Chapter 133 A Talented Actor Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 30) Xue Ziqi...

Xue Ziqi stepped forward at the right moment and stopped Gu Yunting, who was still trying to get closer: "Alright, Second Young Master Gu, stop trying to get close to us. Even if you force the life-saving favor onto Brother Song, do you think you can use this to get our help?"

Although I don't know what Gu Yunting is up to or what grudge he has with my master, this guy has never been a good person, and he's definitely up to no good this time either. It's best to keep him away from me.

After teasing Gu Yunting, Xue Ziqi casually grabbed two small pink cakes from the bar and handed one to Lin You, saying, "Grandma, try this. Some of the people here aren't very good, but the food is still quite delicious."

This event, though called a charity auction, was actually another form of cocktail party, with plenty of snacks and drinks available for guests to help themselves.

Of course, most of the others were busy socializing with drinks, and there were very few like Xue Ziqi who only ate snacks and didn't interact with people.

Song Yu is quite strict about managing his physique, so Xue Ziqi brought him some low-calorie fruit. Wei Chengzhi has the most exercise every day, so Xue Ziqi thoughtfully brought her junior a steak.

Gu Yunting had been observing the group from the side. Seeing that Xue Ziqi was clearly familiar with Song Yu and that she treated him with a somewhat respectful attitude, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

For the young master of the Xue family to treat him like this, could it be that Song Yu has some hidden identity?

But in her previous life, Song Yu was an orphan until her death, and her only relative was her younger brother. It couldn't be that the newly found great-aunt had some special identity, could it?

For an actress like Song Yu, who is often surrounded by a group of people filming her and portraying various roles, it's normal not to feel stage fright in such situations.

Although Wei Chengzhi looks simple-minded, he has seen a lot in his life and can win gold medals in international competitions, so this kind of situation is nothing to him.

Gu Yunting's main focus of observation became Lin You.

Today, Lin You was dressed in casual clothes that weren't particularly high-end, without any accessories. Her hair was tied in a neat high ponytail, and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Even her shoes were casual sneakers.

This kind of attire was actually quite out of place in the current situation. If she hadn't been traveling with Xue Ziqi, she might have been stopped at the door.

But Lin You seemed completely unconcerned about the strange looks she received, freely picking out what she liked to eat, as if the exquisite and luxurious setting was just an ordinary buffet restaurant in her eyes.

For a woman who was abducted as a child and reportedly rescued from the mountains, her reaction is highly unusual.

Moreover, the other three were also dressed simply, so they couldn't have noticed anything, could they?

Just as Gu Yunting was about to step forward to inquire, a sudden commotion broke out outside. It turned out that the organizer of the auction had arrived, and he hurriedly went over to greet them.

The person who organized this auction was the old man of the Niu family, who started from scratch in the real estate industry. Now, the Niu family is one of the top families in the city.

Especially the current head of the Niu family company, who is incredibly capable. In just five years since taking over the company, he has tripled the entire Niu family's assets.

Mr. Niu is actually not that old, only in his early fifties, but he took advantage of his son's ability to hand over the company to his successor early and enjoy his retirement life ahead of time.

He usually likes to wear a traditional Chinese suit, and he wears Buddhist beads on his wrists and neck. When he has nothing to do, he takes a stroll, practices Tai Chi, and is a firm believer in karma. He also likes to do charity work.

Too lazy to join in the socializing, Xue Ziqi took advantage of the crowd crowding around Grandpa Niu and led her friends to a quiet corner.

Besides the fact that there are fewer people, the most important reason for choosing this location is that there are many food stalls nearby, some with cute cookies and others with various fruits.

Lin You also saw a table with braised pork ribs cut into small pieces and braised lion's head meatballs that were only the size of an egg yolk.

According to Xue Ziqi, these dishes and desserts are all made by master chefs, and both the presentation and taste are outstanding. Unfortunately, few people actually eat them; they are just for show.

After trying a lion's head meatball, Lin You stopped looking at the snacks and tried all the Chinese dishes. It was a pity that she couldn't take them away. The taste was so unique, comparable to what she had eaten in the cultivation world.

Xue Ziqi, however, preferred desserts. As he reached for his third piece of cake, Song Yu finally couldn't stand it anymore and stopped him: "Are you planning to become a character actor in the future?"

Under her master's watchful eye, Xue Ziqi obediently withdrew her hand, picked up a wax apple from the side, and slowly ate it, glancing at Lin You as she ate.

Those eyes clearly conveyed one message: "Grandma is eating so deliciously, I want to try some too!"

Gu Yunting, who had been secretly observing them, had even more guesses in his mind: what kind of background did Song Yu and Lin You have that made the young master of the Xue family so obedient to them?

After the guests had finished chatting, the auction officially began. Everyone sat according to the numbers on their invitations. Strangely, Song Yu's number was quite early.

Two seats ahead of Xue Ziqi's invitation, to his left, sat the patriarch of the Niu family.

The seating in the venue was arranged with two people per table. There were two people between Xue Ziqi and them, a couple who weren't very old.

I don't know what he whispered to the couple, but they were so happy that they switched seats with him.

Looking at the dazzling, heavy, luxurious crystal chandelier directly above her and Song Yu's seats, and the faintly visible eerie aura emanating from it, Lin You understood what Gu Yunting was plotting.

In my past life, someone at this auction might have been hit by a crystal chandelier and suffered an accident. As for who that person was, whether it was Old Master Niu on the left, or the couple who switched seats with Xue Ziqi...

Lin You scanned the layout of the venue again. The seating arrangement consisted of four tables in a row, but this layout left narrow gaps on both sides, allowing only one person to pass through sideways.

Even a small, ordinary restaurant wouldn't be set up in such a cramped space; this is clearly illogical.

If you remove one row of tables and chairs and move the remaining three tables to the middle, wouldn't the one right under the lamp be the old man from the Niu family?

Lin You gave Song Yu a reassuring look, then sat down in her seat. Accidents are unpredictable sometimes, and what about the real accident?

A wisp of spiritual energy silently bypassed the crystal chandelier, dispelling the yin energy emanating from it. This action, however, seemed to have angered the owner of the yin energy, causing the temperature in the hall to suddenly drop by three degrees.

The crystal chandelier above Lin You's head also began to sway precariously, as if it might fall and hit her head at any moment.

This is probably the level seven ghost they're looking for. They haven't even seen a glimpse of it yet, but it certainly has a big temper.

Seeing the crowd rubbing their hands together or hugging their arms without making a sound, Lin You frowned.

It's not a good habit to attack ordinary people, even with just a small amount of Yin energy. Her aura also silently followed the direction of the Yin energy.

Even a Qi Refining stage cultivator in the cultivation world could crush the ghosts and monsters of this realm. Realizing that it might have encountered a tough opponent, the level seven ghost and monster instantly became obedient.

Not only did she withdraw her yin energy and stop controlling the crystal chandelier, but before leaving, she also carefully straightened the slightly crooked name tag on the table in front of Lin You.

Sitting in the back, Gu Yunting looked at the swaying crystal chandelier, his eyes revealing excitement and anticipation, which he quickly concealed.

This auction wasn't very formal; the items were all donated by guests, including jewelry, cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and even calligraphy and paintings. It was a diverse and lively event.

Fortunately, everyone has relatives and friends, so no matter what it is, there will always be someone to support it.

The auction went very smoothly, and there was no scene like in the novels, where two people fight over an item, dislike each other, and then drive up the price.

They came here to show their love and support Grandpa Niu, so who would cause trouble at this time? They're not just bored and looking for trouble!

But there are always a few people who are not mentally sound. Gu Yunting did have this plan, but unfortunately Xue Ziqi never made a bid.

He usually goes out to socialize with his brother, and he's not familiar with these people, nor is he interested in those things, so he's too lazy to put on a show here.

As for charitable donations, the Xue family has its own donation channels, so why should it go through the Niu family?

The items at the auction were sold very quickly, and the auction was nearing its end in just one hour. The highlight of the event was an antique vase, which was personally provided by Mr. Niu.

This is an unusual square vase, made entirely of fine white jade. It is smooth and lustrous, as bright as the moon. Although it is only the size of a palm, it is intricately carved with four pictures.

The four illustrations, each featuring a woman, tell the story of a devout Buddhist who was charitable and helped many people, ultimately achieving perfect merit.

The figures in the picture are lifelike and detailed, with even the individual strands of hair carved clearly. They are lively and graceful, clearly the work of a master.

Even if this bottle isn't an antique, its jade quality and carving alone are worth a lot of money. Moreover, judging from the meaning in the painting, it's clearly something that Old Master Niu cherished, and he probably brought it out to bid for it back.

The crowd wisely helped to raise the price to a reasonable level, satisfying Old Master Niu's generosity without making him spend too much.

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, Lin You stared intently at the bottle for a long time, making Xue Ziqi start calculating whether her savings were enough to buy it.

Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, Xue Ziqi suddenly raised her paddle, doubling the current price.

This was the first time he had met this old lady, and she seemed interested in things other than food. Anyway, he was short of money, so he could always ask his older brother for help.

As for whether or not he would offend Old Master Niu, actually, this man has a pretty good temperament. After Xue Ziqi held up the sign, she even stuck her head out and grinned at him.

The old man shook his head helplessly and didn't continue bidding. Instead, he asked him kindly, "Don't you like antiques like copper coins? Why are you interested in jade now?"

"I'm not interested in jade, but an elder in my family really likes it. Thank you so much, Uncle Niu, for parting with it." Xue Ziqi cupped her hands in a proper gesture.

"Don't try to fool me. The only people in your family who like antiques are your grandfather and your third aunt. One of them only loves calligraphy and paintings, and the other only collects jewelry. This jade vase is not something they would like."

Grandpa Niu looked at Lin You beside him and teased with a smile, "You wouldn't be thinking of giving it to that young lady because you like it, would you?"

He and Lin You were separated only by Song Yu, whose eyes were fixed on the jade bottle with undisguised interest.

Xue Ziqi nodded readily, "It was indeed intended to be given to her, but she is indeed an elder, after all, she is my great-aunt."

Even though there were several people between them, Grandpa Niu couldn't help but glare at Xue Ziqi. "Even if you're chasing after a young girl, you can't be this outrageous. You call me 'uncle' and her 'auntie,' so I'm not even as senior as her?"

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Author's Note: Ah, I finished revising the story last night, but fell asleep and forgot to post it. Then I accidentally deleted it, so I'm revising it again _(:з」∠)_

Thank goodness I didn't forget to back it up yesterday; it was almost done.