A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

"No, thanks. I already have plenty of high heels at home. I don't need another one." Qiu Mu-Cheng replied with a smile, but her words lacked conviction.

"Is that so? Well, I guess even if you add up the costs of all the shoes you own, the number is still not even close to a fraction of what this pair of red-soled shoes is worth." Lin Qian smiled inwardly in disdain, and her eyes were filled with a strong sense of superiority.

Qiu Mu-Cheng, Qiu Mu-Cheng. So what if you were an outstanding student at school?

Here and now, you are beneath me.

You can only blame yourself for marrying a useless piece of trash.

Lin Qian raised her chin high. The whole time, she had been putting on airs and assuming the role of an upper-society lady in front of Qiu Mu-Cheng. It was obvious that Lin Qian despised her former university friend.

"Five hundred and thirty thousand!"

Soon, the bidding started again.

"Five hundred and forty thousand-"

One after another, the attendees made their bids. And the price of the pair of high heels rose gradually along with the bidding.

But, the majority of the bidders were from the younger generation, mostly the good-for-nothings from the rich families. And they were hoping to use the pair of high heels to win the affection of their female companions. As for the older bidders, they were more mature and sedate. Very few of them bidded. Even when they did, they would stop once they saw that the price of the item had risen above the acceptable price range.

And that was why, after a short while of bidding, only two bidders stayed in the competition.

One of them was, of course, Wang Yu, Lin Qian's husband.

He was going all out to avenge his wife's loss of face. So even when the price hit the six hundred thousand mark, he continued to soldier on.

"Six hundred and five thousand!" Wang Yu declared as he raised his placard.

The other competitor was also a young man with a lady companion. But he was obviously losing steam.

"Honey, let's stop bidding. This is getting to be too expensive. Even if we win the bid, we will be making a loss. Once my father finds out that I have spent six hundred thousand on a pair of high heels, he will kil me." The young man's circumstances were different from Wang Yu's. The latter was an independent and successful businessman, but the former was just a rich man's son and he was spending his father's money. So, naturally, he felt guilty about spending more than six hundred thousand on a pair of high heels. He had no choice but to plead with his girlfriend to discontinue bidding.

"I don't care. I want it-

"I really want that pair of high heels!"

After a bout of wheedling from his scantily-dressed and heavily made-up girlfriend, the young man gave in and raised his bid once more. "Six hundred and ten thousand!"

"If anyone offers a higher bid, then this pair of high heels will go to him. I will stop bidding then."

The rich young man was obviously talking to Wang Yu. His strategem of making a concession in order to gain an advantage was a resourceful move. If his competitor had been any other person, the rich young man might have won.

But Wang Yu was bound and determined to get the pair of high heels, so he raised his bid boldly. "Six hundred and fifteen thousand!"

"Haha~"

"Friend, you are really extravagant!" 'A true gentleman does not covet. This pair of 'red-soled shoes' is yours." The rich young man smiled calmly and was magnanimous even in defeat.

Wang Yu smiled and nodded. He looked really relaxed at the moment, as if six hundred and fifteen thousand was just petty cash to him.

"Wah-"

"Darling, you are the best!"

"I love you so much~"

When she saw that their last competitor had given up, Lin Qian was beside herself with joy. She shrieked happily and threw herself into his open arms.

"It's just petty cash."

"Qian-Qian, I have already told you. I will give you the best things in the world."

"As for the white jade hairpin, that was just used goods. It's not fit for my woman. You are so noble that only this limited edition 'Queen of Shoes' is a suitable match for

you."

Wang Yu said lightly, his eyes filled with pride.

Lin Qian's eyes shone brightly as she hugged her husband tightly. Pride rose up within her heart at that moment.

Wang Yu was her man.

And only a man like Wang Yu was worthy of her!

As she basked in the gazes of the crowd, Lin Qian's vanity was greatly satisfied. Finally, she looked smugly at Qiu Mu-Cheng and said: "Mu-Cheng, I am sorry. I know you really like the high heels too. We are friends so I should have given it to you as present. But my husband insists that it's made for me. Because of its nobility and elegance, it's not suitable for you at all."

"How about we do this. I can tell that the pair of shoes you have on is old. Why don't I give you the pair I am wearing? It's branded and cost several dozen thousand. It's worth several dozen pairs of what you are currently wearing."

Lin Qian pretended to show concern but she was talking down to Qiu Mu-Cheng as if the latter was a beggar. It made Qiu Mu-Cheng feel uncomfortable.

Lin Qian raised her voice on purpose, so a number of people in the crowd were turning to look at them. Whether by intent or not, they directed their gazes at the high heels Qiu Mu-Cheng was wearing, and the mockery was evident in their eyes.

Their mocking looks stabbed painfully at Qiu Mu-Cheng. She lowered her head and hid her feet under her seat.

When Lin Qian saw this, she felt even more smug.

How dare you steal my limelight? Qiu Mu-Cheng, are you even worthy enough to be my rival?

Yes, what Lin Qian wanted to see most was Qiu Mu-Cheng's complete loss of face.

Lin Qian was determined to take back the limelight Qiu Mu-Cheng had stolen from her during their university years.

"Six hundred and fifteen thousand. This gentleman is offering six hundred and fifteen thousand."

"Ladies and gentlemen, do I hear a higher bid?"

The auctioneer looked around the hall, as she readied herself to lower the gavel in her hand.

There was no response. No one wanted to continue bidding.

They were not idiots. The bidding price had already exceeded the value of the auction item so, unless there was any special reason to do so, nobody was willing to keep on bidding.

Wang Yu saw the state of affairs and he started smiling. This time, he had won the bid.

But just as the auctioneer was about to strike her gavel against the sound block, something happened. Lin Qian, who did not like to be left out of things, suddenly turned around to look at the masked gentleman who had bidded against her for the white jade hairpin.

"This mister, you were so magnificent earlier and your valor was unstoppable. Why have you lost your steam now? Why aren't you bidding now?"

"Have you spent all your money?"

"Have you been scared off by the price tag?"

"Haha-"

"I know new-money people like you. You can only afford to show off when the prize is some worthless trinket. But when it comes to something truly valuable, you don't even have the courage to bid for it." Lin Qian taunted Ye Fan without restraint, like a jumped-up villain.

In her eyes, the masked man was just an ignorant nouveau riche. He did not really possess great wealth. The auction had already gone on for a while, but he had not bid on any other item beside the white jade hairpin. He had probably spent all his budget here.

"You are just new money. How dare you show off in front of me!"

"Have you learned your lesson now?"

Lin Qian laughed mockingly, crossed her arms and sat back peacefully in her seat. Then she waited for the auctioneer to swing her gavel and hand her the shoes.

"Seven hundred thousand!"

But in the next moment, a low voice rang out quietly from among the crowd.

In the quietness of the hall, the voice sounded especially loud.

The masked man had started bidding again, after a long moment of silence.

It seemed like he had been bidding his time quietly, just so he could release the full extent of his brilliance at this moment.

It was Ye Fan's first bid in this round, but he managed to shock everyone in the hall. The seven hundred thousand bid was like a slap right in Lin Qian's face; one that dazed her right there and then. She had not expected the masked man to offer a bid.

"Damn!"

"Is this fellow crazy?"

"He added another hundred thousand to the price just like that!"

"He's a low-key nouveau riche~"

The crowd went into a frenzy. In the hall, many attendees turned to look at the masked man. And they exclaimed inwardly when they saw the plain clothes he was wearing.

"Wah-

"So handsome!" Among the crowd, a young lady was struck with infatuation.

"Handsome? He has his mask on, so how can you freaking tell if he's handsome?" A man who had heard her was dumbfounded at her illogicality.

"He's handsome. He's handsome because he's rich. So what about it?"

Many people in the hall had already started to pay attention to the mysterious masked man.

As for Wang Yu, he was livid. He wished he could give his wife a good smacking.

"Are you freaking crazy?"

"Why did you agitate him?"

"You think we are made of money?"

He had been about to win the bid with six hundred and fifteen thousand. But now, the price had risen to seven hundred thousand.

Wang Yu was insane with rage.