Crossing the Line – Chapter 3
by Little PandaNot Leaving
A different setting felt like an entirely different world.
During their drive alone together, Song Ti’s patience suddenly wore thin.
Jiang Siyi brought up several topics, only for Song Ti to shut them down in a few brief words.
An invisible wall had risen between them.
Jiang Siyi knew that Song Ti had always been highly popular.
It was rare for a delicate, wealthy socialite like her to have such a mild temperament; no one had ever seen her lose her temper. She was generous, always ready to help her friends.
Miss Song was like a rose blooming in the sunlight—eternally gentle, radiant, and adored by countless people since childhood.
Even now, Song Ti remained gentle, but there was little enthusiasm in her voice.
Jiang Siyi wasn’t oblivious to the shift in atmosphere.
After her doting mother passed away, she’d gradually learned to read the room and pick up on unspoken implications. She’d come to understand the cruel, unwritten rules of the adult world—rules that no one ever discussed, yet never changed.
This night, before anything had even truly begun, was already over.
“You can just drop me off at the subway entrance ahead. Thanks for the ride,” Jiang Siyi said.
“You’re taking the subway back?”
On this drive back, Song Ti finally offered a question that allowed for actual conversation.
But before she could even answer, the car had already slowed down significantly, merging toward the lane for the subway station.
“Won’t the subway be inconvenient?”
Jiang Siyi stared at the car fragrance diffuser in front of her. It wasn’t the one she’d given her for Christmas.
“Isn’t tonight very important to you? You should head back.”
Song Ti pulled over by the subway entrance and patted her head, as if rewarding her for being so understanding.
“It’s such a shame about the flowers. Goodnight, Siyi.”
Jiang Siyi returned the goodnight, stepped out of the car, and headed into the subway station.
Riding the escalator down, she gazed out through the station glass, trying to catch sight of Song Ti’s car amidst the weaving headlights of the night.
Cars surged past, every one of them in a rush.
Until her view sank completely below ground, she still couldn’t tell which of those cars carried her fiancée.
It was past ten, close to the last train for this line, but the platform and carriages were still packed with young people who’d just finished working overtime.
Jiang Siyi found a corner to stand in. The warm but stale air of the carriage, combined with the gentle rocking of the train, sent a wave of exhaustion washing over her, making her eyelids heavy.
Once again, she opened Jiejie’s Moments to flip through the photos of the exhibition. Looking at her sister’s smile gave her tense nerves a bit of comfort after a long night.
As she swiped to the sixth photo, her phone buzzed.
A WeChat from Song Ti?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she quickly dismissed it.
Looking down, she saw it indeed wasn’t Song Ti.
Instead, it was her colleague, Duan Ning.
【The gift is here!】
【Send me the address of your Miss Song’s villa!】
【I’m having someone rush it over right now. I promise it’ll be there before midnight!】
Duan Ning had a relative in international logistics, which was why Jiang Siyi had asked her for help. She’d rushed the shipment, hoping Song Ti’s gift would clear customs on her birthday and reach the birthday girl on time.
Who’ve thought that the gift she’d constantly worried about would actually arrive on time, only to have lost its meaning entirely?
Though she felt miserable, Duan Ning had gone to so much trouble to help that Jiang Siyi couldn’t let her friend’s kind intentions go to waste.
Jiang Siyi: 【I’m not at the villa anymore. Where are you? I’ll come get it from you.】
A moment later, Duan Ning sent a voice message.
She’d clearly found a quiet spot; her voice carried a slight echo.
【Didn’t you say the birthday party tonight was going to be incredibly grand? Is it over already?】
【I’m still at the office rushing the Spring Auction catalog.】
They’d been roommates in college and later joined Jiashibi Auction House together, growing closer over time.
The “catalog” Duan Ning mentioned was the booklet the auction house printed before every auction, containing descriptions of that season’s lots.
Along with the specific time and location of the auction, it featured high-definition images of the lots, as well as comprehensive details on their creators, dimensions, estimated prices, provenance, and condition.
These catalogs had to be delivered to major collectors before the preview exhibition, allowing potential clients to identify their targets of interest in advance.
The two most important auctions of the year for any auction house were the Spring and Autumn Auctions.
With the major Spring Auction right around the corner, every department at Jiashibi was running ragged, with everyone wishing they could split themselves in three.
Duan Ning had been roped into taking photos of late-arriving lots that had just been logged into the warehouse.
Jiang Siyi replied to Duan Ning: 【Wait for me at the office. I’ll head over to grab it, and I can help you out while I’m there.】
Hearing that Jiang Siyi was coming, Duan Ning hesitated but refrained from asking too many questions, replying only: 【Alright, I’ll be waiting for you.】
By the time Song Ti returned to the villa, the crowd had already gone through several rounds of drinks. Slightly tipsy, they were gathered by the pool laughing hysterically, likely at the expense of some prominent family’s latest scandal.
She looked ahead and saw that the living room lights were on.
On her way to the living room, Xie Shuyi splashed in the pool, swimming to the edge to say to the third daughter of the Zhang family:
“Leaving a whole house of guests behind just to chauffeur her darling fiancée—Stella really is quite the romantic.”
Song Ti shot her a knowing look.
Xie Shuyi received that look of silent appreciation, raised the bubble machine in her hand, and fired a stream of heart-shaped bubbles in her direction.
When she entered the living room, Lin Ji was indeed still there.
Lin Ji sat right in the center of the living room sofa. Song Ti’s mother, Lin Yunting, was holding her hand, fussing over how much weight Xiaoyou had lost.
“Xiaoyou” was Lin Ji’s childhood nickname.
Lin Ji had suffered an accident during her childhood that nearly tore the family apart.
Finding Lin Ji again had been an immense stroke of luck. For a long time afterward, her parents had remained deeply shaken. They took her to ancient temples to burn incense and pray to Buddha, donating a seven-figure sum as incense money, and gave her this childhood nickname. They hoped her future path would be blessed by Heaven, turning every misfortune into a blessing.
Song Ti’s father, Song Liming, sat on the other side in a fern-green armchair, holding an iPad as he reviewed financial reports.
Seeing Song Ti return out of the corner of his eye, he cast a brief glance in her direction. Only after refocusing his gaze on his screen did he speak in a low, heavy voice:
“Where did you go?”
Song Ti first addressed Lin Ji, calling her “Cousin,” before answering her father.
“I was sending Siyi home. It’s hard to get a cab out here.”
Hearing the words “get a cab,” Song Liming naturally thought of the Jiang family’s steady decline over the past few years.
What was even more ridiculous was that just last month, he had witnessed Jiang Luo getting into a physical fight with an estranged shareholder in the hallway outside a summit. The comical scene flashed through his mind, prompting a cold snort that made his mustache quiver.
“You’re just spoiling her too much,” Song Liming said.
Lin Yunting clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“They’re already engaged, so shouldn’t she spoil her own wife? Besides, Siyi is so sensible and listens to Stella in everything. Where else are you going to find such an obedient daughter-in-law?”
Lin Ji turned slightly and picked up the sweet red wine that Lin Yunting had personally handed her earlier, which had remained untouched until now.
Taking a small sip, she found the sweetness overwhelming, coating her throat.
Song Ti smiled helplessly at Lin Ji. “Those two have been bickering like this for half their lives and never seem to tire of it. Cousin, now that you’re back, you’re not leaving again, right?”
“Yes, don’t leave,” Lin Yunting agreed. “You’ve no idea how much your mother missed you during the years you were abroad. Every time I went to see her, she’d complain that you were working too hard over there, keeping unhealthy hours, never initiating video calls, and taking forever to reply to voice messages. She worried about you day in and day out, and now she’s even thinner than you are.”
Lin Ji said to her aunt, “I really don’t plan on leaving again.”
Song Ti’s eyes lit up, and she sat down on the armrest of the sofa next to Lin Ji.
“That’s wonderful! With our family united here in China, we can look out for one another. It’s much better than being out there among the foreigners.”
Song Liming had accompanied his wife tonight specifically to meet Lin Ji and hear about her plans.
Upon hearing that she had truly decided to base her career in China, he set aside his iPad and eagerly asked about her plans for the next five years and which sectors she intended to invest in.
Throughout the conversation, Song Ti remained seated right beside Lin Ji, not moving an inch.
Her phone, however, buzzed incessantly. Xie Shuyi had sent her countless WeChat messages, none of which she answered, until she finally muted it altogether.
Seeing her husband and daughter circling her niece with indirect inquiries, Lin Yunting could only think of one phrase to describe the scene: like a pack of wolves.
With the group suffering losses for six consecutive quarters, Lin Yunting knew the father and daughter were anxious, but this was pushing it too far.
Lin Ji had only just returned tonight and had been gracious enough to attend Stella’s birthday party. Yet, before she could even finish a single glass of wine, she was being cross-examined and having her “wallet” poked at repeatedly. It was honestly embarrassing.
She knew that while her niece appeared polite, she actually possessed a fierce temperament. On more than one occasion, she had thoroughly shredded board members during meetings to the point where they had to take blood pressure medication on the spot.
Fearing that the situation might escalate out of hand, Lin Yunting skillfully shifted the conversation during a brief lull, steering it toward the topic of Lin Ji’s marriage.
Lin Yunting and Lin Ji’s mother had grown up under the same roof. The sisters shared a close bond and still met up regularly. Thus, Lin Yunting knew exactly what her elder sister worried about.
Lin Ji was twenty-eight years old, yet there had never been even a ripple of romantic interest in her life, and she never discussed the subject with her family. Lin Yunting seized the opportunity to sound her out.
In response, Lin Ji offered a perfunctory, two-word reply: “No rush.”
Song Liming chimed in, “Xiaoyou is so capable, so her standards must naturally be high. It won’t be easy to find someone.”
Lin Yunting silently rolled her eyes at Old Song, who was sucking up to her niece at the worst possible moment.
Taking advantage of the moment, Song Ti spoke in a half-joking, half-serious tone, “Even Cousin isn’t in a hurry, so stop nagging me. How could I possibly get married before she does?”
“That’s only because your Xiaoyou-jiejie has been focused on her career,” Lin Yunting said. “If she were as idle as you, just see if your aunt wouldn’t be worried sick. Now that your Xiaoyou-jiejie’s planning to base her career back home, ah, it’s just wonderful.”
Lin Yunting gently patted the back of Song Ti’s hand, then turned to her and said:
“You know, your Xiaoyou-jiejie might very well get married before you do.”
Song Ti took a sip of her wine and said casually, “Then I’ll definitely send a grand gift.”
She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but her cousin, who’d seemed thoroughly disinterested all evening, directed an intensely unreadable gaze at her the moment those words left her mouth—sending a sudden chill deep into Song Ti’s bones.
At eleven o’clock that night, Lin Ji left her birthday gift behind and departed from Song Ti’s villa.
The entire Song family gathered to see her off, waving goodbye as her car drove away.
Once Lin Ji’s car was far away, Lin Yunting wrapped her scarf tighter and turned back to Song Ti.
“I’m asking you seriously now: when do you and Siyi plan to register your marriage and hold the wedding? You really need to set a date. Siyi is a quiet child, so you have to take the initiative.”
Song Ti walked a few steps beside her mother with her hands buried in her coat pockets and said:
“Siyi is currently preparing for the Spring Auction. She has a high chance of making a name for herself this year, and I don’t want to distract her.”
These words caused Lin Yunting’s expression to turn complex.
“Is Siyi really not planning to resign?”
Lin Yunting genuinely liked Jiang Siyi. The girl was beautiful, sensible, and sweet-tempered; she never got angry, and she possessed a quiet resilience that was rare among peers in their social circle.
However, to someone like Lin Yunting, who valued social standing and propriety above all else, having a daughter-in-law who constantly showed her face in public was, in the end, not particularly respectable.
“She probably doesn’t want to give up her career for the time being,” Song Ti replied. “Having professional pursuits is a good thing, and I support her…”
“Shouting at people to sell things and driving up prices counts as a career?” Song Liming interrupted.
Song Ti raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips, but she didn’t say another word.
When Jiang Siyi arrived at the office, the takeout she had ordered was just being delivered.
Duan Ning and several other starving colleagues swarmed over, following the aroma.
A spicy, rich hotpot aroma quickly filled the breakroom.
On a freezing cold night, a group of exhausted workers stuck working overtime gathered to cook meat together—a rare and comforting solace.
Once the beef slipped down her throat and lined her empty stomach, her frozen body finally began to thaw, and Jiang Siyi felt her mood lift slightly.
Duan Ning sipped her cola while grumbling quietly to her.
She complained about how Wang Taitai had once again pushed the deadline to the absolute limit, submitting a new consignment just as the catalog was about to go to print.
“I have to hand it to Wang Taitai—she’s something else,” Duan Ning said. “The green-yellow jade pendant she sent has just been logged into inventory, and now we have to revise the entire catalog late at night just for her. I really wish I could list her on a shopping app and sell her off in a flash sale.”
“A green-yellow jade pendant?”
Jiang Siyi picked up a large portion of wide glass noodles dripping with broth.
“We should definitely mention that to Zheng Zong.”
The Zheng Zong they spoke of was a veteran proxy agent.
Those who frequented major auctions to spend fortunes on coveted treasures were rarely the collectors themselves.
After all, lots could cost anywhere from tens of thousands to tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions. Purchasing such outrageously expensive items was inherently sensitive, and since both buyers and sellers were ultra-wealthy or highly influential, they were often familiar faces frequently splashed across news headlines.
To protect their privacy, major collectors almost never appeared in person at auction venues.
If they took an interest in a particular lot, they would either hire a professional proxy to bid on-site or instruct their agents or assistants to place bids via telephone or the internet.
Zheng Zong was one of those agents who served these mysterious collectors.
In recent years, as long as there was an auction featuring green-yellow jade, Zheng Zong would invariably show up.
Who the mysterious collector behind him was remained entirely unknown to this day.
They only knew that this collector was extraordinarily lavish with their spending.
Moreover, they were incredibly obsessed with green-yellow jade.
Zheng Zong had once mentioned that his boss never set a bidding limit—if they liked something, they had to have it.
Duan Ning replied, “But Zheng Zong has been focusing on his health lately. He goes to bed at ten-thirty, and he gets furious if anyone disturbs his sleep. By this hour, he’s probably already gone through two cycles of dreams.”
“If it’s about green-yellow jade,” Jiang Siyi said, “he definitely won’t mind.”
Working in Jiang Siyi’s profession required not only understanding the buyers and sellers but also being intimately familiar with the proxy agents, as they served as critical links in the middle.
Jiang Siyi knew that Zheng Zong had revitalized his entire firm thanks to this distinguished client behind the scenes, which was why he was exceptionally attentive to any business involving green-yellow jade.
Duan Ning always listened to Jiang Siyi, so she immediately sent a WeChat message over.
She forwarded the details regarding the green-yellow jade to Zheng Zong, and in less than three minutes, he replied.
【I’ll definitely be there!!】
Seeing those exclamation marks, Duan Ning and Jiang Siyi could easily picture Zheng Zong leaping out of bed in excitement.
Duan Ning nudged Jiang Siyi playfully with her shoulder and said:
“You’re definitely going to be on the rostrum for this year’s Spring Auction.”
Last summer, Jiang Siyi had made her debut at the jewelry and jadeite specialty auction. By the time the year-end routine auction season concluded, she had firmly established herself on her initial professional path through the rise and fall of her gavel.
This young woman who used to silently review lot files over and over backstage seemed to transform into an entirely different person the moment she stepped onto the main rostrum.
With her slender white wrist moving with poise and an eagle-eyed gaze that missed nothing, her stellar track record of low buy-in rates and high hammer prices over two consecutive seasons had made the auction floor remember her name.
Yet the Spring Auction was entirely different from the “minor battlegrounds” she had previously navigated.
The final turnover of the major spring and autumn auctions easily reached tens of billions of yuan.
Whether a young auctioneer could tame this wild beast of a Spring Auction and withstand the trial of such a grand stage was key to a young auctioneer’s professional ascension.
Jiang Siyi herself was also deeply invested in this Spring Auction.
She’d watched the rise and fall of the Jiang family firsthand, and her other unresolved relationships were fraught with uncontrollable variables.
She didn’t know what the future held.
Her only choice was to hold fast to her career and stand firmly on her own two feet.
Editing the catalog was not part of Jiang Siyi’s job responsibilities, but with the Spring Auction prep being so hectic, she decided to stay after finishing her late-night snack to help her colleagues finalize the revisions.
Duan Ning looked at her hand and said, “You’re already injured, and you’re still staying behind to work overtime with us?”
Jiang Siyi checked and saw that the bleeding had already stopped.
“I would’ve forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it,” she said. “Just grab me a band-aid. I’m not that fragile.”
Jiang Siyi was highly efficient when it came to work. With her assistance, the newly revised catalog was quickly sent off to the printing plant.
By now, it was past midnight. Yawning repeatedly, Duan Ning retrieved the gift Jiang Siyi had entrusted her with from the office.
It was a signed CD by the lead vocalist of a band that Song Ti adored.
The vocalist had already passed away, making this signed CD exceptionally rare and precious; Jiang Siyi had gone to great lengths to secure it through an online auction hosted by an overseas auction house.
After thanking Duan Ning, Jiang Siyi hailed a cab and headed home.
In the dead of a winter night, the city’s warmth had entirely vanished, leaving behind a cold, desolate sense of an impending apocalypse.
When thoughts of that bouquet of flowers resurfaced, the bitterness she’d tried to suppress and forget through work rushed back into her heart unbidden.
No matter how much effort she poured in, everything in the end felt like a laughable, self-deceiving bubble. Once it floated to the surface of reality, it would shatter in an instant, dissolving completely into nothingness.
When Lin Ji returned to her bedroom, she received a call from her proxy agent, Zheng Xianhe.
Zheng Zong had been focusing on his health lately and rarely contacted her at this hour, so there had to be something important.
Lin Ji answered the call, and indeed, it was about the green-yellow jade.
【This Green-yellow Jade Dragon and Phoenix Pendant is highly similar to the one you’ve been looking for.】
Lin Ji looked at the photo he sent, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Lin Ji: 【Next month on the sixth, at the Jiashibi Spring Auction?】
【Yes, that’s right.】
【I’ll go in person.】
Zheng Xianhe was stunned when he heard this.
Originally, he had wanted to suggest inviting that Miss Duan over for a private treaty sale.
A “private treaty sale” meant that if there was a highly suitable and premium buyer, the lot would not have to go on the auction block; they could negotiate privately and sign the purchase contract directly.
But judging by his old client’s tone, she wanted to personally attend the live auction; perhaps she also had her eye on other lots.
Lin Ji had always remained behind the scenes and had never shown her face. Even Zheng Xianhe had never met her in person, let alone known her true identity.
He could only deduce from her voice that she was a very young, highly charming woman.
The mysterious boss was finally going to show her face. Hanging up the phone, Zheng Xianhe thought to himself that the upcoming Jiashibi Spring Auction was bound to be quite exciting.
After hanging up, Lin Ji took off her coat as she prepared to take a bath. A single flower petal drifted out from her sleeve, landing softly on the light grey wool carpet.
It was like a bright red cinnabar mark1 suddenly catching one’s eye in the silent, monotonous night.
Lin Ji picked up the petal.
It had probably slipped into her sleeve by accident when she helped Jiang Siyi gather the ruined flowers, and she had brought it home just like that.
The pad of her thumb gently brushed over the velvet-like surface, stroking toward the slightly crumpled edge of the petal before pulling back.
After stroking it several times, a subtle ripple of emotion stirred in her eyes.
Ultimately, she retrieved a hardcover book she’d been reading lately and carefully pressed the petal inside the title page.
The author has something to say:
Lin Ji: Step one of stealing my wife back—show up everywhere she goes.
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