Chapter 65: Intimate Contact

As the commotion in the hall gradually swelled, Liu Ruifeng gave a grand wave of his hand and spoke.

"Well, to avoid wasting everyone's time, the starting bid for the first medicinal meal is fifty taels! The auction begins now!"

Following Liu Ruifeng's words, the scene fell into a brief silence.

Soon, however, a man stood up with a smile, raised his bidding paddle in hand, and said.

"Since no one else is speaking up, allow me to make the opening bid. I bid fifty-five taels of silver."

"Splendid! Guest number thirty-seven bids fifty-five taels of silver! I wonder if any other guest wishes to raise the bid? This is merely five taels more than the starting price!"

Liu Ruifeng was extremely cooperative, speaking with great enthusiasm right after the man finished quoting his price.

"Fifty-five taels of silver? My brother, you are being far too petty. To think you're the first one to make a bid today—I bid seventy-five taels of silver!"

Another young man dressed in extremely lavish attire stood up from his seat. After teasing the previous bidder with a few remarks, he raised his paddle and spoke loudly.

"Wonderful! Guest number eighty-two offers seventy-five taels of silver! Is there anyone else who wishes to raise the bid? There are only twenty portions of the ultimate nourishing porridge available today. Opportunity knocks but once, so don't miss out!"

Liu Ruifeng called out once more, his tone exceptionally passionate.

With the successive bids from the two men, the atmosphere finally grew lively!

"I bid seventy-eight taels!"

"This humble one is willing to offer eighty-four taels!"

"Ninety-two taels!"

Driven by the competitive bidding from the crowd, the price of the ultimate nourishing porridge was quickly pushed to the astronomical figure of one hundred taels. Once it reached this bracket, the number of bidders noticeably decreased, yet the price continued to climb.

"The price of the first medicinal meal has now reached one hundred and thirty-two taels of silver! Are there any other guests wishing to match the bid?"

Seeing that no one else in the hall was speaking, Liu Ruifeng felt no disappointment. This price was already quite impressive, surpassing even the estimates he and Shen Xuan had guessed.

"One hundred and thirty-two taels, going once! One hundred and thirty-two taels, going twice!"

"This humble one bids one hundred and fifty taels of silver!"

Just as Liu Ruifeng was about to declare the sale, someone else in the hall made a new bid, driving the price straight to one hundred and fifty taels.

"Whoa!"

Hearing this price, the crowd in the venue stirred restlessly, turning their heads one after another toward the source of the voice to identify the bidder.

Even Shen Xuan, seated on the second floor, could not help casting his gaze over upon hearing this price.

Down below, a middle-aged man with a plump and prosperous appearance was holding up his bidding paddle, waving in their direction with a smile.

"It's him!"

Shen Xuan's expression remained steady as he spoke instinctively.

"Master Shen, do you know this person?"

Hearing Shen Xuan's voice, An Miaoyu could not help asking.

"We've had two brief encounters with today's guests."

Shen Xuan nodded, answering very concisely.

"Oh! So that's how it is. But Master Shen, you probably don't know this person's identity yet, do you?"

An Miaoyu blinked knowingly, then spoke with a smile.

"Could Lady An know who he is?"

Shen Xuan turned his head slightly, a trace of curiosity in his eyes as he asked.

"This person is called Guo Wanqian, and he is the proprietor of the Ten Thousand Horses Trading Firm."

An Miaoyu smiled without playing coy, speaking directly.

"The Ten Thousand Horses Trading Firm? That sounds somewhat familiar."

Hearing this name, Shen Xuan felt he had heard it somewhere before and murmured softly.

"Of course it's familiar. The Ten Thousand Horses Trading Firm is a renowned commercial house in the capital, with ventures spanning numerous fields."

An Miaoyu answered affirmatively.

"Ah! It's the one everyone talks about—something like one of the top five trading houses in the capital."

After thinking for a moment, Shen Xuan finally caught a trace of memory and said in sudden realization.

"Indeed, the Ten Thousand Horses Trading Firm is indeed one of the top five commercial houses in the capital. As for Guo Wanqian, while his skill in making money might not be the most formidable among the five proprietors, his mastery of human relations and social finesse has reached the absolute pinnacle."

An Miaoyu nodded. As she looked at Guo Wanqian, a hint of genuine admiration crept into her eyes, and she praised him unthinkingly.

"How so? To reach such a position, surely anyone must handle interpersonal matters exceptionally well. Why does Lady An say that Guo Wanqian does it best among the five?"

Shen Xuan's brow furrowed slightly, his tone filled with perplexity.

"I actually don't know too much about the details, only that he is the only one among the five who started with absolutely nothing. The other trading houses, no matter how brief their history, required at least three generations of accumulation to reach their current standing."

"The Ten Thousand Horses Trading Firm is different. It rose to prominence quite suddenly over the past few decades, and the proprietor throughout this entire period has always been this Guo Wanqian."

An Miaoyu pondered for a moment before speaking with a hint of uncertainty.

"Then this man truly possesses some remarkable capability."

Having heard Guo Wanqian's background, Shen Xuan could not help nodding in agreement, a flash of appreciation sweeping through his eyes.

"That's not all. I've heard that not only is this man entangled with major officials in the imperial court, but he also has cooperative ties with some very prominent figure within the royal family."

An Miaoyu fully agreed with the sentiment, then, seemingly recalling something, turned her head, leaned close to Shen Xuan's ear, and whispered.

Feeling the warm breath brushing against his ear, Shen Xuan felt a slight tickle.

A stir went through Shen Xuan's heart, and instinctively, his head tilted slightly toward An Miaoyu's direction.

However, the two of them were already sitting extremely close. With Shen Xuan's sudden tilt, before An Miaoyu could even react, a soft contact brushed against her lips.

Realizing what had happened, An Miaoyu's expression froze for a fraction of a second, and in the next instant, her entire face flushed bright red, causing her head to jerk sharply backward.

Shen Xuan was also stunned for several seconds. Feeling his ear itch again, he raised a hand to touch it.

An Miaoyu, having pulled back her head, felt a wave of intense heat rush to her face, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Yet, she could not resist stealing a glance to see Shen Xuan's current reaction.

This sideways glance, however, caught precisely the moment Shen Xuan was rubbing his ear. The young girl felt her heart race even faster, leaving her momentarily breathless as she thought anxiously.

"What did Master Shen's action just mean? Could he be disgusted with me?"

To be honest, Shen Xuan was also feeling rather awkward. He turned to look at An Miaoyu and noticed the young girl's face was flushed crimson, her head bowed so low she dared not lift it up. He could not help but smile silently.

Just as Shen Xuan was about to open his mouth to say something, Liu Ruifeng's loud shout suddenly rang out from the restaurant below.

"One hundred and fifty taels, going once! One hundred and fifty taels, going twice! One hundred and fifty taels, thrice! Congratulations to guest number eighty-eight for successfully winning the first medicinal meal of our restaurant today! Let us use our warmest applause to congratulate this guest!"

With Liu Ruifeng bringing his gavel down with a final thud, the first medicinal meal of the Jun You Lai Restaurant today was successfully secured by Guo Wanqian.