Luo Dingyuan · Chat

The sky over South Bay at six in the evening is always like this—the sunset glow gently cradled by clouds, lingering in long, drawn-out light. Driving this convertible, which hadn't been touched once since its delivery before the new year, on the way to South Bay's largest auction house. The drive went a bit too smoothly, the kind of smooth that felt meticulously orchestrated—green lights the entire way, never stopping once. For Luo Dingyuan, a man chased by death all year round, this sort of smooth sailing was anything but normal. Upon reaching the destination, he cast a subconscious, casual glance around, finding nothing out of the ordinary. "Anything unusual today?" Glancing at Peng Jiawei, he stepped through the revolving doors into the auction house lobby. "Nothing," Peng Jiawei replied in a low voice beside him. Walking in one after the other, the two stood before the elevator doors, preparing to head down to basement level three to inspect the goods. "Second Master, the hall upstairs is currently auctioning Fan Tao's *Green Lotus* painting," Peng Jiawei added in an undertone, looking at his tablet screen. The elevator doors slid open to reveal an unfamiliar woman. His heartbeat skipped a beat right then. Judging by her attire, she seemed to have just come down from the auction hall upstairs. Watching her about to step out, the corners of his lips curved into a barely perceptible smirk. "My dear lady, the auction isn't even over yet. What's the rush?" Taking a step forward to block her path, he locked his gaze onto her eyes, his tone poised somewhere between teasing and probing. "Mind if we get acquainted?" He swept a brief glance toward Yin Panqing, who stood nearby watching him, before his gaze settled firmly back on the face of the woman in front of him.