The interior of the auction house was arranged with round tables, and a low-key piano melody drifted softly from the corner.
Before long, the Fleet Commander fell into the social web like an insect caught in a spider's silk.
This auction had apparently drawn many important figures. They exchanged courteous pleasantries, their laughter carrying the unmistakable tone of the wealthy who recognized their own kind.
The Fleet Commander's surname was Jiang. His ancestors had rendered distinguished service to the Alliance, but the family had declined over many generations. "Of noble lineage" and "fallen from grace" were separated by only a hair's breadth. Fortunately, the Fleet Commander himself was the saving grace rising from his ancestral graves—a graduate of the Alliance's most elite military academy, who had also wiped out Star Pirate strongholds, draped in glory and renown.
Given his exceptional skill in warfare and his cold, handsome face, the sensationalist media had dubbed him the "Alliance's Number One Fleet Commander"—much like being called the world's first love. It wasn't that his achievements truly ranked first; it was merely an exaggerated, shallow adoration of a handsome young man, not to be taken seriously. So even when he gave orders with an imperious air and spoke with icy detachment, no one dared to contradict him.
Yun Shui had been idly watching the Fleet Commander expressionlessly turn down requests to add him on comms, until an elderly gentleman of venerable bearing approached gracefully, escorting a lady by his side.
Yun Shui cradled her tea, admiring from close range his somewhat cold jawline and the impeccably straight shoulders and neck outlined by his suit, unable to suppress a thrill of gossip-fueled excitement.
The old man looked quite familiar—likely some retired Alliance general. Perhaps Yun Shui had seen his photo in newspapers or on television. The beautiful lady was the old general's granddaughter, casting an appreciative gaze at the Fleet Commander.
This looked like a matchmaking attempt!
The Fleet Commander offered a reserved smile, appearing very polite. Even as he smiled, there was no warmth in his eyes. Then he declined tactfully, declaring without a hint of shame: "Uncle, I already have someone I admire."
The old general looked puzzled. Whatever the Fleet Commander whispered to him, a moment later, all three of their gazes turned with uncanny unanimity toward Yun Shui, who was in the middle of tearing the paper wrapper off a small cake.
Yun Shui met their stares with awkward embarrassment.
The Fleet Commander had laid an elaborate trap, and fate had played a cruel trick on a gluttonous fool!
This plot twist came completely out of nowhere. It looked as though—as though—
As though Yun Shui were the "beloved" the Fleet Commander had spoken of—how absurd?!
The old general was no exception to mortal convention, sweeping Yun Shui with a critical gaze. From this spirited old veteran's eyes, Yun Shui read confusion and incomprehension—he was clearly unwilling to acknowledge them as a well-matched couple: "You two—"
He trailed off, hesitating.
The mutual staring was painfully awkward. Yun Shui had no idea what the Fleet Commander had said to put everyone in such an untenable position, and she cursed him inwardly. She was intimidated, unable to remain composed, her leather shoes tapping nervously as her leg jittered. When she got anxious, she started spouting nonsense: "Ah, yes yes, the Fleet Commander has been courting me recently."
The Fleet Commander's smile twisted. He appeared unflappable as he changed the subject, but beneath the table, he viciously jabbed Yun Shui's arm.
Ow ow ow!
Once the others had left, the Fleet Commander's usual unshakeable good temper toward Yun Shui finally cracked. He ground his teeth and hissed: "Yun Shui, what nonsense are you spouting? Who gave you permission to say such things?"
Yun Shui protested weakly in her heart: You didn't ask my opinion when you used me as a shield either. What if I've inadvertently offended someone and it interferes with my normal work? What if I've provoked one of the Fleet Commander's lawless, fanatical admirers and they use their connections to get me fired? She was just a nobody with no power or influence—easy prey for anyone who wanted to bully her. How could she be used to ward off romantic advances!
But right now, the Fleet Commander looked far too fierce. Yun Shui was angry but spineless, and for the moment didn't dare meet his sharp edge. She stammered, "General, did I say something wrong? Weren't you going to reject them?"
The Fleet Commander said, slightly impatient, "I never said I like you."
Yun Shui was puzzled. "Then why were they staring at me?"
The Fleet Commander lightly pressed a hand to his forehead. "Fine. I merely steered them in that direction. They only had suspicions to begin with."
Yun Shui understood now. A riddle-speaker of the Fleet Commander's lofty station was a master of deflecting with a feather's touch, of veiled insinuation and plausible ambiguity—guiding people toward suspicion without ever letting them confirm it, leaving her suspended in a Schrödinger's state of being liked by the Fleet Commander.
But Yun Shui had thought she'd already been pushed out front, and by sheer mischance, she'd ended up cementing the whole thing.
She said awkwardly, "It doesn't matter, right? Like today, not like tomorrow—that's perfectly normal. It probably won't cause any… problems."
The Fleet Commander gave a cold laugh. "I'm not the sort to be fickle."
Yun Shui was confused, and a little flustered, so much so that she nearly forgot her honorific. "Then… are you angry? I'll go explain for you, shall I? Or is it that you actually have someone you like?"
The Fleet Commander frowned. "No. But I don't want to—"
Yun Shui had initially wanted to console him by saying, "It's not shameful to like me either," but looking at the Fleet Commander's face, every expression seemed to scream, "Liking Yun Shui would be utterly humiliating," so she wisely shut her mouth. She said, in a tone of confession, "I'm sorry."
The cheap false lashes pressed down on her eyes, casting a hazy dark shadow across the top of her vision like the wings of a crow.
The auction was about to begin. The Fleet Commander tossed his gloves onto the round table with some irritation. His hands, in the bright light, showed clean white bone structure, veins and tendons perfectly defined. Holding a champagne flute, they looked quite beautiful. This was the first time Yun Shui had seen the Fleet Commander remove his gloves; before this, she'd half-believed the gloves were the Fleet Commander.
Yun Shui sighed. She felt her spirits sinking. Since she was already unhappy, she might as well get her money's worth.
So Yun Shui watched with full concentration—from the Fleet Commander's neatly trimmed nails with their rounded curves, to his knuckles that paled slightly when he exerted force.
Today the Fleet Commander wore a gray-brown suit, an immaculate three-piece set. His tie was a brown with a velvet texture, and a silver tie clip nestled into the soft fabric, reflecting the chandelier's harsh glare.
That tie was very handsome. It was the first time Yun Shui had seen such a fabric—faintly fuzzy in a way that was hard to notice, yet unexpectedly carrying a hint of leathery sheen. It didn't quite match the man's usual cold, hard demeanor. Unexpectedly… hot.
But it suited him.
Yun Shui was genuinely puzzled. Could it be that the Fleet Commander, who had recently been enduring things with a patient expression and speaking in a gentle tone, kept sending her to places like this merely to use her as a shield against romantic advances? How strange. At these gatherings, with melodious music drifting through the air amid the fragrance of fine clothes and perfume, striking up a romance with a suitable young lady of equal standing seemed like a perfectly good option. What was there to avoid so desperately? Besides, a polite refusal would work just fine—was it really necessary to drag in someone as unremarkable as her as an excuse? The persuasiveness of that approach was indeed lacking.
Yun Shui didn't understand, and she couldn't be bothered to keep guessing. She decided that perhaps one day she might muster the courage to ask the Fleet Commander directly.
The auction began, and Yun Shui started amusing herself by watching everyone bid back and forth over a painting that looked suspiciously like a kindergartner's scribble. She felt a profound respect for the aesthetics of the wealthy. The auctioneer guided the price increases with effortless skill. After several lots had passed, Yun Shui spotted a Tang Dynasty porcelain piece.
The porcelain was entirely jade-green and bore a resemblance to the magical lotus lantern from a TV drama she'd watched as a child, so she couldn't help but stare at it for a while longer.
The Fleet Commander took a sip of wine and issued a quintessentially domineering CEO-style inquiry: "Want it?"
Yun Shui was taken aback. "Uh… I—I couldn't possibly afford it."
It was a Tang Dynasty high-footed porcelain censer, fired in a renowned kiln of the ancient southwestern region. Each layer of lotus petals bore embossed images of flying apsaras, stacked layer upon layer in exquisite detail. The censer's lid was missing, leaving only the shape of a lotus-petal bowl on a tall foot, which ironically made it look even more like the magical lotus lantern. The large display screen gleamed brightly, even showing a 3D rotating animation that showcased every single lotus petal.
The Fleet Commander seemed less irritable now. He set down his wine glass and toyed with the small bidding paddle in his hand. Yun Shui could sense his entire demeanor relaxing. Probably the urge of a wealthy man to do charity was stirring within him.
If he was so eager to spend money, he could always engage in targeted poverty alleviation. Yun Shui's mind began to wander—for instance, if he evenly distributed that fortune that could never be spent in several lifetimes among every member of the fleet, everyone would be weeping with gratitude and erect a shrine to worship him in his lifetime.
The auctioneer wore a very composed smile and announced a starting bid that sounded like an astronomical figure to Yun Shui.
Since it was already an astronomical number to begin with, hearing the successive bids rising all around, adding and multiplying that astronomical figure, seemed to have no real impact. It was actually rather boring.
The Fleet Commander raised his paddle.
So rich.
How dull. Even snacks grew tiresome if you kept eating them. Paired with tea, it was an endless cycle of sweet and bitter, and she was nearly full.
She even seriously pondered whether drinking tea while eating snacks—carbohydrates mixed with liquid—was bad for blood sugar.
Because she'd drunk too much tea, she now felt the need to visit the restroom. Yun Shui slowly rose to go, but the Fleet Commander grabbed her sleeve with displeasure, his tone icy: "What are you doing?"
Yun Shui let out an "Ah" and whispered, "Going to the restroom."
The Fleet Commander frowned slightly, fixing Yun Shui with a cold stare, clearly dissatisfied. "You have to go at this exact moment?"
Yun Shui's eyes widened a fraction. Heaven as her witness: "It's not that I 'have to go at this exact moment'—it's that 'this exact moment'… it, it, it's not something within human control."
The Fleet Commander suppressed his irritation for a long moment, then released her sleeve, his pressed lips looking utterly merciless: "Hold it in."
Yun Shui: "?!?!"
What kind of inhuman torture was this?!
The Fleet Commander had lost his mind!
Their tugging and pulling here was really drawing attention. The men and women at the same table were already looking at them strangely, and even the heads of people nearby were starting to turn, like sunflowers, all looking their way!
Yun Shui couldn't take it anymore. Nature was calling, and under the Fleet Commander's about-to-explode gaze… she ran.
Ran!
Yun Shui felt her heart grow cold as she ran.
In just one short hour today, she had slandered her superior and defied her boss. Though her boss bore half the responsibility, she had truly been too audacious!
She had always been diligent and conscientious, her biggest offense ever being slacking off at work to watch dramas. How had Yun Shui, a perfectly honest person, turned into this kind of person?
Yun Shui lamented the fickleness of fate, but that didn't stop her from darting around looking for the restroom.
Because she was so flustered, she unexpectedly collided with something at the corner.
Bang!
Yun Shui was startled out of her wits. Her first reaction was to check her bladder—thankfully, it was unharmed.
Then came a wave of fragrance rushing toward her face.
It was a subtle, light scent, but the impact had drastically shortened their social distance, so inevitably, the fragrance hit her nose in full force. Yun Shui only caught a whiff for a moment, but she found it absolutely delightful—there was something indescribably… expensive about it.