Return to before death

What a sensual scene! Unfortunately, everyone at the scene was focused on the items being auctioned on stage, and no one paid attention to this spectacle in the corner.

"Liu Xinyin, I'm not in the mood to play along with you right now. Let go."

It seems that at this moment, this handsome and wealthy man has no interest in enjoying the hospitality of this beautiful woman.

The man's threatening words and the oppressive aura emanating from him terrified Liu Xinyin, causing her to lose her composure and release her grip like a frightened animal.

"Xuanling... I just miss you so much..." She looked like a young woman who missed her husband every day but could not see him. Her pale face made her original makeup look even more beautiful and charming. Her trembling eyelashes looked like they had been soaked in water. Her white teeth gently bit her red lips, making her look pitiful.

However, in Sheng Xuanling's eyes, this beautiful portrait of a woman was no different from nothing. Over the years, he had seen so many women that he was already tired of this kind of trick... Moreover, the woman in front of him could only make him feel disgusted and repulsed.

"...Then you can just stand there." Not wanting to get entangled with the woman beside him any longer, Sheng Xuanling coldly uttered a sentence.

"Okay!" Liu Xinyin looked at him with some surprise, thinking she had been accepted. Sure enough, her figure, which she was so proud of, could move any man, unlike some women who had given birth... Thinking of this, she looked in a certain direction with a provocative look, her eyes full of smugness. Sheng Xuanling seemed to have noticed something as well and looked in the direction she was looking.

At that moment, Yan Ran felt a chill run down her spine and suddenly shivered. Noticing this, Zong Zhengqing stretched out his arm and pulled her into his arms to warm her up.

Filled with love, Liu Xinyin stole a glance at the person beside her, then gently leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his. After all, she was his rightful fiancée, and their relationship was perfectly legitimate.

Sheng Xuanling, noticing her movements, saw the two people in front of him acting intimately. An inexplicable jealousy fueled his anger, and he tacitly allowed her to get closer.

The auction on stage continued as usual, and the strange atmosphere among the few people below the stage did not seem to affect the others. Except for the few beautiful women who had been paying attention to Sheng Xuanling, their eyes seemed to blaze with fire when they saw someone beat them to it.

The spotlight focused on the stage, and one by one, the auction items, which could be considered treasures and famous paintings, were carried to the center. Several graceful figures mingled in the darkness and slowly moved in one direction.

"Okay, next up is the much-anticipated grand finale—Heart of Glamour, a ruby ​​necklace made by Layton, a master gem craftsman from the 20s. Although it is not a top-tier gemstone piece, it has a profound meaning."

"That's right, there's also a sweet love story among them," another host chimed in, trying to sound mysterious.

"Once upon a time, two exceptionally talented men fell in love with the same woman. One man pursued her relentlessly, showering her with flowers and gifts daily, and consistently appearing by her side. With his talent, looks, perseverance, and deep love, he won her over. They married and had a child. Everything seemed perfect and happy, like a fairytale ending with the prince and princess living happily ever after. However, a wicked stepmother appeared. She was the man's mother, and she disapproved of the woman's background because she was from a commoner family while her family was noble. This 'stepmother' only cared about..." He couldn't stand the woman at home, constantly picking fights and insulting her. To protect their happy family of three, the woman had no choice but to swallow her anger. This seemingly excellent husband was surprisingly cowardly, unable even to protect his own wife. When his mother humiliated her, he simply stood by, silently enduring the abuse. Meanwhile, another man, a close friend of the woman, secretly loved her but dared not express his feelings, especially after her marriage. He couldn't bear to see her growing increasingly haggard yet forcing a smile in front of others, but powerless to help their family, he could only create this gemstone necklace for her. Yes, this man was Layton. And the meaning of this gemstone was…”

"Despite the glitz and glamour of this world, I love you as always," the two hosts said in unison.

The host, dressed in a red low-cut mermaid gown, was taken aback by the scene before revealing an expression that seemed to have been expected. She smiled with a mixture of regret and sigh, saying, "But... no one knows how this story will end. Perhaps the ending should be left to the next generation to write."

After the story was told, the people in the audience put down their glasses or plates and began to applaud one after another...

Applause thundered.

Their experiences were so similar to those of the three people in the audience that they listened intently to the story about the necklace.

When Zong Zhengqing heard the phrase "a cowardly husband and stepmother," he almost couldn't stand up straight. He nearly thought it was a story fabricated by someone in the Zong family to embarrass him. But by the end, he was moved, thinking of the people around him, and the softness in his heart was touched.

Yan Ran, standing to the side, felt a pang of sympathy for the woman who was just as pathetic as she had been. Fortunately, she had seen through the woman's true colors early on and made up her mind.

"Starting price: $100,000..."

"Two hundred thousand!" Without a second thought, Zong Zhengqing raised his bidding paddle, his demeanor elegant yet determined.

"Six hundred thousand!" Suddenly, a domineering voice came from a corner, doubling the bid as soon as it was opened.

The guests turned around curiously to see a playboy-like man holding a glass of champagne to his lips, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his sword-like eyebrows raised in a flirtatious manner, his gaze towards Zong Zhengqing filled with provocation, and every gesture exuding arrogance and unruliness. Amidst the fragrance of clothes and the sway of hair, a woman with a hot and alluring figure was in his arms, and all sorts of beauties surrounded him.

"Young Master Sheng..."

"President Sheng..."

"Why is he here...?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, those who hadn't noticed him before began to whisper among themselves, and a few even stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

Seeing the familiar face, that irritating attitude, and that unrepentant lecherousness, Yan Ran recalled the inexplicable phone call from before. She frowned, somewhat annoyed and confused, and blurted out, "Why is he here...?"

Her tone was like a soft sigh or a whisper, yet loud enough for the man beside her to hear.