AMBTICBPIB Chapter 70

The two-month summer vacation flew by, and September’s back-to-school season arrived.

This time, Chu Yi couldn’t join his classmates in class, leaving him with a faint sense of disappointment.

His friends even tagged him in their group chat, telling him they were already in class and sending photos of themselves flashing peace signs at the camera, their faces beaming.

Chu Yi couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. They were clearly trying to cheer him up. He joined in their banter, the lively chatter in the group chat helping to dispel his lingering sadness.

Jiang Xu also tagged him: “Aiya, the new semester’s started! We’re waiting for you here. When are you coming to class?”

Chu Yi’s hands itched with the urge to smack someone.

Moments later, Jiang Xu sent him a private message.

<i>Jiang Xu: Have you completed your leave of absence paperwork?</i>

<i>Chu Yi: Shen Jin already took care of it.</i>

<i>Jiang Xu: Tsk tsk, having a husband is so great. I’m dying of envy.</i>

<i>Chu Yi: Is Zhou Huaixiao not treating you well enough?</i>

Jiang Xu chuckled foolishly in the classroom.

<i>Jiang Xu: Are you sure you’ll still be in our class after your year off?</i>

<i>Chu Yi: Of course! We’ll still be classmates a year from now.</i>

Typically, after a year of academic leave, Chu Yi would have been expected to retake his sophomore courses. However, feeling confident he could graduate on time with his classmates, he decided to skip ahead to his junior year after his leave.

Shen Jin had already completed all the necessary paperwork, and the university had approved his request.

This meant Chu Yi couldn’t completely abandon his studies during his year off. Shen Jin, concerned about his energy levels, suggested that graduating a year later wouldn’t be a problem.

But Chu Yi wasn’t worried. He could study online using the university’s video lectures. As for the remaining credits, he was confident he could earn them before graduation.

With Chu Yi’s determination, Shen Jin naturally supported his decision.

Chu Yi had always been academically gifted and never needed supervision. He had scored exceptionally high on the national college entrance exam, earning admission to Lan University. Chen Ye admired Chu Yi most for his outstanding academic performance.

Even after starting university, Chu Yi remained diligent, consistently ranking first in his class on every exam.

So, after the semester began, Chu Yi started studying online independently.

One day, while watching a video lecture on his laptop, Chu Yi suddenly noticed something amusing.

He placed the laptop on his stomach, and it surprisingly stayed perfectly balanced without falling.

“Shen Jin! Shen Jin! Come look!” Chu Yi called out excitedly.

Hearing Chu Yi’s urgent call, Shen Jin hurried over. “What is it?”

Chu Yi pointed. “Look! The laptop stays so steady here!”

Shen Jin glanced at the laptop’s position.

*Shen Jin: …Thank goodness nothing’s wrong.*

*But is it safe to put the laptop on his stomach? I wonder if it’ll press on the baby.*

Before Shen Jin could speak, Chu Yi had already removed the laptop himself. “Let’s see if anything else will stay.”

He then placed the fruit plate from the table on his stomach. “Haha! It stays perfectly balanced too!”

Shen Jin shook his head helplessly. Chu Yi was like a child, curious about everything, so he let him have his fun.

However, Chu Yi’s curiosity only lasted a short while. After playing around for a bit, he stopped putting things on his stomach. The baby inside seemed to be protesting, kicking him repeatedly.

At first, the kicks were faint, but now they were strong and unmistakable.

Chu Yi, who was afraid of pain, couldn’t bear the baby’s forceful kicks and dared not put anything on his stomach again.

Chu Yi asked Shen Jin, “Do you think I’m pressing on the baby? Is that why it’s kicking me?”

Shen Jin smiled. Seeing Chu Yi every day and hearing him talk about the baby filled his heart with a sense of security.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Shen Jin asked.

“It’s okay, not too bad,” Chu Yi replied. “The baby’s movements are usually gentle, but sometimes it suddenly kicks. It doesn’t really hurt, just makes me jump.”

Several times, Chu Yi had been woken up in the middle of the night by the baby’s kicks. After being startled awake, Shen Jin would gently soothe him back to sleep.

Shen Jin noticed a lecture video playing on the computer. “Are you keeping up with your studies?”

Chu Yi replied confidently, “No problem.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Well, I think I’m keeping up.”

Shen Jin chuckled. “Should I hire a tutor for you?”

Seeing Shen Jin’s serious expression, Chu Yi quickly protested, “I don’t need a tutor! Don’t hire one!”

Shen Jin took everything Chu Yi said seriously. If a tutor showed up at their home tomorrow, Chu Yi wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

“Relax, I won’t hire one,” Shen Jin said, amused by Chu Yi’s reaction.

Chu Yi pressed him again, “Promise you won’t? I really don’t need one.”

“Absolutely not,” Shen Jin replied. He had another question for Chu Yi: “Chu Yi, there’s a private auction tomorrow afternoon. Would you like to come with me?”

Shen Jin rarely attended such events, but he thought Chu Yi would enjoy seeing one and getting out for some fun. Taking Chu Yi out for a stroll would also be good for his mood.

As expected, Chu Yi was very interested. “An auction? I’d love to go!”

This was Chu Yi’s first time attending a private auction, and he was both excited and curious.

The venue wasn’t crowded, and Shen Jin explained that not everyone was eligible to attend. Chu Yi thought for a moment and concluded that only very influential people, like Shen Jin himself, would qualify.

Unbeknownst to Shen Jin, his status in Chu Yi’s eyes had grown even more profound and enigmatic.

As Shen Jin and Chu Yi entered the venue, everyone’s gaze subtly but unmistakably drifted toward Chu Yi’s stomach.

Several financial magnates approached Shen Jin to speak with him. One of them asked directly, “President Shen, are you about to become a father?”

Shen Jin smiled, his gaze softening considerably. “Yes.”

The influential figure congratulated him warmly. “Congratulations, congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Shen Jin replied.

A staff member led Shen Jin and Chu Yi upstairs to a private booth. The auction was divided into two levels, with the second floor reserved for Lanch City’s most prominent figures.

The booth was lavishly decorated, with a table laden with delicacies and comfortable chairs on either side. A delicate, fragrant incense burned on the table, filling the air with a pleasant aroma.

Shen Jin gestured, and a staff member immediately approached.

“Mr. Shen, how may I assist you?” the staff member asked.

Shen Jin glanced at the incense burner. “Remove that.”

The staff member quickly removed the burner.

Chu Yi sipped his fruit juice, taking in the bustling atmosphere. It seemed quite crowded.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Shen Jin asked.

“Yes, it’s lively,” Chu Yi replied.

“If you see anything you like, just let me know,” Shen Jin said.

Chu Yi bit his straw. “No need. Let’s just watch.” Although this was his first time at such an event, he knew that auction items would be incredibly expensive. With other bidders driving up the prices, they would only become even more exorbitant.

Half an hour later, the auction officially began.

The items up for auction were all rare and valuable artifacts.

Chu Yi’s eyes widened as he listened to the bidding around him. The minimum increment for each bid was one million yuan. He had clearly underestimated the prices; to these people, a million yuan seemed like a mere hundred.

The clinking of gavels and the murmur of bids filled the hall as several items were quickly sold.

Chu Yi found the competitive bidding quite entertaining. He admired the auctioneer’s sharp vision and memory, managing to keep track of so many bidders without error.

Shen Jin asked him, “See anything you like?”

Chu Yi shook his head. It was all porcelain, calligraphy, paintings, and jade carvings—things he didn’t know how to appreciate.

When a porcelain vase sold for thirty million yuan, Chu Yi remembered the vase he had broken earlier. He recalled that the porcelain at home was even more valuable than this one.

Although there wasn’t anything Chu Yi initially liked, he was still enjoying the auction.

As Chu Yi speared a piece of watermelon, he heard the auctioneer introduce a jade pendant. He noticed the surrounding guests immediately straighten up, their anticipation palpable, as if they had all been waiting for this very piece.

The jade pendant on display was a pure, vibrant green—a color so striking that Chu Yi couldn’t help but gaze at it longer than necessary. He murmured involuntarily, “It’s so beautiful.”

The auctioneer announced that the jade was Imperial Green, personally carved by Mr. Lin, a legendary figure in the industry. In recent years, Mr. Lin had rarely released new works, making his jade carvings priceless. Even those who had offered exorbitant sums to commission him had been turned down.

The fact that Mr. Lin had created this piece explained why it was being presented as the grand finale.

No further introduction was needed. The guests were already clamoring to bid, each determined to secure the pendant.

Shen Jin, who had remained impassive throughout the auction, glanced at Chen Ye. Chen Ye nodded, understanding his cue.

From then on, Chu Yi noticed that Chen Ye’s bidding paddle never left his hand.

He watched in astonishment as the bidding soared higher and higher.

Like Shen Jin, many others were determined to win the jade pendant. No one seemed willing to give up such a rare opportunity, creating the climax of the auction.

Gradually, bidders began to drop out, one by one. Only Shen Jin remained, his eyes never wavering as he leisurely sipped his red wine. Chu Yi, however, was nearly frantic. *Why is Shen Jin still bidding?!*

Even the auctioneer on stage grew visibly excited.

Finally, Shen Jin secured the jade pendant with a winning bid of two hundred million yuan.

Chu Yi felt his heart racing, still reeling from the shock. He felt lightheaded as he walked, as if floating.

After the auction concluded, Shen Jin and Chu Yi met with Mr. Lin, who personally handed the jade pendant to Shen Jin.

The other attendees cast envious glances at Shen Jin.

On the way home, Chu Yi remained stunned by the fact that a single jade pendant had cost two hundred million yuan. The word “billion” ¹T/N: 100 millions= 1 billion almost seemed foreign to him now. He had never imagined that attending an auction could cost so much.

Shen Jin smiled and took the jade pendant out of its box.

Under Chu Yi’s watchful gaze, Shen Jin fastened the jade pendant around his neck. Chu Yi’s neck was slender and pale, the verdant jade accentuating his fair skin.

Chu Yi hadn’t quite processed the gesture. “This is for me? It’s too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

Shen Jin replied, “I think this pendant suits you perfectly. You’re not allowed to refuse it. If you don’t want it, just throw it away.”

Chu Yi: !!! How could he possibly throw it away?!

Shen Jin pinched his cheek, smiling. “Remember this, Chu Yi: to me, you’re the most precious thing in the world.”

With the pendant secured, Chu Yi touched it gently. “Thank you. I… I really like it. I’ll wear it carefully.”

This was a two-hundred-million-yuan jade pendant—more valuable than Chu Yi himself! Shen Jin had given it to him so casually, and Chu Yi’s nose began to sting again.

But in Shen Jin’s heart, this jade pendant couldn’t compare to even a single strand of Chu Yi’s hair.

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  T/N: 100 millions= 1 billion