Chapter 389: Chapter 351: The Heart of Pink
After Gu Qili finished speaking, she nervously watched him. He had never said a word against her, nor had he ever complained to her. He silently swallowed so much grievance, but he would never think she was wrong. In his eyes, everything she did was right, even if it meant hating him, resenting him, or punishing him.
How could there be such a man in this world, who is wholeheartedly good to you without asking for anything in return? She was so fortunate in this life.
"You little ingrate," he repeated, pinching her face, "Go wash up."
But Gu Qili refused to leave his embrace: "You haven’t said whether you forgive me or not?"
"Fool, I’ve never felt that you did anything wrong, so what’s there to forgive?" His simple words made Gu Qili’s nose tingle with emotion,
"Mu Shuoqian, I will never leave you again, never again. Even if you hit me, scold me, or drive me away, I will not leave."
Mu Shuoqian gently laughed and softly replied, "Mhm."
How could he bear to do so.
Nobody found it strange that Mu Shuoqian suddenly appeared here because everyone knew he had bought this vineyard and that he and Gu Qili were about to get married.
"Come with me to the city." After dinner, Mu Shuoqian was ready to leave.
"What’s the matter? I haven’t finished my work here."
His tone left no room for argument: "You’ll know when we get there."
Mu Shuoqian’s mysterious demeanor also made Gu Qili very curious, so she handed off her work and got into his car.
Upon reaching the city, they encountered the morning rush hour. The car stopped and started along the way, and Gu Qili rolled down her window to let in some air.
Outside the window, there happened to be a jewelry store opening. There were hundreds of flower baskets placed in front of the store, and it seemed they had invited a minor celebrity, creating quite a lively scene.
Leaning out of the car window, Gu Qili saw a glass display placed at the entrance, where a red satin cloth held a diamond ring of roughly 10 carats, sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Like it?" The car came to a complete stop by the roadside, and Mu Shuoqian opened his window to smoke, his gaze drifting over casually.
Perhaps no woman could resist the allure of diamonds, and Gu Qili was no exception. That tiny stone seemed to possess endless magic, and besides, they were getting married and seemed not to have a ring yet.
"Is this the centerpiece of this store?" Gu Qili couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.
Mu Shuoqian silently finished his cigarette, stubbing it out in the ashtray: "Let’s go."
"Oh." Gu Qili retracted her head and the car drove away, but she still couldn’t help but steal one last glance.
Gu Qili thought Mu Shuoqian was taking her to the company, but surprisingly, they arrived at an auction house. As they entered, they saw a sign at the entrance that read, "Please proceed to the multifunctional hall on the second floor for the Heart of Pink auction."
The Heart of Pink? Gu Qili vaguely remembered a famed pink diamond that had once been the talk of the world, known for being worn by a princess said to be the most beautiful in the world. After changing hands several times, the diamond had now appeared in Aus City.
Had he brought her here for this Heart of Pink?
Gu Qili suddenly became excited, turned her head to look at him, trying to find the answer on his face. But Mu Shuoqian simply pursed his lips and didn’t speak, leading her upstairs.
"Young Master Qian." Someone suddenly called him from behind.
Mu Shuoqian turned around and nodded at the person, then said to Gu Qili, "Go upstairs first, I will be there shortly."
"Okay." Knowing that he needed to talk business with a partner, Gu Qili obediently went upstairs alone.
The auction was held in the form of a social event, with various desserts and wines laid out. The attendees could taste wine while raising their bidding cards, creating a casual and natural atmosphere. This increasingly popular auction style was very suitable for the upper-class crowd.
Having scanned the venue, Gu Qili was about to find a quiet place to sit down when someone bumped into her from behind, and she nearly fell forward, thankfully someone nearby reached out to steady her in time.
The person who bumped into her had no intention of apologizing and strutted proudly inside. Gu Qili saw her face clearly; it was Gao Ruobing, the heiress of Feihe Winery.
"Miss Gao is here." Someone who recognized her immediately called her over.
Gu Qili frowned, disliking such people who lacked basic manners. She had seen Gao Ruobing last time in the hospital and didn’t want to make a fuss because of the setting. But today, having been bumped into again, she felt no need to hold her tongue any longer. Some people need to be taught a lesson, or they’ll think you’re easy to bully forever.
Gu Qili straightened the strands of hair by her temples, walking over with graceful steps.
Several glasses of white wine were ready on the wine table; she casually picked up a glass and lightly sipped it.
Gao Ruobing, who happened to reach out at the same time, turned her gaze and saw her. Seeming to recall something, she suddenly said to Gu Qili, "Is it you?"
Gu Qili ignored her, picking up a piece of small cake from the food counter.
Completely ignored, Gao Ruobing’s pride was unsettled. Everyone was ingratiating themselves with her, yet this woman’s gaze was indifferent, appearing even more haughty than she was, and she did not remember her as any family’s lady or celebrity’s girlfriend.
Gao Ruobing took a sip of her drink, and someone beside her asked, "Miss Gao, this wine is quite good. Could you enlighten us, what wine is this?"
As someone born from a winery, this was naturally her forte. Holding her glass, she gently swirled it, "This is a Sauvignon Blanc white wine, from the year ’96."
"Miss Gao is indeed impressive, to even name the year just by tasting it."
"Yes, unlike us, who can only drink without understanding."
Faced with the crowd’s flattering compliments, Gao Ruobing’s lips curled into a smile.
Amidst these adulating voices, a discordant snicker came through. The sound was soft, yet it made everyone shut their mouths and look for the source.
Gu Qili also held a wine glass in her hand, her lucid eyes containing a hint of provocation. Locking eyes with her made Gao Ruobing feel inexplicably insecure.
Gu Qili took a small sip of red wine, speaking faintly, "Miss Gao got two things wrong. Firstly, the protagonist of this wine is indeed Sauvignon Blanc. Secondly, this wine comes from ’97 Burgundy, not ’96."
Upon hearing this, murmurs immediately began to spread through the crowd. Some questioned Gao Ruobing’s professionalism, while others doubted whether Gu Qili was spouting nonsense.
Publicly corrected, Gao Ruobing couldn’t tolerate someone questioning her reputation. Wasn’t it known that Feihe Winery was the largest in Aus City, and as the heiress of the winery, her expertise was beyond doubt?
"Who are you? Spouting nonsense here," Gao Ruobing said with a frown.
"Whether I’m spouting nonsense or not, Miss Gao could simply ask the waiter to find out," said Gu Qili, her gaze still cool, only making Gao Ruobing more agitated.
Just then, a waiter passed by with a tray of wines. Gu Qili stopped him, pointing to a glass on the wine table, "Excuse me, what is the region of origin for this wine?"
The waiter immediately answered, "This is a ’97 white wine from Burgundy, primarily made of Sauvignon Blanc."
"How can that be?" Gao Ruobing’s voice became somewhat shrill, "Are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
Startled, the waiter hastily took an empty bottle from his tray to show everyone, "I’m certain I’m not mistaken, it’s clearly indicated here."
Since it was imported in the original packaging, there was a white label on the back of the bottle. The information was exactly as Gu Qili had stated, with only a one percent difference in content. However, being able to discern the various grape components just by tasting was shocking to the audience.
Gao Ruobing’s face alternated between red and white. Hearing the whispers that obviously doubted her, she pointed at Gu Qili with utmost fury, "Who are you? You must have sneaked a peek at the bottle."
"Regardless of whether I’ve seen the bottle or not, what Miss Gao said differs completely from this wine. That remains an unalterable fact everyone heard. So if your knowledge isn’t up to par, go back and practice a few more years, don’t come out and embarrass yourself," said Gu Qili, ready to leave when Gao Ruobing suddenly grabbed her by the arm.
"Who exactly are you?" Gao Ruobing felt this woman was no ordinary person, her previous remarks caused her a great shock, and she couldn’t comprehend how she did it.
Gu Qili lowered her head and glanced at the hand on her arm, responding coldly, "I am Gu Qili from Qixi Vineyard."
"Qixi Vineyard? Isn’t that the bankrupt winery?" someone suddenly recalled in the crowd.
"Yes, back in the day, this vineyard was quite famous in Aus City. At that time, Feihe was merely a small winery."
Hearing this, a refined and delicate sneer spread across Gao Ruobing’s meticulously made-up face, as if amused by a very interesting joke, "Miss Gu, are you sure you’re not at the wrong event? This is the Pink Heart Auction, and the Gu Family is bankrupt. Are you sure you’re not here to watch the fun? Qixi Vineyard was just a rubbish winery with nothing but a hollow reputation. Even if you try to revive it now, it’s doomed to be third or fourth rate, not fit for public presentation,"
"If someone’s here to watch the fun, it’s Miss Gao," replied Gu Qili with a light lip-smile, "As for whether my vineyard can make it to the public stage, just wait and see, Miss Gao."
After speaking, Gu Qili no longer paid attention to the increasingly pale-faced Gao Ruobing and turned to leave. But her arm was seized again, and Gao Ruobing addressed a man who seemed to be in charge, "What is this? You’re letting just anyone in?"
Just as the words fell, a calm and deep voice echoed, "My wife, Mu Shuoqian, came here. Any objections?"