On the stage, the painting framed in golden nanmu wood featured only a simple black-and-white palette.
“This painting is the work of the soul artist Xiao Xingxing from ten years ago. As everyone knows, Xiao Xingxing mysteriously stopped painting three years ago. Queen Beneath the Umbrella is her final masterpiece before she vanished from the art world.”
Surprised murmurs immediately spread through the audience.
“I know of this Xiao Xingxing. Even though no one’s ever seen the artist in person, almost every painting sells for millions, sometimes even tens of millions. Many art collectors treasure the works.”
“I know! My grandfather owns one of Xiao Xingxing’s paintings too. I think it’s called Mermaid in the Sea. I don’t know much about art, but my grandfather used to only collect traditional landscape paintings. That mermaid painting is the odd one out in his entire collection.”
“Then why don’t you bid on this one for your grandfather? Hahaha.”
“I actually might!”
“…”
The crowd buzzed with excitement as the auctioneer continued speaking.
“The starting bid for Queen Beneath the Umbrella is two million.”
“Three million!”
Someone immediately raised a paddle, increasing the bid by a full million.
“Three million one hundred thousand.”
“Three million five hundred thousand.”
“…”
Only then did Shen Nanyue snap out of her daze at the sight of the familiar painting.
Raising her slender hand, she lifted her bidding paddle.
“Five million.”
“Five million and ten thousand.”
The voice came from behind her.
Chen Mu raised his paddle while Lin Siwan bent down close to Shen Nanyue’s ear and whispered softly,
“Sorry, Sister. You know I’ve always loved artistic things since I was little. I really want Xiao Xingxing’s painting. I’d like to take it home and hang it in my room to admire every day, so why don’t you let me have it?”
No matter how Lin Siwan had provoked or framed her before, Shen Nanyue had never cared.
But now, facing the final painting An’an had left behind—the only clue that could lead her to An’an—and still having Lin Siwan jumping around in front of her…
A wave of irritation surged inside her.
Although she was the daughter of the Shen family and appeared wealthy on the surface, she personally only had a few million in savings.
Today, she had brought only eight million in total.
She raised her paddle again.
“Six million.”
“Six million and ten thousand.”
“Seven million.”
“Seven million and ten thousand.”
“Eight million.”
“Eight million and ten thousand.”
No matter what amount she called, the mocking voice behind her would immediately follow, increasing it by exactly ten thousand every single time.
Shen Nanyue’s face darkened.
Never before had she wanted to hit someone so badly.
“Eight million and ten thousand. Any higher bids?”
The auctioneer smiled and looked around the hall.
The room fell silent.
“Eight million and ten thousand, going once.”
Shen Nanyue gripped her bidding paddle tightly, storm clouds gathering in her expression.
“Eight million and ten thousand, going twice—”
Seeing the auctioneer about to bring the hammer down, Shen Nanyue clenched her teeth, preparing to bid again.
At worst, she would borrow some money from Zhu Yuan later.
Suddenly, warmth covered the back of her hand.
The next second, Zhou Yushen held her hand as he raised the paddle.
In his deep, magnetic voice, he spoke words carrying immense pressure.
“Twenty million.”
Shen Nanyue could practically hear the collective gasp in the room.
Including her own.
Annoyed, she tried to pull her hand back, but Zhou Yushen held it firmly, giving her a reassuring smile at the same time.
Lowering her voice, she whispered,
“Why did you raise it that much? I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Relax, I do. Young Master Zhou gave me a black card.”
“…Didn’t he only let you spend up to ten million?”
“It’s fine. He won’t care about another ten million.”
Shen Nanyue pursed her lips tightly, her hand curling into a fist, her face full of reluctance.
Zhou Yushen’s fingers shifted from holding her hand to intertwining with it, his warm fingertips lightly scratching against her palm.
“Don’t you want this painting? Or do you want to watch those two villains gloat behind you?”
Instinctively, Shen Nanyue turned to look at Chen Mu and Lin Siwan behind her.
Both of their expressions had changed dramatically.
Lin Siwan was clearly suppressing her anger while still pretending to appear gentle and graceful.
As for Chen Mu, his face had completely darkened, his warning gaze fixed directly on Shen Nanyue.
“Shen Nanyue, think carefully. Twenty million. How long do you think it’ll take you to pay that back?”
He lowered his voice in warning.
He had perfectly grasped Shen Nanyue’s dislike of owing favors to others.
Shen Nanyue frowned.
Twenty million really was an outrageous amount.
“Just treat it as me earning an extra ten million from you. Besides, I didn’t spend any of my own money anyway.”
Zhou Yushen’s quiet voice drifted over, making Shen Nanyue shoot him a faint glare.
True enough—the money belonged to Young Master Zhou.
This investment banker standing before her hadn’t actually spent a cent himself.
If she paid him back later, he would essentially pocket twenty million in cash for free.
What a profit!
As expected of someone with a talent for making money.
The conflict in Shen Nanyue’s heart instantly subsided.
Meanwhile, the auctioneer was still asking if anyone wanted to bid higher.
There weren’t many art enthusiasts in the audience, and no one was willing to spend tens of millions on a painting they couldn’t even appreciate.
Even as an investment, it wasn’t considered as worthwhile as diamonds or jewelry.
Shen Nanyue turned to look at Chen Mu.
“Young Master Chen, are you still bidding?”
Chen Mu’s face shifted between green and red.
He hadn’t officially taken over the company yet.
The money he had access to was merely an allowance from his family.
After spending several million on jewelry for Lin Siwan earlier, there was no way he could suddenly produce another twenty million.
So he simply sat there with a livid face, unable to say a word.
Shen Nanyue had been holding in her frustration for a long time, and now she finally found an outlet for it.
She glanced at him disdainfully and said flatly,
“Trash.”
After saying that, she turned away, no longer looking at the nearly exploding expression behind her.
At that moment, the auctioneer finished the countdown and finalized the ownership of the painting.
After the auction ended, the guests were each escorted to private rooms to collect their purchases.
Shen Nanyue and Zhou Yushen followed the auctioneer into a luxurious room.
After payment was completed and the painting handed over, Shen Nanyue looked at the auctioneer.
“Can you tell me where this painting came from?”
The auctioneer smiled politely.
“This painting was brought in by a collector three months ago. He seemed to have run into some trouble and urgently needed money, so he consigned quite a few items for auction.”
“Could you give me the collector’s contact information?”
“Of course.”
The auctioneer took out his phone, searched for a moment, then gave Shen Nanyue the collector’s number.
After thanking him, Shen Nanyue left together with Zhou Yushen.
As they were leaving, Zhou Yushen answered a phone call.
Shen Nanyue waited for him by the car.
At that moment, Chen Mu hurried over alone, his face dark.
Shen Nanyue was leaning against the car door, looking at her phone while waiting for Zhou Yushen.
Suddenly, someone appeared in front of her, startling her so badly she nearly threw her phone at him like a brick.
“What are you doing?”
She glared at him irritably, her face full of displeasure.
Chen Mu grabbed Shen Nanyue’s wrist, his expression ugly, faint worry hidden in his eyes.
“Shen Nanyue, you have to separate from Zhou Yushen!”
Shen Nanyue forcefully shook off his hand, her tone sharp.
“Who are you to interfere in my business? If you want to control someone, go manage Lin Siwan. Don’t come here getting in my way.”
Seeing her attitude only made Chen Mu angrier.
He let out a cold snort, his voice dripping with mockery.
“Shen Nanyue! Just to climb into the Zhou family, you’re willing to flatter even an illegitimate son? You really have no shame!”
— The end of the Chapter–
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