The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The small house in Building C was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

All the cameras, including Jiang Ruoyun's wide, bell-like eyes, were fixed on Lin Mo's hand.

That extremely fine drawing brush was soaked with gold powder.

The pen tip trembled slightly, yet remained as steady as a rock.

"call……"

Lin Mo gently exhaled a breath of stale air, and the pen finally fell to the ground.

The moment of touch.

It was like lighting a fuse.

The black paint lines that originally clung to the cup like ugly scars underwent a miraculous transformation the moment the pen tip touched them.

gold.

Pure, dazzling, flowing gold.

Following that black trajectory, it slowly flows and spreads.

Lin Mo's wrist moved with extreme agility; he lightly lifted the pen at the turning point of the crack, then pressed it down heavily.

It was not only covered with black primer.

Furthermore, by utilizing the granular texture of the gold powder, a three-dimensional, mountain-like texture was created on the crack.

"This is……"

Jiang Ruoyun covered her mouth, unable to believe her eyes.

Just a moment ago it looked like an ugly monster pieced together from tattered rags.

At this moment, the golden lines continue to extend and intertwine.

It unexpectedly gave rise to an indescribable sense of broken beauty.

It was like golden magma suddenly gushing out from the parched and cracked earth.

It's like a frozen lake in winter, torn apart by the rising sun, reflecting a dazzling light.

After a brief period of silence, the chat in the live stream went completely wild.

Holy crap!!!

What kind of magical magic is this?! My eyes!!

[Who just said it was ugly? Come out and take your punishment! This isn't ugly! This is art!]

The black crack disappeared! It turned into golden lightning!

[I'm speechless... This technique, this aesthetic sense... Is Lin Mo really just a lazy bum who's giving up?]

Lin Mo ignored the commotion outside.

He was completely immersed in a state called "flow".

The last stroke.

At the broken edge of the "mouth", which is the rim of the cup.

Lin Mo held his breath, his wrist hovering in the air, and carefully traced a gold border around the black notch.

Finish writing.

To boost morale.

"It's done."

Lin Mo put down his brush, picked up the cotton ball that had been prepared beforehand, and gently swept it over the cup.

Excess powder was swept away.

At this moment, the Ding kiln white porcelain cup finally revealed its full appearance.

On the originally warm and smooth white body, several golden lines meander and wander, like dragons playing in the water or golden branches entwining.

That's no longer a crack.

That is a gift from time.

That is a medal of rebirth.

The original sense of flawless fragility has disappeared, replaced by a magnanimity and composure born from experience.

Imperfection, and perfection.

At this moment, a perfect reconciliation was achieved.

"This is called 'kintsugi'."

Lin Mo took off his somewhat comical dust glasses, rubbed his sore eyes, and spoke in a calm tone, as if he were asking what he had eaten that day:

"When faced with brokenness, do not cover it up or pretend to be broken."

"Instead, we use the most precious gold to repair the most fatal wounds."

"Let the cracks become a unique landscape in this world."

Jiang Ruoyun stared blankly at the cup.

Tears welled up again.

But this time, it wasn't because of sadness, but because of shock and emotion.

She reached out and gently touched the slightly raised gold line with her fingertips.

It's a bit cool and a bit rough.

But that kind of beauty strikes straight to the soul.

"It's...it's so beautiful..."

Jiang Ruoyun murmured to herself, "It's a hundred times more beautiful than before it broke..."

Just then.

"Ahem!"

An untimely voice rang out at the door.

Zhao Kuo walked in, holding a thick, hardcover picture book in his hand, striking a pose like a "savior."

"Ruoyun, don't be sad."

Zhao Kuo didn't even look at the table; he simply unfolded the picture book and pointed to a set of tableware on it:

"Look, this is Hermès' latest 'Equatorial Jungle' collection! Completely hand-painted!"

"If you agree, I'll have it airlifted over immediately!"

"That kind of shattered junk, even if you glue it back together, it's still garbage. We don't want it..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Their gaze finally fell on the cup that Jiang Ruoyun was holding.

Zhao Kuo's voice abruptly stopped.

It's like a duck with its neck being choked.

He stared wide-eyed at the white porcelain cup.

The flowing gold threads shimmered with an extremely sophisticated and luxurious luster under the sunlight streaming in through the window.

This luster completely outshone the colorful patterns on his catalog.

"This...this is the broken cup from earlier?"

Zhao Kuo stammered, "You...you gilded it?"

Lin Mo glanced at him, his eyes looking at a primitive man who hadn't fully evolved.

"Young Master Zhao, this is called Kintsugi repair."

"besides……"

Lin Mo pointed to the sketchbook in Zhao Kuo's hand, a mocking smile playing on his lips:

"Your Hermes bag may be expensive, but it's a mass-produced item. If you have money, you can find them everywhere."

"But this one in my hand..."

Lin Mo gently tapped the cup, producing a crisp "ding" sound that was pleasant to the ear.

"This is a unique piece."

"There is only one in the entire world."

Zhao Kuo opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't find the words at all.

That cup sat there, like a noble queen.

The Hermès catalog in his hand instantly turned into a piece of waste paper.

The overwhelming difference in cultural depth and aesthetics left this nouveau riche, who only cared about logos, feeling an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

"Clatter".

Zhao Kuo loosened his grip.

The heavy picture book fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

But he had no interest in picking them up.

They could only turn away sheepishly and pretend they had never been there.

Jiang Ruoyun had no time to pay attention to Zhao Kuo's embarrassment.

She held the newborn cup in both hands, as if she were holding a heart that had been lost and found again.

"Lin Mo..."

Jiang Ruoyun raised her head, her peach blossom eyes shimmering with tears, filled with admiration and gratitude:

"Thank you... thank you so much..."

"If it weren't for you, I don't know how I would explain it to my mother..."

"Explain what?"

Lin Mo yawned, slumped back into his tattered rattan chair, and resumed his expression of utter despair.

"Alright, stop getting sentimental."

"The cup is fixed, but be more careful next time."

Lin Mo pointed to the golden thread, his tone casual yet carrying an indescribable gentleness:

"This golden line is a reminder, and also part of the scenery."

"It's no worse than a new one, right?"

"and……"

Lin Mo paused, then added the most unromantic yet most fitting line to his character:

"That gold powder is quite expensive, and it's pure gold."

"Next time you break it, remember to scrape off the gold dust and return it to me first. I can melt it down and make a ring."

Jiang Ruoyun stopped crying and started laughing.

"Pfft—"

"How can you be so greedy for money!"

She held the cup, feeling as sweet as if she had drunk honey.

What a money-grubber?

He's clearly all talk and no action!

Even the gold powder used for restoration has to be pure gold. This isn't stinginess; it's clearly showing they value her above all else!

[Waaaaah! I'm going to cry! This is the ultimate romance!]

"Even cracks can be part of the scenery"—I've written this down in my notebook!

Lin Mo is damn charming!

The sound of Zhao Kuo's sketchbook falling to the ground was absolutely the most pleasant background music in this chapter!

……

Night falls.

The waves gently lapped against the beach.

Everyone in the Heartwarming House was exhausted after a long day and went back to their rooms to rest early.

Jiang Ruoyun sat on the edge of the bed, with only a dim yellow table lamp on.

She placed the restored Ding kiln white porcelain cup beside her pillow, where it emitted a soft glow under the lamplight.

She looked at it again and again, and touched it again and again.

The more I look at it, the more I like it; the more I look at it, the more amazing it seems.

"Where did Lin Mo learn this skill from?"

Jiang Ruoyun was filled with curiosity.

She thought for a moment, picked up her phone, and made a video call.

That was her mother, Song Wan.

"Beep...beep..."

A few seconds later, the screen lit up.

Song Wan's well-maintained and elegant face appeared on the screen.

The background is the Song family's study, which is filled with ancient books.

"Ruoyun, why aren't you asleep so late?"

Song Wan's voice was gentle, but carried the authority of a strict mother. "Are you getting used to it on the show? Have you been bullied?"

"Mom, I'm fine."

Jiang Ruoyun pouted and then eagerly pointed the camera at the cup.

"Mom, look!"

"I accidentally broke that Ding ware cup..."

Upon hearing the words "shattered," Song Wan on the other end of the screen frowned sharply, her face instantly darkening.

That was one of her favorite Song Dynasty porcelains!

"What did you say?!"

Song Wan's voice rose a few octaves, "Jiang Ruoyun, do you know anything about that cup...?"

"Oh Mom, don't rush! Take a look first!"

Jiang Ruoyun quickly zoomed in and gave the cup a close-up.

"Look, someone fixed it for me!"

"And it's made with that... Kintsugi!"

Song Wan was still angry.

But when her gaze fell on the screen and she saw the smooth, natural, and rustic gold lines on the cup...

Her pupils contracted sharply.

The reprimand that was about to come out got stuck in his throat.

She pushed up her reading glasses, brought her face close to the screen, and her eyes changed from anger to confusion, and finally to deep shock.

"this……"

Song Wan's voice changed tone.

As a cultural relic restoration expert, she immediately recognized the high value of this craft.

The flow of these lines, the thickness of the gold powder layering, and the natural harmony with the original object.

This is definitely not something an ordinary craftsman could make!

This level of expertise is even higher than that of the retired experts in the Palace Museum!