He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

The grand banquet hall of the Jinghua Club was resplendent in gold, with a crystal chandelier weighing several tons hanging from the dome, reflecting a dazzling light. The air was filled with the aroma of expensive champagne, mixed with the scents of high-end perfumes from various brands—the scent of money and power, sweet and suffocating.

The auction is in progress.

On stage, the auctioneer, wearing white gloves, was passionately introducing a famille rose vase from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The guests below were mostly uninterested, occasionally raising their paddles merely to make their presence felt in this arena of fame and fortune. For these top elites of Beijing, their homes were already overflowing with antiques of this caliber; their presence here was more about socializing, aligning themselves with certain groups, and watching the spectacle.

Jiang Che sat at the round table in the first row, leaning back lazily in his chair, toying with a wine glass in his hand. Shen Qingge sat to his left, quietly explaining the auction rules to Su Xiaoruan, occasionally raising her paddle to bid on a few exquisite trinkets for Su Xiaoruan as toys.

"Boring." Su Xiaoruan yawned, clutching a string of agate beads she had just bought for 500,000 yuan. "These things aren't as nice as the tie-dye we made in Dali."

"Bear with it." Jiang Che peeled a grape for her. "For occasions like this, just showing your face is enough. I'll take you to eat hot pot later."

"Yay! I want to eat at Donglaishun!" Su Xiaoruan's eyes lit up instantly.

Just then, a discordant laugh came from the next table.

Ye Chen, legs crossed and a cigar between his fingers, stared at Jiang Che with a sinister look in his eyes. He deliberately raised his voice and said to his cronies, "Did you hear that? Hot pot? You can't shake your cheapness. At this top-notch charity gala, you actually think of eating that kind of lowlife food. Some people, even in a dragon robe, don't look like princes; they just have that rotten smell in their bones."

People at the surrounding tables turned to look, some covering their mouths and chuckling, while others wore expressions of anticipation. Everyone knew that Young Master Ye was determined to cause trouble for this "Jiang Hai gigolo" tonight.

Shen Qingge frowned, about to lash out.

Jiang Che pressed her hand down, not even turning his head, and simply said, "It's just a dog barking, why bother with it? It lowers your status."

"You..." Ye Chen's face turned ashen with anger, and he was about to stand up and lash out.

"Distinguished guests, please be quiet!"

The auctioneer on stage suddenly raised his voice, his tone becoming somewhat mysterious and solemn: "Next up is the last item for tonight, a very special 'mystery item.' It is neither an antique nor jewelry, but an old item donated by a kind-hearted person who wishes to remain anonymous."

As the auctioneer finished speaking, a hostess pushed a small cart forward. The cart was covered with a red cloth.

The lights in the entire venue dimmed instantly, leaving only a spotlight shining on the car.

The deliberately created oppressive atmosphere instantly silenced the previously noisy banquet hall. Everyone craned their necks curiously, eager to see what this final "mystery item" was.

"brush--"

The red cloth was lifted.

It lacks dazzling brilliance and exquisite design.

On that black velvet tray lay a silver longevity lock, lying quietly.

To be precise, it was an old silver lock that was severely oxidized and blackened, and the workmanship was even somewhat rough. The traditional Qilin delivering a child pattern was faintly engraved on the lock face, but it had been worn and blurred due to its age.

And on the edge of the lock and in the gaps of the chain, there were several dark red stains.

That is blood.

It was old bloodstains that had dried up for more than 20 years and had seeped into the texture of the metal.

"What...what kind of junk is this?"

"How can something like this be put at an auction? It's so unlucky!"

"It looks like something a dead person used, and there's blood on it? It's disgusting!"

The guests below the stage booed in disgust. In the Beijing social circles, where feng shui and auspiciousness are highly valued, such bloodstained old items are a major taboo.

however.

The moment the red cloth was lifted.

Jiang Che, who was sitting in the first row, crushed the wine glass in his hand with a "crack".

The bright red wine dripped through his fingers and onto the white tablecloth, like blooming blood flowers.

"Jiang Che?!" Shen Qingge was startled and quickly grabbed his hand to check. "How are you? Are you hurt?"

Jiang Che did not speak.

He stared intently at the longevity lock on the stage, his pupils contracting violently, his breathing rapid as if he were drowning.

pain.

Severe headache.

That was the original owner's memories wreaking havoc.

A blurry image flashed through his mind: a snowy night in Beijing, at the entrance of a dilapidated alley, a woman covered in blood tightly hugged her child, desperately stuffing the longevity lock into the baby's swaddling clothes.

"Che'er...live on..."

"Don't look back... Never go back to the Ye family..."

"Take this...this is the life your mother gave you..."

The woman's face matched the woman in the photo Han Xiao had given him that day.

That was his mother.

This lock was the only keepsake his mother left him before she died!

"System...that is..." Jiang Che roared in his mind.

【Ding! 】

[Key plot item detected: Bloodstained Longevity Lock.]

[Item Origin: Belongings of the host's biological mother.]

[Item Status: Discarded and humiliated by Ye Qingcheng, the eldest daughter of the Ye family, as "trash."]

"Ye Qingcheng..."

Jiang Che gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. An unprecedented anger and killing intent burned in his chest, almost burning away his reason.

To auction off one's mother's belongings, things stained with her blood, in such a public setting, inviting onlookers to watch, despise, and ridicule...

This is more than just humiliation.

This is like taking his heart out, throwing it on the ground, and stomping on it!

"This longevity lock, though made of ordinary materials, is said to have special commemorative significance," the auctioneer on stage continued, oblivious to the danger, his tone dripping with perfunctory indifference. "Starting bid: one dollar."

One dollar.

The whole room burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! One dollar? This thing isn't even worth a dollar when sold as scrap metal, is it?"

"Who would buy something so unlucky? I wouldn't even take it for free!"

"Who is this donor? How despicable, using such garbage to disgust people."

One million.

A cold, hoarse voice, as if from the deepest hell, suddenly interrupted the laughter of the entire audience.

Jiang Che slowly stood up.

He didn't wipe the wine off his hands, letting the red liquid drip down. His face was terribly pale, but his eyes were bloodshot.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared in shock at the man who had suddenly offered a million dollars for "trash".

"Jiang Che..." Shen Qingge felt her heart breaking at the sight of him. Although she didn't know the origin of the lock, she could feel the agonizing despair in Jiang Che's heart at that moment.

She didn't ask why, but firmly held his uninjured hand, showing him with her actions: I'm here.

"Oh, a million?"

Ye Chen at the next table was stunned for a moment, then, as if he had received some kind of instruction (Ye Qingcheng's voice came through his earphones), a vicious smile appeared on his face.

He leisurely held up the sign:

"Since Young Master Jiang is so fond of collecting junk, I'll join in the fun too. This lock looks disgusting, but my dog ​​just happens to need a collar."

Two million.

Jiang Che turned his head and stared intently at Ye Chen. His gaze wasn't that of someone looking at a person, but rather like that of someone looking at a corpse.

"Ten million."

Jiang Che didn't hesitate at all and immediately increased the price tenfold.

"Wow—!" The entire audience erupted in cheers.

Ten million for a bloodstained, broken silver lock? Has this guy gone mad?!

"Twenty million." Ye Chen continued, a mocking smile on his face. "Young Master Jiang, don't be in such a hurry. This game has only just begun. I heard you used to be an orphan? Did you pick this lock out of some garbage dump and give it to your dead mother?"

"court death."

Jiang Che let out a low roar and was about to rush over.

Shen Qingge clung tightly to his waist: "Jiang Che! Calm down! This is a provocation! He's deliberately trying to anger you!"

Jiang Che took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to kill on the spot. This was the Jinghua Club; if he made a move, he would be playing right into Ye Qingcheng's hands.

He wanted to slap that slap back in an even harsher way.

"Fifty million." Jiang Che's voice was icy.

"Sixty million." Ye Chen pressed on relentlessly.

"One hundred million."

Jiang Che's hand holding up the sign didn't even tremble slightly.

One billion!

The entire banquet hall erupted in chaos!

This isn't an auction anymore, this is burning money! A hundred million for a broken lock?!

Ye Chen's hand trembled slightly. Although he was the young master of the Ye family, he didn't have much liquid capital. Buying a broken lock for 100 million yuan would probably get him beaten to a pulp by his sister when he got back.

Ye Qingcheng's voice came through the earphones: "Keep adding. Add until he goes bankrupt. I want to see if that woman Shen Qingge will go crazy for a piece of trash."

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and raised his sign again: "One hundred and ten million!"

Two hundred million.

Jiang Che's voice remained steady, yet it carried a sense of oppressive despair.

Ye Chen chickened out.

Two hundred million... that's beyond his authority. And judging from Jiang Che's attitude, even if he bid up to one billion, the other party would agree without hesitation.

madman.

That guy's insane!

"Two hundred million for the first time..." The auctioneer's voice trembled.

"Two hundred million, the second time..."

Just then, a clear, cold female voice suddenly came from the VIP box on the second floor:

"Three hundred million."

Everyone looked up.

Ye Qingcheng, dressed in a white cheongsam, stood by the railing, looking down at Jiang Che. Her eyes were devoid of warmth, filled only with an arrogant and scrutinizing air.

"Miss Ye?! She actually got involved herself?!"

"What's the story behind this lock? That even the eldest daughter of the Ye family would take action against it?"

Ye Qingcheng looked at Jiang Che, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips:

"Mr. Jiang, I quite like this lock too. I heard the bloodstains on it... are very artistic. I'd like to buy it and melt it down to make an ashtray."

It melted.

To make ashtrays.

Every word was challenging Jiang Che's bottom line.

Jiang Che looked at the woman who shared a quarter of his blood. The woman who treated her own brother as an enemy and her birth mother's belongings as trash.

He smiled.

His laughter was both tragic and ferocious.

"system."

Jiang Che silently recited in his heart.

[Host, I am here. 】

"Use all the cash in my account. If that's not enough, pledge the shares of Clear Entertainment. If that's still not enough..."

Before he could finish speaking...

A black bank card was slapped onto the auction table by a slender yet powerful hand.

It's Shen Qingge.

She stood up, blocking Jiang Che's path, and looked up to stare directly at Ye Qingcheng on the second floor.

At this moment, she was no longer the gentle wife, but the ruthless and decisive Empress Shen in the business world.

"Ye Qingcheng".

Shen Qingge's clear voice resonated throughout the entire venue:

"You want to gamble with money? The Shen family will play along."

"I'll offer 1 billion."

boom--!!!

Everyone in the audience felt like their skulls had been blown off.

One billion?!

Buy a broken lock?!

This isn't just a display of wealth among the rich; this is burying people with money!

Shen Qingge pointed at the lock, her eyes resolute:

"This lock is very important to my husband."

"Don't even mention a billion, I would trade the entire Shen Group for it."

"Your Ye family may be rich, but my Shen family isn't going to be trifled with either. I'm taking this today."

"Anyone who dares to steal it will be forced to stay in the capital."

Domineering.

Extreme domineering aura.

At this moment, Shen Qingge's image as a fiercely protective husband was deeply etched into everyone's minds.

Ye Qingcheng's face on the second floor instantly turned extremely ugly.

One billion...

This far exceeds the value of the lock, and even exceeds the limit of the Ye family's available cash flow. If she continues to follow this path, she'll be playing with the Ye family's cash flow, and those old guys on the board will tear her apart.

Moreover, she never expected that Shen Qingge would actually go to such lengths for Jiang Che.

"Crazy woman..." Ye Qingcheng cursed under her breath.

She lost.

It wasn't about money, it was about losing momentum.

"Since Mr. Shen enjoys collecting junk so much, then you can have it."

Ye Qingcheng snorted coldly, turned around and walked back to the private room, leaving everyone with a seemingly dashing but actually disheveled back view:

"I hope this lock can lock away your ridiculous love."

"One billion, third time! Sold!"

With the auctioneer's gavel falling, this earth-shattering auction finally came to a close.

……

As I left Jinghua Club, it started to drizzle outside.

Inside the car, there was a deathly silence.

Jiang Che gripped the cold longevity lock tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. The bloodstains on it seemed to burn his palm.

Su Xiaoruan huddled in the corner, not daring to breathe. She had never seen her brother so terrifying before.

Shen Qingge didn't say anything, but silently took out a tissue and gently wiped away the dried red wine stains and the cuts from the glass on Jiang Che's hands.

Returning to "On the other side of the water".

Jiang Che walked into the study without saying a word and slammed the door shut.

Shen Qingge stopped Su Xiaoruan, who wanted to follow her in.

"Don't go." Shen Qingge shook her head, her eyes slightly red. "Let him be alone for a while."

Inside the study.

The lights were not on.

Jiang Che sat in the darkness, his hands trembling, picking at the grime in the lock seams with his fingernails.

As the oxidized black skin was peeled away, a line of blurry small characters was finally revealed on the back of the lock.

He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

The text reads:

My son Jiang Che, may you be safe and happy. —Mother: Ye Wan's last words

"Thump."

Jiang Che knelt on the ground.

Two streams of hot tears slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the longevity lock.

Ye Wan.

That was his mother's name.

The name of the woman who was expelled from the Ye family, driven out of the capital, and finally died in the snowy night.

Ye Zhentian was the heartless man who abandoned his wife and children for the sake of his family's interests.

"mom……"

Jiang Che clutched the lock, letting out a suppressed, beast-like whimper:

"I'm back."

"My son...is back."

"The suffering you endured, the blood you shed..."

"I will make the Ye family pay back tenfold, a hundredfold."

I don't know how much time passed.

The study door was gently pushed open.

A beam of warm light shone in.

Shen Qingge walked in barefoot, carrying a cup of hot milk. She didn't turn on the main light, but instead walked to Jiang Che's side, knelt on the carpet, and hugged him tightly from behind.

"Cry."

Shen Qingge pressed her face against his trembling back and said softly:

"You don't need to be a superhero in front of me."

"No matter who you are, no matter what your past is like."

"Just remember this."

"You have a home now."

"Xiao Ruan and I will always be that... insurmountable wall behind you."

Jiang Che turned around, buried his head in Shen Qingge's arms, and cried loudly like a lost child who had finally found a harbor.

The wind was very cold at Shichahai that night.

But within the depths of this royal mansion, their hearts were intertwined, inseparable.

Outside the study window, a magnolia tree that had been withered for many years quietly blossomed its first pure white bud in the spring rain that night.