When Grandpa Tang turned his head, Qiao Xia quickly raised her hand and greeted him with a smile, but he sneered and immediately turned his head away.

Tang Xining bought almost all the rough stones at the charity auction. When the experts confirmed that the rough stone would definitely yield imperial green jade, and Tang Xining bid 1 billion yuan for it, the atmosphere of the entire auction reached its climax.

Seeing that the expression on Tang Xining's face was getting worse after several busy nights without taking any pictures, Qiao Xia shook Tang Xining's arm, "There are no more raw stones left, let's just give up."

Tang Xining nodded after confirming that there was nothing she wanted.

"No way," Qiao Zhaoxing suddenly objected. "We still have 500 million yuan left to spend. Xia Bao, take a look and see if there's anything you like."

"No need..." Aside from handsome men and beautiful women, Qiao Xia didn't have much material desire for anything else.

Moreover, the only things that can be auctioned off are raw stones, antiques, and jewelry, all of which have been used by others, and Qiao Xia has a bit of a phobia of germs.

"How about this one? And this one too..."

Qiao Zhaoxing was referring to two items: an ancient headdress made of pink glass, resembling a veil of smoke, and a sapphire necklace in the style of ancient Rome.

"No need..." Qiao Xia started to say, but just then, the pink headdress was lifted up, and Qiao Xia was stunned for a moment. "So beautiful..."

Qiao Zhaoxing said smugly, "I told you you'd like it! One hundred million!"

The host, still introducing the topic from above, asked incredulously, "Is this gentleman sure he wants to bid one hundred million?"

Qiao Zhaoxing nodded without hesitation. Although the others present had become somewhat numb to the family's extravagant and inhumane way of doing things, they still couldn't help but turn around upon hearing this.

Although the Qiao family had acquired those items at prices far exceeding supermarket rates, they were all unique gemstones in the world. If they had been properly inlaid, they might have fetched a similar price.

Few people in the world can make glass crowns today, but they do exist.

These items normally sell for a few million yuan, so spending 100 million yuan to buy them back only shows that this family is truly planning to do charity.

When the Emerald was on the field, without even asking Qiao Xia's opinion, Qiao Zhaoxing also bid 100 million and won the bid.

The family of three was enjoying a happy time together, but Tang Ling, who was sitting in the front row, had her meticulously manicured nails embedded in her flesh.

Grandpa Tang sighed, "Alright, don't be angry with her. Your cousin's family has been unreliable for a long time. In a couple of days, Grandpa will take you to other auctions to buy something suitable."

Tang Ling felt even more indignant. Why should Qiao Xia be able to do whatever she wanted, while she had to be sensible, obedient, and subservient?

Tang Ling grew angrier the more she thought about it, but she managed a smile. "It's my fault for not stopping my cousin and Shuoyan from fighting in the street the other day, which caused my cousin to be criticized online. It's only right that she wants to vent her anger now."

"Such a thing is true?" Old Master Tang's face darkened.

Tang Ling quickly covered her mouth, looking as if she had said something wrong, "Cousin must not have meant it. Perhaps seeing Shuoyan and me reminded her of things from the past, so she..."

Tang Ling paused deliberately, leaving enough room for imagination before speaking again: "However, I have already bought back all the videos the reporters had, and the posts have all been deleted."

"Nonsense!" Old Master Tang scolded in a low voice, slamming his cane heavily on the ground. He said with exasperation, "What kind of behavior is it for a young girl to fight in the middle of the street?"

Tang Ling remained silent, letting Old Master Tang's anger fester.

Meanwhile, Qiao Xia and Qiao Zhaoxing in the back row discussed using 100 million to bid on a set of calligraphy and painting supplies, so that none of the family members would leave empty-handed.

As for the remaining 200 million, it was all donated to a charity foundation after the banquet, which undoubtedly made the Qiao family shine again.

However, none of the three appeared during the final group photo session, adding another layer of mystery to the already swirling speculations.

At this moment, Qiao Xia was enjoying a hearty meal in an inconspicuous spot at the banquet, while Qiao Zhaoxing and Tang Xining sat beside her, helping her peel shrimp and pick out vegetables.

The three men, dressed in identical, well-tailored black suits, looked like white-collar workers who had just finished overtime and were there to freeload. No one would guess that they had just made outstanding contributions to charity.

Qiao Xia knew that she didn't look very dignified at the moment, but she didn't feel anything special when she woke up after being hungry all day. But now her stomach was starting to rebel.

She desperately needed food to soothe the burning in her stomach, but unfortunately, not many people actually came to eat at the charity gala, so the food was very perfunctory, with small portions and few hot dishes.

With her parents' help, Qiao Xia could only try her best to stuff the small cake into her mouth.

"Nonsense!" The cane slammed heavily on the ground. Old Master Tang's face was stern and imposing, his gaze towards Qiao Xia filled with deep hatred.

Before Qiao Xia could explain, Old Master Tang turned and plunged into the crowd, seemingly afraid that others would know they knew each other, leaving Tang Ling with only one sentence.

"Grandpa said you should go find him after the banquet."

Qiao Xia shrugged indifferently and continued to huddle in the corner, munching on her small cake.

Although it's not very filling, I have to say the taste is quite good, especially the lime cheese flavor, where the perfect amount of tartness just balances out the sweetness of the cream.

Until the banquet ended, Qiao Xia's family did not show any intention of getting up to socialize. Although passersby cast disdainful glances at them, no one deliberately caused trouble.

With the food in front of them almost gone, Qiao Zhaoxing and his companion got up at the same time to get other food.

"Can I have a sea salt cheesecake?" The little girl's sweet voice rang in my ears.

Qiao Xia paused, looked down, and saw a little girl in a pretty princess dress staring longingly at the small cake on the table.

Seeing Qiao Xia looking at her, she reluctantly looked away from the small cake and gave Qiao Xia a polite smile.

"Of course." Qiao Xia was completely charmed by the little girl and took a small cake without hesitation. She even thoughtfully pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

"Thank you." The little girl crossed her legs and lifted the hem of her skirt in a ladylike curtsy.

At this moment, Qiao Xia felt like a pervert, but she was just too cute!

The little girl observed proper dining etiquette, remaining silent while eating and sleeping, keeping her eyes straight ahead throughout, and even making little noise when the spoon collided with the plate.

After finishing her meal, she dabbed the corner of her lips twice with a napkin and politely said, "I'm done eating."

Qiao Xia was a little reluctant to leave, and pushed the small cakes her parents had collected in front of her, "Won't you have some more? This lime flavor is also very delicious."

The little girl's face was full of interest, but she shook her head without hesitation. "Uncle said that even if you like something, you should be moderate, especially with foods like cakes that can cause cavities. That's the quality a lady should have."