CHAPTER 250: CHAPTER 70: BROKEN JADE RESTORED (PART 2)

Halfway through the auction, Yan Wuxu excused herself with a slight stomach discomfort and left the venue early with Su Ziceng. When they stepped out of Subi Auction House, the ground was bathed in golden sunset. Several vehicles had parked outside the auction house, and Su Ziceng noticed that some guests were only arriving now. However, due to their lack of formal attire, they were stopped by security at the door.

Yan Wuxu by her side hadn’t noticed this. She kept praising, "Ziceng, you really have a knack." The auction, which was supposed to be Chang Chi’s debut, was completely overshadowed by Su Ziceng.

Walking beside her, Su Ziceng remained silent, still clutching that piece of porcelain. Had she really won? Normally, Su Ziceng would have praised her own outstanding performance. But the Colorful Eggs had shattered upon hitting the ground; without the biggest and brightest Colorful Egg, the set was no longer perfect. Her eyes, too, had been scorched the moment Hang Yishao protected Chang Chi.

Once back home, Yan Wuxu went to rest in her room. Su Ziceng, however, did not rush back to her own room, choosing instead to sit alone in the living room, her mind eerily empty. It was past ten o’clock when Chang Chi stumbled home, drunk.

Seeing Su Ziceng sitting there, Chang Chi let out a piercing laugh, "Su Ziceng, tonight’s auction was a great success, a great success." She made exaggerated gestures, waving her hands incessantly before Su Ziceng’s eyes.

"Even the mayor’s office sent a congratulatory telegram. You might as well give up." How could Chang Chi not know about the difficulties Su Ziceng had faced in recent days? The unimpressive auction items, the limited funds, the awkward time of operation; any of these could have resulted in a stillborn outcome for the auction managed by Su Ziceng.

"Don’t be so pleased with yourself," said Su Ziceng, covering her nose to block out the alcohol and cigarette smell emanating from her, looking at her with disgust, "I haven’t lost yet."

"Haven’t lost? Su Ziceng, you are indeed as stubborn as a dead duck. Tonight, you got lucky." Seeing her hand, Chang Chi couldn’t help but think of the hand that fell into Hang Yishao’s earlier that afternoon, and felt somewhat jealous. She brushed Su Ziceng’s hand aside and pointed at her nose, cursing, "Let me tell you, both the Su Family and Hang Yishao are mine. Don’t you even think about it."

Chang Chi sure inherited that "drunkard father’s" genes. Su Ziceng didn’t want to argue with someone who was drunk and was about to go upstairs when she suddenly remembered something, "Chang Chi, as you said? I am not in a position to compare with you. Yishao is devoted to you now, and you have taken all the advantages."

Listening to Su Ziceng’s seemingly unprovoked weakness, the usual sober Chang Chi would have sensed something amiss, but today, having drunk a little extra and elated by Hang Yishao’s behavior, her guard against Su Ziceng dropped to its lowest, "So what? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of begging for mercy now. It’s too late."

"That’s not what I meant. I just want to propose a deal with you. You continue with the weekend auctions at the auction house, but could you leave the Saturday evening auction slots to me?" Su Ziceng asked cautiously.

The alcohol was getting to Chang Chi, her words beginning to slur, "Su Ziceng, you really are... brainless. Who holds auctions at night? Spreading that around would be laughable." With that, she burped loudly, causing Su Ziceng to step back again.

Alcohol, indeed, should be consumed in moderation. Su Ziceng mused, finding that a woman drunk on liquor was no different from a mongrel dog, entirely lacking any sense of grace. "You don’t have to worry about the details; just hand over the night sessions to me." This idea sprouted in Su Ziceng’s mind during her recent contemplation. During her time in Paris, she had observed some nocturnal salons; Paris is a city that never sleeps. From the finely dressed elites to the street performers, all indulged in the night’s festivities, surrounded by glitz and glam.

If they removed the formal attire requirement and turned the Su Bi Auction into an open, informal venue, wouldn’t people, tired from a week’s work, find themselves even more engrossed in the auctions amidst fine wine and tea?

"Alright," Chang Chi agreed without a second thought. Her mother had already blocked all the channels for collecting antiques, and Su Ziceng’s connections were too limited to acquire any valuable items for auction. Since she wanted to hold a "nighttime auction," let her do as she pleases.

"Thank you, then," said Su Ziceng, feeling immensely profitable from the day’s events. She climbed the stairs, her mind already racing with excitement about trying something new.

Just as the conversation downstairs ended, Yan Wuxu upstairs finished taking a call from Su Qingzhang. It was the usual few lines, asking how the child was, with not a word of concern for her. Su Qingzhang was truly indifferent. But Yan Wuxu no longer cared about this.

After hanging up, she took out a pregnancy test and stepped into the bathroom. About ten minutes later, she nervously looked at the test strip as the color changed. Yan Wuxu smiled contentedly and dropped the strip into the toilet. The child, her child—wasn’t Su Qingzhang very concerned about "his" child? Then let him worry to his heart’s content.

"Baby, this time around, Mommy will be very careful. And as for those who caused your brother’s death, Mommy will certainly not let them off," Yan Wuxu lay on the bed as the room’s lights dimmed (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your monthly and recommendation tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)