“Suinian.”
As soon as he entered the main hall, Chi Suinian saw Tang Jin waving in the crowd, running over. “Why are you so late? I was bored to death.”
Chi Suinian raised an eyebrow. “I remember you don’t like events like this. Who made you come?”
“My old man, of course.” Tang Jin spread his hands, shrugged helplessly. “He said today’s a big occasion and told me to come along and learn a thing or two. Good grief, just the opening speech alone nearly put me to sleep…”
He looked unenthusiastic at first, but his gaze suddenly shifted over Chi Suinian’s shoulder, and he stopped mid-sentence. “Lu Zhiyue? You look awful. Are you sick?”
Lu Zhiyue was dressed in a black suit, with a few strands of hair out of place on his forehead. His face still hadn’t regained its color, and his jaw was clenched tightly as he spoke. “…I’m fine.”
Chi Suinian noticed the pain in his tone and couldn’t help but sneer.
Being reckless comes with a price.
He was about to find a place to rest with Tang Jin when he heard an elderly voice.
“Suinian…”
Chi Suinian looked up, facing a middle-aged man.
“Middle-aged” was a stretch, actually; the man’s head was already balding, his smooth scalp gleaming under the bright lights, and the crow’s feet at his eyes were deep, with plenty of gray hairs at his temples.
Chi Suinian guessed that the premature aging was likely due to worrying over his ungrateful son, Chi Yu.
“Second Uncle.” Chi Suinian gave a slight smirk. “Did you need something?”
“I have something to say to you.” Chi Mingyao’s lips moved a little, casting a wary glance at the two people beside him.
Chi Suinian chuckled.
What his dear cousin had done had already spread throughout Jincheng, becoming the talk of the town. What’s the point of hiding it now?
“There’s a balcony over there. Let’s go there.”
With that, he walked over on his own, his manner somewhat casual.
Being treated so indifferently by a junior, Chi Mingyao’s face flushed red and blue, hesitating for a moment before gritting his teeth and following.
“What is it you want?” On the balcony, Chi Suinian leaned lazily against a stone pillar. He felt like smoking, but there was only a fruit candy in his pocket, given to him by a little greeter at the entrance. After a moment’s hesitation, he unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.
Sweet. Overpoweringly sweet, like a whole bag of sugar condensed into one piece.
Chi Suinian didn’t like sweets, but there weren’t any better options at the moment. He pressed the candy against his tongue, waiting for Chi Mingyao to speak.
“About Chi Yu…” Sure enough, Chi Mingyao got straight to the point. “You know everything, don’t you?”
Chi Suinian tilted his head slightly. “What about it?”
“…You know very well! Why humiliate us like this?”
The playful smile faded from Chi Suinian’s face, the candy rolling around in his mouth. “How am I humiliating you? Was I the one who made that dear brother of mine drink and drive, or was I the one who got him into drugs?”
“He wasn’t doing drugs!” Chi Mingyao snapped, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “He was set up! He’s your brother, and you’re just going to let him be manipulated like this?”
“Second Uncle,” Chi Suinian’s voice turned cold. “You’re not unaware of what Chi Yu has done all these years, are you? Acting all innocent in front of me won’t work. If you want Chi Yu to have any peace, you’d better have him confess early. Maybe, with a good attitude, the police might give him a lighter sentence.”
“You!” Chi Mingyao pointed a finger at Chi Suinian’s nose, furious. “You’re heartless!”
Chi Suinian gave an indifferent smile. “You already knew that, didn’t you? Alright, Second Uncle, I have things to do. Take care of yourself, and don’t let that brother of mine feel too alone.”
Chi Suinian dropped the candy into the trash can and patted Chi Mingyao’s shoulder before turning to leave the balcony.
“Chi Suinian!” Chi Mingyao called out, nearly hysterical behind him. “Your father was right about you; you really are just a—”
Chi Suinian stopped, glancing back with an indifferent expression, eyes that were usually alluring suddenly dark and intense, his eyelashes trembling slightly, as if suppressing some emotion.
“Just a… just a…”
Chi Mingyao faltered, unable to finish the sentence.
Chi Suinian straightened his slightly wrinkled suit, chuckled, and walked away.
···
When Chi Suinian returned from the balcony, the auction had already started.
The organizers had organized the items donated by the attendees into an order, auctioning them one by one. The money raised would be donated to impoverished children in the mountainous regions.
Chi Suinian leaned against the wall, watching from afar. On the big screen, images of the hard lives of the children in those mountainous areas played—innocent, hopeful faces filled with dreams of a better future…
Too bad. Who knows how much of today’s donations will actually reach those children.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a call from Tang Jin. “Where did you go? The auction’s starting. Your seat is in the second row, seventh seat. Can you find it?”
Chi Suinian lifted his gaze and, amidst the sea of heads, easily spotted Tang Jin’s exaggerated expression.
He stood up straight and slowly walked over to sit down.
“Hmm?… What’s that smell on you?” Tang Jin leaned over, sniffing. “It’s sweet. Did you eat candy?”
Chi Suinian nodded. “A little kid at the entrance handed it to me. Geez… are you a dog or something? How can you smell it from here?”
“Cut the crap, I’m serious.” Tang Jin said, “Every time there’s an event here, those little greeters hand out candy at the door. And every time it’s the same stuff, no manufacturer, no label. I bet it’s either cheap or expired.”
Chi Suinian: “…”
Couldn’t you have told me sooner?
Tang Jin seemed to read his look, and shot him back a “How would I know you’d actually eat it?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the charity auction organized by Rongheng…” On the auction stage, Ding Xuxing stood under the lights with a cheerful smile. “I’ll be your auctioneer today.”
“Damn, isn’t that the sleazy fox?” Tang Jin slapped his thigh and practically shouted, his uncontrolled voice echoing within a three-meter radius.
Because of their close proximity to the stage, Ding Xuxing seemed to hear every word, his smile briefly cracking.
The murmurs around them grew, though the scrutiny was directed at Chi Suinian and Tang Jin.
“…Aren’t those the spoiled kids from the Tang and Chi families? What does charity have to do with them?”
“Exactly, we should be grateful they’re not causing trouble.”
“Must be nice to have money, huh? Buying an entry ticket is nothing to them. Too bad all that money can’t wash off the smell of decadence…”
Almost everyone here prided themselves as high society and looked down on the likes of Tang Jin and Chi Suinian. But whether in terms of wealth or connections, they couldn’t match them, so they had no choice but to stew in jealousy, secretly gossiping about their character.
Chi Suinian raised his gaze, returning the looks one by one. Those he stared down didn’t manage to hide their venom in time and, unwilling to tear into him publicly, twisted their faces in a mix of anger and helplessness, nearly losing their composure.
Chi Suinian, uninterested, leaned lazily back in his seat, eyes drifting to the stage. “You know him?”
“More than that.” Tang Jin answered loudly, “That sleazy fox is infamous. Total scumbag—men, women, it doesn’t matter; he’s a collector of beauties and loves his crowds… a walking disease vector if you ask me.”
Ding Xuxing’s face turned dark as ink. “…”
To stop Tang Jin from saying anything worse, he quickly raised the microphone and started the auction.
“Please look at our first item.”
The room dimmed, with a warm yellow spotlight illuminating a delicate jade carving. The piece was a golden hue, carved into the shape of a tiger descending a mountain. Chi Suinian had learned a bit about jade from his grandmother in the past, so he had some understanding of these collectibles.
It looked beautiful, expertly carved, but the jade itself wasn’t worth much. It would be fine as a trinket, but not worth collecting.
He watched with interest, when a familiar cologne drifted from the empty seat beside him. Lu Zhiyue had sat down, leaning over to ask quietly, “You like it?”
Chi Suinian instinctively shook his head, then paused. Remembering his past experience of being intercepted, he suddenly changed his mind. “If I said I liked it, would you try to take it?”
“Mm.” Lu Zhiyue nodded. “If you like it, I’ll try to take it.”
Take it to give it to you.
“…You son of a…”
Lu Zhiyue sensed something was off. Just as he was about to explain, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his left foot.
—In the crowded auction hall, he received his second stomp from Chi Suinian.
TL- Hey readers!! Let me know if you spot any mistakes and Happy reading.
