So that was it.
No wonder Pei Cizhou—a small-time boss whose company had yet to launch a single product—had been seated at A06 amid such a vast crowd.
It turned out the Ruan family had organized the event.
The moment Ruan Siheng took his seat, people rose one after another to greet him and exchange pleasantries.
“Could you pass me my phone? Thanks.” Qiuyun turned slightly and asked Daniel, who was seated behind the sofa.
Daniel took it from her bag and handed it over. Qiuyun accepted it and began searching online for information about Ruan Siheng.
Strangely, there was almost nothing about him on the internet—not even a photograph.
Unlike Jiang Yihua or Jiang Yifeng, one a fixture in financial news and the other in entertainment headlines, both were wealthy figures well known to the public.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Cizhou asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. Aren’t you going to say hello to your brother?”
“He’s busy. He doesn’t have time for me.”
As the dancers onstage took their final bows, the charity gala officially began.
The main lights went out, and spotlights converged on the center of the stage. A section of the platform opened, slowly raising a small podium and an auctioneer.
The massive high-definition screen behind her lit up at the same time, broadcasting the scene live.
“Distinguished guests and bidders, good evening. Welcome to the auction at this charity gala aboard the cruise ship. We would also like to thank everyone participating simultaneously by phone and online. On behalf of the auction house, I extend my sincere gratitude for your presence.”
The auctioneer wore a dark green cheongsam, with a purple jade pendant pinned at her chest. She looked elegant and refined.
“Before we begin, please allow me to remind everyone of a few matters: Please confirm the number displayed on your bidding paddle. All bids are in Hong Kong dollars, and once the hammer falls, the sale is legally binding…”
While the auctioneer explained the rules, Qiuyun had the distinct feeling that Ruan Siheng, seated two sections away at A08, was watching her.
No—observing her.
It wasn’t curiosity or a lingering gaze. It was observation.
At this rate, her personal file would probably be on his tablet within ten minutes.
Qiuyun was speechless. She could well imagine that after Mayor Pei and Minister Ruan had lost their eldest son, this younger son must have become especially precious to the family.
Tsk. If she’d known the Ruan family would be here, she never would have agreed to attend this banquet with Pei Cizhou.
With the fall of the auction hammer, the first lot was presented.
“This is a round high-ice lavender-and-green jadeite bangle, size 54, with twin ten-millimeter measurements.”
The item rose from a platform beside the stage, illuminated by a top light and a side light.
“The artistic quality of this jadeite bangle is exquisite,” the auctioneer introduced. “It evokes the freshness of spring and the arrival of auspicious purple energy. The material comes from an old mine in the Mu Na jade field and is newly cut. As you can see, it is high-ice grade, with exceptional translucency and a luminous, glassy sheen. It is a rare bangle with both superb texture and vivid color, and the transitions between its hues are natural. The piece is generously proportioned and substantial in material. Whether for personal wear, collection, or as a gift, it would be an excellent choice. The opening bid is two million.”
???
Two million for a bracelet?
Qiuyun could not help searching up jadeite online. Then she looked down at the thing on her own wrist, whose color looked more and more like Imperial Green jade.
Two years ago, Sotheby’s auctioned a similar imperial-green jadeite bangle, though with a slightly larger circumference. It sold for sixty million Hong Kong dollars.
Qiuyun suddenly remembered how, earlier, whether getting out of a car or stepping off a helicopter, she had casually braced her hand against the doorframe, producing a crisp metallic hum.
“…”
What a headache.
A single bangle was worth sixty million. Add the beaded necklace, cabochon ring, earrings, and pendants—a complete set would probably be worth over a hundred million, wouldn’t it?
Jadeite was hard yet brittle. Fortunately, she had always been steady and composed. Even when using her hand for support while boarding, she had held back her strength.
“Two million eight hundred thousand, going once. Two million eight hundred thousand, going twice. Two million eight hundred thousand, going three times.”
“Sold!” The auctioneer brought down the hammer with a beaming smile. “Congratulations to Mr. Ruan at Table A08 for successfully acquiring this piece!”
While Qiuyun was lost in thought, Ruan Siheng had already purchased the first lot.
As the host of the event, his bid served as an example and a clear show of support. The people around him made a few halfhearted bids before conceding the bangle to him.
Two more lots came up soon afterward. Pei Cizhou never once pressed his bidding device; he had clearly come only to watch the excitement.
If he was calm, Qiuyun was even more unruffled.
She picked up the lot information sheet from the coffee table and listened to the auctioneer’s introductions, gaining plenty of new knowledge. She was perfectly content entertaining herself that way.
As the auction approached its conclusion, the first lot had completed all the formalities and was delivered to Ruan Siheng.
He took only a cursory look before having someone send the spring-and-color jadeite bangle to Table A06, placing it beside Qiuyun.
The assistant crouched politely beside the sofa. “Miss Qiu, you’ve come a long way. Our Mr. Ruan regrets that he hasn’t been able to host you properly, so he has prepared this modest gift for you. We hope you’ll accept it.”
The bangle was indeed remarkably translucent. Even under the less-than-brilliant lighting, it still gleamed with an unmistakable aura of luxury.
Pei Cizhou’s expression darkened, but before he could say anything, Qiuyun spoke first. “I’m sorry, but one shouldn’t accept a gift without having done anything to deserve it. I’ve already felt Mr. Ruan’s kindness, so I’ll have to decline the bangle. Please convey my thanks to him.”
Qiuyun was already wearing a complete set of imperial-green jadeite jewelry. By comparison, the spring-and-color bangle looked positively ordinary. Even her refusal carried such effortless, aristocratic indifference that it left no room for argument.
The assistant hesitated for a moment. Pei Cizhou frowned and added, “Didn’t you hear her?”
“Yes, Miss Qiu. I’ll convey your message to Mr. Ruan.” With no other choice, the assistant picked up the box and left.
Once he was gone, Qiuyun calmly looked away.
The man himself hadn’t shown up, yet he had already sent something to dismiss her.
Two million eight hundred thousand wasn’t an amount she couldn’t afford. There was no need for this unnecessary gesture.
Pei Cizhou looked over apologetically and said in a low voice, “My brother… perhaps he just wanted to make friends with you.”
Qiuyun paid no attention to the unwarranted hostility of someone uninvolved. “Perhaps. Let’s continue watching the auction.”
For the rest of the auction, Pei Cizhou remained unmoved, and Ruan Siheng made no further bids.
The auction concluded successfully, and it was time for everyone to mingle and socialize.
Dressed in a pure-black, handmade mermaid-tail evening gown and adorned with a matching set of imperial-green jadeite jewelry, Qiuyun’s understated, restrained luxury undoubtedly made her the most eye-catching female guest in the room.
Whether it was her face and figure, or her poise and expression, everything about her exuded an aloof, noble chill. Rather than being overshadowed by the jewelry, she made it seem like nothing more than the perfect finishing touch.
If not for Pei Cizhou standing beside her, propped up by that face of his, even he would have been rendered completely colorless by comparison.
The surrounding gazes kept drifting their way. Qiuyun was helpless. She had long since realized that Pei Cizhou had come tonight to sit back and fish from a high perch, and she could not be bothered to waste any thought on it. With this set of imperial-green jadeite jewelry on her, there was no way she could keep a low profile tonight, no matter what she wore.
Someone came over to strike up a conversation. “How come we haven’t seen Young Master Pei make a move tonight? Nothing caught your eye?”
An hour into the auction, it had already been enough time for everyone present to learn Pei Cizhou’s identity.
Pei Cizhou looked utterly uninterested. “They’re all just jewelry and jade. I’m not interested.”
The other person understood at once. The mayor’s son had discerning tastes. Even the female companion at his side—someone who had never appeared in high-society circles before—was wearing a set of imperial-green jadeite jewelry worth over a hundred million. How could he possibly take an interest in these pieces that only cost a few million?
