Chapter 305: Auctioneer

Gu Qingya looked toward her.

"Shen Tian called Lin Yue beautiful."

Tang Meilin stopped.

Then...

Slowly...

Looked toward Shen Tian.

He noticed.

She noticed him noticing.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

Shen Tian smiled.

"You too."

Tang Meilin froze.

"Me too what?"

"Beautiful."

Her entire face immediately became pink.

Lin Yue stared.

Gu Qingya crossed her arms.

Tang Meilin tried not to smile.

Failed.

Then...

All three women looked toward Gu Qingya.

Silence.

Gu Qingya noticed.

Her face began warming.

"No."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"No what?"

"Don’t."

"I haven’t said anything."

"Exactly."

Tang Meilin covered her mouth.

Lin Yue smiled.

Gu Qingya stared at Shen Tian.

He stepped closer.

Her heartbeat increased despite herself.

Then...

He leaned slightly toward her.

"Beautiful."

Gu Qingya froze.

Her face turned bright red.

Tang Meilin laughed.

Lin Yue smiled.

Shen Tian straightened.

Gu Qingya stared.

"You are unbelievably annoying."

Shen Tian smiled.

"You still came."

Her expression softened.

Then...

She looked away.

"...Yes."

. . .

Across the courtyard...

Qin Hao watched from the entrance.

His eye twitched.

"Of course."

His system responded.

Clarify.

"He brought three heroines to a medical auction."

Correction.

Qin Hao frowned.

"Correction?"

Lin Yue’s original classification differs from primary Chen Mo heroine

route.

Qin Hao stared.

"That isn’t the point."

Then...

Shen Tian looked over.

Their eyes met.

Qin Hao smiled politely.

Shen Tian returned it.

Neither man moved.

Then...

Chen Mo arrived.

Alone.

Qin Hao noticed.

Shen Tian noticed.

Both systems reacted.

Three men.

Three separate agendas.

One Crimson Spirit Grass.

Qin Hao slowly exhaled.

Tonight...

He would not let Shen Tian casually spend twenty million and steal

another opportunity.

He had prepared.

He had studied the auction.

He had identified alternate bidding channels.

He had contacted the seller.

He had even prepared a replacement spiritual herb to conceal the real

Crimson Spirit Grass’s importance.

Perfect.

Shen Tian couldn’t simply brute force this with money.

Qin Hao smiled.

Finally.

Then...

Shen Tian walked toward him.

Qin Hao’s smile weakened.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Shen Tian stopped beside him.

Looked toward the auction hall.

Then...

"Good luck."

Qin Hao’s eyes narrowed.

"With what?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Tonight."

Qin Hao stared.

"You are incredibly irritating."

"So I’ve heard."

Then...

Shen Tian walked away.

Qin Hao watched him join Lin Yue.

She said something.

Shen Tian smiled.

Lin Yue immediately blushed again.

Qin Hao closed his eyes.

"System."

Present.

"If I ever start acting like that..."

Pause.

"...actually, never mind."

Request incomplete.

"Exactly."

. . .

The auction began.

Shen Tian sat in the second row.

Lin Yue beside him.

Gu Qingya on his other side.

Tang Meilin beside Gu Qingya.

Qin Hao sat farther back.

Chen Mo chose the left section.

The first items passed normally.

Rare ginseng.

Medical instruments.

Research samples.

Old formulas.

Several cultivation herbs.

Lin Yue became increasingly interested.

She leaned toward Shen Tian during one listing.

"That’s real."

He looked toward the display.

A preserved violet flower.

"Useful?"

"For normal medicine?"

She shook her head.

"Not really."

"For cultivators?"

"Possibly."

Then...

Her eyes brightened.

"But the alkaloid structure could be useful for nerve trauma research."

Shen Tian watched her.

Lin Yue noticed.

"What?"

"You’re cute when you get excited."

She froze.

Completely.

Then...

Her cheeks became red.

Gu Qingya heard.

Tang Meilin heard.

Both women slowly turned.

Lin Yue stared at Shen Tian.

"You cannot say that while I’m talking about alkaloids."

"Why?"

"Because..."

She stopped.

Then...

Realized she had no logical answer.

Tang Meilin smiled.

"Very scientific."

Lin Yue covered her face.

"Please focus on the auction."

Shen Tian laughed.

Then...

The next item arrived.

An old wooden box.

Xu Ning appeared.

[There.]

The auctioneer opened it.

Inside...

A dark red grass.

Thin leaves.

Almost black at the edges.

Most guests barely reacted.

The auctioneer spoke.

"Lot twenty seven."

"Unidentified medicinal herb recovered from a private mountain reserve."

"Preliminary age estimate, over one hundred years."

"Starting price..."

"Three hundred thousand yuan."

Chen Mo’s eyes sharpened.

His inheritance surged.

Crimson Spirit Grass.

Real.

Qin Hao smiled.

Finally.

His system activated.

Mission target confirmed.

But...

Qin Hao did not bid.

Neither did Chen Mo.

Both waited.

Shen Tian noticed.

Smart.

If they fought too early...

They’d reveal value.

The auctioneer waited.

"Three hundred thousand?"

Silence.

Then...

An old researcher raised.

"Three hundred fifty."

Another.

"Four hundred."

Lin Yue looked closer.

She frowned.

Shen Tian noticed.

"You recognize it?"

"Not exactly."

Her professional instincts activated.

"Something about the root structure..."

She leaned forward.

"It’s strange."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Want it?"

Lin Yue looked toward him.

"What?"

"The plant."

Her eyes widened.

"No."

"You were staring."

"Because I’m curious."

"That’s close enough."

Lin Yue immediately grabbed his bidding hand.

Shen Tian froze.

She froze too.

Her fingers wrapped around his wrist.

Silence.

Their eyes met.

Lin Yue’s face slowly turned pink.

"Don’t."

Shen Tian looked down at her hand.

Then...

Back at her.

"You could’ve just said no."

"I did."

"But you’re still holding me."

She immediately released him.

Tang Meilin covered her mouth.

Gu Qingya looked away.

Lin Yue’s face became crimson.

"I was preventing financial irresponsibility."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Very responsible."

She glared.

Then...

The price reached six hundred thousand.

Qin Hao finally moved.

"Seven hundred."

Chen Mo looked over.

Qin Hao smiled politely.

No arrogance.

No taunt.

Chen Mo frowned.

Then...

"Eight hundred."

Shen Tian stayed quiet.

Qin Hao’s eyes flicked toward him.

Nothing.

Interesting.

The price rose.

One million.

One point two.

One point five.

Then...

Other bidders dropped.

Only Qin Hao.

Chen Mo.

Qin Hao spoke.

"Two million."

Chen Mo’s expression darkened.

He could afford it.

Barely.

Old Su had given him access to funds for the herb.

But...

Not unlimited.

"Two point two."

Qin Hao smiled.

"Three."

Silence.

The auctioneer brightened.

Three million.

Chen Mo’s fist tightened.

Qin Hao looked toward Shen Tian.

Still nothing.

He felt relief.

Maybe Shen Tian didn’t know this one.

Then...

Shen Tian raised his paddle.

Qin Hao’s smile vanished.

"Ten million."

The room erupted.

Lin Yue’s head snapped toward him.

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