Chapter 8: The Pearl of the Auction
After the carousel night, Su Lingwan keenly noticed that Huo Linshen seemed to be deliberately keeping his distance.
For several days, he didn't contact her, and even Assistant Chen's routine greeting text messages disappeared. It was as if the lights in the Liyuan Garden that night, the undeleted photo on his phone, and the subtle, almost imperceptible feeling in the air were all just her illusions.
Su Lingwan relished the quiet, devoting all her energy to the design of the "First Reveal" series. Inspiration welled up in her relaxed evening, and the lines on her sketches finally became fluid and full of life. Only occasionally, in the stillness of the night, when she put down her brush, would her mind uncontrollably flash back to those eyes, those deep, almost absorbing eyes under the carousel lights, and his slightly hasty act of putting away his phone.
She shook her head, clearing away these distracting thoughts. An agreement was an agreement, and there shouldn't be any unnecessary speculation.
That afternoon, Selina delivered a beautifully produced auction catalog to her studio.
"Ms. Su, this is the catalogue for Christie's 'Brilliant Splendor' jewelry auction tonight. Mr. Huo ordered it to be delivered. He will pick you up on time at 7 o'clock this evening."
Su Lingwan took the heavy catalog and flipped open it. Inside was a dazzling array of jewelry, each one priceless. As a jewelry designer, she was naturally interested in such an occasion, but she was also more puzzled. Was this kind of public, high-profile auction considered an "essential occasion"?
At seven o'clock in the evening, Huo Linshen's car appeared downstairs of the studio on time.
Today he was wearing a classic black tuxedo, white shirt, and black bow tie, which made his tall figure and cool temperament even more outstanding. Seeing Su Lingwan, he nodded slightly, and his eyes lingered on her for a moment.
Su Lingwan wore a silver-gray halter dress tonight. The fabric was shimmering with subtle pearls, creating a shimmering effect as she walked. She wore her hair tied up, revealing her graceful swan neck. She only wore a pair of unique pearl earrings of her own design, which complemented her temperament perfectly.
"Very beautiful." He spoke in a flat tone, not much praise in it, more like an objective statement.
"Thank you." Su Lingwan responded politely.
On the way to the auction, the car remained silent. Huo Linshen was processing emails, while Su Lingwan was looking through the catalog, trying to draw some inspiration from these top-notch jewels.
Her eyes lingered for a long time on an item on the middle page of the catalogue.
It was a rare yellow diamond, called the "Pearl of the South Sea," weighing 15.6 carats, with a pear-shaped cut, a Fancy Vivid Yellow color, and exceptional clarity. The catalog description lavished praise on it, describing it as a color like a ripe mango, dazzling and self-luminous, making it one of the finest yellow diamonds to appear at auction in recent years.
As a jewelry designer, Su Lingwan couldn't help but be captivated by such a beautiful gem. Yellow diamonds are rare, and those of the Fancy Vivid grade are even rarer. This "South Sea Pearl," both for its quality and the South Seas heritage it represents, captivated her. Of course, she also knew that a gem of this caliber would command a stratospheric price, far beyond her reach.
She gently stroked the picture of the yellow diamond in the catalog, her eyes revealing pure admiration and a hint of barely perceptible regret.
Huo Linshen looked away from the computer screen, just in time to catch her subtle movement and glance. He glanced at the page where her fingertips rested, saw the yellow diamond, and his eyes froze slightly, but he said nothing and returned to his work.
The auction took place in the ballroom of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, a scene packed with celebrities and a constant stream of flashing lights. Huo Linshen and Su Lingwan's presence undoubtedly became a focal point. After several previous public appearances, especially the Jockey Club's strong endorsement, the Hong Kong media and social circles had already deemed Su Lingwan Huo Linshen's "official" girlfriend.
They were seated in the front row, offering the best view. Huo Linshen remained indifferent to his surroundings, occasionally turning his head to whisper a few words to Su Lingwan, introducing her to an important jewelry collector or brand representative. His manners were impeccable.
The auction proceeded smoothly, with precious jewels being sold one after another at staggering prices. Su Lingwan watched quietly. As a designer, she was more interested in the craftsmanship and design than in the price itself, as some of her peers were.
Finally, the auctioneer announced excitedly, "Next, we have one of the highlights of this auction, Lot 188, the Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond 'South Sea Pearl', weighing 15.6 carats, with flawless clarity..."
A low murmur of exclamations echoed through the exhibition hall. The lights focused on the display stand. Against the backdrop of black velvet, the yellow diamond shone with a brilliant light like condensed sunlight—warm, bright, and elegant.
Su Lingwan sat up straight, her gaze riveted. Up close, this yellow diamond was even more stunning than she'd imagined from the catalog.
The starting price is 80 million Hong Kong dollars.
The bidding was extremely fierce, with several well-known collectors and telephone bidders taking turns bidding, and the price quickly climbed to 120 million.
Su Lingwan stared at the numbers dancing on the screen, her heart agape. This was the world of top-tier jewelry.
Just as the bidding pace slowed down slightly and the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, Huo Linshen, who had been silent all this time, suddenly raised the number plate in his hand.
"This gentleman in the front row, one hundred and thirty million!" The auctioneer's voice was filled with excitement.
Everyone's attention instantly focused on Huo Linshen. He looked calm, as if he had just photographed an ordinary item.
Someone continued to raise the price.
"One hundred and thirty-five million!"
Huo Linshen raised the sign again without hesitation.
"One hundred and forty million!"
…
After several rounds of bidding, Huo Linshen beat all his competitors with a price of HK$160 million and won the "Pearl of the South Seas".
Warm applause and discussion erupted from the audience. Everyone's eyes flicked back and forth between Huo Linshen and Su Lingwan, filled with envy, jealousy, and curiosity. Huo Linshen had spent a fortune on a yellow diamond called the "Pearl of the South Seas," and his girlfriend happened to be the daughter of the Su family from Southeast Asia... The implications of this were self-evident.
Su Lingwan was also stunned. She hadn't expected Huo Linshen to bid, let alone pay such a high price for the diamond. Was it because... she'd looked at it a few more times? Or was it simply because it was a good investment?
She turned her head to look at Huo Linshen, and he happened to be looking at her, his eyes were deep and difficult to read.
Su Lingwan was somewhat distracted during the subsequent auction. The brilliance of the yellow diamond seemed to still flicker before her eyes.
The auction was over, and according to procedure, Huo Linshen needed to go through the delivery procedures. He asked Su Lingwan to wait in the VIP lounge.
The lounge was quiet. Su Lingwan stood by the French window, holding the champagne the waiter had brought her, gazing at the night view of Victoria Harbour. She felt a bit mixed up. One hundred and sixty million... the figure felt a little unreal to her. Even for the Huo family, it was by no means a small sum.
There were footsteps behind me, it was Huo Linshen coming back.
She turned around.
Huo Linshen walked up to her with a dark blue velvet jewelry box in his hand.
There was no one else in the lounge, only soft lights shrouding them.
He handed the jewelry box to her with the lid open.
The "Pearl of the South Sea" yellow diamond lay quietly on the black velvet, reflecting an incomparably bright and warm light under the light, so close that it could be touched.
Su Lingwan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She looked at the diamond, then at Huo Linshen, her throat tightening. "Mr. Huo, this..."
"Take it." Huo Linshen's voice was low, but it was particularly clear in the quiet lounge.
Su Lingwan didn't move. She raised her head and looked him straight in the eyes, trying to find his true intention. "Mr. Huo, this gift is too valuable. The agreement...doesn't include this."
She couldn't accept such an expensive gift, which would make the already complicated relationship even more confusing.
Huo Linshen saw the clear rejection and vigilance in her eyes, but did not withdraw his hand. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. The crisp cedar scent on his body instantly enveloped her.
He lowered his head, his eyes falling on her slightly pursed lips, then slowly moved up to meet her somewhat flustered eyes.
His voice was not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power. Every word clearly struck her heart:
"It looks a lot like you."
Su Lingwan's breath was choked.
Huo Linshen's gaze was deep, as if he wanted to look into the depths of her soul. He continued, his tone more serious than ever before, even with a hint of... tenderness that he himself had not noticed?
"The light comes from itself, without relying on anyone else."
“…”
Time seems to stand still at this moment.
Su Lingwan stared at him blankly, her mind blank. All the sounds around her faded away, leaving only the pounding of her own heartbeat and his words echoing in her mind.
It looks a lot like you.
Light comes from itself and does not need to rely on anyone.
He saw... He saw that she was not just the daughter of the Su family who wanted to rely on her family, nor was she just a contractual girlfriend who relied on his resources. He saw the desire and persistence in her heart to shine with her own talents.
This "seeing" made her feel more shocked and...heart-beating than the priceless yellow diamond itself.
She had always thought that in his eyes, she was just a suitable and non-boring partner, but she had never thought that he would say such words to her.
Huo Linshen looked at her stunned expression, a faint ripple in his eyes. He pushed the jewelry box forward again, almost touching her fingertips.
"It's not a gift," he amended himself, his tone regaining some of his usual calmness, but still with an air of undeniable refusal. "It's... returning it to its original owner."
The pearl of Nanyang should be worn by the pearl of Nanyang.
Su Lingwan looked at his eyes that seemed to contain the sea of stars, then looked down at the dazzling yellow diamond in front of her. At this moment, the defense line built in her heart quietly collapsed.
She hesitated and slowly extended her hand.
Her fingertips trembled slightly as they touched the edge of the cold velvet box.
Huo Linshen loosened his grip and handed the jewelry box completely to her.
What was heavy was not only the diamond itself, but also the impact of his words.
Su Lingwan looked down at the "South Sea Pearl" in her palm. The radiance of the yellow diamond illuminated her clear eyes. She gently closed the lid of the box and held it tightly.
"Thank you." She raised her head, her voice a little hoarse, but her eyes had regained clarity, with a complex emotion, "Thank you for your... recognition."
Huo Linshen looked at her, not missing the flash of emotion and hesitation in her eyes. He knew that he had successfully opened a larger gap in her strong defenses.
"Let's go." He turned around and his tone returned to normal, as if the conversation just now had never happened.
Su Lingwan followed behind him, holding the velvet box, and felt her palms burning hot.
Sitting in the car, she still held the box tightly, her eyes looking at the night scene rapidly receding outside the window, her heart unsettled.
Huo Linshen leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and rested. Only he knew that his heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.
The phrase "brilliance comes from within, without relying on anyone" had already occurred to him the moment he saw her bright eyes focused on the design, and her unyielding attitude in the face of adversity. It wasn't until tonight that he found the right moment to express it.
He originally thought that this was just a precise strategy to break down her defenses.
But when the words came out of his mouth and he saw the look in her eyes that shocked her, he realized that it was not just a strategy.
There was an element of… truth in that.
He, Huo Linshen, actually recognized this woman who seemed delicate but was actually strong inside and had an independent soul.
This realization made him feel an unprecedented sense of... loss of control.
Su Lingwan looked at her blurry reflection on the car window glass and the stern outline of the man beside her in the reflection. She gently placed the velvet box containing the "Pearl of the South Seas" against her still hot heart.
Light is born on its own...
His words were like a stone thrown into the lake of one's heart, causing ripples far deeper than the yellow diamond itself.
This game that started with interests seems to be gradually deviating from its original track and accelerating towards an unknown, dangerous and fascinating direction.
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