Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Mysterious Man Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Mysterious Man The auction quickly got underway.
The host was a popular celebrity who delivered an impassioned opening speech at the center of the venue before removing the curtain behind him. Behind the curtain was a giant LCD screen, displaying the amount of money raised today, which currently read 0. The host announced the start of the auction and a round of applause erupted throughout the venue. Amidst the applause, the first auction item was presented by the hostesses…
Han Jiaojiao and Han Qing found seats and sat down. Han Qing chatted with Han Jiaojiao for a bit, and although Han Jiaojiao responded for a while, she seed sowhat distracted.
—That person still hadn’t shown up.
One by one, the auction items were sold, and Han Jiaojiao didn’t bid even once.
At this mont, Han Qing suddenly let out a surprised gasp. Han Jiaojiao thought that sothing Han Qing liked must have co up for auction, but all she saw was an added middle-aged man on stage, seemingly the owner of the auction item.
“It’s him!… My goodness, he actually ca too…” Han Qing’s eyes shone with intensity as if she were bewitched.
Han Jiaojiao couldn’t help but frown, “Is this man forty years old?”
Han Qing looked sowhat embarrassed, “…Mr. Long should’ve just turned forty this year, but don’t you think he’s quite charming?… He looks like he’s in his thirties.”
Han Jiaojiao was at a loss for words; she really didn’t see the so-called charm. This man simply exuded the stability and confidence of a middle-aged successful person, plus the disposition nurtured by years of good behavior—an age at which successful n like him were hardly a rarity. How could Han Qing be so enchanted?
However, Han Qing gave Han Jiaojiao a look that said “you just don’t know how to appreciate,” and then continued to watch Mr. Long on the stage.
Han Jiaojiao began to feel tired. The auction was boring for her, and the person she wanted to see had yet to appear. Restlessly, she wandered out and stood by the windowsill in the side of the hall, looking out at the world.
The sun was already slanting westward; Han Jiaojiao had arrived at the venue around noon. Unbelievably, she had already been there for an entire afternoon, and the sky was about to darken. When exactly would that person co?…
Soone approached from the side. Han Jiaojiao turned to look and saw it was Qin Nanyi.
A montary tightness crossed Han Jiaojiao’s face, which then slowly relaxed into a smile…
“Sister Nanyi.”
“Jiaojiao, when did you arrive?”
“Just a little before you.”
“How has your brother been recently? We haven’t seen him around these days.”
Han Jiaojiao slightly lowered her head, feeling a bit amused.
Every ti this woman saw her, she never failed to inquire about her brother. In the past, when she and her brother weren’t on good terms, her responses were always sowhat perfunctory, and the woman would indirectly stand up for her brother, making it sound to outsiders as though she was instructing an immature younger sister in the role of an older sister. Only Han Jiaojiao knew how suffocating and uncomfortable that felt.
“My brother has been recuperating at ho recently,” Han Jiaojiao politely answered her.
Qin Nanyi smiled softly, “So that’s it. We haven’t seen him around lately, and everyone thought he was caught up with company matters.”
Han Jiaojiao smiled faintly, “Taking care of his health, it’s certainly better not to see so unrelated people, as seeing them would just be a bother.”
Qin Nanyi was taken aback by the response, “…Ayi’s personality is indeed a bit reserved…”
Han Jiaojiao seemingly unaware, continued, “Sister Nanyi seems quite familiar with my brother? Then you must know very well, how much my brother detests being disturbed by others.”
Wasn’t that familiarity fake? Not even knowing her brother’s private phone number, yet always putting on an airs of closeness—truly nauseating! —Han Jiaojiao thought to herself.
Qin Nanyi’s smile beca more strained, as she felt each of Han Jiaojiao’s words seed to carry a barb. Changing the subject, she asked, “Did you see anything you liked today?”
Han Jiaojiao shook her head, “Doing good deeds, the thought is what counts. I plan to bid on a couple of things at random towards the end.” I certainly have my eye on sothing, your ring, to be precise, it’s just a pity you will never know of this ring’s existence.
“What are you two ladies chatting about?”
A tall and well-built middle-aged man approached, and Qin Nanyi greeted him with a ladylike smile, “Mr. Long.”
Han Jiaojiao thought to herself that this man must be here for Qin Nanyi; she knew all too well how popular Qin Nanyi was among n. Therefore, she smiled politely at the newcor and walked away.
After circling the venue, the large crowd confused her. The n, all dressed in suits and formal attire, looked nearly identical in her eyes, and Han Jiaojiao began to wonder if she suffered from prosopagnosia. Perhaps the person she was looking for had already arrived and she simply didn’t recognize them because they looked different from her mory?
Not seeing the person she expected to find, Han Jiaojiao felt sowhat agitated, feeling she was wasting her ti here.
Surprisingly, after making a round, she ran into that so-called Mr. Long again.
“Miss Han, it seems you don’t quite fancy ?” Long Yueze, holding a glass of wine, his mouth curled into a vaguely aningful smile, stood beside Han Jiaojiao.
Although the auction was still continuing, so people were already leaving to drink and chat at the buffet bar. As they stood there, they didn’t seem out of place.
However, Han Jiaojiao felt very awkward inside. She really had no good feelings for this kind of man, who at the age of forty still hits on teenage girls. Besides, for so reason, his gaze made her uncomfortable.
Was it an illusion?
In fact, she knew that ever since her rebirth, her ntality had beco sowhat extre, and she tended to think the worst of everyone she t. There was no helping it; it was a remnant of her experiences from her previous life, sothing she found difficult to change.
“You misunderstand, I’m simply not very good at interacting with strangers,” Han Jiaojiao strived to appear as natural and calm as possible.
Long Yueze’s smile grew deeper, and he stepped closer, saying, “It turns out Miss Han doesn’t rember , my apologies then.”
His sudden statent caught Han Jiaojiao off guard, but she genuinely couldn’t recall this person from her mory.
“… I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you, may I ask who you are?”
“Ah, no wonder, you were young back then, and your mother had not yet married into the Han Family,” Long Yueze spoke nonchalantly, his face showing no displeasure.
So he was an old friend of my mother…
Han Jiaojiao felt less resistant, and her smile beca a few shades more sincere. She reached out her hand with a smile, “How should I address you? … Uncle Long?”
Long Yueze took her hand and squeezed it subtly without leaving a trace, his words carrying a teasing note, “The years are cruel, huh? To be called uncle by such a beauty, it’s hard to tell if it’s my fortune or misfortune.”
Han Jiaojiao thought this person must be quite experienced in romance; such flirtatious words seed to slip out without thought.
Any slight positive impression she just had vanished. Han Jiaojiao attempted to withdraw her hand; fortunately, the other party did not make it difficult for her, releasing her hand almost imdiately and leaning in closer with a smile, whispering, “Miss Han has such nice skin.”
Han Jiaojiao felt awkward. She felt she should be annoyed, but the other person had always been very polite, even his words lingering on that delicate boundary line, as if they hovered in the grey area between sincere complint and barefaced flirtation. He was clearly adept at balancing on this line, teasing her, who was still a naive girl, with such ease.
“… You flatter , Mr. Long.”
Long Yueze raised an eyebrow, smiling at her, “Didn’t you just say to call Uncle Long?”
Han Jiaojiao bit her lip and remained silent. The man simply stood there, enjoying her embarrassnt.
Sotis it was so irritating. She wanted to walk away with a huff, but she felt choked by her pride, always wishing to win a verbal sparring match for a satisfying exit. Yet, as much as she was annoyed and in a rush, after much frustration, she didn’t know how to secure even one such victory.
As Han Jiaojiao was feeling dejected, a figure suddenly crossed her field of vision. Her face imdiately lit up with surprise, and even Long Yueze couldn’t help but follow her gaze—
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