Chapter 1712: Beiping Old Dream: Beauty Actor Overpowers the Big Shot 27

They discussed this poetry collection for a long time.

"I only found out later that this is your name."

Pei Yiqing did not sit, merely leaning against the wall; his gaze toward Xu Nanchun held a hint of inexplicable guilt.

"When we were in Shanghai, Xiao Bofeng never mentioned you."

If he had known from the start that Xu Nanchun existed, he could never have begun with Xiao Bofeng.

"I know."

Xu Nanchun tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips, rubbing the erased name, and slowly replied, "He never regarded me as anything, so naturally he never mentioned me."

But Pei Yiqing always felt his mind was elsewhere; he asked doubtfully, "What exactly do you want to say?"

"I..."

Xu Nanchun lowered his eyes to the pocket watch in his palm, estimating the auction's time in his heart, never lifting his gaze to meet Pei Yiqing's.

"I want to ask you, why can you let go so easily?"

"My sister-in-law said, modern love should not only be mutual affection, but also mutual fidelity."

Pei Yiqing said firmly, then glanced carefully at Xu Nanchun.

"Do you know? When I studied abroad, I witnessed many Western weddings; they vow at the ceremony to love and remain faithful whether poor or rich, healthy or sick."

"Moreover, I do not accept, even despise, Xiao Bofeng's ideas."

Upon hearing this, Xu Nanchun clenched the hand holding his pocket watch, thinking of what Xiao Bofeng would do at today's auction; he struggled, closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Pei Yiqing saw him looking like he was about to have a fit, approached blankly, and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Hurry back to the auction house."

Xu Nanchun suddenly grabbed Pei Yiqing's arm, lowered his voice, and spoke bitterly, as if finally making some decision.

"The auction items are fakes; they plan to give the genuine antiques and banknotes to the British garrison, and Bofeng has asked me to detain you."

Pei Yiqing stared at him in shock, "What..."

"Damn it!"

Pei Yiqing knew about the gold-thread robe; his heart turned cold at once, he rushed out, then after a few seconds turned back, saying, "Wrong, Xiao Bofeng asked you to detain me, so you..."

"Come with me; my older brother can protect you."

Xu Nanchun sat back, turned his head sideways, his thin, frail back revealing loneliness, "Forget it, let me take a gamble."

Having followed Xiao Bofeng for two years, he had been treading carefully, and had almost offended Mr. Pei; if he were to be discarded over this, he would have resigned himself to fate.

Pei Yiqing had no time to hesitate further; he walked away without looking back.

Meanwhile, at the auction house.

There should be a 40-minute rest period between the last auction item; half an hour before the break began, Sun Fu suddenly got up from his seat and applied to Pei Yinnian to leave early, saying he felt a bit unwell.

Pei Yinnian glanced at him and nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, Sun Fu's subordinate hurried over, bending at the waist, and said to Pei Yinnian, "Chairman, our Old Master says there's a problem with the auction items donated by the Chamber of Commerce; we need you to check."

As he finished speaking, Jin Chen lowered his gaze to his wristwatch; the final auction item would start in sixty minutes.

The gold-thread robe had only just been transported to Beiping for direct auction today; countless eyes watched it in secret, and the Xiao family, estimating they hadn't yet had time to swap the genuine for a fake, sought to use the remaining time to find a chance to exchange it.

"Brother, take me with you." Jin Chen took Pei Yinnian's hand, offering a smile that involuntarily reassured.

Pei Yinnian grunted in acknowledgment, and he and Jin Chen rose together; as they passed the seats, Yun Cunxuan exchanged a glance with him, the latter nodding with a smile, knowing full well.

"They've left." The bodyguard wearing a black cap stationed at the auction stage pressed his walkie-talkie, "Hurry and inform the Third Master."

After he spoke, he suddenly sensed a gaze fixed on him; he warily looked toward the stage below but saw nothing, and after a doubtful stare that lasted a while, he left through the hidden door.

Yun Cunxuan, already behind the auction stage, quickened his pace to follow.

The auction continued, lively bidding reaching thousands of gold, the constant competition from foreigners stirring the fighting spirit of patriotic merchants, making it even more fervent than the opening.

The corridor outside the fourth-floor auction house.

The golden decorative lights made people dizzy; with two gambling halls next door, the narrow corridor was crowded, and one could easily lose track of those nearby if not careful.

Jin Chen and Pei Yinnian always held hands, following the guide's subordinate deeper inside; the further they went, the more secluded it became, yet the more people passed them.

Finally, they stopped before a door; the subordinate's steps halted, he looked toward Jin Chen with something to say but held back, then bowed respectfully to Pei Yinnian and said, "Chairman, concerning the Chamber of Commerce's auction items, outsiders had better not go in."

"What if I insist on going in?" Jin Chen replied with a smile, not releasing his hold on Pei Yinnian's hand; his sharp, cold gaze made the subordinate dare not meet his eyes, only able to glance furtively into the darkness.

But before the message could be transmitted, the muzzle of Pei Yinnian's gun pressed against his waist and abdomen, easily unseen.

The subordinate's whole body went rigid, and he slowly lowered his head.

"Open the door."

Pei Yinnian's voice was devoid of warmth.

He drew a deep breath, suppressed his own breathing, turned the handle, and pushed the door open.

At the instant he entered, the subordinate gritted his teeth, tried to ignore the gun pressed against his abdomen, and when Pei Yinnian sensed something amiss and fired, he shoved them hard inside, then braced against the doorway and slammed the heavy main gate shut.

Bang!

The bullet Pei Yinnian fired, even at the last moment, still pierced through the door crack; the man clutched his stomach, shuddered, and collapsed to the ground.

But the main gate was already shut; those hiding in the dark awaiting news, upon hearing the gunshot, cut the power to the room.

He emerged from the corner, dragged the subordinate's corpse away, and locked the room door.