Chapter 184 Wangcai's Collar
Zhao Chen put down his number plate and whispered to Ling, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people in the front row to hear: "Wangcai's collar is missing a buckle. This one is just the right size."
puff--
Someone sprayed champagne!
Li Weiwei's vision darkened, and she nearly fainted! Wangcai?! A collar buckle?! Ten million?! The thing she'd gritted her teeth and snarled for six million just to prove herself...was a dog collar accessory?!
"Ding Dong! Ding Dong!" The phone in Yu Ling's handbag vibrated wildly. She knew without looking that it was Lidya Su who was screaming and refreshing the screen.
Zhao Chen had already stood up and was pulling Yu Ling backstage to the handover area, leaving the audience in dead silence and Li Weiwei on the verge of tears.
In the backstage lounge, the staff respectfully presented the velvet box containing the brooch.
Zhao Chen opened the box and took out the jade brooch worth tens of millions. As Yu Ling stared in shock, he pressed his finger on a tiny clasp on the back of the brooch!
“Click.”
The base of the brooch actually popped open a little, revealing a tiny groove inside!
As if by magic, Zhao Chen pulled out from his inside suit pocket… a tiny, pure gold plaque embossed with a cute Shiba Inu, smaller than a fingernail! It even had the tiny word "Wangcai" engraved on it!
He naturally inserted the small golden dog tag into the groove on the back of the brooch, making it fit perfectly! Then he picked up the brooch and, under Yu Ling's dazed gaze, gently pinned it to the waist of her dress.
The emerald green was set against the dark blue velvet, and the little golden Shiba Inu was perfectly hidden, with only a faint outline showing through.
"Alright." Zhao Chen examined it with satisfaction. "Now I have the collar buckle... oh no, the decoration. The same style as Wangcai's. Do you like it?"
Yu Ling looked down at the "dog tag buckle" worth ten million yuan on her waist, then looked at Zhao Chen's serious face, and the emotions that she had been holding back all night finally broke out!
"Zhao Chen!" She stamped her feet in anger, but couldn't help laughing. "You...you really are...a wasteful person! How can you transform an antique brooch into a dog tag holder?!"
"Antique?" Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow, looking innocent. "The auction catalogue has a misprint. This is an antique replica that the Guild's jewelry restoration department made last week. It's just gathering dust, so why not give it to you as a decoration?"
Imitation…imitation antique training items?! Ten million?! Yu Ling was completely speechless! Did this man have some kind of profound misunderstanding of the definition of "guild"?!
Just then, there was a knock on the lounge door. Lin Feng walked in with a strange look on his face.
"Mr. Chen, Madam. There's an old man outside who calls himself Gu. He wants to see you." Lin Feng paused. "He says... he's Gu Qianqian's father, Gu Changhai. He wants to apologize to Madam on his daughter's behalf."
Gu Changhai? Apologize?
Yu Ling's smile instantly faded. Zhao Chen's eyes also turned cold, and the gentle aura around him suddenly became solemn.
"Tell him," Zhao Chen's voice was emotionless, yet it carried an invisible pressure. "Apologize and face the surveillance cameras at Qingshan Hospital. My wife is tired and can't see any visitors."
Lin Feng nodded: "Yes." He walked out.
The lounge fell silent. Yu Ling watched Zhao Chen's profile suddenly harden. The absurdity and lightheartedness of the auction scene vanished. The Gu family... weighed down like a heavy stone.
Zhao Chen noticed her silence, reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, and lowered his voice:
"Don't be afraid. The Gu family can't make any more trouble. Gu Changhai came here just to ask for a way out for Gu Qianqian."
He paused, his tone tinged with cold sarcasm, "Unfortunately, his daughter...had already left the path."
Yu Ling leaned in his arms, feeling his steady heartbeat. The jade brooch with the golden Shiba Inu hidden in it at her waist felt cold. She closed her eyes.
It may take time to get used to his favor.
But adapting to the storm he brought...seems to have just begun.
Gu Changhai's old and anxious voice faintly came from outside the door:
"Mr. Zhao! Mr. Zhao, please listen to me... Qianqian knows she is wrong! She really..." The voice was politely but firmly stopped by Lin Feng and gradually faded away.
Zhao Chen tightened his arms and whispered in Yu Ling's ear with unquestionable protection:
"Let's go home. Let's show Wangcai his new 'collar buckle'."
When Zhao Chen drove the "Guild Chariot" into the manor gate, Yu Ling still held on to the last bit of fantasy.
"Is this... also the team-building base rented by the guild?" She stared at the artificial lake and sculptures passing by outside the car window.
Zhao Chen turned the steering wheel and drove towards the main house: "Yes, the lifetime use rights won at the annual meeting."
The carved iron gate slid open automatically, and the garden trees trimmed into the shape of Shiba Inus on both sides of the road were lined up neatly, "looking" at the oncoming cars in a cute manner.
"..." Yu Ling looked at the butt of one of the Shiba Inu trees, which was trimmed to an unusually round shape. "Your guild's requirements for gardeners are quite unique."
As soon as the car stopped in front of the main house, the heavy oak door opened silently.
Two rows of people, wearing well-tailored dark uniforms, bowed in unison, their movements so uniform that it was frightening.
"Welcome home, sir and madam!"
The resounding voice echoed in the high-ceilinged hall, making Yu Ling's eardrums buzz.
The leader was a middle-aged man with meticulously combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses. His smile was so standard that it looked like it had been measured with a ruler.
"Good day, madam. I'm the steward, Uncle Chen, responsible for the daily affairs of the manor." He bowed slightly, his eyes gentle but with unmistakable respect. "If you need anything, please feel free to ask."
Yu Ling's feet had just touched the ground and she hadn't yet stood firmly.
"Woof!"
A flash of yellow-brown lightning rushed out from the door and accurately flew into Yu Ling's arms, rubbing its big furry head against her neck.
Wangcai! The jade "dog tag" on its neck, worth tens of millions, was blinding in the sunlight.
"Wangcai!" Yu Ling hugged the heavy dog in surprise, and was licked by it. "How come you are faster than us?"
"Guild logistics line, pet express service." Zhao Chen said calmly, taking the hot towel handed to him by the servant next to him and wiping Yu Ling's face naturally. "It's on a cargo plane, and it arrived half an hour earlier than us."
"..." Yu Ling gave up struggling. Okay, the Shiba Inu Guild is almighty.
"Madam, your luggage has been placed in the master bedroom cloakroom. Afternoon tea is ready. Would you like to have it in the Sunshine Flower Hall or on the lakeside terrace?" Uncle Chen's voice sounded at the right time, without a single leak.
"The terrace," Zhao Chen answered for her, his hand naturally resting on her waist to lead her inside. "Get some fresh air and calm your nerves."
Walking through the museum-like hall and stepping onto the spiral staircase, Yu Ling felt like a bumpkin who had strayed into the imperial palace, each step she took was like stepping on clouds.
"Zhao Chen," she lowered her voice and pinched his arm, "Aren't these 'guild benefits' too outrageous? Lifetime use rights? And even a housekeeper and servants?"
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