Chapter 209 Show
This was Xia Mian's first time walking an international red carpet. Facing curious and inquisitive gazes and ubiquitous cameras, he felt no nervousness whatsoever, but rather a slight excitement.
"Who is he, Chinese or Korean?"
"Beau visage asiatique, Il doit être en feu. (What a handsome Asian face, he must be very famous...)"
"I'll take a look at the list, emmm... he is an actor from China."
"I can't distinguish Asian faces, but he's one of the few Asians I find beautiful."
Besides international friends, there has been considerable discussion about summer hibernation within China as well.
In recent years, the Asia-Pacific market has become the main purchasing power for luxury goods, especially my country, where the growing national strength and economy have made Asian faces more and more common on and off the runway.
"What a face! He looks so familiar, where have I seen him before..."
"Xia Mian! My husband is having an affair with that Xia Mian!"
"Yes, yes, I remember now. He's making a lot of progress, but he's not quite a second-tier star. The brands that invited him are probably doing it because of his husband."
"Envious, she's married into Rome..."
What others say has nothing to do with Xia Mian. He walks confidently down the red carpet, greets every camera, and poses for the media. Because of his good looks, nice personality, and high level of cooperation, the media even took two extra sets of photos of him.
In order not to delay the guests behind him, he quickly stepped off the red carpet, entered the venue under the guidance of the staff, found his name tag, and took his seat.
By this time, Yu Xingtong had finished her makeup, changed her clothes, and warmed up. This year, the coordinator had assigned her to the first session, and she lifted the curtain to check the entry progress.
Then I saw a familiar face.
Not the kind of familiarity you feel, but the kind of familiarity you feel you've just met – not long ago, the photographer bumped into a boy in a corner of the waiting area.
At this moment, the boy was sitting upright in the first row.
Not just the first row, but also the middle seats.
Who is this person?
Yu Xingtong is an overseas Chinese from Australia. She has a stable boyfriend in Australia and rarely returns to China except for work. She doesn't pay much attention to the domestic entertainment industry and is completely unaware of the endless stream of new actors emerging from overseas.
Moreover, as an international supermodel, she has close ties with brands and frequently attends various parties they host, making her a regular in the world of fame and fortune. If this man is from some wealthy family, she would definitely have seen him or heard of him.
“Leon,” she called to the head stylist’s assistant, who was so busy pulling out his hair, “over there, who’s the ninth boy in the first row?”
Leon was born in Germany and studied in China for a few years. He speaks fluent Chinese: "His name is Xiamian, but I don't know which Xiamian it is. I saw his name on the label when I was designing his suit."
Designing formal wear?
So this was a haute couture piece made for him by the chief designer?
Because the overall feel was understated, without the use of sequins or gemstones, at first glance she thought he was wearing a regular, unreleased style.
"Oh, by the way, I heard from my teacher that he is also the same-sex lover of Zhou Pingchuan, a very successful businessman in your country."
Zhou Pingchuan!
Xia Mian had never heard of the Zhou family, but she was very familiar with them. She had even seen the young and handsome head of the family once from afar.
So when did Zhou Pingchuan get married?
While puzzled, Yu Xingtong revealed a playful smile.
Leon asked curiously, "Yu, are you interested in him?"
“No, I’m not interested,” Yu Xingtong smiled. “Just a pitiful person.”
This year's designs were only so-so; there were no ugly pieces, but nothing particularly eye-catching either, failing to inspire any desire to buy. Xia Mian only ordered a few pieces from the runway show before losing interest.
After the fashion show, the brand hosted a dinner. Xia Mian rubbed her sore shoulders, thinking that she could finally eat something. At this moment, the second son of the Wertheimer family, the family to which the brand chairman belongs, smiled and said, "Xia, would you be interested in coming with me to Brissac Manor? There is a very beautiful castle there, you will definitely like it."
Xia Mian understood that the Second Young Master was extending an olive branch to him, inviting him to a private party.
From a brand's perspective, customers are categorized into different tiers, with the classification of ordinary members, VIPs, and VIC levels serving as blatant evidence. Beyond that, commercial value also needs to be measured.
Compared to the power behind summer hibernation, the annual consumption of tens of millions is actually nothing to the brand.
Xia Mian was happy to expand her network and readily agreed: "Okay."
Brissac Estate is owned by the Brissac Marquis family and is located on the shore of Lake Domenile. The area where it meets the street is separated by a large grove of trees, creating a completely private and secluded space.
The trees droop low, and as you walk along the lakeside path, a blue-green castle suddenly appears before your eyes. Under the cool moonlight, it looks exquisite and rustic, weighty and romantic.
It's hard to imagine that such a serene castle could exist in the most bustling and extravagant place.
“In half an hour, there will be an auction inside, auctioning off the private collection of the Marquis of Brissac,” the second son said to him outside. “Want to try your luck? My invitation allows you to bring one companion—and only one companion.”
The Brissac family has amassed a vast collection over generations. To exchange resources and cultivate relationships with top billionaires from around the world, the family regularly holds auctions.
Many top-tier collectibles have been sold through the Brissac family's auctions, so Xia Mian naturally wanted to go in and take a look!
Xia Mian nodded to the Second Young Master, who then gestured for her to enter. The two of them walked together through the castle gate.
Entering the auction venue required passing through multiple security checks. Afterward, the butler led them up to the second floor and into a private box.
The auction seating was divided into regular seats, VIP booths, and private boxes. This auction only had six private boxes, clearly reserved for the heads of the world's top conglomerates—those who control the vast majority of wealth.
Xia Mian didn't care about the big shots; he was more interested in today's collection. He picked up the register and began searching for his favorite items.
As they were flipping through the pages, a group of people passed by outside the door. When they reached the right side of the group, one of the men said something.
Upon hearing his voice, Xia Mian's hand trembled, and she almost tore the roster to shreds.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com