Her cold hadn’t completely recovered, and her appetite remained low. After eating just a piece of bread, the fatigue from the long journey set in. She lay down on the bed to rest after drying her hair.
Lin Miaomiao called her,
“Shu-shu jie, are you free tomorrow? I want to bring out that bracelet of mine. Could you take a look at it for me?” Lin Miaomiao’s mood seemed downcast; even though she tried to sound lighthearted, it was clear she wasn’t her usual carefree self.
“Of course I can help you look at it, but I’m not in Nan City right now. If it’s not urgent, can I check it for you when I get back?” She still liked Lin Miaomiao a lot—that youthful energy and vibrant, worry-free spirit always easily brought joy to those around her.
As sleepiness gradually overwhelmed her, she forced herself to stay awake to listen to Lin Miaomiao.
“Why is everyone going to Hong Kong lately?” Lin Miaomiao muttered quietly, “Of course, that’s fine. I won’t disturb Shu jie’s rest anymore. Goodnight.”
Jiang Shu drifted into a hazy thought: Everyone’s coming to Hong Kong? Who else is here?
The next morning, she met Bai Shuxi at the hotel entrance, and the two headed to the auction together, followed by an assistant.
During her university years, Jiang Shu had attended auctions a few times with her mentor, so she was familiar with the general process and understood the role a jewelry appraiser like her needed to play.
In a typical auction, VIP clients could preview the collections in advance, and the jewelry appraiser needed to estimate the value based on the quality of the items, ensuring the buyer didn’t pay an excessively high price.
In that sense, Bai Shuxi didn’t really need to bring her along. She understood this was an opportunity for her to showcase her abilities.
Unfortunately, what they hadn’t anticipated was that while all other collections could be previewed, the finale piece—the Blue Luster, put up for auction by Mr. Smith—would not be revealed ahead of time. It could only be seen during the bidding on the auction stage.
“It’s alright. Fortunately, we reviewed the transaction prices from previous years’ auctions in advance. That will be a big help,” Bai Shuxi said reassuringly, patting her head.
Jiang Shu stiffened slightly, struggling to suppress the urge to pull away. She wasn’t very comfortable with such intimate gestures.
The attendees of such a large, luxurious auction were either wealthy or noble, each carrying an extraordinary aura and dressed in opulent, elegant attire.
Jiang Shu wore a black evening gown, which contrasted sharply with her snow-white complexion. She rarely wore high heels, but tonight they added a touch of professionalism and sharpness, tempering her usual innocence.
Upon arriving at the venue, Bai Shuxi needed to greet a few business acquaintances.
Jiang Shu found a staff member and presented her jewelry appraiser certification. After verifying her credentials and identity, the staff member looked up at her in surprise. A 22-year-old jewelry appraiser—in all her years working there, she had never seen anyone so young, and on top of that, so beautiful and well-proportioned.
With looks like that, she could easily rely on her beauty, yet she was so talented. Are all beautiful people this competitive now?!
“The auction collection catalog has been delivered to your room,” the staff member said, her Mandarin still somewhat unpolished, carrying a distinct Cantonese accent. Still, it was much clearer than the taxi driver’s and at least understandable. “Your room number is 506, and this is your wristband number.”
“Thank you.”Jiang Shu took the wristband and took the elevator to the room on the 5th floor. When the elevator reached the second floor, it slowly opened, and a few people walked in. She stepped back a few paces, and her eyes fell upon a pair of sleek, expensive black leather shoes.
She felt a gaze sweep over her from above, then pause. Even after the elevator doors closed, that gaze remained fixed on her. What a strange person.
“Cheng brother~! As soon as I heard from my brother that you agreed to come, I rushed over from Russia! Did you miss me…?” Compared to Mr. Smith’s awkward Cantonese, this sister’s Mandarin was much more fluent.
Cheng? Jiang Shu froze for a moment, a premonition stirring in her heart as she lifted her head to look over, just in time to meet that person’s eyes directly.
The man was dressed in an elegant light gray suit with gilded cufflinks, accentuating his tall and imposing figure that approached 190 cm, exuding an overwhelming presence.
It was him?
Cheng Xiyu. Why was he here?
Seeing him staring intently at an exceptionally beautiful young woman, Beina’er tugged at his sleeve discontentedly: “Cheng brother, am I not pretty? Why aren’t you looking at me?”
Cheng Xiyu indifferently withdrew his gaze from her, his demeanor cold as if he had merely noticed a somewhat attractive stranger.
He leaned down and whispered something to the foreign girl, who then beamed with joy, a faint blush coloring her fair cheeks.
Watching this scene unfold—the familiar handsome face so close to another woman—Jiang Shu felt an inexplicable sting, a sour ache tightening in her chest.
Was it because she was catching a cold? Why did she feel so uncomfortable, her chest heavy and breathless?
Though unsettled inside, Jiang Shu showed no outward reaction, merely staring at him blankly as if stunned beyond response.
After the two exited the elevator, the foreign girl’s voice still lingered in her ears: “Cheng brother, why don’t you stay at my brother’s place tonight? I’ve been learning Chinese cuisine and want to cook for you, and also……………”
……………………………… The elevator returned to silence, even more profound than when she had first entered.
Had he deliberately pretended not to know her in front of that girl?
Why? It wasn’t as if she would say anything inappropriate. Was he afraid the girl might get jealous? After all, that girl had seemed so possessive of him just now…
She had always known that many men and women admired Cheng Xiyu, but over the years, she had been the only one by his side. So seeing him suddenly intimate with another girl left her momentarily unable to process it.
Lost in her daze, she didn’t notice the elevator had reached the 7th floor. Jiang Shu bit her lip in frustration and pressed the button for the 5th floor again.
Arriving at room 506, Jiang Shu hung her work ID around her neck and pushed the door open.
Upon entering, she saw a full wall of one-way glass facing the auction stage on the second floor.
Bai Shuxi stood with his back to the door by the glass window, holding the auction list. Hearing the door open, he turned with a smile: “Junior sister, what took you so long? Did you get lost? If you hadn’t come soon, I would have gone down to find you.”
“No, it was just crowded, and I had to wait a bit longer for the elevator.” She forced a slight smile.
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. That raised eyebrow disrupted his usual gentle and refined demeanor, but Jiang Shu, preoccupied with other thoughts, didn’t notice.
The two sat in the client seats by the glass window.
Bai Shuxi handed her the auction catalog with its dark red leather lining: “Let’s take a look at the booklet first.”
The auction’s collection was extensive and quite diverse, featuring Qing dynasty porcelain, Persian carpets worth their weight in gold, and some famous paintings and calligraphy.
She quickly flipped through, bypassing the earlier auction items and going straight to the last page—the purpose of Bai Shuxi’s visit: Blue Luster.