Shen Qingqing's eyelids jumped when she heard the man's name. Could this name, which was too similar to her mother's name, be an accident?
She was a little dazed, and it was not until the soft little hand of a child next to her held her hanging hand that Shen Qingqing came to her senses.
She lowered her head and looked at Zhou Jiayan, and saw the child looking at her with clear black and white eyes, as if he had made a great decision and said, "Mom, with the money from Dad, Yanyan's money can only buy two pieces of jewelry in this booklet, so Yanyan decided to give them to you and Grandpa first this time, but I can't choose the most expensive ones, so Mom, can you not like too expensive ones?"
Hearing the child's words, Shen Qingqing felt relieved.
No matter what, it was enough that she had a share in the child's first gift giving.
She has grown up now and treats her family sincerely. She does not need to expect others' care and concern. In this case, whether the person in front of her is Lin Chuyin's relative or not is no longer so important.
Shen Qingqing figured it out in an instant, and at the same time, she touched Zhou Jiayan's round head and said, "Don't worry, Yanyan, I will definitely pick a cheap one, and your father will naturally pay for the expensive one."
After hearing her mother's promise, Zhou Jiayan smiled brightly, revealing her fine white teeth, "Okay, let Dad buy it first, and when Yanyan grows up, she'll buy Mom an expensive one."
Zhou Yexuan on the side: ...
Then the auction officially began, and the man named Lin Chuchao was still the host. He was well-spoken and elegant.
The items to be auctioned are naturally listed according to their prices, and the initial price of the gemstones is naturally the lowest in the auction.
Although Shen Qingqing had said before that she would "cheat" all the children's New Year's money out of spite, when the time came, she still only chose a relatively cheap ruby brooch with a starting price of one million.
In response, Zhou Jiayan waved his hand and indicated that there was no problem. Seeing how cute he was, Shen Qingqing handed the sign in her hand to the child and asked him to hold up the sign and take the picture himself.
Probably because they saw that it was actually a child holding up the placard to bid, and that the brooch was not a precious gem, the adults in the venue did not compete with him. In the end, Zhou Jiayan bought the brooch for 1 million yuan.
Zhou Jiayan was very happy. Seeing everyone looking at him, he unconsciously straightened his chest.
Shen Qingqing felt amused when she saw the child like this. At the same time, she discovered that letting the child bid could actually have such an effect. Those people were embarrassed to compete for the sake of the child.
Thinking of this, she lowered her head and whispered to the child, "Yanyan is so happy? Then why don't we let you bid for it for a while?"
Zhou Jiayan nodded excitedly, "Okay, okay, Yanyan, take pictures, Yanyan, take pictures."
Zhou Qian had no interest in jewelry, but since his grandson said he wanted to give him a gift, he chose a diamond cuff. Considering his grandson's small wallet, the price was not high. The starting price was 1.5 million, and it was finally won by Zhou Jiayan for 1.6 million.
Zhou Jiayan looked at the items he bought and hummed with pride. He also made a bold statement, "When Yanyan grows up and has more money, I will definitely buy better gifts for everyone."
Looking at the child like this, Shen Qingqing shook her head in her heart. This was really the first time that he spent money so happily.
Soon, as time passed, the items became more and more valuable and more and more expensive.
Among the many items on auction, the finale was a pink diamond the size of a pigeon egg, with high purity and weighing a full 15 carats.
Pu Junya took a liking to it on the spot and said she wanted to take a picture of it and give it to Shen Qingqing.
Even though Shen Qingqing has always been thick-skinned, she couldn't help but marvel at Pu Junya's generosity. She had previously planned to bid for a diamond worth tens of millions, but the one in front of her, according to recent auction prices, is worth tens of millions of US dollars.
"Mom, if you like it, just take a picture for yourself. This is too expensive."
Pu Junya shook her head in disapproval and said, "Buying jewelry is also an investment. Look at the prices of jewelry that have been rising over the past few years. This is not consumption at all. Just go ahead and buy it."
Shen Qingqing suddenly didn't know how to respond. Was it true that she was not rich enough because she didn't have enough investment acumen?
Zhou Yexuan, who was standing by, was even more speechless when he saw his mother's generosity. This pink diamond was obviously the most expensive one in the entire venue. He bought the most expensive one and gave it to Shen Qingqing, so what else did he bid for?
So he also dissuaded her in a very considerate tone, "Mom, it's really not necessary. Qingqing just needs to like me taking the photos. I'm already this old, how can I let you pay?"
Pu Junya glanced at her son. As a mother, she could guess what her son was thinking. He just felt that she had stolen his limelight today.
She was very disdainful in her heart. Sure enough, this son was as unreliable as his father. If he was good enough to Qingqing at ordinary times, why would he be afraid that she would steal his limelight now?
Zhou Yexuan now has no such awareness at all. He starts to make up for it when he is provoked.
Pu Junya couldn't help but think of when she was young and she was still in love with Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian was a man who had no idea about romance. He was very nice to her, but he would never give her any surprises during the holidays. She complained several times in dissatisfaction, and then Zhou Qian gave her a bank card and asked her to choose one. Was it a bank card that she wanted?
It was not until later when she was suddenly pursued by a pianist using all kinds of romantic means that Zhou Qian was stimulated and came to his senses and prepared all kinds of surprises for her.
Zhou Yexuan in front of him is most likely the same.
Of course, as a mother, she may feel disgusted, but it is always a good thing for her son to become smart. It will greatly benefit the relationship between her son and daughter-in-law, so she is naturally happy to see it happen.
Although she really wanted to give Shen Qingqing a gift, there was really no need to steal the limelight from her son at this time.
So Pu Junya finally nodded and said, "Okay, since you two have plans, I won't interfere." She turned to Shen Qingqing and said, "Qingqing, then you can pick out some other jewelry or something, and Mom will take pictures and give them to you."
Zhou Yexuan heaved a sigh of relief and smiled flatteringly, "Then Mom, take a look around and see if there's anything you like. I'll take a picture of it and give it to you."
Pu Junya was very happy to hear her son's flattering words, but at the same time she was very dissatisfied with her husband who remained completely silent. She got used to it for a while when they were in love, but she completely forgot about it after they got married. Now her son remembers to buy gifts for her and Qingqing, but he didn't show any expression. The more she looked at him, the more annoyed she became.
Zhou Qian, who was standing by, had no idea that his wife had disliked him again. If he knew, he would probably feel very aggrieved. Obviously, the financial power of the family was in her hands now, and he had to get her permission if he wanted to buy a yacht to go fishing. Where would he get the money to buy a big diamond for her?
It has to be said that Zhou Yexuan's move made Shen Qingqing feel relieved. Although she and Zhou Yexuan were not very close, she could spend Zhou Yexuan's money with peace of mind, but she could not accept spending so much money on Pu Junya?
Maybe Zhou Yexuan has already spent too much money and is no longer worried about the debt?
Shen Qingqing couldn't understand her own mentality, and she was too lazy to figure it out. Anyway, Zhou Yexuan was paying for her with his eyes open, so she just accepted it.
Then she picked out a diamond necklace that cost about 10 million yuan, which was bought by Pu Junya and given to her.
After that, it will be time to take pictures of the finale pink diamond.
The reason why Shen Linyan came to attend the auction today was naturally because of Liang Hongyu.
Liang Hongyu wanted to cooperate with the Lin family. He heard that Mr. Lin loved his wife very much and attached great importance to the harmony of the partner's family. So Liang Hongyu decided to bring Shen Linyan with him. Before leaving, he repeatedly told her to pretend that her family was harmonious.
Shen Linyan and Liang Hongyu sat in the row behind Shen Qingqing and the others, so they naturally heard the conversation between Shen Qingqing and the others. Shen Linyan also knew that her husband, son and mother-in-law were all vying to buy jewelry for Shen Qingqing, so how could she not be jealous?
Although she also bought two diamond necklaces on the spot, they did not actually belong to her and she only had the right to use them.
After she takes the photo and brings it home, it will be stored in the Liang family's safe. When she needs to wear it to an event, she needs to report to her mother-in-law.
This made her very angry, and she even felt insulted. Even though she married into the Liang family, everything in the Liang family never belonged to her.
But since she had made her choice, she had to accept it, and even had to act virtuous and generous and not want anything.
Shen Linyan never thought that Shen Qingqing was so popular in the Zhou family. She had clearly heard her mother-in-law say that Pu Junya did not like Shen Qingqing as a daughter-in-law and rarely even mentioned her in public. Was it her mother-in-law who made a mistake or had the relationship between Shen Qingqing and Pu Junya improved?
But no matter what the reason was, Shen Linyan's heart was filled with jealousy at this moment.
Before coming, Liang Hongyu said that if he could take a picture of this finale treasure, he would be able to leave a deep impression on Mr. Lin and lay a good foundation for future cooperation.
Of course, their budget is also limited, and Liang Hongyu does not intend to spend much more than the market price just for a "good impression".
Shen Linyan sneered. Didn't Shen Qingqing still want to bid for the pink diamond? She refused to let her get it.
Even if Shen Qingqing is willing to pay a sky-high price for the stone in the end, it would be nice if she could spend tens of millions or even hundreds of millions more.
Thinking of this, she clenched the number plate in her hand, sneering in her heart.
Shen Qingqing had no idea that Shen Linyan behind her was planning to cause trouble again. At this moment, she was concentrating on looking at the pink diamond that was pushed up on a cart and placed in a glass box.
The diamond is still in the rough state and has not been made into jewelry, but it is beautiful enough even when viewed alone, and it sparkles under the light.
Before seeing the real thing, Shen Qingqing actually didn't have much interest in the diamond. Her greatest interest was the value it represented.
However, now she feels that it makes sense for women to love diamonds, especially diamonds with dreamy colors.
Shen Qingqing excitedly held the hand of the child beside her, "My child, Mom suddenly thinks this diamond is really beautiful."
Zhou Jiayan also opened his eyes wide and looked at the pink transparent stone that refracted a lot of light. Children like shiny things, and Zhou Jiayan is no exception. He nodded and said, "Mom, it is really beautiful. It's a pity that Yanyan has no money, so I can only ask Dad to buy it for you first."
Shen Qingqing stroked her son's chubby face and said, "It's okay, Yanyan, just remember to hold up the sign later. When Yanyan grows up, he can help mom buy these shiny stones."
The child nodded excitedly.
Zhou Yexuan, who was sitting nearby and listening to the conversation between the mother and son, was stunned. So, did they agree that he would not be the one to pay the bill at all?
Why did Shen Qingqing run to grab Zhou Jiayan's chubby hand when she was excited? Instead of his? He was obviously sitting next to Shen Qingqing!
In order to show his presence, Zhou Yexuan said domineeringly, "Qingqing, since you like it so much, don't worry about the price, just buy it."
At this time Zhou Jiayan also said, "Mom, don't worry, Yanyan will definitely find the right time to take the picture for you."
Shen Qingqing was deeply moved, and she hugged Zhou Jiayan and rubbed him hard again.
Zhou Yexuan looked at the affectionate appearance of mother and son, and always felt that the money he spent was of no use at all, and all the credit went to the talkative Tuanzi!
Lin Chuchao looked at the surprised expressions of the guests below the stage with satisfaction. Although this pink diamond was not the most valuable jewel in the Lin family's bottom drawer, it was still a highlight. He put this diamond up for auction this time just to let everyone see the strength of their Lin's Jewelry.
No matter what the final auction price is, it lets everyone know how deep the Lin’s jewelry reserves are.
But when he looked at the young woman sitting in the middle of the first row with a little boy beside her, he was stunned for a moment.
Just as Shen Qingqing had just guessed, he was indeed related to Lin Chuyin, and they were biological siblings with the same father and mother. Although he and Lin Chuyin had not been in contact for more than 20 years, he only knew about his sister's current situation through friends in China.
As the younger brother, he was still in middle school when his sister had a falling out with their father. He only knew that his sister, who had always been a pampered girl, suddenly wanted to go back to China with a man.
My father also has a bad temper. He has always been arbitrary and will never bow to anyone, let alone his own daughter.
So the father and daughter had not seen each other for more than ten years, until the news of his sister's death from cancer came. He saw his father sitting in his study for a whole night. When he came out, his hair had turned a lot whiter, and he was not as energetic as before.
He knew that his father must be sad. After all, who could bear the pain of seeing a young person die, especially since this was once his most beloved daughter?
He thought his father would agree to return home to pay tribute to his sister, but he did not expect that his father still did not ask to return home.
His father did not say anything. As he was not yet fully grown at that time, he did not dare to mention it. Until recently, when his father's health deteriorated further and Lin was completely handed over to him, he used the excuse to return to his country.
On the one hand, he came back because of the rapid economic development in China and he came back to expand the market. On the other hand, of course, it was for his sister's daughter, Shen Qingqing.
He thought that if his sister's daughter was a good person, he would find an opportunity to ask her if she was willing to go back to see her grandfather, whom he had never seen and whose time was running out.
If she is unwilling, then he will fulfill his responsibilities as an uncle and take better care of his niece.
However, he didn't expect to meet this niece he had never met so soon.
He knew that Shen Qingqing was already married, and married to a man with a son. Although this man was very outstanding, and even though he had heard of Zhou Yexuan's name abroad, he still didn't want his niece to marry a divorced man with a child.
If it was just a remarried man, it would be fine, but the man also had a son.
He came from a wealthy family and had seen too many stories of fighting over family inheritance. A stepson would mean endless trouble.
He even thought before returning to China that if Shen Qingqing was willing, he would be willing to help her get a divorce.
But today, it seems that Shen Qingqing has a very good relationship with the Zhou family, especially the child who is visibly dependent on Shen Qingqing. He even used his own New Year's money to buy a brooch from an auction as a gift for Shen Qingqing.
But soon his heart sank again. The child is still young and very naive. He will naturally rely on his stepmother who stays with him often. However, once he grows up, his mind will become complicated. If he is instigated again, it will be hard to say what will happen.
The Zhou family is wealthy and powerful, and he doesn't believe that there would be few people who would not be tempted. Even if the stepson himself has no problem with his stepmother, once he gets married and has children, it will be hard to say what will happen to the people around him.
Being a stepmother is not easy, and being a stepmother of a wealthy family is even more difficult. He thinks it would be better for Shen Qingqing to divorce Zhou Yexuan and not jump into the fire pit like his sister.
He could provide Shen Qingqing with a better life and introduce her to young talents without children.
Qingqing seemed to like this pink diamond very much. If she took a picture of it, he could take this opportunity to meet her alone.
Of course, as an uncle, he could let the Zhou family buy the diamond and then return the money to Shen Qingqing. This diamond would be considered a gift to his niece.
Thinking of this, he smiled warmly and announced to everyone, "Today's grand finale, the auction of this 15-carat pink diamond has officially begun. The starting price is 50 million. Everyone can start bidding."
As soon as Lin Chuchao finished speaking, people holding signs came into the room one after another.
This time, it was still little Zhou Jiayan who raised the placard and bid. He looked at the uncles and aunts around him who were competing to bid with surprise, and opened his mouth wide, "Wow, so many people want this pink stone."
Shen Qingqing was not surprised by this. After all, this pink diamond was indeed rare and had not been seen often in major auction houses in recent years. Moreover, the starting price of 50 million was not expensive.
Seeing the kid exclaiming in surprise, Shen Qingqing reached out and closed his little mouth, reminding him, "Yanyan, don't be stunned by surprise. Think about your mission. What if you are stunned and miss the auction?"
Zhou Jiayan suddenly woke up. Yes, he still wanted to help his mother take a picture of this pink diamond!
He clenched the number plate in his hand, looking eager to try.
Shen Qingqing found this even more amusing, but she was not in a hurry because there were obviously too many people who wanted it. They would have to fight for a while. It would not be too late for them to enter the venue when the auction price reached 80 million. It would be nice to let the children play with holding up the signs first.
As Shen Qingqing expected, when the price reached 80 million, the number of people participating in the auction in the room gradually decreased. 80 million was already within the normal valuation range of this pink diamond, so naturally many people began to consider the issue of cost-effectiveness.
However, Zhou Jiayan continued to raise his placard diligently, and each time he raised the placard he made a fixed increase of 1 million, which was the minimum bid increase in this round of auction.
Shen Linyan, who was sitting behind them, sneered in her heart. Shen Qingqing and the others were really confident. How could they let a child raise a sign for such a big auction? Didn't she know that children were very stubborn? They would continue regardless of the cost.
She had not raised her sign before because she knew the highlight would come after the 80 million, and she naturally didn't want to join in the fun. Now was the time to stir up trouble.
Thinking of this, she raised the number plate in her hand and said directly, "One hundred million!"
Shen Linyan's move of directly asking for an additional 20 million yuan surprised many people at the scene. Could Mrs. Liang, who was said to be virtuous but had a bad reputation recently, be so generous?
It seems that she and Mr. Liang are truly in love, and the rumors outside have no effect on their relationship at all.
When Zhou Jiayan heard that the aunt behind him had directly added 20 million, his eyes widened instantly. Are all adults so generous?
However, despite being shocked, the child still maintained his own pace and continued to add one million at a time.
So everyone on the field saw a five-year-old child and Shen Linyan adding up to 1.8 billion...
Everyone was a little shocked. After all, this exceeded the highest estimated value of the pink diamond by 50 million.
Zhou Jiayan still didn't understand what 1.8 billion meant, and his expression remained calm.
But Shen Linyan knew it clearly. She was a little nervous at the moment, worried that the child, who was only five years old but extremely smart, would suddenly change his mind and stop holding up the sign. Then the thing would fall into her hands.
At this time, the smile on Liang Hongyu's face gradually faded. Before coming, although they had discussed taking a picture of this pink diamond to strive for a good relationship with the Lin family, they also agreed that the price should not exceed the value of the diamond itself by much.
Now Shen Linyan’s bid price has far exceeded the valuation, and she is still battling with a child.
Doesn’t Shen Linyan know that children are always willful? What is she competing with the child?
Thinking of this, he whispered in Shen Linyan's ear, "Stop it now, I don't want to spend tens of millions more to buy a stone."
When Shen Linyan heard Liang Hongyu's warning, she knew that it was almost time to stop. It was enough to cheat Shen Qingqing and the others out of so much money.
But she didn't feel as happy as she had expected. Why could Shen Qingqing make Zhou Yexuan buy this pink diamond for her at any price, while she had to consider so much?
Seeing Liang Hongyu's increasingly bad complexion, Shen Linyan explained to Liang Hongyu in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I was a little drunk just now."
Shen Qingqing saw Shen Linyan bidding against the child all the time and she could guess what Shen Linyan was planning. She undoubtedly wanted to cheat her out of something. She was probably certain that no matter how high the price was, a willful woman like her would let the child take the picture for her.
But Shen Linyan misjudged her. She was not determined to get the pink diamond. After all, there was nothing wrong with doing something with the extra 50 million.
So she whispered to the child, "Yanyan, please stop. The price is too high now. You can help your mother take pictures when you have the chance in the future."
However, the stubborn child shook his head and said, "No, I want to take a picture for my mother."
At this time, Zhou Yexuan on the side also encouraged, "It doesn't matter, it's just a few tens of millions more. What's important today is that you and Yanyan are happy."
Shen Qingqing: ...Ah, this! Well, she was making a fuss out of nothing.
So Shen Qingqing had no choice but to shut up. Fortunately, Shen Linyan did not raise the price after the next bid, and finally Zhou Jiayan bought it for 18.1 billion.
When Zhou Jiayan knew that he was the final winner, a big smile appeared on his face, "Mom, Yanyan did it!"
Seeing Zhou Jiayan so happy, Shen Qingqing couldn't bear to criticize him and told him that he spent an extra 50 million to buy the diamond, and this 50 million could buy him enough toys to play with for the rest of his life, and even let the toy manufacturer open a production line just for him.
She just gave him a thumbs up and praised, "Yanyan is awesome, that's amazing."
Zhou Jiayan then smiled even more brightly.
The next people to go on stage to sign the auction transaction confirmation were naturally Shen Qingqing and Zhou Jiayan. When Shen Qingqing got closer and saw the diamond in the glass cover, she was dazzled by the reflected light and suddenly felt that the extra 50 million was not so worthless.
It turns out that women have no resistance to jewelry.
Just when Shen Qingqing thought the auction was about to end and she could go home to sleep, when Lin Chuchao and she were exchanging the auction transaction confirmation, she heard him whisper, "Qingqing, I'm your uncle. I didn't expect to see you here. Can we go to the tea room next door to talk for a while?"
Shen Qingqing was shocked. She actually guessed this right?!