Pei Qi glanced at Qin Ran, unsurprised that she was the one causing trouble. Gritting his teeth, he continued to bid.
The two of them went back and forth, quickly driving the price of the ancient painting up to fifty-six million yuan. Pei Qi placed one more bid, raising it to sixty million, but when Qin Ran upped it to sixty-five million, he finally conceded, allowing Qin Ran to win the painting.
Beside him, Ling Miaohan looked displeased, and Pei Qi could only sigh.
He couldn't figure out what kind of person Qin Ran was, how she seemed to have endless money. 99 Entertainment had been established just last year, yet she had already spent billions, with substantial cash reserves and significant investments in TV shows and movies.
Ever since he encountered Qin Ran, Pei Qi felt that she had been a constant obstacle, ignoring his overtures as if she didn't even see him. This left him feeling increasingly frustrated, especially when Ling Miaohan softly called, "Qi-ge…"
"Miaomiao, don't worry, I'll find another way."
"But…" Ling Miaohan hesitated before withdrawing her hand from Pei Qi's arm. As they exchanged these few words, Qin Ran was already being invited onstage.
Initially, Qin Ran hadn't planned on going up herself, preferring to let Wu Tezhu handle it. But since she had just outbid Pei Qi, it seemed only fitting to relish her victory a little. After all, she had won the painting, and it wouldn't hurt to show off.
Once onstage, Qin Ran made a brief speech about 99 Entertainment's commitment to charity and expressed her honor at attending the event alongside everyone else. Then, with a subtle shift in tone, she aimed a barb at Pei Qi: "But it's important to know your limits. If contributing to charity puts you in financial straits, that's putting the cart before the horse. Only when a business thrives can it make a more meaningful impact on charitable causes."
Qin Ran wasn't worried about her words getting out to the general public. Charity galas like this were full of society's elite, with no livestreams or recordings. The only thing that would reach the public would be carefully crafted press releases from the companies involved, highlighting their leaders' participation and the amounts donated.
With that, Qin Ran ended her speech, shook hands with the real estate tycoon who had donated the painting, and was about to leave the stage when Ling Miaohan's voice rang out, "Please wait."
Everyone, including Qin Ran and the real estate tycoon, turned to look at Ling Miaohan, unsure of her intentions. Ling Miaohan appeared hesitant but then seemed to steel herself and continued, "I originally planned to discuss this privately, but since I don't know when I'll have another chance to speak with you both, I must say this now."
The real estate tycoon looked puzzled but intrigued, "Please, go ahead. What is it?"
Qin Ran frowned, sensing that something was off. She wasn't sure how Ling Miaohan had managed to get from her seat to the stage without being stopped by the staff. Normally, they would be attentive to anyone leaving their seat, ready to offer assistance or inquire if help was needed. Yet somehow, Ling Miaohan had made it all the way to the front without interruption.
At that moment, Qin Ran was acutely aware that she was living in a novel world… Because otherwise, how could something so illogical happen?
Qin Ran remained silent, curious to see what Ling Miaohan was up to.
With the real estate tycoon's permission, Ling Miaohan ignored Qin Ran and went straight to the point: "The painting you donated is actually a fake."
Her words sent a shockwave through the room, leaving the real estate tycoon stunned and visibly displeased.
"That's impossible. I had it authenticated—it's real."
Ling Miaohan, maintaining her calm and confident demeanor, responded, "When you had the painting authenticated, you had already made a name for yourself, correct? The appraisers, aware of your social standing and your attachment to the painting, likely didn't want to risk upsetting you by telling you it was a fake. Moreover, the forger was highly skilled, and the painting is old enough to appear authentic, which is why some institutions failed to detect the forgery."
There was some truth to her words. In her previous life, Qin Ran had encountered similar situations, where a forgery was so masterfully done that it was mistaken for the original. In fact, some forgeries were even more valuable than the originals, especially if created by renowned forgers.
The real estate tycoon seemed to recognize this possibility, her expression showing hesitation. "How do you know my painting is a fake?"
Ling Miaohan's confidence grew as she smiled, "Because the original is in my family's collection."
As soon as she said this, the audience's gazes toward Qin Ran turned strange—some amused, some mocking… Only Yu Shuman seemed anxious, looking as if she wanted to rush to Qin Ran's defense but was held back by Wu Tezhu.
Fortunately, Qin Ran's seat wasn't far from the stage. She gave Yu Shuman a reassuring smile, signaling her not to worry. She also nodded at Wu Tezhu, silently praising her for holding Yu Shuman back.
Qin Ran wasn't in a hurry to speak. She was curious to see how the situation would unfold.
Ling Miaohan didn't disappoint. She continued, "I had planned to ask Brother Qi to bid on the painting, then return it to you and explain the situation. But since Qin Ran intervened and won the bid, I was concerned that if she had the painting authenticated and discovered it was a forgery, it would strain your relationship. I felt compelled to step forward and reveal the truth."
To be honest, Qin Ran didn't care whether the painting was real or fake, but she acknowledged that if the news broke that 99 Entertainment's boss had spent sixty-five million yuan on a fake painting, it could make the company look gullible and easily duped.
…Not that 99 Entertainment wasn't already a bit of a sucker.
But Qin Ran was certain that Ling Miaohan wasn't doing this out of concern for her. She was trying to curry favor with the real estate tycoon. Clearly, this was a business move—Pei Qi and Ling Miaohan wanted the painting to strengthen their ties with the tycoon. An entertainment company wouldn't typically need a real estate mogul's help, but Qin Ran suddenly realized their true goal: they wanted to build a cinema chain, and bringing the tycoon on board would make the project more successful.
With this in mind, there was no way Qin Ran would let them succeed.
The real estate tycoon, unaware of the underlying motives, looked at Ling Miaohan with a kind, almost maternal gaze.
"I can't believe the painting I've treasured for so long is a forgery…" She sighed before turning to Qin Ran, "I'm terribly sorry you spent so much, only to end up with a fake."
Before Qin Ran could respond, the tycoon continued, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. If this had come out later in the media, I can't imagine how embarrassed I would have been."
—Wait a minute, why is the tycoon reacting so strangely? It feels like she's under the influence of the protagonist's aura.
Qin Ran's eyes narrowed. Just as the two women were about to have a friendly exchange, Qin Ran interrupted. She took the microphone from the auctioneer, who looked at her in surprise. Qin Ran adjusted her coat—she had been wearing it over her shoulders for style, but it had started to slip due to her shock. After ensuring she had everyone's attention, she began to speak, her face expressionless.
"First of all, let's get one thing straight. I didn't spend sixty-five million yuan for this painting. Whether it's genuine or not makes no difference to me because I'm here to contribute to charity."
Her voice was calm, devoid of any emotion, as if she wasn't the one who had just been ignored on stage. Qin Ran looked down at Ling Miaohan from her elevated position and continued, "As for Ms. Ling's claim that this painting is a forgery, I will verify that myself later. But the sixty-five million yuan I spent will not be refunded, and the painting's ownership is now mine, regardless of its authenticity."
She then addressed the real estate tycoon, "I understand this little episode has dampened the mood. To ensure the success of this charity auction, I'll personally donate another sixty-five million."
As she spoke, the tycoon's expression shifted, briefly showing hesitation before returning to its initial calm demeanor. There was even a hint of regret, as if she couldn't understand why she had acted so rudely toward Qin Ran earlier.
Qin Ran set the microphone down and walked off the stage, brushing past Ling Miaohan with a dismissive snort. The sound made Ling Miaohan stiffen, unable to move her neck to watch Qin Ran's departure, only catching a glimpse of her billowing coat.
Originally, Qin Ran thought Pei Qi was the only one she needed to deal with, but it seemed Ling Miaohan was just as problematic—a perfect match for him.
Filled with disdain, Qin Ran also marveled at what kind of nonsense she had been reading before. Even if it was for stress relief, she shouldn't have indulged in such novels. Then again… if she hadn't, she might never have met Yu Shuman.
As Qin Ran returned to her seat, she felt the gaze of the audience following her, their looks ranging from curious to disapproving. She didn't mind, but when she sat down, Yu Shuman leaned in and whispered, giving her a thumbs up, "Xiao Ran, you were amazing!"
The cool, composed person on stage couldn't help but smile. "Ah… it was nothing."
Leaning closer, she whispered conspiratorially to Yu Shuman, fabricating a little lie without batting an eye, "Actually, I was really nervous up there. I was so embarrassed, but then I saw you almost rushing to the stage for me, and that's what calmed me down."