Many were interested in the smoking pipe especially the men regardless of whether they smoked or not. They didn't care much if the story about the Armenian merchant was true or not. The most important thing was that the silver, gold and jewels used to craft the pipe were all authentic.

It was, simply put, one hell of a smoking pipe. Even the ladies thought that it was a beautiful work of art.

The starting price was at 200,000.

It was extremely expensive for a mere smoking pipe, but if it was treated as a piece of art or precious jewelry, then this price was acceptable.

"210,000!"

"250,000!"

"300,000!"

This time, the price jumps with each bid weren't too high. It seemed that there was a tacit agreement between the bidders to control the price and prevent it from becoming too expensive. It was the unplanned final item. Although some of them wanted it, they wouldn't spend too much unnecessary money to fight for it.

They thought that the gold pocket watch earlier had already been overpriced even if it was an aristocratic heirloom. One million was too much for such a simple item despite its fascinating history. Well, it wasn't their financial loss anyway. Some of them thought that Emilio Miguel was rather foolish for spending so much money on a simple pocket watch.

This devil-shaped bejewelled smoking pipe was certainly more valuable in terms of precious materials used. Even so, the bidders didn't want it to reach a price of a million like the pocket watch.

The current bidders were all men. They were quite relaxed as they raised their paddles, increasing the price little by little within what they felt was an acceptable level.

"310,000!"

The emcee waited for a few seconds but no other bids followed.

"310,000, going once, going twice—"

"1 million!!!"

Everyone turned their heads to where the new bid came from.

And did they hear it right?

Another item reaching a million?

In addition, the bidder was female?

"Love?" Jin Liwei was dumbfounded at his wife's actions.

Iris ignored him. No, she was unable to hear him. All her attention was on the smoking pipe on the stage. She gripped Jin Liwei's bidding paddle until its handle was crushed in her hand.

"Oh? I didn't know that Iris is so interested in my smoking pipe," Emilio Miguel drawled. "If I had known, I would've given it to you as a gift and donated something else for the auction."

Jin Liwei sent him a cold look but quickly focused his attention on his wife. Now that he was looking closely, something was very wrong.

On the outside, Iris looked quite calm except for her fierce eyes staring at the smoking pipe.

As her husband, however, Jin Liwei could sense her abnormal state. He held her hands. They were cold, sweaty, and trembling.

"We have to get it," she told him through gritted teeth without tearing her eyes away from the smoking pipe on the stage.

"Alright," he replied even though he didn't know why she was so adamant in winning the bid for a smoking pipe when she didn't even smoke.

His wife must have a good reason for acting this way. She didn't bid for anything the entire night and even stopped him from bidding on some jewelry that he wanted to win for her. He didn't expect that she would aim for something as unexpected as a smoking pipe.

Nobody else bid after her. They didn't dare not because of their unwillingness to shell out that much money for a smoking pipe but because they didn't want to earn CEO Jin Liwei's displeasure for going against his wife.

"1 million, going once, going twice. Sold! Congratulations!!!"

The auction finally ended but the party still continued. The guests milled around and chatted with each other while eating food and enjoying a variety of cocktails. Those who won the bids wore big smiles while still trying to act humble and saying that everything was for charity. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Iris and Jin Liwei didn't stay any longer. There were many who wanted to speak to them, specifically to Jin Liwei, but they had already slipped out before anyone could try to stop them.

They were in another room where Iris requested to receive the smoking pipe as soon as possible. The staff left the couple alone with Iris' original signed manuscript that Jin Liwei won and the smoking pipe that Iris wanted.

Iris' hands were shaking as she carefully opened the solid wood case. Inside was the bejewelled smoking pipe.

"Smoking devil," she whispered.

Jin Liwei had no idea what the hell was happening with his wife. "You know this?"

She faced him. Then a torrent of tears gushed down her eyes all of a sudden. She started wailing, startling him.

"What's wrong?" He pulled her in his embrace and did his best to calm her down. "Love? Xiulan? Evelina, tell me what's happening. Please!"

Then she fell slack in his arms. The smoking pipe fell to the carpeted floor but he didn't give a damn. He was now frightened as his wife fainting.

"Evelina!"

###

Dragon Palace Home #10.

An exhausted and grim Jin Liwei closed the bedroom door where his wife was now asleep. The doctor excused herself with her medical bag and left.

Jin Liwei glanced at his brother-in-law leaning by the window in the master suite's living area. In Lu Zihao's hand was the bejewelled smoking pipe that Jin Liwei believed to have caused his wife's collapse earlier at Wei Lan's house.

Cursed thing!

He disliked the smoking pipe. No, he abhorred it!

If something happened to his wife and their twins, he would command someone to pulverize the damned smoking pipe to dust and throw it to a pigsty.

"You say that it was René Alejandro's friend called Emilio Miguel who put up this smoking pipe for auction tonight?" Lu Zihao asked while stroking the pipe with his rough fingers.

"En." Jin Liwei headed to the mini-refrigerator and got himself a can of coconut water.

He was craving for beer right now but it had been a long time since there was any alcoholic beverages in the master suite. Coconut water would do. He tossed a can to his brother-in-law before chugging almost half of his own can.

Lu Zihao also drank his coconut water with one hand while studying the smoking pipe with his other hand.

"Smoking devil," he whispered.

"You know it, too?" Jin Liwei asked. "That's what Evelina called it before she fainted."

"It's what it is called."

Lu Zihao finished his can of coconut water in just a few swigs, crushed it in his big hand, and tossed it to the trash bin without even looking. The crushed tin can accurately went inside the trash bin.

historical

"Explain," Jin Liwei said.

"The story about the Armenian merchant commissioning this smoking pipe to impress his father-in-law is bullshit," Lu Zihao replied.

"I figured as much."

"But it's true that this smoking pipe originated in Armenia."

Jin Liwei raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He waited for his brother-in-law to clarify while sipping his coconut water.

Lu Zihao popped the pipe into his mouth and blew imaginary smoke into the air. The movement was so natural as if he had been doing it all his life.

"The Smoking Devil belonged to the heirs of Vetrovs."

He looked at Jin Liwei with his dark, fathomless eyes.

"It was mine."