Chapter 42: Two Baffling Madmen

With Jiang Li's bid of fifty million, the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

Whispers and pointing fingers broke out among the crowd.

"Good heavens, what kind of person did the Jiang Corporation send? To actually call out such a high price, has she lost her mind?"

"She looks so unfamiliar, you can tell at a glance she knows nothing about this. Why would the Jiangs send her?"

"Exactly, look at Jiang Jintao's daughter, Miss Jiang Xue. She's so much more sensible than this. This woman came here with Assistant Lin; she must be a secretary, right, or maybe a designer?"

"Even if she's a senior designer, spending fifty million just to acquire a notebook? She really knows how to spend. Can just anyone squander the Jiang family's money however they please now?"

Jiang Li covered her face. "Assistant Lin, did I just cause a huge disaster?"

Assistant Lin shook his head. "At least it didn't exceed the budget! It doesn't count, it doesn't count!" With that, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Fifty million was already the upper limit, yet someone lacking eyesight had to directly raise the bid to sixty million.

Jiang Li looked up at Jiang Xue in shock. What an absolute sucker!

The crucial thing was that she really wanted that notebook, but it was a bit too expensive.

Since Jiang Xue wanted it so badly?

Qin Mu was displeased. "Do you need a design notebook for our wedding? Or are you saying you actually understand design, which is why you're bidding on this? Miss Jiang Xue, I truly cannot understand you. Do you have to drive me to bankruptcy just to prove who is superior and who is inferior before you'll be satisfied?"

Jiang Xue's triumphant face instantly wilted. "No, Brother Qin Mu, I... I just thought that notebook would be useful to you."

Qin Mu let out a cold snort and pointed at his own nose. "Useful to me? Do I understand design?"

Jiang Xue was in the wrong. "You could bid on it and give it to your design department. After all, every company has a design department, and they all need designs."

"So Miss Jiang Xue means I should spend sixty million to buy a notebook for those people in the design department to look at? Then what is the point of me paying their salaries? Furthermore, you should know that I told you yesterday to come here and pick out things we need for the wedding. Even if you wanted a jadeite necklace, a jade bracelet, or a painting, I wouldn't have said a word. The real question is, Miss Jiang Xue, do you actually not intend to marry me anymore?"

Jiang Xue panicked. "No, that's not it, Brother Qin Mu, I was wrong. It was my poor judgment, but I truly didn't want you to lose face. Jiang Li, she... she is just too arrogant!"

Qin Mu sneered. "She bids on what she wants, what does that have to do with me losing face? You're the one competing with her. I can pay this sixty million, consider it compensation for you giving birth to a son for me!"

"No, Brother Qin Mu, I was wrong, I don't want it anymore, alright? I'm begging you, I don't want it. Let Jiang Li have the winning bid, give it to her."

Meanwhile, Jiang Li, standing very close by, rolled her big, glamorous eyes with schadenfreude.

"Congratulations to you both on winning the notebook for sixty million! Miss Jiang Xue is such a devoted supporter of charitable causes! Oh, and Mr. Qin Mu is the one paying, right? You two really are a great couple. Let's all give a round of applause to Mr. Qin Mu and Miss Jiang Li for contributing sixty million to charity."

Applause rang continuously through the venue. Jiang Xue had completely ruined herself this time.

She stood there awkwardly, looking at the audience, watching the shape of the word "idiot" forming on their smiling lips.

"Hehe, you flatter me! Go on, Jiang Li, outbid me! Weren't you the one who wanted to buy it? Bid a little more, and I'll let you have it."

Jiang Li shook his head. "No thanks. I happen to cherish talent, and I'm not one to spend money recklessly. After all, I'm just a lowly employee, unlike Miss Jiang Xue, who is wealthy and generous. Plus, Mr. Qin Mu dotes on you so much that he'll pay for whatever you want to buy. You two are so deeply in love."

Qin Mu looked at Jiang Li with a complex gaze. When he heard the hammer fall at sixty million, he stepped forward to swipe his card.

Then, holding the notebook, he walked over to Jiang Li. Jiang Li's mind went completely blank. She had been mocking Jiang Xue along with everyone else—she never expected Qin Mu to actually buy the item for her!

How was she supposed to handle this? More importantly, the looks from the crowd were far too sharp. Would they take them for madmen?

What was Qin Mu's intention? Was he doing this on purpose?

Sure enough, the tone of the onlookers' comments shifted instantly. "What is going on? Qin Mu, the richest man in Cloud City, actually bought such a precious item and gave it to a little secretary from the Jiang Corporation?"

"That secretary is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm only just noticing how flawless her skin is, and her figure is simply absolute perfection. Look at the suit buttons on her chest, they're about to pop! Goodness, is President Qin proposing to her? But according to what we know, isn't he supposed to be engaged to Miss Jiang Xue?"

"A gift for you!" Qin Mu said with a cold expression, then turned and walked back to his seat.

"For me? Does he think he can wipe the slate clean with this? No, I won't allow it!"

Watching Jiang Li accept the notebook, Qin Mu sat down, opening his mouth as if to speak, but stopping.

He didn't want to wipe the slate clean with her; he wanted to remain endlessly entangled with her.

Yet he truly hadn't been able to find out anything regarding Youyou.

Next came the final three lots. Jiang Li held the notebook, unable to put it down, but her attitude toward Qin Mu was so complicated she didn't even know how to face him.

Lin Fan asked, looking puzzled, "Miss, do you think President Qin still can't let go of you? The look in his eyes... it's so complicated?"

Jiang Li whispered, "Hush, Assistant Lin, don't misunderstand. President Qin and I will probably be mortal enemies from now on."

Lin Fan awkwardly muttered, "I couldn't tell. All I saw was the cautiousness in your eyes toward one another."

"What did you say, Assistant Lin?" Jiang Li asked, puzzled.

Fearing he would be exposed, Lin Fan shook his head. "N—nothing. I just meant that the final three lots are the grand finale masterpieces, so Miss, you should prepare yourself."

Jiang Li put the notebook away and sat up straight. If Qin Mu was giving her something, she'd be a fool not to take it; she would accept all of it. Who asked him to falsely accuse her of being the murderer who killed his father?

"Alright, I'm ready."

"Up next for auction is a child's detoxifying and rejuvenating bowl, crafted from the finest mutton-fat white jade and soaked in medicinal herbs for over thirty years. There are only three such bowls in the entire country. The starting bid is six hundred thousand."

The price was quite approachable. Thinking of her daughter Youyou, Jiang Li's eyes grew red again.

She called out directly, "Two million!"

This time, Jiang Xue didn't look at Jiang Li. Considering she could use Qin Jinchen to curry favor with Qin Mu, she vigorously shook Qin Mu's arm.

"Brother Qin Mu, this bowl is suitable for our Chenchen. Should we bid on it too? Let's buy it for Chenchen to use, alright? Besides, that bitch Jiang Li won't have any use for it anyway, since her daughter is already dead."

Hearing Jiang Xue's words, Qin Mu frowned. The word "bitch" grated harshly on his ears, and considering that Jiang Xue had caused his father's death, he felt not a shred of fondness for her.

Qin Mu turned and headed toward the restroom. Meanwhile, wanting to crush Jiang Li to vent her anger, Jiang Xue thought of the savings in her account. She let out a cold snort, radiating utter contempt for Jiang Li.

"Daring to compete with me, hmph. Five million." Jiang Xue's grand gesture made the onlookers mutter among themselves.

"Miss Jiang Xue truly lives up to her wealthy reputation. She just had her fiancé buy a sixty-million-dollar notebook and give it away, and now she's going head-to-head with the Jiang Corporation again. It feels like the money she's spending doesn't belong to the Jiang family at all!"