The young woman’s complexion was rosy, her dark hair casually tucked behind her ears, revealing the delicate curves of her earlobes. The cool white light shone directly into her lifted eyes, which gleamed like a bright, untouchable moon in the distant sky.

The corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, and within their shimmering depths, his reflection was clearly visible.

Lin Zhiyu called out the highest bid for the current auction item without hesitation. She then turned to observe his expression, searching for any trace of displeasure at her bold offer.

Shen Yanli was staring intently at her. Their gazes met mid-air, his profound eyes seeming to burn through her clear, transparent stare.

A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips as he reached out, wrapping an arm around her slender waist to pull her closer. Only after she was securely seated on the sofa did he leisurely reassure her, “Well done.”

There was no hint of regret in his voice over the substantial sum of money spent.

Hearing Shen Yanli’s affirmation, Lin Zhiyu couldn’t help but admire him even more.

Truly worthy of being a big shot he had the right attitude!

In her heart, Shen Yanli’s image grew even more impressive.

From then on, she felt no burden in raising bids. She was determined to uphold his reputation with confidence.

After all, it wasn’t her money being spent. Though she felt a twinge of guilt after placing such high bids, since the master of the funds showed no concern, she saw no reason to hold back.

Lin Zhiyu’s fingertips tapped lightly on the sofa where Shen Yanli couldn’t see, a subtle smile playing on her lips. Her expression was radiant and unguarded, her thoughts completely transparent.

Downstairs, the crowd was still reeling from the shock of the five-million bid when the follow-up offer of ten million instantly caused an uproar.

The guaranteed valuation for this piece of land was eight million. The ten-million bid had only escalated the auction to its climax, forcing many bidders with insufficient funds to gradually withdraw from the competition.

Chu Shiyi had always been curious about those who opposed her. Unable to spot anyone from her window, she beckoned her assistant and said, “Find out who’s in the neighboring room.”

The City South Auction House maintained strict confidentiality regarding the identities of guests in private rooms. A nearby staff member politely reminded her, “Miss, our policy prohibits inquiring about the identities of guests in private rooms. Please reconsider your instructions to your assistant.”

Chu Shiyi lifted her eyelids slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face at the admonition. Remembering her father’s warnings, she suppressed her irritation and refrained from further confrontation.

Bidding continued outside, with increments growing increasingly steep until only a handful of participants remained.

“Twenty-three million,” called out the sole bidder from the general seating area, gritting his teeth as he pushed his final limit.

Before the auctioneer could lower his gavel, Private Room No. 5, where Chu Shiyi was seated, called out again, “Thirty-five million.”

This bid drew all eyes from the first floor upward. The crowd erupted into noisy discussions, the atmosphere electric with disbelief.

“Are they insane? Thirty-five million? Even with money, you can’t just throw it away like that.”

“This is several times over the estimated value. If policies don’t fall into place, how much would they stand to lose?”

“Even if policies don’t align, this land is so close to the city center. Developing a few residential projects would easily recoup the costs.”

“But spending money so recklessly? Thirty-five million could fund so many other projects.”

“Will such a huge investment even pay off? Who on earth is upstairs?”

The bidder from the general seating area, persuaded by those around him, reluctantly gave up any thought of raising his offer again.

For this piece of land, he had only prepared thirty million. Given more time, he could have scraped together a bit more.

But his capabilities and connections were limited. Even if he won the bid, he alone couldn’t recoup the investment. Instead, he’d have to share the land and bear the risk of losses.

Inside the private booth, Chu Shiyi looked at Lu Yuchen with surprise.

She had investigated Lu Yuchen before. He was known for playing it safe, never reaching for things beyond his grasp.

Having just returned to the Shen family, he had neither a foundation nor sufficient funds. It made sense for him to act cautiously. Since he hadn’t intended to target Lingyang Land, he should have kept his funds to secure Hongzhou.

The bidding was nearing its end. One careless move, and he would actually have to pay thirty-five million. She glanced at Lu Yuchen, wondering what he was scheming.

Lu Yuchen could feel Chu Shiyi’s questioning gaze. Slowly, he set down his glass. The ice cubes clinked softly against the sides, and he watched silently as the ripples in the drink gradually settled.

The bidding style from the neighboring booth felt strangely familiar this reckless, money-flaunting approach was just like Shen Yanli’s. He couldn’t help but recall the humiliation he suffered that night at Everlasting Celestial Mountain Manor.

Because of that, he lost the massive support of the Wang family. The thought darkened Lu Yuchen’s eyes, his gaze turning grim and hostile.

Sure enough, a bid came from the neighboring booth.

“Forty million.”

Not a penny more, not a penny less exactly fifty more than his offer.

The bid seemed to confirm his suspicions. He rubbed his thumb against his index finger, his eyes shadowed like gathering storm clouds, and smiled ambiguously.

The bidding continued to climb. As it progressed, the increments grew smaller, and fewer participants remained.

In the end, only two bidders were left. Booth Four seemed determined to win at any cost, while Booth Eight was on the verge of giving up.

Seeing no further bids, the auctioneer scanned the room and began the final procedure.

“Bidder from Booth Four offers sixty-eight million. Any higher bids?”

“Sixty-eight million, once.” She paused. “Sixty-eight million, twice. Will Booth Eight continue bidding?”

The room fell into absolute silence. At this critical moment, everyone’s attention was intensely focused, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Despite his extensive experience, Shen Yanli couldn’t help but glance at the young woman beside him. She leaned back on the sofa, swinging her legs idly, showing no trace of regret over the exorbitant bid she had placed.

Her calm expression radiated confidence.

Feeling his gaze, Lin Zhiyu looked up and stared directly at him. After a moment of thought, she spoke.

Her soft voice reached his ears, laced with a challenge meant for him: “Will you pay for me?”

The boldness of her words took everyone by surprise. For a moment, the people in the room held their breath.

Having worked here for years and witnessed countless scenes, none compared to this.

Under normal circumstances, a woman who recklessly bid like this would have been slapped long before things reached this point. Yet not only had she remained seated until the end, she now acted as though she were detached, dumping the entire mess onto the man.

Shen Yanli showed no anger. He wasn’t even startled; instead, the smile in his eyes remained undiminished. Without hesitation, he replied to her unexpected question: “Of course.”

A collective gasp echoed through the room. After waiting half a day for the man’s response, no one expected this outcome. Their gazes toward Lin Zhiyu shifted from astonishment to envy.

Lin Zhiyu stared fixedly at him, as if scrutinizing the authenticity of his words.

The man didn’t evade her gaze in the slightest, allowing her to dissect his heart and lay his blood-soaked sincerity bare before her eyes.

“Seventy million!”

The urgent bidding from the neighboring room shattered the indescribable tension between them. Instantly, her eyebrows arched triumphantly, radiating the joy of victory.

Hearing the expected bid, Lin Zhiyu’s voice lifted with a rising inflection. “Seems it won’t be necessary. Someone’s picking up the tab for us.”

Her radiant smile lingered before him, her voice melting like honey in his heart, filling every crevice completely.

Until the gavel fell, Room Four remained completely silent. The Lingyang Land was finally sold to the buyer in Room Five for seventy million.

Even when staff entered with the contract, Lu Yuchen remained distracted. Only when prompted did he slowly regain focus, his eyes filled with disbelief at having successfully secured this land.

Why? Wasn’t it supposed to be Shen Yanli?

Why didn’t he continue bidding?

Had the information been leaked? Or… was the Chu family playing tricks?

Coming back to himself, he looked toward Chu Shiyi. The woman sat on the sofa raising an eyebrow at him, her eyes overflowing with undisguised schadenfreude.

She lifted her wine glass in a mock toast to him.

She thought her father was wrong.

Lu Yuchen was just a hot-headed young man who acted on impulse, not even comparable to her who had minimal business experience.

What right did such a man have to claim her lifelong happiness?

Seeing him still dazed, she “kindly” reminded the long-waiting staff: “Young Master Lu, aren’t you going to sign?”

“Perhaps there are difficulties? Feel free to share with us we might be able to help.”

Her hypocritical expression right before him made his hidden palm beneath the tea table clench repeatedly.

The auction house staff, experienced in reading people, grew alarmed at Lu Yuchen’s hesitation to sign and reached for his walkie-talkie to call for backup.

Before he could speak, Lu Yuchen forcibly swallowed his anger, picked up the pen, and signed his name in one fluid motion at the contract’s end before casually tossing it onto the table, letting it roll toward the floor.

As long as the signature was secured, the staff resumed his respectful demeanor, silently retrieving the pen before quietly exiting the room.

Lu Yuchen strode to the front and looked toward the neighboring room. The box’s sheer curtains had been drawn, completely obscuring the interior view.

The confirmation he sought remained elusive.

His appearance caught the attention of sharp-eyed observers downstairs.

“So he’s the buyer from Room Five. This young Master Lu is truly unfathomable seventy million for just this piece of land? How extravagant.”

“Seems we shouldn’t underestimate him after all. He’s not as useless as rumors suggest.”

“Can we be sure it’s him? Miss Chu is here too maybe the Chu family made the purchase.”

“Given their current relationship, does it matter whether it’s the Chu or Shen family? It all ends up in Lu Yuchen’s hands anyway.”

“A piece of land fetching seventy million regardless of anything else, this level of money-burning is truly unmatched.”

“If the one at the old residence finds out, who knows what they’ll think? This piece of land could turn upside down and still not be worth seventy million. Just wait and see it’s guaranteed to be a huge loss.”

The scattered noises from downstairs did not disturb the lively expression of the young woman in the private room.

“How about that? Am I impressive?” She was seeking praise from him.

Shen Yanli smiled faintly beside her. Lin Zhiyu never bothered to conceal her emotions in front of him.

His deep, pleasant voice generously rewarded her: “Mm, impressive. Zhi Zhi is amazing.”

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