A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage) novel Chapter 25

"Whoa~"

"I really envy that lady!”

"Mama, when I grow up, I want to be as pretty as that lady. And everyone will focus their attention on me like I am a star."

Everyone in the hall was looking at the lady in the purple dress. Under the multicolored spotlights, the peerless beauty looked so dazzling and eye-catching.

Her beauty was such that it aroused envy among the ladies in attendance, and admiration among the gentlemen.

Of course, the ladies didn't just envy her for the jade hairpin that was worth three-hundred thousand, but her glory too and her eye-catching radiance.

Which woman would not want to hear praises from others?

Which woman would not want to be a star and take the spotlight?

Which woman would not want to be dazzling and have everyone focus their attention on her?

But, among all the women present, only Qiu Mu-Cheng managed to do all that.

Ye Fan's extravagance and his gifting of the jade hairpin to Qiu Mu-Cheng, had placed her center stage at this event.

And Qiu Mu-Cheng was in a dazed state, her eyes filled with shock. This was too sudden. One moment ago, she had been wallowing in self-abasement and curling up within herself like a Cinderella. She had thought that she was just an insignificant speck among this gathering of elites. But, unbelievably, she was now taking center stage and the object of everyone's envy.

As she basked in the astonished and envious gazes of the audience, for a brief moment, she could feel herself floating on air. She liked the feeling of standing under the spotlight and receiving envy from the crowd. It intoxicated her and made her lose herself.

Right then, she finally understood why so many people wanted to rise to the top and stand above others. Because standing at the top, as an object of admiration, was truly a blissful experience.

At this moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng nearly cried. If only the wonderful experience she was having tonight was a gift from Ye Fan. She truly wished that was true. Because if it was, then she could enjoy this honor without feeling burdened.

She was Ye Fan's woman. So she had the right to reign alongside him and enjoy the infinite glory.

But in the end, Qiu Mu-Cheng shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly. She knew very well that this honor did not belong to her. She had already decided. After the auction, she would personally return the hairpin to the masked gentleman.

Human are creatures of vanity, and Qiu Mu-Cheng was no exception. But, unlike many women, she had her own principles and there were lines she would not cross.

Hrnph-

Isn't it just a stupid hairpin?

Look at how smug you are. How could you let yourself be won over by some trinket that's worth only several dozen thousand. You are so cheap.

Just you wait. My husband will get me something better in a while. Let's see if you can still be smug then?

Lin Qian stared Qiu Mu-Cheng coldly and acted as if she didn't care. But on the inside, she was seething in rage and her eyes were bloodshot with fury.

The auctioneer had forcibly removed the jade hairpin from her and handed it over to Qiu Mu-Cheng. That incident had been very embarrassing for her. Now, a number of people in the crowd were looking at her with contempt and mockery in their eyes.

"Darling, I don't care. You have to avenge my honor." "I was really embarrassed just now~" Lin Qian wrapped herself around Wang Yu like an octopus, and started behaving in a cutesy manner. That proved to be too much for him to bear, and Wang Yu surreptitiously pinched his wife's butt. Then he told her, "Don't worry, darling. It's just a stupid hairpin. Worth only a few dozen thousand. Such a cheap trinket is not suitable for a person of your status. I will get you the best gifts."

"Wah~ Darling, you are so good to me. I love you so much~"

Lin Qian kissed Wang Yu excitedly on the face. Then she raised her chin and looked smugly at Qiu Mu-Cheng. As if she was saying, Did you hear? My husband is going to buy me something better.

Qiu Mu-Cheng ignored her. But when Lin Qian went back to her seat, she smiled and said, "Mu-Cheng, since you like that hairpin so much, I will let you have it. It's only worth a few dozen thousand. I have plenty of jewelries like that at home. I don't need another one. If you want, I can even give you a piece as well."

"But, Mu-Cheng. To be honest, I feel sorry for you. You used to be the beauty queen of Jiangdong University, but look at you now. Beside that dress, you don't have anything of value on you. The only expensive item you have is a charitable donation from some stranger. And when you go to work, you have to squeeze onto the bus with the low-class people."

"Ai~we women. If you marry the wrong person, your life gets ruined. To be honest, I feel bad for you. I will do my best to help. If your husband comes to our company to work as a security guard, I will tell my husband to pay him an extra few hundred every month.”

Lin Qian kept sighing and shaking her head, as if she was really concerned about Qiu Mu-Cheng.

Ye Fan, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, was beside himself with rage.

That bitch. She is definitely humiliating Mu-Cheng on purpose.

You really think there is no one to pamper Mu-Cheng?

Ye Fan's hands were clenched tight in anger. At first, he had merely wanted to teach Lin Qian and Wang Yu a little lesson. After all, Lin Qian was Mu-Cheng's former school friend, so he had to consider his wife's feelings. He had actually decided not to go after them.

But who would have thought that Lin Qian would be such a vicious woman.

This is intolerable! If he let this go, then that would only encourage them!

"Just you wait. I am going to mess you up so bad today!"

His own wife had been so severely humiliated. Any man would not be able to tolerate such an insult, and Ye Fan was no exception.

Meanwhile, the auction was still in progress. The items appearing toward the end were going to be more and more expensive.

"The next item is something that is not really popular with the gentlemen. But to all the ladies present, it's something that will stir your heart."

"Yes, our next auction item is something that's regarded by women as important as life itself! A pair of high heels!"

The auctioneer's clear voice rang out through the hall. And when the male attendees heard this, they shook their heads and laughed. They figured it was just embellishment on her part.

The auctioneer had already expected this reaction, so she just smiled and said, "Gentlemen, please do not laugh. Just like how we women do not understand your obsession with cars, you men do not understand our passion for high heels. Maybe, you will never understand what high heels mean to a woman of sophistication?"

"Having a pair of beautiful face is just as important as having a pair of beautiful high heels."

"And the pair I have over here is known as the 'Noble Queen' among high heels. It's one of the 'red-soled shoes' designed by the top French designer, Christian Louboutin.”

"You will never know how mesmerizing a woman is, when she's wearing a pair of red-soled shoes. The red soles is like a layer of lipstick applied on the shoes, and makes you unconsciously want to kiss it. The toebox open up to reveal your naked toes, which makes the sex appeal and charm of the wearer simply indescribable."

"I am sure you all have heard about President Obama's second inauguration ball, which took place many years ago. Well, at that ball, the First Lady, Michelle Obama, wore a pair of red-soled shoes to match her red evening gown. And although I can't say the confident look in her eyes could conquer the whole world, but at least it did conquer the most powerful man on Earth."

"Slim naked feet and bright red soles. They combine to exude a high-class elegance. A woman can spend her whole life trying and never be able to overcome the temptation of this pair of high heels."

No wonder she could hold down the position of auctioneer at a top-ranking auction house. Her words had completely enthralled the ladies present.

"Darling, I want this-"

"Please buy it for me?"

"High heels are as important as life to us women!"

A ruckus erupted below the stage. The noise mainly consisted of the pleadings and wheedlings of the female attendees, as they badgered their male companions for the pair of red-soled shoes.

Lin Qian was no exception. She acted coquettishly in front of Wang Yu, and tried to cajole him into buying the pair of high heels.

"If you don't get it for me, you will not be able to touch me for the rest of your life!" Lin Qian threatened her husband in an angry voice. But what could Wang Yu do but agree to her demand? For the sake of his sex life, he had to do so.

"Darling, don't worry. Whatever the cost may be, I will definitely get this pair of high heels for you!"

The pair of red-soled shoes was exuding a mesmerizing and noble aura as it stood on the stage and, as Qiu Mu-Cheng stared, her fascination with the auction item was obvious in her eyes.

Yes, just as the auctioneer had said. The imagery of slim naked feet and bright red soles combined to exude a high-class elegance. No woman could resist the temptation of the high heels.

For the first time, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt her heart stir.

She held her phone and looked at the balance in her account.

She made up her mind. She was going to be wilful just this once.

"Just this once!"

Qiu Mu-Cheng mumbled to herself, as if she had just resolved herself to do something monumental.

"Alright, the bidding starts now. The starting bid is Five hundred and twenty-one thousand, three hundred and fourteen!”

What?

More than five hundred and twenty thousand?

Damn!

When they heard the starting bid, many male attendees had a terrible pallor on their faces.

Yunzhou was just a fourth-tier city after all. Not many people in the city would be willing to spend five hundred thousand on a pair of high heels.

As for Qiu Mu-Cheng, after she had heard the starting bid, her face paled and she quietly turned off her phone. At that moment, her heart was assailed by a sense of grief and powerlessness.

"Mu-Cheng, why did you turn off your phone?"

"Didn't you just say you would be wilful just this once? What's wrong? Price too steep for you?”

Lin Qian had noticed Qiu Mu-Cheng's movement and as she inwardly ridicule her former university friend, she felt really smug. The look she gave Qiu Mu-Cheng was filled with disdain.

A poor woman like her should not have attended a high-society function like this one. She was just making a fool of herself!