I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Gu Yan gritted his teeth, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, staining his own clothes and Cecilia's moon-white cheongsam.

But he did not let go.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe only a few dozen seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

The invisible, violent magnetic fluctuations around Cecilia finally began to subside slowly.

The shaking of the building stopped.

Her breakdown and sobbing gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.

Gu Yan felt she had reached her limit. Her head was buzzing like a cacophony of bees, her vision was completely blurred, and her body was weak. She was only holding on by sheer willpower.

The girl in his arms, at this moment, seemed to have grasped the only piece of driftwood, and turned her arms around his waist tightly.

Scalding tears quickly soaked the fabric around his waist.

"Lia? Master Gu? Are you alright?"

Chen Sinian's anxious knocking and hushed calls came from outside the door.

Gu Yan used her last bit of strength, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "...It's nothing. Don't come in."

If Chen Sinian saw his daughter like this in his arms, he definitely wouldn't be able to explain it. He couldn't very well say it was for medical treatment, could he?

After hearing Gu Yan's words, Chen Sinian hesitated for a moment, but still chose to believe Gu Yan.

A few moments later, Gu Yan felt she was about to faint in the next second.

Cecilia's trembling finally stopped completely.

She still clung tightly to his waist, burying her face in his waist, without saying a word.

But at least, the devastating collapse has been temporarily halted.

Seeing that Cecilia's emotions had finally stabilized, Gu Yan's strength gave way, and she slumped back into the chair next to her, panting heavily.

Sweat mixed with blood that hadn't been wiped from the corner of his mouth made him look extremely disheveled.

Cecilia slowly opened her ice-blue eyes, which were still covered with a layer of moisture.

She just...

I felt like I was really going to die, completely shattered, and sinking into endless darkness.

However, it seemed as if a figure grabbed her tightly and pulled her up.

It's this person...

This boy is named Gu Yan.

Looking at the bloodstains on his clothes, the exhaustion on his pale face and the dark red at the corner of his mouth, she felt a strange pang in her heart.

But... wasn't Lin Yan seemingly very good to her back then?

Gentle and considerate, attentive to every detail.

The results of it?

"So... that comfortable feeling comes at a price, right?"

She pinched herself hard, forcibly suppressing the unfamiliar heartache in her voice, which was still a little hoarse, but she maintained a deliberate calmness.

Her icy blue eyes met Gu Yan's directly: "And my affairs... you know everything, don't you?"

Gu Yan's head was buzzing and she was in a terrible pain, so she had no mind to answer.

All he wanted to do was curse.

The script has completely gone astray!

He had originally decided not to get involved with these female leads and to let Bai Zikong handle the plot.

But in that situation just now, if he hadn't intervened, Cecilia might have suffered a mental breakdown and gone berserk with her powers!

If the female lead really dies, who will make dumplings next?

Is this world line going to be completely destroyed?

At this moment, panic had spread throughout the auction hall.

The source of the violent shaking and the heart-pounding pressure just now was clearly Gu Yan's private room, and Miss Chen was said to be inside as well!

Inside the private room, Gu Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the metallic taste in her throat, and grabbed the microphone next to her.

"Twenty million. There was a minor issue earlier, but it's been resolved. The auction continues."

His voice, carried through the speakers, echoed throughout the venue, tinged with a deliberate impatience.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone stared at each other in bewilderment.

Until everyone heard Chen Sinian's urgent instructions in the command group through their invisible earpieces.

Trust Master Gu Yan! The plan will proceed as scheduled! Everyone, stay calm!

Only then did everyone manage to calm down and refocus their attention on the auction.

Bai Zikong stood below, his palms still sweaty.

As a psychological counselor himself, he immediately guessed what had happened based on the unusual behavior and Gu Yan's slightly hurried voice.

Miss Cecilia was probably out of control, but Master Gu Yan managed to calm her down.

He looked towards the private rooms on the second floor, his admiration deepening.

To be able to quickly bring the situation under those circumstances, Master Gu Yan truly lives up to his reputation!

The auction continues.

Gu Yan and Bai Zikong began rehearsing their lines according to the original script.

"Twenty-one million!" Bai Zikong raised his sign.

"Twenty-five million!" Gu Yan's voice was clearly displeased and arrogant.

"Twenty-six million!"

"Thirty million!"

Gu Yan practically gritted her teeth as she announced the number, then deliberately gave a cold laugh and said into the microphone, "It seems that Mr. Bai downstairs is determined to compete with me."

"Good, very good. I'll remember you, Bai Zikong."

He portrayed himself as a spoiled brat who had been humiliated and was now furious.

Then they stopped bidding.

In the end, Bai Zikong successfully bid for the portrait of the Italian girl at a rather high price.

Gu Yan let out a long sigh of relief in the private room, her body almost slumped in the chair.

Although such a major blunder occurred and almost turned into a disaster, thankfully...

The play is over.

After all this huge episode, the effect probably wasn't great, but at least it had a beginning and an end.

Cecilia saw a face that resembled Bai Zikong's, and Bai Zikong photographed the painting as planned.

Next, we'll wait for Bai Zikong to go on stage and present the painting after the auction.

Just as he relaxed, he suddenly felt a cool, soft touch on the corner of his mouth.

He turned his head and found that Cecilia had somehow moved her wheelchair closer to him.

The girl held a clean, plain white handkerchief in her hand and was carefully and gently wiping away the bloodstains remaining at the corner of his mouth.

Her movements were very focused, her icy blue eyes were close at hand, and her long eyelashes still held wet tears.

After wiping, she raised her eyes, looked at Gu Yan, and asked again, her voice soft but with a hint of stubbornness:

"Master Gu Yan..."

"Is she angry with me, blaming me for not being able to control my emotions and causing the master so much trouble, so she's unwilling to answer me?"

Whether it was Gu Yan's imagination or not, when she said those words, he caught a clear trace of sadness deep in the girl's expression, which she was trying so hard to keep calm.

"No, that's not true. I'm a mental health counselor, and it's only right that I help when a patient is in critical condition."

"I'll settle the bill with your father later; this is just the normal treatment fee."

Gu Yan waved her hand, deliberately making her tone relaxed and casual.

"But then again, Miss Cecilia is so soft and feels nice to hold."

To break the awkward atmosphere, he deliberately added a comment, revealing that cynical smile.

He was prepared to face Cecilia's cold face or even her angry rebuke, which would be a good opportunity to leave the private room and allow today's eventful performance to come to a barely satisfactory end.

Now it's up to Bai Zikong to perform!