“One million seven hundred thousand.”

“Two million.”

“Two million five hundred thousand.”

The auction continued, burning with intensity.

Jiang Han, impatient with Lin Qing’s slow paddle-raising, snatched the paddle from her and began bidding himself.

Gradually, the floor became a contest between two people: Jiang Han and Liang Xing.

Zhao Tai leaned over and whispered: “What’s happening — are they actually going head to head with each other?”

Wang Tai gave a cold snort: “These two have too much money that came too easily. They’ve come here to vent their frustrations. How laughable.”

“It’s understandable though,” Zhao Tai said. “What woman could swallow that kind of humiliation? No one is a saint.”

Wang Tai replied, with what seemed like deeper meaning: “Whether you can swallow it or not, you have to. Whether you can endure it or not, you have to endure it. Liang Xing isn’t fighting with Jiang Han — she isn’t fighting with money — she’s fighting with herself.”

“Eighteen million.”

“Sold!”

Several more rounds passed, and they finally arrived at the climax of the evening — the grand finale piece: the complete brooch collection titled Flight of Dreams, designed by the goldsmith artist Porta.

The auctioneer read aloud the introduction from the podium, but for this particular piece, half the audience already knew every detail by heart.

Many had dressed up and attended especially to witness this rare treasure in person.

The jadeite and ruby stones set into it alone — at that carat count — were simply not the kind of thing one ordinarily got to see.

“Flight of Dreams?” Zhao Tai said delightedly. “Why, the name is perfect for Wang Zaiwu and Liang Meng — a character from each of their names!”

Wang Tai smiled and nodded in agreement. “When something is this fine, I’m going to make my move no matter what it’s called. Once I’ve bought it, it can be called whatever it likes.”

Zhao Tai looked at Wang Tai, then shielded her mouth with her hand and leaned close to whisper: “What’s your budget?”

Wang Tai quietly put her lips near Zhao Tai’s ear: “Before I came out, I ran this piece by Wang. He said it would certainly appreciate in value, and he authorised me this much.”

She discreetly held up three fingers.

Zhao Tai nodded. At that price, the only one in the room who could potentially outbid her was probably Wang Tai.

“Very well. The starting bid is eighteen million US dollars. Bidding begins now.” The auctioneer raised her hand.

Liang Meng was the first to raise her paddle: “Twenty million.”

Jiang Han followed immediately: “Twenty-one million.”

Zhao Tai raised hers symbolically: “Twenty-two million.”

Meanwhile, Lin Qing’s mind had effectively turned into a calculator. Every number was instantly multiplied by the US dollar exchange rate of 7.219 in front of her eyes, with the product appearing in a flash.

Liang Xing only entered the bidding in the second half.

She first competed with Liang Meng.

The two of them bid against each other all the way up to thirty million US dollars.

Once that line was crossed, Liang Meng conceded.

There was no point in continuing.

Next came Jiang Han, and when thirty-five million was crossed, he too fell silent.

The contest for Flight of Dreams narrowed to its final two: Wang Tai and Liang Xing.

Liang Xing raised her paddle at a measured, unhurried pace.

Wang Tai, by contrast, appeared to deliberate agonisingly over each bid.

“Forty million!” Wang Tai made her first bid.

The price finally reached the last critical threshold.

“Forty-one million.” Liang Xing followed calmly.

“Forty-two million.” Wang Tai said.

That figure represented the absolute ceiling Wang Xiancheng had authorised for her.

“Forty-two million — once. Forty-two million — twice. Forty-two million…” the auctioneer called out the final round.

“Forty-five million!”

Liang Xing cut across without a moment’s hesitation, her composure absolute as she awaited her prize.

Forty-five million US dollars. Three hundred and twenty million yuan.

Lin Qing stared up at the brooch set in its glass case on the stage, utterly unable to fathom how these things could be worth more than she could spend in three lifetimes.

“Forty-five million — once! Forty-five million — twice! Forty-five million — three times! Sold!”

With the auctioneer’s hammer, the jewellery appreciation at the Mengchuan Elegant Gathering came to a triumphant close.

Mission accomplished.

After the event, at the appreciation banquet.

Wang Tai, with Zhao Tai in tow, raised a glass of Bordeaux and walked over to congratulate Liang Xing with feigned warmth.

“Liang Xing, congratulations. Tonight’s biggest winner.”

Liang Xing lowered her head and took a small sip of wine. Her expression remained the same as always. By this point, she had no desire to continue the pretence of pleasantries with these wealthy matrons.

The performance was over. The business was done. There was no need.

“But Liang Xing — wasn’t that price a little steep?” Wang Tai, of course, was not about to let her off so easily, and pressed on with deliberate goading. “I was originally prepared to spend three hundred million on this set of brooches. I’d previously had institutions appraise it — the appreciation potential, they said, is around twenty million at best. Of course different institutions will say different things, but roughly speaking — you overpaid.”

Having said that, Wang Tai’s face deliberately arranged itself into an expression of sympathy on Liang Xing’s behalf.

Liang Xing held Wang Tai’s provocative gaze for a moment, then deflected with effortless economy of words: “Appreciate in value? I honestly never gave that a thought. When I buy something, I go entirely by how I feel — I buy what I like.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, how free-spirited of you, Liang Xing.” Wang Tai twisted the knife with casual cruelty: “After all, you’re on your own — free as a bird, without a care in the world. You can spend your money however you please. ‘A thousand in gold can’t buy happiness.'”

By now, everyone had gathered around.

Not a few of them were there for the spectacle.

Before the hammer fell tonight, everyone had known perfectly well that Wang Tai had organised this gathering specifically to acquire Flight of Dreams for herself. Why else would she spend the money and make the effort — just to show off and shout orders?

Yet at the last moment, someone had come out of nowhere to spoil the plan — and the least likely person to do the spoiling, at that.

From somewhere in the back rows, a few wealthy matrons were murmuring quietly about Liang Xing.

“Why did she end up winning it? Wasn’t it supposed to be Wang Tai’s?”

“Well, she was willing to pay twenty million more. What can you do?”

“What is Liang Xing’s game exactly? The Longquan Group isn’t even in the same league as one of Wangheng’s subsidiaries. How did she suddenly produce this much money?”

“Oh, that’s a long story.”

“I heard that Liang Xing had a falling out with Jiang Han from Sansheng. The two of them both sold their stakes in Longquan. Liang Xing sold her shares to Wang Xiancheng for one billion yuan.”

“A billion?! That really isn’t a small amount! But even having that kind of money doesn’t justify spending it like this. Investment — fine. But to spend this much for the sake of a personal whim? That’s truly reckless.”

“It really is. She must have been hit hard by something.”

At that point, Jiang Han’s voice came drifting in quietly: “Liang Xing — I don’t think you spent all that money to make yourself happy, did you? Perhaps it was to make someone else unhappy.”

Liang Meng immediately fired back: “Someone else? Who are you calling ‘someone else’? My sister’s money is hers to spend however she likes! If she happened to ruin a certain someone’s evening in the process, that’s just the guilty conscience of that someone getting what they deserve. Entirely well-earned.”

What she said was careless in delivery but deliberate in effect, sweeping in a wide arc of implication.

Lin Qing immediately played along, swaying Jiang Han’s arm: “Darling, you said tonight you’d bid on the most expensive piece for me! How can you go back on your word now!”

To everyone’s surprise, Jiang Han suddenly turned cold with anger. He shook Lin Qing’s hand off his arm and snapped at her: “Have you no brain at all?! That is three hundred million — not three hundred thousand! Have you no sense of your own worth?”

That last line — nominally aimed at Lin Qing — was intended for Liang Xing.

Liang Xing heard it.

So did every single person present.

“What do you mean I’m not worth it?” Lin Qing adopted a thoroughly aggrieved expression.

Jiang Han deliberately raised his voice and looked around the room as he said: “Someone spending money to outbid me, Jiang Han? This is the one and only time that will ever happen! Next time — don’t let anyone imagine they’ll have the chance.”

He then took hold of Lin Qing, who was still sulking and acting coy, and walked out in high dudgeon.

After he left, something in Liang Xing’s expression visibly dimmed.

Her change of expression was too obvious, and Wang Tai caught it immediately. Seizing the advantage and pressing on, she said: “Liang Xing — not that I want to say this, but look at you. Three hundred million gone, all to spite Jiang Han, and in the end you lose everything for nothing. Was it worth it?”

Liang Xing quietly set down her wine glass and stepped slowly toward Wang Tai.

Standing less than a nose’s length away, she suddenly transformed — and with a voice that carried to every corner of the great hall, she replied with perfect poise:

“You listen to me carefully. I bought this set of brooches not to spite anyone. First — because I have money! And because I have money, I can afford it. And when I spend my money, I don’t answer to anyone! Unlike you, Wang Tai — sitting in the auction room but with every last penny in your husband’s pocket. Living at someone else’s mercy, hand outstretched, every single expenditure capped by an authorised limit — haven’t you had enough of that life?”

“You—!” Wang Tai’s face flushed crimson, her words caught in her throat.

“Second — I, Liang Xing, never ‘spite’ anyone. I haven’t enough grievances for that. My parting from Jiang Han was my choice. As for Jiang Han being angry — that is his inability to let go. Everyone gathered here needn’t waste their imagination projecting onto my situation. As for why I bought this set of brooches, the reason is simple—”

Liang Xing paused for a moment, and her gaze suddenly softened as it drifted toward Liang Meng.

“I bought this set of brooches as a dowry gift for my sister, Liang Meng.”

“Ha!” Wang Tai burst out laughing despite herself. “After all that! Liang Xing — you’ve spent all this money, and the pieces will still end up in our Wang family! Had I known, I wouldn’t have competed with you at all! All it did was drive up the price, and benefit an outsider for nothing.”

Liang Xing gave Wang Tai’s smug, petty expression a look of utter disdain — one look was enough to turn her stomach.

“Who says Xiao Meng is going to marry Wang Zaiwu?” Liang Xing gave a cold laugh.

“What do you mean—” Wang Tai suddenly felt a premonition of dread and began to panic.

But she had begun to panic far too late.

“Xiao Meng — are you going to marry Wang Zaiwu?” Liang Xing deliberately affected the tone of someone consulting Liang Meng’s opinion as she asked.

Liang Meng immediately shook her head: “Nothing of the sort. The two of us… are just having fun.”

Wang Zaiwu jumped up at that: “Liang Meng!”

Wang Tai, though shaken, maintained her composure in the public setting. She forced a smile and retorted: “If Liang Meng doesn’t marry into our family, is there a more suitable match for her? She’s nearly thirty, and she’s still being so precious?”

Zhao Tai added her voice: “Exactly! Our Zaiwu has family background, money, education, and looks! It’s not just Liang Meng — there are countless young women from prominent families and even celebrities with their eyes on him!”

The assembled crowd murmured in agreement.

“That’s true — Wang Zaiwu is quite a catch. And the Wang family has money.”

“A woman who’s nearly thirty, with neither father nor mother — she doesn’t exactly have the upper hand in the marriage market.”

“Miss this village and there won’t be another shop.”

“Looking at how Liang Xing spends money, it seems both sisters are the kind without any real calculation. They have no idea where they stand.”

“Both a bit naive.”

“Who’s to say otherwise? So many eyes are watching, hoping to make a good match with the Wang family.”

The crowd was still in discussion when, from the entrance to the banquet hall, a bright and resonant voice suddenly rang out—

“Xiao Meng!”

There, striding in with easy confidence, was the tall, broad-shouldered Lu Zhou — dressed smartly, refreshed and poised, with the air of a clear wind and a bright moon.

Every eye in the room turned to follow him.

There were no spotlights on him, but the gaze of the entire room converged like a galaxy — and that galaxy descended, silver and brilliant, to rest upon Lu Zhou.

“He looks so familiar.”

“Right? Someone that handsome — I feel like I’ve seen him on television.”

“Oh — yes! I remember now. That world champion golfer.”

“The LPGA Grand Slam winner. I’m a fan of his.”

“Really? A world champion? Impressive!”

Lu Zhou seemed to neither see nor hear any of the gazes or murmurs directed at him. His face, like a bright autumn moon, held a glance soft with warmth — his eyes and his heart had room for only one person: Liang Meng.

“You said you were going out for a bit to see some friends. Why haven’t you come back yet?”

Lu Zhou said, his expression entirely indulgent, and draped his own jacket over her shoulders.

Without waiting for Liang Meng to respond, he glanced sideways at Wang Zaiwu: “So you’re the great big sycophant? My girlfriend is well-off and loves having fun — but as long as she doesn’t cross any lines, I’m fine with it.”

Under the stunned gazes of the entire room, Lu Zhou casually draped his arm around Liang Meng and strolled out in leisurely grandeur.

What kind of new-age relationship was this?

For a moment, Wang Tai and everyone else was too stunned to react.

But the label of Wang Zaiwu as the “great big sycophant” had been publicly confirmed right then and there.

Otherwise, why would she walk away with another man?

Liang Xing smiled graciously and took her leave. Before departing, she cast one enormously satisfied glance at her adversary.

Winning the jewellery was nothing. Winning the scene — that was truly cathartic and exhilarating.

And this was only the beginning.