অধ্যায় ১৪৬: তাকে কেন সাথে আনোনি?

“I don’t mind,” Qi Mo agreed readily. Seeing that Lu Sinian had already taken a seat, his expression remained relaxed as he said, “It really has been two years since we last met, and we haven’t interacted much during this time. Let’s get together properly tonight.”

As he spoke, Qi Mo let his gaze fall upon Jiang Ling and Mu Yinyin, asking with a gentle smile, “I wonder if President Jiang and President Mu would be free to join us?”

Jiang Ling chuckled, “Since the two of you are catching up on old times, how could we possibly intrude?”

This was a perfectly normal response.

Lu Sinian raised an eyebrow and said, “We’re all friends here, and we’ll be interacting frequently in the future anyway. Why not all chat together? That would be a good thing.”

Mu Yinyin curled her lips into a slight smile, “No need. We have other matters to attend to this evening; we can catch up another time when there’s an opportunity.”

Since things had reached this point and both of them had declined, Qi Mo and Lu Sinian naturally couldn’t force the issue. They merely nodded and said nothing more.

Everything appeared quite natural, with nothing seemingly out of place.

At that moment, guests were entering the venue one after another. People spoke in subdued tones; after all, this was a relatively solemn occasion. Even though the attendees were all prominent figures, still no one dared to act presumptuously.

The atmosphere inside the venue was actually quite agreeable, free of any discomfort.

Except…

After Fu Siye’s arrival, the situation changed.

His expression, which was already cold and stern, at this moment…

Upon seeing Mu Yinyin and the people around her, grew even more piercing.

Even Mu Yinyin sensed that something was amiss. Subconsciously turning her head, she discovered that Fu Siye was already walking toward them with his long strides. Her gaze flickered, and she withdrew her look.

Fu Siye wore a sour expression all day long, and over the past few years, she had grown accustomed to it. Seeing it now didn’t make her feel like anything was wrong; she had only turned her head instinctively because she hadn't seen who was speaking just moments before.

Lu Sinian raised an eyebrow, “President Fu.”

Fu Siye gave a faint nod, “President Lu.”

Qi Mo also turned his gaze toward Fu Siye, a shallow smile playing on his lips, “President Fu, long time no see.”

Fu Siye turned his eyes to look at him, a trace of surprise flashing across his expression, though it vanished in the blink of an eye as he returned to his usual composure, “I didn’t expect Young Master Qi to be here as well.”

“Indeed. With such a lively event happening here, I simply had to come and take a look. Running into President Lu and President Fu here certainly comes as a pleasant surprise. Are you free tonight? Care to join me for dinner?”

Fu Siye replied calmly, “Very well.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he seated himself right beside Mu Yinyin. The moment he clearly saw her face, he refused to spare her even another glance.

The instant he sat down, Mu Yinyin felt enveloped by a heavy wave of cold air, sending a slight chill through her surroundings.

Dressed in a strapless evening gown, she suddenly felt a chilly sensation across her chest.

She remained silent, having no intention of greeting Fu Siye either.

Despite their business collaborations, and despite the three-year marital bond they once shared, they now acted as though they were strangers destined never to cross paths again.

Qi Mo smiled, “Good.”

Since this wasn't a convenient place for conversation and they had merely exchanged polite pleasantries, everyone withdrew their gazes and stopped dwelling on the matter.

There was not a shred of interaction between them.

As for Mu Yinyin and Fu Siye, sitting side by side, neither looked at the other, nor did they show the slightest inclination to converse.

Ten minutes later, the guests had finally all arrived. The auction was scheduled to officially begin at eight o'clock, leaving just five minutes remaining.

The emcee was already ready at the side of the stage, poised to go on at any moment.

Everything was in place—the items up for auction and the gentlemen and ladies who would carry the artifacts onto the stage were all stationed and waiting for the designated time.

Amid everyone's eager anticipation, the host slowly walked onto the stage, bowed to the audience, and as soft music began to play, he looked out at everyone with a bright smile. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Country M's annual auction. I am your host for tonight, Red Blood. It is an absolute honor to serve you all. The rules for this auction are much the same as in previous years, but allow me to briefly explain them for everyone.”

Everyone remained silent, focusing entirely on the host upon the stage.

“Today, we have a total of twenty auction lots. I presume some of you have already reviewed our catalog, though many may still be unfamiliar with it. Before entering the venue today, everyone should have received a bidding paddle. This represents your fortune for tonight. Should the bidding continue to rise continuously without resolution, this paddle will hold a certain weight, and ultimately, the person with the highest assigned number will prevail.”

“Secondly, I will introduce each of these twenty items to you prior to their respective auctions. Ladies and gentlemen, are you all ready?”

Holding the microphone, the host maintained a cheerful smile and deliberately infused his tone with enthusiasm, stirring a sense of eager anticipation among many in the audience.

Mu Yinyin and Jiang Ling remained seated in their places with calm expressions.

There was still some time before the auction of the Green Bamboo. That very Green Bamboo might well be one of the three ultimate, flawless featured items of the night.

They held little interest in the preceding items, and thus felt no particular sense of tension.

Perhaps the moment the Green Bamboo came up for auction would be the true test of Mu Yinyin's nerves.

Jiang Ling glanced at her, saying nothing.

A sudden vibration from her phone drew Mu Yinyin's attention away from the stage. She retrieved her device and opened WeChat.

— Gu Xiaoqi: [Sob, sob, sob! Has the auction already started?!]

— Mu Yinyin: [Yes. You woke up this early?]

— Gu Xiaoqi: [I’ve been stuck in bed these past few days. I’m about to sleep myself into a pig, yet I still can't fall asleep. Plus, having developed a biological clock over time, I naturally wake up a little past six even without an alarm.]

— Gu Xiaoqi: [Sob, sob, sob... Ah Chuan went to a meeting again, and now I’m all alone in the hospital room. I’m so bored!]

— Mu Yinyin: [Where is your assistant? Isn't she a lively character? Why didn't you have her come over?]

— Gu Xiaoqi: [Sigh, there were a couple of minor cases, so I sent her off to handle them. That’s why it’s just me here right now.]

Mu Yinyin frowned slightly and immediately began typing a reply.

— Mu Yinyin: [What you should be doing right now is resting properly. Why are you already worrying about work again? Does Ah Chuan know about this?]

Sitting on the hospital bed, Gu Xiaoqi let out a helpless sigh and typed back resignedly.

— Gu Xiaoqi: [My good ancestor! Have some pity on me! I am bored to death in this hospital every day. The things I asked my assistant to do are all trivial matters anyway, and I’m just using my mouth—I'm not even taxing my brain... Ah Chuan knows, and he permitted it.]

Mu Yinyin couldn't help but laugh, the corners of her lips curving upward. Just as Fu Siye turned his head slightly, he caught sight of the faint smile gracing her exquisitely beautiful profile.