Chapter 53: Ye Ziqiu’s Unusual Emotions

Ye Ziqiu was completely bewildered. She had just seen Lin Jian swipe his own card with her very own eyes! That was two million, not twenty thousand or two hundred thousand. Yet, Lin Jian, a lowly security guard at the very bottom of the corporate ladder, had swiped his card without batting an eye. She stood frozen in place, her mind in absolute chaos. It wasn’t until Lin Jian called out to her that she finally snapped back to reality.

By then, he was already clutching a wooden box, beaming from ear to ear like he was holding a precious treasure. Ye Ziqiu wanted to ask him about it, but she didn’t know where to start. She wondered if she could really just ask him outright how he had so much money. That would be too condescending! Who said security guards couldn’t have savings? Still, she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Lin Jian hadn’t graduated that long ago, had he? He shouldn’t have started making any real money yet, so where did this come from?

"Old Ye, what’s wrong? Are you still trying to steal my ginseng? If you really want it, for two million, I can only sell my root to you..."

Ye Ziqiu’s face darkened with exasperation. "Can you stop being such a pervert?" she fumed. "Do you just love bullying me?"

"Me? A pervert? Bullying you?" Lin Jian looked completely innocent, but then sudden realization dawned on him. "Buying and selling the root... uh... damn, Old Ye, you have such a dirty mind! You actually want to buy my body?"

"Lin Jian, I’m going to kill you!"

At that moment, Ye Ziqiu wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around Lin Jian’s neck and strangle him. She was so furious she could have eaten him alive. However, they were at a banquet. There were people behind them, and people in front of them! She was on the verge of going crazy. "Lin Jian, just wait and see!" she thought fiercely.

She huffed and sat back down in seat number 21, while Lin Jian sat beside her, still hugging his ginseng box.

From seat 23, Chen Taohua chuckled. "It looks like Ms. He Yuehua is very satisfied with the two of you. That’s the way to do it—harmony brings wealth, after all!"

Lin Jian’s face was full of question marks. What was Taohua talking about? He didn’t understand a single word.

Ye Ziqiu, however, understood perfectly, and her eyes suddenly lit up! Lin Jian had bought the ginseng at a high price, which essentially meant he was supporting He Yuehua’s charity auction—and getting it off to a roaring start, no less. Therefore, not only would He Yuehua think that she and Lin Jian were showing goodwill, but the rest of the guests probably thought the same thing! Otherwise, what kind of idiot would spend two million on a single ginseng root? Lin Jian’s unintentional action had instantly bridged the gap between her and He Yuehua.

"Fine, I’ll admit you stumbled into doing something right," she whispered to him. "When we get back, I’ll buy your body—wait, no, your root!"

For some reason, a strange feeling welled up in Ye Ziqiu’s heart. Had she been jealous of Chen Taohua and Lin Jian earlier? Was she actually getting a dirty mind now? What was wrong with her these past few days? Her gaze grew a bit hazy, but her mind continued to flash with thoughts of Lin Jian, Lin Jian, Lin Jian...

"Hey, Old Ye," Lin Jian said, poking her arm.

"What is it?" Ye Ziqiu asked. By this point, she had become completely immune to Lin Jian calling her "Old Ye." She let it slide, not finding it the least bit inappropriate anymore.

"Are you not going to bid on this?" Lin Jian pointed at the stage.

"Bid on what?" Ye Ziqiu asked curiously.

"What are you even thinking about? Weren’t you listening?" Lin Jian was speechless.

Ye Ziqiu gritted her teeth. "I was thinking about buying your body."

Hearing her words, it was Lin Jian’s turn to freeze. Had he actually corrupted the great beauty? Was she now trading dirty jokes with him? But seeing her gnashing her teeth, Lin Jian shrank his neck back. "President Ye, please don’t grit your teeth like that. Why am I so scared? Every hair on my body is standing on end!"

"Hmph. I just remembered that our corporate hotel still needs a vehicle access clerk to direct traffic and manage parking. I think you’d be absolutely perfect for the job!" Ye Ziqiu had suddenly thought of a way to put Lin Jian in his place! "I’ll make you a traffic warden and work you to the bone!" she thought gleefully.

Sure enough, Lin Jian’s face turned green the moment he heard this. He pleaded softly, "You’re so incredibly beautiful..."

"PFFT..." Ye Ziqiu almost spat out blood. She quickly glared at him. "Shut up. Not another word."

"If you don’t make me stand guard outside, I won’t say another word," Lin Jian said sheepishly.

"If you dare say another word, I’ll make you stand guard outside!" Ye Ziqiu said smugly. At this moment, she felt a bit like a villain who had just gotten her way. She thought, "You’re finally afraid of me, aren’t you, Lin Jian? Hmph!"

Right then, the auctioneer on stage called out, "Four hundred thousand going once! Any higher bids?"

"Five hundred thousand!" Ye Ziqiu suddenly raised her paddle.

"Bid of five hundred thousand from number 21!" the auctioneer announced.

Ye Ziqiu had already seen that the item currently up for auction was a piece of calligraphy featuring four large characters that meant "Realizing Grand Ambitions." It seemed it had been written just yesterday by a famous domestic calligrapher, specifically to be auctioned off at this venue.

"Six hundred thousand..." At that moment, Chen Taohua raised her paddle and casually called out a bid of six hundred thousand. However, she didn’t look at Ye Ziqiu. After raising her paddle, she kept her gaze calmly fixed forward, completely ignoring Ye Ziqiu!

Ye Ziqiu couldn’t believe it. This woman who had been whispering intimately with Lin Jian was actually bidding against her?

"Hmph. Seven hundred thousand!" Ye Ziqiu was angry. She didn’t know exactly why, but she was simply irritated.

"Eight hundred thousand!" Chen Taohua called out almost the second Ye Ziqiu’s bid registered.

Ye Ziqiu raised her paddle again. "One million!"

Chen Taohua smiled. She finally glanced at Ye Ziqiu and said, caught between laughing and crying, "Is that really necessary, Miss Ye?"

"Excuse me, do you have a problem with it?" Ye Ziqiu asked coldly. Despite how she could joke and laugh with Lin Jian, occasionally trading dirty jokes or innuendo, whether at the company or in front of any outsiders, she was known as a fierce businesswoman and an elite in the corporate world. It wasn’t just anyone who could earn her smiles.

Chen Taohua was speechless. Ye Ziqiu was clearly a corporate president with incredibly shrewd business tactics. So why... why was she acting like a petty, jealous teenage girl right now? She glanced at Lin Jian. Were all women this pigheaded when they were in love? Perhaps they really were. Right now, Ye Ziqiu was practically acting like a pig.

Naturally, Lin Jian was sweating bullets by now. What were these two doing? He was sandwiched right between them as the smell of gunpowder hung heavy in the air. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were fighting over him out of jealousy.

"Old Ye, stop messing around. That calligraphy isn’t worth a million," Lin Jian whispered. Naturally taking Ye Ziqiu’s side, he tugged on her arm and added softly, "Why are you getting mad at her? She isn’t nearly as pretty as you anyway."

Initially, Ye Ziqiu had been a bit annoyed when Lin Jian tugged her arm, but upon hearing the second half of his sentence, her anger instantly dissipated. Instead, she let out a soft hmph!

At this moment, Chen Taohua bid one million two hundred thousand! She seemed determined to win the calligraphy!

Just as Ye Ziqiu was about to bid again, Lin Jian suddenly grabbed her hand and enveloped it in his palm. When Ye Ziqiu’s hand was grasped by his strong, callus-covered hand, it felt as though she had been locked in a pair of iron tongs; she couldn’t move an inch! Moreover, he was truly strong. The calluses on his palm rubbed against her hand, making it tingle with a strange, almost comfortable sensation!

"Let go. I won’t bid anymore. Hurry up and let go!" She lowered her head, hiding her bashfulness.