Chapter 62: The Charity Auction

When Meng Zexiao finished showering and came out, Kong Lingxin was already fast asleep in bed. However, he noticed that after being away for a few days, her sleeping posture had changed.

Since returning to the Meng family following her miscarriage, Kong Lingxin had always curled up tightly on the very edge of the mattress, terrified of being touched by Meng Zexiao. Tonight, however, she was lying flat on her back, with both hands raised above her head just like a sleeping baby. Lost in what must have been a pleasant dream, she wore a sweet, charming smile. With her crystal-clear forehead and rosy, tender lips, Meng Zexiao felt a powerful, surging impulse in his heart.

After hesitating for a long time, Meng Zexiao ultimately refrained from crossing the imaginary boundary line Kong Lingxin had previously drawn, and simply went to sleep in an orderly fashion.

It was another bright morning. Meng Zexiao had already woken up, washed, and finished his routine before Kong Lingxin finally opened her eyes from her dreams.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Meng Zexiao leaned lazily against the balcony doorway, watching her barefooted, stumbling search for her shoes. He couldn't help finding her rather amusing.

Kong Lingxin circled the bed twice without finding her slippers. Seeing this devilish man looking at her as if she were some source of great entertainment, she sat cross-legged on the bed in a huff and demanded, "Did you hide my shoes?"

Acting entirely like a gentleman who refused to argue with a woman, Meng Zexiao walked over to the wardrobe to select a suitable tie for his suit today. As he browsed, he replied, "Some people, in their eagerness not to sleep in the same bed with their husband, end up sleeping in the bathroom. And since they chose to sleep there, their shoes naturally got left behind inside."

Reminded by his words, Kong Lingxin realized she had wronged Meng Zexiao. Yet, strangely enough, even after being wrongly accused, the demon was still speaking to her in such a pleasant tone!

Unwilling to dwell on it any longer, Kong Lingxin dawdled through her morning routine in the bathroom. Only after hearing Meng Zexiao drive away did she finally decide to go downstairs for breakfast.

Kong Lingxin had long since abandoned any expectations regarding breakfast at the Meng household.

Seeing her come downstairs, Sister Qi said with a beaming smile, "It looks like the Second Young Mistress slept very well since the Second Young Master returned; your complexion is noticeably better than the past few days. Oh, by the way, the Second Young Master gave instructions that from now on, breakfast should be Chinese-style. Today we have century egg and lean pork congee along with fried dough sticks. Sister Fang fried the dough sticks using olive oil so they are lower in calories, meaning the Second Young Mistress doesn't have to worry about gaining weight."

"No more fried eggs, toast, and sausages?" Kong Lingxin asked, looking utterly astonished.

Sister Qi smiled and nodded, "Those were the Second Young Master's instructions: whatever the Second Young Mistress likes to eat, we will prepare."

Kong Lingxin hurriedly averted her gaze from Sister Qi's meaningful smile and expression, and walked over to the dining room to eat.

Ultimately, Chinese food suited her best. Kong Lingxin's good mood began with this delicious and satisfying breakfast. After finishing her meal, she headed to the study to do some preparatory work for the charity auction that evening.

Regarding the so-called charity auction, Kong Lingxin's only impression came from entertainment news reports, where celebrities brought paintings made by their daughters or jewelry they had once worn to be auctioned off. People would buy each other's items to drive up the prices, and finally, the money would be donated to a foundation.

According to Meng Haoquan, both entrepreneurs and celebrities would be attending this charity auction. Kong Lingxin, who initially had little interest in the event, suddenly grew intrigued. The information Wan Si had leaked indicated that Huang Xiaoyong would be attending the event tonight, giving Kong Lingxin an extra layer of anticipation—the hope of encountering Gu Yiming.

Recent negative news stories had forced Kong Lingxin to temporarily set aside her search for Gu Yiming, but as long as there was even a sliver of hope, she did not want to miss a chance to cross paths with him again. Even if the affection buried deep in her heart for years could never take root and sprout, she still hoped for a chance to pursue it.

Just as Kong Lingxin woke from her afternoon nap, Sister Qi came over to report, "Second Young Mistress, the image consultant and makeup artist are waiting for you downstairs."

Kong Lingxin looked at Sister Qi in surprise. "What are they here for?"

This question, in turn, left Sister Qi astonished. "Aren't you attending the charity gala tonight? An occasion like that naturally requires presenting the best possible image to the public, which is why an image consultant and a makeup artist are needed."

"Oh—if you hadn't reminded me, I almost forgot I have to attend a charity gala tonight," Kong Lingxin said, trying her best to sound natural.

When she was first told she would have to come to the Meng family, Kong Lingxin's greatest fear was having to accompany Meng Zexiao to public-facing occasions. After all, she was someone from a small county town who had never seen the world; she was terrified of making a careless blunder, bringing shame upon the Meng family and exposing her true background.

However, ever since attending the banquet hosted by President Song Siyuan of the King Group, Kong Lingxin no longer felt that kind of dread. All she had to do was hold a wine glass and walk around like characters did in television dramas, or sit straight-backed in her seat, speak as little as possible, and keep a smile plastered on her face.

Regarding her ability to remain completely unfazed, Kong Lingxin secretly considered herself a natural-born banquet queen.

By the time Meng Zexiao returned from the company to pick up Kong Lingxin, she was already fully dressed and styled.

The gown chosen by her image consultant came from the fashion capital of Italy—Gattinoni, a top-tier fashion brand with a history of over 60 years that enjoyed a prestigious reputation throughout Europe and the world. The strapless long dress laid Kong Lingxin's tall and slender figure bare to the eye. Though minimalist and natural, it exuded a unique elegance and nobility.

Her hairstylist had styled her raven-long hair into large, voluminous waves, with long side-swept bangs lightly tucked behind her ears. Her earlobes were half-hidden, half-exposed, and paired with pearly white earrings, creating an image of boundless gentleness.

Because her natural foundation was already exceptional, the makeup artist effortlessly applied a few simple touches to bring out a completely different side of Kong Lingxin: her skin looked even more crystal-clear and dewy, her eyes were full of affectionate expression, and her lips were ruddy and lustrous.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Kong Lingxin could hardly believe she could look this breathtaking.

Just as Kong Lingxin was admiring her own reflection, Meng Zexiao also appeared in the mirror. While adjusting his tie, he cast an appreciative glance at Kong Lingxin. The moment their eyes met in the reflection, Meng Zexiao froze for several seconds, his hand movements coming to a complete standstill.

Seeing him stunned like this, Kong Lingxin felt a sudden surge of vanity. Although she had seen plenty of such gazes ever since she blossomed into a graceful young woman at sixteen, a coveted suitor of Meng Zexiao's caliber was a first.

Meng Zexiao was dressed in an Armani suit, its first-rate tailoring perfectly accentuating his tall, athletic frame. Once his tie was knotted, he looked precisely like a male model gracing the cover of a magazine.

Noticing that Kong Lingxin's gaze toward him was equally filled with admiration, Meng Zexiao smiled ambiguously and said, "It looks like your husband isn't dragging down your image."

With that, Meng Zexiao wrapped his arms around Kong Lingxin's slender waist, leaned close to her ear, and murmured, "Wife, you look so gorgeous tonight that I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. My third leg is already reacting."

Kong Lingxin was an innocent girl as pure as a blank sheet of paper who had never even experienced a first love; how could she possibly know what Meng Zexiao meant by his "third leg"?

Instead of pulling away from his embrace, she opened her eyes wide, wearing an expression of intense academic curiosity. "Where did you get a third leg?"

A wicked grin spread across Meng Zexiao's face. Freeing one of his hands, he took hers and slowly guided it downward toward his lower body, saying, "You can feel for yourself where the third leg is—"

Just as she was about to reach the target, Kong Lingxin finally registered the meaning. Her hand jerked back as if she had touched an electric shock, and her face flushed with deep crimson. "You bad man!"

Taking her reaction as mere playful flirtation, Meng Zexiao maintained his ambiguous, wicked grin and whispered softly into her ear, "Bad boys are what women love."

Raising her guard, Kong Lingxin lifted her chin to look Meng Zexiao straight in the eye. "If you keep acting this wicked, see if I don't break your third leg."

Seeming to be in high spirits, Meng Zexiao wasn't angered in the least. A slight, devilish smirk still lingered at the corner of his lips as he replied, "That won't do. Passing down the family line is secondary; ensuring your marital bliss has no guarantees would be the real disaster."

With that, he pulled her even closer. Kong Lingxin dared not struggle because she was wearing a strapless gown; any sudden movement would cause the dress to slip down, and she certainly didn't want to accidentally expose herself under Meng Zexiao's very eyes.

After indulging in some teasing, Meng Zexiao's lower body reacted intensely, yet without any prospect of actual resolution. After holding her close for a little longer, he finally released Kong Lingxin, took her hand, and led her downstairs, where a driver chauffeured them to the charity auction venue.

The event was held in the largest banquet hall of a super-five-star hotel. Given the heavy police presence handling security, the organizers clearly possessed considerable clout.

With her arm linked through Meng Zexiao's and a radiant smile on her face, Kong Lingxin stepped onto the red carpet amidst the flashing lights of media cameras and entered the hall. Along the way, perimeter reporters relentlessly shouted questions to the eye-catching young couple regarding the scandalous headlines circulating over the past few days, though security personnel quickly blocked them off.

The seating arrangements for attendees had all been meticulously planned by the organizers. Due to the Dingcheng Group's immense influence in City B, Meng Zexiao and Kong Lingxin were assigned to the main table closest to the auctioneer, making them the last of the honored guests to arrive at that table.

Seeing the Second Young Master of the Meng family arrive with his wife to take their seats, the other guests nodded and greeted them respectfully.

Kong Lingxin responded with a polite smile, her eyes sweeping over the nameplates before each guest. As expected, they were all prominent, wealthy, and powerful figures in City B.

Program materials for the evening's charity auction were neatly placed on the table. After some brief pleasantries, Kong Lingxin flipped through the documents.

It turned out that tonight's auction was primarily intended to raise lunch funds for impoverished children in the western region. Doing a good deed for children—especially impoverished ones—was something Kong Lingxin was more than happy to support. Besides, they were using the Meng family's money for a good cause, and the family was certainly not short on cash. The thought even stirred a sense of thrilling anticipation within her for the heart-pounding moments of bidding.

Meng Zexiao leaned over and asked her, "Respected wife, have you taken a fancy to any of the items up for auction tonight? I guarantee you'll win it, no matter what."

Though Kong Lingxin appeared to have read through the entire document, her attention had actually been focused solely on the auction theme and the list of participating guests, completely failing to register any specific items.

She quickly refocused her attention on the catalog of auction items, which ranged from autographed jerseys of famous soccer stars and outfits worn by movie celebrities to antiques donated by prominent entrepreneurs.

However, none of the items listed starting prices. In charity auctions, pricing was often left without a baseline, allowing for open bidding out of respect for the buyers' intentions, which also helped build a lively atmosphere. Donors rarely set fixed prices; instead, they usually contributed items unconditionally to the foundation, with every cent raised going directly to the cause.