"Excuse me, may I ask what your name is?" That pen name was indeed inappropriate to say in this situation.

"Just call me Ajin."

It seemed the other party didn't want to reveal their true identity, and Wen Yufan expressed his understanding. "Ms. Jin, the reason we invited you out today is to discuss the issue of long-term cooperation. If you have any new paintings in the future, could you provide them to our organizing committee as soon as possible?"

Wen Yufan handed over his business card.

The business card reads: Wen Yufan, Senior Partner of China Hengjia Auction Co., Ltd.

"As the most established and longest-running auction company in China, Hengjia possesses a network and resources that many other auction companies lack. We believe that your words will help us navigate the market more effectively and achieve higher prices."

Wen Yufan took out his phone, clicked on a link, and gently pushed the phone in front of Xiang Jin with his fingertip: "This is your previous painting. We received it yesterday and launched an internal call for submissions. Currently, some merchants have raised the price to 4.5 million."

"4.5 million?" Xiang Jin was shocked.

"It seems you're not entirely clear on the value of your painting. That's alright; we can provide you with complete information later to help you understand the industry and market. Furthermore, if you're willing to cooperate long-term, in addition to the basic fee for the painting, we're willing to give you 10% of the auction proceeds as a commission. Are you satisfied with this price?"

Xiang Jin paused for a moment, then said, "May I go back and think about it?"

She had already quoted a low price for her first painting; if she rashly agreed, she would lose a fortune later. Before making a decision, she planned to learn more about the industry and inquire about the price range.

"Sure, I'll give you a copy of the contract first. You can review it within three days and then give me your reply, okay?"

"So urgent?" Xiang Jin wasn't sure if she could understand the matter thoroughly within three days, so the more time she had, the better.

"Then a week? No more than that."

Wen Yufan really liked Xiang Jin's paintings, but allowing too much time could lead to unforeseen problems. He was confident that this quiet and reserved woman might soon cause a huge stir in the art world, and he needed to secure her position beforehand.

"Okay, I'll give you an answer in a week."

“Okay, we’ll keep in touch later.” He extended his hand to Xiang Jin.

"Thank you for your support." After a brief handshake, Xiang Jin picked up his things and turned to leave the coffee shop.

After leaving, Xiang Jin immediately contacted Bai Ningshuang and Sun Yanqing to ask if they knew anyone at the auction company, as she wanted to consult them about some things.

Bai Ningshuang had no experience in this industry and didn't know anyone. Sun Yanqing had many connections abroad and quickly sent over several people. Xiang Jin added them all on WeChat, planning to ask them about it when she had some free time.

After dealing with this matter, Xiang Jin took the subway to Bai Ning Shuang's residence.

Although she has some money, she doesn't have the habit of wasting it and tries to save as much as possible, since there will be many more opportunities to use the money later.

As soon as I arrived at the residential area, I saw Sun Yanqing coming out angrily.

"Yan Qing, when are you coming back to China?"

Sun Yanqing was stunned. He hadn't expected to run into Xiang Jin. He was momentarily speechless, and the anger on his face hadn't subsided yet. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a deep voice: "It's nothing. I just came back to take care of some things and happened to come to Bai Ningshuang to get some things."

"Did you two have a fight?"

Sun Yanqing coughed, and the bulging veins on his fists showed that he was trying his best to suppress his emotions.

“We’ve been friends for so many years, don’t you know Shuangshuang’s personality? She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she’s extremely loyal to her friends. You know perfectly well how she’s treated us all these years. Don’t let some trivial things affect our relationship.”

Hearing this, Sun Yanqing seemed even more agitated.

He frowned, said simply, "I have something to do. I'll treat you to dinner next time I come back," and then left in a hurry.

Seeing that the situation was quite serious, Xiang Jin quickly went upstairs.

She had a key to Bai Ningshuang's place. As soon as she opened the door, a wine bottle was smashed at her feet: "Didn't you hear me tell you to get out? Sun Yanqing, you're a bastard!"

After smashing it, he saw it was Xiang Jin and panicked. He used both hands and feet to crawl over crookedly.

"Baby, I didn't know it was you. Are you alright?" she said, frantically checking Xiang Jin's legs.

Xiang Jin quickly stopped her.

Bai Ningshuang, who was drunk, had tears streaming down her face.

"What happened, Shuangshuang? Please tell me."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ningshuang's tears seemed to burst forth like a dam breaking, surging and flowing wildly as she cried uncontrollably, cursing Sun Yanqing as a grandson and a bastard.

While crying, she opened two bottles of wine and started chugging them. Xiang Jin couldn't stop her, and soon the two bottles were finished. Bai Ning Shuang stopped crying.

She nestled in Xiang Jin's arms, gazing blankly out the window: "Jin, do you think I deserve happiness?"

"Nonsense, if you're not qualified, who is?"

"My Shuangshuang is the best person in the world. Anyone who says anything bad about you is not telling the truth."

Bai Ningshuang's eyes reddened.

Xiang Jin gently patted her back: "Now can you tell me what happened between you and Sun Yanqing?"

Bai Ningshuang wiped away her tears, picked up her slippers from the ground and put them on: "I'm hungry, I'm going to cook a bowl of noodles, do you want to add an egg?"

"add."

Changing the subject is her usual tactic; it seems she's still unwilling to talk about it, so let's just leave it at that.

Even though she was worried, she didn't want to reopen the wound in her heart.

After finishing their noodles, Xiang Jin helped Bai Ning Shuang wash up and then chatted with her in bed.

"Ah Jin, sleep here tonight. It's late, and it's not safe for you to go back." Bai Ningshuang, who was feeling the effects of the alcohol, held her hand tightly.

Bai Ningshuang's condition was very strange. Even if she didn't say anything, she would stay with her: "What do you want to eat tomorrow morning? I'll make it for you, anything is fine."

"Then... Tang's Steamed Buns it is."

Tangji Steamed Buns was a breakfast shop near their school gate when they were in school. They used to frequent that shop, especially Sun Yanqing, who loved their steamed buns and often bought them for them.

"Okay, go to sleep." Xiang Jin gently patted her and turned off the light in the room.

………………

Haitang Bay Villas.

Murong Xiao sat on the sofa looking at the email, which contained several important sets of data reflecting recent developments in the domestic market.

Half an hour passed, and the page on the screen remained unchanged, while the hour hand on the watch moved several quarters of an hour.

He frowned slightly, gazing out the window in a daze.

"Young Master, it's almost midnight, and Madam hasn't come home yet. Should we ask her?" Zhou Zhou asked while stroking the canna's fur. Xiang Jin rarely stayed out all night, especially since Murong Xiao kept a close eye on her. Zhou Zhou was always a little worried, afraid that something might have happened to her.