The pre-auction briefing was even more luxurious than Dong Enyu had imagined.
She adjusted her collar as she stepped out of the car, greeted by a high-end villa with a spacious front yard, a private pool, and a pavilion.
The event was an outdoor party, with bright lights casting dazzling reflections on the walls, creating artistic decorations with the shadows.
By the pool, many men and women were chatting, the snack bar was filled with French desserts, and waiters moved around with champagne.
There was live piano music in the pavilion, mixed with laughter and conversation, adding a lazy, luxurious feel to the high-society party.
Huo Ai led her into the venue, and a handsome waiter offered them champagne.
Dong Enyu accepted it with a slight smile.
The men in the venue were dressed in well-fitted suits, while the women competed for attention in evening gowns.
Only Huo Ai and Dong Enyu wore women’s suits, making them stand out among the female guests, but Dong Enyu didn’t mind.
She brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, took a sip of champagne, and left a seductive dark red lipstick mark on the rim of the glass.
“Not going to greet the buyers?” Dong Enyu asked, raising an eyebrow as she stood beside Huo Ai.
She knew that most of Coral Reef Group’s transactions were related to black market auctions, where antiques were bought and auctioned for a good price.
So, Huo Ai should be familiar with the guests, but she just stood by the piano listening to the music, not mingling with the buyers, which Dong Enyu found odd.
“Do you see the old boss?” Huo Ai crossed her arms, answering with a question.
Dong Enyu scanned the venue and immediately spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
A dazzling golden evening gown wrapped around her fair skin, with dark purple embroidery of spring flowers extending from the waist to the hem, both enchanting and elegant.
The woman tilted her head, listening to someone, her meticulously styled hair pinned at the nape, and her signature black-framed glasses in place.
…Zhao Han.
“Who is that woman?” Huo Ai followed Dong Enyu’s gaze to Zhao Han.
“Sort of an old boss,” Dong Enyu shrugged, “She’s a popular tutor appointed by the North District Boss.”
“A tutor?” Huo Ai’s raspy voice lowered, her gaze shifting from Zhao Han to Dong Enyu.
“Though she’s a tutor, she has good relations with many North District Bosses and quite a few admirers.” She finished her champagne, letting a waiter take the glass away.
Huo Ai’s dark eyes returned to Zhao Han, lost in thought.
“Not going to introduce us?” Huo Ai asked Dong Enyu to introduce her, but Dong Enyu shook her head.
“What game are you playing?” Huo Ai had asked if she had a plan, and she said she did.
Dong Enyu heard footsteps approaching but didn’t turn around, just smiled with a hint of triumph.
The scent of Plum Blossom Fragrance told her Zhao Han was approaching.
Huo Ai said nothing more, but the doubt in her eyes deepened Dong Enyu’s smile.
She knew Zhao Han wouldn’t let her go, and that was good.
The tighter she held on, the more chances she had to connect with Wutang.
After surviving a car accident, it was best to clear any grudges.
She was now Huo Ai’s partner, an employee of Coral Reef Group.
“Isn’t this Manager Huo? Oh dear, why are you drinking here? Everyone was just saying they hadn’t seen you and were about to call Haijiao to check.” Accompanying Zhao Han was another man, looking in his sixties, with a plump figure typical of a wealthy family patriarch.
His suit jacket was nearly bursting at the seams from his large belly.
“Hello, President Xu.” Huo Ai toasted President Xu, but her eyes kept glancing at Zhao Han, noticing she was looking at Dong Enyu.
The four of them exchanged awkward glances.
President Xu seemed to sense the odd atmosphere and quickly laughed, “Manager Huo, let me introduce you.
This is my goddaughter Zhao Han.
Zhao Han, this is Huo Ai from Coral Reef Group.
Manager Huo is quite a figure in the North District.” The man’s voice was deep and resonant.
“Hello, Miss Huo.” Zhao Han finally shifted her gaze to Huo Ai, but instead of calling her Manager Huo like others in the business world, she addressed her as Miss.
She gestured to shake hands with Huo Ai, appearing poised, though her gaze and voice were too cold to convey sincerity.
“Hello, Miss Zhao.” Huo Ai smiled faintly and shook hands with Zhao Han.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, the tear mole under her right eye adding a classic touch, but her expression was inscrutable.
After a brief introduction, Zhao Han’s gaze returned to Dong Enyu.
She seemed to want to say something, but her tightly pressed lips remained silent, her cold gaze scrutinizing Dong Enyu, making her shiver.
Huo Ai saw the tension and broke the silence, casually placing a hand on Dong Enyu’s shoulder, bringing them closer.
“This is my new assistant, Dong Enyu, and this is Zhao Han, as President Xu introduced earlier, right?” Huo Ai’s eyes moved between the two, not missing the intense gaze that seemed to cut like a winter sea breeze, stinging her skin.
“Hello, Miss Zhao.” Dong Enyu remained composed, offering a polite smile and extending her hand to Zhao Han.
Zhao Han didn’t embarrass her, and as their hands met, Dong Enyu felt a subtle tremor.
Zhao Han’s body temperature was always low, her skin smooth and delicate, bony yet comfortable to hold.
For a moment, Dong Enyu recalled how Zhao Han had used that hand to caress her, bringing her to climax, leaving her momentarily dazed.
But Zhao Han’s gaze was unfriendly, her cold eyes making Dong Enyu uncomfortable, prompting her to raise an eyebrow.
Shaking hands after an introduction was customary, but they held on for too long.
Dong Enyu saw Zhao Han unmoved and tried to withdraw her hand, but Zhao Han tightened her grip, making it difficult.
The tension grew, and Dong Enyu lowered her eyes, trying to pull her hand back.
Zhao Han seemed to notice and slowly released her grip.
Huo Ai observed, understanding that there was some history between the two, though neither spoke of it.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long.
An auction organizer with a microphone called the buyers to the small stage for the briefing.
President Xu and Zhao Han left first, and Dong Enyu told Huo Ai she had something to attend to and would leave temporarily.
Huo Ai didn’t ask why, just told her not to be gone too long.
Actually, Dong Enyu didn’t have any urgent matters.
She distanced herself from the crowd and went to the small garden on the other side of the Villa.
She checked the time; it was almost midnight.
She was thinking about Mu Lin, wondering if she was still waiting for her to come home and sleep.
Dong Enyu felt a warmth in her heart and called the phone in the living room at home.
Sure enough, someone answered.
“Hello,” Mu Lin’s gentle voice came from the other end of the phone, and Dong Enyu smiled silently.
Mu Lin was indeed still awake.
“It’s so late, why aren’t you asleep? What are you doing?” Dong Enyu leaned against the wall lazily, her eyes filled with a smile.
She could imagine Mu Lin in her cute pajamas, sitting on the sofa with her legs hugged, watching TV while waiting for her.
This little woman always left a light on for her, so she wouldn’t feel too lonely when she got home.
People are indeed creatures of habit.
After living with Mu Lin for a while, Dong Enyu almost forgot what loneliness felt like…
“Waiting for you to come home,” Mu Lin turned down the TV volume so she could hear Dong Enyu’s voice more clearly.
“Are you coming home?” Her voice became a bit expectant, cautiously holding the receiver and asking, but Dong Enyu said she wasn’t, which made Mu Lin a bit disappointed.
“Sorry, the party here isn’t over yet.
It might take a while,” Dong Enyu sighed lightly.
She also wanted to go back early, but she had a task at hand and couldn’t.
“You don’t have to wait for me, go to bed early.
Don’t you have work tomorrow?”
“Okay,” Mu Lin responded but didn’t say anything else, seemingly complaining about Dong Enyu coming home late.
Her little thoughts didn’t escape Dong Enyu’s mind.
“I’ll be home tonight.
You’ll still see me by your side when you wake up in the morning, so don’t be mad.” She spoke slowly, each word clear, with a tone full of affection, coaxing Mu Lin and soothing her mood.
“Um… what about the goodnight kiss?” Mu Lin understood Dong Enyu cared about her, so she didn’t fuss anymore, but she didn’t forget to ask for the goodnight kiss.
Ever since their relationship became intimate, they always kissed before bed.
Sometimes it was just a few simple pecks on the lips, and sometimes it was passionate, rolling onto the bed in a tangle.
So Mu Lin quietly requested, without a goodnight kiss, how could she sleep? Every time Dong Enyu kissed her, she slept especially well.
Better than sleeping pills…
Dong Enyu almost laughed out loud holding the phone.
This kid was getting more cunning? But she liked it.
She had said before, compared to a pure little lamb, she preferred the proactive Mu Lin.
The more she asked, the more it showed she valued Dong Enyu, and the more obvious her love was.
Unknowingly, she had fallen too deep, but there was no way to stop, like falling into a swamp, the more you struggle, the faster you sink.
“No problem.” Dong Enyu said and immediately made a “mwah” sound into the receiver, not too light, not too heavy, but very enticing.
There was no movement from Mu Lin’s end, and after a while, she heard Mu Lin laugh a few times, seemingly very satisfied.
“I kissed, what about you?” She was about to hang up the phone but couldn’t help teasing Mu Lin.
“Do I have to too?” Mu Lin’s voice was a bit flustered, and Dong Enyu could imagine her blushing.
“It’s okay, I won’t force you,” Dong Enyu said casually, but then continued, “This kind of tacit understanding needs to be cultivated.
If you don’t want to be intimate with me, that’s fine, but if you don’t kiss now, then don’t kiss in the future.” She held back her laughter, deliberately saying harsh words to provoke Mu Lin.
Relationships require both parties to contribute.
If you’re going to play, play sincerely.
“No, no!” Mu Lin said anxiously, and then made three “mwah, mwah, mwah” sounds to show her sincerity.
Dong Enyu’s eyes softened, not only happy but also filled with an indescribable happiness.
She gently said goodnight to Mu Lin, telling her to rest early before hanging up the phone, but her good mood vanished in the next second.
“Who were you talking to on the phone?” A voice as cold as ice came from behind, making Dong Enyu shiver instantly.
She covered it up well, not showing any embarrassment.
Dong Enyu turned around to see Zhao Han, slowly putting away her phone.
“Personal matters.” Just two words, personal matters, meaning Zhao Han shouldn’t ask further.
She didn’t know Zhao Han had heard everything, including the part about the goodnight kiss.
Zhao Han already knew Dong Enyu’s nature, so she wasn’t surprised by her saying such things, but hearing her soft laughter and lazy warm words made Zhao Han even colder, like she was enveloped in an invisible blizzard, standing at the corner, glaring viciously at the woman.
Zhao Han wouldn’t lose her composure.
She resisted the urge to rush up and slap her a few times, standing there with her arms crossed, clenching her fists tightly where Dong Enyu couldn’t see, her nails almost digging into her palms.
“You’re not dead?” Her cold eyes revealed a complex emotion, even Zhao Han didn’t know why she asked.
Dong Enyu heard this and faintly smiled.
“If I were dead, I wouldn’t be standing here.”
