Moonshine & Valentine: His Excellency’s First Love (Love Knot) - Chapter 14

“If you are willing to be obedient, I won’t embarrass you today.” Seeing that she was clearly begging for mercy in her voice, Helan Jingting let go of her hand, and even gentlemanly tidyed her crooked collar.

Pippi gritted his teeth in his heart, tyrant, tyrant.

The tyrant’s face still had the winner’s smile, but the bridge of his nose suddenly lighted, the sunglasses had been taken off by Pippi, and immediately afterwards, the lid of the trash can flipped.

“Where are my glasses?” His face sank again.

“You threw my thing, I also threw the same thing from you.” Pippi patted the dust on his hands, hugging his arms, provoking: “Balanced. Besides, you are more handsome without glasses, it’s true.”

“…”

In fact, Pippi wanted to see what Helan Jingting would look like without glasses. In other words, what his eyes would look like during the day. Will it stay closed? Or half-open, showing most of the whites of the eyes?

Then, she was a little bit disappointed.

Because Helan’s eyes are not very different from ordinary people. The pupils are big, deep, and dark, like a time tunnel. But when he stared at her, there was no focus in his vision, his eyes did not even move, and he did indeed look like a blind person. Anyone who sees such a pair of eyes will find it beautiful, and at the same time will think that there must be a problem with his vision.

After a moment of confrontation, Helan Jingting suddenly lowered his eyes and could see that he wanted to get angry, but tried to restrain himself.

He didn’t speak, and went straight to the trash can, opened the lid, reached out and touched it for a while, found the glasses, wiped it with his hand, and put it back on.

Pippi hurriedly followed, and wanted to take the opportunity to lift his shoes out, but Helan Jingting unceremoniously held it down: “It’s about to start, we have to go.”

He stopped mentioning the glasses, but took her hand and held it tightly.

Pippi shook it twice, unable to shake it off, and refused to move: “How can I go without shoes?”

“Aren’t there carpets on the ground?”

“But my feet still hurt.”

“I will support you.” His voice was gentle, “If you don’t want to go, let me hold you up, you can.”

Pippi got goose bumps when she heard these words. She lifted the plastic bag, drew away and slipped out the door: “Who said I don’t want to go anymore. Just leave.”

“Look, didn’t you walk very fast?” Helan Jingting quickly followed, not forgetting a compliment.

Their seats were in the first row next to the corridor, and Pippi was extremely depressed to find that Wang Xuan and Su Cheng were sitting on her right, with only two empty seats in between.

It can be seen that the auction hall was originally a small auditorium. Although it is a temporary arrangement, it is very luxurious. The guests took their seats one after another and greeted each other again. There are almost no other reporters except for a videographer.

After sending Pippi to the seat, Helan Jingting was called to greet by an acquaintance. She began to look at her watch anxiously, eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the two vacant guests.

And those two seats have been vacant.

She lowered her head and opened the interview book. The book was new and there was nothing on it. Wang Xuan’s aggressiveness made her stabbing her back. Why is life so unfair? She couldn’t help but think of those days in high school, of Xiaoju and Pepe, of the fight they played together. That was the only fight in Pippi’s life. She was beaten so badly by Wang Xuan, her arms and chest were bruised, and she had to hide from the adult when she went home. Later, I saw her and walked around. After that time, they hated each other and never said anything.

But when I saw Wang Xuan, the self-confidence that Pippi had so hard to cultivate in her work disappeared.

She became a poor student in the second and seventh high school.

While thinking about it, Wang Xuan suddenly said, “Pippi, I heard that you were assigned to the C City Evening News?”

Pippi looked up at her: “Yeah.”

No way. Wang Xuan won’t let go of it so soon, right? Or is it that they are already mature and want to engage in dialogue between adults?

“How long?”

“It’s almost two years.”

“Why is it still an intern reporter?” Wang Xuan looked at her nails and said slowly, “Isn’t the editor-in-chief Du Wenguang now? I know him. He and Su Cheng are very familiar.”

“Oh.”

“Why didn’t you come to the alumni meeting last month?”

Alumni Association.

Which pot really doesn’t open. Pippi thought to himself.

There is an alumni association every year in the seventh class of high school. Usually funded by well-mixed classmates, we all go to the restaurant karaoke hall for a small gathering. Sometimes the old classroom is also selected. After a long absence, everyone hugged each other and made all kinds of exaggerated expressions. Then, after working, handing out business cards to each other, and exchanging study materials for graduate school, everyone dressed up and carefully looked for themselves in the eyes of others.

After work, Pippi and Peipei participated in the alumni association that year. They met Yu Min, who was assigned to C City No. 3 Middle School, and Xiao Qian, who worked in the Propaganda Department of the Grain School. Especially respectful, the voice revealed a little flattering.

Pippi thought secretly, it turns out that reality is something that a person does not want to accept but has to accept.

The reality is full of drama.

Sure enough, turning around, Xiaoqian muttered unconvincedly: “Huh, what is she proud of, but she is a richer father than others. If not, she would rely on her forty-one. Ability-can she be a good reporter if she is so clumsy?-Sooner or later, she will make mistakes, depending on how long she can be successful.”

Pippi hurriedly defended: “In fact, Pepe is quite capable, but it is a pity that our middle school education is not suitable for her.”

Xiaoqian kept asking, “Then what path did you take when you got the evening paper?”

“There is no way, fair competition. The school recommended ten students, there are three rounds of interviews and oral exams, and finally I was selected.” Pippi said proudly.

“You still have luck.” Xiao Qian and Yu Min said together.

Halfway through the party, Pepe suddenly pulled Pippi out of the school gate. After tossing around to find a dark dormitory building, Pepe suddenly picked up a brick from the ground and threw it into the glass window on the first floor.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Pippi was horrified.

“Bang,” and the window broke, they ran away frantically and ran to the street to stop a rental car, got into the car, and Pepeyo gasped: “I hate him! I will never come to City C again. bingo!”

Pippi grabbed her hand and lowered her voice: “Who do you hate?”

Pepe clenched fists with both hands and shouted hysterically: “I hate Teacher Wang! I hate City No. 1 High School! I hate these classmates! City No. 1 Middle School has ruined my youth! What about you? Do you hate it?”

Suddenly, Pippi fell into a daze: “I…I don’t know.”

About hate.

Seeing that Pippi was silent for a long time, Wang Xuan said again: “When will we go to have a meal together, I will call Du Wenguang, and you will bring Mr. Helan? You and him… are familiar?”

Pippi shook his head quickly: “I’m sorry, you made a mistake, I don’t know Mr. Helan. I just interviewed him.”

As soon as the voice fell, a murky wind blew from behind, and Pippi turned around and found that Helan Jingting had been standing behind her at some point.

He was still so expressionless, his lips pursed faintly, a slight arc was drawn up, with a smile.

“Pippi, you’re kidding,” Wang Xuan glanced at Helan and chuckled. “Everyone here knows that Mr. Helan never accepts interviews from reporters. Back then, Du Wenguang wanted to interview him and it was no good.”

“So I just try it,” Pippi replied coldly, “I really don’t know Mr. Helan.”

After all, she took the camera out of the plastic bag, pretended to check the lens, and took a few shots at the front screen. He took out the auction catalogue from the back of his chair, and turned it page by page.

Someone patted her on the shoulder, and a very gentle voice came: “Pippi, do you want something to drink?”

The sound is as beautiful as heaven. Pippi couldn’t help but looked at the sky and then at the ground, and found that the speaker was Helan Jingting, and adjusted his sight again, but suddenly he didn’t react.

“Have you eaten breakfast?” He asked again, looking like a gentleman.

Pippi looked at him in confusion, thought for a moment, and then answered, “No…”

“I’ll get you something to eat, is it okay to have juice?” Helan Jingting leaned down and asked softly in her ear.

His expression didn’t change much, but there was a touch of intimacy between his gestures. Obviously this was not Helan Jingting’s usual behavior in public. Wang Xuan’s eyes couldn’t help but squinted, the corner of her mouth was lightly picked, her gaze swept back and forth on Pippi’s face, and she smiled unpredictably.

Pippi nodded awkwardly.

Helan Jingting took out the folded blind stick and went to the hall downstairs to get the juice. A staff member was afraid that he could not see the way, so he hurriedly followed.

While stunned, someone patted Pippi on the shoulder and handed her a business card: “Miss, this is Fang Dachang of Ruijingsheng Antiques Monopoly Company. May I have your last name? Do you have a business card?”

“My last name is Guan. I… I don’t have a business card.”

“Our company has collected a lot of top-grade jadeware, mainly from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and some from before the Song Dynasty. Is Miss Guan interested? When will you bring Mr. Helan to take a look?”

Guan Pipi took a breath and blushed and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t study Gu Yu. If you want to invite Mr. Helan, he will be back soon, and you can just tell him directly.”

The man was startled, and forced his business card into her hand: “Miss Guan refused to give face?”

“Where…” Pippi was embarrassed. Which one is the right one.

“Are you free on weekends? Does Miss Guan like to eat seafood?” The man’s mouth moved quickly, “I know the’Fei Kee’ abalone soup on Ziyang Road is good. How about it? At seven o’clock on the weekend, please have a look? If Mr. Helan is inconvenient, you must come yourself, Miss Guan. Then I will ask the secretary to remind you. I would also trouble you to write a contact number first. That’s it.”

“Ah I–”

Pippi also wanted to explain that the man disappeared in an instant, and he didn’t know where to talk to him.

Pippi was left alone on the chair and sighed, and Wang Xuan just smiled on the side: “Pippi, it seems that you really don’t know Helan. Everyone here knows that Helan never eats with anyone.”

“No?” Pipi clearly remembered that Helan Jingting had eaten boiled fish with him. Although he did not eat it himself, he must have accompanied him.

“Could it be…he invited you to dinner?” Wang Xuan’s expression was very gossip.

“…” It’s hard to answer.

“Pippi, are you Mr. Helan’s girlfriend?”

“No, no, no, no…” She shook her head like a rattle.

The chairs around him squeaked, and Helan Jingting had returned. Holding a bottle of soy milk and a paper bag in his hand.

The paper bag is soaked with oil. Pippi said thank you, and when she opened it, it turned out to be her favorite raw fried steamed buns. She couldn’t help asking: “Aren’t the breakfasts in the hall all Western-style? How come there are raw fried steamed buns?”

“I bought it outside.”

“Soy milk?”

“I think you prefer to eat soy milk.”

So thoughtful. Pippi’s face was a little red. Without saying anything, he ate quietly. Helan Jingting easily took out the catalog on the back of the chair, and Pippi whispered, “I’ll read it for you.”

“No, there is braille on it.”

Sure enough, the manual printed to him was obviously thicker than Pippi’s. There were no images, no text, only rows of convex and concave dots. Helan Jingting spread out his fingers, touched the first half of the first row with the tip of his left finger, and followed the second half of the same row with the tip of his right finger, while searching for the second row with his left hand. His fingers slid gently on the paper, the movements were very smooth, even with rhythm, and Pippi almost looked at him from the side.

“How many words can you read per minute on average?” she asked suddenly.

“Why, interested in this?”

“Ok.”

“More than three hundred.”

“Will they prepare headphones for you when it’s auctioned?”

“No, my hearing is very good.”

Pippi also wrote down in the interview book: He has a keen hearing and reads 300 words per minute.

After a while, Helan Jingting came over and whispered, “Miss Wang, don’t you like her very much?”

“High school classmates, some grudges.”

“Can you do me a favor later?”

“Okay, let’s talk.”

“Can you take a picture for me? I want lot 278, Jade Tiger of the Warring States Period.”

“This…I never did it.”

“Have you raised your hand?”

“Did it, I will raise my hand.” Pippi nodded honestly.

“Just raise your hand for me.”

“Can I count it?”

“Making it. I’ll call the auctioneer to explain.”

“You have your own hands, so you can’t raise them yourself?”

“Raising your hand is sour.”

Pippi glared at him, speechless.

“Of course, if the price is too high, I can’t afford it, I will let you stop.” He added.

“Row.”

He went to make a phone call and pointed at Pippi at the same time, and the auctioneer nodded.

The hall suddenly became quiet, and someone announced the start of the auction. A picture flashed on the huge screen at the front desk: “Lot No. 278: Warring States Jade Tiger, 11.5 cm long”. According to the manual, there are six tools for Zhou Li, Yubi, Cong, Gui, Hu, Zhang, and Huang. This is the “hu” in it, dark green jade material, with high nose, diamond eyes, squeezing behind the ears, and tail curling in a crawling shape. Only one pair has been unearthed so far, and one of them is hidden in the V City Museum.

Pippi took a close look at the pictures on the screen. Although he used a high-definition camera, the size of the jade tiger was small and old, and it looked dark and unattractive.

“The starting price is 700,000 RMB.”

Seven hundred thousand. Pippi was startled, his heart beating. Can such a small tiger, shabby and old, be so expensive?

Someone in the back row raised their hands, and the auctioneer cried, “750,000.”

Pipi raised his hand timidly.

“800 000.”

She took a peek at Helan Jingting and found that he was still touching the manual with his hands, looking very focused.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Xuan raised her hand and said in a very clear voice: “One million.”

“One million, the lady in the front row will increase to one million. One million, has anyone added it?”

Pippi raised his hand.

“1.05 million.”

Someone in the back row raised their hands, one by one, from 1.1 million to 1.8 million.

“2 million.” Wang Xuan said coldly.

Pippi raised his hand.

“2.05 million.”

Wang Xuan hesitated for a moment: “2.1 million.”

Pippi continued: “2.15 million.”

Wang Xuanfeng accompanied: “2.3 million.”

Pippi smiled and raised his hand: “2.35 million.”

She began to feel that auctioning is a very exciting game, especially when she doesn’t spend money.

Someone in the back row raised his hand: “2.5 million.”

There was silence in the hall. The auctioneer smiled and said: “2.5 million, is there anyone else to add? 2.5 million, are you tired from lifting your hands and want to rest? 2.5 million. 2.5 million, okay, gentleman, 2.55 million. This one in the front row Miss, 2.6 million. 2.6 million. Can anyone add it? Now we are bidding on Lot 278, the Warring States Jade Tiger, with a starting price of 700,000. So far, we have sold 2.6 million. Okay, the man wearing a scarf in the back row, 2.65 million Miss in the front row, 2.7 million. 2.7 million, is there any increase? 2.7 million?”

Wang Xuan raised her hand and reported the number: “3 million.”

Everyone was silent.

Pippi pushed Helan Jingting: “3 million, do you want it?”

He didn’t lift his head: “Go on.”

Pippi raised his hand.

“3.05 million.”

Wang Xuan sneered: “3.1 million.”

“3.15 million.”

“3.2 million.”

“3.5 million.”

“3.5 million.”

This time, Wang Xuan’s face was a little yellow, and her expression was also very stiff. He hesitated for nearly two minutes before raising his hand.

“3.6 million.”

Pippi followed without hesitation: “3.65 million.”

The auctioneer looked at Pippi, then at Wang Xuan, and ridiculed: “Now only the two young ladies in the front row are left bidding, and they seem to be in their early twenties. The people who came here before were old men and old ladies. It’s really the back wave of the Yangtze River that pushes the front wave. Since ancient times, the hero has been a teenager. 3.65 million, is there anyone to add? 3.65 million? 3.65 million?”

There was a cold field for about five minutes.

Wang Xuan suddenly raised her hand: “3.7 million.”

Pippi was about to follow, and Helan held her down quietly: “Pippi, let’s withdraw.”

“3.7 million. This lady has paid 3.7 million. Will anyone add it? 3.7 million? The current highest price is 3.7 million. 3.7 million.” He shouted more than 3.7 million, and finally said:

“3.7 million for the first time.”

“The 3.7 million second time.”

“3.7 million last time.”

With only a “boom”, the auctioneer said to Wang Xuan: “Congratulations. It was sold for 3.7 million yuan. Your number plate is–”

Wang Xuan took out a card: “No. 468.”

For some reason, she didn’t look happy at all, her face even turned blue.

Pippi was puzzled, and asked Helan Jingting in a low voice: “She photographed the Warring States Jade Tiger, why are you unhappy?”

“Maybe it is too expensive.”

Helan Jingting’s expression faintly: “Pippi, go, I’ll invite you to dinner.”