2. Snow in a silver bowl
◎What she likes, she doesn't need to compete with anyone for.
The words lingered and stopped, yet seemed to still echo.
The phone felt like a hot potato at that moment, giving Shang Xinuan no time to react before the next voice message played automatically.
[Uncle Li: Where would Nuannuan like to go on a date?]
He agreed without the slightest hesitation, his voice incredibly gentle.
As a result, the pink that had just faded from Shang Xinuan's body surged back up all at once, turning her into a fully ripe peach, and even the fine hairs on her skin were covered with a layer of fine beads of sweat.
As she listened to his deep, gentle, and tender voice, she couldn't help but recall the engagement rumors that Qiao Xi had mentioned, and the probing techniques he had taught her.
In Shanghai, Li Xiran was a well-known gentleman.
Gentle and refined, yet never arrogant or haughty.
Even amidst the turbulent and unpredictable business battles, he can remain as gentle as a spring breeze and remain untouched by any trouble.
So the rumors and gossip about them, which could even affect the marriage between the Shang and Li families, were spread around like wildfire.
Unless... unless he has given his consent.
Imbued with a girlish filter, these daydreams sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
In the quiet bedroom, where you could hear the petals falling, only she missed taking a picture of her heart pounding deafeningly.
Afraid that Li Xiran would wait too long, Shang Xinu leaned to the side to reach for her phone.
[Silver Bowl Filled with Snow: I had an appointment to go choose furniture at Greentown Jade Garden this afternoon, but unfortunately, my grandfather is away on a business trip.]
Uncle Li: Okay. I'll pick you up in half an hour.
This time, Li Xiran replied almost instantly.
Upon receiving the reply, Shang Xinuan jumped out of bed in delight.
By the time she finished her makeup and changed her clothes, Li Xiran's car had already arrived outside the Shang Mansion.
She quickly ate a couple of bites of food, grabbed her small bag, and ran out the door.
The silver-white Maybach, with the familiar yet arrogant license plate "沪A L8888", perfectly matches the businessman's style.
Chen Ti was waiting outside the car early and opened the car door for her.
Shang Xinuan looked at the empty back row and asked, "Where's Uncle?"
He clearly promised to accompany her to choose furniture, but now he's only sent his personal business vehicle and private assistant.
Chen Ti closed the door, started the car, and replied, "Chairman Li has an international meeting this afternoon, so he moved the meeting forward to accompany you."
Li Xiran single-handedly steers a huge group, and many tasks are scheduled a month in advance.
But spending time with her was something that came up unexpectedly.
It was as if the girl he favored had his heart explode with a dazzling fireworks display.
Even the carriage began to fill with the fragrance unique to Li Xiran.
Like a damp, rainy day, she was surrounded by fir and cedar trees. The next moment, she was carried into a room where warming herbs were burning, a place that felt both cozy and reassuring.
-
The car arrived at the Li Group.
As a regular here and receiving "special treatment" from Li Xiran, Shang Xinuan even had her fingerprints on the elevator that led directly to the boardroom floor.
Without notifying anyone, she entered Li Xiran's office.
The two floor-to-ceiling windows, facing north and south, offer panoramic views of Shanghai's financial district on one side and a view of the meticulously cultivated rooftop garden on the other.
Outside the glass wall next to Li Xiran's desk area, there are early spring magnolias planted. She planted them herself four years ago, and this is the first time they have bloomed this year.
As if ordained by fate, they were just waiting for the arrival of summer when a small flower would bloom between them.
Thinking of this, Shang Xi's cheeks flushed red again.
At the same time, the office door was pushed open.
She turned around and saw Li Xiran walking at the front of the crowd.
Not far away, his deep, tender eyes met hers.
Because Li Xiran is of mixed Chinese and British descent, his demeanor, in addition to that of a romantic British gentleman, also possesses the mature, reserved, and scholarly air typical of Chinese people.
He was strikingly handsome and had a great physique. He had a perfect nine-head figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
Wearing a simple white shirt layered under a dark suit jacket, with a meticulously tied dark gray striped tie, he exudes an air of asceticism.
As he walked toward her, it was like a slow-motion scene in a movie.
It made her heart pound like a drum, and felt like a feather tickling her heart.
Seeing that she was already in the office, Li Xiran raised his arm to disperse the group of people following behind him.
His gentle, deep gaze, devoid of any aggression, swept over her lightly as he said, "Yes, this dress is indeed more beautiful."
The pampered young lady, accustomed to being praised, stared straight into his sincere eyes, devoid of any false flattery, and then spread her arms and spun around in place.
She asked with a lively, mischievous air, "Is it just the dress that's pretty?"
The afternoon sun was intense, and its rays fell on her slender waist, making her appear even more graceful and delicate.
The skirt, which just reached below the knees, perfectly accentuated the girl's waistline and revealed her long, slender legs.
In her early twenties, she was more beautiful than the spring sunshine.
"Not even one ten-thousandth of Nuannuan's."
The young lady suddenly realized what was happening, skipped over to Li Xiran, and naturally and affectionately took his arm. "Shall we go now?"
Li Xiran raised an eyebrow, showing no aversion to her intimate gesture. "Wait another ten minutes, I have an important email to reply to."
The young lady immediately pouted, her peach blossom eyes gleaming mischievously, and she put on a dramatic show, dragging out her words, "Alright, alright. Who told our uncle to be the busy Chairman Li, to be able to take an afternoon to accompany Nuan Nuan to look at furniture? Nuan Nuan is already incredibly flattered."
Looking at her exaggerated acting, Li Xiran shook his head with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.
Pushing the young lady's shoulder, he settled her on the sofa. "It'll only take ten minutes. Take a look at this first."
Shang Xinuan took the catalog that Li Xiran handed her to pass the time; it was the latest Magnificent Jadeite Auction from Oriental Lide Auction House.
The title page features the featured item of the issue, along with a beautiful auctioneer with a classical and elegant appearance.
The auction will be held this afternoon at the Li'an Hotel, owned by the Li Group.
"It's the greatest honor that Miss chose me to accompany her shopping. In return, I'll pick something I like," Li Xiran teased her.
The young lady felt as if she had eaten a jar of honey, and her heart suddenly raced in their private space.
She has always had a hobby of collecting, and by the age of eighteen, she had already collected all the rare leather handbags from a certain brand.
In recent years, people have begun to turn their attention to antique jewelry.
In the eyes of the amorous young lady, Li Xiran's actions were like an auction specially arranged for her, with the venue even being her own hotel.
That afternoon, the sunlight was obscured behind the horizon by several wispy clouds.
Soft, hazy light filtered through the swaying magnolia blossoms and fell upon him, making him appear exceptionally refined and noble.
A thirty-year-old man, besides exuding a mature and reserved seriousness, also possesses a touch of youthful exuberance.
However, once he enters work mode, he exudes a meticulous and sharp sense of authority befitting a person in a high position.
Shang Xinuan covered half her face with a picture book, her gaze fixed on Li Xiran, unable to tear itself away.
“Young Miss, if you don’t look at the picture book now, you’ll never finish looking at it,” he suddenly said.
The person caught spying blushed, puffing out their cheeks, and said, "I only ever collect the grand finale."
After typing the last word, Li Xiran clicked send.
Then she looked up at Shang Xinuan and saw that her delicate and noble face was filled with arrogance.
"The grand finale that Miss requested will be delivered in five minutes."
Shang Xinuan, who had attended many auctions, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "But it hasn't even started yet!"
Li Xiran stood up and replied slowly, "What Nuannuan likes doesn't need to compete with anyone."
That was the promise Li Xiran made when he first met her: he would solve any problem she encountered unconditionally.
As a pampered princess who was spoiled and indulged by her family since childhood, she was used to being arrogant and willful.
The challenges have shifted from the initial college entrance examination papers to jewelry, bags, and rare luxury goods.
Whatever she wanted, Li Xiran could always magically deliver it to her.
Shang Xinuan's heartbeat quickened at that moment, and an electric current flowed through her entire body.
Like a spring breeze stirring things up, it scatters the magnolia blossoms across the garden pond.
"Since Uncle has said so, let's change our plans this afternoon and go to the auction." More than getting it directly, she wanted to see Li Xiran raise his paddle again and again, just to see her spend money like water.
-
The auction is about to start in five minutes, and the staff at the ticket check area at the entrance have already left.
Upon learning of the chairman's arrival, Chen Rong, the general manager in charge of the Li'an Hotel, immediately came to greet him.
Because of Li Xiran's special status, Chen Rong arranged a private box on the second floor of the main auction venue for the two of them.
The conference hall is decorated in a modern Chinese style, with seating arranged from the audience to three private rooms on the second floor.
The light bamboo-colored wallpaper is decorated with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and the candlelight casts shadows, creating a fragrant bamboo atmosphere.
Shang Xinuan sat in the main seat of the central VIP box, with the one-way glass facing the auction stage.
She wasn't interested in the jewelry that was being auctioned, and instead sat sideways, resting her chin on her hand, watching Li Xiran make tea.
He stood upright, performing a series of actions: warming the cups, rinsing the tea, and brewing the tea.
One can't help but admire that he is a person whose elegance and refinement are truly emanating from his very bones.
"Not going to look at the items being auctioned?" Li Xiran poured the first pot of tea he had brewed for the young lady.
“I’ve already said, I only ever want the grand finale.” Shang Xinuan picked up her teacup, stared into his eyes, and said meaningfully, “The best one.”
Li Xiran nodded, smiling but saying nothing.
At the exhibition booth in the main hall, the beautiful auctioneer first introduced herself, and then switched fluently in Mandarin, English and Cantonese to announce the various auction items.
She wore a fitted cheongsam, and her long hair was meticulously tied into a low bun with a hairpin.
She wore frameless silver-rimmed glasses on her nose, and her every move exuded gentle elegance and composure.
With unhurried movements and witty remarks, she introduced a jade gourd pendant to the audience, her voice melodious.
"Thirty million, OK! The bid for the west wing on the second floor is thirty million. Any higher bids?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinuan looked at the large screen on the exhibition stand.
The jade gourd pendant, symbolizing "double blessings of fortune and prosperity," is beautiful, but its quality is slightly inferior to that of ordinary icy jade.
The auctioneer's gaze was still rapidly scanning the entire room before finally focusing on the central box where they were located.
At that moment, that gaze seemed to pierce through the glass and land on Li Xiran.
The young lady felt inexplicably uncomfortable and cautiously glanced at Li Xiran out of the corner of her eye.
But all she saw was him smiling at her, "Does Nuannuan like it?"
Realizing that she was being watched, Shang Xinuan swallowed the tea in her mouth, the bitterness turning sweet in an instant.
"Of average quality." I wonder which clueless sucker was wrong.
At the same time, the auctioneer raised his hand, "Thirty million for the first time, thirty million for the second time, thirty million for the third time."
The gavel fell, declaring, "Thirty million! Sold! Congratulations to Mr. Feng in the west wing on the second floor."
As is well known, the Shanghai headquarters of Oriental Lide Auction always holds its special sessions at the Li'an Hotel, simply because the venue has three private rooms on the second floor.
In addition to tickets for general seating, tickets are required for seating in the private rooms on the second floor, and funds must be verified again.
The central private room is the main room, while the east and west wings are secondary rooms.
According to their value, they should be placed in the corresponding categories.
There's no need to guess who Mr. Feng, who sits in the west wing of Shanghai, is.
Shang Xinuan's face immediately darkened, and she angrily muttered, "What bad luck!"
Li Xiran put down his teacup, looked at her face and said gently, "It's time for our Nuannuan's final collection."
The young lady pursed her lips, unable to hide her expression, but for the sake of the next item to be auctioned, she forced herself to pull back her thoughts and concentrate on the display stand.
"A heirloom jade bead necklace, starting bid 30 million."
The necklace is made of 33 top-grade imperial green glass beads, which are clear as water and contain no impurities.
Just by looking at the pictures and videos playing on the big screen, one can feel its emerald green beauty and unparalleled charm.
In just one second, the bid reached 40 million.
At the scene, whether they were elegant and wealthy ladies or young and beautiful young ladies, they were all willing to spend a fortune on it.
Ultimately, among all the top-tier jewelry, only jade incorporates the concept of cyclical rebirth and endless life into jewelry aesthetics, making it the uncrowned king of all jewelry.
Jadeite bead necklaces surpass all other jadeite jewelry, featuring 33 jadeite beads, each with an extremely high degree of matching in color, texture, and translucency.
In recent years, there have been very few pieces of this quality; they are truly rare and hard to come by.
"Forty-eight million! Any other bids? Fifty million!"
"Fifty-six million!"
The brightly lit conference hall was completely silent, except for the number plates bearing the name of the Li Group being raised one after another, the grips tightened without the slightest lapse.
Sixty-six million!
This time, there was a moment of silence on the scene.
The green light came on in the east wing on the second floor, signaling the start of the first bidding for this round of exquisite jewelry.
Shang Xinuan held a Chinese jade cake, the sweet mung bean paste melting in her mouth.
Having frequented auctions for years, she thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere at that moment.
"Uncle, I bet we'll take it down by this number." The young lady confidently gestured with a nine.
This is her other hobby besides collecting.
Li Xiran raised an eyebrow, seemingly agreeing with her, "Nuannuan didn't study finance, which means I have one less competitor."
The young lady was quite pleased with such flattery and said, "You can make a bid now."
"Sixty-six million! That's the highest bid so far. We're hoping for an even higher bid for the heirloom jade!"
"Seventy million!"
"Seventy-six million!"
Almost simultaneously, the green lights in the central and west wing rooms on the second floor lit up.
"Eighty million!"
This was the last bid for the east wing.
At this moment, Chen Rong knocked on the door and entered, reporting to him: "Chairman Li, the Feng family, including Feng Jiting, are sitting in the west wing, and your mother is in the east wing."
Shang Xinuan slammed down her teacup. "If I had known, I wouldn't have come."
Hearing his name, the young lady felt a lump in her throat.
Li Xiran raised his hand, signaling Chen Rong to leave first.
"Why didn't you come?" Li Xiran reached out, pinched her slender wrist, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped the tea stains off her fingers. His actions and words were full of doting affection. "It's so nice to see someone you hate lose to you."
She was still furious because "the Feng family, including Feng Jiting, were sitting in the west wing," but suddenly she felt like someone was backing her up.
It seems that no matter how chaotic the world is, wherever he is, she can freely express her joy, anger, and infatuation.
At this moment, Li Xiran pressed the green light button on the desktop again.
The beautiful auctioneer announced the bids: "Central suite, bid 100 million."
A note from the author:
Among all the finest jewelry, only jade incorporates the concept of cycle and perpetual life into its aesthetics. — Christie's jade review
Emerald green, ethereal beauty, unparalleled elegance. —Description of a Christie's Magnificent Jadeite Lot
The auction item mentioned in this article is a jadeite bead necklace auctioned by Christie's in Hong Kong in May 2022. Detailed pictures and annotations can be found on Peach's Weibo account @桃屿不止有点甜.
Peach: One hundred million, Chairman Li 6!
Li Xiran: Warm and sweet, it's worth it!
Nuannuan: What should I do if my uncle loves me too much?
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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 16:09:25 on April 5, 2023 and 14:56:22 on April 12, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Daydream (10 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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