nucmednet Chapter 204 Auction
Chapter 204 Auction
"Hold your chest high, hold your stomach in, and look a little more arrogant." Lu Xinghan stood in front of the floor-length mirror in Mo Junli's private apartment, instructing Yang Xining on his manners. "Brother, imagine you are the queen. No man is worthy of you."
Yang Xining awkwardly stepped on her high heels and took two unsteady steps: "I would rather fight ten fights than walk in this thing."
Lu Xinghan chuckled and reached out to hold her waist: "Brother, the balance point is in the center of the sole of the foot. Don't look at the ground, look into the distance."
His palm was warm and steady, with a reassuring strength.
For the past three days, Lu Xinghan has been training Yang Xining on how to play the role of a socialite from the upper class.
From table manners to dance steps, from conversation skills to micro-expression management, the professionalism he demonstrated surprised Yang Xining.
"Xinghan, you're much more serious than I thought," Yang Xining said during a break. "I thought you, Mr. Lu, only knew how to eat, drink and have fun."
Lu Xinghan handed her a glass of lemonade, his eyes becoming deep, and suddenly asked: "Brother, do you know why I have changed girlfriends like changing clothes in the past five years?"
Yang Xining shook his head.
"Because I'm looking for a feeling." He turned his head, his eyes more serious than ever before, "The feeling of my heart beating faster when I saw someone climbing over the wall to save me when I was fifteen. Today, that feeling is back."
Yang Xining almost choked: "Don't make such a joke."
"This is not a joke." Lu Xinghan knelt on one knee in front of her, holding her hand, his voice soft but firm, "When I was fifteen, I was drugged and kidnapped. When you broke into that warehouse alone, my heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was going to jump out.
"Xinghan, you..."
Yang Xining was stunned, and memories came flooding back like a tide - that day Lu Xinghan disappeared, she used her keen sense of smell to track him to a warehouse in the suburbs, and took down six kidnappers by herself.
"You...you were confused at that time, how could you possibly remember..."
"I remember every detail." Lu Xinghan's fingers gently stroked the blue scales on the inside of her wrist. "The way you fought, the expression on your face when you called me an idiot, the smell of you when you carried me home..."
"Brother, do you know what kind of torment and struggle I have experienced in my heart in these five years since I lost you. In those countless silent nights, I have thought countless times about ending it all and just going with you." Lu Xinghan's voice was low and full of emotion. He gently pushed aside the bangs on his forehead, revealing a faint scar.
He continued, "I even once, driven by alcohol, wanted to crash my car into a tree to end it all. However, fate didn't seem to allow me to leave so easily. I had to get eight stitches on my forehead in that car accident, but miraculously I survived."
Having said that, he gazed at Yang Xining affectionately, his eyes revealing an indescribable complex emotion.
He said slowly: "I think the reason why I was able to escape was perhaps God's intention to give me the opportunity to meet you again."
Yang Xining listened to his narration quietly, her heart beating faster involuntarily.
She recalled the men and women who looked like her and whom Lu Xinghan had dated in the past, and when she saw the scar on his forehead, an inexplicable emotion welled up in her heart.
Faced with Lu Xinghan's affectionate confession, she didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Lu Xinghan suddenly grinned and returned to his cynical look: "But now is not the time to talk about this, let's finish the auction first!"
He changed the subject easily, but the flash of disappointment in his eyes did not escape Yang Xining's eyes.
Fortunately, a knock on the door relieved her embarrassment.
……
The Emerald cruise ship is brightly lit, like a palace on the sea.
Lu Xinghan extended his arm gentlemanly. Yang Xining hesitated for a moment, but finally took it.
She could feel three pairs of eyes in the dark staring at them - Mo Junli, Qi Lin and Yan Tian had boarded the ship from different locations as planned, ready to provide support at any time.
"Brother, remember," Lu Xinghan whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing her earlobe, "You are the future mistress of the Lu family. It's okay to be a little arrogant. Our goal is to get close to Nie Yuanhang and extract information."
Yang Xining nodded, straightened his back and walked up the gangway.
What she didn't know was that in the VIP room on the top floor of the cruise ship, a woman wearing gold-rimmed glasses was watching their every move through the surveillance screen with a sneer on her lips.
"Finally showed up." Lisa Wu said into the headset, "Act according to the plan. Remember—you have to stay alive."
The central hall of the Jadeite cruise ship was transformed into a luxurious auction venue.
The crystal chandeliers reflected brilliant light, and the guests wore various masks and gorgeous clothes, holding champagne and talking in low voices.
Yang Xining entered the venue holding Lu Xinghan's arm. She was wearing a silver half-mask inlaid with sapphires, which covered the upper half of her face, revealing only her lips painted with dark red lipstick and her delicate chin line.
Lu Xinghan chose a black feather mask, which complemented his slender figure.
Lu Xinghan whispered in her ear, "Brother, Yan Tian has hacked into the surveillance system. Lin's men are on standby on the ship, and Ali is providing support in the control room."
Yang Xining nodded and glanced across the hall.
Suddenly, the scales on her wrist felt a sharp pain, and a strong sensation came from the direction of the auction table.
“Xinghan,” she clutched his arm, “There’s something in the auction… related to Wuhen.”
Lu Xinghan followed her gaze and saw staff carefully pushing out a display car covered in black velvet. "The third auction item is said to be a glandular extract from a certain marine creature, said to be able to delay aging."
Yang Xining's pupils shrank slightly behind the mask: "That's the mermaid's tear gland... They tortured Ye Wuhen to get it." Her voice was filled with suppressed anger.
Lu Xinghan squeezed her hand soothingly: "Calm down, we will find out."
At this moment, a tall man wearing a fox mask and a ponytail walked onto the auction stage, and the whole audience immediately fell silent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the N Group's charity auction." His voice was low and magnetic. "I am the host tonight. You can call me 'Si'."
Yang Xining shuddered all over. She could smell a traceless scent on this person.
"What's wrong?" Lu Xinghan keenly noticed her abnormality.
"That's him," Yang Xining whispered, "the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Wuhen."