Strange!
It was really quite bizarre. Su Chen was now a bit stunned, realizing that not only had he not suffered a loss from purchasing this painting, but he had actually profited by 1.1 billion. It felt like he was living out the protagonist's script, while he thought of himself as a side character or a villain. How did things turn out this way?
Wang Bingbing smiled gracefully and said, "Young Master Su, this is the painting you won at the auction. Please, take it with you." As she spoke, she handed the painting to Su Chen. A painting worth 1.3 billion! Holding it made Su Chen's hands tremble. Not because of the price, but because this painting had instantly turned the tables on Qin Yu. The audience gasped in admiration, their eyes filled with envy. Although the painting hadn't been formally appraised, there were antique experts present.
Especially the auction house's host, who estimated the painting's value to be at least 1 billion. For a moment, all eyes were on Su Chen with a mix of envy and resentment. At this point, he truly embodied the image of a protagonist. In contrast, Qin Yu felt green with envy, both shocked and somewhat uneasy.
He had a nagging feeling that this was all Wang Bingbing's scheme to help Su Chen against him. "Impossible! How could Wang Bingbing be interested in such trash?" Qin Yu fumed, frustrated and jealous, as he saw both Lin Qingyan and Wang Bingbing, women he admired, siding with Su Chen. "What did Su Long promise them to treat Su Chen this way? Did that old fox discover something?" Qin Yu wondered.
"A painting within a fake painting, who knows if it's genuine or not?" Qin Yu couldn't accept the turn of events and challenged directly. Wang Bingbing, enraged, retorted, "Are you suggesting our auction house sells forgeries?" Crossing her arms, she added, "If you dare, tear the painting now. If it's a fake, do as you wish. If it's genuine, repay its original price, and we will not let you off." Qin Yu turned pale with anger, unable to believe that Wang Bingbing would publicly support Su Chen. Didn't she realize the implications behind her actions?
The scene stunned everyone present. Everyone was abuzz, commenting on Qin Yu's surprising outburst and blood-spitting reaction, poking fun at his frailty. As Wang Bingbing's gaze landed on the defeated Qin Yu, her eyes showed no pity. She remembered his past misdeeds, especially compared to how he harmed Su Chen now. Yet, her demeanor changed instantly when she turned to Su Chen, her face lit up with a radiant smile. "This man keeps badmouthing you. Do you want me to have him thrown out?" Though she asked with a smile, anyone with sense would hear the veiled threat. Wang Bingbing was ready to act at Su Chen's command.
She had prepared a group outside, all skilled, ready to take Qin Yu down easily. However, Qin Yu couldn't be killed just yet; his backing had to be dealt with. "I don't need your help!" Su Chen's response was genuine, hoping Wang Bingbing would stick to her role. With all these female leads acting so unpredictably, it left him, the supposed antagonist, feeling overwhelmed.
"Hehe, Su Chen, are you overthinking things? If not for the conditions set by your family, which I couldn't refuse, I wouldn't even bother with you." Wang Bingbing was well aware that getting close to Su Chen would now be challenging. But she thought of an excellent method that wouldn't arouse suspicion and would let her get closer to him. This was a win-win situation.
By then, Su Chen wouldn't have much to say, and she remembered that Su Chen's parents were probably not in Kyoto during this time. As expected, upon hearing this, a weight lifted from Su Chen's heart. Fortunately, it proved that the storyline hadn't collapsed, but it was all because of the Su family's matters. This implied that Lin Qingyan's unusual behavior was also because of the same reason. That was a relief. As long as the female lead wasn't problematic,
Su Chen believed he could steer things back on track. Not just him; everyone present seemed to have their doubts alleviated. Of course, the happiest person was Qin Yu, even more delighted than Su Chen. He never understood why, despite having things under control, deviations always occurred. It was as if someone was manipulating everything behind the scenes.
He should've guessed earlier; in fact, he did speculate at the beginning but later denied it. Qin Yu didn't think that the Su family had any bargaining chip to win over Lin Qingyan and Wang Bingbing. Unless... A memory of a jade fragment with mysterious powers flashed in Qin Yu's mind. The primary reason he acted against the Su family was due to rumors that they possessed other jade fragments.
Upon seeing Su Chen's relaxed expression, Wang Bingbing assumed her plan was effective and her eyebrows relaxed. She whispered, "You can trust me now. Whatever you want to do, I'll agree, including..." She stopped mid-sentence, but her intent was clear. "Hehe, you're overthinking. My genuine feelings for Qingyan aren't something you can change," Su Chen responded cheekily, always portraying his profound affection for Lin Qingyan. "Do you love her?" Wang Bingbing suddenly asked, "Then why postpone the wedding?" "None of your business.
If I don't love her, does it mean I should love you?" Su Chen gestured dismissively, finding her dangerously tempting. What's going on? Even if his father promised her something, it wouldn't have caused such a change. In the original story, she despised him.
Yet, upon hearing Su Chen's words, Wang Bingbing's cheeks turned pink, her dominant and ruthless demeanor nowhere to be seen. She looked like a shy, naive girl. "I don't have such thoughts. You're overthinking," she quickly regretted saying it. In her past life, she believed to win over Su Chen, she had to earn his admiration. She was even ready to eradicate the Su family just to catch his eye. But now, she realized her previous actions were wrong.
"What the hell are you thinking?" Su Chen was genuinely puzzled by Wang Bingbing's behavior. She didn't seem forced by his father, but her gaze was as if she wanted to devour him right then and there. "Since I've decided to help you, let's exchange WeChat contacts for easy communication," Wang Bingbing presented her QR code.
Having Wang Bingbing's WeChat was something many coveted, and now it was right in front of everyone, causing much envy. "Alright," Su Chen took out his phone and added her, though he was internally reluctant. Love often starts with exchanging contact information. While he knew Wang Bingbing, the female lead, couldn't like a side character like him, the recent changes in her made him worried.
But he agreed for the sake of steering the story in the right direction. Su Chen was afraid of any unexpected turns with the main character, Qin Yu, so he wanted to provoke him. Accepting Wang Bingbing's contact seemed like a good way to do that. Knowing Qin Yu, he was bound to get furious. "With that settled, I should go," Wang Bingbing said, quickly retreating to hide her smile from the crowd. Qin Luoyi, watching Wang Bingbing leave, sensed something off about her, including the sudden appearance of the painting, which felt unusual.
She thought she was the only one aware of the situation, but now it seemed Wang Bingbing knew as well. This meant Wang Bingbing had also been reborn, which wasn't good news for Qin Luoyi.
The saying goes that those near water are the first to see the moon reflected in it, but now this woman has added Su Chen on WeChat before her. Qin Luoyi felt a sense of strong urgency. "Mr. Su, would you also add me on WeChat?" she asked, unwilling to fall behind Wang Bingbing, and showed her QR code. "Alright," Su Chen did not decline. To him, Qin Luoyi was a woman who also mattered to Qin Yu. Since he'd already added Wang Bingbing, adding her wouldn't make a difference. Moreover, this could potentially anger Qin Yu even more.
"Thank you, I'm off to find Miss Bingbing now!" Qin Luoyi cheerfully announced before departing. Su Chen sensed something fishy, suspecting she was out to overshadow Wang Bingbing. The thought made him shudder. Perhaps he should just leave to prepare for the next turn of events. If he stayed, unpredictable situations might arise; Wang Bingbing might even lash out at Qin Yu. After all, interests were at play. If things went south, the story would collapse. Su Chen grunted coldly, feigning unhappiness, and left immediately.
At present, Qin Yu was seething with rage. It was one thing for Wang Bingbing to help Su Chen, but now even Qin Luoyi was doing the same. He couldn't fathom why she would betray him and humiliate him publicly. Overwhelmed by anger, he yearned to chase after and confront Su Chen right then and there, but he couldn't just leave. Earlier, he had intentionally raised the price of a counterfeit item to lure Su Chen into bidding.
With Wang Bingbing's intervention, Qin Yu became the laughingstock instead of Su Chen. He wouldn't let this humiliation stand. A tarnished reputation would mean no support from influential figures, jeopardizing his plans against the Su family.
He had always underestimated the Su family, but after several setbacks, he realized they were not as weak as he thought. He had to be more cautious. He decided to stay and impress the audience with his exceptional ability to spot valuable items, signaling the influential figures in the capital of his capabilities. At the auction, Qin Yu showcased his expertise, astonishing everyone.
Meanwhile, Su Chen's group was outside, with Fang Han congratulating him on his unexpected fortune. The conversation drifted to Su Chen's recent encounters and Fang Han's investigative findings on Qin Yu's mysterious background. He realized Qin Yu was no ordinary man and was potentially dangerous. Su Chen suggested Fang Han leave to stay safe, but the loyal friend adamantly refused, ready to confront the threat head-on.
"Wait a moment!" Su Chen knew that persuading Fang Han to leave was impossible, so he could only acquiesce. Su Chen continued, "We can't just rush in like this; we must plan carefully." Fang Han laughed heartily, slapping Su Chen on the shoulder, "Always the clever one, aren't you? Only someone as shrewd as you could devise such ruthless plans."
"I've heard you're quite capable, so be sure to show your skills later," Su Chen said, pulling the silent Zhao Menghan, who had been standing beside him, close to him. As he did so, he gently caressed her slender palm. Su Chen's actions were intentional. He knew very well that for someone like Zhao Menghan, one of the world's top assassins and a cold-blooded woman, this kind of disrespect would only fuel her anger. Yet, Su Chen felt it wasn't enough and burst into laughter, "Once this mission is successful, I promise not to treat you poorly. In fact, you'll become my 'primary mount'!"
Zhao Menghan was puzzled, "What do you mean by 'mount'? A henchman?" Fang Han smirked, "Of course not! A 'mount' means someone who serves by Su Chen's side, essentially like a wife." Upon hearing this, fear crept into Su Chen's heart. He had only wanted to have some fun with words, especially since Zhao Menghan was a beautiful woman, and he didn't want to waste an opportunity to tease. He hadn't expected Fang Han to speak so bluntly, especially given that he knew of Zhao Menghan's character. He feared the cold-hearted female assassin might just slay them on the spot.
"Thank you for your trust, young master Su," Zhao Menghan replied, trying to lower her head to hide her blushing cheeks from Su Chen. 'What?!' Su Chen was taken aback, sensing something foreboding. Could it be that Zhao Menghan, Qin Yu's most trusted female assassin, was breaking character? How unfortunate could he be?