After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 134 Auction

That day, Xia Li arrived at the black market auction house early.

The news that the black market would be auctioning glass three days ago caused a sensation in various places, and many dignitaries came to see it.

When she arrived, the doors to the venue were not yet open.

But a large crowd had already gathered at the entrance. Dressed in fine clothes, they looked on with anticipation, whispering among themselves and speculating about what amazing glass treasures would appear today.

"Hey, Brother Zhang, you're here for this auction too?"

"Yes, glass is precious. It's not easy to get a batch of glass now, and I've traveled a long way just to feast my eyes on it. If I'm lucky enough to buy a few pieces that I like, that would be even better!"

"Yes, there are too many rich, powerful and influential people here. I'm afraid I can't compete with them. Oh well! But it's worth it to feast my eyes on this spectacle."

"I wonder what amazing works will emerge?"

"..."

The second princess was also present; she came today to bid on a piece of glass to present to her father, the emperor.

Upon seeing Xia Li, she sternly rebuked him:

"What are you doing here? This is a place for a poor wretch like you to come here."

The surroundings fell silent, but their eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.

The fun has begun.

Stop fooling around!

Watch the show!

Xia Li: "..."

She pointed to herself, her eyes questioning.

Are you talking about me?

The second princess had finally caught Xia Li, and she was determined to vent her anger today. She pointed at him and said, "I'm talking about you! You shameless piece of trash!"

Xia Li was so angry she almost laughed. "Do you even know who I am? Stop spouting nonsense here!"

Her behavior was seen as being ignored by the second princess, who could not tolerate it: "I'm asking you a question! Why aren't you answering?"

Xia Li took a deep breath, put on a polite smile, and said softly:

"Second Princess, this is an auction. Everyone is welcome to bid on treasures here. Are you saying that only the princess is allowed to come, and no one else is allowed to enter?"

She had a point, and the second princess was speechless for a moment, then became angry and embarrassed: "Hmph! With your shabby appearance, you probably don't even have the right to enter, do you?"

Thinking of something, she added sarcastically, "Oh! You're not a poor wretch anymore, you've hooked up with the Prince of Jin's family, you're rich now~"

Xia Li calmly pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from her sleeve, waved it, and said, "Princess, you must be mistaken. This invitation clearly states that I am allowed to enter."

The second princess's eyes widened in surprise. She never expected that Xia Li would have an invitation that was only available to the top ten VIP rooms on the second floor!

Why does she have it?

This princess is so angry!

At that moment, a crisp gong rang out, and the auction hall doors slowly opened, prompting the crowd to rush into the venue.

Xia Li bowed slightly to the Second Princess and then quickly walked into the room.

The second princess stomped her feet in anger, secretly vowing to find another opportunity to humiliate Xia Li before entering the venue.

This auction was meticulously designed, with various glass artifacts suspended in mid-air around the seats, slowly rotating as the mechanism swung.

Illuminated by the lights, it emits a colorful glow, as if bringing people into a dreamlike world of crystal.

The dignitaries and wealthy merchants took their seats, their eyes fixed on the glass artifacts around them, their gazes gleaming with a burning desire, as if they were starving people eyeing delicious food.

After entering the venue, Xia Li quickly found her seat and sat down, calmly waiting for the glass auction to begin. She was determined not to let the Second Princess affect her mood.

An auction attendant approached and asked, "Should we refuse the Second Princess entry?"

Xia Li laughed and said, "No need, she's bringing us money, we might as well take it."

The servant couldn't help but praise, "Yes! It has to be our Miss Xia, she has such a grand vision."

Xia Li continued without changing his expression, "From now on, the Second Princess's items will be priced 10% higher than others."

Attendant: "..."

Just then, Qinghao brought Xiyao and Qishu into the private room.

As soon as the two children entered the private room, they ran excitedly towards her, shouting, "Benefactor, benefactor!"

Xia Li smiled and corrected them, "Call me 'sister'~"

"My benefactor sister, my benefactor sister~"

hope Yao stood in front of her, stretched out her arms, and sweetly called out, "My benefactor sister, I want a hug."

"Okay~" After saying that, she picked up Xiyao, who happily gave her a "smack" on the cheek.

Summer's heart blossomed with joy:

"Oh my, our Yao Yao is so adorable! It makes me so happy, I wish I could have a baby right away and play with her."

hope Yao said innocently, "Then, sister and father, give me another little sister to play with!"

The air froze instantly.

Xia Li quickly covered her mouth, laughing awkwardly, "Children say things without thinking, children say things without thinking, haha..."

I wish I could disappear into a crack in the ground!

At this moment, Qi Shu also tugged at Xia Li's skirt, clamoring for a hug.

Qinghao pulled the person into his arms: "Sister is hugging sister, let me hug you instead."

Fortunately, this interruption livened up the atmosphere again.

Qinghao smiled and said, "Thank you so much for everything before..."

Xia Li quickly interrupted him: "Alright! I just did it on the spur of the moment. Why do you bring it up every time you see me? It makes us feel distant."

She only found out later that the two babies were actually Qinghao's children.

"That's true, but I haven't properly thanked you yet!"

"Don't give me that! You've helped me so much... I really should thank you, just please patronize my business."

"Good good!"

Xia Li had never seen Qing Hao with a woman by his side before, and couldn't help but gossip: "Where is the child's mother?"

Qinghao lowered his head dejectedly, "My palm is only so big, there are too many things I can't hold."

Xia Li "..."

I'm sorry! I was being presumptuous.

She forced a smile and changed the subject.

The two chatted casually while watching the auction below.

At this moment, an auctioneer dressed in splendid attire walked onto the stage, holding an exquisite little hammer in his hand. With a smile, he introduced the auction to the crowd: "I'm sure you all know the details of this auction, so I'll just mention one point: This auction will be a rotating, random auction. There is no order of precedence for the items; whichever item lands on will be auctioned. Right now, in front of me is the first item for auction—a glass Guanyin statue."

Although this Guanyin statue is only one foot tall, it is entirely crystal clear. Guanyin's face is benevolent, and her robes flow gracefully, as if she were about to step out from within the glass. The exquisite craftsmanship is truly astonishing. Starting bid: eight thousand taels.

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a chorus of bids erupted from the audience.

"Ten thousand taels!"

A wealthy businessman was the first to call out a price. His voice was loud and confident, as if he wanted to intimidate others with his power.