If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 11
Chapter 11: The Third Day
The jade used for this piece had contained many impurities and, compared to other auction items, wasn't considered high quality.
However, through the master jade carver’s skillful design, the impurities had been incorporated, the resulting blend of green and white jade carved into a lily-of-the-valley planter, complete with a delicate little deer looking up to sniff the flowers.
Its value lay entirely in the exquisite craftsmanship.
The starting price of 900,000 was already quite high, and anything over 1.2 million would be excessive. The auction house had included it to liven up the atmosphere, intending to showcase the main attraction later.
No one expected the two people who had remained silent throughout the auction to suddenly start a bidding war over it.
Many in the auction hall turned to look at them.
“1,600,000,” Ji Mushan bid.
“1,800,000,” Cheng Liu countered.
He Bai, seeing Cheng Liu from his seat, was about to stand up and go to her when his sister stopped him: “Don’t interfere during the auction.”
He Bai hesitated for a moment, then sat back down.
“2,000,000.” Ji Mushan turned to Cheng Liu, his tone softening. “CEO Cheng, I’ve had my eye on this piece for a while. Would you mind conceding?”
Cheng Liu raised her paddle, bringing the bid to 3,000,000, and then shook her head: “CEO Ji, I’m sorry, but I believe in fair competition.” She was giving this gift to her boyfriend tonight!
“…”
Ji Mushan had come to this auction specifically for the Jade Lily-of-the-Valley Deer Planter. He hadn't expected Cheng Liu to suddenly appear and compete for the same item.
The frown lines between his eyebrows deepened, and his aura turned sharp.
Cheng Liu was undeterred, pointing at the planter: “CEO Ji, it’s rare for me to spend money. I’m determined to have this.”
Ji Mushan said no more, looking away and raising his paddle: “4,000,000.”
Gasps arose from the audience, and everyone turned to look at them. A battle had begun.
This was a charity auction with a social element. All the arrangements were designed for networking and socializing. There was an unspoken rule.
Except for the yet-to-be-revealed highlight of the auction, most people would deliberately avoid competing. If someone raised their bid multiple times, it meant they truly wanted the item, and others would back down.
No one expected a bidding war to erupt over an ordinary jade planter.
Whispers spread through the auction hall.
“Is there bad blood between CEO Ji of Tianqi Automobile and CEO Cheng of Shenyin Technology?”
“I haven’t heard anything. There shouldn’t be any connection between them, right?”
“Isn't Shenyin collaborating with that established automobile company in G City? Is this about that?”
“Doesn't seem like it.”
The auctioneer on stage was about to bring the gavel down for the second time: “4,000,000 going twice. Are there any…”
“5,200,000.” Cheng Liu raised her paddle, interrupting him, not only competing with CEO Ji but also choosing a special number.
Ji Mushan glanced at her, thinking coldly: So impulsive, typical of young people.
But then he seemed to recall something, and the frown lines between his eyebrows softened slightly.
Just then, Li Dong, who was sitting in front, excused himself from his wife, hurried over, pulled up a chair, and sat behind them, whispering, “Any higher and you’ll be going overboard. The main attraction hasn’t even appeared yet. You’re embarrassing everyone.”
If the winning bid for this item exceeded that of the highlight, it would make the entire auction look bad.
“CEO Ji,” Li Dong pleaded, “CEO Cheng is young and impetuous. Don’t take it to heart. It’s just a jade planter. Let’s not ruin the atmosphere.”
Ji Mushan remained silent. He had come specifically for the Jade Lily-of-the-Valley Deer Planter. Money wasn’t an issue for him.
“If you really like it, CEO Ji, I know the master jade carver. I can commission a custom piece for you. I just heard that he recently acquired a piece of high-quality jade. Four million would be enough.” Li Dong looked at the Jade Lily-of-the-Valley Deer Planter and added, “And the master said that the jade is perfect for carving flowers and plants.”
“This is the jade he has.” Li Dong pulled up a photo from his WeChat chat history. “Take a look, CEO Ji. I commissioned a jade ornament from him before, and it didn’t take long. If you want to give it to your son as a birthday gift, it will definitely be ready in time.”
The jade in the photo was indeed beautiful.
Finally, Ji Mushan put down his bidding paddle: “Mr. Li, would you mind sending me his WeChat contact information?”
Li Dong immediately shared the jade carver’s WeChat contact with Ji Mushan: “I’ve already spoken to him. Just tell him what you want carved.”
After adding the contact, Ji Mushan put away his phone, stood up, and looked down at CEO Cheng: “Young people are so arrogant.” With that, he walked out of the auction hall.
Cheng Liu twirled the bidding paddle in her hand, unfazed.
The auctioneer on stage brought the gavel down for the final time, announcing that Cheng Liu had successfully won the Jade Lily-of-the-Valley Deer Planter.
Li Dong, watching Ji Mushan leave, breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head at Cheng Liu: “CEO Cheng, you owe me one.”
Cheng Liu took the documents and pen from the auction staff, quickly signed her name, and turned to Li Dong: “Thank you for your help today, Mr. Li.”
“Don’t mention it.” Li Dong asked curiously, “Do you really have a boyfriend?”
“We’ve been dating for six months,” Cheng Liu said without hesitation.
Li Dong was surprised: “Six months? I’ve never seen you post anything about him on your Moments.” Given her behavior yesterday and today, there was no way he would have missed it.
Cheng Liu averted her gaze and coughed: “Well, now you know.”
“But seriously,” Li Dong said, giving her a thumbs up, “You’re more successful than I was at your age.”
When he was her age, courting his wife, he wouldn’t have been able to spend five million on a gift.
As expected of CEO Cheng!
“But Mr. Li, how did you know CEO Ji was buying the gift for his son’s birthday?” Cheng Liu asked.
She hadn’t seen Li Dong talking to Ji Mushan.
“Oh, Ji Mushan goes to great lengths every year to choose a birthday gift for his son. Everyone knows that,” Li Dong said, slapping his thigh.
“I see…” Cheng Liu wasn't interested in other people’s gossip and didn't ask further.
Just then, He Bai walked over and sat down in Ji Mushan’s former seat, his face grim. “Cheng Liu, you spent five million on this?”
He hadn’t expected her to go this far.
Cheng Liu opened the first page of the auction catalog and pointed to a paragraph, saying casually, “The extra amount will be considered a charitable donation.”
She had already read through the entire catalog. This was a charity auction. The base price of each item went to the consignor, 90% of the amount exceeding the base price would be donated, and the remaining 10% went to the auction house.
This was the main reason why everyone at the auction refrained from competing fiercely.
Cheng Liu didn’t think the money was wasted. Other CEOs casually spent millions on cars, watches, or other expensive hobbies.
But she had never had any extravagant hobbies. Apart from business expenses, the money in her bank account had barely been touched in recent years.
It was just a gift for her boyfriend. Besides, the extra money was going to charity. She didn't mind spending it.
“…But doing this will offend CEO Ji.” He Bai pushed up his glasses, resuming his chief assistant persona. “If you’re considering collaborating with an automobile company in S City, Tianqi is one of the potential candidates.”
Cheng Liu leaned back, unconcerned: “If CEO Ji really mixes business with personal matters, Tianqi wouldn't have achieved its current scale.”
Business was business. As for personal matters…she and Ji Mushan were practically strangers. There was nothing to be afraid of.
“…”
He Bai had to admit that Cheng Liu had a point. Ji Mushan wasn’t someone who mixed business with personal matters.
“I’ll be going now.” Li Dong patted Cheng Liu on the shoulder. “To repay me, you’ll have to bring your boyfriend along next time you treat me to dinner.”
The middle-aged man’s thirst for gossip was insatiable!
“Deal,” Cheng Liu readily agreed. “I’ll even invite you to my wedding, Mr. Li.”
Li Dong’s eyes lit up: “It’s a promise then.”
After Li Dong left, He Bai finally snapped out of his daze: “Wedding?”
Had she and Wang Hongyang progressed to that stage already?
“It’s still early days,” Cheng Liu said, waving her hand dismissively. Her boyfriend was still angry with her. She hadn’t even dared to hold his hand, let alone talk about marriage.
He Bai’s tense heart relaxed. She must have just said that casually to Li Dong.
“I won’t be attending the auction dinner,” Cheng Liu said, standing up. “I’m going to complete the paperwork and collect the item.”
“…Alright.” He Bai couldn't leave; his sister wanted him to stay.
Cheng Liu followed the auction staff to handle the paperwork for immediate collection, a somewhat tedious process that would take several hours.
…
In the Ranshan R&D lab, Ji Chaozhou, wearing a white lab coat and clear protective goggles, held a dropper, carefully adding drops of liquid into a petri dish.
As the various essences mixed, a fragrance began to emanate from the petri dish.
Ji Chaozhou sniffed it once, then put it down, picked up his notebook, and crossed out the formula with a red pen.
The notebook was filled with pages of formulas crossed out in red ink, all failed perfume blends.
After crossing out an entire page and using up all the extracted essences, Ji Chaozhou finally put everything down, went out to change back into his own clothes, and prepared to leave.
He had left his phone in his coat pocket. He only took it out to check it when he was about to leave.
Ji Mushan: [picture.jpg Do you like this jade planter?]
The message had been sent at 2 pm.
Ji Chaozhou put his phone back in his pocket without replying.
It was so late now. Whether he replied or not, Ji Mushan would have already bought it.
When Ji Chaozhou arrived home, it was already 9 pm. He was covered in the various scents from the lab, not a pleasant smell for someone with a sensitive nose.
He spent an hour in the shower, washing away all the lingering fragrances.
As soon as he stepped out, the doorbell rang.
He frowned slightly, walked to the door, and opened it, only to see the bodyguard, Number Six, holding a wooden crate.
Ji Chaozhou was stunned: “What are you doing here?”
“A gift. See if you like it,” Cheng Liu said, subtly tilting her head up, afraid of another nosebleed.
She hadn't expected to see her boyfriend fresh out of the shower when he opened the door. He was wearing white cotton pajamas, his hair still wet and dripping water. The shoulders of his pajamas were damp, clinging to his skin.
Instead of the scent of shower gel, her boyfriend smelled faintly of bitter coffee, mixed with the moist scent of water. Cheng Liu found it incredibly appealing.
Ji Chaozhou’s gaze swept over the auction house label on the wooden crate, not surprised.
He hadn’t replied to the message, so Ji Mushan had bought it, as expected.
Ji Chaozhou wouldn't make things difficult for a bodyguard. He stepped aside: “Come in.”
Entering his home for the second time, Cheng Liu felt a surge of joy. She turned to her boyfriend and asked, “Where should I put this?”
Ji Chaozhou pointed to a corner: “There.”
The procedures for collecting auction items were complicated, and Cheng Liu had waited from afternoon till evening. But after putting down the crate and seeing her boyfriend fresh out of the shower, she hesitated for a moment and asked, “Are you about to go to bed?”
Ji Chaozhou nodded: “You can go back now.”
It was past 10 pm, and she had a child at home, so he hadn't asked her to return the gift to Ji Mushan.
“…Okay. Goodnight then.” Cheng Liu turned to leave, glancing back at her boyfriend before closing the door.
Strange. Why didn’t her boyfriend seem happy at all?
Was he too tired from work?
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