Chapter Forty-Seven: The Auction

“Zhang Wei, since we’re allies now, I won’t let you lose out. If you’re willing to pretend to be my boyfriend for three months, once I find a suitable man, I’ll have him buy a house from you for no less than fifty million. How about it?” A glint flashed in Liu Yurou’s eyes as she tempted him.

“You want your future rich husband to buy a house from me? Aren’t you afraid that will reveal our arrangement?” Zhang Wei was admittedly enticed by her proposal, but he didn’t agree immediately, instead turning it back on her.

“Don’t worry. Successful men are usually confident and worldly. Not only will they not care, when they see that you’re not as well-off as they are, it’ll only inflate their sense of superiority.” Liu Yurou had read books written for women, ones that dissected men’s personalities and attitudes toward relationships, so she spoke with certainty.

“The way you put it makes me a bit uncomfortable! What makes you think I’m inferior to this future husband of yours?” Zhang Wei asked, half amused and half annoyed.

“If you were better than him, would I go to such lengths to stay by Sister Wu’s side? Wouldn’t I just come straight to you?” Liu Yurou retorted.

“You’re so sure I’d want you,” Zhang Wei replied, giving her a once-over and laughing.

“If I were to agree to marry you right now, would you refuse me?” Liu Yurou flirted, biting her red lips and throwing him a coy glance.

Staring at her delicate features, her alluring figure, and listening to her soft, enchanting voice, Zhang Wei found it hard to resist her charm. If Liu Yurou truly wanted to marry him now, he doubted he’d be able to hold himself back.

“It’s true, if you wanted to marry me now, I might take you for my wife. But…” Zhang Wei paused, a trace of longing in his eyes. “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years to the west—maybe I’m not a match for you today, but who’s to say I won’t become the successful man you’re seeking in the future?”

“You still have time to hold onto this promising investment. That way, you could say you shared the hardships with me. If you wait until I’m truly successful, you might not have the chance anymore.” Zhang Wei’s tone was half-joking, half-serious.

“You’ve only sold a villa and made a million at most; you can’t even afford a house in Beijing. Can you really guarantee your luck will always hold? Dreaming of success seems a bit premature.” Liu Yurou shook her head, laughing softly.

With her natural beauty, Liu Yurou was long immune to such vows. Many had said similar things to her, but none had crossed the chasm of wealth and status to become the successful man of her dreams. She certainly wouldn’t take Zhang Wei’s words at face value.

“Zhang Wei, let’s speak practically. Are you willing to go through with the deal I just proposed?” Liu Yurou asked.

“Deal.” Zhang Wei had to admit, he and Liu Yurou were cut from the same cloth—realists, each with their own boundaries but not averse to bending the rules. Liu Yurou had seen through his needs in a single sentence, and Zhang Wei wasn’t about to put on airs and refuse.

After all, who’s ever had a quarrel with money?

Of course, Zhang Wei’s agreement wasn’t entirely motivated by the promise of a villa sold at a steep price; that was a rather distant prospect. He was also thinking about strengthening his connection with Fatty Zhou. If he could enter Zhou’s circle, the benefits would be enormous. After all, wasn’t it through Murong Xuan’s social circle that Zhang Wei had originally met Zhou?

Since he’d decided to cooperate with Liu Yurou, they thought it best to exchange some basic information about themselves, so they could act their parts more convincingly. Though they might not be in perfect sync immediately, at least they wouldn’t give themselves away.

“By the way, why did you call me over today?” Zhang Wei eventually asked. He’d been talking for a while but still didn’t know why Fatty Zhou had summoned him.

A strange look flickered across Liu Yurou’s face as she began to explain the situation.

It turned out the villa’s previous owner, Mr. Tian, had kept many oil paintings and antiques there, and naturally took them when he moved. With all those items gone, Wu Qian found the house empty and lacking its previous sense of refinement.

Wanting to maintain appearances, Wu Qian had the idea to buy some collectibles and antiques herself, which happened to align with Fatty Zhou’s interests. He’d always loved calligraphy, paintings, and antiques, but Wu Qian kept a tight leash on his spending, so he’d only ever looked, never bought. Now that his wife had given him the green light, he was eager to hit the antique shops with gusto.

Though Fatty Zhou hadn’t dared buy antiques before, he’d always kept in contact with collectors. Now, with his wife’s approval, he reached out to these contacts at once, and it just so happened that a private auction was being held soon.

Today was the day of the auction. Fatty Zhou had risen early and gathered all his appraisal tools—magnifying glass, electronic scale, high-powered flashlight—looking every bit the professional connoisseur.

When Fatty Zhou finished packing and came downstairs, he was startled to find Liu Yurou already at his house, chatting with Wu Qian on the sofa. Only then did he learn that Liu Yurou was planning to accompany them to the auction.

Naturally, Fatty Zhou was reluctant to bring along such a ticking time bomb, but he couldn’t say so outright. He tried dropping hints, but to no avail, and in the end, he had no choice but to accept that Liu Yurou would be joining them.

This left Fatty Zhou feeling uneasy. He was distracted throughout breakfast with the two women, until Wu Qian brought up Zhang Wei in conversation with Liu Yurou. That’s when Zhou had an idea and suggested inviting Zhang Wei along.

Wu Qian didn’t give a definitive answer to this suggestion. In her eyes, Zhang Wei was Liu Yurou’s boyfriend. If she said no, she worried Liu Yurou might take it the wrong way; if she said yes, it really had nothing to do with Zhang Wei and might even interfere with his work.

Liu Yurou, on hearing Zhou’s proposal, immediately frowned and objected. She wasn’t going to the auction just for fun—she was hoping to find her Prince Charming. If she brought along Zhang Wei, her supposed boyfriend, there would be no point.

But on this issue, Fatty Zhou was adamant. He felt uneasy at the thought of facing Wu Qian and Liu Yurou alone, which was why he’d called Zhang Wei in the first place.

After listening to all this, Zhang Wei could only laugh wryly to himself. Now he understood what it meant to get caught in the crossfire without even trying. Although he had little interest in the auction, he couldn’t refuse Fatty Zhou if he wanted to maintain their relationship.

While they were talking, Zhang Wei and Liu Yurou arrived at Fatty Zhou’s villa. Zhou and Liu Yurou had already come out and pulled the A8 from the garage, ready for departure.