Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Ye Fan, Quickly Apologize to Young Master Cao

What!!!

The "Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting" prepared by Cao Xuan from a distinguished family is fake?

As Ye Fan's words fell, a group of Su Family members all showed shocked expressions, none of them expected Ye Fan to make such a statement.

"Ye Fan, what nonsense are you spouting? You are just sour grapes because you can't have what you want. You have no ability, and now you want to slander my Cao Xuan!" Su Yue's face changed instantly.

Cao Xuan, who was her official boyfriend, if the "Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting" he prepared turned out to be fake, wouldn't she be utterly humiliated?

Cao Xuan was first startled, then he angrily grabbed Ye Fan by the collar and scolded, "You scoundrel, how dare you say the 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' I prepared is fake?"

"Bad man, let go of my daddy!"

Little girl Ye Ling'er, seeing Cao Xuan dare to lay hands on Ye Fan, quickly went forward to tug at Cao Xuan's pant leg, fearing that Ye Fan would be bullied by Cao Xuan.

"Get lost!" Cao Xuan looked down and glared fiercely at Ye Ling'er, then with a thrust of his thigh, kicked Ye Ling'er away.

Ye Ling'er had just escaped danger and was physically weak; Cao Xuan's kick landed on her, causing her to fall heavily onto the ground on her bottom.

"Wu..."

The pain in her bottom caused the little girl's eyes to instantly mist over.

"Ling'er!"

Su Ruoxue was so scared that her face turned pale, and she quickly went forward to pick up her daughter from the ground.

Then, looking at Cao Xuan with an angry face, she said, "What are you doing?"

"I... I didn't do it on purpose!"

Scolded by Su Ruoxue, Cao Xuan was taken aback; he had not expected Ye Ling'er to be so fragile.

"You dare to lay hands on my daughter?" Ye Fan said furiously.

Seeing Ye Fan also angry, Cao Xuan unflinchingly replied, "So what if I did? She pushed me first. What, you want to hit me now?"

"Hmph! For someone as pathetic as you, I'll just stand right here, and even if I lend you a hundred times the courage, I bet you wouldn't dare to lay a hand on me!"

He came from the Cao Family, the young master of the family, with a high status, while Ye Fan was just a temporary worker at a barbecue stand, a world apart in terms of status.

Cao Xuan was completely confident that even if Ye Fan was angry, he would have to suppress his rage and swallow it down.

"Cao Xuan is right, it's your daughter..."

Slap!!!

Su Yue stood up, trying to speak up for Cao Xuan, but before she could finish her sentence, Ye Fan slapped Cao Xuan hard across the face. S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Caught by surprise, Cao Xuan did not expect Ye Fan to hit him, and with Ye Fan's slap catching him off guard, a powerful force hit him, turning his vision dark and causing him to stagger and sit on the ground.

"Cao Xuan!"

"Young Master Cao!"

Seeing Cao Xuan slapped down to the ground by Ye Fan, all the Su Family members were shocked.

"You dare to hit me? Ye Fan, you scoundrel, dare to hit me? I swear I'm going to kill you, you bastard!"

Feeling the burning pain and swelling on his face, Cao Xuan got up from the ground with his eyes bursting with rage, wanting to rush over and tear Ye Fan into pieces.

As the young master of the Cao Family, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

"Young Master Cao, calm down!"

Seeing that Cao Xuan was about to fight with Ye Fan, a group of Su Family members quickly came forward to stop Cao Xuan.

"Don't hold me back, everyone out of my way, I'm going to kill him!"

"This bastard not only slandered my 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' as fake but also dared to lay a hand on me, if I don't kill him today, how can I, Cao Xuan, continue to mix in the Central Plains circles?"

Cao Xuan glared at Ye Fan like a mad dog, wishing he could immediately grind Ye Fan's bones to dust.

Ye Fan said with an icy gaze, "First, you struck my daughter, forcing the weaker by your power, that deserves a beating!"

"Second, this 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' is indeed a fake, I haven't said a single thing wrong!"

"You're full of shit!" Cao Xuan could not contain his fury.

Glaring at a stubborn Cao Xuan, Ye Fan turned to the 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' and said, "If one understands Tang Bohu, it should be clear that after his failed career, he often stayed home to drink and paint, excelling at bird-and-flower painting with a style characterized by water-and-ink freehand brushwork, airy and graceful."

"Until now, almost all of the authentic works left by Tang Bohu in the world are of birds and flowers; where does the talk of shrimps come from?"

"Hmph! What does that prove?" Cao Xuan said with disdain.

Ye Fan continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, please look, the brushwork of this painting is robust and moist, its colors are rich and bright, the two shrimps frolicking in the stream are full of playfulness, which clearly contradicts Tang Bohu's style!"

"If you said this painting was by Master Qi Baishi, maybe it would have a bit of credibility, but to say it's a genuine piece by Tang Bohu, that's just too ridiculous!"

There were many antique enthusiasts present, who, following what Ye Fan had just explained, took a cursory look, and many of them nodded in agreement.

What Ye Fan said was right, this 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' didn't have a trace of Tang Bohu's style.

"Impossible! Look carefully at the seals of historical figures on it, the topmost one is left by Emperor Qianlong himself!" Cao Xuan shouted angrily.

"Even Emperor Qianlong personally stamped his seal, how could this painting be fake?" he continued to bark.

Ye Fan sneered, "If a painting can be forged, why can't seals be forged?"

"Nonsense, you're spouting nonsense!" Cao Xuan continued to shout.

Upon hearing this, Su Yue, with a face cold as frost, said, "Ye Fan, Cao Xuan came today to celebrate my grandmother's birthday, how could he bring a fake painting?"

"I think you're just jealous of Cao Xuan and making up bad things about him! If you don't believe it, we can ask Grandmother to personally appraise it, Grandmother is a master of collecting, you should believe her, right?"

"Be my guest!" Ye Fan said with a cold laugh.

Su Yue looked towards Old Madam Su and said, "Grandmother, please personally appraise this painting for its authenticity!"

"Mmm!" Old Madam Su nodded.

She stepped forward for a look, and after a few seconds, her face darkened. Old Madam Su is a famous master collector within the Central Plains, and she knew the painting was fake after a careful inspection.

Seeing Old Madam Su's face turn dark, Cao Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he inwardly cursed his luck.

The painting was indeed a fake, one he had bought from the antique market for five hundred yuan, thinking that with his status, no one would question its authenticity.

In his eyes, Su Yue was a woman seeking to attach herself to a powerful family, with good looks to spare for some fun, not worth spending too much money on.

But he hadn't expected Old Madam Su to be a master collector, thoroughly exposing him now.

Half a minute later, Su Yue asked, "Grandmother, what do you think?"

Old Madam Su took a deep breath, then turned to Cao Xuan with a grim expression.

As Old Madam Su stared at him, Cao Xuan's forehead was instantly covered with cold sweat, and he swallowed hard, fearing that Old Madam Su would publicly reveal his facade.

Ye Fan's face was icy; he knew Old Madam Su had a discerning eye, and probably the first detailed glance would show that the 'Shrimp Play in Mountain Streams Painting' was fake.

However, what Ye Fan never expected was that, in front of everyone, Old Madam Su stated gravely, "This painting is real, without any sign of forgery!"

"Ye Fan, today not only did you defame Young Master Cao, but you also physically attacked him. Are you disregarding my presence? Now, apologize to Young Master Cao at once!"