Chapter 34

However, Ruan Tang was clearly distracted, but he didn't pay attention to the young male servant's presumptuous behavior.

He picked up the milk, took a gentle sip, and sighed.

Auston clearly sensed that he was in a bad mood, gave him a thoughtful look, and asked, 'Madam, are you feeling upset?'

'It's nothing.' Ruan Tang couldn't tell a male servant about the entanglements between him and Auston, so he just gently shook his head.

He looked up at the young man, intending to dismiss him, but was surprised to find that the wounds on the young man's face hadn't subsided at all, still oozing a transparent liquid resembling tissue mucus.

Ruan Tang immediately cried out, 'What's wrong with your face?'

Logically speaking, the young man's face should have healed long ago; so much time had passed, how could it still look like fresh wounds?

Auston's gaze darkened slightly, but he still answered truthfully, '…Madam, my face was corroded by Insect Race venom, and afterward I didn't receive timely treatment. Instead, I was given a genetic drug that worsened the venom's toxicity. Unless half the flesh on my face is cut away, my face will never heal…'

This was a gift from his good father for him to remember for life.

Even if it could be cured, he no longer wanted to treat it. He wanted to keep it forever as a lifelong reminder.

'How is that possible?' Ruan Tang was shocked.

He had never imagined there could be such a cruel disfigurement method: first corroding the face with Insect Race venom, then using genetic medicine to ensure the wound never healed. It was practically a form of torture.

And in this mansion, the person who would treat a male servant so cruelly and use such a brutal method of torment, Ruan Tang had no doubt about who it was.

Thinking of this, looking at the male servant before him, Ruan Tang couldn't help feeling a sense of guilt. He said in a low voice, 'Bring me my medical kit, I'll apply some medicine for you. It might not help, but I think your face will feel a bit better…'

It was true that Auston was very good to him, but he was also twisted and cruel to others.

He didn't know how to change Auston, but as his partner, he just wanted to do everything he could to make amends for those innocent people harmed by him.

Having been through the previous application of medicine, Auston now rummaged through Ruan Tang's belongings for the medical kit and handed it to him, doing so with practiced ease and much more compliance.

He handed the medical kit to Ruan Tang, who immediately told him to sit down and carefully cleaned the festering areas on his face with disinfectant cotton pads. With the experience from last time, Ruan Tang's movements were gentler and more cautious; even though the young man's wounds were raw, he was careful not to let him feel any pain…

Auston stared at Ruan Tang's eyes, so beautiful that he couldn't look away. Even though he knew applying medicine was useless for him, he still willingly sat down, indulging him like playing house and letting Ruan Tang do as he pleased.

For some reason, being watched by Ruan Tang with such a gentle and careful gaze, he felt a strange sense of peace and tranquility, as if time stood still.

He inexplicably wished that time could freeze forever at this moment.

'This won't do. Even if there's really no solution, you still need to go to the hospital and have it checked…' Ruan Tang looked anxiously at the hideous scars on his face, his movements extremely gentle. 'I know some good doctors. I'll transfer some money to you later; whether it helps or not, you should still go see a doctor.'

The young man before him was different from the butler and other male servants who monitored Auston, and also different from those who had offended Auston or tried to use him.

In Ruan Tang's eyes, he was just a clumsy, simple-minded big fellow who had been unjustly hurt because of Auston's twisted nature.

Ruan Tang's heart ached; he couldn't bear to watch.

Auston hadn't expected him to say that, and looked at him in surprise.

Ruan Tang looked at his innocent face and sighed. '…No matter how good your relationship with the butler is, or how much he looks after you, I think you should leave the Duke's mansion and find another job. This place is not suitable for you. The salary here may be high, but however much money you make, you need to be alive to spend it.'

Ruan Tang had basically met all the male servants here.

Except for this simple-minded big fellow, every single one was a shrewd person with hidden motives, and Auston's mental state was unstable. Ruan Tang truly didn't want to see this young man continue staying in this ruthless place.

Auston lowered his gaze slightly and said nothing.

'I'm saying this for your own good. If you're having financial difficulties and can't bear to give up this salary, I can recommend another job for you, at a friend's place. The pay may not be as high as here, but it will be more stable, and you won't have to live in fear…' Seeing that he didn't speak, Ruan Tang thought he was reluctant to part with the Duke's mansion salary, so he proactively suggested a solution for the young man.

He made this suggestion both for the young man and for Auston.

He really couldn't continue watching Auston hurt completely innocent people; when Auston was so extremely good to him, his conscience was troubled.

Hearing this, Auston's gaze darkened. Instead of responding, he suddenly asked, '…Madam, are you this kind and attentive to everyone?'

He was very curious about this question.

Although when Ruan Tang had laid his cards on the table last time, his tone had been hard and resolute, making him seem cold, Auston still felt that this Omega was essentially a soft and kind little white lotus…

Whether it was dealing with a madman like himself or a male servant he had never met before, he could be kind and gentle to the extreme.

It seemed as if they were destined to never walk the same path.

'Why do you ask?' Ruan Tang hadn't expected the question and was taken aback for a moment.

Auston looked at him deeply. 'Because, Madam, I feel that your kindness is not like that of a noble.'

As a noble himself in this circle, Auston was all too familiar with its stench. Compared to these people, Ruan Tang's kindness and softness seemed completely out of place with the entire circle.

'…I'm actually not as good as you think.' Ruan Tang sighed silently. 'I just do my best with what is within my power before me.'

He never considered himself a truly compassionate good person or saint; it was just that when something happened before his eyes and he had the ability to help, he couldn't ignore it—that was his bottom line.

But he was also human, with fears, concerns, and a fear of death. There would be times when he couldn't act heroically and could only turn a blind eye…

And at this moment, the reason he was so wholeheartedly trying to help the young man before him was not because he was kind or merciful.

Rather, it was because he believed that this young man had been hurt by his husband, and he wanted to atone for Auston's sins and lessen some of his guilt…

He was not as great as Set thought; he was base, and really didn't deserve the young man's praise.

'Madam is too modest.' Auston raised an eyebrow slightly. 'You are so noble, yet you can consider everything thoroughly for a lowly person like me without expecting anything in return—if that is not kindness, what is?'

Ruan Tang smiled bitterly. 'My help to you is not without expecting something in return.'

He admitted his own baseness…

'Oh? What does Madam want me to repay you with? Just say it, and I'll go through fire and water for you without hesitation.'

Ruan Tang looked at him deeply and said word by word, extremely seriously, '…I hope you can not hold a grudge against the Duke.'

He knew that Auston's various actions were too hateful; from servants to nobles, countless people across the entire imperial capital hated him and wanted him dead.

But as a partner, when it was within his power, Ruan Tang still hoped to help Auston reduce a little of the hatred others held against him—even just a little…

A man can be killed, but not humiliated.

He really didn't want to see Auston one day be killed because he had humiliated others too much.

'Don't hold a grudge against the Duke?' Auston hadn't expected to hear such words from Ruan Tang and was stunned.

Ruan Tang, thinking he found it difficult, immediately said, '…I know this request may be difficult for you, but shameless as I am, I still hope you can give me some face and not hate him…'

'Madam, what you say—the Duke is so noble, and our statuses are as different as clouds and mud. Not to mention that he hasn't done anything to me; even if he had, how could I possibly hate him?' Auston's tone was calm.

Ruan Tang looked at him deeply but couldn't believe that the young man's face being first corroded by Insect Race venom and then aggravated by genetic medicine had nothing to do with Auston, nor that the young man felt no resentment toward Auston after such an incident.

But the young man was unwilling to speak and kept his mouth shut, so Ruan Tang didn't want to press him.

Auston, seeing him silent, darkened his gaze and broke the silence himself. 'The reason Madam asks me this is because you think the Duke is irritable and brutal, twisted in nature, and deserves to be hated?'

He really wanted to know this.

Every time he wanted to make a move against someone or kill, Ruan Tang's reaction was very strong.

In the heart and eyes of a kind and principled person like himself, a person who was so moody and ready to kill should be very detestable, right?

Ruan Tang looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to dare ask such a question. 'You have quite the nerve. Is this the kind of question you should be asking?'

Given the young man's lack of discretion, if it weren't for his long leave, Ruan Tang really thought it was a miracle he had survived this long.

'I'm just asking casually.' Auston laughed, his eyes curving, his bright smile making him look especially harmless and innocent. 'I believe that Madam, with your kindness, surely won't blame me. I only dare to say such things in front of you.'

'I… don't think so.' Ruan Tang closed his eyes, carefully recalling his interactions with Auston. 'The Duke may be cruel to you—to others—but to me, he is really very good.'

Auston might be brutal and fierce to others, but he was very good to him—Ruan Tang couldn't help but be touched.

Before this young man, who might have been injured by Auston and permanently disabled, he had to admit his own baseness… He was greedy for Auston's kindness to him, and even though he knew that everyone in the imperial capital feared him, he didn't want anything to happen to him, didn't want to lose him.

Auston seemed not to have expected such an answer from him; he looked at him deeply and was silent for a long time.

…

After the young male servant left, Ruan Tang tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Thinking that since Auston came home, he hadn't come looking for him or spoken a word to him, not only hadn't he marked him, but he hadn't even asked him to come up and tell bedtime stories. He felt particularly unhappy.

After thinking it over, he finally jumped out of bed, picked up a paper copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales he had bought, and in the middle of the night, knocked on Auston's door once again.

Auston knew it was him, so he immediately put on a mask, used a device to slightly adjust his hair color, and removed the voice changer he had worn while disguised as a male servant. Only then did he clear his throat and say to Ruan Tang, 'Come in.'

'My Lord…' Ruan Tang nodded to him.

Auston glanced at him and said in a displeased tone, 'What are you here for?'

'It's getting late; I came to tell you a bedtime story, of course…' Ruan Tang walked over gently and raised the book he had specially bought for Auston.

Auston raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.

Ruan Tang walked up to him, placed the book on the bedside table, and quietly looked at Auston. He said he came to tell a story but didn't make a move to open the book.

Auston immediately looked at him displeasedly and said arrogantly, 'Didn't you say you came to tell a story? Why aren't you telling it?'

He hadn't forgiven this Omega yet.

'I have something to say to you, My Lord.'

Auston looked very impatient. 'What?'

'Actually, the reason I stopped you from killing Wen Run today is not because I care about him and don't want you to kill him,' Ruan Tang said. 'It's because I was afraid that by killing him, you would bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself. After all, he has the support of the Caland Family and the key cultivation from the researcher…'

After thinking it over, he always felt that Auston's sudden outburst was because of this matter, and he felt it necessary to explain clearly to Auston.

Auston immediately waved his hand. 'If you didn't do it because you care about him, then you didn't. Why are you telling me?'

He didn't have any extra expression, and his voice was arrogant, but Ruan Tang inexplicably felt that his mood had lightened…

'Nothing, I just wanted to say it, so I did.' Ruan Tang looked at him and felt sure he had guessed correctly, but Auston was stubborn and wouldn't admit it. He complained inwardly but still took the blame himself.

Auston was obviously in a good mood, but he still urged awkwardly, 'You waste my story time with such boring things? Didn't you come to tell a story? Hurry up and tell it, I'm waiting!'

Without a trace of gunpowder, the war unilaterally started by Auston was declared over.

Ruan Tang looked at the Alpha before him, so easily satisfied, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He felt more and more like the queen in One Thousand and One Nights who told stories to the tyrant every night.

And he also inexplicably gained confidence that he would change Auston, just like the queen in the story reformed the king.

In the dead of night, Auston once again unreasonably woke up his advisor Vincent. Vincent yawned, looking utterly exhausted. '…My Lord, has something happened again?'

'Vincent, that method you suggested last time didn't work. I don't think he likes those expensive luxury goods. I've seen him take them out to wear a few times… Your theory isn't reliable. What else do you think ordinary Omegas like, besides luxury goods, that would make them happy when they see them?' Auston was very energetic, his eyes bright.

Forced from being Auston's career advisor to his love advisor, Vincent was so sleepy he had serious crankiness, internally cursing ten thousand 'what the hell's.

Only then did he maintain his outward calm and gentleness, putting on a professional fake smile. 'If he doesn't like luxury goods, it seems Madam is an unusual Omega.'

'Right, right, he's different from others, completely different…' Auston fully agreed, feeling that Vincent made a lot of sense.

His Omega was different from those flashy and cheap ones outside, wasn't he?

It was only natural that he didn't like those vulgar things they liked.

'…Since Madam doesn't like luxury goods, and I hear he is a very kind person. I believe he will definitely like small animals. A normal Omega who doesn't like luxury goods will be fascinated by small animals.' Vincent ground his teeth, carrying his dedication to work to the end.

Auston was not very satisfied with his last wrong judgment and immediately asked, 'Are you sure?'

'Sure, absolutely sure.' Vincent said with great certainty.

Auston fell into thought, feeling it was time to bring out his little pet darlings to amuse Ruan Tang, believing that Ruan Tang would surely like them.

Unfortunately, Auston's plan did not come to pass. The next morning after breakfast, Ruan Tang's personal communicator rang.

Ruan Tang was quite surprised that someone would call him, and then came the voice of a former colleague he had gotten along with fairly well: 'Ruan Tang, it's bad! You're on the StarNet hot search, you and Ruan Xi together… You're trending number one right now! The entire StarNet is cursing you!'

Ruan Tang was dumbfounded on the spot. '…'

He didn't understand how someone like him, whose job had nothing to do with popularity and was currently unemployed, could be involved with something like a hot search.

Bewildered, Ruan Tang opened his personal terminal and logged into the interstellar space square. He found that he really was on the hot search, currently trending number one.

The hot search titles were #RuanTangPlagiarism# and #RuanTangStealingDr.RuanXi'sResearch# — even two topics in a row.

And the cause of the incident was that a researcher working at an institute posted anonymously in a forum, claiming that he worked at the institute and that his research results had been stolen by his half-brother. Now, because this brother had married extremely well to a powerful Alpha, the matter was suppressed. Everyone around him advised him to endure, and he had no one to appeal to, forced to accept the reality of his hard work being stolen…

Not only that, but even more outrageously, this half-brother had conspired with his husband to set him up at a banquet, framing him for seducing his brother-in-law. The powerful brother-in-law had even laid hands on him at the time, completely ruining his reputation.

Now he had failed both in career and reputation, almost wanting to end his life, simply not wanting to live anymore.