Jiang Yuxin gazed at Li Chonglou.
Her teeth were clenched, her beautiful face as cold as ice that had never melted.
No matter how much she tried to hide it, she couldn't conceal the blame in her eyes.
Watching Zheng He about to bid for the bracelet, Li Chonglou had repeatedly interfered.
He knew full well she needed to rely on Zheng He to approach Lü Chenggong. What exactly did he want?
As Zheng He had said, Li Chonglou had no money to bid on anything here, a fact she knew all too well.
Her mother-in-law, Zheng Xiumei, had just undergone surgery, and expenses were everywhere. Where did he get the capital to show off in such a setting?
The only explanation was that he was deliberately driving up Zheng He's bid.
To get revenge for the humiliation outside the door earlier.
He completely disregarded the bigger picture.
She was so disappointed!
"I will explain after the auction concludes," Li Chonglou said, his expression unchanged as he looked at Jiang Yuxin.
But Lü Yunxu, seated at the head table, began to feel uneasy.
It was only now that she recognized the woman of unparalleled beauty as Li Chonglou's wife, Jiang Yuxin.
She hadn't expected her to attend the charity auction, and with someone else.
What's more, she was clashing with Li Chonglou.
What was going on?
Regardless of the reason, Jiang Yuxin's public display of attitude towards Li Chonglou made her quite displeased.
She very much wanted to stand up and mediate, but another thought strongly held her back.
Even wise officials found it hard to settle domestic disputes.
No matter how much Li Chonglou and his wife argued, it was inappropriate for her, the organizer, to intervene at this moment.
Meanwhile, Cao Zhi, seated not far from Jiang Yuxin, narrowed his eyes into slits, a cold glint flashing within them as he stared fixedly at Jiang Yuxin.
He had investigated Li Chonglou, and was only a bit surprised by Jiang Yuxin's presence.
But that wasn't important. What was important was that once the auction ended, everyone related to Li Chonglou would die!
"I don't need your explanation. Give up the auction now and go back to the hospital!" Jiang Yuxin ordered, her voice growing colder and more imperious.
"Did you hear that, you live-in son-in-law? Your wife gave you a direct order. Are you still going to pretend?" As soon as she spoke, Zheng He deliberately raised his voice, trying to embarrass Li Chonglou.
Hearing this, Li Chonglou remained expressionless, but a hint of coldness flickered in his eyes.
He looked at Zheng He and said coldly, "For helping my wife, I'll give you one more chance."
"Shut your mouth, or I'll make you understand the meaning of 'disaster comes from the mouth'."
"You..." Their eyes met. Zheng He felt as if struck by lightning.
This was the first time Li Chonglou had looked at him squarely, his eyes seemingly containing an earth-shattering might.
It made his heart tremble violently.
Just as he was about to say something,
Thump!
"Since there are no further bids, this Hetian jade bracelet rightfully belongs to Mr. Li," Lü Chenggong declared, his hammer blow decisive.
His gaze swept over Zheng He and Li Chonglou, laden with unspoken meaning.
"You useless bum, how dare you act tough with me." Zheng He's face turned purple with anger as he openly threatened, "I'll see how you solve your wife's problems."
"I'm not getting involved in this matter today!"
He had intended to make Li Chonglou back down from the auction, but hadn't expected the hammer to fall.
Being outmaneuvered by Li Chonglou in full view of everyone, one could imagine his fury.
Since Jiang Yuxin had sought his help, it meant she was truly desperate.
He naturally felt emboldened.
"Our family matters are none of your business." These words were exactly what Li Chonglou wanted to hear. He smiled coldly, "Yuxin, pay for the item first, and I'll handle the company's problems."
Boom...
His words sparked an explosion of laughter throughout the venue.
As expected, a useless live-in son-in-law who needed his wife to pay after buying something.
His earlier confidence was all just an act.
The expressions of those on the head table were varied. The Tang father and son, along with Lu Weishen, were triumphant; today's scene was beyond their expectations.
They never imagined witnessing such a spectacle.
Jiang Yuxin's face, below the stage, flushed crimson.
Her beautiful eyes blazed with anger, and her entire body felt like it was burning hot.
What had become of the Jiang family? She had already poured all her available funds into the company to keep it alive. Where could she possibly get a million?
Now that Zheng He had clearly stated he wouldn't help her, this scoundrel Li Chonglou had not only ruined her hopes but also made her a public spectacle.
Staying here any longer would only invite mockery.
A wave of despair washed over her.
Jiang Yuxin angrily rose from her seat, tears welling in her eyes. She took her phone from the announcer, turned, and stormed out, "Li Chonglou, I hate you!"
Cai Wen looked on in astonishment and tried to follow, but was grabbed by Zheng He.
He wanted to humiliate Li Chonglou and crush Jiang Yuxin's dignity, so that she would be driven to a corner where she would agree to any condition in exchange for his help.
Watching Jiang Yuxin leave the grand hall, a flicker of melancholy crossed Li Chonglou's eyes.
He had actually been thinking about how to make Jiang Yuxin leave sooner. He hadn't expected this fool Zheng He to be so helpful.
A fortunate coincidence, saving him so much trouble.
Now that Jiang Yuxin was gone, things would be much easier.
"Li... Li Chonglou? He's Li Chonglou!" Not long after Jiang Yuxin left, someone suddenly realized, their voice echoing through the hall.
The name Li Chonglou had been circulating throughout the Qin Province antique circle for days.
Even though Tang Xiuzhu had paid a high price for silence, human nature was such that the more mysterious something was, the more people would go to great lengths to find out.
As a result, half of the antique circle was curious about what Li Chonglou looked like.
No one had expected him to be a live-in son-in-law, and so young at that.
"Impossible, it's probably a different person with the same name. How old is he? Even if he'd been playing with antiques since birth, he couldn't have made Old Qin and Director Cao look foolish!"
"That makes sense. I heard Master Li has a good relationship with the Lü family. If it were really him, why would he be sitting in a corner?"
"Maybe he's just being low-key. Who knows?"
"There's going to be good drama today, whether he's Master Li or not."
The entire venue erupted in commotion and discussion.
In an instant, Li Chonglou became the focus of everyone's attention.
Zheng He, who had been basking in his moment of triumph, was suddenly bewildered.
What Master Li?
He had little standing in the antique circle and only got into this auction through his father, so he was unaware of Li Chonglou's reputation.
But even if he were slower, he could tell from the discussions that these people were talking about someone significant.
How could such a person be associated with Li Chonglou, the live-in son-in-law?
A coincidence, it must be a different person with the same name.
Just then, Lü Yunxu, who had been silent, stood up from the head table and walked towards where Li Chonglou was seated.
"I said he was a fake," some maliciously guessed. "A live-in son-in-law with no money or power, causing trouble, clearly displeasing Miss Lü."
All eyes were now on Lü Yunxu and Li Chonglou, even the auction had come to a halt.
As everyone held their breath in anticipation,
Lü Yunxu spoke, "Brother Li, since everyone has recognized your identity, there's no need to be so low-key. Please come up to the head table and sit."
"It will also save some clowns from judging others by their appearance!"
She said this while glancing at Zheng He.
Hiss!
In an instant, the entire hall was filled with gasps.
Zheng He and Cai Wen's expressions froze, a truly remarkable sight.