Chapter 31: The Auction

Chapter 31: The Auction

In the daytime, there was a standalone glass room off to the side of the manor garden.

Gu Junhan leaned against the glass railing, holding a red plastic bucket in his hand.

You couldn't tell what was in the bucket, but some dark liquid seeped out, dripping onto the cement floor one drop at a time, making a faint, wet sound.

A crocodile lay submerged underwater, with only a few scales on its back breaking the surface.

Gu Junhan set the bucket down and reached in. There were a bunch of rabbits—white ones, ears drooping, legs tied together with rope, eyes wide open.

The crocodile behind the glass stirred.

Its mouth hung half open, revealing rows of densely packed teeth. The rabbit dropped into the pool and got torn apart by the crocodile.

Gu Junhan happened to be wearing earbuds. They flashed once, and he got a message.

After a dozen or so rabbits were thrown in, only one little one was left, its leg still twitching.

"Wen Xiaobao, you'll believe anything."

The last rabbit nuzzled against his hand, knowing exactly how to please Gu Junhan. After watching its companions become food, it obediently burrowed into his arms.

"Getting manipulated like that—what a fool."

Such a timid rabbit, yet it mirrored that soft, youthful face.

Wen Yu...

Baby...

The aggrieved voice, the nighttime breathing, even the sounds of being *.

Gu Junhan wanted to keep them all as treasures.

The man tossed the last rabbit to the butler beside him.

Mr. Dong caught it smoothly. "Boss, not feeding this one?"

The crocodile was still eyeing the rabbit greedily, and the rabbit was trembling in fear.

"Keep it," Gu Junhan said flatly.

Mr. Dong looked at the rabbit. It just stared back blankly.

Little guy, lucky one—it looked like the Young Master Wen.

..

Wen Baichuan's words to Wen Yu from this morning were still ringing in his ears: "Your eldest brother's busy. You go to that auction and bid on an imperial green jade bracelet. Your cousin's getting married. Keep it under fifty million—handle it yourself."

It was the first time Wen Yu had held so much money, and it weighed heavy on his heart.

"Wen Yu," Wen Baichuan finally looked up at his youngest son. "It's time you got out there and saw the world a bit."

Wen Hanzhou chimed in from the side: "I'll have the driver take you. Once you're there, stick with President Wang—he'll take care of you." He paused, then added, "Call me if anything happens."

Wen Yu nodded.

The Wen family's intentions were clear.

It wasn't just about buying jade—it was about letting Wen Yu get some exposure and make a name for himself in this circle.

The auction hall was completely packed. Wen Yu was seated in the second row, next to President Wang, an old family friend of the Wens.

President Wang was polite, pointing to the imperial green jade bracelet in the catalog and murmuring, "This is the one. Starting bid is twenty million. Just know that."

Wen Yu opened the catalog. The bracelet's photo sat quietly on the page—a deep, rich emerald green, so vivid it looked like a pool of spring water that couldn't be disturbed.

It was so beautiful he couldn't tear his eyes away.

The auctioneer stepped up, tapping the edge of the catalog with his fingers.

"This is a natural imperial green jadeite bracelet. Starting bid is twenty million. Minimum bid increment is one million."

Wen Yu straightened up.

"Twenty-five million." Someone in the front row raised their paddle.

"Twenty-eight million."

"Thirty million."

The price kept climbing. President Wang glanced at him. "You can bid if you want."

Wen Yu took a deep breath and raised his paddle.

"Forty million."

The auctioneer glanced his way. "Second row, forty million bid!"

The hall went quiet for a moment. A lot of people turned to look at Wen Yu.

Some people recognized him and started whispering.

"Isn't that the Wen family's young master?"

"I heard he just got engaged to someone from the Shen family."

Wen Yu overheard the whispers, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

"Forty-five million!" A soft female voice suddenly came from the first row.

He Wanyue sat in the center of the first row, in a champagne-colored gown, her long hair pinned up in a low bun, showing off a stretch of fair, slender neck.

She didn't even turn to look at Wen Yu. She just tilted her head slightly to say something to her assistant, as calm as if she were sipping tea in her own living room.

"The lady in the first row, forty-five million!" The auctioneer's voice was clearly excited.

Wen Yu's fingers tightened around his paddle. He lifted it. "Fifty million."

He Wanyue turned her head.

She glanced at Wen Yu, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly. With a cold snort, she said, "Brother Wen, don't bite off more than you can chew."

"Sixty million." He Wanyue withdrew her gaze and continued bidding.

A low murmur of surprise rippled through the hall.

Wen Yu didn't win the bid.

The auctioneer's voice rang out through the hall.

"Sixty million, going once!"

Wen Yu's hands were trembling.

He couldn't afford to bid any higher.

"Sixty-five million." A stranger's voice came from a corner, but Wen Yu could barely hear anymore.

"Seventy million." He Wanyue spoke again.

Wen Yu's ears were ringing. The auction wasn't over, but he slipped out to the restroom. The corridor lights were stark white, stinging his eyes.

He heard quiet laughter behind him.

"Young Master Wen? Is that all he's got?"

"Fifty million for imperial green jade? The Wen family must be hurting."

"I heard he's marrying into the Shen family, but nobody from the Shen side even showed up. Tsk, tsk."

"He's just a kid. It's fine if he comes out to see the world and loses to Miss He. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"Right, and who is Miss He anyway? I heard he's from the countryside."

"Ew, that explains it."

The voices buzzed around him like a swarm of flies he couldn't shake.

Wen Yu turned on the faucet, letting the icy water run over his hands. He cupped a handful and splashed it on his face, droplets sliding down his cheeks.

In the mirror, his face was pale, his eyes slightly red, a few strands of hair damp—looking as pitiful as a kitten soaked in the rain.

No one else was around.

He hung his head, shoulders trembling slightly.

"Young Master Wen."

A stranger's voice came from behind him.

Wen Yu snapped his head up. Before him stood a man in a suit with an impeccable presence.

But Wen Yu didn't know him.

"You..." Wen Yu turned, instinctively stepping back half a step.

The man simply stepped aside and gestured for him to go ahead.

Wen Yu followed his gaze. At the end of the corridor, a staircase led to the second floor—the VIP area, off-limits to ordinary people.

Wen Yu kept his voice steady. "I need to get back to the auction."

The man raised an eyebrow. Footsteps echoed down the corridor as a waiter in a black uniform approached, carrying a tray draped in deep red velvet.

The waiter stopped in front of the man, bowed respectfully, then lifted the velvet cloth.

Wen Yu froze.

Beneath the velvet lay a jade bracelet of pure green—imperial green jade, the exact one He Wanyue had won at the auction moments ago.

"This..." Wen Yu stared, eyes wide.

"The boss said," the man leaned in, lowering his voice, "that Young Master Wen is adorable, so he bought it for you."

The bracelet was lifted from the tray and slowly slipped onto Wen Yu's wrist. The cold jade against his skin sent a shiver through him.

Wen Yu was led up to the second floor.

There, Gu Junhan sat with one hand on the sofa's armrest, the other casually on his knee, fingertips drooping—his posture utterly relaxed.

"Little treasure, it's been three days. I missed you."