Chu Zilan spoke up, "At this point, we can only hope that Lin Wu doesn't make a move for that emerald jewelry set later."
Rong Ci felt the same way. But... was that even possible?
The starting bid for the emerald jewelry was ten million. Someone immediately raised it to fifteen million.
Rong Ci was the second to bid. "Eighteen million."
"Twenty million."
"Twenty-five million."
Seeing that Lin Wu hadn't placed a bid yet, both Rong Ci and Chu Zilan breathed a sigh of relief. However, just as Rong Ci was about to raise her paddle again, Lin Wu held hers up.
"Fifty million."
The crowd erupted in surprised exclamations. Amidst the gasps, Lin Wu calmly lowered her hand.
Rong Ci clenched her fists, hesitated for a moment, and then offered, "Sixty million."
"Sixty-five million."
"Seventy million."
Rong Ci wavered when she heard that price. Her grandmother's seventieth birthday was a rare occasion, but if it hit eighty million
Before she could finish the thought, Lin Wu raised her paddle once more. "One hundred and twenty million."
Rong Ci's chest tightened. Once she regained her breath, she silently put down her paddle.
Perhaps the others had already witnessed Feng Tingshen's overwhelming financial power, because after that bid, no one else dared to raise the price.
The item was once again claimed by Lin Wu.
Rong Ci wasn't interested in any of the remaining items, but auction house rules stated that guests could not leave until the event ended. She was forced to remain in the auction hall.
The prices for the final few items were even more exorbitant. Seeing that Feng Tingshen had casually spent over three hundred and sixty million in a single evening, Chu Zilan couldn't help but comment, "Feng Tingshen wouldn't keep bidding, would he? No matter how rich he is, surely he doesn't throw money away like this? He really doesn't hold back when it comes to spending on that mistress."
Rong Ci had no answer for her.
However, the answer came quickly enough; Feng Tingshen did not bid again.
Once the auction concluded, Rong Ci and Chu Zilan left the hall. As they exited, Rong Ci didn't spare a single glance in Feng Tingshen's direction.
Chu Zilan, however, kept a close eye on them. She saw Ren Jifeng walk over to Feng Tingshen and Lin Wu to greet them.
As Rong Ci and Chu Zilan stepped out of the hall, a senior acquaintance of Zilan's approached them. After a few words of small talk, the noblewoman turned her gaze to Rong Ci and asked warmly, "Zilan, this young lady looks quite unfamiliar. Which family is she from?"
Chu Zilan introduced Rong Ci to her.
As the lady listened, her smile faded slightly. "Oh, so she's President Rong's niece. She certainly is a beauty..."
She knew a bit about the Rong family's situation. Word was that President Rong's sister had suffered a mental breakdown in her youth due to a failed relationship and had spent most of her years living in a sanatorium.
Rong Ci was exceptionally beautiful and appeared to have a gentle temperament. If she were well-educated, her mother's mental health wouldn't have been a deal-breaker. Unfortunately, the Rong Group's business had been in a downward spiral for the past two years. Even though Rong Changsheng was working himself to the bone for the company, the chances of the Rong Group making a comeback were slim.
With those two major flaws, it didn't matter how beautiful Rong Ci was or how much the lady liked her; she wasn't qualified to enter her family's door. What a pity...
The noblewoman said nothing of the sort out loud, but both Rong Ci and Chu Zilan could sense her underlying meaning. Since the woman still had things to discuss with Zilan, they didn't leave immediately.
At that moment, Feng Tingshen, Lin Wu, and Ren Jifeng also walked out of the inner auction hall. Ren Jifeng extended a hand toward the couple. "I have something to take care of, so I'll be leaving first. Let's chat next time."
"Next time," Feng Tingshen replied.
Ren Jifeng nodded and left with his friend. Meanwhile, more people approached Feng Tingshen to greet him. As he turned, he came face-to-face with Rong Ci, and their eyes met.
Rong Ci froze for a heartbeat before looking away first. Feng Tingshen also retracted his gaze and resumed chatting with the people surrounding him.
Seeing Feng Tingshen's continued indifference toward Rong Ci, a slow smirk curled onto Lin Wu's lips.
After ten minutes of continuous socializing, Chu Zilan was parched. She and Rong Ci headed to the refreshment area, planning to grab a drink and clear their throats before heading home.
There were few people in the area. Just as Chu Zilan was about to speak, voices drifted over from the side.
"Jifeng... are you interested in Feng Tingshen's girlfriend?"
"I wouldn't go as far as to say 'interested,' but... she is certainly quite interesting."
Rong Ci and Chu Zilan paused. It was Ren Jifeng and his friend. They were standing with their backs turned, largely hidden by a row of beverage dispensers, and hadn't noticed the two women.
"During the auction, I thought you were interested in that gentle beauty beside Chu Zilan. She's probably still in the hall somewhere. Aren't you going to go say hello?"
Rong Ci hadn't expected their conversation to suddenly shift to her.
Before she could react, Chu Zilan arched an eyebrow, tempted to drag Rong Ci over and play matchmaker. But then, Ren Jifeng shook his head and said with clear lack of interest, "No thanks."
Chu Zilan blinked. "Oh? What's wrong? Lost interest already?"
"Yeah," Ren Jifeng said. "That beauty is certainly stunning, but... she looks so gentle and quiet, as if she has no personality at all. Suddenly, it just feels a bit boring."
"Damn, and you still claim you're not interested in Lin Wu!" the friend laughed. "It's obvious that after chatting with Lin Wu just now, you've found something better and don't care for the previous one."
"That's not it, it's just"
Ren Jifeng paused, and his friend chuckled. "I get it. Someone like Lin Wu has become your ideal type, right? That just proves you're interested in her! Hahaha!"
Before Jifeng could respond, his friend continued, "But in all seriousness, Lin Wu's cold, arrogant elegance is definitely more stimulating. It makes you want to conquer her. Ever since she appeared in our circles, plenty of guys have been enchanted by her. Pity she's Feng Tingshen's woman. I have to admit, Feng Tingshen has incredible taste in women."
Chu Zilan's smile froze, and her expression darkened. She moved to give those two a piece of her mind, but Rong Ci held her back.
Rong Ci shook her head and said calmly, "It's fine."
She might lack personality, and she might be ordinary. But she was herself. She knew who she was. Whether a passerby liked her or not simply didn't matter.
Ren Jifeng and his friend finished their water, set down their glasses, and departed.
Chu Zilan was fuming. "I used to think Ren Jifeng was an expert at spotting fake women and that he had a cool personality. I can't believe even he was charmed by Lin Wu!"
Before Rong Ci could respond, a sleazy-looking man walked up to them. He and Zilan knew each other. His eyes, puffy from a clear lack of health, roved over Rong Ci lustfully as he smiled. "Zilan, is this your friend"
Before he could finish, Chu Zilan snapped, knowing exactly what he was after. "What kind of trash do you think you are, eyeing my friend? Get lost!"
The man's face soured. "Chu Zilan, you!"
Chu Zilan shot him a lethal glare. The Chu Family was not to be trifled with, and the man didn't dare truly provoke her, so he slunk away.
Chu Zilan took a large gulp of her drink, her chest aching with anger. "How many is that tonight trying to hit on you? Why is it always garbage men? And why do all the high-quality men prefer Lin Wu's type?!"
Rong Ci patted her back to soothe her. She thought it was because Lin Wu truly was exceptional and outstanding.
However, before she could say it, Chu Zilan's expression suddenly went cold.
Rong Ci followed her gaze and saw Lin Wu standing not far away. She was holding two glasses of water.
Neither of them knew how long she had been there, but seeing the smirk on Lin Wu's face, they both suspected she had overheard the conversation between Ren Jifeng and his friend.
When she noticed them looking, Lin Wu's smile deepened. She didn't say a word; she merely gave Rong Ci a cold, contemptuous look before turning on her heel and walking away.
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