Zhou Yang could sense her unease, so he tightened his grip on her hand and whispered a smile in her ear.
"Don't be nervous. Just think of it as coming to watch the fun. With me here, no one will dare to underestimate you."
The warm breath brushed past her ear, and Xu Yao's pretty face flushed slightly, her anxiety dissipating considerably.
Yes, with him by my side, what do I have to be afraid of?
She took a deep breath, straightened her back, took Zhou Yang's arm, and walked gracefully toward the auction house entrance.
As Zhou Yang, holding Xu Yao's hand, stepped through the heavy, carved oak gate, a familiar female voice, tinged with languor and coquettishness, rang out from not far away.
"Oh, Young Master Zhou, you really have a bad memory! I personally invited you, and you've almost forgotten about the entrance to the Tianjin Auction House! It's really hard to invite you!"
Zhou Yang looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gu Huaiyue standing gracefully beside the reception platform not far away.
Today, she changed her usual sexy and hot style, and instead wore an elegant moon-white cheongsam.
The well-fitting cut accentuated her graceful curves, while the cool color scheme and elegant style added a touch of scholarly gentleness.
Her jet-black hair was loosely tied into a bun, with a translucent jade hairpin inserted at an angle. Her face was lightly powdered, which perfectly suppressed the natural allure of her foxy face, instead revealing a unique and refined beauty.
At this moment, she crossed her arms, glancing sideways at Zhou Yang with a hint of reproach in her eyes and brows.
Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curving his lips, and led Xu Yao forward.
"How could I, Zhou Yang, dare to refuse Miss Gu's invitation? If it were anyone else, I wouldn't even glance at the invitation if it were handed to me, let alone accept the invitation."
Upon hearing this, Gu Huaiyue's captivating fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, and a smug smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
This guy is actually quite eloquent today!
She coughed lightly twice to hide the little bit of smugness in her heart: "You know what's good for you! Since Young Master Zhou has honored you with his presence, then don't just stand here like a doorman, quickly come in and take a seat with me."
Gu Huaiyue led the two of them a few steps inside when they bumped into a well-dressed young man.
The young man was wearing a top-quality Tencel shirt with a soft sheen, the collar slightly open, revealing a serpentine necklace adorned with a swirling top-of-the-line gemstone.
He wore several large gemstone rings on his fingers, exuding an air of nouveau riche arrogance.
Upon seeing Gu Huaiyue, the young man practically turned his nose up at her, speaking with a mocking tone: "Oh, isn't this Huaiyue's cousin?"
"Today we'll have to see carefully whether the junk you found is more valuable, or the treasures I've collected are superior! If your stuff doesn't fetch a good price, I advise you to withdraw from the competition for the position of family head as soon as possible, so as not to embarrass yourself!"
This kind of family infighting drama is happening again; it seems to be everywhere.
Zhou Yang pondered to himself, but remained outwardly calm.
Gu Huaiyue didn't even bother to look at him properly. Instead, she turned to the side, curled her lips at Zhou Yang and Xu Yao, and said in a disdainful tone.
"Ignore him. This is my arrogant cousin, Gu Huaijin. He's not very bright and all he does is bark like a dog. Just ignore him."
"you!"
Gu Huaijin was so angered by Gu Huaiyue's merciless mockery that his face froze. He then cast an unfriendly glance at Zhou Yang and Xu Yao.
When he saw Zhou Yang in a casual suit, although the cut was good and the material was nice, it wasn't a top luxury brand that he could recognize at a glance.
Looking at Xu Yao again, while the champagne-colored dress certainly made her look pretty and charming, it didn't reveal anything particularly remarkable about her background.
The contempt in Gu Huaijin's eyes deepened.
"Hmph, where did these two country bumpkins come from? Dressed so plainly, I've never seen them in the industry before."
He raised his chin and sneered at Gu Huaiyue, "Gu Huaiyue, all you can do is make friends with these kinds of lowlifes. You can't even find any decent help, yet you want to compete with me? You're just dreaming!"
Gu Huaiyue sneered inwardly.
You fool! You have eyes but can't recognize a great person!
Zhou Yang's influence is beyond the comprehension of a fool like you. Just wait and see!
She was too lazy to waste her breath arguing with such a person and lower her own standards.
Xu Yao blushed slightly, feeling somewhat indignant at being so blatantly looked down upon.
But her good upbringing prevented her from losing her temper on the spot; she simply tightened her grip on Zhou Yang's arm.
Zhou Yang sensed Xu Yao's nervousness and gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her.
He raised an eyebrow, about to teach this arrogant fool a lesson.
Just then, a clear, melodious voice, tinged with surprise, suddenly came from not far away.
"Brother Zhou! You're here too!"
Zhou Yang and the others turned around at the sound and saw Qin Yumo and Du Zhe coming together.
Upon seeing Zhou Yang, Du Zhe sprang from beside Qin Yumo like a cannonball or a dog eyeing a bone, rushing straight at Zhou Yang.
"Brother Zhou! My dear brother! Why did you leave so quickly that day!"
Du Zhe practically lunged at Zhou Yang, his handsome face contorted in a grimace, looking like a wronged wife, his voice filled with sorrow.
"My heart is ice-cold! I asked Yumo for your contact information, but she wouldn't give it to me, saying she couldn't bother you."
"Tell me, what kind of situation is this! I haven't even repaid the life-saving grace yet, and now I'm having trouble eating and sleeping!"
As he spoke, he clasped his hands together, looking pitifully at Zhou Yang, his eyes blinking like a puppy waiting to be fed by its owner.
"Brother Zhou, please give me a chance! Add me on WeChat so I can follow you around like a loyal little brother! I'll do anything for you, even go through fire and water!"
This guy, with his mouth always chattering, is such a waste of his talent if he doesn't go into comedy.
Zhou Yang chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly composed.
He could naturally see through Du Zhe's true intentions behind his performance—he didn't want to be a little brother at all; he clearly coveted his "plucking leaves and flying flowers" skill and wanted to become his apprentice.
The longing in his eyes that day was not feigned.
However, although Du Zhe was loud and boisterous, he had no bad intentions and was completely sincere.
Seeing that he was practically begging on his knees, Zhou Yang decided not to keep up the act any longer and smiled faintly: "Alright, stop acting. Add more if you want."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and displayed his QR code.
"Awoo! Thank you, big brother! Long live big brother!"
Du Zhe instantly switched from a melancholic act to ecstatic mode, so excited he almost jumped up. He frantically pulled out his phone and scanned Zhou Yang's QR code with a "beep".
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