Ye Wan pressed her lips together, watching Gu Yunting and Yan Jiayi. Lin Zehan asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Ye Wan replied, turning back to him with a smile, though she herself didn't realize how strained it was.
Lin Zehan frowned. "If there's anything you like, tell me, and brother will buy it for you."
This was the only comfort he could offer the girl beside him.
The charity auction continued in full swing. Those who came were drawn by the reputation of charity, so they were not stingy with their money, and each item was auctioned for several times its price.
Ye Wan suddenly felt that this seemingly high-class charity auction gala wasn't that interesting.
The organizers presented the final item for auction: a ruby crown. It was a classic design, with brilliant, tiny diamonds encrusted with five pigeon-blood rubies. The center one was the largest, with the ones on either side progressively smaller. This crown instantly captured the attention of all the women present.
It was just... so beautiful!
Under the lights, it shimmered and gleamed, dazzlingly lovely.
All the women in attendance looked at the crown with excitement, longing to take it home.
The host began to describe the origin of the crown. It turned out to be a crown worn by a queen of a certain country during her coronation. No wonder it was so beautiful and eye-catching. The starting bid was eighty million!
Ye Wan was also captivated by the beautiful crown, her eyes fixed on the crown protected by a display case on the stage.
"If you like it, I'll bid for it," Lin Zehan said.
"Ah? Please don't. Eighty million could sustain me for many lifetimes. I can't eat or wear this! I don't want it." Ye Wan quickly shook her head.
Gu Yunting had bought her rings, necklaces, and watches, each of them expensive. She felt he was already extravagant enough. Buying this crown would mean it could only be displayed, which was completely unnecessary.
To Ye Wan, eighty million was an astronomical sum, yet people still bid. Each bid increased by ten million, and soon the crown's price reached one hundred and fifty million. [Da Feng Novel Network]
The host asked if there were any more bids. The audience began to whisper. Seeing this, the host started the countdown. The last bidder smiled. When the final hammer fell, Gu Yunting raised his placard and said in a clear, cold voice, "Two hundred million!"
This was a jump of fifty million. The venue fell silent. Everyone was thinking that Gu Yunting truly doted on his new girlfriend, spending two hundred million on a crown just to make the beauty smile!
Yan Jiayi was also very excited. She turned to the man beside her, her eyes full of affection, and said something to Gu Yunting with a shy smile.
Watching that scene, Ye Wan's hands on her lap unconsciously tightened, finally clenching into fists. It wasn't until Lin Zehan called her that she realized her fingernails had dug into her flesh.
It seemed Gu Yunting really liked Yan Jiayi, that woman who had caused her Xiao Jinbao's death. Otherwise, why would he spend two hundred million on a crown worth only tens of millions, just to win a smile?
After the auction segment, everyone returned to the banquet hall. The hall was filled with the scent of perfume and the glint of wine, a scene of extravagance. Yan Jiayi, due to Gu Yunting's favor, had become the absolute protagonist of the event.
Ye Wan no longer wanted to stay. She excused herself, saying she was going to the restroom. As she came out of the restroom, she saw Yan Jiayi, who had also come to use the facilities.
"Miss Ye, you're here at the auction too. What did you bid on?" Yan Jiayi asked deliberately.