An Yiqing’s words stabbed at Bai Yiming’s heart, making him unable to retort, nearly causing him to spit out a mouthful of old blood.
"Cough cough, little girl, why bring up such outdated matters?" Bai Yiming coughed lightly, speaking in a serious tone.
An Yiqing blinked innocently, turned her head towards Gu Yelin, and asked eagerly, "Ah Lin, did I say something wrong?"
Gu Yelin was very pleased to see Bai Yiming deflated in An Yiqing’s hands. He reached out to gently touch the girl’s hair and nodded, saying, "You are right. Not only did he spend eighty million to please a model, but he also bought a seventy million villa for a girlfriend he dated for a week. Plus, half a year ago he had a mistress on whom he spent tens of millions." Gu Yelin laid out all he knew without missing a single detail, leaving her in awe of Bai Yiming’s extravagant spending.
At that moment, Bai Yiming felt like Gu Yelin’s words were knives constantly stabbing him, almost turning him into a hornet’s nest.
Seeing that Gu Yelin was about to dig up all of his embarrassing past from five years ago, Bai Yiming couldn’t sit still anymore.
"Hey, Lao San, that’s enough. ’Favoring beauty over friends’ is exactly what you are. Little girl, don’t listen to his nonsense; he’s just jealous because I used to be more popular than him," Bai Yiming explained with an embarrassed smile, "I was young and frivolous, young and frivolous. In fact, I am now a very steady man. You’ve got to see my true nature."
Seeing that Bai Yiming was about to blow his top, An Yiqing gave a sly smile, finally letting him off the hook.
In the meantime, down in the auction hall, the main event was about to start.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next treasure we present is the highlight of our auction, the Jade Spirit! Please welcome the ceremonial hostess onto the stage!"
Following the auctioneer’s voice, a hostess clad in a cheongsam carefully placed a brocade box on a tray and carried it onstage.
As the hostess moved, everyone’s gaze was glued to her, terrified that she might accidentally drop the treasure inside the box.
Even though it was just a few meters away, the crowd was so nervous they broke out in sweat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let’s now all look forward to the true face of the Jade Spirit!"
The auctioneer gently opened the brocade box, revealing a glittering and translucent glow. As everyone held their breath in anticipation, a piece of shimmering, delicate, and smooth Colorless Jadeite appeared before them.
Unmoving and holding their breath, the crowd watched the live broadcast on the big screen. There, a fist-sized piece of transparent jade was displayed on a white stand. The jade exhibited no color, yet the radiance it emitted gave the impression that liquid was slowly flowing within. Unlike the bright shining of a diamond, the Jade Spirit exuded a soft, classical beauty.
Gazing at the Jade Spirit bathed in a gentle light on the big screen, everyone was deeply mesmerized.
An Yiqing in the upstairs VIP box stared unblinkingly at the piece of Jade Spirit on the first floor, deeply sighing inwardly. Even though she had seen the Jade Spirit numerous times before, each time she was still subdued by its luminance and charm. If, as Old Jin said, this transparent Jade Spirit was only the lowest level, then she couldn’t even imagine how beautiful the other colored Jade Spirits must be.
For a good four or five minutes, the auction hall was dead silent, not a single sound to be heard. Moments later, the auctioneer was the first to snap out of the trance.
Reluctantly looking at the Jade Spirit in his hand, the auctioneer lamented that being able to auction such a treasure was truly a fulfilling moment in his professional career.