Chapter 118: Be a lamp by your bedside
When Shi Rou pushed open the door and entered the room, Yu Nian had just taken off his headphones. He smiled and asked, “What’s wrong, Sister Rou Rou?”
Shi Rou asked first, “Nian Nian, am I disturbing you while you’re working overtime?”
“Of course not,” Yu Nian casually placed the headphones aside. “I just finished arranging the tracks for two songs and was planning to take a break before continuing. What’s going on?”
“Brother Meng instructed me in the morning to keep an eye on you and not let you work too late. It’s already ten o’clock!” Seeing Yu Nian just smiling, knowing he wouldn’t listen, she tried a different angle, “President Xie is waiting for you at home. It would be lonely without you!”
Yu Nian’s smile widened, “It’s alright. He has a meeting tonight and won’t be home until around eleven. I’ll go back around the same time. Besides, if I go home now, I’ll be all alone, so lonely and solitary.”
Knowing she couldn’t persuade Yu Nian, Shi Rou gave up. She pulled a chair and sat down before saying, “Nian Nian, didn’t you mention a couple of days ago that I should keep an eye on the situation after the broadcast of ‘Treasure Hunt’? The program hasn’t even finished airing, but those sharp-eyed fans have already dug up the Vacheron Constantin watch you have. Now, everyone is discussing how you and President Xie are wearing matching watches, wondering what’s the mysterious situation.”
Yu Nian responded, “Some people will definitely believe that these two watches are highly collectible, and Xie You and I just happened to buy the same model, and there are only two of them, right?”
Shi Rou exclaimed, “Ah, have you been checking Weibo?”
Yu Nian laughed, “No, I’ve been busy. I haven’t had time to check my phone. But did I guess correctly?”
“Yes, online discussions are divided into several camps. Some are amazed at how wealthy you both are, some think it’s just a coincidence, and others believe there must be some hidden meaning. The latter two are presenting evidence and debating, it’s quite fascinating.”
After Yu Nian returned home and took a shower, he noticed that Xie You was also checking Weibo. Caught red-handed, Xie You felt a bit embarrassed and tried to hide his phone. He then reached for the towel in Yu Nian’s hand and said, “Nian Nian, let me dry your hair.”
Yu Nian obediently sat down, feeling the gentle touch on his head. He couldn’t help but ask, “What were you looking at?”
Xie You pretended to focus on drying Yu Nian’s hair and remained silent.
Yu Nian turned around, hugged Xie You’s waist with both hands, looked up, and asked again, “What were you looking at?”
Facing Yu Nian’s persistence, Xie You couldn’t resist and had no choice but to answer. His ears turned slightly red, avoiding eye contact, he admitted, “…I was reading a YouYu CP article.”
Yu Nian dragged out his response, “Oh,” and asked, “Does it contain explicit and mature content?”
After hesitating for a while, Xie You finally responded, “…Yeah.”
Knowing that further questioning might make Xie You blush even more, Yu Nian sat back properly, cleared his throat, and changed the topic, “Any updates on the auction of the bamboo slip?”
“Yeah, the auction is likely to take place in Hong City, organized by the Weide Auction House. However, there’s still no promotion about the bamboo slips. I had Assistant Qin inquire, and they only provided some information, and we’ve received the invitation.”
“The bamboo slips of the ‘Guo Shu’ are valuable, so to avoid unnecessary disputes, Weide may be keeping it low-key.” Yu Nian breathed a sigh of relief. “If we manage to get this bamboo slip, the family records for Grandpa will be complete.”
He smiled with a hint of brilliance in his eyes. “Grandpa once said that this bamboo slip is a treasure in the field of historical documents, representing the origin of our nation. However, during Grandfather’s time, this bamboo slip had disappeared for several hundred years, and he thought this one might have turned into dust somewhere in the world. But unexpectedly, it was quietly passed down through generations of the Sun family.”
Xie You placed the towel aside and embraced Yu Nian from behind, his chest against his back. He softly kissed Yu Nian’s neck and said, “Well, then let’s buy it back.”
“Indeed, I felt relieved when Grandpa Sun mentioned it. Even though it was stolen and sold, at least it still exists intact in the world, which is the greatest stroke of luck,” Yu Nian paused for two seconds before adding in a low voice, “But fortunately, Grandpa didn’t know about this incident; otherwise, he would have been so angry that he couldn’t even eat!”
His smile dimmed slightly, but then he remembered something and continued, “After Grandpa passed away, Grandma told me that he was up in the sky, like a star, always watching over me. And when Grandma was passing away, she told me the same thing.”
Xie You stopped his kissing and said, “Nian Nian.”
“Yeah?”
“If I ever leave you, I want to become a lamp by your bedside. When you come near, I’ll light up.”
Yu Nian’s eyes welled up with tears, and he turned around, wrapping his arms around Xie You’s neck.
Xie You held him close, gently kissing his hair.
On the morning of the 17th, following the schedule, Yu Nian took a car to Daibo’s headquarters. Sitting in the back seat, he had his headphones on, listening to the overlapping sounds of instruments while jotting down notes and doodling with a pencil on paper. When Meng Yuan had something to say, Yu Nian took off his headphones.
“I just remembered, forgot to ask, what happened with the bronze gui last time?” Meng Yuan asked.
Yu Nian deftly twirled the pen with his fingers, “They said they would give it to me for free, without any conditions, but I declined.”
“Given for free?” Meng Yuan’s concern increased, “Where in the world can you get a bronze artifact for free? Even if you were to sell it, it’d be worth at least a billion, if not two billion. There’s no way they would just give it away like that. I agree with your decision; I wouldn’t dare accept it either. Who knows what’s waiting for you if you do?”
After pondering for a moment, Meng Yuan asked again, “What happened after that? Any follow-up from them?”
“It’s been about a week, and they haven’t contacted me again,” Yu Nian replied, checking the date.
After pondering for two seconds, Yu Nian responded, “No rush. If there’s really something going on, we’ll see who can’t hold back first. If the other party has ulterior motives, and you remain as steady as Mount Tai, you can take the initiative and have control. There’s no loss for you.” Meng Yuan understood the situation and continued, “Later, Lady Daibo will also be here. It seems she brought six or seven outfits for you to try on. The main purpose of this fitting is to finalize the outfit you’ll wear for the runway show and make any necessary adjustments. Also, you’ll do a rehearsal on the runway. If there are any issues with your walk, they might hire a coach for you. But if everything is fine, you’re free to improvise.”
Upon arriving on the forty-first floor via the elevator, as soon as they entered the studio, they saw Lady Daibo talking to a young assistant. The assistant was wearing a casual gray and white suit, her curly hair neatly tied up, with big earrings, and a sleek bracelet on her wrist. She could easily grace the cover of a fashion magazine from any angle.
When Yu Nian and the others arrived, Lady Daibo approached with an appropriate smile, walking on high heels. She extended her hand, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, now as our spokesperson.”
Yu Nian shook her hand, smiling brightly, “The pleasure is mine!”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lady Daibo led Yu Nian to another slightly smaller room and introduced, “I brought nine outfits this time, and I’ll need you to try each one on. It might be a bit of work.”
The fitting alone took more than two hours. When Yu Nian came out wearing the ninth outfit, there was no hint of impatience on his face.
Lady Daibo sat on a high stool, brushing aside a strand of hair that fell over her temple, and praised, “Now I finally understand why Salimane admires you so much. Your body proportions are really excellent – with your 1.8-meter height, whether it’s the length of your body and legs, the waist-hip ratio, arm length, neckline, or even your head circumference, it’s all very pleasing to the eye! For people like Salimane and me who have immersed ourselves in this industry for decades, seeing you is very refreshing!”
Standing in front of the mirror, Yu Nian raised his arms, and the wardrobe assistant was helping him put on accessories. Hearing Lady Daibo’s words, Yu Nian smiled, “If you put it that way, I really want to thank my genes.”
“It’s not just the advantage of genetics, your overall figure and bearing are excellent, and you have great taste.” Lady Daibo made some notes on a paper with iris patterns, “From the nine outfits, I’ve chosen three. Now you can exclude one according to your preference. The last one will be used for the show, and we’ll keep one as a backup. How does that sound?”
Yu Nian didn’t hesitate and efficiently excluded one outfit.
After finalizing the choices, Lady Daibo closed her pen and stood up, “I will make some slight adjustments to the waistline based on your body measurements, and I’ll also try to tailor the details to suit your temperament,” She shook the pen in her hand, “Promise me that you won’t gain weight before the show ends.”
Yu Nian smiled and agreed, “Of course, I won’t let you down.”
On the way back, Meng Yuan also marveled, “Lady Daibo doesn’t look like she’s already fifty. Though she has wrinkles, she carries a certain… “
“Vitality.”
“Yes, that’s it!” Meng Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You really understand what I mean. When we left, the staff even gave us a small gift. High efficiency, a great attitude, and smooth communication; working with her really feel like a breath of fresh air. Oh, by the way, they said after the big show, They’ve already confirmed that you’ll be on the cover of the annual celebration supplement of one of the top three magazines, ‘F.’ The schedule has been arranged for you as well.”
Yu Nian nodded, “I’m fine with that. By the way, Brother Meng, I’ll be flying to Hong City the day after tomorrow.”
“Flying to Hong City?” Meng Yuan looked at Yu Nian, “Don’t tell me you’re going shopping again?”
Yu Nian grinned, “You already guessed it.”
“…I knew it. You rarely take time off, and whenever you ask me to clear a schedule for you, it’s either for a love affair or shopping!” Meng Yuan slapped his forehead. But then, after recalling the schedule, he widened his eyes, “With your messed-up schedule, what’s there to adjust? Besides today’s fitting, you have no other appointments for the next few days! It’s all marked under the ‘album preparation’ category. You’re managing the album yourself, so why would you need me?”
“Really?” Yu Nian checked his schedule and realized, “It does seem like that. So, I’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”
Around 3 p.m., the private jet landed in Hong City. The weather was good, and the flight was smooth. Yu Nian lay on Xie You’s lap, feeling a bit dazed as he slept.
Gently helping Yu Nian sit up, Xie You carefully straightened his messy hair, adjusted his collar, and finally kissed the tip of his nose. He said in a warm voice, “Nian Nian, wake up. We’ve arrived.”
Taking a sip of water from the glass Xie You handed him, Yu Nian finally shook off his drowsiness. He looked outside the window and asked, “Are we there already?”
After placing the glass back, Xie You wiped the water stain from the corner of Yu Nian’s lips with his fingertip, “Yes, the car for picking us up is waiting. We can head directly to the venue.”
Weide had its own dedicated auction venue in Hong City, extravagantly decorated. At the entrance, there was a grand wooden elephant sculpture, which symbolized “peace and good fortune.”
This auction was limited to a small number of attendees with exclusive access. Only sixty invitations were sent out. Yu Nian settled in the private box and had a grape. It tasted good, so he fed one to Xie You as well. Unexpectedly, after eating the grape, Xie You not only didn’t let go but gently nibbled on his fingertip.
His fingertip tickled from the nibbling, and Yu Nian chuckled, “Xie You, let go, it tickles!”
Xie You finally let go and pulled Yu Nian close, giving him a satisfied kiss.
On the way to the auction, Yu Nian had already looked through the catalog, and he wasn’t particularly interested in the items up for bidding. He leaned on his hand, eating fruits and listening to the live bidding. Occasionally, he would comment on familiar items.
With Yu Nian by his side, Xie You had no interest in anything else. He meticulously peeled the thin skin of a red grape and slowly fed it to Yu Nian, his eyes as tender as the spring rain in Jiangnan.
In the later part of the auction, the bodyguard, He Shan, brought in a person and introduced them as Weide’s manager.
Xie You’s gentle expression faded as he casually wiped off the grape juice from his fingertips with a checkered handkerchief and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The manager’s face held a smile, and he respectfully explained, “Mr. Xie, I’m very sorry, but the item you were interested in has been withdrawn by the seller at the last moment.”
Xie You put down the handkerchief, showing a hint of displeasure in his words, “Why?”
The manager’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, “The reason was not disclosed by the seller, but they insisted on withdrawing the item. Weide never forces sellers to proceed if they don’t wish to, so we regretfully inform you that the bamboo slip will not be auctioned tonight. We are truly sorry.”
Xie You understood that the reason for this matter did not lie with the auction house. He expressed his understanding. The manager thanked him, “Thank you very much for your understanding. If there is any news about the bamboo slip, we will immediately inform you!”
After the door to the private box was closed, Xie You held Yu Nian’s hand, looking somewhat worriedly at him.
Yu Nian smiled, “I’m okay. I admit I feel a bit disappointed, but things don’t always go smoothly; there will always be setbacks. As long as we know the bamboo slip is still out there and the owner has a tendency to sell, that’s enough.”
Holding Yu Nian’s hand, Xie You kissed the back of it, “Hmm, I’ll be with you no matter what.”
After their unsuccessful trip to Hong City, Yu Nian wasn’t too disappointed, but Meng Yuan seemed even more disappointed.
“Could someone else have bought it already?”
Shaking his head, Yu Nian replied, “This circle is not that big. If someone has already bought it, there should be news about it. This time, the bamboo slip was put up for auction and then withdrawn. I guess the owner wanted to test the waters and see how many people were interested. After testing the waters, they decided to withdraw it.”
Meng Yuan realized, “So the item will still be put up for sale, but the price—”
“Right, the price will go up. I guess that’s why they didn’t promote it heavily from the beginning. Weide Auction House has tacitly accepted this operation.”
“Aren’t they afraid of offending someone?”
“No, the one holding the item is the one in control. There’s only one piece of this item, and no matter when or where they decide to sell, we’ll be rushing to buy it. The commission is minor, and Weide wants the prestige of handling this item. As long as there are no major issues, they will follow the seller’s intentions.”
After the discussion, Meng Yuan remembered, “By the way, I’ve prepared the music samples you asked for, the sounds of the violin and cello. Listen to them and see if they work for you.”
Yu Nian put on his earphones and played the music samples. His eyes sparkled with delight, “These are excellent!”
Meng Yuan proudly lifted his legs, “Of course! I pulled some strings and got a violinist from the symphony orchestra to specially record it for you.”
Yu Nian quickly expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Brother Meng.”
Upon hearing this heartfelt thanks, Meng Yuan put his legs down and said, “To be honest, after being an agent for so long, I’m constantly thinking about money, data, and popularity, but I really admire your persistence in music. I’m glad to help, and it makes me happy too.”
Yu Nian’s lips curved, “Thank you, Brother Meng.”
Knowing what Yu Nian meant by that second ‘thank you,’ Meng Yuan accepted it and said, “Keep up the good work.”
Meng Yuan asked, “What about the bronze ritual vessel? Any news these days?”
Yu Nian shook his head, “They haven’t contacted me again.”
Just as they were discussing, Yu Nian’s phone rang. When he answered, he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
“Hello, Mr. Yu, this is Louisen.”
The butler? Yu Nian politely responded, “Hello.”
“I’d like to meet you. Do you have time?”
Chapter 118: Be a lamp by your bedside
When Shi Rou pushed open the door and entered the room, Yu Nian had just taken off his headphones. He smiled and asked, “What’s wrong, Sister Rou Rou?”
Shi Rou asked first, “Nian Nian, am I disturbing you while you’re working overtime?”
“Of course not,” Yu Nian casually placed the headphones aside. “I just finished arranging the tracks for two songs and was planning to take a break before continuing. What’s going on?”
“Brother Meng instructed me in the morning to keep an eye on you and not let you work too late. It’s already ten o’clock!” Seeing Yu Nian just smiling, knowing he wouldn’t listen, she tried a different angle, “President Xie is waiting for you at home. It would be lonely without you!”
Yu Nian’s smile widened, “It’s alright. He has a meeting tonight and won’t be home until around eleven. I’ll go back around the same time. Besides, if I go home now, I’ll be all alone, so lonely and solitary.”
Knowing she couldn’t persuade Yu Nian, Shi Rou gave up. She pulled a chair and sat down before saying, “Nian Nian, didn’t you mention a couple of days ago that I should keep an eye on the situation after the broadcast of ‘Treasure Hunt’? The program hasn’t even finished airing, but those sharp-eyed fans have already dug up the Vacheron Constantin watch you have. Now, everyone is discussing how you and President Xie are wearing matching watches, wondering what’s the mysterious situation.”
Yu Nian responded, “Some people will definitely believe that these two watches are highly collectible, and Xie You and I just happened to buy the same model, and there are only two of them, right?”
Shi Rou exclaimed, “Ah, have you been checking Weibo?”
Yu Nian laughed, “No, I’ve been busy. I haven’t had time to check my phone. But did I guess correctly?”
“Yes, online discussions are divided into several camps. Some are amazed at how wealthy you both are, some think it’s just a coincidence, and others believe there must be some hidden meaning. The latter two are presenting evidence and debating, it’s quite fascinating.”
After Yu Nian returned home and took a shower, he noticed that Xie You was also checking Weibo. Caught red-handed, Xie You felt a bit embarrassed and tried to hide his phone. He then reached for the towel in Yu Nian’s hand and said, “Nian Nian, let me dry your hair.”
Yu Nian obediently sat down, feeling the gentle touch on his head. He couldn’t help but ask, “What were you looking at?”
Xie You pretended to focus on drying Yu Nian’s hair and remained silent.
Yu Nian turned around, hugged Xie You’s waist with both hands, looked up, and asked again, “What were you looking at?”
Facing Yu Nian’s persistence, Xie You couldn’t resist and had no choice but to answer. His ears turned slightly red, avoiding eye contact, he admitted, “…I was reading a YouYu CP article.”
Yu Nian dragged out his response, “Oh,” and asked, “Does it contain explicit and mature content?”
After hesitating for a while, Xie You finally responded, “…Yeah.”
Knowing that further questioning might make Xie You blush even more, Yu Nian sat back properly, cleared his throat, and changed the topic, “Any updates on the auction of the bamboo slip?”
“Yeah, the auction is likely to take place in Hong City, organized by the Weide Auction House. However, there’s still no promotion about the bamboo slips. I had Assistant Qin inquire, and they only provided some information, and we’ve received the invitation.”
“The bamboo slips of the ‘Guo Shu’ are valuable, so to avoid unnecessary disputes, Weide may be keeping it low-key.” Yu Nian breathed a sigh of relief. “If we manage to get this bamboo slip, the family records for Grandpa will be complete.”
He smiled with a hint of brilliance in his eyes. “Grandpa once said that this bamboo slip is a treasure in the field of historical documents, representing the origin of our nation. However, during Grandfather’s time, this bamboo slip had disappeared for several hundred years, and he thought this one might have turned into dust somewhere in the world. But unexpectedly, it was quietly passed down through generations of the Sun family.”
Xie You placed the towel aside and embraced Yu Nian from behind, his chest against his back. He softly kissed Yu Nian’s neck and said, “Well, then let’s buy it back.”
“Indeed, I felt relieved when Grandpa Sun mentioned it. Even though it was stolen and sold, at least it still exists intact in the world, which is the greatest stroke of luck,” Yu Nian paused for two seconds before adding in a low voice, “But fortunately, Grandpa didn’t know about this incident; otherwise, he would have been so angry that he couldn’t even eat!”
His smile dimmed slightly, but then he remembered something and continued, “After Grandpa passed away, Grandma told me that he was up in the sky, like a star, always watching over me. And when Grandma was passing away, she told me the same thing.”
Xie You stopped his kissing and said, “Nian Nian.”
“Yeah?”
“If I ever leave you, I want to become a lamp by your bedside. When you come near, I’ll light up.”
Yu Nian’s eyes welled up with tears, and he turned around, wrapping his arms around Xie You’s neck.
Xie You held him close, gently kissing his hair.
On the morning of the 17th, following the schedule, Yu Nian took a car to Daibo’s headquarters. Sitting in the back seat, he had his headphones on, listening to the overlapping sounds of instruments while jotting down notes and doodling with a pencil on paper. When Meng Yuan had something to say, Yu Nian took off his headphones.
“I just remembered, forgot to ask, what happened with the bronze gui last time?” Meng Yuan asked.
Yu Nian deftly twirled the pen with his fingers, “They said they would give it to me for free, without any conditions, but I declined.”
“Given for free?” Meng Yuan’s concern increased, “Where in the world can you get a bronze artifact for free? Even if you were to sell it, it’d be worth at least a billion, if not two billion. There’s no way they would just give it away like that. I agree with your decision; I wouldn’t dare accept it either. Who knows what’s waiting for you if you do?”
After pondering for a moment, Meng Yuan asked again, “What happened after that? Any follow-up from them?”
“It’s been about a week, and they haven’t contacted me again,” Yu Nian replied, checking the date.
After pondering for two seconds, Yu Nian responded, “No rush. If there’s really something going on, we’ll see who can’t hold back first. If the other party has ulterior motives, and you remain as steady as Mount Tai, you can take the initiative and have control. There’s no loss for you.” Meng Yuan understood the situation and continued, “Later, Lady Daibo will also be here. It seems she brought six or seven outfits for you to try on. The main purpose of this fitting is to finalize the outfit you’ll wear for the runway show and make any necessary adjustments. Also, you’ll do a rehearsal on the runway. If there are any issues with your walk, they might hire a coach for you. But if everything is fine, you’re free to improvise.”
Upon arriving on the forty-first floor via the elevator, as soon as they entered the studio, they saw Lady Daibo talking to a young assistant. The assistant was wearing a casual gray and white suit, her curly hair neatly tied up, with big earrings, and a sleek bracelet on her wrist. She could easily grace the cover of a fashion magazine from any angle.
When Yu Nian and the others arrived, Lady Daibo approached with an appropriate smile, walking on high heels. She extended her hand, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, now as our spokesperson.”
Yu Nian shook her hand, smiling brightly, “The pleasure is mine!”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lady Daibo led Yu Nian to another slightly smaller room and introduced, “I brought nine outfits this time, and I’ll need you to try each one on. It might be a bit of work.”
The fitting alone took more than two hours. When Yu Nian came out wearing the ninth outfit, there was no hint of impatience on his face.
Lady Daibo sat on a high stool, brushing aside a strand of hair that fell over her temple, and praised, “Now I finally understand why Salimane admires you so much. Your body proportions are really excellent – with your 1.8-meter height, whether it’s the length of your body and legs, the waist-hip ratio, arm length, neckline, or even your head circumference, it’s all very pleasing to the eye! For people like Salimane and me who have immersed ourselves in this industry for decades, seeing you is very refreshing!”
Standing in front of the mirror, Yu Nian raised his arms, and the wardrobe assistant was helping him put on accessories. Hearing Lady Daibo’s words, Yu Nian smiled, “If you put it that way, I really want to thank my genes.”
“It’s not just the advantage of genetics, your overall figure and bearing are excellent, and you have great taste.” Lady Daibo made some notes on a paper with iris patterns, “From the nine outfits, I’ve chosen three. Now you can exclude one according to your preference. The last one will be used for the show, and we’ll keep one as a backup. How does that sound?”
Yu Nian didn’t hesitate and efficiently excluded one outfit.
After finalizing the choices, Lady Daibo closed her pen and stood up, “I will make some slight adjustments to the waistline based on your body measurements, and I’ll also try to tailor the details to suit your temperament,” She shook the pen in her hand, “Promise me that you won’t gain weight before the show ends.”
Yu Nian smiled and agreed, “Of course, I won’t let you down.”
On the way back, Meng Yuan also marveled, “Lady Daibo doesn’t look like she’s already fifty. Though she has wrinkles, she carries a certain… “
“Vitality.”
“Yes, that’s it!” Meng Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You really understand what I mean. When we left, the staff even gave us a small gift. High efficiency, a great attitude, and smooth communication; working with her really feel like a breath of fresh air. Oh, by the way, they said after the big show, They’ve already confirmed that you’ll be on the cover of the annual celebration supplement of one of the top three magazines, ‘F.’ The schedule has been arranged for you as well.”
Yu Nian nodded, “I’m fine with that. By the way, Brother Meng, I’ll be flying to Hong City the day after tomorrow.”
“Flying to Hong City?” Meng Yuan looked at Yu Nian, “Don’t tell me you’re going shopping again?”
Yu Nian grinned, “You already guessed it.”
“…I knew it. You rarely take time off, and whenever you ask me to clear a schedule for you, it’s either for a love affair or shopping!” Meng Yuan slapped his forehead. But then, after recalling the schedule, he widened his eyes, “With your messed-up schedule, what’s there to adjust? Besides today’s fitting, you have no other appointments for the next few days! It’s all marked under the ‘album preparation’ category. You’re managing the album yourself, so why would you need me?”
“Really?” Yu Nian checked his schedule and realized, “It does seem like that. So, I’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”
Around 3 p.m., the private jet landed in Hong City. The weather was good, and the flight was smooth. Yu Nian lay on Xie You’s lap, feeling a bit dazed as he slept.
Gently helping Yu Nian sit up, Xie You carefully straightened his messy hair, adjusted his collar, and finally kissed the tip of his nose. He said in a warm voice, “Nian Nian, wake up. We’ve arrived.”
Taking a sip of water from the glass Xie You handed him, Yu Nian finally shook off his drowsiness. He looked outside the window and asked, “Are we there already?”
After placing the glass back, Xie You wiped the water stain from the corner of Yu Nian’s lips with his fingertip, “Yes, the car for picking us up is waiting. We can head directly to the venue.”
Weide had its own dedicated auction venue in Hong City, extravagantly decorated. At the entrance, there was a grand wooden elephant sculpture, which symbolized “peace and good fortune.”
This auction was limited to a small number of attendees with exclusive access. Only sixty invitations were sent out. Yu Nian settled in the private box and had a grape. It tasted good, so he fed one to Xie You as well. Unexpectedly, after eating the grape, Xie You not only didn’t let go but gently nibbled on his fingertip.
His fingertip tickled from the nibbling, and Yu Nian chuckled, “Xie You, let go, it tickles!”
Xie You finally let go and pulled Yu Nian close, giving him a satisfied kiss.
On the way to the auction, Yu Nian had already looked through the catalog, and he wasn’t particularly interested in the items up for bidding. He leaned on his hand, eating fruits and listening to the live bidding. Occasionally, he would comment on familiar items.
With Yu Nian by his side, Xie You had no interest in anything else. He meticulously peeled the thin skin of a red grape and slowly fed it to Yu Nian, his eyes as tender as the spring rain in Jiangnan.
In the later part of the auction, the bodyguard, He Shan, brought in a person and introduced them as Weide’s manager.
Xie You’s gentle expression faded as he casually wiped off the grape juice from his fingertips with a checkered handkerchief and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The manager’s face held a smile, and he respectfully explained, “Mr. Xie, I’m very sorry, but the item you were interested in has been withdrawn by the seller at the last moment.”
Xie You put down the handkerchief, showing a hint of displeasure in his words, “Why?”
The manager’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, “The reason was not disclosed by the seller, but they insisted on withdrawing the item. Weide never forces sellers to proceed if they don’t wish to, so we regretfully inform you that the bamboo slip will not be auctioned tonight. We are truly sorry.”
Xie You understood that the reason for this matter did not lie with the auction house. He expressed his understanding. The manager thanked him, “Thank you very much for your understanding. If there is any news about the bamboo slip, we will immediately inform you!”
After the door to the private box was closed, Xie You held Yu Nian’s hand, looking somewhat worriedly at him.
Yu Nian smiled, “I’m okay. I admit I feel a bit disappointed, but things don’t always go smoothly; there will always be setbacks. As long as we know the bamboo slip is still out there and the owner has a tendency to sell, that’s enough.”
Holding Yu Nian’s hand, Xie You kissed the back of it, “Hmm, I’ll be with you no matter what.”
After their unsuccessful trip to Hong City, Yu Nian wasn’t too disappointed, but Meng Yuan seemed even more disappointed.
“Could someone else have bought it already?”
Shaking his head, Yu Nian replied, “This circle is not that big. If someone has already bought it, there should be news about it. This time, the bamboo slip was put up for auction and then withdrawn. I guess the owner wanted to test the waters and see how many people were interested. After testing the waters, they decided to withdraw it.”
Meng Yuan realized, “So the item will still be put up for sale, but the price—”
“Right, the price will go up. I guess that’s why they didn’t promote it heavily from the beginning. Weide Auction House has tacitly accepted this operation.”
“Aren’t they afraid of offending someone?”
“No, the one holding the item is the one in control. There’s only one piece of this item, and no matter when or where they decide to sell, we’ll be rushing to buy it. The commission is minor, and Weide wants the prestige of handling this item. As long as there are no major issues, they will follow the seller’s intentions.”
After the discussion, Meng Yuan remembered, “By the way, I’ve prepared the music samples you asked for, the sounds of the violin and cello. Listen to them and see if they work for you.”
Yu Nian put on his earphones and played the music samples. His eyes sparkled with delight, “These are excellent!”
Meng Yuan proudly lifted his legs, “Of course! I pulled some strings and got a violinist from the symphony orchestra to specially record it for you.”
Yu Nian quickly expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Brother Meng.”
Upon hearing this heartfelt thanks, Meng Yuan put his legs down and said, “To be honest, after being an agent for so long, I’m constantly thinking about money, data, and popularity, but I really admire your persistence in music. I’m glad to help, and it makes me happy too.”
Yu Nian’s lips curved, “Thank you, Brother Meng.”
Knowing what Yu Nian meant by that second ‘thank you,’ Meng Yuan accepted it and said, “Keep up the good work.”
Meng Yuan asked, “What about the bronze ritual vessel? Any news these days?”
Yu Nian shook his head, “They haven’t contacted me again.”
Just as they were discussing, Yu Nian’s phone rang. When he answered, he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
“Hello, Mr. Yu, this is Louisen.”
The butler? Yu Nian politely responded, “Hello.”
“I’d like to meet you. Do you have time?”
