Qin Beiting didn't know what Yu He was planning, but if she wanted to play, he would indulge her.
The next day.
Qin Beiting claimed he had company matters to attend to and left for the north city early. They agreed to meet that evening at the Star Que Auction.
At seven in the evening, Yu He saw off the last patient at the clinic, sent her grandmother and Qiao Qiao back to their apartment, and then had Qiao Wei drive her to Star Que.
As they neared Star Que, Qiao Wei observed the road completely blocked by luxury cars. The parking lot was still some distance from the auction entrance.
He said to Yu He in the back seat, "I'll wait for you in the parking lot. After the auction, call me in advance, and I'll bring the car over."
Seeing the cars moving slowly around the roundabout ahead, Yu He said, "Just stop here. Don't wait for me, you can go back first."
"Alright, call me if anything comes up," Qiao Wei said, parking the car steadily.
Yu He acknowledged with a sound and got out, walking towards the auction entrance.
Following the same procedure as before, after the security guard verified her invitation card at the entrance, a female attendant in a Hanfu led Yu He towards the auction venue.
While waiting for the elevator, a gentle female voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Miss Yu? It really is you. Why are you alone? Isn't Brother Beiting with you?"
Yu He recognized the voice, turned around, and saw another attendant leading Qi Yuanyuan towards her, followed by an assistant.
"Are we that familiar?" Yu He asked, her expression cool and her tone indifferent.
"Who said we're familiar? My young lady means, how else would you be here if you weren't accompanying Master Qin Seven? The Ye family isn't qualified to attend the Star Que auction, are they!" the assistant retorted, her words sharp.
She then insinuated with a guess, "You didn't possibly steal Master Qin Seven's invitation card to sneak in, did you? Even if you did, can you afford anything being auctioned here? I recall the Ye family went bankrupt long ago..."
"Julie, don't speak nonsense," Qi Yuanyuan chided playfully.
Then, she smiled at Yu He and said, "Miss Yu, I apologize. My subordinate is ignorant and didn't mean any harm. She was just curious why you're here."
Yu He's current apparent status was indeed sufficient to obtain an invitation card for the Star Que auction, but she had borrowed Ruan Tianxin's.
But what did that have to do with Qi Yuanyuan?
Yu He retorted, "Hiring someone with such a deficient intellect to be by your side. Those who know you might see it as you being kind, while those who don't might think you have ulterior motives, Miss Qi."
Qi Yuanyuan was momentarily speechless, but maintained her smile.
"You..." Julie started to retort, wanting to ask who Yu He was calling deficient, but Qi Yuanyuan stopped her.
The people coming and going were all wealthy and influential. A scene would be unsightly.
Just then, the elevator doors opened. Yu He stepped inside and looked at Qi Yuanyuan, scoffing, "Why isn't Miss Qi wearing the attire of the Anonymous Divine Doctor today?"
Qi Yuanyuan's body stiffened, her eyes fixed on Yu He.
In her beautiful peach blossom eyes, a cool gaze held a hint of amusement, as if she had seen through something.
Until the elevator doors closed, Qi Yuanyuan hadn't recovered.
"Sister Yuan, you're too kind. You let women like that step all over you," Julie said indignantly. Noticing Qi Yuanyuan wasn't responding, she turned and saw her looking absent-minded. She nudged her, "Sister Yuan, what's wrong?"
Qi Yuanyuan came to her senses. "Nothing."
She then distractedly entered another elevator.
Julie was puzzled. She felt Qi Yuanyuan had suddenly become strange, but couldn't pinpoint why.
Yu He's sudden remark, while seemingly ordinary to others, was like a thunderclap to Qi Yuanyuan, who had something to hide.
Why wasn't she wearing the Anonymous Divine Doctor's attire?
If she *was* wearing it, but not *as* the Anonymous Divine Doctor, did Yu He know something?
But soon, Qi Yuanyuan dismissed the thought. She had impersonated the Anonymous Divine Doctor for so long, and the real doctor hadn't exposed her. How could Yu He possibly know? She must be overthinking.
Qi Yuanyuan calmed herself down and arrived at the sixth floor.
As she passed by the Qin family's usual private room, number 666, she didn't see Qin Beiting or Yu He. She instructed the attendant:
"Star Que Auction has always had strict rules. Please thoroughly verify the identities of our guests to prevent any ill-intentioned individuals from disrupting the order."
This ill-intentioned individual, of course, referred to Yu He.
"Understood."
***
Using Ruan Tianxin's invitation card, Yu He could only be in the viewing gallery on the fourth floor.
After the attendant left, she sent a WeChat message to the master of Star Que Hall.
Anonymous: "At 8:30, I'll come to the seventh floor to find you."
Afterward, she called Qin Beiting.
"Brother Ting, have you arrived?"
At that moment, Qin Beiting was sitting in the master's office of Star Que Hall, his phone in hand, looking at the WeChat conversation with Anonymous on his computer screen. "..."
"Where are you? I'll come find you," he asked.
"Auction room 404," Yu He replied with the room number.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door of room 404. Yu He opened it and, seeing Qin Beiting, quickly let him in.
"So secretive, who are you meeting?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"Someone from the seventh floor," Yu He said, gesturing upwards.
Qin Beiting feigned surprise. "The Hall Master? How do you know him?"
"We met by chance," Yu He answered vaguely. "He's very interested in you. You should have a good chat later. Star Que has considerable influence, and you might be able to befriend him."
Qin Beiting: "..."
Am I playing with myself?
Qin Beiting: "Alright."
Just then, the auction officially began.
Yu He glanced up at the seventh floor but saw no activity. It seemed the Star Que Hall Master hadn't arrived.
Behind Qin Beiting's back, she checked her WeChat and saw his reply.
Star Que Hall Master: "Come to my office."
Yu He remembered the private pavilion, Tianyi Pavilion, she had visited before. "..."
She thought he was indeed an eccentric person.
She put away her phone, turned around, and couldn't help but size up Qin Beiting's physique. If the other party made any inappropriate moves, Qin Beiting's skills should allow him to retreat safely, right?
"You're working hard for me, Brother Ting."
Qin Beiting: ???
"Let's go, we'll go find him now," Yu He said, handing Qin Beiting a mask and putting one on herself.
The two left the auction and headed for Tianyi Pavilion.
Perhaps because of the auction, there wasn't a single attendant in sight along the way.
Passing through the long corridor, they reached Tianyi Pavilion. The door was closed, lights were on inside, and no one was around.
Yu He suddenly stopped, holding her stomach.
Seeing this, Qin Beiting asked, "What's wrong?"
"My stomach feels uncomfortable. You go in first. Say we arranged it on WeChat, I'll go to the restroom and be right back."
Yu He said this and, without waiting for Qin Beiting to refuse, ran off in another direction.
She trusted that Qin Beiting could handle what was to come, and she would explain her identity to him later.
As for the Star Que Hall Master, regarding the discrepancy in gender and build from her last visit, Yu He couldn't control that.
Her purpose this time was simply to have Qin Beiting stall the Star Que Hall Master for a while, buying her some time.
She had something to attend to.