," the old man urged.
Tracey left with the old man, as she was anxious to find the truth.
The interior decoration of the villa was in Chinese traditional style. There were some calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall. Tracey could tell that these antiques were authentic.
Anyone of the calligraphies or paintings on the wall was invaluable, not to mention the houses.
Wang Xizhi's work was rare, and a copy from the Tang Dynasty would be worth a sky-high price.
Tracey saw one Wang Xizhi's work in the hall.
It was said that the R family was an influential family in the late stage of the Qing Dynasty, so
Tracey believed that these R clan had authentic antiques.
The old man led Tracey into a room of antique beauty. There was a wooden table with carved patterns, a screen with a portrait of a lady, and a bookshelf made of rosewood.
On the bookshelf, Tracey even found bamboo slips. She couldn't help feeling more interested in this family.
There were writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, and ink slabs on the desk. It seemed that the old man left his painting halfway, and in a hurry.
It was a painting about the lotus after a rain, and the petal of the lotus was half-finished.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Domineering Lover