Chapter 34 The three of them sat with their legs neatly crossed...

But Song Xiyan didn't take it seriously. "What era are we living in? Does going to a bar to drink and dance mean a woman is immoral? Miss Jiang, aren't you being a bit too old-fashioned?"

Jiang Miaomiao said calmly, "Please don't misunderstand my words. I was simply praising Miss Song for being such a sexy woman; no wonder she was able to sit on Young Master Han's lap."

Upon hearing this, Song Xiyan smiled with satisfaction, but the others were somewhat confused: Was Jiang Miaomiao's statement a compliment? No!

So, Han Cuo glanced at Jiang Miaomiao and teased, "Why are you pulling me? Are you jealous?"

Jiang Miaomiao: "Hehe, I just have a habit of describing the details of the facts too clearly."

At that moment, the hall lights changed instantly, and a gorgeous dance tune began to play.

Song Xiyan was too lazy to waste time with irrelevant people, so she turned her head and stretched out a hand to Han Cuo: "Young Master Han, I'll give you this honor to dance the opening dance with me tonight?"

She was very confident in her charm, and besides, since she invited him in public, Han Cuo wouldn't refuse out of consideration for the reputation of both families.

But who is Han Cuo?

When he's in a good mood, he can be very agreeable; when he's in a bad mood, he won't give anyone face, not even the Emperor himself.

In a flash, he pulled Jiang Miaomiao onto the dance floor.

Song Xiyan's face, which was as beautiful as a peach blossom, changed color instantly, and her gaze quickly swept over Chen Shi'an and the others.

With a beaming smile, Chen Shi'an casually reached out and pulled Ren Ziwei behind him. Even though it was Ren Ziwei he was pulling, the two grown men slid side by side onto the dance floor.

The remaining men followed suit, all looking as if they were afraid of being invited to dance by Song Xiyan.

This enraged Song Xiyan, who yelled, "Would I be blind enough to fall for a bunch of men like you?"

"..." Chen Shi'an and the others who had run away were saying that they were happy to be favored by Song Xiyan?

Seeing this scene, it was obvious to the other spectators that Song's daughter couldn't fit into Han Cuo's team and was being looked down upon. As for Jiang's daughter, Master Shan, looking at the handsome man and beautiful woman Han Cuo and Jiang Miaomiao on the dance floor, said sourly, "Old Jiang, your daughter has quite the taste!"

Jiang Zhengye tried his best to ease the atmosphere: "What are you talking about? She just got back, and it's a rare treat to see her classmates. Can't she catch up with them?"

.

On the dance floor, couples danced elegant and slow ballroom dances.

Chen Shi'an, Ren Ziwei, and the others avoided Song Xiyan and had already clapped and dispersed with disdain due to the large number of people on the dance floor. However, they all hid in a corner to spy on the two people still on the dance floor: Han Cuo and Jiang Miaomiao.

The scene of the two dancing amidst the dazzling lights was quite beautiful, with their steps in perfect harmony.

Han Cuo held Jiang Miaomiao's waist with his right hand and gripped her hand tightly with his outstretched left arm, giving off a sense of superiority: "Your actions at Dajiang Group have been somewhat effective. Many family businesses have also promoted newcomers with similar overseas study backgrounds, and Song Xiyan is one of them."

Jiang Miaomiao said, "Then I might have to work with her later. So when you rejected her invitation and chose me instead, were you deliberately making an enemy of me?"

Han Cuo raised an eyebrow: "It's as if you weren't the one who first accused her of being promiscuous."

The dance music is slightly faster, marking the point where the man and woman separate to perform the ceremony.

Jiang Miaomiao took a step back, lifted the hem of her dress, and bowed slightly to Han Cuo opposite her.

Han Cuo stood like a pine tree, nodding in return.

As the two shook hands politely again and approached, Jiang Miaomiao smiled and said, "But I need to have factual basis to make a point of this."

Han Cuo chuckled: "You know my rules; I always give ladies face. That night at the bar, it was the first time I met her."

Jiang Miaomiao gave a perfunctory reply: "Yes, Young Master Han is still as charming as ever."

Han Cuo frowned: "Could you make this performance any more convincing?"

Jiang Miaomiao: "Because I know you're very unhappy about me, and you'll secretly try to sabotage me later."

Han Cuo chuckled, "You, you..."

After the opening dance ended, Jiang Miaomiao turned and was about to leave.

"I haven't finished speaking yet..." Han Cuo called out, but seeing that she ignored him, he gave Chen Shi'an, who was outside the dance floor, a wink.

Chen Shi'an and his group naturally intercepted Jiang Miaomiao as she was leaving the dance floor.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Jiang Miaomiao turned around and looked at Han Cuo, who was walking slowly towards her.

Han Cuo pointed in the direction of the auction house, "It's boring to talk standing up, let's go sit down first."

Jiang Miaomiao crossed her arms and replied, "Not interested."

Ren Ziwei also said, "Han Cuo, isn't it wrong for you to bully the few by taking advantage of your numbers?"

"Then what can you do to me?" Han Cuo replied, then walked towards the auction house without looking back.

With so many eyes watching, Jiang Miaomiao had no interest in being escorted. She could only smile and lift her skirt to follow, while Ren Ziwei, worried, also came along.

***

The auction hall was filled with empty spaces, arranged in a crisscross pattern.

Han Cuo picked a seat in the front row of his section, while the others stood still, seemingly waiting for something.

Ren Ziwei, too lazy to wait, wanted to sit down immediately, but Chen Shi'an stopped him. The latter glanced at Jiang Miaomiao, and Jiang Miaomiao understood: among this group of men, Han Cuo ranked first, while she, as a lady, was second in priority.

Jiang Miaomiao didn't stand on ceremony and walked towards Han Cuo. Then, she walked past him and sat down at the innermost end of his row.

Han Cuo's teasing gaze turned somewhat intrigued.

The two sat in the same row, one on the left and one on the right, three positions apart.

The situation suddenly became very strange.

As everyone else followed them and sat down behind them, the two rows of people were separated by three empty rows, clearly indicating their division.

However, Han Cuo was followed by Chen Shi'an and three others, while Jiang Miaomiao was only followed by Ren Ziwei.

Ren Ziwei sensed something was wrong and reached out to poke the woman in the front row, "One to four, we've had a bad start."

Jiang Miaomiao asked suspiciously, "You switched sides to my side so quickly? Do you have some past grudges with Han Cuo?"

Ren Ziwei frowned: "Damn it! Wasn't this supposed to be a business partnership? Now that we've lost face, you'd better call your men right now!"

Jiang Miaomiao thought for a moment, "I don't know anyone here, who can I call?"

Ren Ziwei thought so too, so he took out his phone and sent a message to Xue Shaoyuan.

Ren Ziwei: You bastard, you've been looked down upon to this extent by Han Cuo and his ilk, don't you have even the slightest bit of backbone to fight back?

[Xue Shaoyuan: ??? What's wrong with you?]

[Ren Ziwei: The auction house is short-staffed and is going against Han Cuo's side! Come over immediately!]

[Xue Shaoyuan: You're going against Han Cuo? What does that have to do with me?]

[Ren Ziwei: Don't you have any backbone at all? Even Jiang Miaomiao knows to talk back to him, the three of you are really hopeless...]

Xue Shaoyuan was stunned: What exactly were Han Cuo and Jiang Miaomiao doing at the auction?

He couldn't resist going over to check, but Xiao Luolin called out to him, "Where are you going?"

"Ren Ziwei seems to be causing trouble at the auction house."

"Then we should go take a look." Xiao Luolin was about to leave with great interest, but Tu Jiaojiao objected, "We're not on the same side as Ren Ziwei."

Xue Shaoyuan said, "Han Cuo is over there too."

Tu Jiaojiao stamped her foot and said, "What are you standing there for? Go now!" She practically dragged the two of them towards the auction house.

Jiang Miaomiao didn't expect him to call Tu Jiaojiao's group.

She said, "Ren Ziwei, are you here as an undercover agent for me?"

Ren Ziwei pouted: "No, that's not it."

Jiang Miaomiao frowned: "Are you sure you're calling for reinforcements, or you're just shooting yourself in the foot?"

Ren Ziwei said confidently, "At the last gathering, Han Cuo was too lazy to reach out and catch Tu Jiaojiao, causing her to fall so awkwardly. I don't believe that a straight man like that can keep Tu Jiaojiao infatuated with him. If he had any brains, he should be slapping her in the face and then going through the whole 'chasing after his wife' phase' by now!"

Jiang Miaomiao almost choked up, speechless: "Ren Ziwei, I never would have guessed that a grown man like you would be so obsessed with romance novels."

Ren Ziwei glared at her. "I only know you women. Don't you just love stories of domineering CEOs falling in love with me and the 'wife-chasing-after-the-cremation' drama?"

Jiang Miaomiao: "..." She was speechless.

Tu Jiaojiao and her two companions walked over in a grand and boisterous manner.

Ren Ziwei waved to greet them, and Xiao Luolin and Xue Shaoyuan were about to sit down, but Tu Jiaojiao still plopped down next to Han Cuo, making him furious. He was so disappointed in her: "Damn it! Tu Jiaojiao, are you love-struck or brain-dead? Even at a time like this, you're still clinging to Han Cuo. Have you no shame?"

Perhaps because Ren Ziwei had been so harsh on her, Tu Jiaojiao, who was used to fawning over others, glanced at Han Cuo, then, as if in a daze, stood up with a mixture of love and hate. But don't even think about sitting in Jiang Miaomiao's row!

Anyone with eyes can see that with the two sides now going at each other, Jiang Miaomiao's side is the weakest of the two!

Tu Jiaojiao sat directly between Han Cuo and Jiang Miaomiao, and said smugly, "I'm open to being courted. Let's see who offers the higher price?"

Jiang Miaomiao rolled her eyes.

Han Cuo turned his head away helplessly.

Tu Jiaojiao, enraged, retorted, "What kind of reaction is this? Don't you have any respect for off-court support?"

"It's so noisy!" Ren Ziwei snapped, clenching his fists as if he was about to get up and hit someone.

Xue Shaoyuan and Xiao Luolin sat down on either side of him helplessly, quickly reaching out to press him down. One advised, "A good man doesn't fight with a woman," and the other, "A gentleman uses words, not fists," before Ren Ziwei calmed down a bit.

Ren Ziwei threatened, "Then you all just sit here and don't move!"

Xiao Luolin and Xue Shaoyuan nodded vigorously.

Ren Ziwei then pointed at Tu Jiaojiao: "Either drag her over here, or throw her out."

Xue Shaoyuan nodded and pulled Tu Jiaojiao in the front row by the collar, making her move to Jiang Miaomiao's side.

Tu Jiaojiao refused, and Xue Shaoyuan frowned and scolded, "At this crucial moment, you should cooperate!" Compared to Han Cuo, their families were closer to the Ren family.

Tu Jiaojiao had no choice but to reluctantly shift her position, but she still sat in the middle!

She's waiting for the right price and won't help anyone!

"It's three to four now," Ren Ziwei said reluctantly. At least the difference wasn't too big.

Jiang Miaomiao covered her eyes: This forced team-building approach is worse than no team at all!

Han Cuo couldn't help but smile and said sweetly, "Yes, three to four."

"Hey, goddess! I've finally found you!" A joyful shout suddenly rushed towards Jiang Miaomiao from afar.

Jiang Miaomiao was extremely vigilant and immediately looked to her left, only to see Xie Liang running towards her with outstretched arms.

This posture makes it look like I'm about to hug her?

She moved her right ankle, preparing to kick out, but Xie Liang was quite sensible. He stopped steadily when he got close, and stretched out his hand with shining eyes to grab her claws.

Jiang Miaomiao didn't shake hands, but asked first, "Brother, what brings you here?"

Xie Liang frowned, first taking her hand and holding it tightly before saying, "What you said at the wedding that day made a lot of sense. If your own country is the most developed in the world, then why should I stay abroad to start a business? Of course I'll come back. I chose to start my business in Hong Kong because of you. I heard that a lot of people would be coming to tonight's charity gala, so I came hoping to bump into you! I didn't expect to actually see you! Actually, I saw you a while ago, but I was afraid you'd be too fierce. Now, looking at this scene, don't you think we need to join in the mahjong game?"

"Yes, bro, you stepped in at the most crucial moment!" Ren Ziwei's eyes suddenly lit up, and he pulled Xie Liang to sit down next to him. Then, with a cool and arrogant expression, he looked at Han Cuo's side and held up five fingers: indicating the score was 4-4. A tie.

Jiang Miaomiao felt inexplicably sad.

What she really wanted to tell Ren Ziwei was: Sometimes, having a bad teammate is the most deadly thing!

...

"Ding!" The auction bell rang, indicating that an item had started to be bid on.

People gradually took their seats, including Jiang Zhengye and his group.

Anyone with eyesight could see the strange seating arrangement in that small area, led by Han Cuo and Jiang Miaomiao.

Oh dear, women shouldn't stand out in public. Does she even understand qualities like being dignified, virtuous, quiet, and reserved? Jiang Zhengye wished he could quickly put Jiang Miaomiao in a sack and take her away, but others pulled him to a seat, so he didn't have a chance to do it.

All items in the auction are donated, and each item is marked with the donor's name. The final price is calculated by deducting the corresponding auction fee, and the remaining amount is donated to social charities.

But everything has two sides:

The invited donors disregarded the true meaning of charity and began to pursue the original value of the donated items, competing to see who could raise the highest price. The auction then became a second arena for fame and fortune, where whoever donated the highest bid gained the most prestige. As a result, the charity auction largely became a process for various parties to curry favor or curry favor.

Today's auction items include many famous paintings, jewelry, and even land.

Jiang Miaomiao wasn't particularly interested in the first two, so she didn't film them, and neither did those who were reluctant to join her group.

Han Cuo remained calm until he saw Jiang Miaomiao raising her paddle to bid on a plot of land in Hong Kong, at which point he also raised his paddle.

Ren Ziwei nudged her from behind: "Keep filming! It's only a few million, it's not like we can't afford it!"

Jiang Miaomiao shrugged: "I really can't afford it."

Seeing this, Han Cuo crossed his arms and laughed, "Miaomiao, how about I take a picture and give it to you?"

“Sure,” Jiang Miaomiao nodded. “After you pay, I’ll go with you to the real estate bureau to change the name on the land deed.”

Han Cuo smiled and said, "Taking my things comes at a price."

Jiang Miaomiao looked at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes: "If it requires a price, how can you say it's a 'gift'?"

Han paused for a moment.

Ren Ziwei seized the opportunity and led a chorus of boos. Chen Shi'an and the others had no choice but to endure it, secretly waiting for Han Cuo to retaliate.

...

Suddenly, Song Xiyan and her entourage chased after them back to the auction house.

She was determined to get back up from where she fell!

Now we've stumbled twice because of Han Cuo.

But for some reason, she turned her attention to the innocent Jiang Miaomiao, walking up to her with captivating charm.

Jiang Miaomiao used the bidding paddle as a fan to cool herself, looking at her with a detached air.

Song Xiyan smiled haughtily, then gestured to Tu Jiaojiao next to her: "I am the second young lady of the Song family, could you please give me your seat?"

So direct? Jiang Miaomiao looked at Tu Jiaojiao with interest, and the latter indeed snorted, "I am the only young lady of the Tu family, could you please get lost?"

"How dare you!" Song Xiyan roared. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

Tu Jiaojiao retorted sharply: "Don't you know I'm talking to a person? Do you know you're not human?!"

Jiang Miaomiao silently shuffled the stool back a little, then a little more.

Ren Ziwei and Xie Liang, sitting in the back row, cleverly moved their chairs to the sides, making room in the middle so that Jiang Miaomiao could squeeze in and sit next to them.

The three of them sat with their legs crossed, watching Tu Jiaojiao and Song Xiyan bicker.

Ren Ziwei commented: "...one woman and five hundred ducks."

Xie Liang weakly added, "...But I feel there are more than a thousand?"

Jiang Miaomiao nodded, "So, it's so boring. Why don't we all go home and find our own mothers?"

"Great idea!" This time, even Xue Shaoyuan and Xiao Luolin behind him agreed.

Everyone immediately stood up and headed towards the main entrance. But Xiao Luolin and Xue Shaoyuan turned around in time and quickly dragged away Tu Jiaojiao, who was still arguing with him.

"They're really leaving?" Chen Shi'an asked Han Cuo. "Young Master, should we give chase?"

Han Cuo rubbed his forehead: "Next time. This woman doesn't follow the rules, she's difficult to deal with!"

***

Why aren't they back yet?

"Did he get splashed in the swimming pool and get soaked?"

"Were we tricked into going to a room after being splashed with red wine?"

"Or were they drugged and rendered unconscious? Or were nude photos taken of them?"

...

In the Jiang family villa, a minor huddled on the sofa, muttering to himself, his words becoming increasingly exaggerated and his fear growing, until finally he cried out in panic: "Was I dismembered, shredded, and flushed down the toilet?"