The next day, Rong Ci and Chu Zilan dressed up and headed to the auction.
Neither of them had gone for anything overly grand, yet their natural beauty was so striking that they still drew a wealth of attention the moment they stepped into the auction hall.
Chu Zilan had attended several auctions and was quite active in these social circles, so many people recognized her. Rong Ci, however, was a fresh face to most. Seeing her arrive with Chu Zilan, many began to speculate about which prominent family this young miss belonged to.
Their seats were toward the middle-back of the hall. They hadn't arrived particularly early, and only a few minutes after they sat down, the auction was already about to begin.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the front rows.
Rong Ci and Chu Zilan looked over at the sound. When Rong Ci realized what was happening, her movements stiffened for a moment.
"It's actually Feng Tingshen and Lin Wu... I can't believe they came too," Chu Zilan remarked. She turned to Rong Ci. "Did you know they were attending?"
Rong Ci shook her head. "No."
She hadn't expected him to show up, and Feng Tingshen certainly hadn't mentioned it to her.
Following the previous banquet and the technology exhibition, Lin Wu's reputation in high society had skyrocketed. As she appeared alongside Feng Tingshen, a great many eyes were fixed solely on her.
"Last time President Feng brought her to a banquet, her entire ensemble was worth over thirty million. Looking at her now, this outfit is easily just as impressive."
"Never mind the diamond jewelry for a secondjust look at that dress. It's a work by the world-class design master Imes. Everyone knows that in the decade since Imes went into semi-retirement, they only personally create three gowns a year. Each one is worth well over ten million"
"Over thirty million last time, and tens of millions more this time. In just these two appearances, President Feng has dropped nearly a hundred million on her. He really is willing to spend whatever it takes for her."
"You can say that again."
Lin Wu wore a shimmering blue satin gown, her jewelry catching the light. Combined with her exceptional features, she was undoubtedly the most eye-catching woman at the auction that evening.
It was common knowledge that the front row was a symbol of status. Amidst the flurry of hushed discussions and envious glares, Lin Wu and Feng Tingshen took their seats in the very center of the first row.
Seeing this prompted another wave of envy from those around them.
"Center of the first row... that's some serious prestige. I wonder what it feels like to sit there. Being able to sit in those seats isn't just about status; it means their expected spending for the night is probably astronomical. My god"
"Stop it, the more you talk, the more jealous I get. It's enough to make anyone die of envy."
Hearing this, Chu Zilan leaned in close to Rong Ci's ear, her voice dripping with resentment. "He sits in the front row with Lin Wu, but he gives us seats all the way back here..."
This wasn't the first time Feng Tingshen had displayed such blatant favoritism toward Lin Wu. Rong Ci had long since grown used to it. She didn't care anymore. Besides, her goal for attending the auction was to buy a birthday gift for her grandmother. As for the seating arrangements, she didn't pay them any mind.
Chu Zilan continued, "Does Feng Tingshen even know where we're sitting? He hasn't even looked in our direction."
The tickets had likely been arranged by Feng Tingshen's assistants. He probably didn't care where she was seated. As for Chu Zilan's comment about him not looking their wayeven if he knew their seat numbers, it didn't mean he would intentionally seek her out. After all, during the banquet where Yu Moxun had accompanied her and the previous tech expo, he had ignored her existence from start to finish.
Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, the host took the stage, and the hall fell silent. The auction was about to begin.
Rong Ci had already carefully studied the auction catalog. She had her eye on an emerald jewelry set and a famous master's embroidery. Which one she would ultimately bid on depended on how the night unfolded.
The auction moved quickly. Rong Ci was clear about her goals; if an item wasn't what she wanted, she didn't raise her paddle. Feng Tingshen and Lin Wu also remained quiet for a while.
After the auction had been underway for some time, Rong Ci and Chu Zilan noticed Lin Wu finally raising her paddle. She was bidding on a diamond bracelet. It was the work of a famous foreign designer, and the style was clearly suited for a younger woman. Undoubtedly, Feng Tingshen intended to buy it for her.
The starting price was 1.5 million. Lin Wu raised the bid immediately to 3 million. Others followed, pushing it to 4 million.
At that point, Rong Ci noticed Lin Wu leaning in to consult with Feng Tingshen. Then, Lin Wu raised her paddle again, her voice ringing out clearly through the hall: "Eight million!"
A stir rippled through the exhibition hall. The diamond bracelet was nice, but in terms of actual value, it wasn't worth eight million. Even four million would have been pushing it.
However, Lin Wu seemed to love the piece, and Feng Tingshen, with his deep pockets, seemingly didn't want anyone else competing with her. He had simply shut down the competition with an eight-million-dollar bid.
The crowd was stunned by Feng Tingshen's casual disregard for money and his pampering of Lin Wu. Whispers broke out everywhere.
As expected, once the eight-million-dollar bid was on the table, no one else challenged it. Lin Wu successfully secured the bracelet.
Chu Zilan was green with envy, muttering through clenched teeth, "I'm so jealous my teeth ache."
Before Rong Ci could respond, a new round of bidding began. After a while, an antique vase was brought out.
Lin Wu raised her paddle once more. The starting price for the antique vase was five million. While others were increasing the price by five hundred thousand or a million at a time, Lin Wu opened her mouth and immediately jumped to ten million.
The number of bidders dropped instantly. However, there were plenty of wealthy people in attendance. A moment later, a man's voice interjected, "Fifteen million."
Rong Ci looked toward the voice. It was a very young, exceptionally handsome man.
"That's Ren Jifeng," Chu Zilan whispered to Rong Ci.
Rong Ci nodded.
Lin Wu seemed to hesitate, glancing toward Feng Tingshen. From this, Rong Ci and Chu Zilan could see that this antique vase was something Lin Wu personally wanted. It was only then that Rong Ci remembered her grandmother Old Madam Linhad always been a passionate collector of antiques. Without a doubt, Lin Wu was trying to win this for her.
Feng Tingshen gave a small nod, and Lin Wu raised her paddle again. "Twenty-five million."
Ren Jifeng smiled. "Thirty million."
Lin Wu hesitated even more now, leaning toward Feng Tingshen as if telling him she didn't want it anymore. But Feng Tingshen simply shook his head.
Lin Wu raised the paddle again. "Forty million."
Ren Jifeng's voice rang out once more. "Fifty million."
As he spoke, he looked toward Feng Tingshen with a smile.
Lin Wu's brow furrowed as she whispered to Feng Tingshen, "Maybe... we should forget it?"
Fifty million was simply too much.
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