The hotel's splendid banquet hall has been decorated, with rows of leather seats, drinks and snacks prepared next to it, and melodious music is playing.
Everyone attending the charity dinner found a place to sit down.
As soon as Ye Ruge and Ji Yuan sat down, Huo Yanxi and Yao Man sat down next to her, with an aisle between them.
Just such an aisle separated the two of them, but the distance was not far. Ye Ruge could even hear clearly what Yao Man said to him.
Ye Ruge and Huo Yanxi looked at each other and quickly looked away. There were still many empty seats, so he chose to sit next to them. Was that intentional?
Yao Man snuggled next to Huo Yanxi and talked to him in a low voice, making it seem to others that they were flirting, but his eyes fell on Ye Ruge from time to time.
He already knew that the man sitting next to her was named Ji Yuan. He was the eldest son of the Ji family and had just returned from abroad to take over the Ji family.
Although the Ji family is not as good as the Huo family, it is the largest family in Jiangcheng besides the Huo family. No wonder this Ji Yuan is so confident.
At this moment, he saw Ji Yuan leaning into Ye Ruge's ear and saying something. The two of them looked very close, and his big palms suddenly clenched into fists.
Yao Man felt that Huo Yanxi was absent-minded. She kept talking to him just to get his attention back.
She didn't expect that Ye Ruge would appear with a man. Ye Ruge's move was quite cruel.
The charity dinner started soon. Ye Ruge looked at the collection on the stage with all her attention, as if nothing could disturb her.
Several pieces of jewelry were displayed on the stage. Yao Man probably took a fancy to them, so Huo Yanxi took two pieces for her.
There was still no movement from Ye Ruge's side. He couldn't help but sneer and said, "Why don't you take pictures? Is it because Master Ji doesn't have enough money? If not, just ask me for it."
Ye Ruge glanced at him indifferently: "They are all vulgar things, I don't like them."
Her words fell into Yao Man's ears, and embarrassment flashed across her face. She happened to be holding the jewelry she had just photographed in her hand.
Huo Yanxi's eyes flashed coldly, but he didn't answer her words.
Next, several more collections were auctioned. This time, the calligraphy and painting on display was the calligraphy and painting of the famous Tang Dynasty artist Yan. Ye Ruge fell in love with the calligraphy as soon as he saw it.
She recalled that her mother taught her to write with a brush when she was a child. The first time she held a brush, she was fascinated.
Later, she mastered calligraphy, but her mother left.
It has been many years since she picked up a brush again.
"Do you like it?" Ji Yuan stared at the calligraphy and painting, guessing her thoughts.
Ye Ruge nodded, she really liked it.
"Then take a photo of it." Ji Yuan handed her the number plate.
Ye Ruge took the number plate without hesitation.
Huo Yanxi thought Ye Ruge couldn't hold up the sign, but now he saw her bidding for the calligraphy and painting with others, and his thin lips curled up in amusement.
"Eight million, Ms. Ye bids for eight million!"
"Nine million, Mr. Chen behind him is nine million!"
There was another sign in front, and the host looked over. He hesitated for a moment, glanced at Ye Ruge, and then said: "Mr. Huo bids 10 million!"
Everyone present was shocked when they heard this. Aren't they a couple? Two people competing for a painting?
From this point of view, Ye Ruge was really disliked by her husband, and it was obvious that the couple were at odds.
Ye Ruge frowned and looked at Huo Yanxi. He looked back at her with his lips curled up, clearly wanting to go against her.
Ji Yuan also frowned. He grabbed Ye Ruge's hand and held up a sign: "Twelve million."
"Fifteen million." Huo Yanxi followed.
Ji Yuan grimaced and shouted again: "Eighteen million."
"Twenty million."
It was originally the calligraphy and painting that Ye Ruge was interested in, but somehow it became the bidding for two grown men, Huo Yanxi and Ji Yuan.
She knew that Ji Yuan wanted to fight for her. As long as she wanted it, he would definitely take a picture of the calligraphy and painting, but his opponent was Huo Yanxi...
Now that she has reached a high price of 20 million, she feels that enough is enough and does not want to compete with Huo Yanxi anymore. Even though she likes it very much, she is still sober.
She pressed down Ji Yuan's hand that was about to raise the sign again and whispered: "Stop raising it, I don't want it anymore."
Ji Yuan didn't take it seriously: "Don't you like it? Are you afraid that I can't afford it? Don't worry, it's just a calligraphy and painting. I'll take pictures of it for you, not to mention that the money will be used for charity."
Ye Ruge still pressed his hand and shook her head: "No, I don't like to argue with others."
Huo Yanxi just wanted to play with Ye Ruge at first, but as Ji Yuan joined in, he felt a sigh of relief in his chest, and he started to compete with Ye Ruge unknowingly.
But when Ye Ruge gave up, he felt even more uncomfortable.
Twenty million, Huo Yanxi finally got this calligraphy and painting. He looked at Ye Ruge, her expression was dull, and there was a trace of loss in her eyebrows.
The evil fire in his chest was causing trouble, and he said coldly: "Didn't Master Ji tell me to take pictures of everything you like? Why can't I take pictures of even one calligraphy and painting? Are you out of money?"
Ji Yuan's expression changed, and he was about to speak, but Ye Ruge stopped him and said, "Mr. Huo is indeed very wealthy. Twenty million can help a lot of poor children, and those children will thank you."
She looked indifferent, as if she deliberately showed that she liked the calligraphy and painting to attract him to pay a high price for it.
Ji Yuan saw Huo Yanxi look a little sad. He continued what Ye Ruge said: "Thank you, Mr. Huo, for coming tonight."
Seeing them singing in harmony, Huo Yanxi frowned fiercely, staring at Ye Ruge with cold flames hidden in his eyes.
Oh, she is really getting more and more capable, how dare she join forces with outsiders to trick him!
After a moment, he sneered coldly and grabbed Yao Man's hand: "Let's go."
Ye Ruge saw the last look he gave her and knew he was angry.
What has he to be angry about?
He has openly taken Yao Man to any occasion. She just came to attend a charity dinner. What is his dissatisfaction?
After the charity party, Ji Yuan wanted to take her back, but she declined. Her driver was waiting for her.
He walked her to the car. Before she got in the car, he hesitated a few times and then said, "Ru Ge, why did you marry such a person? He is not good to you at all."
Ye Ruge knew he would ask this, so she lowered her eyes: "Some things cannot be explained clearly, Ji Yuan, I have no choice."
He couldn't understand what she said. What did he mean by not having a choice?
He still wanted to ask, but she sighed and said, "That's it, I'm tired, I'm leaving first." It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about her and Huo Yanxi.
Ji Yuan could only suppress the doubts in his heart: "Okay, we will contact you another day."
"Yeah." Ye Ruge didn't look at him anymore, opened the door and got in the car.
She waved to him outside the car, and before she closed the car door, Ji Yuan said to her in a deep tone: "Ruge, you can tell me anything you want, don't hold it back, I don't want to see you so tired."
Ye Ruge met his eyes and was slightly startled. A gust of night wind blew by. She suddenly came back to her senses and smiled at him: "I'm fine, you don't have to think too much."
After closing the car door, she ordered the driver to drive back and left Ji Yuan's sight. She closed her eyes and leaned back, letting out the breath she had just held on.
She smiled mockingly, why should she pretend in front of Ji Yuan?
Who else doesn't know that her marriage to Huo Yanxi is a joke?