When Xu Qian left, the two Meng brothers were still asleep in bed. They had only gone to bed around 5:30 last night, and had only slept for less than four hours. So, Xu Qian thoughtfully left them undisturbed, left a note by the bedside, and then took the runaway child with him and left the hotel.

As for how to get there...

"Take the subway?" Xu Qian asked. He didn't mind the taxi fare, but the road... was a bit congested. (All the routes were jammed with red lights, it was terribly congested!)

Jiang Qun was taken aback for a moment, "Y-yes, sure." Although he hadn't ridden in it much before.

"Have you ever ridden in one?" Xu Qian asked aloud.

Jiang Qun hesitated for a second, "I've taken it once." It was this trip from Nanchun Port to the city center.

"Oh." Xu Qian thought to himself that made sense, since the other person was a celebrity and should have a private car when traveling.

Xu Qian skillfully bought two subway tickets to Nanchun Port. Although the micro-city where he now lives also has a subway, it is one of the newly opened ones, and many lines are still under construction, unlike Beijing, where there are many lines to choose from.

But, but, but don't forget that he's essentially a man from Sichuan. In the 21st century, there are not only subways, but also light rails. Subways are all pretty much the same.

"By the way, I still don't know your name?" Jiang Qun was wearing a mask and spoke softly; Xu Qian might not have heard her if he hadn't had such good hearing.

"Qin You," Xu Qian announced the name of the hidden sword vest.

Jiang Qun obediently changed his form of address, "Brother You... my name is Jiang Zizhuo."

"The subway is here, let's get on first," Xu Qian said, pointing ahead.

The crowded subway was already full, but Xu Qian spotted a corner with fewer people. He pushed Jiang Qun over there first. At 175 cm, Jiang Qun was considered tall for her age, but next to Xu Qian, who was 188 cm tall, she looked particularly 'petite'. He easily squeezed her into the corner he had chosen.

The subway in summer has very thoughtful air conditioning, which is a comfort to Jiang Qun who has been wearing a mask all the time. Although young people wearing masks in Beijing don't attract much attention now, for me, wearing a mask on a hot day is a very 'suffocating' thing.

Xu Qian didn't say much after getting on the subway. He was checking the route to the jewelry auction. It seemed that taking a taxi would be faster after getting off the subway, as Nanchun Port wasn't as congested as the inner city of Beijing.

Jiang Qun, who had squeezed onto the subway, looked up, feeling that he should say something. However, he was not usually talkative and had not made many friends. For a moment, he really didn't know what to say and could only stare blankly at the other person.

Xu Qian put away his phone and met his eyes. He looked blankly at Xu Qian, who was only fifteen or sixteen. So Xu Qian smiled and spoke in a gentle tone, like an elder with nothing better to do asking a younger person, "Are you not used to the crowded subway?"

Jiang Qun snapped out of his daze and shook his head. "No... I'm alright."

Xu Qian thought for a moment and asked him, "What did you two argue about so fiercely before? You even dared to run away from home by yourself. Weren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

Jiang Qun slightly turned his gaze away, "It's nothing major, it's just... I don't want to go to tutoring, but they insist I go..."

Xu Qian thought about the other person's age, and figured he should be in high school by now, so he asked if he was in his first year of high school. The other person nodded after hearing this.

"High school is indeed more difficult than junior high, so be mentally prepared," Xu Qian said, speaking with the air of someone who's been there.

“…But I don’t want to go to school.” Jiang Qun perfectly portrayed a child who hates school.

Xu Qian wanted to say, "What else can you do if you don't study at your age?" But then he thought, "She's a super popular idol now. Even if she doesn't study, she can probably support herself." So... he didn't know what to say.

After a while, Jiang Qun lowered his head as if he were burying himself in it, "...I don't like school, and they don't like me either, so why should I go?"

Xu Qian was stunned for a moment, then realized he was being ostracized. Although Xu Qian himself had never experienced school bullying, he knew that such situations did exist, after all, not every child is kind.

"Where are your family members? Haven't you told them?" Xu Qian asked.

Jiang Qun paused for a few seconds, "Telling them won't do any good..."

Xu Qian had a toothache. In a sense, school violence is indeed not something that parents can handle by intervening, especially passive-aggressive violence.

"If anything happens in the future, you can tell me." Xu Qian patted the other person's shoulder. He was quite thin, which made sense, since he was just a minor.

"...Is it okay?" Jiang Qun asked cautiously, but his eyes revealed a certain expectation.

"Sure, but I can be quite busy sometimes." For example, I might have to 'save the world' or something.

"Mmm, it's nothing..." Jiang Qun's eyes crinkled into a smile.

...

After safely delivering the person home, Xu Qian then headed to his destination – the Yongchang Jewelry Auction.

The auction was very well managed. Everyone entering and leaving had to go through infrared scanning. Xu Qian's invisibility could pass through airport security, so he thought that if he could pass through airport security, he couldn't possibly not pass through here. However... it really didn't work.

"Beep beep beep—"

Accompanying Xu Qian was a woman wearing a zebra-print, low-slit cheongsam. She was startled at first, then waved her hands in a panic, "It wasn't me! This shouldn't be happening! Is there something wrong with your machine? Why is it making a sound..."

Xu Qianxin said "sorry" and hunched over as he slipped into the venue, leaving the poor lady to face the subsequent interrogation.

As the crowd reached the back of the exhibition hall, Xu Qian glanced around and saw at least thirty people, including many foreigners. Adding those outside who hadn't yet entered, there were at least a hundred people here today.

Xu Qian wasn't sure when Hua Laosan would arrive, so he could only find a corner to wait patiently.

While waiting aimlessly, Xu Qian randomly observed the other people in the exhibition hall. The vast majority were 'ordinary people'. Apart from money and wealth, they didn't have any other identities. The attributes of the rich were so 'simple' and 'pure'...

Wait a minute, why does this Shirakawa (fake) look so familiar...?

After a moment's recollection, Xu Qian remembered that this was the same person he had met on the minibus at Changwei Mountain, and later in the desert. Why was this person here?

Xu Qian's attention fell on the man named Bai Chuan. His disguise this time was completely different from the previous ones. He was a foreign man in his thirties who looked very 'elite'. His smoky gray hair was neatly combed, and his clothes were also very elite, as if he were the elite himself.

Shirakawa vaguely sensed a gaze, but when he casually turned his head out of the corner of his eye, he didn't catch anything. At first, he thought he was being too sensitive, but when he walked to a less crowded corner, the gaze on him was still following him closely.

"...This is a bit bad." Shirakawa sipped his champagne, a strange restlessness lurking beneath his calm expression.

At that moment, a sound came from the earpiece he had hidden in his ear—

Why did you abandon your post?

Shirakawa took another sip and said in an almost regretful tone, in an international language, "Sigh, I really wish the cake hadn't been cut off beforehand."

Xu Qian noticed that the moment he finished speaking, several gazes surged from all directions. These people's acting skills were not as good as Bai Chuan's.

It seems today will be a very lively day. Xu Qian thought to himself.

...

The last group of guests arrived at 4:30 p.m.

However, Hua Laosan was not there; he did not appear as he had expected.

Representing the Huashi Fund was their company manager, a middle-aged man surnamed Wang. He was plump and looked very kind, but he was not the person Xu Qian was looking for.

"Mr. Jiang! Congratulations! It's a pity that President Hua hasn't been feeling well lately and couldn't attend. I'm truly sorry, but President Hua personally instructed that our friendship will not be diminished!"

"Oh, how's President Hua's health? I've told him not to always work so hard. He should leave these small things to his subordinates. He's just born to be a workaholic..."

"Hey, that's right, Mr. Hua is such a serious person, and that's the principle he uses to teach us..."

Xu Qian listened for a while, but it was all mutual flattery; there was no useful information.

With six o'clock approaching, a grand jewelry exhibition and auction began as the organizers took the stage.

Seventy percent of those present were there to attend the exhibition, while less than thirty percent were actually there for the auction. The auction was not open to the public; only a few dozen people who entered the venue could witness the entire process.

Another hour passed, and everyone had enjoyed the buffet dinner provided by the organizers to some extent. There were dishes from all kinds of countries, and they looked delicious. Unfortunately... he couldn't eat any.

Xu Qian even regretted not renting a suit before coming, otherwise he could have turned off his invisibility and come out to freeload a meal.

Sigh! He's probably been hanging out with Meng Ziqiu for too long; he seems to have caught her scent!

Just then, a few inconspicuous staff members slipped into the exhibition hall. These people were there to inform the remaining 30% that they could now enter to participate in the auction.

Shirakawa was also among the 30% who were notified.

Xu Qian hesitated for two seconds between the chubby boy surnamed Wang and Bai Chuan, who was in disguise. He decided to go check on Bai Chuan, feeling that something was going to happen there.

He followed Shirakawa to another exhibition hall, which was similar to the outside exhibition hall, but with some more rows of reclining chairs. However, because there were nearly half as many people here as outside, it seemed a bit empty.

Soon, a plaque belonging to Shirakawa was brought up – number 26.

Xu Qian casually found an empty spot to sit down. There were so many seats available that it completely avoided people being packed together.

After everyone was seated, today's auction officially began.

"First of all, welcome everyone to the Yongchang Jewelry auction. Ten percent of the proceeds from this auction will be donated to the public in the name of the Jiang Group..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qian raised an eyebrow. Donating to society? This family actually does charity work?

"Next up is today's first item for auction—Princess Rickman-Aldington Helen's turquoise brooch..."

The Kingdom of Rickman, the predecessor of the Kingdom of Ale, was a country that was known as the 'Eternal Sun over the Sea' a hundred years ago.

Unfortunately, the so-called 'never-ending sun over the sea' has now been completely extinguished.

Author's Note: The following chapters will be half and half.

Even with the Photoshop edit, I still feel like it's written in a very basic way...

However, Xu Zai's character was based on a real-life friend; he's a Pisces man and a straight man.

But he's incredibly warm and caring when he's with his male friends; you'd want to call him an angel any minute. This might be because it's deep within his natural instincts...