Awkwardness

After successfully winning the bid for the ancient pearl earrings, Tang Qianmiao busied herself playing a simple yet amusing mobile game—Snake, to pass the time.

In a short span, her little snake devoured the latest batch of opponents, then circled the arena, trapping all her rivals within its domain, leaving them to fight amongst themselves, while she leisurely decided when to claim the spoils.

Suddenly, someone nudged her arm, causing her thumb to swipe the screen. Her snake's head crashed into a wall, instantly dying.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze, her eyes casting sharp daggers at her clueless teammate.

Black Chicken quickly put on a nervous grin. "B-boss, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to show you..."

Following his gesture, Tang Qianmiao's gaze landed on the auction stage.

At this moment, the auctioneer was introducing the next item—

"This perfume, *Butterfly Whisper*, is a prize-winning creation by Miss Lin Wenyu, awarded second place in an international competition. It is the only bottle in the world, with a unique and unparalleled fragrance. Starting bid... five million two hundred thousand."

Upon hearing the starting price, a faint twitch tugged at Tang Qianmiao's otherwise serene expression.

Like the others, Black Chicken let out a soft "heh."

Leaning closer to Tang Qianmiao, he muttered, "The starting bid is set by the auction house, but they also factor in the consignor's reserve price. Did you catch how the auctioneer hesitated for a second when announcing it? Clearly, he didn't agree with that absurd figure. Boss, your cousin must've pressured the auction house into this. No way would they set such an outrageous price otherwise. Even the priceless ancient pearl earrings earlier didn't start this high. She's lost her mind."

Tang Qianmiao remained silent, disinterestedly lowering her eyes back to her game.

Black Chicken, however, continued watching the scene unfold, his gaze falling on the slender figure in the front row.

As the auctioneer introduced the item, Lin Wenyu had already risen to her feet, deliberately positioning herself to face Feng Xian, her expression radiating pride and triumph.

Her sense of superiority blinded her to the strange looks from those around her.

After sitting down, she waited for others to bid on her perfume, chin held high, back straight, her entire being filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and arrogance.

But as one second passed, then five, the room remained silent.

The auctioneer, seemingly anticipating such an outcome, calmly reintroduced the perfume, this time emphasizing its singularity.

Lin Wenyu's expression faltered slightly, casting an uneasy glance at her mother.

Yun Ruyi gently patted her hand. "Don't worry, you're brilliant. Someone will bid, I'm sure."

Lin Wenyu took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, yet the anxiety within her only grew heavier.

If the item went unsold, Tang Qianmiao would undoubtedly mock her.

No!

She couldn't let that happen!

But even after the auctioneer's second attempt, no one placed a bid.

The awkwardness in the air quietly spread...

Just then, Tang Yi lightly cleared his throat, his expression cold and imposing.

In the next moment, the man seated behind him hesitantly raised his paddle. "Five million three hundred thousand."

As he bid, he nervously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

The next second, silence fell over the room again—no further competition.

The auctioneer quickly brought down the hammer. "Congratulations to this gentleman for successfully winning the item!"

Lin Wenyu exhaled, though her head drooped slightly, her spirits deflated.

She knew all too well that her stepfather had just bailed her out.

Yun Ruyi whispered, "Don't look defeated. Remember, you're the best. No one can outshine you. Perfume is different from other items; if it were someone else, the scene would have played out the same."

Only then did Lin Wenyu begin to regain her composure, slowly reclaiming her sense of superiority.

That's right, she was only eighteen and had already achieved so much. Unlike Tang Qianmiao, who had accomplished nothing.

"The next item is a creation by the renowned perfumer, Master Bai Mi, titled *Floating Life*. This perfume is Master Bai Mi's latest masterpiece, the only one of its kind in the world. Starting bid: twenty thousand."

As soon as these words fell, Lin Wenyu's face instantly turned pale.

From her seat in the back, Tang Qianmiao raised an eyebrow slightly, all while calmly devouring a massive snake in her game.