“Xiaoyu, why are you being so polite to me again? Didn’t I already explain to you that it’s my greatest honor to have you and your daughter live with me? If you’re not willing to come over, I don’t know how long I’ll have to live in this big house alone.”
Mr Li’s eyes dimmed as he looked at Duo Duo with his sorrowful eyes. Duo Duo seemed to have felt something. She did not laugh anymore and just looked at him with her innocent eyes.
“Duo Duo, are you willing to accompany grandpa in the future?”
Mr Li’s eyes dimmed, but when he saw Duo Duo, they lit up again.
“Eeya.”
Dodo laughed again.
“Looks like Duo Duo is willing. Then, grandpa won’t go out anymore, I’ll just stay at home and accompany Duo Duo, okay?”
Mr Li really liked Duo Duo. Her childlike innocence was so novel. Only children would allow adults to treat them with pure and impure thoughts.
“Mr Li, I’m afraid you’re too worried about Duo Duo. She’s still a child, she don’t need so much of your assets.”
“Since Duo Duo is my god-granddaughter, she naturally needs my company. I don’t care whose child she is. I’ve already decided that she’s my granddaughter. Don’t think that I’m too strange. If an old man like me is said to be too strange, then it would really be too strange.”
“How could that be? Mr Li, you possess great power. No matter what you do, no one will say that you’re strange. Instead, it’s those people who didn’t do or say anything.”
Tang Xiaoyu explained. She did not take Mr. Li’s words to heart and only thought of her daughter and Gu Zhengrong, whom she would meet soon.
When they met again, they would already be competitors.
Three months later, the largest auction house in Washington was auctioning off a gemstone ring of extraordinary value. It was said that it was a gift from a king many years ago to a fairy-like consort. It meant that the couple would never separate again for the rest of their lives.
Tang Xiaoyu was wearing a white tube top dress that accentuated her good figure. Her skin was fair, and the ripples in her eyes were so beautiful that one could not bear to look away.
“Xiaoyu, are you ready? Are you really going to start a war with Gu Zhengrong this time?”
Mr Li knocked on the door of her room to ask if she was ready to go now.
His eyes were full of praise as he looked at Tang Xiaoyu. “This gown is very suitable. It’s white and looks like Duo Duo’s favorite color.”
Duo Duo especially liked white. When she saw white long-eared rabbits, she smiled especially happily. No matter where Mr Li went to do charity work, he would always be able to bring a white long-eared rabbit back. It was also Duo Duo’s favorite toy.
“I’m ready, let’s get ready to go.”
The final item of the auction was the gem ring. It was said that anyone who obtained it would be blessed.
What she did not know was that happiness was always fought for by oneself. How could it become more blissful because of someone else’s gift? Perhaps, the king and his beloved concubine really had love back then, but now, Tang Xiaoyu only had hatred for Gu Zhengrong in her heart.
All these years, she had been playing the role of a nanny by his side. Even after she gave birth to Duo Duo, she still could not shake off Gu Zhengrong’s influence on her. The best way to resolve this situation was to start a war with Gu Zhengrong. Tang Xiaoyu was already prepared and only had one chance left for Gu Zhengrong to appear.
This auction was undoubtedly her last chance to stand out.
Mr Li had already investigated the people who came to the auction. Gu Zhengrong was determined to get that gemstone ring.
“86 million USD. Is there any higher price bids?”
“Good, this gentleman bidded eighty-eight million dollars.”
“Is there any higher price bids? 88 million going once, 88 million going twice, 88 million going…”
“A hundred million. We’ll offer a hundred million.”
The woman in business attire sitting next to Mr Li raised the sign at their nod.
The price of 100 million was so high that everyone turned to look at Mr Li and Tang Xiaoyu, who were sitting in the last row.
Tang Xiaoyu raised her head arrogantly and looked straight ahead. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gu Zhengrong’s gaze. She seemed to have sensed the surprise in his eyes, but he was a professional after all. Gu Zhengrong quickly changed the emotions in his eyes. After confirming that he saw Tang Xiaoyu, he turned around.
Others might not know the person sitting beside Tang Xiaoyu, but Gu Zhengrong definitely did. A week before Tang Xiaoyu left, Gu Zhengrong had just signed a huge contract worth US$50 million with Mr Li. How could he forget him so quickly?
“Why is that man by her side? When did she come back? When did she decide to do this?”
Too many questions popped up in Gu Zhengrong’s mind, but he did not receive any response. He did not look at Tang Xiaoyu again, and before he could think clearly, he heard the US $100 million deal. ‘Congratulations to Ms Tang for obtaining this fire charm ring. Congratulations.’
The final item had been won by Tang Xiaoyu. Just as everyone was congratulating her, Gu Zhengrong stood up and walked toward her.
“Xiaoyu, stop fooling around.”
“Mr Gu, do you think I’m joking?”
Tang Xiaoyu’s eyes were filled with hatred when she saw Gu Zhengrong walk over with a cold face. Mr Li was right, the more love one had in the past, the more hatred one would have later. Love and hatred had always existed side by side. There was no need to hide or be biased.
“Xiaoyu, you…”
Gu Zhengrong was about to say something when Mr Li, who was standing beside Tang Xiaoyu, reached out his hand to shake Gu Zhengrong’s. “Mr. Gu, it’s been a long time.”
“Mr Li, long time no see.”
Gu Zhengrong’s eyes were on Tang Xiaoyu and did not notice that Mr Li was signaling for her to leave first so that he could help her deal with Gu Zhengrong.
“It’s been such a long time. Did Mr Gu go somewhere else? Why didn’t he come to drink with me? Or am I not qualified to drink with you? Are you looking down on me?”
