The host didn't want to feel awkward, so he kept the suspense going and slowly opened the box in front of him, tilting it slightly so that everyone present could see the contents.
At the first glance of the item, Shen Yin's heart skipped a beat and she sat up.
Upon seeing Shen Yin's reaction, Xu Xiuhe also shifted his gaze to the box in the host's hand. The box was quite exquisite, and inside it was a hairpin.
The hairpin was made of jade. Although Shen Yin was sitting in the front row, she couldn't clearly see the patterns on the hairpin, but her intuition told her that it was of good quality and the color of the jade was strikingly similar to another hairpin she had before.
"Now, we will auction this hairpin. It can be considered a fine piece in terms of craftsmanship and material. It has a long history and is said to have come from the palace."
Shen Yin could tell that the quality was indeed good, and it captivated her at first sight.
"The starting bid is 1 million yuan. Let the bidding begin."
"1 million," Shen Yin raised her paddle.
As soon as her voice fell, everyone's gaze converged on her. Shen Yin didn't really think about it and just raised her paddle. 1 million yuan wasn't a big deal for them, but they had never seen someone spend money so easily.
"1.5 million," Qi Yan raised her paddle.
Many people in the audience knew Qi Yan. She was brought here by Xue Jingrui and they had grown up together. Qi Yan's father, Qi Shengwu, held a high position in the city government. Could it be that the two families had intentions of forming a marriage alliance?
"2 million," Shen Yin spoke up again.
"2.5 million," Qi Yan increased her bid.
Shen Yin glanced at Qi Yan. Although she really liked this hairpin, if Qi Yan wanted it badly, she could let it go.
To her surprise, Shen Yin saw a provocation in Qi Yan's eyes. Despite being several years older, why did Qi Yan always appear so childish? If it wasn't for the provocation, it would have been fine, but Qi Yan had to do that.
This was one aspect where Shen Yin fell short. She had a strong desire to win and couldn't tolerate others suppressing her. It was precisely because of this trait that Xu Zhen from the Xiang Mansion couldn't take advantage of her. "5 million."
Shen Yin's tone was calm as she changed her posture, wearing an expression as if she could afford to play along.
Qi Yan's eyes were filled with anger, unwilling to back down she shouted, "5.5 million."
No one in the room was a fool, and no one dared to interrupt. It was obviously a battle between two women. If this battle had levels, they would definitely be cannons against airplanes—one dared to fire, the other dared to deliver.
Xu Xiuhe and Xue Jingrui remained motionless for now. Xu Xiuhe wouldn't dare to intervene if Xue Jingrui dared to help Qi Yan snatch the item, he would immediately sever ties with Xu Xiuhe.
He didn't know about other things, for example, whether Xu Xiuhe really liked Shen Yin or not. But Xu Xiuhe was known for being protective, and he was well aware of that. No matter what, Shen Yin was his wife now, and he couldn't afford to speak up.
Very well, Shen Yin smiled. Qi Yan was probably getting worked up now, so she would raise the bid by another 500,000 yuan. That shouldn't be unreasonable, right?
"8 million."
There were quite a few spectators in the venue who enjoyed watching the excitement. The most interesting part of an auction was when two people kept raising the bid. They couldn't miss such a good show and watched with relish, only missing some melon seeds and tea.
Shu Yi wasn't worried at all. She kept sending messages to Shen Yin, saying, "Come on, Yin Yin, you can't lose. This is not just about the hairpin!"
Feeling like her previous message wasn't enough, she added a cheering emoji package. "If you don't have enough money, I'll pay half for you!"
Shen Yin looked at the messages on her phone screen and found Shu Yi really adorable. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. So Shen Yin replied, "Shu Yi, I don't think I'm poor either."
Upon seeing the message, Shu Yi realized that she had worried for nothing. Being the wife of the president of Yuan Group and the daughter of the Shen family, she couldn't possibly lack money. Shen Yin was much wealthier than her.
"Yin Yin, please support me financially," she jokingly replied.
This statement made Shen Yin burst into laughter again. Her sense of humor was indeed peculiar.
"I'll prepare for a divorce from Xu Xiuhe!" Shen Yin jokingly responded.
Shu Yi was shocked when she saw the message. Could she really have that?
"Please don't. I'm afraid Xu Xiuhe will blacklist me from the entire internet," Shu Yi replied.
"Eight million once, eight million twice, eight million..." The host was about to say "three times" and was ready to strike the gavel.
"Eight million five hundred thousand," Shen Yin raised the bid.
Shen Yin thought 8.5 million was already a substantial amount. She was ready to back out. She could always go out more often in the future and find something else. There was no need to hang herself on a hairpin.
"One million," Xu Xiuhe held up his sign.
Shen Yin didn't expect this move from Xu Xiuhe. The hairpin was precious, but it wasn't worth a million.
Qi Yan's expression of anger changed. Why did Xu Xiuhe treat her like this? He had never been like this before.
"One million once, one million twice, one million three times, sold for one million!" The gavel came down.
One million was the highest price of the night. Xu Xiuhe and Shen Yin were invited to the stage because of it. Shen Yin held Xu Xiuhe's arm and, to be honest, Xu Xiuhe bid on the hairpin because of her.
Considering that she was still wearing her own studio's dress, Shen Yin immediately changed her expression, smiling gracefully without showing her teeth. Xu Xiuhe slightly moved to the side behind Shen Yin, and their posture together could be described as the epitome of a couple.
The journalists in the audience took pictures of this scene, and the headlines were ready: "A Million Wager for Love and Laughter."
The happiest person in the audience was undoubtedly Shu Yi, who was so happy that she stood up. Xu Xiuhe was really handsome, and he exuded a sense of masculinity.
"How about it? Do you like the hairpin too? Should I get you one as a gift?" Chang Zhiyuan turned to Shu Yi and asked.
In just a split second, Shu Yi's expression changed faster than in a Sichuan opera. Chang Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh. After getting to know her, he found Shu Yi even more interesting. She was completely different from how he knew her before.
"Why do you change expressions so quickly and treat people differently?" Chang Zhiyuan asked unwillingly.
Seeing Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe come down from the stage, Shu Yi ran straight to Shen Yin. "Yin Yin, this dress is so beautiful. It's probably going to trend tonight."
Chang Zhiyuan facepalmed, saying, "Public figures should be mindful of their image."
"It's true. The effect was achieved. Our big star praised it, which means the dress is really good. I'll have one tailored for you another day," Shen Yin said.
"Did you make it yourself? I forgot that you're the one who alters all of Zheng Zheng's clothes on the set."
Qi Yan, standing next to Xue Jingrui, was so annoyed that her teeth itched. She turned around and left the venue. In the darkness, Qi Yan was filled with unwillingness. Why should she always have to take it? One day, she would reclaim what belonged to her.
Xue Jingrui followed her outside. He didn't expect things to turn out like this today, but it's for the best. Qi Yan should finally give up.
Chang Zhiyuan thought it was enough and pulled Shu Yi towards the underground parking lot.
"What are you doing? I haven't finished talking with Yin Yin yet."
"You, silly, can't you give the couple some private space after they've just reconciled?" Chang Zhiyuan explained.
