Upon entering the hall, Qin An led Luo Xiu and his party to a luxurious private room on the second floor. These rooms were reserved for the truly important figures; ordinary guests with invitations were seated in the main hall on the first floor.

"Mister Luo, Teacher Li, please enjoy some tea," Qin An said. "I still need to greet some other guests. If you need anything, just ask the staff outside." After exchanging pleasantries, Qin An hurried away. A number of influential people were attending today, so he was genuinely busy.

Inside the private room, Sun Li flopped onto the soft, springy sofa, deftly kicked off her high heels, and propped her black-stockinged feet up as if she were in her own home.

"Xiu, what on earth did you give Boss Qin yesterday?" she asked. "Look at the way Qin An was acting, like he'd seen a living ancestor."

Luo Xiu just smiled faintly. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Tch, so mysterious," Sun Li said, rolling her eyes before grinning. "Still, it was pretty satisfying to see Duan Feibai and Du Gang get put in their place."

Li Zihan, sitting beside Li Jiuzhen, asked, "Miss Sun, you know Duan Feibai?"

Sun Li made no effort to hide it. "Our parents are close, so I've known him since we were little. We used to get along quite well. I just didn't expect him to change so much after not seeing him for a few years."

...

Like a chatterbox, Sun Li went on and on.

Luo Xiu sat quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window, a cup of hot tea in his hands, gently swirling the liquid as he stared out thoughtfully.

Lin Xiyue walked over and sat down beside him, asking softly, "Is it really worth it?"

Luo Xiu paused, unsure what she meant.

After a moment, Lin Xiyue clarified, "Did you go to all this trouble to find the medicine just to treat my illness?"

Luo Xiu smiled. "I always keep my word." He then turned to stare directly into her eyes, his tone suddenly serious. "But from now on, you have to manage the company well. When you earn money, you have to pay me back.

"Think you can get my medicine for free? No chance!" he continued with a light chuckle. "Also, I'm treating your dad and your grandpa, and that will cost you as well.

"If you want to die, pay me back first. After that, go ahead. I definitely won't stop you. You can die in whatever position you want; it will have nothing to do with me."

Lin Xiyue smiled faintly, a warmth spreading through her heart. "Alright."

Luo Xiu suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. You still owe me for something else."

Lin Xiyue's cheeks puffed out slightly. "What now? Are you ever going to let it go?"

Seeing her adorable expression, Luo Xiu gave her a mysterious smirk. "Rich Miss Lin needs to borrow my 'little tadpoles' to have a baby, right? That should cost something, too.

"Or are you trying to get my tadpoles for free? With genes as excellent as mine, letting you have them for nothing would be a huge loss for me, wouldn't it?"

Lin Xiyue's face turned frosty as she glared at him.

Luo Xiu said, "I can tolerate you playing with my emotions, and I don't even mind you playing with my body. But if you try to cheat me out of my money, I'll fight you to the death."

Suddenly, Lin Xiyue burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, stop being so dramatic. I'll pay you back for everything at once, you miser."

...

In the midst of their conversation, the auction officially began.

The host was none other than Qin An's secretary, Xiao Hong. She wore a white qipao with a classic blue-and-white porcelain pattern, paired with flesh-toned stockings and high heels. Her long hair was styled in an updo, and her lips were as red as cinnabar—the very picture of refined elegance.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen."

"Welcome to the 29th Tianbao Residence Auction."

...

After her opening remarks, Xiao Hong got down to business.

"The first item on the block is a watch."

Two hostesses pushed a small cart onto the red-carpeted stage. Xiao Hong reached out and lifted the red cloth covering it. The next moment, the item's image appeared on the giant screen above the hall.

It was a glittering gold watch.

Sun Li glanced at it and muttered, "Isn't that just a Rolex Rainbow Daytona? What's something like that doing at a Tianbao Residence Auction?"

Xu Qianqing gave her an odd look. "I saw online that this watch was going for over 1.8 million, right?"

"My family has several," Sun Li scoffed with disdain.

On stage, Xiao Hong spoke into the microphone. "As you can all see, this is a limited edition Rolex Rainbow Daytona. For many of you here, this might not seem like much of a treasure. However, I must tell you, the provenance of this watch is quite extraordinary."

She paused before continuing, "This watch is a commemorative edition for the Queen of Country Y's 85th birthday, custom-made for her by dozens of official artisans. The solid gold dial bears the Queen's own signature, and the bezel is set with twelve natural colored diamonds.

"Later, the Queen presented this watch as a prize to an earl. After changing hands several times, it finally made its way to Hua Country."

A murmur of excitement went through the crowd after this introduction. If that was the case, then this watch was extremely valuable. The watch itself could be priced, but the status and identity of its original owner were immeasurable. A watch worn by a sovereign, even if it were only worth a few dozen dollars, would be a priceless treasure.

"The starting bid is four million, with each increment no less than five hundred thousand!"

Reality, however, is often ironic. A watch once worn by a monarch was, in the end, still being measured by money.

As Xiao Hong's voice fell, someone immediately placed a bid.

"Four million, five hundred thousand!"

"The guest at seat number thirty bids four million, five hundred thousand."

Inside the private room, Sun Li leaned forward with a serious expression and pressed the bidding button. "Six million!"

"The guest in VIP Box Number Three on the second floor bids six million."

"Six million, going once!"

"Six million, going twice!"

...

Luo Xiu and the others all turned to look at her, not understanding what had gotten into her.

Sun Li just hummed confidently. "I'm getting this watch today. I want to give it to Xiu as a gift."

Luo Xiu was speechless. "Let's just forget it. I can't wear a watch that expensive."

"No way," Sun Li said, her expression stubborn. "I'm getting it, and that's final!"

But just then, Xiao Hong's voice rang out again. "The guest at seat number eighteen bids seven million!"

Hearing this, Sun Li frowned and scanned the first-floor hall, her eyes landing on Duan Feibai in seat number eighteen. Almost simultaneously, Duan Feibai looked up toward VIP Box Number Three on the second floor, their gazes meeting through the floor-to-ceiling window.

Sun Li, her face impassive, pressed the bidding button again. "Ten million!"

A murmur swept through the hall at her words.

Duan Feibai smiled faintly and raised his paddle.

But then, Xiao Hong announced in a tone of surprise, "The guest at seat number eighteen bids thirteen million, one hundred and forty thousand, and five hundred and twenty!"

"It seems our guest from seat eighteen intends to give this to a loved one. That number is very meaningful."

Sun Li gritted her teeth in frustration and was about to raise the bid again, but Luo Xiu stopped her.

"It's okay, Xiao Li. There's really no need. If you really want to give me a gift, you can just buy me a milk tea later. I can't accept a watch you bought for so much money."

"But..."

"Listen to me."

"Oh... alright then."

Sun Li lowered her head and reluctantly gave up.

Luo Xiu reached out and ruffled her hair, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. So this is what it's like to have a rich friend...

In the end, Duan Feibai won the watch with a high bid of "thirteen million, one hundred forty thousand, and five hundred twenty."

1314520—as Xiao Hong had said, the number was very meaningful and romantic.

...

Xiao Hong began to introduce the second item. It was a blue-and-white porcelain vase with a starting bid of three million, but Luo Xiu had no interest in antiques.

A short while later, there was a knock at the door. A waiter entered, holding a delicate box.

"May I ask... who is Miss Sun Li?"

Sun Li was taken aback. "I am."

"This is the item just won by the guest at seat eighteen," the waiter said with a polite smile, handing her the box. "He has already paid at the counter and asked me to deliver it to you, Miss Sun."

Sun Li looked bewildered. "He's giving it to me?"

"Yes."

The waiter bowed and turned to leave.

The room fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Holding the box, Sun Li walked over to Luo Xiu with a strange expression. "Xiu, I didn't spend a single cent on this. So, do you want it?"

Luo Xiu rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "A guy spends over thirteen million on a watch for you, and you're just going to turn around and give it to me?"

"Since he gave it to me, it's mine now, isn't it?" Sun Li retorted, rolling her eyes. "I can give it to whoever I want. What's the big deal? I'll just pay him back if I have to. Oh, come on, stop being so fussy. Someone gives you a gift, you accept it."

"Come, come, hold out your hand. I'll put it on for you."

...

A moment later, Luo Xiu was wearing the Rolex worth over thirteen million.

Su Shanyue and the others looked on with envy.

Li Jiuzhen stroked his beard. "Hm, not bad, not bad. That watch suits you young people. Still, it can't compare to this old man's watch."

Everyone's gaze shifted to Li Jiuzhen's wrist.

Li Jiuzhen smiled kindly. "I've worn this watch for over a decade and it's never broken. It was a gift from my late wife. It cost one hundred and fifty, and the quality is excellent."

Luo Xiu smiled and joked, "If you ever find yourself broke, you can pawn this watch for some cash."

Hearing that, Sun Li's expression changed. "You dare!"

"If you run out of money, just come to me! You are forbidden from selling the gift I gave you!"

...

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