Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

His voice was a little stiff at first, but gradually became more fluent as he spoke. He began by explaining the bronze sword's excavation, then the rust on the blade, and then the tools and techniques used in its restoration, each detail clearly and understandably explained. To enhance the audience's understanding, he even brought a miniature set of restoration tools, holding simulated repair glue with tweezers, and demonstrated the process of filling gaps on a display board. "The most challenging part of restoring this bronze sword was repairing the damaged end of the scabbard," Chen Yan said with a hint of pride, pointing to the bronze sword in the display case. "The copper there had been severely oxidized. We first needed to use electrochemical reduction to stabilize the metal structure, then fill it with a special alloy material, and finally, apply a distressing treatment to ensure that the repaired part blends seamlessly with the original sword, leaving no intrusion." The audience listened intently, occasionally raising their phones to take photos, while parents whispered to their children about the details. Su Qingyuan, standing at the edge of the crowd, couldn't help but smile slightly as she watched Chen Yan's calm explanation. She hadn't expected that the usually taciturn Chen Yan would shine so brightly when he spoke about his beloved field - his eyes were focused, his speech steady, and every gesture was just right, as if he and this bronze sword were the only ones in the entire exhibition hall. After the interactive question-and-answer session began, the audience's enthusiasm grew even higher. A student wearing glasses was the first to raise his hand: "Teacher Chen, have you encountered any particularly memorable moments in the process of restoring cultural relics?" This question made Chen Yan stunned. He lowered his head and thought for a few seconds, and many images flashed through his mind - the nervousness when he restored cultural relics for the first time, the joy after successfully repairing a broken pottery jar, and... all the bits and pieces of his time with Su Qingyuan. He subconsciously raised his head, his gaze passing through the crowd, and fell on Su Qingyuan standing in the corner. Su Qingyuan happened to be looking at him, and the moment their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly lowered her head, her cheeks slightly hot, but her heart was like a deer beating wildly. "The most unforgettable moment was my first bronze sword restoration," Chen Yan's voice came through the microphone, a touch of nostalgic tenderness. "At the time, I was just starting my internship at university and lacked experience. When mixing the restoration glue, I almost used the wrong formula. Fortunately, my master caught me in time and stopped me. He told me that restoring cultural relics is like having a conversation with history. You can't be impatient, you need to be patient and attentive. The more you care for a cultural relic, the more it will tell you its story in its own way." He paused, looking back at Su Qingyuan, his tone more serious. "Now I think of curators as 'translators'—we restorers have a conversation with history, recording the stories of cultural relics, while curators organize and share these stories with more people, allowing them to see the value behind the cultural relics. Without the efforts of curators, even the best restoration results would remain hidden in the warehouse, unknown to everyone." The audience nodded in agreement, and warm applause broke out from the audience. Su Qingyuan stood in the corner, listening to Chen Yan's words, her eyes slightly moist. She didn't expect that her work would be so recognized by Chen Yan, and she didn't expect that he would specifically mention the significance of a curator on such an occasion. At that moment, all the hard work and fatigue disappeared, leaving only a full sense of emotion. After the event, the audience gradually dispersed, and the exhibition hall returned to a little calm. Su Qingyuan picked up a bottle of mineral water from the tray, walked quickly to Chen Yan, and handed it to him: "Teacher Chen, you gave a great lecture today, and the audience response was particularly good. Just now, several audience members asked when there will be such an event next time." Chen Yan took the water, unscrewed the cap and took a sip. The cold mineral water slid down his throat, relieving the dryness of his mouth during the lecture. He looked at Su Qingyuan, and a sincere smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Thanks to you for helping me revise the lecture manuscript and yesterday's rehearsal, otherwise I would definitely not be able to speak well. By the way, are you free tonight? I would like to invite you to dinner. Thank you for your help during this period." Su Qingyuan was stunned. She didn't expect Chen Yan to take the initiative to invite her to dinner. She opened her mouth, wanting to say "Don't be so polite", but looking at Chen Yan's sincere eyes, she couldn't say no. She nodded vigorously, with a barely perceptible joy in her voice: "I'm free, I don't have anything to do tonight." The two agreed to meet at the museum entrance after get off work and then go to the restaurant together. Chen Yan went back to pack up the explanation tools, while Su Qingyuan stayed in the exhibition hall and sorted out the materials for the event with the staff. Her heart felt as sweet as if there was a piece of candy in her heart. She couldn't help but take out her mobile phone and sent a message to her bestie: "Someone invited me to dinner tonight!" At six o'clock in the evening, Chen Yan appeared at the museum entrance on time. He had changed back into his usual casual clothes, a light gray hooded sweatshirt with black casual pants, which was a bit more relaxed than the formal attire during the day. Su Qingyuan also changed his clothes, a pair of light blue jeans with a white T-shirt and a beige denim jacket on the outside, looking youthful and energetic. "I know a private restaurant not far from here, and the food is pretty good," Chen Yan said, opening the car door, "Get in, let's go and take a look." Su Qingyuan nodded and got into the passenger seat. The car drove smoothly on the evening street, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the car window, shining on the two of them, giving everything around them a warm golden hue. The street lights on both sides of the street gradually lit up, and the orange lights and the afterglow of the setting sun intertwined to create a warm atmosphere. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the door of a private restaurant called "Qingzhu Restaurant". The restaurant's facade is not big, with two red lanterns hanging at the door and several pots of green plants placed on both sides of the door, which looks simple and elegant. Walking into the restaurant, the decoration inside is even more unique - wooden tables and chairs, ink paintings hanging on the wall, and a guqin placed in the corner, everywhere exudes the charm of the Jiangnan water town. The waiter led the two to a window seat on the second floor. From the window, they could see the small garden in the backyard of the restaurant. There were a few green bamboo trees in the garden. The breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, which was particularly pleasant. "The signature dishes here are sweet and sour spare ribs and squirrel mandarin fish. Both are Jiangsu and Zhejiang flavors. I wonder if you like them," Chen Yan handed the menu to Su Qingyuan.