3. Snow in a silver bowl

◎His little darling. ◎

At that moment, everyone in the audience looked towards the central VIP box, which was lit up with a green light.

It remained silent throughout the entire process, only reacting when the final, most coveted item went up for auction, clearly indicating that it was after the jade bead necklace.

The one-way glass reflected the magnificent jade bead necklace playing on the large screen display stand.

Even Shang Xinuan was stunned; this was a full ten million higher than her estimate.

Li Xiran, however, remained calm and composed, even as he wiped her hands, his expression completely unmoved.

It was as if he were sitting at a negotiating table, not at an auction.

“Uncle,” she said softly.

Li Xiran simply continued to massage the red marks on her hand from the tea with his delicate and gentle fingertips, saying, "If our Nuannuan likes it, then it's worth the price."

The light from the new Chinese-style chandelier is soft.

The incense burning on the driftwood table couldn't mask the comforting scent of herbs emanating from him.

Shang Xinuan stared intently at him, her lips pressed into a straight line, and warmth flowed from her eyes, which had just been sparkling. The grievance in her heart was completely dispelled.

"One hundred million yuan, Fair Warning." The auctioneer issued a final warning and struck the gavel to announce the sale of the item.

"One hundred million yuan, sold! Congratulations to Mr. Li in the central VIP box on the second floor."

Amidst sighs of regret, the Oriental Lide Magnificent Jadeite Auction officially came to an end.

"Are you happy now?" The two didn't leave in a hurry. Li Xiran tilted his head, still looking at the emotions on her face.

Perhaps it was because she received a jade bead necklace that she liked at first sight, or it was a gift from someone she admired.

My heart felt warm, my lips and teeth felt sweet, and even the burning pain in my tiger's mouth was greatly reduced by the gentle caress at this moment.

But the young lady still pouted and said, "At least I'm not upset anymore."

Not feeling upset doesn't mean you're not particularly happy.

Li Xiran chuckled softly, his deep eyes curving slightly. "Then let's go with Nuannuan to pick out the furniture later, and have Omakase for dinner. Will that make you happier?"

It was clearly not him who made him unhappy, yet Li Xiran was still willing to coax him without any limits.

The herbal scent lingering in Shangxi's nostrils grew even stronger, and even the sound of her heartbeat was particularly clear in the quiet private room.

"Hmm?" Not receiving a response, Li Xiran raised an eyebrow and pressed for an answer.

The young lady turned her face, which was barely able to contain her laughter, to the other side. "I don't know. We'll have to do it first and then we'll see."

She genuinely enjoyed being coaxed by Li Xiran; it was the sense of security that came from knowing she was being unreasonable yet still receiving unconditional affection.

"Okay." He drawled, his voice laced with laughter, "My little darling."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

The man rudely pushed open the door, and before anyone could be seen, a teasing voice could be heard, "Xiran! You just took over the resort in Shanghai, and now you've snatched the jade bead necklace I was planning to give to my daughter. You really don't hold back at all!"

The atmosphere in the private room, which had been quite pleasant just moments before, instantly turned icy cold upon his arrival.

Shang Xinuan didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Li Xiran then stood up and walked behind her to block her.

The two stood back to back, and she could clearly feel her whole body trembling with anger.

Li Xiran patted her on the shoulder, comforting her.

But when he looked at Feng Jiting, his eyes held a hint of coldness. "Chairman Feng, what a coincidence. This beaded necklace is also a gift I was going to give to my young lady."

At this moment, Ji Ting noticed the person behind Li Xiran, whose face, which had just been preparing to interrogate him, froze in mid-air.

Looking across the entire city of Shanghai, there was only one person whom Li Xiran treated like a precious jewel.

"So it's Nuannuan." Feng Ji's voice softened and became gentle, his usually shrewd eyes revealing affection. "Why didn't you tell your father sooner?"

The young lady ignored him, haughtily refilling her tea as if he didn't exist.

"Dad! I only went to the restroom to touch up my makeup, and how did the jade beaded necklace become someone else's?!" At the same time, a sweet, spoiled female voice came from the corridor. Only when the person stopped at the door of the central private room did the voice immediately turn cold and say, "Oh, so it wasn't someone else!"

Shang Xin rubbed her ears, finding them extremely noisy.

"Ruochu, go back to your mother first."

Feng Ruochu shook off Feng Jiting's hand and said arrogantly to her back, "Dad, you only withdrew because the person who took the pearl necklace from me was Shang Xinuan!"

"Ruochu, you've already overbid the bid on the gourd pendant, the jade..."

“What do you mean by overcharging! You’re clearly just trying to curry favor with Shang Xinuan.” Feng Ruochu interrupted Feng Jiting’s explanation. “I’m the daughter who’s by your side every day. Look at her haughty attitude. Does she owe you any favors at all?”

Shang Xinuan wasn't interested in the argument between the father and daughter, but she was disgusted by the word "receive affection".

“It’s hilarious,” the young lady said leisurely. “How can someone be so shameless as to try to glorify themselves?”

"Who are you calling shameless!" Feng Ruochu pushed Feng Jiting aside and was about to rush in, but she stopped in her tracks just before she reached her, frightened by Li Xiran's icy face.

"I didn't name names, why are you so quick to assume it's me?" Shang Xinuan stood up; even in flat shoes, she was still a head taller than Feng Ruochu.

"Besides, I am Shang Xinuan, the Shang family's Shang Xinuan in Shanghai." She looked down at Feng Ruochu with disdain, sneered, and said contemptuously, "A mere jade bead necklace, I could buy so much that even the Shang mansion wouldn't be able to hold it."

Looking at Feng Ruochu again, her eyes, bloodshot with anger, were filled with twisted, bright red blood vessels. "Will Li Xiran buy it for you? He's an adopted son. If he wants to completely take over the Li family, he really needs to use the jade bead necklace to curry favor with you, Shang Xinuan from the Shang family in Shanghai."

Shang Xinuan's eyelids trembled, and her eyes suddenly turned cold.

She subconsciously looked at Li Xiran's face, only to find that he was completely calm and composed, without any fluctuations in his heart or body.

But she didn't want Li Xiran to be dragged into this and suffer this unreasonable attack, so she changed the subject and said, "Then may I ask Miss Feng, what favor do I owe your family? Could it be that I am the heir in your father's will?"

Feng Ruochu was stunned. The balloon in his heart was punctured, and he raised his fist, wanting to hit her.

Before Shang Xinuan could even blink, she was protected by a broad, warm chest.

Li Xiran's eyes flashed with a chilling murderous intent almost instantly, and he firmly and ruthlessly grabbed Feng Ruochu's outstretched wrist.

Within arm's reach, there was an irresistible force visible to the naked eye, carrying a deadly move that was about to sever Feng Ruochu's wrist.

"It hurts!" Feng Ruochu's tears fell instantly.

Li Xiran protected her with one hand and supported Feng Ruochu with the other, pushing her out of the private room.

Rarely, with the air of someone who had long held a high position, he looked at Feng Jiting and said, "Mr. Feng has done a good job of educating his daughter. The Li and Shang families will take good care of your daughter in the future for what she said and did today."

Shang Xinuan raised her eyes and looked at Li Xiran, who was calm and composed in his anger, even glancing at Feng Jiting with indifferent eyes.

The person who used to be gentle and mild now had a cold and sharp look in his eyes.

And the reason for all of this is simply because of her.

The deafening sound of a heartbeat and the echoing sound of a slap resounding down the corridor rang out simultaneously.

Feng Ji was so quick in his actions that it wasn't until Feng Ruochu slowly covered her cheek, and a trail of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth and lips, that everyone realized what was happening.

"You bastard, you're just embarrassing me!" Feng Jiting cursed at Feng Ruochu.

Just then, Lin Fanglian, who arrived late, witnessed the scene and hurriedly hugged Feng Ruochu, saying, "Why are you hitting your daughter!"

It's unclear whether this was an act for her and Li Xiran, or if Feng Jiting was simply this easily angered in front of his wife and children.

"Look what you've done to her! You two get out of here and stop embarrassing yourselves."

Feng Ruochu, who had just been nestled in Lin Fanglian's arms, raised her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her lips and said to Feng Jiting with her neck stiff, "Yes, you are the best in the whole world!"

"You're such a good person, how could you be so heartless as to abandon Shang Chenshu and marry my mother?"

"You are so kind, why won't Shang Xinuan acknowledge her ancestors and become a daughter of the Feng family?"

“I have embarrassed you and caused you trouble. But only I, your spoiled daughter, and my mother, your gentle and easy-to-manage wife, are the best match for your hypocrisy, selfishness and indifference, Dad.”

"roll!"

Lin Fanglian, her eyes red, didn't say a word, but forcefully pulled Feng Ruochu away.

Feng Jiting then regained his composure and apologized to Li Xiran in a gentle tone, "Chairman Li, the child is ignorant, please forgive him."

Li Xiran, who nodded to her again, had regained his calm and gentle expression. "Please forgive me, Mr. Feng. I am an adopted son who finally managed to climb the social ladder, and I almost caused him to be beaten. I have to give him an explanation."

Feng Jiting wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Shang Xinuan's haughty young lady face.

Everyone says that her personality is exactly the same as her mother, Shang Chenshu—spoiled and pampered.

Born into the extremely wealthy Shang family, which had many sons and few daughters, she was spoiled rotten and demanded gifts from the moon and stars.

"Nuan Nuan, Daddy..."

The young lady, who had been immersed in Li Xiran's strong sense of security, completely lost her temper. "My father is dead. He died along with my devoted mother. Feng Dong is hypocritical, selfish, and indifferent. He should have some self-respect."

"Do not dishonor my deceased father and mother."

Li Xiran pressed the pager button and notified Chen Rong, "Mr. Feng, I won't be able to entertain you any longer. Goodbye."

As soon as the order to leave was given, Chen Rong appeared instantly, and together with two security guards, each holding one of Feng Jiting's arms, they "escorted" him out of the Li'an Hotel.

-

"Uncle, don't listen to Feng Ruochu's nonsense."

"Is Zhizhi unhappy?"

The two stood face to face, their voices of mutual concern emanating almost simultaneously.

"What branches?" The young lady was distracted first.

"High branch." Li Xiran lowered his eyes, smiled gently, and gently stroked the tip of her nose with his fingertip.

"How can you make fun of me like that..." Shang Xinuan was amused by him and playfully punched his shoulder with her fist. She started to say something, but then realized it was wrong, "It's mine."

"I won't allow you to say that." The young lady had a serious expression on her face.

Li Xiran crossed his arms, stared into her eyes, and nodded, "A branch of golden branches and jade leaves."

Shang Xinuan was finally satisfied.

In her eyes, Li Xiran was someone who didn't need anyone to take away what rightfully belonged to him.

Besides unconditionally favoring her, Li Xiran was also generous in giving respect and sincere help to others.

He will explicitly prohibit the practice of meaningless overtime at the company, provide female employees with a fair competitive platform, and arrange dormitory accommodation and reimburse commuting expenses for all on-campus interns.

Male employees of the Lai family will also receive double paternity leave on an equal footing, and the company will set up an extra weekend company-run lunch program for single-parent families, as well as provide condolences for the bereaved families of employees.

He is a capitalist, but also a leader with a humanistic concern.

Rather than saying his methods were clever, it's more accurate to say that he showed genuine sincerity in the details at the grassroots level.

The inherent sense of security he exuded earned him everyone's trust.

That's why he was able to lead the precarious Li family through the crisis in just four short years.

"I knew it was you." At that moment, the door to the east wing was pushed open.

In early spring in Shanghai, Chen Shaoyi wore a dark-colored embroidered dress with a traditional Chinese style, her long, flowing hair exuding gentleness and elegance.

She was fifty-two years old at the time. In her youth, her features were plain and unremarkable, but with age and the weathering brought by experience, her eyes and brows had gained a touch of benevolent Buddha-like grace.

Every time Shang Xinuan saw her, she would think of the phrase "face like Guanyin".

Seeing Chen Shaoyi walking towards them, Shang Xinuan said obediently, "Hello, Grandma Shaoyi."

Li Xiran responded respectfully, "Mother."

"Today is Quesi's first auction at the Shanghai headquarters of Oriental Lide. I was thinking of supporting her, but I didn't expect you to bring Nuannuan." Chen Shaoyi ignored her and only looked at Li Xiran warmly, saying, "Your high bid in the first auction has made Quesi's name known in the jewelry industry."

Shang Xinuan naturally guessed that the "Quesi" mentioned by Chen Shaoyi was today's beautiful auctioneer.

She looked at Chen Shaoyi's warm and caring manner towards others, and thought about how she had never been liked by Chen Shaoyi.

At every public gathering, all the wealthy women would surround her in the center, while Chen Shaoyi would sit alone on the side, looking down on them.

She doesn't care about Chen Shaoyi's opinion, but she can guess what Li Xiran is thinking.

After all, one second he was spending lavishly on her, and the next he was standing up for his friend.

She lowered her head, focusing on her inner thoughts, a bitter feeling of helplessness welling up inside her.

"Hmm. I didn't know my mother would come to support Miss Bai." Li Xiran's voice was very calm, but it carried a very obvious intention to avoid suspicion.

As if on purpose, he put his arm around her shoulder and said, "I came because Nuannuan likes that jade bead necklace, so I came with her to the event."

In an instant, the young lady's temper and emotions were soothed and she even obediently explained to Chen Shaoyi, "I'm sorry for raising Grandma's price just now!"

Chen Shaoyi smiled faintly, her eyes distant. "It's alright."

Before the words were even finished, the elevator on the second floor beeped.

Following the sound of high heels clicking on the wooden floor, the three looked at Bai Quesi, who was slowly walking out of the elevator.

She wore a light-colored cheongsam, and her classical appearance was elegant and dignified.

As she got closer, Shang Xinuan discovered that even her temperament was as delicate and refined as an orchid, an elegance that was unforgettable.

This is a completely different style from her own refined and elegant Shanghai socialite and heiress style.

"Quesi has arrived just in time." The scene had become Chen Shaoyi's home turf. She warmly pulled Bai Quesi along and introduced her to Li Xiran, saying, "I originally thought we would have to wait until Xiran was resting before we could meet."

"Auntie, it's been a long time." Bai Quesi's eyes were as beautiful as distant mountains and autumn waves. She first looked at Chen Shaoyi, and then handed the crimson velvet gift box she was carrying to Li Xiran. "I've heard so much about you, Chairman Li. This is your item."

Ignoring politeness, Shang Xinu stared at her warily and curiously.

My first impression was that Bai Quesi possessed an elegant and mature feminine charm.

Even when faced with her strange gaze, he would take the initiative to greet her, saying, "This must be Miss Shang. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take good care of me."

Shang Xinuan usually couldn't help but act coquettishly when speaking half a sentence to her grandfather and Li Xiran, but when facing Bai Quesi, she couldn't help but straighten her back and learn to be mature and composed, replying: "Miss Bai, you flatter me. I really like your auction style."

Chen Shaoyi took over the conversation again, changing the subject: "Now that the auction is over, Xiran, why don't you go home for dinner tonight? Let's have a celebration party for Quesi. You're the same age, so I'm sure you'll have a lot in common."

Her gaze lingered on the two of them with an ambiguous undertone, her words clearly implying a desire to bring them together.

Li Xiran gently declined, saying, "I'm sorry, Mother. I had already promised to accompany Nuannuan to choose furniture, and I had also booked a restaurant for two tonight. It's really unfortunate."

The push and pull between adults is something anyone can immediately understand.

Chen Shaoyi, however, remained unfazed, linking arms with Bai Quesi, adopting the demeanor of a mother-in-law proactively clarifying for her daughter-in-law, "Nuannuan is Teacher Xiran's granddaughter, and she's always been following him around calling him 'Uncle.' So Xiran always likes to take extra care of her."

This subtle statement, made solely at the behest of her mentor, clearly distinguished the closeness and distance between her and Li Xiran in just a few words.

The young lady bit her lip and remained silent; it was a subconscious movement she made when she was displeased.

However, because Chen Shaoyi is Li Xiran's mother, she has nowhere to vent her grievances and bitterness.

Just as she was about to lose control of the torrential rain of emotions raging in her heart, a soft, tender voice rippled above her head.

Li Xiran nodded, and in front of Chen Shaoyi and Bai Quesi, affectionately ruffled the top of her hair and said:

"That's not all."

A note from the author:

Not only that

What else is there?