Chapter 32

He Linfang and Mi Bin were inwardly groaning.

Attire could be fixed with money, but posture and demeanor weren’t things that could be trained in just a day or two.

Li Song looked at them with an expression of utter disappointment. “You two…”

Before he could finish, his peripheral vision caught sight of a few figures walking through the entrance. His expression changed instantly, and he quickly swallowed the rest of his words.

He Linfang and Mi Bin were puzzled, but then they saw Li Song’s face transform as if he had put on a mask—his smile suddenly turned dazzling and obsequious. He rubbed his hands together and immediately walked toward the entrance.

The couple followed his gaze and saw that it was the relative of Li Song’s wife’s sister-in-law who had arrived.

Speaking of this relative, He Linfang and Mi Bin had plenty of grievances bottled up. These past few days, they had been running around with Li Song, following this distant relative from place to place, eating countless meals and drinking plenty of liquor. Yet, the man had always kept them at arm’s length.

They had asked Li Song about it the previous night, only for him to tell them that, apart from covering the cost of two meals, they hadn’t offered any kind of gesture. Naturally, they couldn’t expect the man to treat them kindly.

If this had been in the past, the couple would have already bought gifts to send over. But after what had happened last time, they were somewhat hesitant.

After hesitating for an entire night, they still hadn’t made a move.

Understanding their place, the couple didn’t dare to follow Li Song too closely. Instead, they stood at a distance, watching eagerly.

Li Song ignored them and flattered the man with exaggerated praise for quite a while, smiling so much that his face was about to crack. At last, he was introduced to the group that had accompanied the man.

“He’s a relative of my younger brother’s wife’s family, visiting from C Province. He’s also a Li,” said the man, whose name was Li Tian. “He’s not familiar with A City, so I brought him along to gain some experience. Brother and sister, please look after him on my behalf.”

The group accompanying him consisted of men and women, all older than Li Tian. Upon hearing his words, they merely chuckled lightly and gave Li Song a brief glance, but none of them responded.

Seeing this, Li Tian decided not to push further and quickly ushered the group into a private seating area.

Li Song hesitated before speaking. “Brother Tian, what about them…?”

As he spoke, he glanced toward He Linfang and Mi Bin.

A man in the group couldn’t help but laugh. “Old Li, you’re attending a charity auction, yet you’ve dragged your whole family along. Isn’t that exhausting?”

Li Tian’s ears turned red. He didn’t dare to talk back and instead shot a glare at Li Song, who stood there meekly. “Just let them follow. They look ridiculous just standing there like that.”

The auction venue had been specially designed, with a clear distinction between inner and outer sections. The inner section formed a semicircle around the auction stage, where the general guests were seated. The outer section consisted of private viewing boxes along the second-floor walls, with nearly twenty in total. Those who had the privilege to sit there were naturally of high status.

Thanks to the connections of the group, Li Tian was able to bring Li Song and the couple into one of the private viewing boxes.

The rest of the group didn’t care that three insignificant people were tagging along. They continued chatting amongst themselves as if they didn’t exist.

Once they settled into their seats, their conversation shifted topics.

“I heard that person from the Li family is attending as well. I wonder if we’ll get lucky enough to speak with him tonight—even just getting our faces recognized would be good.”

“You’re too naive. That man from the Li family rarely makes public appearances. The old madam guards him like her own eyes. You think you’ll get a chance to talk to him? You’d be lucky just to catch a glimpse of his back.”

“How many people do you think came tonight just for him?”

“At a conservative estimate? At least half.”

He Linfang and Mi Bin sat uneasily in the farthest corner. While everyone else reacted to the discussion with sighs and exclamations, they were completely baffled.

After struggling for a while, He Linfang couldn’t hold back anymore and discreetly leaned toward Li Song, whispering, “Who are they talking about? He sounds really important.”

Li Song snapped impatiently, “It has nothing to do with you, so stop asking. That’s someone you won’t even get close to in your entire lifetime.”

He Linfang shrank back, embarrassed, and said nothing more.

Soon, the lights in the venue dimmed, and the host stepped onto the stage, officially starting the auction.

From their seating area, He Linfang and Mi Bin could only see part of the scene below. They didn’t dare to stand up for a better view and could only sit there, listening to the sounds of the event.

The lively atmosphere downstairs seemed completely unrelated to them. In the private box, the others casually watched the auction while engaging in idle chatter.

Even Li Song, seated in front of them, was curiously craning his neck to watch.

Feeling suffocated, He Linfang excused herself to the restroom.

She lingered inside for nearly half an hour before slowly making her way back. As she passed by a staircase, she noticed a man sitting silently in a wheelchair.

Curious, He Linfang stole a few more glances in his direction.

She hadn’t expected that the man, as if sensing her gaze, would suddenly turn his head and meet her eyes.

He Linfang: “…”

The man was strikingly handsome. Perhaps due to the depth of his features, he carried a natural air of authority. Though his attire was simple, it couldn’t conceal the refined aura emanating from him.

He Linfang had always been wary of interacting with people like this—it was like a student facing their strict school principal. She felt her words get caught in her throat. She originally planned to walk away, but the man continued to stare at her with a steady gaze.

Under his unwavering stare, He Linfang felt her scalp tingle. Her feet felt rooted to the ground. Bracing herself, she raised a hand and pointed to the right. “Young man, there’s an elevator that way.”

The man turned to glance in the direction she pointed, then smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

His smile instantly eased He Linfang’s nerves. She returned a polite smile before turning to leave.

But after only a few steps, she noticed that the man was maneuvering his wheelchair to follow her.

She kept her gaze straight ahead, pretending not to see him. But then, the man spoke first.

“Who are you here with? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

He Linfang was startled. Why would he ask that? Could he be the host of the auction?

Regardless, even if he wasn’t the host, his status must be significant.

After hesitating for a moment, she decided to answer truthfully. “I came with Li Tian.”

“The one in private box 205?”

Seeing how the man knew Li Tian’s seating arrangement so clearly, He Linfang became even more convinced of her suspicion. She quickly nodded, looking at him with newfound caution.

The man’s expression remained unchanged as he maintained his faint smile. “So you’re a friend of Li Tian’s. We seem to get along well. We should get to know each other sometime.”

He Linfang naturally didn’t dare refuse. “Of course, of course.”

Before parting, the man handed her a business card.

He Linfang took it and glanced down.

The card was pure white, containing nothing but a phone number.

Quietly returning to the private box, she had barely settled into her seat when Li Song leaned over and hissed, “You took that long just to use the restroom? You made all of us wait for you!”

Looking up, He Linfang realized that everyone in the box—including Li Tian—was now staring at her with displeased expressions.

Mi Bin’s face went pale as he hurriedly apologized on her behalf.

He Linfang tugged at her husband’s sleeve and humbly explained, “I met a young man in a wheelchair in the hallway outside and chatted with him for a bit.”

“A young man in a wheelchair?” Li Tian sneered. “Do you even know who the only person in a wheelchair at this auction is? You expect me to believe such a poor lie?”

“I’m not lying, it’s true.” He Linfang frantically rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a business card. “He gave me this.”

She held the card up with both hands for Li Tian and the others to see, but none of them even glanced at it.

Instead, they all got up and walked out in a line, leaving Li Song and the couple behind.

He Linfang’s hands froze midair. Only when Mi Bin took her hands and lowered them did she come back to herself. She had never been so humiliated before. Her nose stung, her vision blurred, and she couldn’t hold back the bitterness welling up in her chest.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“What exactly were you doing?” In the dim light, Li Song’s face was almost black with anger. His teeth clenched so tightly they creaked, and he spat viciously, “You two should just go home. Don’t come looking for me again—I don’t want to be dragged down by you.”

With that, Li Song stormed off, leaving He Linfang in tears.

Mi Bin’s heart ached as he held his wife, regretting everything. He gently comforted her, “Let’s leave. This kind of place isn’t for people like us.”

He Linfang nodded.

They composed themselves and left the private lounge, only to see that Li Tian and the others hadn’t left. Instead, they were eagerly waiting outside another door.

A young man in glasses stood at the half-open doorway, his tone sharp and impatient. “I’ve already told you—Mr. Li doesn’t want to see anyone tonight. If you keep pushing, I’ll have no choice but to call security.”

Not long ago, Li Tian and his group had been arrogant and condescending toward He Linfang, but now they were even more subservient than she had been. Bowing and scraping, they pleaded, “Assistant Li, we’re all part of the Li family, aren’t we? That makes us family in some way. Please, just help us out this once…”

The man in glasses chuckled. “Oh, come on now. Mr. Li is well-connected and smooth in every circle. He can get by just fine wherever he goes. How could someone like me—a mere assistant—possibly have the honor of associating with him?”

His sarcastic tone and veiled insults made Li Tian’s face flush red with embarrassment.

He Linfang and Mi Bin continued walking silently, slipping past Li Tian and his group as they headed toward the staircase.

But just then, the voice of the man in glasses rang out abruptly. “You two—please wait a moment.”

The couple hadn’t even realized he was speaking to them until he quickly walked over.

“Thank you for helping our sir. He would like to personally thank you. Do you have time now?”

He Linfang and Mi Bin were completely baffled.

The man in glasses gestured politely. “This way, please.”

The two exchanged bewildered glances before hesitantly following him into the private lounge.

The door closed gently behind them, shutting out the stunned expressions of Li Tian and the others.

A long silence followed.

Then, all at once, realization dawned on them—

That woman had actually run into Third Master Li outside? That business card really belonged to Third Master Li?

Which meant that just moments ago, they had held a direct contact to Third Master Li in their hands. All they had to do was reach out and take it. But they hadn’t even bothered to look.

For a moment, their faces twisted into a kaleidoscope of regret, their expressions utterly spectacular.

The auction continued.

Li Sipei sat behind a massive glass window, his gaze resting on the auction floor below. When he heard Li Zhixuan leading He Linfang and Mi Bin into the lounge, he turned and smiled.

“Sit wherever you like,” Li Sipei said. “But the seats by the window have the best view.”

He Linfang and Mi Bin didn’t dare take such prime seats. They chose a spot in the middle instead.

The two private lounges were identical in size and decor, but the difference was stark—next door, nearly ten people were crammed in, making it hard to even move, while this lounge held only Li Sipei and Li Zhixuan. The sofas were empty, the tea and fruit untouched. That lounge was noisy and chaotic; this one was quiet and comfortable.

The contrast was devastating.

Li Sipei maneuvered his wheelchair closer, folding his hands over his lap. “Li Tian gave you a hard time, didn’t he?”

He Linfang and Mi Bin hesitated, struggling to find the right words, and could only shake their heads with a bitter smile.

“Li Tian is unreliable,” Li Sipei said bluntly. “He’s scheming, dishonest, and likes to curry favor with the powerful while stepping on the weak. Worst of all, he once worked with outsiders to scam his own relatives and friends.” He didn’t bother with pretense, laying out everything Li Zhixuan had just investigated.

The couple was dumbfounded.

“And—” Li Sipei added casually, “birds of a feather flock together. Those people he’s with all have a history.”

Behind him, Li Zhixuan nodded. “If you stay too close to them, you’ll probably end up being scammed into bankruptcy before you even realize it.”

Then, his tone shifted. “But as things stand, I doubt they’ll let you off the hook easily. Who would willingly watch a golden opportunity slip through their fingers?”

Li Zhixuan’s gaze swept over the couple’s outfits, and he sighed inwardly—especially when the ‘golden opportunity’ had delivered itself on a silver platter.

He Linfang and Mi Bin had come to the auction full of hope, never expecting to end up in such a predicament.

Whether or not these two men were telling the truth was beside the point—after what had just happened, they had already made up their minds to cut ties with Li Song. But if those people really weren’t going to let them go…

This was A City. They had no connections here, and worse, they had a son still in school.

“Honey, what do we do?” He Linfang’s eyes turned red again as she clutched Mi Bin’s hand. “We don’t matter, but our son is still here!”

Mi Bin, too, was restless, anxiously patting her hand in an attempt to soothe her.

Li Sipei said nothing. He was in no hurry—of all of them, he was the least anxious. Saying too much would only make them wary.

His phone, resting beside him, suddenly lit up.

Two WeChat messages had come in.

He picked up his phone, and the corner of his lips curved ever so slightly.

[Mi Zhao: Are you still not done?]

[Mi Zhao: It’s getting late. Do you want me to come pick you up?]

His fingers tapped the screen.

He replied—

[Mm.]