Chapter 39: The Battle Over the Black-Gold Cufflinks

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Nan Zhen’er noticed Nan Xing remained silent, then suddenly pointed at one of the auction items and said, “Sister, do you like this one?”

Nan Xing glanced over.

It was a diamond called the Pink Star.

Discovered in South Africa in 1998, it was a nearly flawless pink diamond weighing close to 70 carats.

“Oh.” Nan Xing pursed her lips and stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Little sister, are you really planning to give me this? Although, I wonder if 70 carats might be a bit... too small.”

Nan Zhen’er was speechless.

She had thought Nan Xing was inexperienced and might be shocked at the idea of receiving a diamond, but instead, Nan Xing turned the tables on her.

Suddenly, Nan Zhen’er felt a bit at a loss.

Just then, a tall, elegant socialite stepped forward and pointed at Nan Xing’s nose.

“Hey, you bumpkin, do you even know what 70 carats means?”

“70 carats alone could buy you a villa here and let you live the life of a rich person.”

“If you were in the countryside, haha, in terms of money, you probably couldn’t spend it all in ten lifetimes!”

“Yeah, don’t think just because Zhen’er treats you like a sister, you can take liberties. Don’t be so naive—you should see if you’re even worthy!”

“In my opinion, a plain-looking country bumpkin like her, even if given the diamond, can’t hide her rustic aura. At best, it’s just wasting a treasure.”

After she finished, Nan Xing slowly curled her lips.

“70 carats? That’s not even as big as the steamed buns back in my hometown.”

At that, the crowd burst out laughing.

No one expected that the earlier words were like speaking to a brick wall.

This bumpkin actually compared a 70-carat diamond to a steamed bun.

Truly, she had never seen the world!

Nan Zhen’er saw Nan Xing becoming the center of ridicule and felt her excitement nearly uncontrollable.

To appear kinder, she patiently explained to Nan Xing what 70 carats actually meant.

Finally, she tugged on Nan Xing’s sleeve.

“Sister, you don’t have to be polite. What’s mine is yours. If you like it, let’s bid on it!”

A phone call came in. Nan Xing lowered her gaze to check, then stepped aside to answer.

Taking advantage of this moment, someone approached Nan Zhen’er and lowered their voice.

“Zhen’er, I just remembered something. At Uncle’s birthday banquet last time, I think I saw her. Isn’t she your half-sister from the countryside, Nan Xing?”

Nan Zhen’er was sensitive about this topic, as if she had stolen someone’s place, and her expression suddenly darkened.

“What’s wrong?”

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“Zhen’er, Nan Xing has lived in the countryside all this time. Suddenly giving her such an expensive gift—be careful she doesn’t start asking for more.”

“Who knows? She might even try to take your position someday!”

Hearing this, Nan Zhen’er breathed a sigh of relief.

She squinted her eyes and said understandingly, “Don’t worry, sister is not that kind of person. After all, she’s had a hard time all these years living in the countryside.”

“Ah, Zhen’er, you’re just too kind. It makes me feel sorry for you. What right does that bumpkin have?”

Just then, the hall’s broadcast announced that the auction was about to begin.

“Sister, you…”

Nan Zhen’er turned her head and realized Nan Xing was no longer there.

She feigned anxiety, pacing in place and dialing Nan Xing’s number several times, but no one answered.

“Let’s go, Zhen’er. Why do you care so much about her? The auction is about to start, and it’d be embarrassing enough to bring her in.”

Someone patted Nan Zhen’er’s shoulder, seemingly comforting her but filled with contempt for Nan Xing.

“I bet she got scared just now, felt uncomfortable here, and left early.”

“A bumpkin from the countryside wouldn’t have seen much of the world. If she sneaks away now, she might even end up needing a stretcher back here later.”

Unable to find Nan Xing, Nan Zhen’er felt both triumphant and regretful.

Triumphant because she had finally gotten a good jab at Nan Xing.

She believed that in time, Nan Xing would become infamous in their circle.

Then everyone would know how kind Nan Zhen’er was and how wild Nan Xing was.

The regret was that today, Nan Xing’s humiliation could only go so far.

But that was fine—Nan Zhen’er never really intended to bid on the Pink Star for Nan Xing.

Even if Nan Xing succeeded temporarily today, Nan Zhen’er would definitely come back for her later!

In front of several socialites, Nan Zhen’er sent Nan Xing a voice message.

“Sister, just go home and rest for now. I’ll stay and wait for the Pink Star, and try to bring it back for you.”

After sending the message, Nan Zhen’er relaxed and followed everyone into the auction hall.

Although Star Coast was a members-only club, this auction had a rule: only Gold members could enter the VIP room.

Nan Zhen’er only held a secondary Silver membership, so she had to sit in the main area like everyone else.

The only difference was that she was assigned the front row by the staff.

Just a few meters from the display stage, she could clearly see the auction items.

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Meanwhile, on the third floor in the Gold Member VIP room, Nan Xing was being escorted by a composed, capable middle-aged man dressed in a Zhongshan suit to Box Number Two.

“Miss Nan, Mr. Leno has already informed me. This is the private box reserved for you.”

The speaker was Shen Jizong, the butler in charge of the Star Coast auction.

Nan Xing entered Box Number Two and casually looked around.

She found the facilities not only thorough but comparable to a luxurious mansion.

Most striking was the huge floor-to-ceiling transparent screen before her.

Through this screen, she could clearly observe the auction scene outside.

She could also zoom in on each item to examine its fine details.

Nan Xing was very pleased and politely nodded to Butler Shen.

“Thank you, Butler Shen.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Nan. Please feel free to call on me if you need anything.”

With a professional smile, Shen Jizong left the box.

While Shen Jizong exited, outside the gates of Star Coast, a very flashy Bugatti Veyron arrived in the parking lot.

Two people stepped out.

One was Li Sicheng.

The other was his childhood friend he had arranged to meet today.

Back at the Wander Time Café, Li Sicheng had suddenly, for some reason, started searching for anything related to the Star Coast auction on his phone.

As he searched, he found something valuable.

A pair of black gold cufflinks once belonging to the Swedish royal family.

Li Sicheng’s uncle’s birthday was coming up soon, and he decided to secure these cufflinks as a gift for his fourth uncle.

If his uncle was pleased, he might speak well of him in front of the matriarch, and the possibility of annulling his engagement to Nan Xing would come closer.

With this in mind, Li Sicheng dialed a number.