Live Restoration: Old Heraldic Treasures Hold Clues to My Parents

Two treasures are hidden inside Gu's Antique Restoration Shop in Qingguo Alley: a pearwood carving knife engraved with hibiscus flowers, and a copper thimble engraved with the character “Man” on its inner rim. Twenty-six-year-old Gu Ci has run the shop for three years, daring to restore only ordinary old objects. Ever since her parents vanished without a trace, taking the Gu family crest with them, she has made one rule: never touch anything bearing the crest. Then one day, an old man leaning on a cane arrives with a Republic-era mantel clock. The hibiscus design at the center of its face is identical to one on an object her parents restored before they disappeared. The moment her bamboo scraper touches the copper design, a cold-glowing livestream window drops into view: [Antique Whispers System activated. Rule One: Do not wipe away dark red marks. Violators will enter an alternate dimension alongside the owner of the antique.] The livestream chat explodes: “Isn't that the Gu family crest? Master Gu disappeared three years ago!” “If she breaks the rules, she'll be consumed by an obsession!” Even more shocking, beneath the rust on the old pocket watch brought in by Mr. Chen, she finds her mother's delicate calligraphy: “Cici, beware the crest, ” The instant she wipes away the rust, the shop loses power, the shelves begin to creak, and her mother's tearful voice cuts off after the word “Go.” The note is dated the day her parents disappeared. A mysterious man in a trench coat brings in a silver bracelet carved by her mother, leaving only one sentence behind: “The crest is both a key and a shackle.” Another rule appears in the livestream window: [Do not speak to anyone outside the camera frame.] But from the corner comes the call of her mother's osmanthus cakes, and her father's wind-up frog begins to click... When the third rule appears, [Sacrifice the antique you treasure most as an anchor], Gu Ci stares at the pearwood carving knife her father gave her. It has been her emotional support for three years. The livestream passes a million viewers, and the chat floods with comments: “That knife means everything to your dad!” “If you don't sacrifice it, you'll never see your parents again”