"Boss, how much is this?" Wang Yuyan asked.
The stall owner, a man with a rat-like face, saw that such a beautiful woman was interested in his goods and immediately leered as he approached.
"Miss, you have a good eye. This phoenix tail hairpin is one of the best items on my stall. This was worn by Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty. It's incredibly precious and imbued with the Empress's phoenix aura."
Wang Yuyan couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense. Although she didn't understand these things, she wasn't foolish. How could a humble stall have genuine antiques? She just thought the hairpin looked pretty.
"Just tell me the price," Wang Yuyan said impatiently, waving her hand.
The sleazy boss chuckled and held up three fingers.
"Thirty thousand."
"Are you robbing me!" Wang Yuyan's face grew cold.
Although thirty thousand yuan was just the cost of a meal for Wang Yuyan, she wasn't an idiot to be easily swindled.
"Speak to me properly. What's the real price of this hairpin, or I'm leaving," Wang Yuyan said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Seeing Wang Yuyan's displeasure, the sleazy boss reconsidered. He admitted that thirty thousand was indeed a bit steep. Even a fool wouldn't pay that much.
So, the sleazy boss held up two fingers again.
"Beauty, if you really want it, two thousand. I'll take a small loss to sell it to you. If it weren't for your beauty, I wouldn't budge an inch!"
"Actually, it can be even less..." With that, the sleazy boss gave a lewd smile.
"If you're willing to leave your contact information, I'll practically give it away at a loss, one thousand yuan for this hairpin."
"One thousand?" Wang Yuyan mused thoughtfully.
It did seem quite low. Initially, thirty thousand had felt like a blatant overcharge, but now with two thousand knocked off, she thought it might be worth buying. However, giving out her contact information was out of the question.
Apart from Qin Xuan, Wang Yuyan rarely exchanged contact details with anyone.
"Alright..." Just as Wang Yuyan was about to agree, Qin Xuan suddenly pulled her up and snatched the hairpin from her hand, throwing it back to the stall owner.
"What are you doing!" Wang Yuyan glared at Qin Xuan, her eyes seemingly asking if he couldn't buy it for her, did that mean she couldn't buy it herself?
Qin Xuan said exasperatedly,
"Sister, just because you have money, you don't have to waste it like this. This hairpin looks old, like an antique, but it's just been buried underground for a while and then processed to look aged. One thousand? It's not even worth a hundred."
Hearing Qin Xuan's explanation, Wang Yuyan finally understood.
She had always trusted Qin Xuan's words implicitly.
Seeing an expert, the sleazy stall owner, Zhang Mazi, abandoned his attempt to swindle.
However, he noticed Qin Xuan was young and perhaps just a novice who had learned a bit and was now showing off.
In the antique market, there were unwritten rules.
When someone else was buying something, unless they themselves didn't want it, you shouldn't expose fakes and disrupt their business.
After all, it wasn't scamming you. Why meddle in other people's affairs?
Zhang Mazi pointed at Qin Xuan and shouted,
"Kid, how dare you slander Zhang Mazi's goods and disrupt my business! If you can walk out of this antique street today, I'll lose!"
With that, Zhang Mazi clapped his hands. Four burly men instantly rushed out from the surroundings. They all looked like trouble.
"Break this kid's legs, but don't hurt the beauty."
The four men immediately charged at Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan pulled Wang Yuyan behind him and unleashed a sideways whip kick. The four men were sent flying back in response.
"A martial artist!" Zhang Mazi exclaimed in shock.
Qin Xuan snorted coldly,
"What, are you trying to force a sale?"
Zhang Mazi swallowed hard, but still maintained a defiant tone,
"Kid... kid, you're in big trouble for causing a scene in the antique street. The Serpent's Head won't let you off!"