She paused, observed everyone's expressions, and continued.

"He's so eager to curry favor with you today because he thinks that by doing so, he can indirectly get in touch with Young Master Zhou and Young Master Du."

"To put it bluntly, he doesn't really respect you two ladies. He just thinks you're tools that he can easily use! This kind of person looks down on us women and on people who make friends honestly and fairly!"

Gu Huaiyue's words made Zhou Yang and the others' impression of Gu Huaijin even worse.

Xu Yao and Qin Yumo frowned slightly, clearly disgusted by such remarks that belittled women.

Zhou Yang chuckled inwardly.

Good heavens, this Gu Huaiyue is a tea master!

In just a few words, Gu Huaijin was nailed to the pillar of shame as an "ordinary man" and a "snobbish opportunist."

Well done! That idiot definitely deserved it!

Seeing that the time was almost right, Gu Huaiyue sighed softly, her face showing a pitiful helplessness, and said in a low voice.

"To be honest, the situation within my Gu family is complicated. My cousin and I... sigh, we are currently competing for the position of the next head of the family."

"He has always been ruthless in his actions. I am outnumbered and powerless, and I do not ask for your help. I only hope that if he makes any underhanded claims in the future, you will be able to distinguish right from wrong and not be deceived by him or help him do evil. I thank you in advance."

As she spoke, she gracefully stood up and gave a slight curtsy to everyone.

Zhou Yang and the others exchanged glances, understanding each other perfectly.

Du Zhe spoke first, his tone still carrying a hint of displeasure: "Miss Gu, rest assured, I, Du Zhe, would never stoop to associating with someone like that! If he dares to make another move on Yu Mo, I'll beat him up every time I see him!"

Qin Yumo nodded in agreement: "Miss Gu is too kind. We will certainly not listen to the slander of petty people."

Zhou Yang was more direct; he picked up his teacup and gave Gu Huaiyue a perfunctory toast.

"Miss Gu is straightforward, and we're not fools either. Don't worry, we know what we're doing."

Xu Yao smiled gently and said, "Miss Gu, you're too kind."

Gu Huaiyue was relieved and a bright smile returned to her face: "Thank you all for your understanding. Come, let's have a meal. There are still many fine items at the auction this afternoon."

The meal ended in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

The afternoon auction continued as scheduled.

Zhou Yang flipped through the auction catalog with a bored expression. Most of the items were paintings, calligraphy, and porcelain. Although there were some fine pieces, they held little appeal for him.

"The next lot is a large blue-and-white porcelain jar with lotus scroll design from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty. It is about 60 centimeters tall, with a full shape, deep blue color, and exquisite painting. It is a rare museum-quality treasure! Starting bid: 30 million!"

As soon as the auctioneer Xiao You finished speaking, Qin Yumo's eyes lit up.

"This bottle is great. My mom loves this kind of blue and white porcelain. It's her birthday next month, so I'll give it to her as a gift. She should like it."

Zhou Yang's gaze also turned to the stage.

The hostess carefully carried a large blue and white porcelain vase and slowly walked onto the display stand.

The porcelain vase was indeed magnificent in shape, with a lustrous glaze and intricate yet flowing blue-and-white patterns. Even from a distance, it did possess some of the charm of Xuande blue-and-white porcelain.

However, Zhou Yang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Something's not right... This bottle feels a bit strange.

However, although he was a master of appraisal, the distance was too great for him to see the details clearly.

He couldn't possibly determine the authenticity without looking at the actual object or touching it.

Meanwhile, Qin Yumo had already started entering prices with great interest.

Thirty-five million!

"Thirty-eight million!"

"Forty-two million!"

...

The price soared, and finally, Qin Yumo successfully bid for the "Ming Dynasty Blue and White Lotus Pattern Jar" for a sky-high price of 72 million yuan.

"A Ming blue and white porcelain piece worth over 70 million, that's not cheap, is it?"

Looking at her happy expression, and recalling the vague, strange feeling he had just experienced, Zhou Yang pondered for a moment.

More than 70 million is no small sum.

Should he give her a heads-up? In case there's something fishy going on, Qin Yumo would be indebted to him.

Besides, she was practically a friend to him, so he couldn't just stand by and watch her be taken advantage of.

He turned to look at Gu Huaiyue and smiled calmly: "Miss Gu, I'm also quite interested in that blue and white porcelain jar from earlier. Would you mind having a waiter bring it to our private room so I can examine it up close?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Huaiyue's heart stirred slightly.

She was incredibly astute and immediately sensed the hidden meaning in Zhou Yang's words.

Was Zhou Yang interested in the bottle, or... did he notice something wrong?

A thought suddenly struck her, and she remembered that several of the porcelain pieces in the afternoon auction had been selected and submitted for auction by Gu Huaijin's people!

If there really is something wrong with this blue and white porcelain jar...

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Gu Huaiyue's eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

Hmph, Gu Huaijin, if there's a problem with the items you submit for auction, let's see how you'll have the nerve to compete with me!

She remained calm and smiled gently, "If Young Master Zhou has such an interest, then of course there's no problem. I'll make the arrangements right away."

After saying that, she picked up her phone, quickly dialed a number, and whispered a few instructions.

Extremely efficient, in less than five minutes, the door to the private room was gently knocked on.

Two uniformed waiters, wearing white gloves, carefully brought in the blue and white porcelain vase using a specially made trolley.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!