Chapter 222: Chapter 222: The King’s Return (19)
Even so, Chuzheng had spent just shy of a billion.
There’s still another billion left!!
“The starting bid is fifty million!”
Fifty million!
This one must go for a billion!
On it!
Chuzheng braced herself; she was quick to raise her bidding sign at first, and in under a minute, the price had soared to sixty million.
But once it reached sixty million, the pace of the bidding slowed.
Chuzheng looked up at the stage; it was a crown, reportedly once owned by a member of the royal family of some country, and it was extraordinary in value.
Under the lights, the crown indeed looked very beautiful.<div>
“One billion!”
Seeing that the bidding in front of her had slowed, Chuzheng immediately increased the price.
I’m going to double it if you keep dawdling!!
The room suddenly fell quiet; heads turned and all eyes were on Chuzheng.
This crown is valuable, sure, but one billion… seems a bit much for its worth, right? Which family’s scion is this, squandering their wealth?!
“One billion, anyone willing to bid higher?”
“One hundred and twenty million.”
Someone raised their sign.
Chuzheng nced in that direction; it was a strange man, dressed in a ck suit, sitting in a corner, looking quite low-key.
“One hundred and thirty million,” Sheng Ting also raised his bid.
Chuzheng called out again, “One billion and one hundred million!”
The man: “One billion one hundred and twenty million.”
Sheng Ting: “One billion one hundred and fifty million.”
Chuzheng: “One billion two hundred million.”
The man: “One billion two hundred and twenty million.”
The three of them went back and forth, driving the price up from one billion two hundred million to one billion five hundred million.
The onlookers were extremely excited.
Chuzheng was growing impatient: “Two billion!”
Her cool voice echoed through the entire venue.<div>
The crowd abruptly fell silent; both the man and Sheng Ting stopped raising their signs.
“Two billion, does anyone offer more? Two billion for the first time, two billion for the second time, sold!”
The auctioneer mmed the gavel.
Chuzheng immediately stood up to go pay.<div>
She just managed to pay within thest two minutes.
Chuzheng was blocked by Sheng Ting backstage.
“Sheng Chuzheng.”
He called her by her full name.
Chuzheng, holding the weighty crown, looked indifferent: “What is it?”
“Do you realize how much attention you’ve just drawn to yourself?”
“And then?”
“The number of people my foster father has offended is not insignificant. Do you think they will let you off the hook?” Sheng Ting frowned darkly: “From now on, follow me, I will protect you.”
Sheng Ting softened his voice, “Zhenzhen, I don’t want to hurt you. I was wrong about before, can you forgive me? Whatever you want, I’ll agree to it, okay?”
“You’ll agree to whatever I want?”
“Anything you want.”
Chuzheng’s voice was icy as she spoke: “Stay away from me.”
Otherwise, I might not be able to resist taking care of you… taking care of you… taking care!<div>
“Zhenzhen!” Sheng Ting’s eyes darkened: “We grew up together, why can’t you just like me?”
His voice was strained with pain.
Violence simmered beneath his gaze.
“I like you so much, why won’t you even look at me? What more do you want from me? I’ll give you anything, why won’t you just stay by my side… Do you like Jiang Ye?”
The atmosphere around Sheng Ting suddenly became sharp.
Chuzheng clutched the crown tightly.
So, so scary!
I’ve been scared!
Just as Chuzheng was about to kick, Jiang Ye appeared from nowhere, pulled Chuzheng to his side, and encircled her with his arms.
“Mr. Sheng, please stop harassing my date, okay?”
The young man’s tone was polite, tinged with a smile.
“Jiang Ye, let her go!” Sheng Ting growled lowly, his eyes filling with a deadly intent.
“Mr. Sheng, I’m afraid I must decline,” the youth chuckled nonchntly, “Miss Sheng is my date now, I have to protect her.”<div>
Sheng Ting’s eyes narrowed, his feet moved, he swung a fist toward Jiang Ye.
Before his fist could reach Jiang Ye, Sheng Ting’s body suddenly retreated backward.
He looked in disbelief at the person who had kicked him.
The force wasn’t strong—it relied on a clever stroke, coupled with hisck of guard, that’s why he got kicked away.
“No youngdy should be making such moves,” Jiang Ye said with an indulgent adjustment of Chuzheng’s skirt hem.
A trace of hurt shed through Sheng Ting’s eyes, “You… you’re taking his side?”
Chuzheng nodded seriously, “Mhm.” I wanted to kick you just now. The Good Person Card suddenly came out and interrupted me.
And why wouldn’t I side with the Good Person Card rather than you, you damn bastard?
Dream on!
“Brother Ting…” Zhuang Yi ran over at the right time, “Brother Ting, there’s someone iming to be Sirius who wants to see you.”
With a dark look, Sheng Ting nced at Chuzheng and Jiang Ye, then left with Zhuang Yi.
“Sirius…” Jiang Ye murmured softly.
“What’s up?”<div>
Jiang Ye lowered his gaze to her, the corners of his mouth curling into a casual smile, “You don’t know?”
Chuzheng shook her head. What did she know?
Jiang Ye lowered his head; his fine hair brushed Chuzheng’s cheek as she fiddled with the edge of the crown box, her little face tight with seriousness.
Want to touch…
Want to touch…
Really want to touch…
Would he get angry if I touch him now?
The youth whispered in a low voice, “Sirius is a force from overseas. Sheng Ting contacting them at this time, who knows what he’s plotting.”
“Oh.” Chuzheng’s attention was fixated on Jiang Ye’s hair.
Seeing Chuzheng uninterested, Jiang Ye’s gaze fell on what she held in her arms, “What are you holding?”
“A crown.” Chuzheng’s eyes gleamed, then briskly stuffed the box into his hands, “Here, it’s for you.”
Yeah!
The Good Person Card is so great!
“…”
Why give him a crown? Do you want to crown him as king?
Jiang Ye still didn’t know that Chuzheng had spent two hundred million to get it at an auction.
“I can’t ept something so valuable…”
“You can choose to throw it away.” I’ve been holding it for so long, it’s so heavy!!
Jiang Ye: “…”
Can a crown just be thrown away?
You don’t burn money like that even if you’re rich!
Jiang Ye, speechless, held the box properly and put his arm around her to ascend, “I just saw the person you were looking for, I’ll take you there.”
Chuzheng shifted her gaze from Jiang Ye’s head and nodded her little face solemnly.
“What exactly is your rtionship with Sheng Ting?”
As they went up, Jiang Ye couldn’t help but ask her.
“He wants to lock me away.”
“…He likes you,” Jiang Ye’s eyes flickered.
Chuzheng spoke indifferently, “Maybe so.”
Whether Sheng Ting truly liked the original host or simply wanted to possess her, Chuzheng wasn’t clear.
If he really liked the original host, would he still entangle himself with others?
Brilliant lights streaked through Jiang Ye’s eyes, as fleeting as a shooting star.
He asked softly, “Do you like him?”
Jiang Ye told himself there was no need to ask this question.
It had nothing to do with him.
But still, he couldn’t help asking…
Chuzheng’s face showedplete indifference, “No.”
Hearing the negative answer, Jiang Ye felt a sense of relief, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, “We’ve arrived.”
Chuzheng nced at therge door in front of her.
There were people guarding the entrance.
Jiang Ye handed over a special card, the guard swiped it, returned it to Jiang Ye, and opened the door for him.
Soft piano music poured out.
The room was spacious and bright, not noisy, with well-dressed people gathering in small groups, conversing.
Jiang Ye led her in, attracting curious nces, but no one approached to speak.