"Shen Shiyun!"
Shen Tianyin's bone-chilling voice echoed in Ye Fan's ears.
Ye Fan paused, his brows furrowing as he asked, "Is she your cousin?"
He had only heard of the Shen family's eldest daughter as being peerlessly elegant and deeply calculating, but he had never met her. However, the rumors proved true; Shen Shiyun was indeed a stunner!
Shen Tianyin nodded indifferently, "Ye Fan, we absolutely cannot let Shen Shiyun get this Suihou Pearl, even if it means I lose everything, I must obtain it."
Seeing Shen Tianyin's unwavering resolve, Ye Fan silently nodded.
"You can bid against her, but it's best to follow my lead."
Ye Fan had experienced such situations in his previous life. The best way to deal with someone wasn't necessarily to take away what they cherished, but to dig a deep pit for them to fall into, and ultimately, make them despair.
Shen Tianyin was momentarily stunned, while Ji Nanshan beside her chuckled, "Young Master Ye is the main player this time; we will naturally cooperate."
Ye Fan's uncanny ability to identify the fakes from Boguzhai had already convinced Ji Nanshan. Seeing Shen Tianyin's hesitation, he quickly spoke, fearing he might anger Ye Fan, which would be a loss outweighing any gain.
Hearing Ji Nanshan's words, Shen Tianyin came back to her senses and nodded lightly, "The success or failure rests with you."
A faint smile flickered across Ye Fan's face, his lips curving as he whispered into Shen Tianyin's ear...
A few minutes later, Qin Zhonghe, his face beaming, announced, "Miss Shen of the Shen family bids fifty million. Truly a heroine of Jiangcheng. Are there any higher bids?"
As soon as his voice fell, Shen Tianyin coldly declared, "Sixty million."
The price jumped by a full ten million, causing a stir of discussion throughout the venue.
"I didn't expect the two Shen daughters to compete. This is going to be quite a show today."
"Don't you know? The second daughter of the Shen family is making a desperate gamble. If she fails to secure this item, she might be kicked out."
"The eldest daughter is pushing the second daughter to a dead end. The Shen family is about to be thrust into the spotlight."
Amidst the murmurs, most people were simply relishing the spectacle. After all, who wouldn't want to witness such juicy gossip?
Jiang Zhitao approached with a grim expression, "Brother Ye, I'm afraid I can't help you further with this. After all, Shen Shiyun represents the Shen family. If I go too far, it might embarrass both families."
Jiang Zhitao's face was full of apology. If it weren't for concerns about his family's interests, he would have unhesitatingly supported Ye Fan.
Ye Fan didn't mind, patting his shoulder, "It's alright, I'm already very grateful."
The fact that Jiang Zhitao had stood up for him in such a setting, in front of so many influential figures from Jiangcheng, filled Ye Fan with gratitude.
Meanwhile, Shen Shiyun frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over, followed by a cold laugh.
"Sister, this is no place for you to make a scene. If you wish to fill the deficit at the Tianyin Pavilion and provide an explanation to Grandpa, Sister advises you to marry Young Master Zhou. Not only will you gain a large sum of money, but you will also soar to prominence. Isn't that perfect?"
Young Master Zhou, Zhou Youde, the second son of the Zhou family, the largest family in Haicheng, was notorious throughout the provinces south of the Yangtze River. He was a typical playboy, depraved and wicked.
From the first time he saw Shen Tianyin, he was smitten and pursued her with all his might, while Shen Tianyin remained completely indifferent to him.
Zhou Youde then found another way, putting pressure on the Shen family...
Upon hearing Shen Shiyun's words, Shen Tianyin's expression darkened further, "If Sister likes Young Master Zhou so much, she's welcome to become his wife. I believe Grandpa would be delighted."
Her demeanor was unyielding. Though they hadn't openly fallen out, they both knew in their hearts that their animosity was irreconcilable.
"How could I have Sister's good fortune? This Suihou Pearl will be mine."
With that, Shen Shiyun bid again, "Seventy million."
A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd. Seventy million, a full twenty million more than the previous bid. She was indeed the eldest daughter of the Shen family, possessing considerable resolve.
She looked at Shen Tianyin with an air of arrogance, a challenging glint in her eyes.
Shen Tianyin gritted her teeth, her fists clenched so tightly that the backs of her hands turned white.
"Raise the bid to one hundred million."
Ye Fan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"What?"
Unable to believe her ears, Shen Tianyin abruptly turned to look at Ye Fan.
One hundred million, a staggering increase of thirty million. This was her entire fortune, and bidding in such a manner was unheard of.
"Don't forget you just said you would listen to my arrangements."
Ye Fan's expression was stern, his tone indifferent.
"But..."
She trusted Ye Fan, yet the sum was simply too vast, and she still felt a pang of apprehension.
"Second Miss, Young Master Ye must have thought this through. Perhaps we should..."
Although the words were difficult to utter, Ji Nanshan still spoke in a low voice. In his heart, his trust in Ye Fan even surpassed that in Shen Tianyin.
Biting her lip, Shen Tianyin frowned in thought. After a long moment, she finally looked up, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
With that, she looked at Qin Zhonghe and declared, "I bid one hundred million."
A thunderous roar erupted.
As Shen Tianyin made her bid, the already agitated crowd descended into frenzy.
Nearly everyone stared with wide eyes at the two Shen sisters.
One hundred million. This was an astronomical sum.
Let alone Jiangcheng, even the surrounding antique markets combined had never seen such a high transaction price.
Today, this record was destined to be broken!
Now, it was Shen Shiyun's turn to frown. She had expected Shen Tianyin to back down meekly after her aggressive bidding, but she hadn't anticipated such unwavering resolve.
However, as the future matriarch of the Shen family, despite her inner shock, she showed no outward reaction.
Instead, a smile graced her lips, "Does Sister truly have so much money? If you bid and then cannot pay, it would be a great embarrassment."
Both openly and covertly, she was targeting Shen Tianyin!
"Sister needn't worry about me. If I cannot pay at the time, Sister can take over."
This was the custom in the antique trade, ensuring the absolute benefit of the seller.
Still with a smile, Shen Shiyun coldly declared, "Since Sister likes this Suihou Pearl so much, I will naturally help Sister obtain it. I bid one hundred and five million."
This time, Shen Shiyun only added five million, seemingly testing Shen Tianyin.
She looked at Ye Fan again with a frown. He knew Shen Shiyun would be formidable, but he hadn't expected her to be so aggressive.
"One hundred and twenty million."
Ye Fan's voice rang out once more.
This time, Shen Tianyin was completely dumbfounded.
"I don't have that much money."
She stared intently at Ye Fan, biting out the words near his ear.
"I said bid one hundred and twenty million."
Ye Fan's gaze was firm, his voice leaving no room for doubt.
Though she wanted to argue, seeing Ye Fan's formidable expression, Shen Tianyin finally mustered her courage, "One hundred and twenty million."
This astonishing bid stunned everyone present. The previously noisy venue fell into complete silence.
Even Qin Zhonghe was taken aback, but a smile quickly appeared on his face.
"As expected of the Shen family's second daughter, a true representative of Jiangcheng's women, truly as capable as any man. Even this old man is deeply impressed by such courage. One hundred and twenty million. Are there any higher bids?"
As he spoke, his gaze, intentionally or not, drifted towards Shen Shiyun.