Volume 1 Chapter 4 Who is that man beside her?
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Fu Yanzhou followed his daughter’s pointed finger and indeed saw Lin Zhiwan chatting with a man. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but Lin Zhiwan’s smile was bright and radiant. Such a cheerful expression had not graced her face for a long time.
Children are always more impatient. Jin Xing jumped down from her father’s arms, stretched out her little legs, and ran eagerly toward Lin Zhiwan.
“Lin Zhiwan! Why are you here?”
Lin Zhiwan was discussing some matters related to the auction items with Zhao Minghe. Seeing Fu Jin Xing suddenly appear, she was somewhat surprised.
“Jin Xing?” Zhao Minghe looked at the little toddler politely and asked, “Zhiwan, whose child is this?”
Lin Zhiwan was about to speak but then recalled that Fu Jin Xing never acknowledged her as her stepmother. In such a formal setting, she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of Zhao Minghe or have him doubt her professionalism.
“She’s the daughter of a friend of mine!”
Fu Yanzhou, who had followed them, overheard this just then. He looked toward Lin Zhiwan and noticed her bare ring finger. His sharp eyes swept over quickly, and the man bent down to pick up his daughter.
“Daddy!”
Little Jin Xing felt a bit disappointed but couldn’t quite understand why. She had been happy to see Lin Zhiwan just moments ago, but Lin Zhiwan neither hugged her nor showed the care she once did.
...
Seeing Fu Yanzhou didn’t surprise Lin Zhiwan much. At such a large-scale charity auction, Fu Yanzhou, as a top figure in the capital’s elite circle, naturally had to attend.
She had already made up her mind to divorce and no longer cared if Fu Yanzhou saw her.
Zhao Minghe was the first to stand up and extended his right hand.
“Hello, I am Lin Zhiwan’s friend, Zhao Minghe!”
Fu Yanzhou nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
“Fu Yanzhou!”
Zhao Minghe withdrew his hand but maintained a courteous smile.
“So it’s Mr. Fu! I’ve heard much about you!”
Fu Yanzhou did not respond but turned to look at Lin Zhiwan.
Her attire today was quite different from usual—a sleek black business suit, the skirt ending just an inch above the knee. Though a very formal outfit, she wore it with a subtle charm.
A shadow briefly clouded Fu Yanzhou’s gaze.
Lin Zhiwan felt uncomfortable under that intense stare. Just as she was about to speak, Fu Jin Xing hugged her father’s neck and said,
“Daddy! Auntie Wang is here!”
Fu Yanzhou acknowledged with a hum and said to Zhao Minghe...
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“Excuse me!”
Lin Zhiwan watched Fu Yanzhou walk toward Wang Xueying. She saw Jin Xing stretch out her arms from afar, wanting a hug from Wang Xueying. The three of them chatted and laughed as they entered the elevator.
She lowered her head and took a small sip of her coffee. Bitter, yet refreshing.
Zhao Minghe looked at the woman before him; her beautiful eyes obviously held stories. But since she didn’t speak, he refrained from asking.
The auction began, and soon little Jin Xing grew bored.
After briefing Wang Xueying, Fu Yanzhou took Jin Xing and left.
In the car, Jin Xing nestled in her father’s arms, her eyelids drooping with sleep.
“Daddy, why hasn’t Lin Zhiwan come home yet? I want to eat the little bunny rice she makes.”
Fu Yanzhou glanced down at his daughter, who had already fallen asleep. He pulled his coat over her and gazed out the window.
Neon lights flickered on the streets of the capital, and it had started to rain at some point.
Weather like this always made people uneasy...
When Lin Zhiwan took the stage, it marked the climax of the entire auction.
After five years, hosting such a grand auction again, every cell in Lin Zhiwan’s body seemed reborn.
She didn’t even consider whether Fu Yanzhou was in the audience; her mind was entirely focused on achieving the highest possible value for this auction.
At the moment Lin Zhiwan appeared, Wang Xueying thought her eyes were deceiving her.
Lin Zhiwan? An auctioneer?
Wasn’t she just someone who stayed home, ironing clothes and baking treats?
Watching the confident and radiant woman on stage, Wang Xueying felt uneasy.
She had always looked down on Lin Zhiwan, thinking she only had the chance to marry Mr. Fu because she was pretty and came from a good family.
She had thought she lost only because she wasn’t born into a favorable family.
But now, seeing the jaw-dropping bids and people eagerly raising their paddles, Wang Xueying began to feel relieved that Fu Yanzhou hadn’t stayed to witness this side of Lin Zhiwan.
They had reached the final lot: a Song Dynasty official kiln celadon vase with string patterns.
Lin Zhiwan gave a detailed explanation of the piece’s attributes in a clear London accent, setting her own unique rhythm for the auction.
All eyes in the venue were on her.
She scanned the room and gestured toward the VIP section.
“The bidding starts at ten million yuan. I have a written proxy bid of twenty-three million. Is there anyone present willing to match or exceed that?”
People began raising their paddles gradually.
Lin Zhiwan closely monitored the room’s reactions, as well as phone and online bids, switching fluently between English and Chinese.
With each raise of her hand, the price climbed to fifty million.
“Sixty million!”
Wang Xueying raised her bidding paddle.
This vase was something Fu Yanzhou had specifically instructed to secure.
At sixty million, the room fell silent. The auction momentarily stalled, with fewer participants and a noticeable drop in bidding enthusiasm.
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The current price had already exceeded the consignor’s ideal figure, but Lin Zhiwan was not satisfied.
This was the moment where her prior preparations for the auction items came into play.
Before the auction, she had done extensive research, gathering large amounts of documentation and records of similar past sales to provide collectors with detailed, objective information, emphasizing the rarity and preciousness of the item.
She adjusted her posture from leaning forward to standing upright, then carefully highlighted the vase’s value and collectible significance.
“Miss Wang has bid sixty million, showing her determination to win this vase.”
She then looked toward the VIP section.
“Is there anyone else willing to challenge Miss Wang?”
Soon, someone bid seventy million.
Lin Zhiwan immediately responded, “A gentleman in the front row bids seventy million! Can anyone offer eighty million?”
Her expression remained elegant, but her tone quickened slightly, blending grace with pressure. Under her deliberate orchestration, the atmosphere grew tense.
“Eighty million, online bid!”
“Anyone on-site willing to go higher?”
“One hundred million! It seems we must congratulate the gentleman in the front row!”
Lin Zhiwan smiled at Wang Xueying.
“Miss Wang, would you like to consult by phone now?”
Wang Xueying was no stranger to bidding for Fu Yanzhou and, seeing Lin Zhiwan’s performance, knew she had genuine skill.
She called Fu Yanzhou for approval and ultimately bid 130 million.
“130 million, the final bid. Let us congratulate Miss Wang!”
This price shattered the auction record for this vase and successfully reestablished Lin Zhiwan’s reputation in the auction world.
Wang Xueying watched Lin Zhiwan surrounded by admirers. The woman’s face bore none of the past grievances she had shown next to Mr. Fu; her eyes sparkled brilliantly.
Wang Xueying couldn’t help but wonder: had Mr. Fu ever seen this side of Lin Zhiwan?
The celebration banquet ended late at night.
Lin Zhiwan had drunk quite a bit and hadn’t felt this happy in a long time.
Zhao Minghe insisted on escorting her home, and she couldn’t refuse.
Outside the apartment building, Lin Zhiwan opened the car door and stepped out.
“Thank you for tonight!”
She bade him farewell politely.
Zhao Minghe smiled faintly.
“Go inside quickly, don’t catch a cold.”
Lin Zhiwan waved goodbye and turned toward the elevator.
She held a black umbrella, walking through the winter rain, the dim streetlights casting a halo around her—so beautiful it seemed almost unreal.
Zhao Minghe watched her recede into the distance, his heart skipping a beat.
He regretted not coming back sooner...