50: Chapter 50 A Visitor in the Night

Qiao Yichen glanced at his phone; it was nine-ten.

The flow of people in the exhibition hall was noticeably sparser than before. Many display cases had begun to be covered with dark dust cloths, and the staff were methodically tidying up the tea sets.

The two walked side-by-side through the exhibition hall toward the rosewood doors leading to the main lobby. Manager Xu was standing at the entrance saying goodbye to a few guests, his impeccable smile still fixed on his face.

Upon seeing Teacher Song and Qiao Yichen emerge, he immediately ended his conversation and hurried over to greet them.

"Teacher Song, Mr. Qiao," he bowed slightly, his tone respectful, "Did you enjoy yourselves tonight?"

"It was quite good, Manager Xu took great care of us." Teacher Song nodded and smiled, patting Qiao Yichen's shoulder. "Little Qiao also had some gains."

Manager Xu’s smile remained unchanged as his gaze naturally shifted to Qiao Yichen, following up on Teacher Song's comment:

"It's good that Mr. Qiao gained something. Teacher Song is our distinguished guest, and anyone he brings, we must serve attentively."

He paused slightly, then smoothly transitioned the conversation to follow-up matters, saying gently:

"Also, just to update Mr. Qiao, the exhibition hall for this Private Negotiation Fair will remain open tomorrow and the day after. For some collectibles whose ownership wasn't finalized tonight, the consignors have authorized us to conduct final price negotiations during this period. If Mr. Qiao has time later, or if you have any new considerations for any piece, you are welcome to come back and take another look anytime."

The words were polite, but Qiao Yichen understood the underlying meaning—his presence today, brought by Teacher Song, along with tonight's successful transaction, had led Manager Xu to view him as a client with potential for continued engagement.

"Thank you, Manager Xu. I will return if I have time." Qiao Yichen responded appropriately. "Also, I will send you the shipping address tomorrow. I will settle the remaining payment within these two days as well."

"No rush, Mr. Qiao, please arrange it according to your own schedule." Manager Xu smiled, stepping aside to lead the way. "Please, I will see you both out."

...

The night was deep, and the driveway in front of the Auction House was much emptier.

Teacher Song's black Audi A8 was parked quietly under the lamplight.

"Little Qiao, how are you getting home?" Teacher Song stopped and asked.

"I've called a ride; it will be here soon. Teacher Song, please, you first." Qiao Yichen stepped aside with a respectful posture.

Teacher Song didn't stand on ceremony, nodding. "Alright, be careful on the road. When you're free another time, have Guodong take you out for tea."

"I certainly will. Thank you very much today, Teacher Song." Qiao Yichen bowed slightly.

After watching the Audi A8 smoothly drive away into the night, its taillights fading into the distance, Qiao Yichen finally let out a soft breath.

He took out his phone, but instead of calling his ride, he tapped the pinned conversation at the top. After a brief thought, he typed and sent a message:

"The Private Negotiation Fair just ended. I'm heading your way now, is that convenient?"

The reply came almost instantly.

Liu Yanran: "Mm."

Qiao Yichen's lips curved upward, his fingertips dancing quickly across the screen as he pushed his luck with an added line:

"I also have another issue... I was too busy looking at things tonight and didn't even have time for dinner. I'm a bit hungry."

This time, the wait was a few seconds longer.

Liu Yanran: "Got it."

Qiao Yichen looked at those three words, his smile deepening.

He put away his phone, selected "Premium Ride" on the ride-hailing app, and set the destination directly to Liu Yanran's address.

The premium car traveled smoothly through the night scenery of the West City.

Outside the window, the lights streamed by. Qiao Yichen leaned back into the soft rear seat, his body finally showing a trace of fatigue, yet his spirit was in a state of strange exhilaration.

The Huanghuali square cabinet valued at 260,000, which could fetch a market valuation between 1.8 million and 2.5 million upon resale... These figures and images swirled repeatedly in his mind.

The price fluctuation was quite large, and furthermore, how to sell it was a major issue.

From the Auction House to Liu Yanran's home, the car traversed more than half the city. When the premium ride slowly stopped at the entrance of the familiar residential complex, the time was already ten past nine at night.

The night was deep, and the entire complex was silent, only the dim, yellowish glow cast by the streetlights remained.

A slight breeze swept by, bringing a chill that energized him. He adjusted his suit jacket and stepped toward the apartment building.

...

He stood before that familiar dark security door, regulated his breathing, raised his hand, and lightly knocked three times.

Faint footsteps sounded from inside the door, approaching from far to near.

The door lock clicked softly, and the door opened.

A warm yellow glow flowed out from the gap in the door. What met Qiao Yichen's eyes was a Liu Yanran completely different from any image in his memory.

Liu Yanran was wearing a light gray silk pajama set, the belt loosely tied, the collar slightly open, revealing her collarbone and a section of her fair neck.

Her long hair was casually pinned up at the back of her head, with a few stray wisps hanging by her cheeks. She was wearing a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses; her eyes behind the lenses held a hint of fatigue, but they possessed less of their usual sharpness and more softness.

What surprised Qiao Yichen was the pair of thick black-rimmed glasses on her face, so large they almost covered half her face.

But it was precisely these glasses that stripped away her usual 'Ice Queen' aura, even lending her a touch of endearing clumsiness.

Qiao Yichen stared, somewhat entranced, momentarily forgetting to speak.

Seeing Qiao Yichen stunned, she raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you coming in? Planning to stand at the door like a statue?"

As she spoke, she stepped aside to reveal the space inside the door.

"Coming in." Qiao Yichen snapped back to attention, suppressing the stir in his heart, and stepped inside.

Liu Yanran had already turned and walked toward the living room. Qiao Yichen followed her, his gaze involuntarily falling on the tips of her hair and the hem of her pajamas that swayed slightly with her steps.

Then, his line of sight was drawn to the items on the living room coffee table.

The expected takeout was there, but the red and white logo on the box was unexpectedly KFC.

Several paper boxes were spread out, revealing golden original recipe chicken pieces, a stack of spicy wings, french fries, and two cups of Coke. Beside them were even two small boxes of mashed potatoes and vegetable salad.

This was completely different from the "kind of thing Liu Yanran would order" he had envisioned.

It was too mundane, utterly inconsistent with her usual refined appearance.

Liu Yanran had already walked to the edge of the long sofa and sat down very casually, sinking slightly into the soft cushions.

Her posture was relaxed, and she naturally crossed her legs. The pant leg of her silk pajamas slid up a small amount with the movement, revealing a stretch of fair, slender calf and ankle.

Without looking at him, she reached out on her own, picked up a box of fries, pulled out one strip, and absently dipped it into the nearby ketchup.

Seeing this, Qiao Yichen didn't sit on the single sofa next to her. Instead, he directly took off his jacket, placed it aside, and walked over to the long sofa. He naturally bent his knees beside Liu Yanran and sat down on the thick, soft, long-pile carpet.

The position he chose was extremely clever—the height of his shoulder was perfectly parallel to Liu Yanran's thigh as she sat on the sofa, and the distance between them was barely two hand spans.

He reached out, picked up an original recipe chicken piece, and took a large, unapologetic bite. The skin was crispy, and the inside was juicy and scalding hot.

"Hungry?" Liu Yanran finally glanced at him, her tone mild, as she put the sauced french fry into her mouth.

"Yes, so hungry my front is sticking to my back." Qiao Yichen swallowed the chicken and turned to look at her. From this upward-gazing angle, the black-rimmed glasses on her face looked even larger, and her eyes behind the lenses seemed clearer. "But this original recipe chicken right now is practically a lifesaver."

Then he pointed at the fast-food boxes on the table. "But... I really didn't expect you to order this."

Liu Yanran followed his gaze to the boxes and smiled faintly.

"There's nothing in the fridge, and I'm too lazy to cook myself. This is fast."' She spoke concisely.

Qiao Yichen looked up and smiled at her, then took another bite of chicken.

Liu Yanran very naturally inserted a straw into the unopened Coke and pushed it toward him.

"Slow down."

"Mm."