Wednesday was overcast with a light drizzle, perfect for sleeping in.
But last week, Liu Mumu had promised Zheng Xuan she'd go to the auction house with him to broaden her horizons, so she had no choice but to drag herself out of bed.
At nine in the morning, Zheng Xuan led her into the auction hall.
Their seats were near the front but tucked into a corner, where they wouldn't attract attention. Not long after they sat down, people began filing in one after another. Liu Mumu even spotted members of the Liu Family. It seemed everyone she'd seen at the Liu home that day had come.
Seeing Liu Mumu looking toward the Liu Family members, Zheng Xuan gave a scoff. "They're probably all waiting to split the money. No one wants to be left out."
Usually, even when an item was being auctioned on someone's behalf, only one representative needed to attend. The Liu Family's exaggerated turnout left him at a loss for words.
Liu Mumu looked away without comment.
Zheng Xuan continued quietly introducing the people in attendance. Some were well-known figures in the collector's world, and he knew all about each family's impressive collections.
Most of the people who came in afterward were unfamiliar faces. Zheng Xuan watched them for a while, a strange feeling stirring in his heart.
"What's wrong?" Liu Mumu asked in a low voice, noticing his conflicted expression.
"It's a little strange. There are too many unfamiliar faces here today."
"Isn't that normal? You can't know everyone."
Zheng Xuan shook his head. "That's not what I mean. They don't look like people from the trade."
The Liu Family's antiques were worth a fortune, and they were in a hurry to sell. For this auction, his uncle-in-law had practically mobilized his entire network.