Chapter 081: I Seriously Doubt Your Sexual Orientation

The woman at the table curved her lips faintly, gave a slight shrug, and spread her hands in an air of helpless resignation. Yet the smile on her face seemed to be saying to the man, “You’ve won.”

This time, the auctioneer struck the gavel swiftly. Four million had already more than doubled the starting price; there was no way this could be a loss.

He was clearly an experienced hand. For the first jewel, the crowd had shown little reaction. Only three people had bid, and the rest seemed to be watching from the sidelines. Even though the opening item had not reached the sky-high figure they had expected, as long as it sold for a strong price, it would greatly stir the appetite of the other bidders.

“Mr. Gu, congratulations. This Venus's Kiss necklace now belongs to you, and we will immediately handle the necessary formalities!” As the auctioneer finished speaking, he took the lead in applauding, and soon the hall erupted in warm applause.

Before long, a professional appraiser came over to the young man with an exquisite box, completed the paperwork on the spot, and included a certificate from the International Jewelry Association.

When the second jewel went under the hammer, the young man rose with the jewelry box in his arms. Catching sight of Suci, his eyes lit up, and he strode straight toward her.

Someone had noticed his movement at first, but the second bid soon began: a rare piece of Dominican blue amber, with a perfectly preserved insect inside, arranged in a shape that resembled two ants fighting. This kind of fossil amber was quite precious and extremely rare, with a starting price of three million.

As soon as bidding opened, the piece drew a flood of interest. In less than ten minutes, the price had shot up to five million, truly astonishing to behold.

Li Huan had been watching the teardrop-shaped amber as well, but his view was soon blocked by a man. He looked up and paused, realizing that the man was none other than the buyer who had just won Venus's Kiss, and also someone he knew quite well.

The last time, at Dance with Wolves, it had been this man, Gu Zexi, who had brought Dog Brother over to make trouble. Unfortunately, the fellow was utterly useless in a fight and had been instantly flattened by Li Huan. After that, Li Huan had paid him no further mind. He had not expected to run into him here.

Gu Zexi's gaze was fixed entirely on Suci, never noticing Li Huan. He simply walked past him, stopped in front of Suci, pulled a chair over from the empty seat beside him, and said excitedly, “Suci, I know you’ve always liked jade. This is top-grade emerald. If you wear this necklace, you’ll surely look stunning.”

Li Huan noticed that while Gu Zexi was speaking, the woman opposite him, Felingcui, whether deliberately or by chance, subtly lowered the neckline of her dress a little, revealing the enormous jade pendant at her throat.

This made Li Huan want to laugh. So the woman had a competitive streak too. Clearly, she had seen that the emerald at the tip of Gu Zexi’s necklace was not as clear as hers, and the stone was at least a full size or two smaller, so she was deliberately showing off in front of him.

Unfortunately for her, Gu Zexi’s attention was all on Suci. He did not notice Felingcui’s little display, and that made her rather unhappy. When she saw Li Huan snickering beside her, her expression turned cold. She reached out one hand beneath the table and pinched Li Huan hard on the thigh.

“Agh—”

Caught off guard, Li Huan was attacked from below. The flesh on his leg pinched painfully, and he could not hold back a cry. Though the sound was not very loud, it still drew the attention of the others.

Gu Zexi’s face darkened. He was in the middle of making his declaration of love, and someone had interrupted. When he turned and saw Li Huan, his expression froze, and the muscles at the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily. “You?”

“Heh, yes, me.” The answer was a little foolish, but Li Huan smiled at Gu Zexi, watching the changes on his face, half wanting to laugh and half unable to.

Gu Zexi looked as though he were about to explode, but after holding it in for a moment, he forced himself to endure it. This was not a bar, where he could act recklessly as he pleased. Before coming, his father had specifically warned him that this place was full of influential people and that he was only being brought along to broaden his horizons. If he caused trouble, he would be sent straight home.

“Do you even know where this is?” Gu Zexi suddenly thought of something and glanced at Li Huan’s attire, which did not seem all that shabby. He was a little puzzled. Wasn’t this guy just a waiter? How had he gotten in here?

“Even idiots know...” Li Huan muttered. Though his voice was low, everyone nearby could still hear it. “And then?”

And then what? Yes, and then what? Gu Zexi suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He had assumed this fellow did not know what kind of place Imperial Tower was, a high-end venue where only the wealthy could come and spend money. But from the way Li Huan had spoken, it seemed he did know. Yet Li Huan’s oddly direct counterquestion had left him uncertain how to respond. After all, he did not think a mere waiter had the nerve to question a rich second-generation heir worth over a hundred million in a setting like this.

“You’re just a waiter from a strip club. What right do you have to be here? Believe me, I can have security throw you out right now.”

Gu Zexi did not know how Li Huan had gotten in, but he was certain it had to be through some improper means. Otherwise, a cocktail reception that only the upper echelon of wealthy people in Harbor City could attend would never have invited a nightclub waiter.

Li Huan’s expression darkened, and he was about to speak when he suddenly remembered that Ruotong Li was also here. His thoughts shifted at once. Ruotong Li was the hidden proprietor of Dance with Wolves. Although it did indeed run that sort of flesh trade, the male models there had no direct affiliation with Dance with Wolves. They merely used the club’s platform to attract clients, while the club itself only took a portion of the venue fees.

Calling her bar a strip club in front of Ruotong Li was an insult that this forceful woman would never tolerate. And sure enough, when Li Huan hesitated and said nothing, Ruotong Li’s face darkened at once, and she set her wineglass down heavily on the table.

The sound was not loud, but it made everyone at the table notice her movement. She lifted her head and gave Li Huan a glance, as if she had seen through his little scheme, though she did not say much. She merely looked coldly at Gu Zexi and said, “I seriously doubt your sexual orientation.”

“What?” Gu Zexi also sensed that the expression on Ruotong Li’s face was off. He had not even noticed such an exceptional beauty sitting beside him just now, and his eyes had gone slightly blank. Only when Ruotong Li’s icy tone reached him did he abruptly come to himself. His face instantly turned the color of pig liver, and he growled in a low voice, “Say that again!”

“I said I seriously doubt your sexual orientation... Of course, now I also doubt whether your ears work.” Ruotong Li folded her arms across her chest, making the pair of full curves there seem even more voluptuous and imposing.

Li Huan did not join the battle of words. He lounged comfortably in his chair, leisurely admiring the rise and fall of Ruotong Li’s chest, feeling that even with both hands, he might not be able to fully grasp it all at once.

If it had been Li Huan speaking, Gu Zexi would probably have erupted long ago. But Ruotong Li was a woman, and not just any woman, but a peerless goddess-like beauty. That made Gu Zexi momentarily dazed. With his face flushed red, he argued, “Of course I’m not... What gives you the right to say that?”

“Hmph...” Ruotong Li curled her lip, then deliberately raised one middle finger and pointed at Li Huan. “How do you know he’s a waiter from a strip club? Seems like you go there often. If I’m not mistaken, that sort of place is usually open to women, though there are always some men with twisted tastes who like to go in there for amusement. Clearly, you’re one of that sort!”

“You’re talking nonsense! How could I possibly go to such a place?” Gu Zexi grew agitated at once and quickly turned to see Suci’s expression. Only when he saw her calm face did he feel a little relieved. Thank goodness she wasn’t angry, or I’d be finished.

Suci truly was not angry, because she could not be bothered to be angry with someone like Gu Zexi. For a man she felt no affection for at all, and about whom she even knew some of his unsavory conduct, how could she possibly be moved by such a feeble explanation? To put it plainly, in Suci’s eyes, she did not care in the slightest what such a scoundrel did, so there was no question of whether she was angry or not.

“Gu Zexi, I won’t take your gift. You should leave,” Suci said calmly. Her expression did not change in the slightest. For a man like Gu Zexi, if not for the ties between their families, she would not even have bothered to exchange a single extra word with him.

“What? Haven’t you always liked jade?” Gu Zexi was still unwilling to give up. Suci was not old, but she was breathtakingly beautiful. Compared with those fully ripened women, she lacked a little of their sensual allure, yet she possessed an even more vital youthfulness. More importantly, Gu Zexi knew Suci had never had a boyfriend. So if he were to choose a girl to marry, it would certainly be one with family background, looks, and virginity.

“If I like something, I’ll get it myself,” Suci said firmly. Her gaze never once fell on the emerald necklace in Gu Zexi’s hand. She truly liked it, but she did not like gifts offered with ulterior motives.

“Is it because of him? You’re rejecting me for a useless waiter like him? I can’t accept that...” Gu Zexi glared viciously at Li Huan, his eyes full of contempt. What right did a poor nobody have to compete with him for a woman?

Hearing Gu Zexi’s words, Li Huan nearly pulled out the gold card and slapped it across Gu Zexi’s face, then looked down at him and told him that he, too, was now a millionaire. But after thinking it over, he let it go. It was rather embarrassing to claim millionaire status in a place like this. Li Huan had always cared about saving face, and he was not about to give anyone the chance to laugh at him.