After a Disabled Alpha Marked a Yandere Female Lead - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: VIP

“Please.” Xie Ke’s face was dark, but she managed a twisted smile. Zhu Qingluo pressed her lips together, holding back a laugh. She nodded slightly, accepting the other’s “hospitality.” For the next hour, she listened to a long-winded introduction. To be honest, it was a bit boring. However, Xie Ke didn’t care if she was interested or not. Her words flowed like a river, and she didn’t stop for a single moment. The information went in Zhu Qingluo’s left ear and out her right. Only when the auction began did the chatter next to her finally die down.

Xie Ke was arrogant, and for the first half of the auction, she didn’t even glance at a single item. She was puzzled by Zhu Qingluo’s occasional bidding. At the same time, Xie Ke felt a sense of contempt, thinking that Zhu Qingluo’s taste was mediocre at best. The spotlights on the stage kept changing, and the flowing halos of light were a bit dazzling. Suddenly, the red cloth on the stage was lifted. It was “Moon Soul.” Xie Ke’s eyes lit up. She instantly became serious and adjusted her posture, looking determined to win the item.

“Thirty million, once!”

Suddenly, the entire venue fell silent. Since the auction began, everyone had been silently following the rules. No one had raised the price so quickly until this person came along. Zhu Qingluo was surprised and looked in the direction of the voice. In the front row, on the left side, sat a woman with a remarkable presence. She was wearing a silver suit with heavy metal chains and pink-dyed tips in her hair. The woman leisurely held up her paddle, looking a bit unconventional. With such a unique style, her identity was unmistakable. It was the last alpha in the original novel, Dong Aoyu. At first, Dong Aoyu was Jiang Yun’s mortal enemy, a powerful business rival. Later, as the Jiang family’s business declined, Dong Aoyu would show her true feelings for Jiang Yun. Also, this person’s way of thinking was bizarre, and her style was absolutely out of this world.

Just as Zhu Qingluo was thinking this, she saw the person in front of her shift. She didn’t have time to adjust her expression. Dong Aoyu noticed the gaze and suddenly turned her head. Zhu Qingluo’s eyes paused. The other person was really looking at her, and a very confident smile appeared on that wicked face. A mortal enemy is trying to flirt with me. Save me! Zhu Qingluo shivered and felt a little disgusted. She frowned and looked away, as if looking at her for one more second would make her blind. Then, a question came to her mind. Was the mysterious buyer of “Moon Soul” actually Dong Aoyu? Just as she was thinking this, she noticed that Xie Ke next to her was getting nervous. Her eyes were fixed on the front, and she looked quite troubled. Xie Ke seemed to have miscalculated. She hadn’t put Dong Aoyu in her list of competitors. Therefore, she couldn’t tell if the other person was truly serious about buying or just trying to cause a commotion. After all, Dong Aoyu was known for her high-profile actions and never played by the rules.

The atmosphere around her was a little tense, and Xie Ke no longer had the time to pay attention to Zhu Qingluo. Zhu Qingluo was content, her eyes returning to the auction stage. The surroundings were silent for a while. Then, others started bidding again. In the dim light, voices rose and fell. Dong Aoyu only spoke once at the beginning and then remained silent, regardless of how the price skyrocketed behind her. It was as if she had just said it casually. Zhu Qingluo was lost in thought when she heard Xie Ke breathe a sigh of relief, muttering under her breath, “Just as I thought.”

“Heh.”

Hearing the low chuckle next to her, Xie Ke’s expression was odd. She barely managed to recover before asking, “What are you laughing at?” Zhu Qingluo paused. “Don’t you think it’s funny? Her goal has already been achieved.”

Xie Ke looked around. Not only she, but others had also set their sights on this item and were wary of the sudden appearance of Dong Aoyu. Now, seeing that the other person had no intention of bidding, their voices got louder. Dong Aoyu had a smile on her face and idly tapped her paddle. It seemed this turn of events was also within her expectations. She just wanted to cause a panic among others. However, even though Xie Ke had made many preparations and was confident she could bring “Moon Soul” back to the Xie family to appease her elder, who had doted on her since childhood, at the last moment, the spotlight hit her, about to announce her as the buyer. Suddenly, another bid came from an unknown corner in the back row.

One hundred twenty million.

This was more than twice the market price and far exceeded Xie Ke’s budget. While everyone was stunned, the item was successfully taken by that person. The spotlight above her head disappeared for a moment, hitting the back row. Zhu Qingluo caught a glimpse of the person wearing a silver fox mask. She wasn’t too surprised. This was probably one of Dong Aoyu’s people, specifically arranged to “make a move” at this moment to take the real target item.

Later, the auction took a break. Xie Ke left and, from the sound of things, was looking for information about the buyer. Zhu Qingluo ignored this and swept her gaze over the venue. In twos and threes, people were chatting and clinking glasses. The atmosphere was harmonious. At this moment, from the corner of her eye, she noticed the person she had been watching earlier suddenly get up from her seat. She just turned her head and saw Dong Aoyu walking through the aisle toward her. Her steps were confident, and her eyes shimmered with a hint of mischief.

“…”

Dong Aoyu came in front of Zhu Qingluo. She looked at Xie Ke and said in a familiar tone, “And who might this be… Director Xie’s…?” Xie Ke was still in shock and a bad mood. It took her a moment to hear the question. So, she glanced at Zhu Qingluo and managed a smile. “A friend.” Outside, Zhu Qingluo’s identity still had to be somewhat hidden, especially in front of this complex Director Dong. Zhu Qingluo’s expression didn’t change. She politely greeted her. However, Dong Aoyu still didn’t leave. Her gaze swept over the wheelchair beneath her, and she suddenly spoke.

“You’ve been looking at me since the beginning.”

“…”

“The exhibit,” Zhu Qingluo said, lifting her eyes and explaining lightly.

“I don’t believe you.”

Dong Aoyu gave an evil, charming smile and brushed her hair back, as if she were exuding her unique charm. She said to Zhu Qingluo in a flirtatious tone, “May I have the honor of asking this lady to have a drink with me?” Zhu Qingluo was speechless. This guy is a narcissistic, super greasy jerk. She didn’t respond to the invitation. The silent gap in between made the air around them a little tense. Xie Ke, beside them, gave a look, but Dong Aoyu completely ignored it and didn’t feel there was anything wrong with her actions.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“Come on,” Dong Aoyu said, thinking she was playing hard to get. She took a step forward and reached out to hold her hand.

“Slap!”

A crisp sound echoed in the air. The guests around them were stunned. Even Dong Aoyu’s expression froze. No one in her life had ever dared to hit her, and now this slender, sickly-looking beauty in front of her had smacked her hand away! A bright red fingerprint appeared on the back of her hand.

“Have some self-respect,” Zhu Qingluo said coldly. She had still held back, considering the other person’s status. Dong Aoyu held the back of her hand, her face turning from pale to green. The flirtatious mood was gone. She only wanted to teach the person in front of her a lesson.

“Director Xie, this is the kind of person you bring?!” She turned her head and questioned Xie Ke.

“Director Dong, please calm down.” Xie Ke said, her face a mask of appeasement. She used every diplomatic phrase she knew, wanting to settle the matter. If the person who had offended her today wasn’t Zhu Qingluo but someone else, she would have sided with Dong Aoyu. But Dong Aoyu didn’t know Zhu Qingluo’s true identity, and if she let this slide, it would be even harder to explain to Jiang Yun later. With that thought, Xie Ke could only defend Zhu Qingluo against her will.

“Fine, fine!” Dong Aoyu’s face was ashen. She pointed at the two of them, gritting her teeth, looking utterly furious. Normally, she would never restrain her temper, but she still had some sanity left. “So this is how your place treats people. I think we need to renegotiate the project I discussed with your company the other day.” Dong Aoyu put her hands behind her back. She was speaking to Xie Ke, but her words were a warning to Zhu Qingluo. A murderous glint flashed in her eyes, chilling to the bone, like a jackal with a broken tail, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate against this lost lamb. Then, Dong Aoyu left Xie Ke and the others, and with her bodyguards, she turned and walked away. The people around them looked at each other and whispered.

“Hmph.” Xie Ke glared at her. She was already fuming. Nothing had gone right for her since Zhu Qingluo came to the auction. Seeing her looking so calm and composed, Xie Ke couldn’t help but say sarcastically, “You just got here and you’ve already offended someone. My auction house is too small to handle this kind of trouble.” “You should go back early.” With that, Xie Ke walked away. The air was silent for a moment.

Zhu Qingluo had been lost in thought. Assistant Wu had something to take care of tonight and might be late picking her up for dinner. So, she had to stay at the auction for a little while longer. She hadn’t heard what Xie Ke had said. It was just that Dong Aoyu seemed too out of place. She had said her piece but hadn’t left. Instead, she was flirting with a beautiful woman among the guests. Zhu Qingluo had to admire her nerve.

Zhu Qingluo went to the display stand and looked at the items in the glass case. She was admiring a few of the treasures she was about to get her hands on. From the corner of her eye, she saw an assistant walk up and whisper a few words to Dong Aoyu. Dong Aoyu’s playful expression froze. A flash of light appeared in her eyes, and she regretfully glanced at the beautiful woman. The woman, who was originally nestled in her arms, smiling charmingly, was suddenly pushed away by Dong Aoyu. Her face was full of confusion. “Director Dong, what’s wrong?”

“Get out!” After her failed attempts to charm people today, Dong Aoyu was in a very bad mood. She handed her glass to a waiter nearby, abandoned the bewildered beauty, and headed backstage with her assistant. Zhu Qingluo’s attention was drawn, and a question came to her mind. It lingered in her heart like a soft tendril, slowly wrapping around and compelling her to go and see for herself. This was the key moment of the “Moon Soul” transaction. What was going to happen…?

Zhu Qingluo pressed her palms against the armrests of her wheelchair and slowly moved. The guests were gathered, clinking glasses, and no one noticed her. Looking at the wide aisle in front of her, she, as if guided by a mysterious force, followed them. A moment later, she passed through a grand floral display and came to the backstage area of the auction house. At a dimly lit staircase, she saw the two people ahead of her.

“Did you get it?”

In the darkness, Dong Aoyu’s bossy voice echoed.