The highlight of the charity gala was the auction, which usually featured expensive luxury items. This time, the focus was on jewelry.

As everyone took their seats, the first auction item was already on display on the stage—a necklace made of emeralds and adorned with diamonds. It seemed to be of excellent quality.

Qin Mingyuan’s seat was in the first row, near the center, giving him a clear view of the details of the auction items. However, he wasn’t particularly interested and looked away after a brief glance.

The discomfort in his body seemed to worsen at this point, with a headache so intense it felt like his head was about to explode. He lowered his gaze slightly, his face showing no signs of pain, but he pressed his fingers against his temples, slowly massaging them.

Sitting beside him was Gao Qing, with her son, Liang Zichen, on her other side. The young master of the Liang family, as he had mentioned earlier, had indeed arranged for Yun Yuexian to sit beside him.

Gao Qing occasionally glanced over at them, feeling faintly displeased, but she held her tongue in such a setting.

Liang Zichen noticed his mother’s mood and, seeing her take a few more looks at the jewelry on the stage, raised his paddle with a smile. “It’s been a while since I bought you a gift, Mother. I’ll take this opportunity to buy it for you. This quality of jewelry suits you perfectly.”

Hearing this, Gao Qing’s expression softened considerably. After all, it was her son, and she couldn’t bring herself to scold him. If he wanted to play, he could, as long as he knew his limits.

Yun Yuexian noticed the occasional disdainful glances directed at him, as if he were something worthless. He maintained a smile as if he hadn’t noticed, though inside, he was biting his teeth in anger.

In the end, the first auction item was bought by Liang Zichen for 15 million yuan. The staff on stage, wearing gloves, placed the necklace into a velvet box and handed it to him, which he then presented to his mother.

Those who wanted to curry favor with the Liang family applauded and praised Liang Zichen for being young, promising, and filial, which greatly pleased Gao Qing.

Qin Mingyuan had no interest in watching this farce of mutual flattery. The applause only worsened his headache, so he lifted his gaze briefly toward the mother-and-son act beside him, frowning in irritation.

Yun Yuexian glanced at the velvet box Gao Qing had received, feeling both envious and happy. His father had never been willing to buy such expensive jewelry for his mother; the most precious necklace she owned had only cost 3 million.

Liang Zichen, however, didn’t even blink when spending 15 million yuan. Such an amount was merely a drop in the bucket for them. If he truly ended up with Liang Zichen, what couldn’t he have?

And as for Yun Pei… He snorted. Yun Pei was now sitting in a seat so far back it was out of sight from here. Clearly, Qin Mingyuan didn’t care much about him either. That earlier scene was undoubtedly just for show, to attract his attention.

Yun Yuexian looked over at Qin Mingyuan, who was seated on the other side. The man was resting his hand lazily against his forehead, his posture exuding a laid-back elegance, radiating the charm of a mature man.

Honestly, compared to Liang Zichen, he found Qin Mingyuan more appealing. Liang Zichen’s mother was too domineering and clearly disapproved of him, which made him unhappy.

But Qin Mingyuan was different. He now controlled the Qin Corporation, and his parents lived abroad most of the time, meaning they rarely saw each other. If he married Qin Mingyuan, he’d become the wife of the Qin Corporation’s president, with no one to control him.

However, Liang Zichen was more humorous and knew how to make him happy, unlike Qin Mingyuan, who was always cold-faced and never said sweet words, making him rather dull.

Yun Yuexian smiled faintly. Such tough choices! There were so many outstanding men who liked him—it was genuinely hard to choose.

As more auction items were presented one by one, Qin Mingyuan showed no interest. Perhaps due to his discomfort, he found the air conditioning in the venue rather unpleasant.

He considered participating in the next auction, then leaving for the outdoor garden to relax. He’d return when the host made a speech but would skip the after-party.

The next item on the auction block was a pigeon’s blood ruby ring, with a very unique design. The ring’s face was wide, featuring raised patterns, and the details enlarged on the screen revealed an antique cloud motif.

The ring’s style was bold, without being too feminine, making it suitable for men to wear as well.

Qin Mingyuan lifted his gaze, seemingly recalling something, and sat up slightly, clearly intending to participate in the bidding.

“This ring is really beautiful,” Yun Yuexian commented, eyeing the exquisite jewelry on stage. He glanced at the person beside him, casually making the remark.

As expected, Liang Zichen turned his head and smiled, patting his hand. “I’ll buy it for you later.”

Liang Zichen, having been exposed to plenty of jewelry, estimated the ring’s value to be around 7 to 8 million. The auction would leave some room for competition, with an estimated starting price of 5 million.

Given the Liang family’s status, anything he wanted wouldn’t be seriously contested. He expected to get the ring for under 15 million.

It wasn’t that he cared about the money, but since the necklace he had just given his mother cost the same, and she didn’t seem to like Yun Yuexian much, giving him something more expensive would only upset her further, making it even harder for her to accept him.

Yun Yuexian felt delighted hearing Liang Zichen’s promise, but he pretended to be a little embarrassed. “No, it’s too expensive.”

“It’s just a gift,” Liang Zichen reassured him, gently rubbing the back of his hand. He smiled in satisfaction as he saw Yun Yuexian blush.

With the presentation over, the bidding began. As Liang Zichen had anticipated, the starting price was set at 5 million, with minimum bid increments of 500,000 yuan.

Determined to win the ring, he raised his paddle and offered 8 million right away.

Two other bidders followed, pushing the price close to 10 million. They didn’t seem intent on pushing further, and it appeared the bidding would soon end.

Since the goal of the charity auction was charity, Liang Zichen didn’t just raise the price by 500,000; instead, he offered 13 million, ensuring a perfect close to the bidding.

The auctioneer had already slammed the gavel twice, and Liang Zichen smirked, comfortably waiting for the third strike.

“Twenty million.”

A calm and indifferent voice broke the silence, causing his expression to change as he turned to look.

Qin Mingyuan lazily raised his paddle, resting his chin on his hand, appearing utterly uninterested.

“Bang.”

“Twenty million, going once!”

Liang Zichen’s face darkened. Logic told him to stop here, but the other man’s attitude irritated him. The endless praise he’d heard from his mother over the years made him unwilling to lose.

“Bang.”

“Twenty million…”

“Twenty-two million!”

He raised his paddle again, a smile tugging at his lips as he squinted at the man.

Gao Qing frowned, disapproving of her son’s behavior. There was no need to go against the Qin family like this, and her dissatisfaction with Yun Yuexian grew even more.

Seeing the clear standoff between them, the audience began to sense some excitement, eagerly watching the drama unfold.

Were they really clashing over Yun Yuexian?

Many had seen the earlier incident, but if Qin Mingyuan didn’t care, why would he target Liang Zichen now? It couldn’t be just because he liked the ring, right?

Besides, although the eldest young master of the Yun family was good-looking, he was crippled, introverted, and rarely spoke. His aloof demeanor was far less charming than Yun Yuexian’s.

The onlookers were dying to know the truth—had the ever-reserved Qin Mingyuan really shifted his affections, or was this all part of some plan to get what he wanted?

Qin Mingyuan lazily lifted his paddle again, not even glancing at the provocatively smiling Liang Zichen. His slightly hoarse voice rang out, “Thirty million.”

The rich businessmen in the audience all collectively sucked in a breath. It wasn’t about the money, but rather the fact that Qin Mingyuan had raised the bid by such a large margin, utterly trampling Liang Zichen’s pride without leaving any room for him to recover.

Liang Zichen felt as though Qin Mingyuan was deliberately opposing him, his mood foul. He clenched his hand on the chair and opened his mouth to respond…

“That’s enough!” Gao Qing shot him a look, her expression stern. “Let it go. Don’t make a scene.”

If this continued, it would only end in an embarrassing mess.

Though the Qin and Liang families were on equal footing, the Qin family had no internal conflicts, and Qin Mingyuan held full control. In contrast, the Liang family was rife with internal strife, needing to defend against both external and internal threats. Upsetting the Qin family would bring them no benefit.

After his mother’s rebuke, Liang Zichen finally regained his senses. Though still feeling somewhat bitter, he didn’t say another word.

The ring was eventually bought by Qin Mingyuan for 30 million yuan.

After their earlier clash, Yun Yuexian’s heart raced with anticipation. Could it be for him? Was that ring meant for him?

As the auction staff placed the ring into a velvet box and handed it to Qin Mingyuan, the ruby sparkled brilliantly under the lights.

Qin Mingyuan accepted it with a glance, then stood up. The attention of everyone in the room followed him, and Yun Yuexian’s cheeks flushed with a hint of red.

But Qin Mingyuan didn’t head in his direction. Instead, he turned and walked towards the back row.

The audience seemed to realize something, and their gazes quickly shifted to the back, where the Yun family was seated.

As Qin Mingyuan walked steadily towards the back, the upper-class spectators couldn’t help but feel excited, eagerly awaiting the reactions of the key players. They weren’t sure where to focus their attention.

Their excitement didn’t faze Qin Mingyuan. He walked at a measured pace, heading toward the Yun family’s seats. The closer he got, the more everyone’s anticipation built.

All eyes were glued to him, watching as if they were spectators at a fashion show, for Qin Mingyuan, with his height and good looks, certainly rivaled any model.

In the midst of everyone’s gaze, Qin Mingyuan’s steps were steady, without hesitation, as he neared the Yun family’s seats.

The gossipers held their breath, watching him reach the Yun family—and then… he kept walking, heading straight out the door to the outdoor garden.

Huh?

What about the ring?

What about the confession?

What about the love triangle?

Where was the dramatic showdown they had been expecting?

Was that it?

The venue fell into dead silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Nobody dared voice the turmoil raging inside their minds. The host’s introduction of the next auction item broke the silence, and the audience reluctantly pulled themselves out of their gossip-fueled anticipation.

Yun Yuexian, whose face had darkened the further Qin Mingyuan walked, adjusted his expression. Hmph, as expected, there was no way he would give it to that cripple. He turned back, maintaining his posture.

Unlike him, Yun Pei quietly breathed a long sigh of relief when Qin Mingyuan didn’t approach. The earlier scene had been overwhelming enough; anything more extravagant would have left him completely lost.

He glanced at Yun Haowei and Huo Lijuan, who looked disappointed and smug respectively, then turned his gaze away indifferently, suppressing a barely noticeable twinge of disappointment.

Ding.

A soft sound came from his phone, tucked into the side pocket of his wheelchair. It wasn’t particularly noticeable in the venue. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him anymore, Yun Pei took it out and glanced at the screen, his expression freezing for a moment.

[President Qin: Find a chance to step outside.]