Chapter 29 Buying Toys for the Cat

Chapter 29 Buying Toys for the Cat

A piece of imperial green jade, given to the family’s housekeeper—even the wealthiest families wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing.

Even Chu Rong felt considerable psychological pressure when he took this out as bait.

He assumed Ye Man would be drawn to it, knowing it was a valuable item, and thought everyone would recognize its worth. He never imagined that the two even more spendthrift young masters of the Chi Family would give it to their housekeeper.

But what Chi Jue was about to do was something that would make outsiders question whether he had lost his mind and earn him a scolding from his family.

He wanted to spend money, to throw it away on something unworthy, to take a hit, to make the kid beside him feel that he was hurting, that he was not doing well, so that the other might feel a bit happier.

If Chi Jue was happy, then he would be happy too.

If at first, Chi Jue’s actions towards Ye Man were driven by guilt and a sense of limits, now he genuinely wanted to make him happy.

When you truly care about someone, where do the boundaries lie?

All of Xiao Man’s thorns were directed inward.

If someone poked him, he’d end up full of holes. If he didn’t put in the effort to nurture him properly, what would happen to him?

Chi Jue reached over and pinched Ye Man’s cheek, seeing the other’s reluctant expression yet sitting still obediently, he couldn’t help but smile.

"Starting bid at fifty thousand, with increments of ten thousand, bidding begins..."

After the item was introduced, hearing this price, there was a murmur among the guests tonight.

Anyone with half a brain would know that this imperial green jade couldn’t possibly be bought for such a low price. Setting such a low starting bid and increment, in a normal auction, would suggest the organizers’ confidence in the item’s value and final price. In this context, it seemed more like someone was orchestrating a game.

The astute would certainly wait and see what was going on, not wanting to accidentally step into a battlefield where big players were clashing and end up in trouble.

In this tense silence, Chi Jue calmly raised his paddle.

"Five hundred thousand."

The bid was made by Chi Jue, not Ye Man.

This caught Chu Rong off guard, as he thought Chi Jue would be the one to put a stop to it, but now it was Chi Jue who first stepped into this trap.

With the stage set, there was no turning back.

Chu Rong followed by raising his paddle: "Five hundred and ten thousand."

He didn’t bid much higher, just one step above the other’s bid.

At this point, the amount of money was nothing to either of them, but the tension had already started to spread because of this move.

People around were looking at the two tables. Those with insight could already tell who the opposing parties were.

Chi Jue naturally recognized Chu Rong, someone who had bullied Xiao Man, and nothing he did would be surprising.

Seeing the other’s deliberate provocation, Chi Jue remained unmoved, but it was Ye Man who trembled first.

Spending Chi Jue’s money should make Chi Jue feel the pain, so why did he also feel the pain?

"Brother Tong, I have such a strong possessiveness over other people’s money, it hurts me when he spends it too, can you add two points to my score?" Ye Man never missed an opportunity to boost his cannon fodder score.

"Brother Tong, Brother Tong? Are you really resting?"

The system: "It's after hours. What's all the racket?"

"I've added it for you."

Ye Man laughed: "Thank you, Brother Tong! You're the best, Brother Tong!"

The system: ...

Add, add, add. Where am I supposed to find points to give him?

His name's on the scroll, so add ten points?

He gets the points, but my performance takes the hit. It's like I'm working on credit every day!

This isn't about making the host work for me; it's like I'm raising a kid on a loan!

The system said with a cold face: "That's your last glass of juice. You've already had too much sugar today, host."

It muttered angrily, "Watch out for cavities!"

Ye Man, who had just raised his cup, put it down again.

No one noticed that someone else had taken Xiao Wu's place behind him.

Xiao Wu, who was keeping a close eye on his young master, ready to step in if needed, was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.

The man, dressed in a sharp black suit, carrying a briefcase, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, gave him an apologetic smile, silently pointed behind him, and gestured as if to ask if he could step aside.

Confused, Xiao Wu stood up and moved aside, watching the distinguished man take his seat.

Just then, the young master set down his cup.

Unaware that someone else was now behind him, he leaned back and whispered, thinking it was still Xiao Wu, "No more juice. Get me some water instead."

Xiao Wu took a closer look at the man who had seemingly appeared out of thin air, recognized him, and gasped. He was about to alert the young master when Secretary Chen, standing nearby, smoothly handed him a glass of champagne with a smile, stopping him in his tracks.

A moment too late.

Under Xiao Wu's horrified gaze, the head of the Xu Family took the young master's cup, set it aside, and poured water into a fresh glass.

The young master took a sip and muttered, "Why is it warm?"

He turned around and held it out behind him, saying, "Add some ice. Lots of it."

Xu Huaiting glanced at the cup being offered to him and replied calmly, "There isn't any."

"There was, just a moment ago..."

Ye Man thought the voice sounded familiar.

Hearing this, Chi Jue glanced over, paused, and said solemnly, "Mr. Xu."

Ye Man was equally stunned.

What's the living ancestor doing here?

Just then, Chu Rong raised his paddle again.

"Two million ten thousand. Any further bids?" In no time at all, the bidding had soared to two million.

Ye Man couldn’t hold back anymore and wanted to tell Chi Jue to stop bidding.

Let’s just forget it, it’s way too expensive. At most... he could buy Auntie Zhou twenty pairs of gloves and sweet-talk her in person. He could make people happy just by talking, saving two million in one go!

That’s a two-million-dollar mouth!

He nervously tugged at Chi Jue’s sleeve: "Chi Jue, let’s not go for this anymore."

In reality, the price hadn’t even come close to the item’s true value, and there was still room for further bidding.

Seeing Ye Man’s genuine anxiety, Chi Jue agreed and stopped bidding.

Xu Huaiting asked, "You want this?"

Ye Man: "?"

Xu Huaiting took the paddle handed over by Secretary Chen and raised it.

He didn’t specify a bid amount.

Without a specific bid, the default increment was added.

The auctioneer announced, "Two million twenty thousand."

However, Xu Huaiting kept the paddle raised, not lowering it.

He lounged lazily like a lion, idly flicking his tail. He appeared to ignore Ye Man, feigning sleep, but when Ye Man’s cup nearly slipped, he steadied it without a glance.

With him there, keeping watch, nothing could go wrong.

Ye Man: "Thank you...?"

Xu Huaiting acknowledged with a hum, still holding the paddle up effortlessly.

He glanced at the stunned auctioneer and prompted, "Continue."

At that moment, everyone understood, and the room buzzed with whispers.

"Wow, lighting the sky lantern?" someone joked in surprise.

It wasn’t that complicated.

By keeping the paddle raised, he signaled that he would outbid any offer.

Not everyone was qualified to pull such a move.

If someone couldn’t pay later, they’d face a hefty penalty from the organizers. The organizers would verify funds beforehand, and those lacking the means would be politely declined.

But now, it was Xu Huaiting playing this game.

Even if he’d shown up on a whim, his funds didn’t need verification.

His name and face were all the credentials he needed.

The auctioneer swallowed nervously and subtly urged Chu Rong, "Mr. Chu, will you continue bidding?"

He was on edge, hoping Chu Rong wouldn’t act rashly.

Chu Rong was now in full panic mode.

If this piece of imperial green fell into the hands of the Chi family, he had a way to force them to return it, but if it ended up with Xu Huaiting, it would truly be gone!

Through gritted teeth, he snapped, "Five million!"

Then he fixed his gaze on Xu Huaiting’s movements, betting that Xu Huaiting, acting on a whim, wouldn’t take it seriously.

Xu Huaiting wasn’t interested in these things!

Yet, even though he was practically glaring a hole through Xu Huaiting, the other man’s hand remained steadily raised. This clearly signaled his determination to win the item.

Who would dare oppose him at this moment?

The auctioneer’s expression turned to stone: "Five million and ten thousand."

Chu Rong sat there, clutching his paddle, his face alternating between red and green, and he didn’t raise it again even after the auctioneer struck the gavel.

For a moment, the entire room erupted in uproar.

Every pair of eyes in the room instantly locked onto them.

When the item was handed to Xu Huaiting, he gave it a cursory glance before tossing it to Ye Man, "Keep it as a toy."

Ye Man: "..."

Clutching the item, he felt as if he might stop breathing.

"Mr. Xu, this is so expensive..."

Chu Rong was nearly overcome with regret, and yet Ye Man still thought it was costly.

"It’s fine."

For the rest of the auction, Ye Man remained in a daze.

The big shot seemed to have no particular reason for being there, but once he sat down, he didn’t leave.

Whenever something caught his eye, he’d bid on a few items, glance at them, and toss them to Ye Man.

Propping his chin on his hand, he watched with keen interest, as if fascinated by Ye Man’s careful handling of the items he’d thrown over.

By the end of the auction, Ye Man was left clutching a heap of assorted trinkets. Gazing up at Xu Huaiting, he murmured weakly, "Mr. Xu?"

He appeared utterly bewildered.

He was utterly clueless about what was going on.

It was no surprise he couldn’t figure it out.

Even the astute Chi Jue couldn’t discern Xu Huaiting’s actions or any underlying motives.

Xu Huaiting truly had no deeper intentions.

Reflecting on it, he likened his mindset to that of a first-time cat owner. Items he’d previously ignored now seemed irresistibly enticing, begging to be bought and toyed with. Before he realized it, he’d amassed an excessive collection.

His eyes lingered on Ye Man’s lips.

It was difficult to discern.

To check for a tongue injury, he’d need to hold him still and examine him closely.

I’d rather feel it with my own hands to make sure there’s no injury.

Xu Huaiting’s breath hitched.

He looked away.

His voice a little rough, he asked, "Mountains or the sea—which do you prefer?"

Ye Man: "The sea...?"

The question threw him for a loop.

"I see."

Xu Huaiting showed up out of the blue and left without much explanation, leaving Ye Man holding a pile of things, feeling completely bewildered.

When they went out, they saw Chu Rong.

Chu Rong was eyeing them, particularly the imperial jade Ye Man was holding.

Normally, he’d have gone straight to Chi Jue. But today, he didn’t seem to care.

He was about to speak when his assistant awkwardly handed him the phone, saying, "It’s the old master."

Chi Jue stepped in front of Ye Man, frowning as he watched Chu Rong’s face turn red and then pale while he took the call. He was likely getting an earful. He hung up, clenched his teeth, glared at the Chi brothers, and muttered, "Sorry."

Without another word about the jade, he spun around and stormed off.

Chi Jue sneered.

Ye Man was still in the dark. On the way back, Chi Jue patiently explained to him: "This piece originally belonged to Chu Rong and is worth a fortune. It went for a steal at the auction, and he got the short end of the stick. He doesn’t dare cross Mr. Xu, so he’s taking it out on us."

"Normally, word wouldn’t have gotten back to the Chu family this fast. I guess Mr. Xu must have said something to their old master."

Chi Jue ruffled his brother’s hair and sighed, inexplicably troubled.

...

In Jing City.

Sun Hongming barged in on Xu Qiting first thing in the morning.

He blurted out, stunned, "Did you hear about Xu Huaiting’s stunt at Longde last night?"

"He... he couldn’t really be meeting a lover, could he!"