Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Longevity Lock

"I did promise to stay with you the whole time, but I just received a call about an urgent matter that I have to attend to," she said, a hint of regret in her voice.

Pei Susu couldn’t help but smile wryly at that. "It’s fine, really. I don’t mind being on my own. Besides, with so many people around, there’s no way Liang Wenru would dare try anything."

Fu Yanyue nodded in agreement. "Then I’ll go ahead… Anyway, I bet someone will be back soon. There’s no way he’d let you face all of this alone—especially since I just gave him a dramatic report of the situation." She winked playfully at Pei Susu. "He’s always cared a great deal about you. I’m sure he’ll be back in no time."

Teased in this way, Pei Susu felt a little embarrassed and cleared her throat softly.

As she watched Fu Yanyue leave, Pei Susu lowered her gaze to her phone. There was a message from Fu Zhichen, saying he would finish dealing with the product issue soon and come back to keep her company. Warmth welled up in her heart.

For so many years, she’d long since grown used to being alone. Liang Wenru’s persistence was really nothing more than a trivial annoyance, far from the serious threat others imagined.

But Fu Zhichen always took everything concerning her so seriously.

The second half of the auction began, and the jade pendant Pei Susu wanted was scheduled for this segment.

Sure enough, after a few items, the longevity lock made of jade came up for bidding.

This jade pendant was nothing extraordinary in appearance; it was the symbolism that made it special. When the starting bid was announced at one hundred thousand yuan, many people immediately lost interest.

Such an item, whether for personal use or as a gift, always felt rather superfluous.

So Pei Susu bid calmly and unhurriedly. "One hundred and ten thousand," she called, increasing the price by ten thousand.

A handful of others tried their luck, but after a few incremental bids, the price reached one hundred and thirty thousand and the room fell silent.

To them, this was the pendant’s true worth; anything more simply wasn’t justified.

Pei Susu had set a higher budget for herself, so taking it for one hundred and thirty thousand was a relief—it matched her expectations.

But before she could savor her anticipation for long, a voice rang out from the front row.

"One hundred thirty-five thousand!"

It was Liang Wenru.

She hadn’t expected him to interfere even in this, just because she’d rejected him earlier. Was he really so petty as to bid against her out of spite?

She hadn’t thought him capable of such underhandedness. Pei Susu’s expression darkened, but she said nothing, choosing instead to bid again in silence.

She truly wanted this pendant. Even if she had to pay a little extra, it wouldn’t be a great loss.

Still, having to pay more when she could have had it for less was frustrating.

On the other hand, Liang Wenru’s motives were nothing like what she imagined.

"No wonder she’s not interested in brooches—she must already have something she likes." Liang Wenru was already spending beyond his comfort, but to win a woman’s favor, a little extravagance was worth it.

Didn’t Pei Susu think he couldn’t change? He’d prove her wrong.

"One hundred forty thousand," Pei Susu called out once more.

"One hundred forty-five thousand," Liang Wenru followed immediately, undeterred.

"One hundred sixty thousand."

"One hundred sixty-five thousand!"

No matter how much Pei Susu raised the bid, he added another five thousand each time—though by now, even Liang Wenru felt the sting. But since he’d decided to play the fool, he would see it through to the end.

By the time Pei Susu called out two hundred thousand, her patience was wearing thin.

If this kept up, the price would surpass her budget. Liang Wenru, with nothing better to do, was simply driving up the price, and her dislike for him only deepened.

"Two hundred fifty thousand!" Pei Susu jumped the bid by fifty thousand. Though it wasn’t an astronomical sum, it was well above the pendant’s value. She reasoned that Liang Wenru would surely bow out now; otherwise, he’d be stuck with it himself.

As expected, at two hundred fifty thousand, Liang Wenru hesitated. He’d never intended to spend that much—especially after already paying a hefty price for the brooch earlier. Together, it was more than he’d bargained for.

He hadn’t thought Pei Susu wanted the longevity lock this badly, willing to keep bidding no matter how high the price went.

As he wavered, a new voice—a woman’s, unfamiliar and calm—cut in.

"Three hundred thousand."

Startled, Pei Susu realized it wasn’t Liang Wenru bidding this time, but someone else entirely—a stranger, at least to her recollection.

She felt a headache coming on.

Three hundred thousand?

She wanted the pendant, but she was certain it wasn’t worth that much. Two hundred fifty thousand was perhaps justifiable, but three hundred thousand was too much.

Besides, this new bidder was clearly unafraid to spend. Even if Pei Susu bid higher, it was unlikely to end there.

With that in mind, she could only let it go and look for another gift for Qianqian’s baby.

"Three hundred thousand, once!"

"Three hundred thousand, twice."

"Three hundred thousand, three times—congratulations to the lady who has won the longevity lock!"

A pendant worth only a hundred thousand had soared to three hundred thousand. It wasn’t a fortune, but enough to draw surprised smiles.

Pei Susu withdrew her attention, losing interest in the remaining lots. Sighing, she sat back and began browsing official websites for pure gold longevity locks.

As she searched, a message from Mo Qingyu popped up.

Mo Qingyu: Good thing you didn’t compete with that woman just now, or you would’ve found yourself in trouble.

Pei Susu raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Mo Qingyu: You probably don’t know her. She’s been away on business for a while, so you haven’t seen her around. But she’s famous in our circle for being difficult. She’s a high-ranking official, and her husband is a renowned real estate mogul in the capital.

Mo Qingyu: And don’t forget her overindulged son—he once attacked a teacher at school, and he’s already insufferable at such a young age. Neither mother nor son are to be trifled with.

Pei Susu hadn’t expected such a backstory. Mo Qingyu was already from an elite family herself—if even she was wary of this woman, it was clear she wasn’t someone to cross, and certainly not someone Pei Susu could afford to offend.

Pei Susu: I see. But the longevity lock was already over my budget, so I hadn’t planned to fight her for it anyway.