A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

"I heard there will be a Shang Dynasty *jue* at the auction. My grandpa loves collecting those things, and his birthday is in a few days. I wanted to bid on it as a gift for him," Zion Hale blurted out candidly.

’A Shang Dynasty *jue*?’ Seraphina Sterling frowned. ’What a coincidence.’

"Three hundred thousand! Do I hear a higher bid?"

At that moment, Zion Hale raised his paddle. "Four hundred thousand!"

"Four hundred thousand! We have four hundred thousand for this Early Dynasty Jade Bracelet!"

"Five hundred thousand!" An extremely ordinary-looking man in the audience raised the bid again!

"Six hundred thousand!" Zion Hale followed without a second thought!

"One million!" But the other party was just as determined to get this Jade Bracelet!

"One million five hundred thousand!" Zion Hale didn’t even bat an eye.

"Two million!"

The auction hall was dead silent, the only sound being the two of them bidding back and forth. Someone in the main hall was fighting over the price with a guest in the third-floor VIP room—this was unheard of! Anyone in a VIP room was definitely not short on cash. Only a complete idiot would try to outbid someone up there!

Seraphina Sterling frowned. "Don’t bid any higher. It’s just an Early Dynasty Jade Bracelet. Though it’s old, its quality and clarity are far from the best. The price is already far beyond its actual value. If you keep going, you’ll be taking a loss!"

"Three million!" Zion Hale had listened to Seraphina Sterling’s words with great earnestness, but then he immediately turned around and raised the bid by another million! ’His attentive act just now was probably all for show!’ Seraphina couldn’t help but suspect.

"Seraphina, don’t worry about the money on my behalf. Your big bro is so poor he has nothing left but money! This is my first gift to my new little sister; how could I just give up? Just sit tight, get your wrist ready, and wait for your big bro to win it for you!"

"Four million five hundred thousand!" The man stood up nervously, unconsciously loosening the tie around his neck.

"Five million five hundred thousand!" Zion Hale, however, calmly continued to raise the price! No matter the cost, he was determined to have this Jade Bracelet!

...

"Five million five hundred thousand going once! Five million five hundred thousand going twice! Sold for five million five hundred thousand!"

The auctioneer’s hammer fell, sealing the deal. A Jade Bracelet worth around one million was sold for five and a half million! This could be considered a small climax of the auction!

Aiden Faulkner watched Zion Hale throw money around like it was nothing and gritted her teeth in anger. ’What’s so great about this Seraphina Sterling, anyway? She has all of them wrapped around her little finger! Zion Hale actually spent over five and a half million on a stupid bracelet for her!’

"So? Pretty cool of your big bro, right? Seraphina, I went to great lengths to win this for you. You have to wear it every day from now on! Or else I’ll be heartbroken!" Zion Hale instructed her with mock seriousness, his tone implying he wouldn’t let it go if she didn’t agree.

"I think I’d be too worried about getting robbed on the street! For a bracelet this expensive, someone might just chop off my hand for it!" Seraphina Sterling frowned. ’She wasn’t used to wearing jewelry. At her age and with her status, wearing a jade bracelet was rather inappropriate and would attract too much attention.’

"You’ve got backing now! Who would be blind enough to mess with my little sister! Here’s my number. Just tell your big bro, and I’ll absolutely destroy them! I’ll beat them so badly their own parents won’t recognize them!" This display of his typical "rich second-gen" attitude surprisingly warmed Seraphina Sterling’s heart.

"I think I’d rather be the big sister! Come on, see something you like? Big sis will bid on it and buy it for you!" Seraphina Sterling had a moment of magnanimity herself.

Uh—

Having always been the one in charge, Zion Hale was momentarily stumped by someone suddenly wanting to be *his* big sister. ’This girl is really getting more and more to my liking!’

"I think this set of Early Dynasty Purple Clay Teapots is nice! You’re too hyper. You need to drink some tea to cultivate your character and calm your mind! Stop running around like a monkey all year!" Before Zion Hale could even object, Seraphina Sterling had already decided on his first-meeting gift.

Justin Hale was secretly amazed. ’Seraphina Sterling really has some nerve, daring to speak to Zion in such a preachy tone. You have to understand, Zion is incredibly spoiled in the Hale Family. Besides the old master of the Hale Family, no one would dare to lecture him!’

"What a coincidence. I’ve also taken a liking to this Purple Clay Teapot set. Miss Sterling, this time, may the best woman win!" The ignored Aiden Faulkner had finally found a chance to redeem herself. ’She refused to believe that she, the great Miss Faulkner, would lose to some country girl!’

Zion Hale smelled gunpowder in the air. He knew Aiden Faulkner’s personality very well. She had been going against Seraphina from the very beginning. Thanks to his and his brother’s persuasion earlier, she had only suppressed her anger, not fully vented it. But now, on the auction floor, they had no excuse to stop her!

"Seraphina, I much prefer being a big brother to a little brother. You should act within your means. It’s okay if you can’t win that... whatever, Purple Clay Teapot. I prefer the taste of whiskey to tea anyway!"

Zion Hale was worried Seraphina would follow his example and insist on winning the Purple Clay Teapot, so he was giving her a graceful way out in advance. Although Aiden Faulkner wasn’t the family favorite, she was still a Miss Faulkner. Her financial resources were definitely not something a girl from a small town like Seraphina could compete with!

"Zi, are you underestimating your big sister?" Seraphina Sterling’s lips curved into a smile, revealing two adorable, shallow dimples. A cunning light danced in her bright eyes.

’Zi!’

Zion Hale felt like his whole world had been turned upside down! He, the sunny and handsome Second Young Master of the Hale family, had just been called "Zi" by a young woman!

"Seraphina Sterling, the result isn’t out yet, so you’d better not talk big! Don’t want to end up unable to back up your words and losing face!" Aiden Faulkner was eager for a fight. ’That Purple Clay Teapot set was as good as hers!’

In the entire room, only Wyatt Gallagher knew Seraphina Sterling’s plan. ’Aiden Faulkner was about to have some bad luck! And lose a lot of money! That Purple Clay Teapot set belongs to Seraphina Sterling! Aiden is such a fool. Of all the people to pick a fight with, she chose to go against Seraphina Sterling, who is more cunning than a fox! This was someone even the old man praised endlessly!’