As time passed, during the middle of the month, Ye Tiancheng accompanied Hou Mingzhu to a small auction. Hou Mingzhu managed to purchase what she had her eye on.
Slowly, the large monthly auction that Ye Tiancheng had been waiting for finally began.
On the day of the auction, Hou Mingzhu had a last-minute engagement, so she couldn't accompany Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng brought along Fatty and Little Fox to attend the auction.
Due to Hou Mingzhu's high status, Ye Tiancheng and his companions were granted excellent seats, entering directly through the VIP channel and heading to the VIP lounge without any queuing. People with such status were few and far between, countable on two hands. For Ye Tiancheng, being able to enjoy this treatment was truly thanks to Hou Mingzhu's influence.
As for Fatty and Little Fox, they were even more like foxes borrowing the tiger's might.
While this might sound somewhat derogatory, it was indeed the case. The auction proceeded much more smoothly than expected. Ye Tiancheng easily acquired the fragment of the Fuxi Qin and also bid on several other items. The process was very smooth, and not many people competed with him.
The main reason was that the items he was bidding on were not particularly significant, and he was seated in the VIP section. Most people, seeing this, would not engage in a bidding war with Ye Tiancheng.
Similarly, those also seated in the VIP section, unless they happened to have a particularly strong interest in the same item, would not contend with Ye Tiancheng, which led to such a favorable outcome.
With his objective achieved, Ye Tiancheng felt a sense of ease.
After the auction concluded and as they were leaving, Ye Tiancheng suddenly spotted a familiar figure. It felt exceptionally familiar, yet he couldn't quite recall where he had seen her before. Feeling a sense of doubt, and considering that Little Fox had lost his memory and knew little about his past, or rather, only what he had heard, he asked Fatty.
Ye Tiancheng asked Fatty, "Fatty, look over there. I have a feeling that person looks familiar, like I've seen her somewhere before. Do you think she looks familiar?"
Fatty followed the direction Ye Tiancheng pointed and saw the figure of a woman. His first reaction was a slight shock. He hadn't expected Ye Tiancheng to pay attention to other women, and he worried if Hou Mingzhu would find out and become jealous. Upon closer inspection, he was instantly surprised.
Fatty said to Ye Tiancheng, "Brother Ye, seriously? That's Su Muxian. You didn't recognize her?"
Su Muxian?
The moment he heard the name, Ye Tiancheng was slightly taken aback before he finally reacted. He then looked again, more carefully, and realized that the person he saw was indeed Su Muxian.
However, Su Muxian was seated in the ordinary section. Su Muxian had mentioned before that the Su family's situation was not good and that it would be difficult to revive the Su family. Ye Tiancheng hadn't paid much attention, so he wasn't entirely sure how Su Muxian and the Su family were doing now.
If he really thought about it, Ye Tiancheng hadn't thought of Su Muxian in a very long time.
It felt like the last time he saw Su Muxian was ages ago. Ye Tiancheng hadn't thought of her or seen her for so long. Now, seeing her again so suddenly, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
Su Muxian seemed much more haggard than before. When Su Muxian had come to Ye Tiancheng for help, her state was already not as good as before. Seeing her now, it didn't seem like things had improved much. Perhaps she was truly going through a difficult time.
Little Fox, overhearing Ye Tiancheng and Fatty's conversation, asked curiously, "Who is Su Muxian?"
Fatty coughed dryly, "Ahem, she's Brother Ye's... old friend."
Little Fox understood, likely thinking she was Ye Tiancheng's former lover.
Ye Tiancheng understood Little Fox's gaze. Seeing that his expression was off, he teased Little Fox, "Don't look at me like that. You liked her a lot back then and even followed her for a while. But then I asked for your help, and you returned to my side."
Little Fox was instantly surprised, "Really?"
He carefully observed Su Muxian in the distance again. It was evident that she was a very beautiful woman. Although she appeared somewhat haggard, it didn't diminish her beauty. But liking her? Little Fox felt no such feeling.
If he had liked someone in the past, there should be some reaction upon seeing her again. He felt none.
Little Fox harbored some doubt, "But I don't feel anything for her at all. Did I really like her? It doesn't seem like it."
Fatty corroborated Ye Tiancheng's statement, "It's true, that happened."
Ye Tiancheng then said, "You did say that yourself back then. But whether you truly liked her, we can't be sure."
Little Fox pondered this. He recalled Ye Tiancheng and the others mentioning that his past identity was problematic. He also thought about his previous appearance as a child. How could he have liked someone?
Therefore, Little Fox felt it might have been an excuse he made up, but he didn't know what his purpose was, or why it would be Su Muxian.
Fatty asked Ye Tiancheng, "Brother Ye, do you think we should go over and say hello to Miss Su?"
Ye Tiancheng glanced at him, his expression unreadable, and said, "I suspect you're trying to get me into trouble. I have evidence. It's not appropriate for me to greet Su Muxian right now. Besides, if Mingzhu found out, what if she overthought things?"
"Moreover, Little Fox is here. How would we introduce Little Fox? Little Fox was just a child over a year ago, and now he's like a popped piece of dough, turned into an adult. He's grown so much. How do we explain that? It's troublesome, and there's no need to explain so much to Su Muxian."
"In short, it's better to have less entanglement with her. While it might sound heartless, it's for the best for everyone."
Fatty thought about it and agreed.
What if Su Muxian saw Ye Tiancheng and got any ideas, or did anything that affected the relationship between Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu? That wouldn't be good.
When there was no possibility between them, the less entanglement with Su Muxian, the better. Meeting her would bring no benefits, only a host of negative consequences. Ye Tiancheng's choice was understandable. If Fatty put himself in his shoes, he probably wouldn't go to see Su Muxian either.
"Brother Ye, what you said makes sense. Then let's not meet. We'll avoid her, to prevent a situation where we have to greet her if we bump into her."
Ye Tiancheng nodded, "Mm."
Little Fox's focus was elsewhere. He suddenly asked Ye Tiancheng, "Brother, what do you mean I'm like a popped piece of dough? Is 'popped dough' used like that?"
Ye Tiancheng rubbed his head, "Don't focus on the details. It conveys the meaning, and that's all that matters. As long as you understand."
Little Fox looked resentful.
He didn't understand. The way 'popped dough' was used sounded really strange, as if he were some peculiar species. The moment he imagined it, he felt something was amiss.
However, they didn't dwell on this topic for too long.
They couldn't just stand around talking. The auction had already ended, and they needed to leave as soon as possible.
They continued to be mindful of avoiding Su Muxian, trying to stay out of her line of sight. Although it seemed like they were acting guilty, it was indeed to avoid trouble. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to cause any issues at this juncture.
Since he had already obtained the Fuxi Qin fragment, it was best to leave with it as soon as possible.
If Ye Tiancheng had any interaction with Su Muxian and it led to trouble later, that would truly be a headache.
Ye Tiancheng was the last person who wanted such trouble. He was living well now. While he wasn't so heartless, he didn't want to disrupt the current balance or ruin his current life. Therefore, he had to be so unfeeling towards Su Muxian.
They intended to avoid her, and they had deliberately done so. However, just as they exited the auction house and were waiting for their driver, Su Muxian's figure reappeared in their sight.
This time, it was very clear. Su Muxian had seen them and was heading straight for them, for no other reason. Ye Tiancheng's expression immediately soured. He watched Su Muxian approach them but didn't say anything and didn't try to evade her anymore.
After all, they had met face-to-face. If he tried to avoid her now, it would seem too deliberate. He didn't need to be so cowardly. Before, it was to avoid trouble. To avoid her now would make him seem guilty.
The moment Su Muxian saw Ye Tiancheng, her eyes lit up. She then quickly walked towards Ye Tiancheng and stopped in front of him.
"Tiancheng? It really is you!"
Her expression was one of great surprise. "I thought I was mistaken at the auction, but I didn't want to miss out, so I waited here for a while. I didn't expect to actually see you!"
Ye Tiancheng's emotions were probably only half of hers, meaning only surprise, no joy.
Fatty, standing nearby, guiltily lowered his head and muttered, "My fault, jinx."
Ye Tiancheng didn't pay attention to him at that moment. After all, Su Muxian had already encountered him like this. If he didn't respond to her and instead started talking to Fatty, it would be extremely rude and disrespectful.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng politely smiled at Su Muxian and said, "Miss Su, long time no see."
Su Muxian also smiled slightly, "Long time no see."
Ye Tiancheng paused. Seeing that Su Muxian had no intention of leaving, he patiently engaged in pleasantries with her, "Miss Su, are you here for something specific?"
Su Muxian replied, "Hmm? Oh, yes. I have a business partner I need to discuss terms with. It's quite important, so I wanted to prepare some gifts to please them. That's why I specifically came here to attend this auction."
"Oh, is that so." Ye Tiancheng nodded faintly. "I also have some matters to attend to and am a bit pressed for time. If you have the time, perhaps we can catch up another day?"
Ye Tiancheng really didn't want to talk to Su Muxian much, primarily because he feared trouble would find him. He had a feeling that Su Muxian had come specifically to intercept him. Su Muxian's previous statement seemed to confirm this.
He just didn't know why Su Muxian insisted on seeing him.
He hoped she wouldn't cause any more trouble. Especially if she were to encounter Hou Mingzhu again, and Su Muxian were to provoke her a couple of times, his life might become difficult. Su Muxian had deliberately upset Hou Mingzhu before, doing so even when it was clearly inappropriate.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng didn't hold much hope for Su Muxian's rationality.
Ye Tiancheng's refusal was already quite clear. Normally, regardless of what happened, Su Muxian, as the eldest daughter of the Su family, wouldn't be so oblivious to reading people's expressions. However, for some reason, she was very insistent, "I'm sorry, Tiancheng, there's something very important I need to discuss with you. Can you promise to spare me some time?"
Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but frown. However, he feared that if it were something truly urgent, something that could be a matter of life and death, Ye Tiancheng felt he couldn't just ignore her. So, he patiently agreed.
He nodded and said, "Alright then, what is it? Tell me."
Su Muxian then showed a hint of hesitation. She looked at Fatty and Little Fox and said, "Tiancheng, could you come with me privately? We should talk about this alone. It might not be convenient to discuss it like this."