Chapter 3255 — The One She Would Rather Not Meet

So Wei Zhao did not press her to stay, and let Yang Qiqi go her own way. Once he had settled in, he took Xu Shilan and Cheng Yiyi downstairs, where they ate a little something at random in the hotel, then went back up to their rooms to rest.

Since the forces of the Overseas Cultivators' Association were present here, Wei Zhao naturally dared not be careless; before the auction began, he decided to keep his head down and move quietly.

It was not until three days later, when the auction formally opened, that Wei Zhao came out of the hotel with Xu Shilan and Cheng Yiyi—and by then Yang Qiqi was already waiting at the entrance in her car.

What Yang Qiqi had brought was a business van, thoroughly low-key and unremarkable; plainly she too had taken Wei Zhao's words to heart and meant to keep a low profile.

Wei Zhao got in with Xu Shilan and Cheng Yiyi, and Yang Qiqi started the car and drove toward the Kreston auction house. She was alone in the vehicle; there was no other driver, no assistant.

The Kreston auction house was built on a lavish scale, rather resembling the Yu family's auction house. Yang Qiqi's car was stopped at the gate, but once she produced an invitation to the auction, the guards let them through without further ado.

Yang Qiqi parked in the auction house's underground garage and got out with Wei Zhao. Just then, however, a red sports car pulled up near her parking space, and two young people climbed out—one of Asian blood, the other with a European cast of features.

Yang Qiqi frowned slightly at the sight of them, but she knew that to leave without a word would surely rouse their suspicions. She was not much afraid of anything, true, but after all, the family power she displayed on the surface was far beneath that of these two young men, and her true identity—with her father gone—was no longer of much consequence if spoken aloud.

"Seventh Sister, you've come to the auction too?" The young man of Asian blood strode quickly toward Yang Qiqi, though his gaze stayed fixed on Xu Shilan's face—clearly Xu Shilan's beauty had struck him as something out of this world.

"He Tianzu—Young Master He—I never imagined you would attend an auction like this." Yang Qiqi was not fishing for something to say; she was genuinely surprised. He Tianzu was the son of He Dantou, chairman of the Overseas Cultivators' Association.

The Overseas Cultivators' Association was an institution assembled over the past decade or so, its purpose to gather the cultivators scattered abroad into something resembling the sects of antiquity. And He Dantou was a master of the great-perfection peak of the late Heaven Tier.

The young man of European blood beside He Tianzu was named Fleon-Ou Kreston, son of old Kreston, vice-chairman of the Overseas Cultivators' Association. As for why the Association's enterprises all bore the vice-chairman's surname, the reason was simple: He Dantou had no taste for business, whereas Kreston's family had been merchants for generations, and it worked better to trade under their name.

Otherwise, for all its strength, the newly founded Association could not have stood against the great local powers and magnates; better to use the Kreston family's connections for the purpose.

Since He Tianzu was He Dantou's son, whatever took his fancy at the auction could simply be carried off—there was no need for him to attend an auction at all. That was what puzzled Yang Qiqi.

"Cultivating inside the Association, I couldn't get through it—so I came out for a turn, and wouldn't you know, the moment I step out, something fine happens. Seventh Sister, aren't you going to introduce me to this beautiful lady?" He Tianzu glanced at Xu Shilan, making no effort to conceal the adoration in his eyes.

Perhaps influenced by foreign custom, He Tianzu's way of declaring his feelings was not reserved but direct and bold.

Wei Zhao frowned slightly. These two before him looked young, but their strength was no trifling matter—this He Tianzu who spoke actually possessed the great-perfection peak of the late Heaven Tier. Of course, he might also be quite old and merely well preserved; after all, once one sets foot in the Heaven Tier, the face no longer changes.

The other young European possessed mid-Heaven Tier strength, which was rare enough in itself. So Wei Zhao needed no guessing to conclude that these two must belong to the Overseas Cultivators' Association, and to no low station within it.

He had meant to steer clear of them and avoid too much entanglement, but He Tianzu had proved anything but vague—he had declared his feelings to Xu Shilan outright, leaving Wei Zhao with the helpless sense that branches were sprouting where he least wanted them. Yet at this moment he truly could not afford a clash with them: this was their territory, and whether he could even get away if it came to blows was uncertain—and even if he did, the blue crystal would be lost for good.

Yang Qiqi's expression also froze; she had not expected He Tianzu to make such a request, and for a moment she was at a loss. After a brief hesitation, however, she said, "This is the star Xu Shilan, Miss Xu. She's here this time to discuss a business partnership with XXX Entertainment, and she'll be leaving very soon."

Yang Qiqi had meant to make clear that Xu Shilan was only passing through and would soon be gone, but He Tianzu plainly understood and pretended not to, feigning ignorance of her meaning. Instead he said, "I thought to myself, how could Miss Xu be so beautiful—so she's a star! XXX Entertainment may be famous far and wide, but it has far too many big names under its roof. The Fleon-Ou family has a film company of its own, Kreston Pictures—not so renowned as XXX, perhaps, but if one wanted to push a newcomer, I imagine it would be very easy to rise there! Last year, the newcomer who took the Best Actress award at the XX Film Awards was groomed by Kreston Pictures. Since Miss Xu has come to discuss a partnership, she ought to weigh the promotional strength on both sides. Here, I can promise you—every resource at our command can be thrown behind Miss Xu alone."

"I'll think it over. Thank you, Young Master He." Xu Shilan was a star after all, accustomed to great occasions; after only a brief start, she smiled faintly and said politely, "But XXX was recommended by a friend of mine as well, so I shall have to consider it carefully."

"Very well. By the way, Miss Xu, are you also here for the auction?" He Tianzu was no fool; since Xu Shilan had not agreed outright, he would not press her—there were, after all, any number of ways to court a woman—and so he turned smoothly to another topic.

"I'm just looking around," Xu Shilan answered. (Next week Yuren will share some material images from the The Blossom Guardian game on WeChat; please keep an eye on yuren22.) RS