**Chapter 72 – Porcelain Vase**

The originally flamboyant and eye-catching girl had just stepped into the VIP area.

Under the lights, she looked like a walking magazine cover—stunningly exquisite, the kind of beauty that lingered in one’s memory.

The C Group executive standing beside Zhao Yuqin immediately beamed with a smile. “Miss Qin, is it? I heard you’ll also be attending tomorrow’s show?”

“Perhaps we’ll have some things to talk about.”

As he spoke, he handed over his business card.

The implication was clear—he wanted to tag along with Qin Mang into He Lingji’s private box.

Just moments ago, Zhao Yuqin had been haughty and arrogant, but now her face turned green.

Qin Mang glanced indifferently at Secretary Cong.

Cong Zhen immediately understood. “You go ahead. I’ll handle this.”

“Mm.”

Qin Mang gave a barely audible response.

She didn’t even look at Zhao Yuqin—just like the day before on the first-class flight.

Zhao Yuqin had gotten where she was by reading people’s moods. Yesterday, she thought Qin Mang was of lower status, and as a senior, she felt entitled to demand a seat—so she dared to confront her.

But now—

Even the C Group executive beside her was being respectful toward that secretary. How could she dare be reckless?

She knew very well who she could afford to offend and who she couldn’t.

Still, who exactly was this President He? It couldn’t possibly be *that* big figure from the He family in China… could it?

A sudden thought struck her.

Zhao Yuqin’s heart skipped a beat. In shock, she looked up at the beautiful girl already stepping onto the floating staircase.

It wasn’t until they returned to their own private box that Zhao Yuqin couldn’t help but ask the executive beside her, “That President He… is it He Lingji?”

The C Group executive raised a finger: “Shh.”

Throughout the auction, Zhao Yuqin’s heart kept racing.

No wonder.

Ever since Shen Wanyin was blacklisted, rumors had circulated in the industry that Qin Mang had a powerful and mysterious backer.

Only when her relationship was exposed did those rumors quiet down—after all, who would dare flaunt a romance so openly if they were being kept?

But if that backer was actually that He family member… it all made sense.

She had offended Qin Mang these past two days—if Qin Mang complained, wouldn’t she end up blacklisted too?

No, no, she had to find a chance to apologize.

But—

Wasn’t that He family figure already married?

Then… was Qin Mang being kept?

That question didn’t linger for long.

—

At that moment—

Inside the most prestigious and best-viewed private box at the collectors’ auction.

From here, one could directly view the authentic auction pieces.

The moment Qin Mang walked in, she saw a tall man reclining on a black velvet sofa.

His features were cold and god-like. His eyes were half-lidded, as if he were dozing lightly.

Her high heels halted abruptly on the carpet.

Just then—

The man’s dark lashes lifted, revealing a pair of familiar and enigmatic grey-blue eyes. His voice, magnetic and lazy, asked, “What are you staring at?”

They hadn’t seen each other in over half a month. Qin Mang had missed him terribly.

She suddenly snapped out of her daze.

Clacking across the floor, she ran straight into his arms, acting both proud and pleased. “You didn’t come pick me up yourself.”

“Hmph.”

“Your ranking dropped again!”

He Lingji’s long arms wrapped around her waist, and the two lay together on the spacious, luxurious sofa.

His pale fingers slid across her smooth, slender legs clad in a fitted dress.

He slowly removed her strappy high heels, not bothering to explain. Instead, he said unhurriedly, “Next time, I’ll personally welcome Miss Qin.”

“That’s more like it.”

Qin Mang leaned comfortably into his arms, cheek nestled against his defined collarbone, nuzzling him affectionately.

Still shaken, she said, “I almost lost face out there!”

“Thank goodness Secretary Cong arrived!”

“What kind of auction is this, anyway? Even a seasoned gemstone collector like me wasn’t allowed in!”

So annoying!

Qin Mang babbled, recounting everything that had happened at the door.

Her main point was—

Why wasn’t she allowed in?

Was it because she didn’t spend enough money?!

He Lingji casually handed her the day’s auction catalog. Aside from the featured pink star diamond, the other items had all been meticulously selected and were extraordinarily rare.

These were treasures not typically seen at standard auctions.

From antique paintings and artwork to jewelry, even castles, gardens, private islands, rare helicopters, yachts—it covered every field. Jewelry was only a small category among them.

Therefore—

The requirements for bidders were extremely high.

As for why Qin Mang, despite her high spending, wasn’t on the VIP list—it was because her purchases were always too specialized. Her collection was too narrow, not diverse enough to qualify.

Qin Mang begrudgingly accepted the explanation.

Then suddenly, she squinted her eyes with a suspiciously sweet look and asked dangerously, “Then how did *you* get invited? Did you secretly buy a bunch of random things without telling me? You wasteful man!”

He Lingji’s calm gaze fell on a private jet featured in the catalog with an exquisite design.

He didn’t have anything like that in his collection.

Flipping the page, he found a purple jade lychee ornament—flawless craftsmanship, delicate texture, extremely rare. It matched the young woman’s taste perfectly.

A Qing dynasty antique jade piece.

He asked calmly, “Do you like this one?”

Qin Mang’s eyes were immediately drawn to it.

When Cong Zhen returned from handling the situation—

She saw A-Tong at the door, hands on her cheeks, watching the couple inside with an auntie-like grin. She asked curiously, “A-Tong, why aren’t you going in?”

And walked in herself.

A-Tong tried to stop her. “Don’t disturb—”

But Cong Zhen had only taken a few steps before suddenly freezing.

She now understood why A-Tong had stayed at the door.

Through a carved screen, the black velvet sofa was clearly visible. The legendary cold, untouchable He deity was reclining on the couch, the beautiful girl nestled in his arms as they browsed the catalog together.

Their posture was intimate and natural.

Like they’d done it countless times.

In that atmosphere, no one could step in—

Just as Cong Zhen was about to quietly retreat, Qin Mang glanced up:

“What are you two doing out there? Come in and sit.”

She finally remembered she had an assistant.

A-Tong, thrilled to witness this up close, brushed past Cong Zhen and called out cheerfully, “I’m coming in~”

Cong Zhen: “?”

What happened to *not disturbing them*?

The auction officially began.

Qin Mang perked up, propping herself up to look out the window.

No wonder this was the best seat in the house—it gave a clear view of the items, and the high-definition screens displayed the fine details and textures.

It was a whole new experience.

The problem was—

From this view, *every* item looked stunning. At first, Qin Mang could restrain herself because she knew the best items came later.

The most valuable ones were always saved for last.

But after she saw the pink star diamond, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

She heard people starting to place bids.

The starting price was $10 million.

The first bidder immediately jumped by $5 million.

Someone else added $3 million.

If this pink star was sold, it’d be gone forever.

Qin Mang decisively raised her paddle: “Twenty million.”

She kept bidding.

Until the price hit $30 million.

Only she and the two original bidders remained, each unwilling to give up.

All of them were determined to win.

“Forty million,” she called.

Secretary Cong whispered a reminder, “That’s the maximum limit.”,

If you shout again, it won’t be worth it.
Although this diamond is a collectible that can appreciate in value, at a slightly higher price, you can get a gem of the same grade.
There’s no need to hold on to this one.

Qin Mang paused for a moment.
The young girl looked at him with a pair of beautiful, affectionate eyes but didn’t stubbornly continue to raise the bid.
Instead, she tugged at the cuff of the man’s shirt beside her.
He Li Jing lowered his gaze slightly, following her delicate fingers up, and met a pair of eyes that seemed to hold the essence of spring.
“Do you like it?”

The last time Qin Mang liked a small lion pink diamond, He Li Jing had taken it away.
Thus, this time He Li Jing came specifically to bid for this pink star for her.
He hadn’t expected that Qin Mang would also come.

Upon hearing He Li Jing’s question, she eagerly said,
“I like it!”
“I really like it!”

Knowing she liked it, He Li Jing casually played with her fingers,
“Then we’ll buy it.”
He didn’t say “bid,” but “buy,” as though everything could be bought for her if he wished.

Qin Mang felt reassured and happily leaned up to plant a kiss on He Li Jing’s thin lips.
*“Bo!”*
She didn’t even consider the presence of Cong Zhen and Ah Tong.
She kissed him forcefully!
Her mood was clearly very good.

The next moment, she arrogantly added five million.
The two people on the other side seemed to notice the low bid.
After hesitating for a long time, only one person raised the paddle.
They added one million.

Knowing her husband worked hard to make money, Qin Mang didn’t want to waste it, so she started adding fifty thousand at a time.
In the end, she won the one-of-a-kind pink star diamond for $41.5 million.

When the auctioneer struck the gavel:
“Congratulations to Mr. He from Box 008 for winning the Pink Star Diamond.”
Qin Mang’s pretty little face was full of expectations,
“Am I really good at managing money?”
She won with just fifty thousand more than the other bidder.

He Li Jing smiled lightly,
“Mrs. He indeed manages money well.”
Qin Mang humbly responded,
“It’s not that great.”

Cong Zhen sighed in awe.
Heroes are often defeated by beautiful women.
Those former foolish emperors must have been led astray by enchanting concubines and lost their kingdoms, right?
If the lady keeps spending like this…
The He Group will be ruined sooner or later.
Cong Zhen wasn’t being overly cautious.
Soon enough, it became clear.

The Pink Star was just the beginning, not the end.
After that, the large private room was filled with:
“Wow, darling, I like this one!”
“Buy it.”
“This huge ruby could be made into a full set of jewelry!”
“Buy it.”
“Darling, I like this one too!”
“Buy it.”
“This diamond crown suits me so well!”
“Buy it.”

Throughout the entire auction, the man’s calm and unhurried “buy” never missed.
No matter how high the price, he bought it for her.
Cong Zhen and Ah Tong, the two spectators, were filled with the sound of Mr. He’s calm “buy” and couldn’t come to their senses for a long time.

Until the final lot—a private jet—was brought out.
Cong Zhen whispered,
“Mr. He, it’s time.”
Finally, He Li Jing spoke, aside from just saying “buy.”
He looked at the jet disinterestedly and calmly replied,
“Not interested.”

Hmm?
Not interested?!
Cong Zhen thought he must have misheard.
When did Mr. He lose interest in buying the latest model of private jet?
He had once said he would collect the most unique and latest jets, yachts, and sports cars from around the world for a global tour.
This was just the beginning!
Now, he was saying he wasn’t interested?

He Li Jing gave him a cold glance.
Cong Zhen, who was about to speak, immediately shut up.
He Li Jing casually flipped through the final item, an antique porcelain vase from the Qianlong period, which was his second reason for attending this auction, aside from getting the pink star for Qin Mang.
Qin Mang wasn’t very interested in these last two items,
She lazily leaned against He Li Jing’s chest, letting him peel grapes for her.

After He Li Jing washed his hands, he quietly and leisurely peeled the fruit for her.
When the price for the porcelain vase reached its final moment, he leisurely placed the final bid.
He won the antique vase for 800 million RMB, a relic that had been passed down from the war-torn period to abroad.

Qin Mang looked at He Li Jing in surprise,
“You like vases?”
He Li Jing looked meaningfully at her delicate face, and after a few seconds, he leisurely replied,
“It’s a new hobby.”
“Hmm?”
“You like buying vases?”

He Li Jing’s voice was soft as his lips brushed against her ear,
“No.”
“…I like arranging flowers.”
He emphasized “arranging flowers” very lightly.
Huh?
He had such leisurely tastes?

Qin Mang didn’t catch the peculiar tone in his words and thought he was just focusing on health recently.
He even started learning flower arrangement.
Maybe next he’d learn to fish.
But, for a beginner, why would he use such an—advanced vase?

He Li Jing responded,
“I like my flowers to have unique vases.”
Alright then.
Qin Mang calculated the “stones” she had bought today and felt that she couldn’t really accuse He Li Jing of being wasteful.
Only Cong Zhen’s face turned pale.
Damn!
He finally understood what his boss’s new hobby meant!

Mr. He’s “Aurora” alias was the one he had applied for!
Naturally, he knew that Mr. He’s first Weibo post was a painting of a flower arrangement vase.
The key was—
He hadn’t understood the “deeper meaning” of this painting.
But now, thanks to the fans of another CP, he finally got it.
He didn’t understand, but now he did.

Until the end of the auction, Cong Zhen couldn’t stop staring at his boss, feeling both confused and respectful.
If Mrs. He finds out—
Sigh.
He swore to protect Mr. He’s “Aurora” alias!
If this gets out, it wouldn’t just be a scandal.
The whole world would fall apart.
Especially since Mr. He seemed to have developed a strong interest in painting, even setting up a studio on the company’s top floor…

…

Qin Mang was pleased with her purchases.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yuqin, who originally planned to have the executives of Company C buy her a few auction items, was completely out of the loop.
Especially when she heard the auctioneer announce,
“Congratulations to Mr. He for winning this and that…”
Most of the items were gemstones.

Everyone knew Qin Mang loved collecting gemstones, and it was well-known in the entertainment and fan circles.
So, He Li Jing’s purchases were obviously for her.
The important part was—

Before leaving, she vaguely overheard a collector remarking:
“The Chinese collector bought most of the gemstone items for his wife. Chinese people really are romantic.”
“No wonder so many romantic love stories come from that mysterious country.”
“Mrs. He?”
“Qin Mang is Mrs. He?!”

Zhao Yuqin almost screamed.
She thought he was just a lover.
The executives from Company C had confirmed from the auction that Qin Mang was indeed Mr. He’s wife.
Only married couples were eligible to share the VIP status at the collector’s auction.

Today, Qin Mang’s name had been prominently displayed.
He seriously looked at Zhao Yuqin, who had been involved in a brief affair, and warned,
“If you’ve offended Mrs. He, be sure to sincerely apologize.”
Mr. He’s reputation wasn’t just well-known in China, but internationally.
Zhao Yuqin, who had been nervously holding on, was too scared to sleep the whole night.

She discussed with her team how to apologize sincerely.
Her whole team was too cowardly.
Isn’t that how it is? The kind of person leads the kind of team.

As for Qin Mang,
after the auction, there was no time to cling to He Lingji.
Because—
she had to start preparing for the shoot before the big show that night.
There was also another VLOG to shoot.

In the extended Rolls-Royce,
Qin Mang leaned on the car window, reluctantly watching He Lingji standing outside, and the bodyguard behind him holding the day’s spoils.
They were all her treasures!
Big treasures and little treasures!

The young woman stretched out her delicate, pale wrist to pull He Lingji’s hand, her beautiful eyes filled with reluctance to leave.
Mrs. He’s expression was written all over her face.
She didn’t even try to hide it.

He Lingji smiled and bent down.
He gently kissed the small red mole on her nose, saying, “Go.”
“The dazzling star.”
“Then kiss me again.”
“Alright.”

The car window was fully lowered.
Qin Mang tilted her delicate chin up, requesting a kiss on her forehead, nose, and cheeks, all the way to her lips.
Only then did she reluctantly allow the driver to start the car.
Off to work!

He Lingji watched the car leave.
Secretary Cong handed him a wet wipe.
Clearing his throat, he reminded, “You should wipe that off.”
Under He Lingji’s indifferent gaze,
and remembering he had to meet a famous foreign mogul tonight, Cong Zhen, forcing himself, said, “Your chin, there’s lipstick.”

The vast VIP parking lot was eerily silent.
Qin Mang had rushed here today, and although she wasn’t wearing makeup, she had applied a layer of pink lip balm.
It was a translucent, cherry-pink color.
When she kissed, she was a little too enthusiastic, leaving a bit of the cherry color on He Lingji’s pale jaw.

A few seconds later,
He Lingji calmly took the wet wipe.
The snow-white wipe left a faint pink stain.

C company arranged luxury hotel rooms for all the international artists attending the big show.
The worst rooms were suites.
Qin Mang’s room had been upgraded to the highest standard.
Why?

Qin Mang recalled running into a senior C company executive at the auction earlier and immediately understood.
It was probably because of He Lingji’s influence.
But—
Qin Mang didn’t feel any shame about relying on her husband.
Even Fu Yuan admired Qin Mang’s attitude.
If it had been someone with a weaker personality,
they might have felt inferior.
Then it would develop into two extremes: either too proud to admit they needed their husband, while still comparing themselves to him, or so humble to the point of worshiping him.

Only Qin Mang
used her husband with confidence and pride.
Qin Mang said:
As a man, if you can’t even do this,
why should I marry you?
Once I’m married, He Lingji is mine, and his face is mine too.
Why not use it for my benefit?

The next morning,
Qin Mang, wearing a light gold morning robe, once again topped the trending charts with her beauty.
Not only did the color catch the eye, but the material was shimmering, with no embroidery, no waistline, and no patterns, yet Qin Mang wore it in a way that gave off the luxurious, high-class allure of a top-tier brand.

The light gold morning robe draped over her shoulders, as she glanced back—
her snow-white skin subtly visible.
Her mesmerizing red lips and flowing black curls added to her allure.
Every detail oozed seduction.
Yet, her eyes were as cold as ice, like a goddess looking down from the heavens, aloof from the mundane world.

“Ahhh, I love this look on Qin Mang!”
“Only Qin Mang can beat Qin Mang! The forever goddess of the red carpet!”
“Oh my god, she already looks so beautiful in the pre-shoot; how will the other stars survive on the red carpet?”
“I used to think red suited Qin Mang best, hot like the sun, but now I realize gold is her true color!”
“Can we just set gold all over her?!”
“I’m losing my mind…”
“I want to peel off that gold!”
“The person above, call the police, your thoughts are dangerous.”
“Haha, the law doesn’t punish the crowd, let’s all fantasize together!”
“…”

At this time, the “Aurora” fan page.
Because Qin Mang’s photo was so viral, CP fans were tagging their favorite fanfic writers.
If Little Watermelon was a realist,
then the Chaos Master was an impressionist.
A simple painting that leaves much to the imagination.
No matter who it was—
they were eagerly awaited!

…

Qin Mang’s team was used to her photos trending.
If something this beautiful doesn’t make it to trending, what kind of taste do these netizens have?
At the fashion show,
there were international superstars.
Yet, Qin Mang still didn’t recognize any of them.
Instead, Zhao Yuqin, who had been here twice, took the initiative to approach Qin Mang, even following an ancient custom of exchanging gifts. She tried to slide the delicate and translucent jade bracelet on Qin Mang’s wrist.
She was extremely enthusiastic.

Qin Mang, however, was quite alert.
“What are you doing? Are you going to accuse me of stealing your bracelet later?”

Zhao Yuqin’s smile froze a little.
“How could I dare?”
“There are cameras everywhere.”
“This is my apology.”
“I’m sorry, for what happened yesterday and the day before, I was wrong.”

The senior executive from C company had learned her identity,
so Zhao Yuqin wasn’t surprised either.
Qin Mang quickly understood the logic and gave a light chuckle, “Alright.”
“I won’t get revenge on you.”

Mainly, although Zhao Yuqin’s actions were a bit disgusting, she hadn’t crossed Qin Mang’s bottom line. Initially, she had annoyed Qin Mang, but yesterday she had also been scared by her.
The thick makeup couldn’t even cover the dark circles under her eyes.
Qin Mang wasn’t a kind person,
she just never took Zhao Yuqin seriously.
Moreover, there was no need to blacklist Zhao Yuqin.
She wasn’t a bad person, just opportunistic, and quick to admit defeat. She wasn’t likely to do anything worse.
There were far worse celebrities in the entertainment industry than her.
Zhao Yuqin’s small-mindedness didn’t amount to much.

Last night, Zhao Yuqin had made the worst and best assumptions.
The best scenario was Qin Mang accepting her multi-million-dollar bracelet, letting her lose money to avoid disaster.
The worst was Qin Mang asking the He family to blacklist her.
But unexpectedly—
her money wasn’t lost.
And she wasn’t blacklisted.
Oh my god, who said Qin Mang was hard to get along with, that she was arrogant?
She was an angel, wasn’t she?!
Rumors harm people!

Originally, Zhao Yuqin targeted Qin Mang because of her first impression.
After the bracelet was returned, Zhao Yuqin subconsciously touched the bracelet that had been lost and found.
It was worth the pay for one of her movies.

Qin Mang hadn’t wanted to bother with Zhao Yuqin, but since they were both from the same country and in similar positions, they were seated next to each other.
Zhao Yuqin enthusiastically began to spread information.
She would tell everyone that Qin Mang was the most beautiful actress from their country,
impressing artists from other countries.
Qin Mang: “…”
No wonder Zhao Yuqin managed to get close to that senior C executive. Her English was quite good.
That’s a big plus in the entertainment industry.

After showing off, Zhao Yuqin leaned in and whispered into Qin Mang’s ear,
“I just overheard some local artists saying that there’s a mysterious red thread house on Wutong Avenue. If you get the red thread from there and tie it around your lover’s ankle three times, he will never be able to leave you for the rest of his life.”

“Hehe, do you want to go and try it?”
“Make sure He Lingji never leaves you.”

Qin Mang’s clear, dark eyes finally looked at her directly.

Then, with a clear and distinct voice, two short words slipped out:

“Superstition.”

A few hours later, The non-superstitious socialist successor stood at the door of the Wutong Avenue red-line house. The mottled, pitch-black walls were tangled with layers upon layers of red lines,
Chaotic and entangled. There was a kind of eerie beauty to it.

Opening the double black glass doors, what greeted the eye were several messy bundles of red string hanging from the beams beneath.
The vivid red was immediately eye-catching.

Qin Mang hesitated for two seconds.
She reached out and pushed aside the red strings.
Finally, she saw the young girl sitting behind the dark-themed counter inside, playing with Tarot cards.
The girl wore a black witch’s robe, her face obscured.
The back of her hand was fair and smooth.
She looked very young.

Qin Mang stared at the Tarot cards for a few seconds.
She felt like coming here was simply foolish—
She turned and walked away.

The girl asked in the local dialect, “Have you heard the story of the matchmaker’s red string?”
“It is said that he often travels around the world, and when he meets men and women in the marriage book, he ties a red string around their feet to ensure that their bond lasts across lifetimes. The red string here is what the matchmaker accidentally left behind when he traveled through the human world…”

The girl spoke in a mysterious, eerie tone, as if telling a strange story.
However—
This story was one that Qin Mang, as a Chinese person, had heard since childhood.
Qin Mang, with her back to the girl, waved her delicate wrist and replied in standard Mandarin:
“The matchmaker isn’t from H country.”
The red string wouldn’t be left here!

The next moment,
A voice in standard Mandarin suddenly came from behind:
“What a coincidence, we’re the matchmaker’s agents in H country!”
“Miss, would you like the matchmaker’s red string?”

Qin Mang turned around, and through the falling red strings, she saw the girl take off her witch’s robe, revealing the same standard Chinese face.
After a few seconds, Qin Mang finally replied, “Yes.”

By the time He Lingji finished his work and opened his Weibo alternate account, it was already 4 PM.
He didn’t expect that the messages @ing him had already exceeded 99+.
It showed just how much people were craving for ‘food.’
He also saw the set of morning robe photos Qin Mang posted earlier today.
His gaze followed the exposed snow-white shoulder of the girl, resting on her beautiful, alluring red lips, but his mind wandered back to yesterday, recalling the faint cherry blossom pink left on the wet wipe.
And that exquisitely beautiful porcelain flower vase.
His gray-blue eyes seemed to carry a subtle depth,
Like the silent sea at midnight, occasionally stirred by the night wind, with deep waves rising and falling.

Absently stroking the edge of his phone, he casually glanced over the CP fans’ enthusiastic requests for food.
He didn’t reply, nor was he preparing to draw anything.
He turned off his phone.

After several minutes, his voice, hoarse from not having drunk water for a long time, spoke:
“Go to the hotel where my wife is staying.”

His secretary responded, “Then your schedule for tonight…?”
He Lingji casually replied, “Cancel it.”
“Yes.”