Chapter Ten: Deliberate Seeds of Doubt

Bai Yu and the middle-aged man behind him were still refuting Zhao Fan’s earlier words. As the target of their objections, Zhao Fan remained perfectly calm, letting the two of them talk as much as they liked, only occasionally exchanging a few words with Yang Yujing.

The seats around them gradually filled, the noise in the hall swelling. At that moment, Bai Yu suddenly stood up. “Yujing, let me introduce you to someone.”

Yang Yujing instinctively turned her head. “Who?”

“A business heavyweight, very well known in Yangcheng.”

Without giving her a chance to object, Bai Yu took Yang Yujing by the hand and led her away.

Zhao Fan’s gaze shifted briefly, his eyes lingering on their departing figures for only a few seconds before he turned back to the auction catalogue.

A Song dynasty shadow-blue porcelain vase and a Ru kiln porcelain bowl—these two items he was determined to acquire.

Before long, Bai Yu returned with Yang Yujing, his pride almost visibly radiating from his face.

“Yujing, that gentleman is a great help to the Yang family’s business. If you accompany me to meet him a few more times, we might be able to negotiate some cooperation.”

“Thank you,” Yang Yujing replied, a faint smile at her lips. Her hair, though seemingly disheveled, was actually artfully arranged. She tucked a strand behind her ear and resumed her seat beside Zhao Fan.

Seeing this, Bai Yu gave a cold snort and immediately ignored Zhao Fan.

Ignorant country bumpkin, with nerves and patience to match—just wait until the auction ends, you’ll see what’s coming!

The auction began as the host walked onstage.

“Welcome, everyone, to today’s auction. I am your host, Dong Chen, and I will be guiding you through the proceedings…”

After his introduction, Dong Chen recited a series of rules and regulations.

Given that antiques were being auctioned, most people listened attentively and with patience.

Zhao Fan, even more so, committed every rule to memory, fearing that a single misstep might cost him a treasure of immeasurable value.

When it came to bidding, Zhao Fan glanced at the paddle beside him. To ensure every guest could participate, each chair had a bag hung on its back, containing a bidding number.

If one wished to bid, it was only necessary to raise the paddle; for special increments, a verbal call was required.

“These are the auction rules. Now, let’s welcome our first item, a modern…”

Dong Chen’s skillful hosting quickly invigorated the atmosphere in the room. As one antique after another appeared, the excitement steadily grew, more and more people joining in, the air thick with rising tension.

As the auction neared its midpoint, the Ru kiln porcelain bowl that Zhao Fan coveted was brought out.

“This porcelain bowl, after expert appraisal, is confirmed to be from the Ru kiln, though not an official piece…”

Dong Chen gave a brief introduction and then announced the starting price.

“Starting at one hundred thousand, with minimum increments of ten thousand. The bidding begins now!”

At his cue, bidders eagerly raised their paddles, and in the blink of an eye the price rose to two hundred thousand.

Zhao Fan frowned. Why was this bowl fetching a higher price than the Song dynasty shadow-blue vase had at its final bid? Should he go for it?

While he hesitated, the price climbed to three hundred thousand. At this point, only two or three bidders remained, their raises now modest compared to the earlier bold bids.

When the price reached four hundred thousand, one more bidder withdrew, leaving just two.

“Four hundred and ten thousand,” someone called out.

“Very well, a bid of four hundred and ten thousand. Any further offers?” Dong Chen asked.

Zhao Fan glanced over and noticed the other bidder had set his paddle down, and if he wasn’t mistaken, even the man who bid four hundred and ten thousand looked regretful.

Had he reconsidered?

As Zhao Fan looked back, he saw Yang Yujing was also glancing around, her face puzzled by the sudden drop in excitement.

Bai Yu whispered, “That Ru kiln bowl isn’t worth this much.”

Yang Yujing opened her mouth, wanting to ask more, but quickly restrained herself. This was not the right time to speak.

Zhao Fan stroked his chin, and as Dong Chen prepared to bring down the gavel, he raised his paddle. “Four hundred and twenty thousand.”

Yang Yujing turned to him in surprise. “Why did you—”

Not only Yang Yujing, but everyone nearby turned to look.

Meeting their collective gaze, Zhao Fan replied calmly, “It’s my first auction. I liked the look of that bowl, and the catalogue mentioned a Ru kiln porcelain bowl—it ought to be quite valuable, right?”

His unexpected move and candid remark left the hall in a hush, and almost everyone arrived at the same conclusion: clearly a novice, and an unthinking one at that.

Didn’t he notice that most hadn’t even bothered to bid? The host had mentioned it wasn’t an official piece, and genuine Ru kiln bowls with clear provenance had long since been snatched up by famous collectors. Anything appearing at an event like this was almost certainly a fake, so those in the know were wary of making a move.

Seeing no further bids, Dong Chen decisively brought down the hammer.

“Four hundred and twenty thousand, sold to bidder number eighty-five.”

Eighty-five—the number on Zhao Fan’s paddle.

With the porcelain bowl secured, people’s attention quickly shifted as Dong Chen introduced the next item: a bracelet once worn by an imperial consort.

Zhao Fan showed no particular interest; after all, a consort from the palace was naturally of high rank, and what kind of jewelry she wore was only to be expected.

But others in the room looked baffled. What was this auction doing? Even bracelets now, and this one was obviously of modern origin—could it really be called an antique?

First a dubious porcelain bowl, now a random bracelet—it was all rather…

“Don’t be too quick to dismiss this piece, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, it’s a modern bracelet, but it features an exceptionally rare Imperial Green gemstone…” Dong Chen signaled for the attendant to carry the tray around the room.

Zhao Fan glanced at the bracelet, noting the large gemstone; not being an expert, he had no idea whether it truly was Imperial Green.

“The Imperial Consort’s bracelet, starting bid fifty thousand, with minimum increments of five thousand. Bidding begins!”

The title alone—Imperial Consort’s bracelet—was eye-catching enough to pique the interest of every woman in the room. So, despite not being a priceless antique, the item drew plenty of bids, especially as many guests had brought female companions.

“Eighty thousand.”

“Ninety thousand.”

“One hundred thousand!”

“…”

“Two hundred thousand!”

The sudden leap in price stunned the room, and everyone looked around to see who had called out the figure.

Zhao Fan looked directly at Bai Yu, puzzled by the young heir’s decision to bid for the bracelet.

Standing up with a smile, Bai Yu announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am Bai Yu, of the Bai family. I hope you’ll do me the honor of letting this bracelet go to me, so I may present it to the one I cherish.”

At the mention of the Bai family and his beloved, the entire hall fell silent.