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墨書 Inktalez
At that moment, the host in the center of the hall announced the official start of the charity auction. Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the stage, their eyes fixated on the priceless auction items.
A hereditary diamond necklace from the Swedish Royal Family was carefully brought up by the staff, and Jiang Rou's eyes lit up as if she had found a lifeline. Ignoring Lin Yue's quiet warnings in her ear, Jiang Rou raised her bidding paddle without hesitation. "Five hundred thousand." Her voice rang out clearly in the hall.
A jeweler across from her quickly followed suit. "Six hundred thousand."
Jiang Rou raised an eyebrow, her expression dismissive. "One million."
The jeweler refused to back down. "One million two hundred thousand."
"Two million." Jiang Rou declared decisively, her tone as calm as if she were simply buying a silk scarf.
No one dared to bid further. The auctioneer struck the gavel three times. "Sold!"
Jiang Rou wore a victorious smile as her gaze drifted toward Su Yao in the distance, her lips curling slightly upward. She insisted on completing the transaction right there and then, and with the sparkling necklace in hand, she approached Lin Yue.
With delicate fingers, she gently lifted the necklace and draped it around Lin Yue's neck. "Here, let me help you put it on," she said sweetly.
Lin Yue froze in place, wanting to refuse but unable to find the words. The necklace glimmered against her fair skin, drawing gasps of admiration from those around them, yet to Lin Yue, it felt more like a dazzling shackle.
Suddenly, Jiang Rou stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Lin Yue's cheek, leaving a bright red lip print behind. "Lin Yue, do you like the gift I gave you?" Jiang Rou smiled sweetly but subtly cast a challenging glance at Su Yao. "I heard this necklace represents eternal love."
The look in her eyes was filled with provocation—look, she is mine.
Lin Yue felt both embarrassed and angry, her face burning as if it were on fire. The public display of intimacy made her uncomfortable, and she instinctively wanted to take a step back. She glanced sideways at Su Yao and met those bright eyes filled with curiosity and confusion—was there a hint of something else? Disappointment?
"Lu Chen, don't you think this necklace looks especially good on Lin Yue?" Jiang Rou turned to ask, her tone brimming with pride.
Lu Chen chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, it looks nice."
This act of "marking territory" instantly ignited the gossip nerves of everyone present. Whispers quickly swept through the venue like an invisible wave, pushing countless curious glances back and forth between Lin Yue and Jiang Rou.
"That's the heir of the Jiang family and Lu Family; they look even more beautiful in person than in photos!"
"So... if I'm not mistaken, the other one must be Lin Yue from the Lin family?"
"So that's Lin Yue..."
"I heard they are as close as one person; their families have deep roots in the business world with extensive connections and have invested together in several major projects globally across finance, real estate, manufacturing, and more."
"I also heard that the Lin family originally had an engagement arranged with the Lu Family, but then the Jiang family intervened because Jiang Rou has liked Lin Yue since childhood. This has long been no secret among the three families, resulting in the cancellation of the engagement between the Lin family and Lu Family."
"No wonder that kiss was so passionate!"
"But they're both women..."
"What does that matter? They clearly don't care!"
"True enough; these relationships among wealthy families are even more dramatic than those in showbiz!"
"But Lin Yue is quite mysterious; I heard she has suffered from depression since childhood and made headlines a few times for suicide attempts before news was quickly suppressed."
"Yeah, it's strange; we always see reports about Jiang Rou and Lu Chen in financial and entertainment sections, yet there's no news or clear photos of Lin Yue as the eldest daughter of the Lin family..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down; don't you know how powerful their families are? Do you want to ruin your future?"
These discussions pierced through Lin Yue's ears like sharp knives. Her breathing suddenly became rapid, and her face turned pale as paper. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, soaking her hairline.
The scene before her began to blur, a wave of dizziness washing over her. She felt her knees weaken, on the verge of collapsing right there.
Jiang Rou immediately noticed Lin Yue's distress, quickly setting down her glass and gently covering her ears. "Don't listen to their nonsense, breathe with me. Inhale... exhale..." Her voice was as soothing as water, yet her eyes were filled with anger. Those gossiping had no idea how sensitive and fragile Lin Yue truly was!
Lu Chen also rushed over to help, blocking the prying eyes of onlookers while casting a murderous glare at the group of gossipers. His presence was so commanding that the chatter faded instantly; everyone averted their gaze, pretending nothing had happened.
Su Yao stood a few steps away, clearly hearing the murmurs. Her gaze flickered between Lin Yue and Jiang Rou, noticing the unusual intimacy between the two. A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she quickly adjusted her expression, maintaining a professional smile.
Just as the atmosphere became nearly suffocating, the host spoke up at the perfect moment: "Next, please welcome our special guest for tonight, Miss Su Yao, to take the stage!"
The crowd's attention shifted rapidly, applause erupting in response. Su Yao gracefully acknowledged them and turned toward the stage, her silver-gray silk gown swaying lightly with each step. Under the spotlight, she radiated a soft glow, breathtakingly beautiful.
Lin Yue watched Su Yao walk toward the stage, instinctively holding her breath. She gently pushed Jiang Rou's hand away: "Xiao Rou, I'm fine now." She took a step back, distancing herself from Jiang Rou while keeping her eyes glued to the stage, afraid to miss any detail.
Su Yao took the microphone, her slender fingers delicately gripping the stand as her red lips parted slightly. The entire banquet hall seemed to have been muted; all eyes were fixed on this woman.
As the music began, Su Yao swayed gently, her fingertips gliding over her collarbone in tune with the melody, strands of hair sticking to her slightly parted lips. Her voice was like silk forged in fire—gentle yet powerful—while the lyrics flowed through the air like poetry.
"Even if I fall, I will shine like a star..." she sang, an unwavering determination shining in her eyes.
A jolt of electricity surged from Lin Yue's neck to the top of her head. In that moment, all her earlier unease and anxiety vanished. In her world remained only Su Yao's heavenly voice and lyrics that seemed to penetrate her soul.
When Su Yao sang "My heart searches for your light in the darkness," their eyes met inadvertently. In an instant, an invisible bond seemed to tighten between them.
Su Yao's final note lingered softly on her lips, resonating in the air long after she finished. The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers; Lin Yue's fingers unconsciously tapped rhythmically against her glass.
The host announced an exclusive auction for this original song titled "Brilliant Starlight," and wealthy patrons eagerly raised their paddles. Lin Yue yearned to bid for this song but dared not become the center of attention in front of so many people. Her fingers tapped faster along the rim of her glass, desire evident in her eyes.
Noticing Lin Yue's subtle movements, Lu Chen quickly understood what she wanted. Seizing the moment as bidding heated up, he decisively raised his paddle. "Five million!" His bid caused an uproar; no one dared to respond.
As the gavel fell signaling completion of the deal, Lin Yue and Jiang Rou turned simultaneously to look at Lu Chen in confusion. Lu Chen winked at Lin Yue with a knowing smile.
Lin Yue understood immediately; she lowered her head to hide a smile while feeling grateful for this thoughtful childhood friend. However, Jiang Rou's expression darkened as she glanced between Lin Yue and Su Yao who was stepping down from the stage.
"Oh? Lu Chen," she teased lightly but with a sharp tone, "no wonder you suggested we venture into entertainment; turns out you want to chase after a little star?"
Whispers began circulating again among those nearby: "Isn't that Director Li's lead actress for his new drama Dark River?"
"Weren't they just talking with Director Li about something?"
"It seems that Director Li's new drama is set to succeed."
Su Yao stepped off the stage and walked straight towards the three of them, politely expressing her gratitude to Lu Chen. "Thank you, Manager Lu, for your recognition of my work," she said with a smile, though her gaze involuntarily flickered towards Lin Yue.
Her eyes lingered briefly on those deep, inky black eyes, and her heart raced uncontrollably for a moment.
Lu Chen responded with a gentlemanly smile, "No need to thank me; this song is a gift I gave to Lin Yue."
Just as Su Yao was about to speak, Lin Yue interjected with praise, "You sang beautifully, especially that line 'even if I fall'... I really liked it."
There was an unmistakable tension in her voice, and a blush crept across her cheeks, spreading from her neck to her ears.
This reaction surprised both Jiang Rou and Lu Chen—Lin Yue never initiated conversations, let alone praised someone in public!
"Thank you for the compliment, President Lin." Su Yao's eyes sparkled with excitement, her tone slightly shy.
In that instant, it felt as if there were a thousand words between them, yet they remained unspoken.
Jiang Rou watched in fury, her anger boiling over. She abruptly grabbed Lin Yue's arm and coldly interrupted, "Lu Chen, if you want to shoot something, just say so; don’t use Lin Yue as an excuse!" She rolled her eyes and firmly pulled Lin Yue away. "Come on, Lin Yue; it’s getting late; we should head back."
Lin Yue was reluctantly dragged out by Jiang Rou, her steps hesitant as she occasionally glanced back at Su Yao's figure.
Lu Chen helplessly apologized to Su Yao, "I'm sorry for the awkwardness."
"It's fine." Su Yao offered a polite smile but continued to watch Lin Yue's retreating silhouette until that flash of red disappeared from view.
Unconsciously, she touched the three small moles on her neck as if still feeling the warmth of someone's gaze lingering there.
"Sister Yao, it seems President Lin is quite interested in you," Xiao Lin, Su Yao's assistant, said with a grin from the side.
A blush crept onto Su Yao's face, but she didn’t respond; she simply looked again in the direction where Lin Yue had left.
That night after returning home, Su Yao tossed and turned in bed, her mind filled with those deep black eyes and the words "You sang beautifully."
In the Maybach S-Class car belonging to the Jiang family, Jiang Rou tightly held Lin Yue's hand, resting her head gently on Lin Yue's shoulder with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "Lin Yue, what happened tonight? I've never seen you so proactive in talking to strangers."
After hearing Jiang Rou’s words, Lu Chen quietly turned his head to glance at Lin Yue from the passenger seat.
Lin Yue wearily closed her eyes without answering.
But deep down, she knew that a piece of her heart had been stolen by that girl on stage.
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