Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The auction officially commenced at twelve o’clock. Wen Xinya changed into a red gown which ended at her knees. It was a bright and fiery color which made her exceptionally eye-catching. The roses on her shoulders accentuated her beauty.
She changed into a maroon mask, on which there was a red spider lily which was bright and vibrant, and added to her elegance. She looked rather mysterious.
Wen Xinya held Si Yiyan’s arm and looked at herself. “I doubt Anatoli will recognize me now that I’m dressed in this!”
Si Yiyan stared at her with burning passion in his eyes. She would usually only dress herself in a demure and conservative style. Her sudden change of style for the night made her appear mysterious, sultry and alluring. It suited her to a T, and it was as if she was a natural at exuding such an elegance.
He felt a sudden urge to keep her inside his pocket, keeping her away from others just so they could not ogle at her. “You look really beautiful. He won’t recognize you.”
He wouldn’t have thought that she could carry such a vibe if he had not seen it with his own eyes.
Wen Xinya felt a huge sense of relief and headed downstairs together with Si Yiyan.
The auction hall was decorated like an ancient imperial guest hall. There was a jade table in the middle of the hall, as well as several ongoing performances. There were also some fruits, snacks, alcohol, and delicacies on display on both sides of the table.
All eyes were on Si Yiyan and Wen Xinya the moment they stepped foot inside the hall.
Anatoli was seated right opposite them, with two gorgeous women by his side. One was a Russian beauty who looked extremely coquettish and stunning, while the other was a Chinese babe dressed in a traditional Qipao dress. He was flirting with them and giggling incessantly.
Upon sight of Si Yiyan, his gemlike eyes lit up and he said, “Long time no see, Rex. I didn’t expect to meet you here. What a small world.”
Si Yiyan smirked and said, “Yeah! Long time no see.”
“Who’s that gorgeous chick beside you? Why do you both enjoy hiding your faces?” Anatoli quipped while scanning Wen Xinya from head to toe. He stared at her sensually, barely concealing his emotions.
Upon sight of the masked Wen Xinya, he could not help but be reminded of the girl he met at the pool, for she exuded the same kind of elegance and arrogance. For the first time, he actually met a woman who turned down his advances. Hence, he felt a strong sense of novelty and searched the entire cruise ship for her but to no avail. It seemed as if she had vanished into thin air.
He instinctively compared Wen Xinya to the women beside him, only to find that they differed greatly in terms of class and elegance, although they were of about the same stature.
Wen Xinya frowned slightly at the way Anatoli was staring at her, for she felt a little humiliated. It was the first time that she felt insulted and repulsed by how he was objectifying her.
A sullen expression formed on Si Yiyan’s face, and the loud and crisp sounds of the goblet in his hand shattering into bits filled the air.
Greatly taken aback, Wen Xinya looked at Si Yiyan and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that he was unharmed.
“Ah!” A deafening shriek sounded.
Wen Xinya instinctively looked up to see that Anatoli was glowering at Si Yiyan menacingly with a cut on his face. Fresh blood was flowing out of the wound on his snowy and porcelain skin, making him look extremely terrifying.
Wen Xinya glanced at Si Yiyan while the waiters cleaned up the broken glass shards. Si Yiyan picked up the goblet and swirled it gracefully, the red wine swirling like ruby gemstones. He then glared at Anatoli and downed the wine with a sinister smirk on his lips.
“Seems like it’s just a rumor that Rex abstains from women,” Anatoli remarked while guffawing loudly all of a sudden. He grabbed a handkerchief and wiped the blood off of his face before continuing to flirt with the women beside him.
All Anatoli did was take a few more glances at his woman, Wen Xinya, and yet, he had already gotten so riled up.
What seemed like a simple move was, in fact, a premeditated one that had been planned precisely with much wit and deviousness. Clearly, Si Yiyan had won this time.
Wen Xinya heaved a sigh of relief and picked up a grape which she skinned before feeding it to Si Yiyan.
Si Yiyan sucked on it and licked her finger gently before remarking, “It’s so sweet!”
Wen Xinya turned red, unsure if he was referring to her finger or the grape.
Si Yiyan grabbed a snack and fed it to her. “Here’s one for you!”
Wen Xinya burst into laughter and took a bite out of the snack, chewing it slowly. “It tastes great!”
“Is that so? I’ll give it a try too!” She then ate the rest of the snack.
Wen Xinya peeled another orange and gave it to Si Yiyan.
Satisfaction was written all over Si Yiyan’s face while he enjoyed the tender care and affection that Wen Xinya was showering him with.
“Such private auctions are rare and hard to come by. If you’re interested in something, you may just name your price.”
Staring at Anatoli who was seated opposite them, she had a feeling that the auction wouldn’t proceed smoothly. “Do you think Anatoli will wreak havoc later?”
Si Yiyan smile and said, “He’ll never let the opportunity to defeat me slip.”
Wen Xinya frowned and asked, “Are you confident of acquiring the archipelago?”
Si Yiyan pinched the tip of her nose gently and said, “The archipelago is a joint cooperation between me and the government. It’s a gift from the government. However, the auction is just a formality and a facade in order to avoid unnecessary trouble. Once the auction is over, the title deed of the archipelago will be transferred to me.”
Wen Xinya heaved a sigh of relief.
Si Yiyan smiled and continued, “Besides, the archipelago was found by the Chinese. It won’t land in the hands of a foreigner, so you don’t have to worry about Anatoli vying with me for it.”
Wen Xinya suddenly realized that she was being worried for no reason.
Si Yiyan kissed her sideburns gently and said, “The grapes were really sweet!”
Wen Xinya soon snapped out of her trance. Realizing that he was playing cute and asking to be fed, she chuckled in amusement and peeled a grape before placing it in his mouth.
Si Yiyan licked her finger again and sucked the grape juices on her finger.
Wen Xinya glared at him and thought to herself, He’s just using the grapes as an excuse to flirt with me!