Chapter 106: How can he be “whipped”? Mr. Le, sorry to disturb, Lady Ming…
As the biggest variable, if Le Can could know what Jian Yu was thinking, he would be very happy with everything he had done.
Whether it was intentionally doubling the bids when auctioning the watch or the accidental “willows growing into shade” when bidding on the jewelry—as long as it could make Jian Yu lose his composure and control, the more information Xi Yun could obtain.
However, at this moment, the youth was only filled with the joy of his harvest and had no time to notice the dark thoughts aimed at him.
Because in his subconscious, Jian Yu was like a grasshopper in late autumn—he wouldn’t be jumping for much longer, so there was really no need to invest too much thought.
Satisfied with having harvested the most pleasing batch of jewelry from the four-page catalog, Le Can hummed a small tune in his heart, properly tucking away the vouchers sent by the staff.
[We common folk~ Tonight is truly, truly happy~]
Feeling a hand slip into his suit pocket to fiddle for a while, and then cherishly patting the pocket after leaving…
Xi Yun’s silver-grey eyes, which had suddenly become deep and cold after hearing Jian Yu’s inner thoughts, uncontrollably softened.
Under the table, the two interlaced hands drew even closer to each other.
After taking the final lotus-shaped brooch into his possession, Le Can stopped, feeling satisfied.
The “707” that had startled everyone finally seemed to be tired of raising the paddle. It was quietly placed on the table, no longer appearing frequently as if money were no object.
Raising a paddle at an auction isn’t something you just do on a whim; every single time you raise it, you’re throwing real gold and silver out!
People who were interested roughly tallied the money “707” had spent, and they immediately clicked their tongues in secret.
With no fewer than ten successful bids, in just about half an hour, they had probably thrown out seven or eight “small goals,” right?
The crucial thing was that they weren’t just putting on a front; every time they swiped their card, it was even cleaner and more decisive than raising the paddle. All that money was genuinely being transferred out for charity.
Some clever or opportunistic people had already begun to discreetly inquire about the two young men sitting side-by-side.
Upon learning they were a couple, some were envious and lamented, while others were dismissive, still attempting to pull small tricks.
But soon, the story of Bai Xiaotong bringing Fang Ruowan before Xi Yun before the auction started was rapidly spread in secret.
Even those who wouldn’t give up couldn’t help but sigh, finally giving the taller one of the two a regretful glance—carrying a sense of disappointment.
You…
With money, power, and looks, what’s the use?
Looking so tall and fierce, with an air that says “no strangers allowed,” how can he be such a “whipped” husband (Pa Er Duo)?
Although they all had a few things to say in their hearts, it was undeniable that once they realized Xi Yun’s essence was that of a henpecked husband, almost everyone released goodwill toward Xi Yun.
It’s hard to say why there are “plastic” couples/partners being exposed every year in the circle, yet there are still an endless stream of couples coming out for business…
On one hand, the external image is good. On the other hand, no matter what everyone thinks of a family-oriented man in their hearts, subconsciously, they are more willing to deal and cooperate with such a person.
Xi Yun, who was holding his wife’s small hand and focusing on analyzing the psychological activities of Jian Yu and Bai Xiaotong, was unable to hear others’ thoughts and was unaware he would gain a wave of cooperation: “…?”
Le Can, who also didn’t know his external reputation had undergone a transformation, let out a slightly surprised “Eh.”
Originally, after finishing the jewelry bidding, aside from occasionally striking back when Jian Yu showed interest in an item by raising the price, Le Can really hadn’t planned to raise his paddle again.
After all, it wasn’t as if he truly had no idea how much money he had spent. There was a world of difference between being wanton and being reckless.
But what surprised Le Can was that the finale item of this auction—the penultimate lot—was actually…
A jar of paper stars!
A plain, ordinary plastic candy jar with a colorless, transparent body and a large red lid with a handle. Even the paper used for the stars was ordinary paper, though the colors and patterns varied.
This item, Le Can—who had browsed the exhibition area with Xi Yun—could confirm had never appeared there.
“Did you see this before?”
To prevent himself from having missed it, Le Can nudged the man beside him with his elbow.
Xi Yun looked up at the image displayed on the big screen and shook his head slightly. “This item was likely added to the auction temporarily.”
Not only was it not in the exhibition area, but there wasn’t even a shred of information about it in the colored catalogs placed before them.
Curiosity sparked in Le Can’s eyes, and he felt a bit eager to try.
He liked things that didn’t play by the rules, and this jar of paper stars obviously fit that category.
And… judging by the expressions of the people in the room, Le Can felt he might be able to use the remaining money in his card to take this interesting lot.
Under the confused and doubtful gazes of the crowd, the gentle voice of the auctioneer on stage sounded:
“As you can see, the finale lot of this session is a handmade work.”
“Its owners are two small consignors who wish to remain anonymous. They spent a month folding these stars and handed them over to us for auction, hoping the amount raised could help other children.”
Only then did the audience realize why the stars in the jar were of different sizes. The smallest was the size of a soybean, while the largest was like a winter jujube.
If they came from children who had no standards and were good at creating and making different things, it truly made perfect sense.
Looking at it this way, this was truly a very childlike item that perfectly fit the theme of this auction. However… for someone to arrange it in such a special position as the finale made most people a bit uneasy.
The final price obviously couldn’t be too low. If it were low, would it be seen as not validating the organizer’s operation? Would it be a lack of respect for charity?
But before the paper stars, a pair of suet-white jade screen inserts had just been auctioned off for a hammer price of over forty million. If they used a similar price to buy a jar of hand-folded paper stars…
With such a huge value gap, many people couldn’t help but feel hesitant in their hearts. Was doing this really worth it?
After weighing it back and forth, criticism and prejudice inevitably surfaced. For example, after looking at it from all angles, the only advantage of that jar of paper stars was probably that every single one was round and full; other than that… hard to say.
Le Can, on the other hand, thought the round stars were very cute and rare.
Because he had folded paper stars before, he knew this was very hard to achieve. The two small consignors the auctioneer mentioned had truly invested a lot of energy and expectation into it.
The more he thought about it, the more his original seven-tenths of desire became ten-tenths.
Calculating the balance in his card, Le Can let out a soft sigh and bumped the man beside him with his shoulder. When the other looked over, his expression was solemn and serious.
Xi Yun silently hooked the corners of his mouth. “Go ahead.”
Perhaps smiles have a powerful contagiousness, as Le Can couldn’t maintain his expression and broke character in a second.
Showing his pearly white teeth, he announced with a smile: “Xi Yun, I solemnly notify you that from now on, I will eat yours, drink yours, and sleep on yours.”
[Wait, it seems like I’m already doing that.]
After saying that, amidst Xi Yun’s stifled laughter, Le Can pressed down the corners of his mouth, though he ultimately failed to suppress them. His solemnity turned into teasing: “Fine, as long as you know in your heart.”
“Okay.”
“This lot is quite special. Ultimately, we have chosen a no-reserve starting bid.”
“If any guests present are interested, you may raise your paddle and call out the price in your heart.”
Le Can reached for the paddle that had been pushed aside, pondering whether to lead with a high price or, like before, wait for the final stage to participate.
Suddenly, a sarcastic voice drifted over from across the table.
“Heh, spending money to bid on a jar of broken paper—don’t you care about this kind of spendthrift behavior? Indeed, since the Nian family left behind too many things, things that come for free aren’t cherished.”
Le Can hadn’t even raised his paddle yet, but his eye-roll had already been cast.
Amidst the silence and hesitation of the surrounding crowd, he instantly raised the “707” paddle that had already achieved great feats and spoke out loudly under everyone’s gaze:
“Fifty million.”
On stage, the auctioneer, who had been feeling uncertain, immediately beamed with joy. “This gentleman from 707 has bid fifty million. Are there any other guests who would like to take this extraordinarily meaningful lot?”
Below the stage, the wavering hearts of many people instantly settled back into their chests. Those who had been thinking about whether to call a price—at least to prevent a cold atmosphere—all put down their paddles.
Oh my, oh my, if it were someone else, they might have competed, but since it’s 707, the result would only ever be one, no matter what.
In summary, 707 is truly a good person. Perfecting an ending where everyone is happy—a truly great person!
Just when everyone thought the ownership of the paper stars was settled, another person at the same table as Le Can suddenly spoke.
“Sixty million.”
Under the warm yellow light, Jian Yu’s face, smiling refinedly, instantly entered everyone’s sight.
Some people who were grumbling about who was so blind instantly swallowed the words already at the tip of their tongues.
It’s Boss Jian of Ya Yun Gu Fang; perhaps he also wants to support the children’s education…
Le Can stared fixedly at the perfectly disguised man across from him. As the auctioneer hesitantly said “sixty million for the second time,” he raised his paddle again.
“Seventy million.”
Just as Jian Yu was about to call out a higher price, the auctioneer, who had heard something through her earpiece, suddenly raised her hand in a pause gesture.
Soon, under everyone’s gaze, the gentle and approachable auctioneer slowly retracted all her expressions, her face flashing with awe and seriousness.
“I am very sorry to the gentleman from 215, but the consignor has agreed to hand over the item to the gentleman from 707 for the price of fifty million.”
215 was Jian Yu, and 707 referred to Le Can. Hearing the auctioneer’s words, as the suddenly favored lucky one, Le Can raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He turned to look at Xi Yun beside him.
[Does this have anything to do with you?]
Le Can even suspected if Xi Yun knew someone else and had opened some back door for him.
Xi Yun shook his head silently.
Who knew that the auctioneer wasn’t done yet. She personally walked off the stage, came to Le Can’s side, leaned down, and whispered in his ear:
“Mr. Le, sorry to disturb you, but Lady Ming would like to meet you.”
“She said it’s rare to find such a young man who catches her eye. Since she happened to get something recently, she’ll take this opportunity to hand it over to you.”
Now it was Le Can’s turn to be silent.
He was thinking—if he hadn’t done what he did regarding the paper stars, then this opportunity…
Would it still have fallen on his head?
T/N: “Small goals” (小目標) is a reference to a famous quote by billionaire Wang Jianlin about having a “small goal” of 100 million RMB. “Pa Er Duo” (耙耳朵) is Sichuan dialect for a henpecked husband. “Plastic” couples refer to those who are only together for show/image.
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