Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Donation Item

“The auction is about to begin,” Si Jin Nan said. “Miss Qiao, please.”

He extended his hand with effortless elegance, inviting the stunning cheongsam beauty beside him.

For a moment, the image was almost too beautiful—so beautiful it clashed with the rumors that followed them like shadows.

One was an actress who had survived in the entertainment industry through waves of black fame.

The other was the notorious playboy of a prestigious family, a name every upper circle in Cloud City recognized.

No matter how you looked at it, these two shouldn’t have fit.

Yet they exchanged smiles and entered the elevator side by side.

The auction was held on the seventh floor of the hotel. By the time they arrived, the charity venue was already crowded with nobles from prominent families, the air thick with perfume, money, and quiet competition.

“Good evening,” an attendant said, bowing slightly. “Your seats are this way.”

As if someone had already informed them, he led them straight through the venue to their assigned seats.

Qiao Qing Yan leaned her cheek into one hand and lazily scanned the auction list.

Beside her, Si Jin Nan said, “Most of the items on that list were prepared in advance by the Ji family. Anyone in Cloud City trying to curry favor with them will definitely bid on something and take it home.”

He glanced at her. “Do you see anything you like?”

Qiao Qing Yan stopped flipping the pages and turned her head to look at him.

In the deep blue suit, his sharp profile and sculpted features were striking. If not for his reputation, the number of young ladies chasing him might not have been less than the ones chasing Xu Zhong Qin.

Si Jin Nan met her eyes. “Hm? Miss Qiao…”

Then, as if remembering something, he added quickly, “Don’t worry. I won’t make you pay for it yourself. Consider it my apology for what happened earlier.”

Qiao Qing Yan’s gaze didn’t shift. “Si Jin Nan,” she asked, voice calm, “do you still want your own things back?”

His heart lurched.

His eyes widened—just for a split second, fast enough that most people wouldn’t have caught it.

Qiao Qing Yan caught it.

And yet her expression remained unchanged, as if she’d asked something as ordinary as Are you hungry? Have you eaten?

She didn’t press for his answer. Instead, she rose smoothly to her feet.

“Could I trouble Young Master Si to come with me?” she said.

Si Jin Nan wanted to refuse.

His body followed her anyway.

—

Backstage, the staff member stared at the tray as if it had suddenly grown teeth.

“Miss… you’re sure it’s this necklace?”

He had watched with his own eyes as the woman removed the necklace from her neck and placed it onto the red cloth.

Against that red, the grandmother green gemstone looked even more dazzling, almost unreal.

He wasn’t a professional appraiser, but he knew enough about jewelry to understand—

This quality was not something that belonged in an ordinary life.

“Miss, this…” he began, hesitating.

“It can,” Qiao Qing Yan said simply.

The staff member swallowed the rest of his words. He had some insight, but he didn’t dare to claim certainty about its value.

A few minutes later, an old man in a Zhongshan suit hurried in. The moment his eyes landed on the necklace, he stopped short.

“This…”

His gaze shifted sharply to Si Jin Nan standing off to the side. “Young Master Si— is this yours?”

Si Jin Nan shook his head. “No. It’s Miss Qiao’s.”

Only then did the old man turn his full attention to the woman beside him.

Early twenties, cheongsam, posture like a well-bred young lady from a prominent family. Yet the surname—

Qiao.

Whether in the Capital, Cloud City, or Yan Jing, he’d never heard of such a family.

He didn’t dare be careless. He took out his tools and began appraising with solemn focus.

Minutes passed.

Finally, he straightened and reached for his personal seal.