Chapter 19

Ruan Tang gradually figured out a pattern for getting along with Auston. After careful interaction, he actually felt that Auston, that madman, wasn’t as difficult to deal with as others imagined.

At least, he treated his nominal partner quite well.

At the same time, after waking up, Ruan Tang received an invitation to a banquet on the Imperial Star.

In the glittering and debauched aristocratic circle of the Imperial Star, idle nobles were hosting banquets almost all the time, providing a pastime for the upper-class nobles who loved to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves.

Ruan Xi was a popular figure at this type of banquet, with many supporters on such occasions, and had made quite a few devoted admirers.

Ruan Tang, truth be told, didn’t really like this kind of banquet. For him, attending such social events was worse than staying home and reading. So this month, he had already lost count of how many invitations of this type he had declined.

But refusing—once or twice was fine, but if he refused too many times, people would start gossiping.

Before, when he wasn’t married, it might have been excusable, but now that he was married, he represented the dignity of the Imperial family and the Auston Ducal Palace.

Staying away from such public occasions for long, with his husband being the empire’s infamous Bluebeard Duke, would inevitably lead to speculation and rumors... and the Empress would also be displeased.

So, after thinking it over, Ruan Tang agreed to attend this gathering.

And at the appointed time, he arrived at the venue in the Auston Ducal Palace’s dedicated hovercar.

“Long time no see, Ruan Tang. No, no, now I should address you as Her Grace the Duchess.” As soon as Ruan Tang entered, the host of the gathering, Countess Wengsi, came up to greet him together with several other noble ladies: “You’re such a busy person. This is your first social appearance since your marriage. You truly honor my humble home.”

She appeared warm and cheerful, acting as if she were familiar with everyone, but in truth she was a shrewd social climber who tailored her behavior to the situation.

In the past, when Ruan Tang was not favored by Ruan Ming, she had never paid him any attention. Now that Ruan Tang’s nominal status had become the Duchess of Auston, she could deftly switch and act chummy with him on the surface.

Ruan Tang understood the rules of this circle well. Since others gave him smiles, he returned smiles in kind: “I’m newly married, and there are still many things I haven’t gotten around to. I hope you’ll be understanding.”

“After all, newlyweds—it’s understandable, understandable... We all understand.” Upon hearing this, the several noble ladies, regardless of their true thoughts, all nodded in agreement on the surface.

This could be counted as one of the benefits of Ruan Tang’s marriage to Auston: no matter what these people thought of him privately, out of fear of Auston and the Imperial family, they would at least not openly embarrass him.

The banquet felt interminably long.

After greeting everyone he was supposed to socialize with, Ruan Tang found a place to sit down and stayed by himself, away from the glitz and glamour.

Although he was the Duchess of Auston, in fact everyone knew he was nothing more than a breeding tool, so not many people came to pay attention to or disturb him, giving Ruan Tang some peace and quiet.

It wasn’t until another bright and lively figure appeared at the banquet that many people turned probing gazes toward Ruan Tang.

“Xiao Xi! Long time no see. You look so lovely today.”

“Researcher Ruan, it’s been a while.”

“Isn’t this Young Master Ruan? I wonder when we’ll get to drink your wedding wine with Master Shen...”

It was Ruan Xi.

Compared to Ruan Tang, who was disliked by his father, married off to Duke Auston as a breeding tool by the family, with a mad husband who clearly didn’t care much about him, living from day to day without knowing about tomorrow—Ruan Xi, as Marshal Ruan Ming’s most beloved son, Shen Mozhi’s beloved fiancé, and an Omega who had harvested the adoration of a whole host of outstanding Alphas...

...Ruan Xi was a hugely popular star at such banquets, surrounded by admirers like the moon surrounded by stars.

Whether they truly knew him or not, everyone was willing to go up and ingratiate themselves with him for the sake of his future prospects.

And likewise, many who couldn’t get close cast direct or subtle probing glances at Ruan Tang...

Although the status and position of these two brothers were vastly different, the fact remained that Ruan Tang had messed up two engagement contracts because of Ruan Xi—even if it was his own fault.

And every time Ruan Tang and Ruan Xi met, there would be a scene worth watching.

Now, even if only in name, Ruan Tang had become a duchess, his status greatly elevated from before.

Now that the two had appeared at the same occasion, how could people not look forward to some drama?

But in the face of their expectations, Ruan Tang disappointed them. He only glanced briefly at the noisy spot when the crowd was buzzing, then, undisturbed by praise or criticism, he calmly looked away.

He did not look at his excessively pampered younger brother again.

As if he didn’t even know him, which made those waiting for a show grind their teeth in frustration.

Although Ruan Tang did not cast a single glance in Ruan Xi’s direction, Ruan Xi, while socializing with others, had been secretly watching Ruan Tang all along...

Ever since Ruan Tang’s marriage, he had been waiting for the good news that Ruan Tang would be skinned alive by Auston, have his gland dug out, and die by “accident,” so that he could smoothly take over as the protagonist of this world and obtain its entire power.

Unexpectedly, contrary to his wishes, Ruan Tang had been married for so long without anything happening, and no news came out at all.

Instead, because he had been unable to get close to Ruan Tang, the protagonist, and couldn’t slap Ruan Tang’s face, the halo and energy he had stolen were dwindling more and more...

He was not the true protagonist of this world; only by relying on the stolen energy to buy System items could he maintain his “everyone-loves-me” attribute and seduce more people into adoring him.

Seeing his energy depleting, Ruan Xi no longer cared to investigate why Ruan Tang hadn’t died yet. As soon as he heard that Ruan Tang was at this banquet, he rushed over without pause, intending to slap Ruan Tang’s face first, provoke his anger and others’ contempt and hostility toward him, and obtain a wave of energy.

“Big brother, I have something to tell you. Come with me, will you?” Ruan Xi walked up to Ruan Tang in front of everyone, looking pitiful, and spoke nervously, putting on a perfect show of a “world-class white lotus.”

As he spoke, he acted as if they were close and reached out to take Ruan Tang’s hand.

Before Ruan Xi could even touch him, Ruan Tang shook off Ruan Xi’s hand and said coldly, “I don’t think we have anything to say to each other.”

He didn’t know what Ruan Xi was up to, but every time they met in such a public setting, it would end up in a big scene for others to laugh at.

Ruan Xi might want to be a laughingstock for entertainment, but Ruan Tang didn’t.

Besides, he didn’t think there was anything left to say between him and Ruan Xi.

“Big brother, I know I was wrong. It’s all because of me that you and Brother Zhou had misunderstandings and ended up like this. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have married Duke Auston. It’s all my fault... all my fault. Please don’t hate me, don’t blame me, okay?” Seeing that he was about to leave, Ruan Xi refused to give him a chance to escape; he grabbed Ruan Tang’s hand and burst into tears, as if Ruan Tang had done something terrible to him.

He wept loudly: “I don’t hope for your forgiveness, but seeing you like this, at odds with Brother Zhou, my heart truly aches...”

Because his voice was not low, in the banquet hall where many people were already secretly watching them, even more eyes immediately fell on them.

Sure enough, whenever he encountered Ruan Xi, he was made a spectacle again.

“You’re overthinking it. Since I married, I’ve been getting along well with the Duke. I have no time to hate you, and no time to blame you.” Faced with this scene, Ruan Tang didn’t know what expression to make. He only felt his heart was like a pool of dead water, without a single ripple.

But Ruan Xi seemed to have some kind of performative personality; the more people watched, the more stubbornly he clung to Ruan Tang, crying even louder: “Big brother, seeing you like this, I’d rather you hate me and blame me. I know you must be unhappy. It really hurts my heart...”

Seeing this “world-class white lotus” act, Ruan Tang finally couldn’t take it anymore. He directly shook off Ruan Xi and turned to leave.

He felt he simply couldn’t afford to be this embarrassed.

With just a light push from Ruan Tang, Ruan Xi fell heavily to the ground: “Ah~” he screamed in pain.

“Ruan Tang, what do you think you’re doing? Don’t be so ungrateful!” With Shen Mozhi and Zhou Yao not present today, upon seeing Ruan Xi fall to the ground—just like in the old routine—another one of Ruan Xi’s suitors, the youngest son of Duke Feidiya, stepped forward furiously, helped Ruan Xi up, and acted as his protective knight.

He looked at Ruan Xi’s tear-streaked face with distress, then glared at Ruan Tang: “I’ll give you one last chance. Apologize to Xixi immediately, or I’ll make you regret it!”

“No, Owen, don’t be like this. Big brother didn’t mean it. He’s just too upset...” Upon hearing this, Ruan Xi immediately tried to defend Ruan Tang out of “kindness.”

Owen became even more distressed for Ruan Xi: “Xixi, you’re too kind. You’re completely deceived by that venomous Ruan Tang...”

Watching them, Ruan Tang felt as if he were watching some big drama—absurd and laughable.

“How am I being ungrateful? I’m just not apologizing today! Let’s see what Young Master Feidiya can do to me!” Ruan Tang didn’t know why every Alpha became like this when they saw Ruan Xi. He just looked coldly at this dandy and let out a sneer.

In the past, he couldn’t be bothered to argue with these people. In truth, he really didn’t think Owen Feidiya could do anything to him.

He hadn’t done anything wrong—why should he apologize?