"1 million."
Everyone gasped as their heads turned around to the front of the room. Did they hear incorrectly?
The person that just called a tenfold increase in the bid was. . . Gu Yechen?!
He Xinyan was also surprised and she gently tapped him, "What are you doing?"
He didn't respond as he calmly put his auction paddle down. In the back, Shen Xiner stood up with a frown as her eyes landed on Gu Yechen.
"Mr. - Mr. Gu, you just bid your own item." The auctioneer didn't know how to respond to the situation.
"Is there a problem?"
The danger in his tone made the auctioneer shiver, "No. No, there is no problem."
"1 million going once! Going twice! Sold!" The auctioneer slammed the hammer down with a bang and the workers brought the jar of cookies back off the stage.
Although Shen Xiner was unhappy, she couldn't fight with Gu Yechen, so she grudgingly sat down.
He Xinyan scratched the back of her head and frowned, "Why did you buy your own item?"
"I wasn't planning on donating it anyway."
"Hm?"
Gu Yechen turned his head slightly to glance at He Xinyan, and he smiled with a sigh, "The cookies are for you, stupid."
He Xinyan wasn't happy that Gu Yechen called her stupid, but that wasn't the important part at the moment, "For me?"
"Of course! Did you think I was going to let another woman eat my food? Now go get your cookies."
He Xinyan confusedly stood up and they walked out of the room together, attracting stares from several people. Outside, she took the jar of cookies and was forced to take a picture with Gu Yechen and the jar of cookies.
Back in the car, He Xinyan examined the cookies and didn't notice anything special about it. She removed the lid and pulled out the one on the top.
She slowly took a bite and chewed for a few seconds. Very slowly, she swallowed the bite and sucked in a breath, "Wow! Did you really make these?"
"Yes." Gu Yechen was very pleased with her reaction.
"They are so much better than the ones I made!"
". . ." Any cookie would be better than the ones you made. Of course, Gu Yechen didn't actually say that out loud.
On the short car ride home, He Xinyan finished about half of the cookies in the jar.
She looked down at the glass jar with an unreadable expression and murmured, "I just ate 500 thousand dollars. I didn't know money was this yummy."
Gu Yechen couldn't help but chuckle at his stupid but cute girl and he used his finger to wipe away the crumbs that had found their way to the corners of He Xinyan's lips.
"It's late. Go home and don't wait for me. I have to finish some work and then I will go over."
He Xinyan nodded as she closed the cookie jar and held it close to her chest carefully, "Okay. The engagement ceremony is tomorrow."
Gu Yechen nodded before Xinyan left the car and waved goodbye to him. After she was gone, he also returned to his own home to finish up the work he had pushed aside to bake the cookies.
He Xinyan originally planned on waiting for him, but her eyes failed to listen to her plan. After a few minutes, she couldn't help but fall asleep.
It wasn't until late into midnight did the balcony door finally open.
---
The next day was very exciting for everyone.
He Xinyan woke up early in the morning, not because she wanted to, but because the loud noise coming from the first floor was very distractive.
She rubbed her eyes unhappily and moved closer to Gu Yechen as she tried to continue sleeping.
Gu Yechen gently stroked her hair with his eyes closed, but He Xinyan suddenly moved after a few seconds.
"Oh my god, are they chickens?" He Xinyan sat up straight on the bed and narrowed her eyes, "Can they stop crowing in the morning like chickens?!"
Gu Yechen licked his lips with a smile as he also sat up on the bed, "When does the ceremony start?"
He Xinyan rolled her eyes, "11."
Gu Yechen glanced at the clock, "They are probably going to leave early, maybe before 10. It's almost 9 already. Do you want to get ready?"
He Xinyan sighed, "Well, I can't sleep anymore. I'll go pick you up at 10 then."
Gu Yechen smiled, "Okay. I'll leave then. . . Today is a good day."
With a final word of reassurance, Gu Yechen left. Xinyan didn't change as she walked downstairs to eat breakfast first. At once, she noticed two familiar faces.
Lin Meiyi and Su Quzhe. The two of them sat down next to their son, Su Zhiming, and they spoke happily to Bai Jiawei and Li Huiran.
When they heard the noise at the stairs, they turned their heads around simultaneously, and their smile slightly stiffened when they saw who it was.
"Xinyan. . ." Su Zhiming's mom called. To be honest, He Xinyan's relationship with Su Zhiming's parents wasn't bad. They got along well and they treated her well.
"Hello, Auntie and Uncle Su." He Xinyan politely greeted them politely as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Xinyan, it seems like you and our Zhiming aren't destined to be together. It's a pity. . ."
He Xinyan chuckled, "Auntie Su, I don't think you should say that in front of your future daughter-in-law."
Li Yuyan scrunched her face up slightly but didn't say anything.
Lin Meiyi laughed, "Xinyan, since Zhiming is marrying your sister, you would technically also be my daughter-in-law after the marriage, right?"
He Xinyan smiled but didn't say anything more as she took a sip of warm milk.
The breakfast was quite lively for everyone, except Xinyan, who ate quietly. When she finished, she stood up.
"When are you guys going to leave?"
Li Yuyan was the one to respond, "We will leave at 9:30 so we can go set up and get ready."
"Cool, then I will leave at 10:30 by myself." Without waiting for a response, she left and walked up the stairs to get ready.
Bai Jiawei frowned, "She's not coming with us?"
Li Yuyan rolled her eyes, "It's okay. She would just ruin things if she came. Just let her come with the other guests."
Bai Jiawei didn't say anything else, which meant that he had silently agreed with what Li Yuyan said.
A few minutes later, He Xinyan heard the door open and close and she walked over to the balcony to watch the two cars leave.
Once they were gone, she entered her closet and grabbed the large box with the dress and shoes inside and hopped happily down the stairs. She left the house and ran over to the house nearby.
One knock on the door and it opened.
"That was fast. Were you waiting for me?" He Xinyan raised one eyebrow.
"No, I was just right at the door," Gu Yechen replied sarcastically.
He Xinyan walked into the house, "We can leave at 10:30 and arrive at the Dasi Hotel at 11 with the other guests. I didn't know that they booked the Dasi Hotel for the engagement ceremony too! It seems like they have a lot of money."
"The He family's money," Gu Yechen added, which was exactly what He Xinyan was thinking.
"Are you planning on making a move?" Gu Yechen suddenly asked.