Accompanying a woman shopping, regardless of age, can indeed be quite a drag.
It would have been manageable with just Xiaoyu, but unfortunately, Mingyue Princess tagged along.
Certainly, Chuxuan adored his little sister, but while shopping, Zhao Wan was excited. Especially since she usually resided in the palace, every outing involved a large entourage, and she had to maintain decorum in front of her subordinates. It was impossible for her to fully enjoy herself.
Now, accompanying Chuxuan, she had deliberately changed her attire. Although she still looked quite beautiful and refined, compared to her usual princess-like entourage, she appeared much more relaxed.
After strolling for more than two hours, although they couldn't explore all the shops in the southern city, Chuxuan still felt helpless. However, Zhao Wan seemed tireless, showing no signs of fatigue or even taking a break. If she wasn't stopped, she might continue shopping until tomorrow.
Xiaoyu covered her mouth, amused.
Being considerate, she gracefully approached Zhao Wan and suggested, "Miss Wan, shall we find a place to rest for a while? I heard there's an auction house nearby that seems to be starting soon. Why don't we go there, take a break, and see if there's anything interesting?"
"An auction house?"
Upon hearing Xiaoyu's words, Zhao Wan's eyes lit up. "Is it that strangely named one... called... what was it, Yijin?"
"Yes! It's Yijin Auction House!"
Xiaoyu nodded with a smile. "Shall we go take a look?"
"Yes, yes!"
Zhao Wan nodded eagerly, while Chuxuan, on the side, breathed a sigh of relief and threw a commendable glance at Xiaoyu.
"Brother Xuan, let's go quickly!"
Holding hands with Chuxuan and Xiaoyu separately, Zhao Wan walked towards the exit.
Yijin Auction House, though not the largest among the three major auction houses in the capital, had gained more popularity due to its peculiar name. Moreover, what mattered most was that Yijin Auction House had emerged only in the past four or five years, and the items auctioned there were extremely rare. It was remembered that when Yijin Auction House was just established, the first auction featured a nearly divine sword that sold for millions of gold coins!
That occasion marked the rise of Yijin Auction House's reputation.
In the following months, each monthly auction featured three different rare items sold at sky-high prices, making Yijin Auction House the darling of the entire capital and even the Qingyun Empire.
Countless people understood the rules of Yijin Auction House!
Apart from the shops on the first and second floors of the auction house, the grand hall on the third floor opened only once a month, and the timing was unpredictable. However, each opening heralded a grand auction.
In simple terms, Yijin Auction House held an auction once a month, no matter what.
And the time of each auction was announced seven days in advance!
Today happened to be the auction date for this month.
As for Xiaoyu, who had just arrived in the capital yesterday, how could she know this news? Moreover, judging by Chuxuan's reaction, he didn't seem surprised either. Anyway, Zhao Wan didn't care much about such details; her mind was already set on Yijin Auction House.
...
Yijin Auction House, located prominently in the center of the southern city, was surrounded by bustling streets. Its huge signboard could even be seen from the imperial palace.
Many people were already aware of today's auction and had arrived early. However, instead of entering through the main entrance like everyone else, Zhao Wan, accompanied by Chuxuan and Xiaoyu, headed to a side passage where tickets weren't required for entry.
Seeing the trio approaching, four guards stepped forward, with one of them respectfully saying, "Sorry, three guests, this is a private passage!"
Zhao Wan raised her eyebrows at once.
As a princess, would she be stopped? What private passage? She didn't care!
But before she could say anything, Xiaoyu stepped forward and said or did something to the guards. Surprisingly, the guards stepped aside, showing considerable respect.
"Hmph!"
When Chuxuan led Zhao Wan inside, she huffed proudly, her fair chin raised high, leaving Chuxuan amused and helpless.
Entering the passage, they saw a spiral staircase leading upwards. The three ascended, and soon they reached the fourth floor.
The decor here was luxurious, divided into nine elegant rooms, symbolizing the utmost extravagance. Two maids in cheongsams stood outside each room, all of them beautiful and with sweet smiles.
"Brother Xuan, it's my first time here! It looks even more beautiful than... than my home!"
Zhao Wan's eyes gleamed with excitement. For some reason, she loved shiny things, akin to the legendary dragons.
With its splendid surroundings, it was no wonder Zhao Wan was thrilled; she almost blurted out 'palace' instead of 'home'.
"Hehe..."
Chuxuan chuckled, then a well-dressed, prosperous-looking middle-aged man approached, smiling warmly. "So, three esteemed guests, which room would you like?"
"I want this one!"
Zhao Wan immediately pointed to the largest room, which was also the most luxurious in terms of decoration.
"Just this one."
Chuxuan shrugged. Although he didn't prefer extravagance, he couldn't spoil his sister's excitement.
"Alright, alright! Please come in, three esteemed guests!"
The middle-aged man warmly invited them in, and the interior was even more luxurious than it appeared from the outside.
Zhao Wan was delighted; fortunately, her upbringing prevented her from wanting to move in right away; otherwise, she might have wanted to take everything home if it were someone else.
"By the way, if you need anything, just call the maids outside! Whether it's food or drink, anything is available!"
The middle-aged man said slowly. "Also, you can watch the auction downstairs directly from here. Feel free to bid; we have no restrictions! Of course, if any guests are a bit tight on funds, we can arrange credit!"
"Alright, you may leave!"
Chuxuan waved his hand. "Also, prepare some food and drinks, nothing too fancy, just casual!"
"Yes, yes!"
The middle-aged man nodded, respectfully leaving and carefully closing the door behind him.
Outside, he instantly turned serious and instructed the two maids at the door, "Remember, whatever the guests inside need, even if it means your lives, you must not frown! If any guest is displeased, beware of facing consequences!"
"Yes, boss!"
The two maids nodded hurriedly.
"But if you perform well, I might recommend you for a few months of training at the mansion!" The middle-aged man, the owner of Yijin Auction House, continued.
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
The maids were excited. The mansion was their dreamland!
"Alright, just keep it up. Don't disturb when there's nothing to do!"
"Yes!"
The middle-aged boss waved his hand, then quickly left. He hadn't forgotten to prepare food and drinks.
If the young lady got impatient, it would be a huge mistake. Although he didn't know Chuxuan, seeing how the young lady treated him, the middle-aged boss couldn't afford to be careless.
His name was Huang Yijin, a strange and even funny name. But now, as the owner of Yijin Auction House, things were different. Even high-ranking officials had to address him as Boss Huang.
Huang Yijin was very clear in his heart that all of this was brought to him by that place. Otherwise, he might have starved to death on the streets by now.
...
As the sky gradually darkened, Yijin Auction House was brightly lit, bustling with people. Even the ticket sales alone had earned them countless gold coins.
There were twenty-seven private rooms on the third floor, and aside from the one where Chuxuan and his companions were, the other eight rooms were already occupied. As for the second and first floors, they were even more crowded, with every seat taken, and even the aisles were filled with people. It was evident that the popularity of Yijin Auction House was remarkable.
"Brother Xuan, how much longer?"
Bored, Zhao Wan sat idly. Although she liked crowded places, her current expectations were different.
Chuxuan had no idea.
It was Xiaoyu who replied with a gentle smile, "Miss Wan, be patient! It'll start soon. And if you see something you like, feel free to bid on it!"
"Okay, okay!"
Zhao Wan nodded eagerly. But then she pouted, saying, "Oh no! I didn't bring any money! I never used to bring any whenever I went out before!"
"You silly girl..."
Chuxuan affectionately patted her hand and said, "Don't worry. If you like anything later, just bid for it. Consider it a gift from your brother. How about that?"
"Really? But... what if it's too expensive?" Zhao Wan hesitated.
"You're my little sister. Do you think I care about the price when I'm giving something to my sister? As long as you like it!" Chuxuan smiled.
"Hehe... That's great!"
Zhao Wan was instantly overjoyed, jumping to Chuxuan's side and hooking her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder, and giggling, "Thank you, Brother Xuan!"
"Silly girl..."
Chuxuan smiled faintly, and the atmosphere in the luxurious private room became even warmer.
Seeing this, Xiaoyu smiled gently and didn't say much more.
Finally, after about half an hour passed.
The noisy auction house gradually quieted down, and a middle-aged man in blue clothes stepped out from the platform.
He was the auctioneer overseeing this auction.
The reason was simple: Yijin Auction House's auctioneers were divided into seven levels, distinguished by the color of their clothes, ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, to violet. Naturally, the violet was the most prestigious.
The appearance of the blue-clothed auctioneer aroused even more anticipation among the audience.
Everyone held their breath, focusing their gaze on the auctioneer, waiting for the auction to officially begin...