Chapter 27

Although Ruan Tang was also of noble birth, because he wasn't favored at home, this was his first time setting foot here.

He followed closely beside Auston's wheelchair all the way, with no impropriety in his demeanor.

But because of the recent rapid spread of rumors—such as that the Bluebeard Duke of the imperial capital doted on his new wife so much that he had not only broken the leg of Feidiya's youngest son, but also brought a complaint against Feidiya before the emperor, forcing Feidiya to send his youngest son away from the imperial capital...

Even though Ruan Tang behaved impeccably, he still attracted everyone's attention. Although there were many nobles in the imperial capital, because Ruan Tang had never liked attending social occasions in the past, not everyone had seen him before.

Those who had never seen Ruan Tang all speculated in their hearts about where this Omega, who had been jilted twice, found the charm to make the notorious imperial mad dog so infatuated.

Although Ruan Tang had always been known as the First Beauty of the imperial capital, his half-brother Ruan Xi was a socialite in the imperial capital, known as Dixing's First Alpha Slayer. His looks were unremarkable, bland and insipid, yet somehow he attracted Alphas so much.

It was a well-known fact throughout the imperial capital that Ruan Tang had lost two engagements in a row because of Ruan Xi.

Therefore, even though Ruan Tang was called the First Beauty, many who had never seen him speculated in their hearts that Ruan Tang probably wasn't that good-looking, and might even be inferior to Ruan Xi.

The so-called title of First Beauty was probably just a gimmick that Marshal Ruan Ming had spread to build up this unknown son of his.

And now, if Ruan Tang could unexpectedly win Auston's infatuation, it was most likely because that madman's tastes were out of the ordinary.

Those were all the thoughts these people had before seeing Ruan Tang.

Ruan Tang walked beside Auston in a tailored suit, looking straight ahead, upright as a jade tree, skin fair as snow, with an attitude utterly indifferent, yet his overall impression was like something out of a painting—breathtakingly beautiful.

The most commendable thing was that, as the imperial capital's notorious black-hearted, venomous beauty, his aura was not at all coquettish; instead, it was cold and ascetic, filled with an aloofness that did not provoke resentment.

Truly a rare beauty seldom seen in the world.

At the first glimpse of Ruan Tang, many were stunned, and only when Ruan Tang had walked far away beside the wheelchair of that famously deranged mad dog of the imperial capital did they snap back to their senses.

All sighed in their hearts: it seemed the one with poor taste was not the Bluebeard Duke, but Ruan Tang's first two fiancés.

Otherwise, how could they have turned away from such a stunning beauty and gone to like Ruan Xi?

What a pity, that such a beauty had married the imperial capital's ugliest man—truly a beauty's ill fate.

...

Ruan Tang had been exceptionally handsome since he was young, and he was long accustomed to the countless gazes falling on him, attracted to him, whenever he entered an unfamiliar place.

However, although these people would be amazed by his appearance, after meeting Ruan Xi, they would all turn to love Ruan Xi instead.

Ruan Tang was perplexed and couldn't understand why, ultimately attributing it to the possibility that, in these people's eyes, Ruan Xi's soul was more interesting than his mere good looks.

“... Milord, what are we here to do?” Ruan Tang wanted to understand the purpose of their trip. Auston was pushing his wheelchair too fast, confusing him and almost making it hard to keep up.

Auston shook off those annoying people who were staring dumbstruck at Ruan Tang, frowned slightly, and immediately slowed down his wheelchair, saying: “... Nothing much, just looking around.”

Ruan Tang: “...”

Ruan Tang looked at him speechlessly, but he didn't at all believe that he was just going to casually look around. He could only attribute his answer to a perfunctory attempt to avoid telling him the real reason.

He then replied softly: “... Okay.”

Although they were called a married couple, in reality they were still very unfamiliar with each other, and their relationship was far from being close enough to share everything. Since Auston didn't want to tell him and wanted to keep things from him, Ruan Tang didn't ask any further.

He immediately slowed his pace and began to tour the auction center's exhibits, each of which was said to be priceless.

Here there were flawless pink crystals so translucent that they refracted ever-changing light from different angles, as well as lustrous and beautiful mutton-fat jade that could only become so pure and flawless after thousands of years of sedimentation, and naturally formed pearls as large as a human fist...

Each and every item was a priceless rarity.

They dazzled the eyes, as if one had fallen into an endless, opulent sea of splendor.

Ruan Tang accompanied Auston, walking and looking, touring the rare treasures for an entire morning, and still couldn't figure out what Auston was actually here to do.

Until the auction started at noon.

Auston, regardless of the price, resolutely won every treasure that Ruan Tang had looked at for more than three seconds.

The entire crowd was stunned, looking at them. Many who had set their hearts on treasures and finally decided to bid were robbed by Auston's relentless price-hiking, but dared not speak out due to Auston's status. The auction center's manager, moreover, suspected they might be there to cause trouble.

Only after Auston generously paid a huge sum for everything did the people breathe a sigh of relief.

“... Milord, what are you doing?” Stunned were not only all the people in the auction center, but also Ruan Tang, who watched Auston splurge like a nouveau riche, buying nearly half the auction center's items.

Auston didn't quite understand what he was asking: “What do you mean?”

“Why did you buy all these?” Ruan Tang looked at him in surprise. In the past, he had only heard that Auston was cruel and inhuman, not that he was so extravagantly wasteful.

At this rate of spending, Ruan Tang was very worried about how the ducal estate was holding up.

Auston answered without thinking: “For you.”

“For me?” Ruan Tang was utterly dumbfounded, recalling in disbelief that Auston had bought nearly half the auction center. “All for me?”

He had thought Auston wanted them for himself, never imagining that he had bought them to give to him.

Auston nodded matter-of-factly: “All for you.”

Vincent was right, Ruan Tang really did like these things—look at him, stunned with joy.

“... Why did you suddenly want to give me gifts?” Ruan Tang was completely bewildered.

Auston awkwardly looked away, pretending to be indifferent: “... Nothing much, I just saw you looking at those things many times, like you wanted them but were too embarrassed to ask, so I decided to give them to you.”

“Don't overthink it. Now that you're my Omega, I can't have you looking too shabby. Since you wanted them and I can afford them, I bought them.” When Ruan Tang didn't speak, Auston hastily added.

He didn't want this Omega to know that he had specifically done it to make him happy.

Ruan Tang: “...”

Ruan Tang was speechless, wondering where he had shown any sign of looking at those things several times as if he wanted them but was too shy to ask. He clearly had nothing else to do and was forced to tour these priceless exhibits.

Besides, hadn't Auston dragged him here for no reason this morning?

It wasn't like he had come here on his own, staring at them longingly.

He was inwardly complaining, but seeing Auston's awkward demeanor, a strange possibility arose in Ruan Tang's mind: Could it be that Auston had woken him up early and brought him to the auction center to choose gifts for him?

But didn't others give just one gift?

Who would buy nearly half the auction center's items to give away at once?

And why was Auston suddenly giving him things?

Indeed, this madman's thought process was just different from normal people's, wasn't it?

After experiencing Auston's mad behavior these past two days, Ruan Tang almost thought that the clear, rational conversation they had before was just his own pipe dream.

This guy was still utterly crazy...

“... Um, do you like them?” Auston, seeing no expected joy on Ruan Tang's face, asked somewhat anxiously.

Could it be that Vincent was unreliable, his intelligence wrong, and Ruan Tang didn't actually like these things?

Ruan Tang immediately snapped out of it and said with a sincere smile: “I like them very much, thank you, Milord.”

Although Auston's behavior was a bit mad, no matter what, one should be grateful for gifts—especially gifts each worth a fortune...

Besides, who would be fed up with having too much money?

Auston relaxed when he heard him say he liked them: “That's good.”

In the room they were in, service staff from the center had been present the whole time. Soon, these attendants spread the news that the Bluebeard Duke, uncharacteristically generous today, had bought nearly half the auction center's items all to please his new wife.

When Auston and Ruan Tang were leaving, many nobles and wealthy magnates who had wanted to bid on things but had lost their treasures due to Auston's involvement glared at them angrily.

But after seeing Ruan Tang's appearance, they all felt relieved and their anger dissipated—

This time, it really wasn't the mad duke's fault. If they could possess such a beautiful Omega, even if he were a black-hearted lotus, a venomous beauty, they would certainly want to spoil and protect him just like this madman, offering him all the best things and emptying their wallets for him to spend.

Ruan Tang was simply too good-looking.

Within less than a day, the news that Auston had spent a fortune and bought nearly half the auction center for Ruan Tang spread throughout the imperial capital again.

To give Ruan Tang a chance to show off, Auston, contrary to his usual behavior, accepted an invitation to a banquet hosted by a duke's manor and brought Ruan Tang along.

Ruan Tang casually selected two items from among Auston's gifts and wore them.

Times had changed. Because Auston's care and regard for him were evident, no one in the upper echelons of the imperial capital's nobility dared to look down on Ruan Tang. As soon as Ruan Tang appeared, he immediately became the center of attention, the object of flattery and courtship from the imperial capital's celebrity circle, and was overwhelmed with social engagements.

In a corner, Auston sipped wine, watching with satisfaction as Ruan Tang became the center of the entire banquet, someone everyone had to carefully flatter.

For no reason, he felt a bit happy.

“Most esteemed Lord Auston...” Just then, a slender, delicate-looking male Omega quietly approached him.

It was Ruan Xi.