The Auction Party

At that time, Bai Lin was like a beast that had lost its prey, desperately suppressing the anxiety and fury in her heart, feeling as if everyone around her had stolen her most precious possession. Thus, she pushed through the dense crowd, her eyes bloodshot as she searched for her treasure. Though she tried to control her body, preventing it from trembling out of fear, she ultimately could not hide it from Chi Qing's eyes.

In that moment, Chi Qing's heart ached with immense regret. She shouldn't have tested Bai Lin's reaction in the first place, let alone used such a method to toy with her passion. The one who made the mistake was clearly her, yet she had caused Bai Lin to endure so much agony. This was truly cruel. Chi Qing didn't want to test her anymore; she stepped in front of her and pulled Bai Lin into her arms. In an instant, Chi Qing could feel Bai Lin's body relax, gradually calming down, simply because she realized she had finally found what she was looking for.

"I thought you had abandoned me."

After a long while, Bai Lin finally calmed down completely. Feeling the other holding her, she spoke softly.

Chi Qing's body stiffened. She continued to pat her back reassuringly, then sighed helplessly.

"I only went to buy milk tea just now. I didn't expect to make you so worried."

At this moment, Chi Qing chose to lie. Buying milk tea was merely an excuse; she had had no intention of buying it at first. After lying, Chi Qing stuffed the cup into Bai Lin's hand. Receiving the milk tea, the other said a soft thank you and took a large sip. The overly sweet and rich flavor of the milk tea wasn't to Bai Lin's liking, but she didn't show it, only looking up at Chi Qing.

Her dark eyes flickered with light, holding a mix of confusion and happiness. This gaze made Chi Qing's heart ache, making her realize that sometimes, a well-intentioned lie wasn't entirely blameworthy. To keep Bai Lin from doubting her, she had used the poorest excuse, yet Bai Lin hadn't doubted her at all.

"Forget it, let me drink it instead."

Chi Qing felt exceptionally irritated, her annoyance transferring to the cup of milk tea. She despised herself for being so heartless to test her, and she despised this complicit cup of milk tea. Thus, she snatched the cup back from Bai Lin, and without caring whether Bai Lin had already drunk from it, she gulped down the remaining liquid.

Seeing Chi Qing's agitation, Bai Lin didn't understand why she wanted to drink her milk tea. Perhaps since Chi Qing had bought it, it was normal for her to take it back if she wanted to drink it.

After finishing the milk tea, Chi Qing felt her mouth filled with an overly sweet taste. She frowned in disgust, feeling a wave of nausea. At that moment, something white suddenly appeared near her lips. Looking up, she saw Bai Lin using a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, her eyes actually showing a trace of doting. This made Chi Qing uncomfortable. After all, being looked at with such doting eyes by someone fifteen years younger—and her own daughter—was not a pleasant experience.

"Why aren't you angry?"

Chi Qing asked in a low voice, wanting to know if Bai Lin would ever get angry with her, no matter what she did.

"As long as you like it, it's fine."

With that, Bai Lin took Chi Qing's hand and led her to the parking lot. Even after they got into the car, Bai Lin's words still echoed in Chi Qing's mind. *As long as I like it, it's fine, but the things I like will only hurt you.*

This Christmas finally came to an end when they returned home. Although neither had eaten dinner, Chi Qing had drunk a large cup of milk tea and was already full. Bai Lin simply ate some fruit, and they politely bid each other goodnight at the door before returning to their respective rooms.

Perhaps only the bed and pillows knew how difficult a sleepless night they both endured.

***

The end of the year was the busiest time for events, and the charity auction organized by Bai Jun attracted a massive amount of media and public attention. The auction was set to begin at seven in the evening, but even before six, guests and media had already begun to arrive, showing how much importance they attached to this event.

Groups of two or three dressed in splendid attire stood in circles in the hall, holding glasses of red wine, chatting and laughing. To outsiders, they looked like friends or lovers. But what secrets lay hidden in their hearts, no one knew. Among the crowd in the hall was Chi Qing's group.

Standing in a well-lit corner of the hall, Chi Qing and Bai Lin stood together, while Ge Tong and Su Aoning moved through the crowd with the young girl, gathering information on the guests. Tonight, Chi Qing wore heavy makeup, firstly to avoid being recognized by Bai Jun, and secondly, to fit the nature of the event.

She wore an exquisite long black dress and black high heels. She was already 175 cm tall, and with the heels, she stood at 185 cm, leaving many men in the room unable to keep up.

Her long hair fell over her shoulders, making her look younger while adding a touch of elegance and dignity. A strand of hair occasionally fell onto her forehead, which she brushed back with her hand, every gesture revealing her slender neck and delicate ears. Her soft, full earlobes were adorned with diamond earrings, which, paired with her fair skin, made her look incredibly radiant.

Because she wore contact lenses, Chi Qing's dark eyes had turned grey, but they still retained their sharp edge. The usual icy indifference was softened, replaced by a touch of allure. Her exquisite cherry lips were painted a fiery red. Tonight, Chi Qing was like a demon queen ruling the darkness—beautiful, enchanting, and untouchably high.

Bai Lin didn't know what she was doing, or rather, she had completely forgotten her purpose tonight. Throughout the evening, her eyes were fixed on Chi Qing. She stared at her face, her profile, her every move. Whenever a man approached Chi Qing, Bai Lin would look at him warily, like a small cat ready to scratch his face off at any moment.

Seeing Bai Lin's adorable behavior, Chi Qing shook her head helplessly, but her heart felt as sweet as honey. So this was what it felt like to be cared for by someone; it was surprisingly wonderful.

Tonight, Bai Lin was also stunning. She wore a long white dress that revealed her flawless shoulders, paired with silver-white high heels. Her long black hair wasn't styled in any special way, simply falling over her shoulders. Yet, even with such simple attire, she still drew the gaze of the entire room.

Unlike Chi Qing's cold, enchanting beauty, Bai Lin exuded a pure, clear aura. She possessed the unique traits of youth—vibrant energy and radiant skin. Her light makeup highlighted her sharp features, and her cold eyes and distant aura blended perfectly together.

Bai Lin was like a fairy untouched by the mortal world—humble, polite, calm, and confident, carrying a gentle presence. No matter how close one got to her, she seemed to look down from a high position, viewing others as insignificant. Perhaps in this world, only one person could move her, and that was the woman standing beside her, Chi Qing.

It could be said that Bai Lin and Chi Qing completely outshone every woman in the hall and mesmerized every male guest. The black-and-white pairing was flawless, especially since they possessed similar figures and features. Consequently, many guests discussed which wealthy family these sisters belonged to, wondering if they were attending the banquet merely to kill time.

However, if they knew that beneath their formal wear, Bai Lin and Chi Qing wore tactical gear, with guns and machetes at their waists, they would understand. They hadn't come to kill time; they had come to cause a massive uproar.

"You've been staring at me all night. Aren't you tired?"

Finding the banquet atmosphere unsuitable, Chi Qing took a glass of wine and went to the balcony to look at the moon. After a while, she noticed Bai Lin approaching, standing behind her. Without turning around, Chi Qing could feel that intense gaze.

"No, I was just thinking about what we need to do in a moment."

Having her secret exposed made Bai Lin a little embarrassed. She spoke in a low voice and took a sip of her red wine. The sharp taste of the alcohol hit her throat, causing her to frown instinctively. Indeed, she still preferred tea over wine. Even overly sweet milk tea was many times better than wine.

"If you don't like wine, don't drink it. Isn't there milk over there?"

Seeing Bai Lin's dislike for the wine, Chi Qing leaned against the railing and spoke to her. She hadn't intended to tease her, but after she spoke, she didn't expect the other's ears to turn red.

"I can drink wine, I just don't like it."

As if eager to prove she wasn't a child, Bai Lin protested. Seeing her staring resolutely, clutching the wine glass as if fearing Chi Qing would snatch it away, Chi Qing realized that no matter how mature Bai Lin grew, she would still reveal this rare innocence and cuteness in front of her.

This made Chi Qing feel both fortunate and happy. In fact, she didn't want Bai Lin to lose this innocence. If one discarded even this last shred of innocence in life, then life would lose all its joy. Just like... herself.

"You should take this chance to eat something, so you won't lack strength later. Also, no matter what happens, you must stay by my side, not a single step away."

Chi Qing looked at Bai Lin, speaking with concern. If possible, she truly didn't want Bai Lin to participate in this dangerous mission.

Setting aside the possibility of Bai Jun setting an ambush, the terrain here alone made escaping extremely difficult. Before today, Chi Qing had never heard of such a mountain here, let alone anyone choosing such a venue for an auction.

The venue didn't even have a name, not even a sign. It was just a large plaza resembling a park, with no prominent buildings. To enter, one had to drive up the mountain. Because it hadn't been developed, the road remained in its primitive state—narrow, rocky, and quite bumpy.

On the way, seeing Su Aoning drive like the wind on such terrain made even the usually calm Chi Qing frown. She didn't want to die in a car accident before she could even kill Bai Jun; that would be far too ridiculous.

After a tense journey, they finally reached the entrance. The first gate required a VIP membership card and an invitation, while the second gate even required a fingerprint scan to enter. After finally completing the process, it was already past six in the evening when they entered, but a crowd had already gathered inside.

Over the next hour, they adjusted their clothes, observed the positions of Bai Jun's men, and equipped their earpieces and microphones. Su Aoning required the four of them to maintain contact at all times; unless forced by external factors, no one was allowed to turn off their microphone or earpiece.

Throughout the evening, Chi Qing kept an eye on the staff in the hall, while also paying close attention to Bai Lin's safety. Looking at Bai Lin's slender frame, Chi Qing knew her physical condition couldn't withstand too much strain. No matter what, she would not let Bai Lin get hurt tonight. ||CHAPTER_SEPARATOR