Chapter 72 Acting as her shill

Song Yiqiu feigned surprise:

"Second Brother? What a coincidence. I came with a friend and heard about the commotion today, so I came in to see what was going on. But Second Brother, shouldn't you be studying at the academy? What are you doing here?"

Second Brother Song Wenbin's eyes flickered, and he stammered:

"Me too... I heard there were some famous people here, so I came to see them. It's purely for the sake of refined taste, refined taste..."

Song Yiqiu's gaze fell on the box in his servant's hands, a half-smile playing on her lips:

"Oh? Does elegance require carrying so much money?"

Seeing that he couldn't hide it any longer, the second brother sighed. Realizing she also knew his preferences, he decided to win her over and began to plead:

"My dear sister, you know some of my... little hobbies. I truly admire this young master Yu Yi on stage! Today, I must..."

Song Yiqiu feigned concern:

"Second brother, this auction requires real money. Where are you going to get so much money?"

The second brother looked miserable:

"To be honest, this is all I have left, and I've borrowed a lot from friends. If my sister could... could help me out a bit, that would be wonderful! We're siblings, after all!"

Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly, but outwardly appeared soft-hearted:

"Sigh, what can I do? You're my second brother, blood is thicker than water, of course I have to help you."

On stage, the dancer in red stepped down, and the manager, beaming, stepped forward, cleared his throat, and announced in a loud voice:

"Distinguished guests, please be quiet. What follows is today's main event... the auction for the right to host Young Master Yu Yi's banquet. The rules remain the same: the highest bidder wins. The starting price is... five hundred taels!"

Five hundred taels!!!

A low gasp filled the hall; this starting price was already a level that ordinary courtesans could hardly reach.

In the corner, the second brother, Song Wenbin, nervously swallowed and subconsciously touched the heavy money bag in his arms, which was all the wealth he had scraped together.

He took a deep breath and raised his hand:

"Six, six hundred taels!"

He had barely finished speaking when a casual voice rang out from not far away:

"Seven hundred taels."

All eyes turned to Ruan Tianxin.

She leisurely waved her round fan, her expression relaxed as usual.

Song Wenbin gritted his teeth and raised his hand again:

"Eight hundred taels!"

He tried to make his voice sound more confident, but his trembling legs couldn't hide it.

Ruan Tianxin didn't even glance at him, and followed him lightly:

"Nine hundred taels."

The bidding surged instantly, and the atmosphere in the hall became lively.

Other noble sons who had originally intended to bid mostly chose to wait and see after seeing this situation.

"One thousand taels!"

Song Wenbin's forehead began to sweat; the price was already making his heart ache.

“One thousand one hundred taels.”

Ruan Tianxin remained calm and even took a sip of her tea.

Song Wenbin looked to Song Yiqiu beside him for help:

“Yiqiu…this…”

Song Yiqiu leaned closer to him and sighed:

"Second brother, look at Young Master Yuyi. When he was dancing just now, didn't his eyes keep drifting in our direction? He must be quite fond of you, Second Brother."

"Such a stunning beauty, with exotic charm and overflowing talent, wouldn't it be a great pleasure in life to share a drink and chat with him?"

"Money is an inanimate thing; you can earn it back after you spend it, but if you miss this opportunity, you may regret it for the rest of your life."

Song Wenbin was captivated by her words, and his gaze once again turned to the red figure on the stage with infatuation, his possessiveness burning fiercely.

He stomped his foot and roared:

"Five thousand five hundred taels!"

Ruan Tianxin put down her fan, sat up straight, and gave a provocative smile:

"Seventeen hundred taels."

Song Wenbin's face turned pale instantly.

This price was far beyond his budget, and he broke out in a cold sweat, wanting to give up.

Seeing this, Song Yiqiu knew the time was right and said regretfully:

"Second brother, it seems Miss Ruan is determined to have him. What a pity... such a beauty will be in another's arms tonight. Second brother, you are so talented and charming, are you really going to lose to a merchant's daughter who only knows how to throw money around? If word gets out..."

Two thousand taels!!!

The words "daughter of a merchant" provoked Song Wenbin to the point of losing his mind, and he suddenly stood up.

The entire Nanfeng Pavilion fell silent instantly. Two thousand taels of silver was enough to buy a decent house in the capital!

Bai Mei watched in terror, clutching Song Yiqiu's sleeve tightly.

"Young Miss! Has he gone mad? The Second Young Master definitely can't come up with that much money!"

Song Yiqiu remained calm and subtly winked at Ruan Tianxin.

Ruan Tianxin received the signal, raised an eyebrow, leaned back lazily in her chair, waved her hand, and smiled at the manager:

"Alright, alright, since this young master is so devoted, I will grant his wish."

The person in charge hesitated for a moment, fearing that Song Wenbin might change his mind, and immediately shouted:

"Two thousand taels! This gentleman has offered two thousand taels. Is there anyone offering higher? Two thousand taels once! Two thousand taels twice! Two thousand taels three times! Sold! Congratulations, sir, Young Master Yu Yi is yours tonight!"

The hammer fell silent.

Song Wenbin slumped back into his chair, panting heavily, his face a complex mix of emotions. He had finally obtained the beauty of his dreams, but what about the two thousand taels of debt…

He hurriedly wiped away his cold sweat, his eyes darting nervously as he looked at Song Yiqiu: "Yiqiu... this... this money..."

Song Yiqiu smiled considerately, pondered for a moment, and then took out a pre-prepared IOU from her sleeve.

She handed the IOU to her second brother:

"Second brother, I am indeed short of cash. However, I know a reliable money lender who is willing to lend you this money for an emergency, out of respect for me."

"This is a promissory note. The condition is that the principal is repaid within three months, and no interest will be charged. If it is overdue... the interest will be higher. Second brother, please take a look..."

Upon hearing that there would be no interest for three months, the second brother beamed with joy, completely forgetting about the consequences of defaulting.

He quickly took the IOU, didn't even bother to read the specific terms, only confirmed the loan amount and interest-free period, and nodded repeatedly with tears of gratitude:

"Good! Good! Thank you so much, Sister Yiqiu, you've really helped me a lot. I'll definitely find a way to pay you back in three months!"

He hurriedly pressed his fingerprint on the IOU, fearing that Song Yiqiu might go back on her word.

Song Yiqiu put away the IOU and smiled meaningfully:

"Congratulations, Second Brother, on achieving your wish. I will keep today's events a secret when we get home."

The second brother was so focused on the upcoming night that he didn't have time to think about anything else. He thanked everyone profusely and took the borrowed money to make the payment.

The group watched as Young Master Yu Yi boarded his second brother's carriage.

Ruan Tianxin then slyly moved closer to Song Yiqiu and whispered with a smile:

“Sister Yiqiu, this IOU was specially made by the bank under the name of Feizhi Pavilion, and the seal is from Ruanji. I’m afraid your second brother won’t be able to pay it back, even if he were sold, with interest.”