Tianlan College.
Qi Heng handed over the auction list that he had to Qi Shaorong, "Young Master, this is the auction house's auction list. There are a total of 100 goods up for auction, and Mu Tingxuan is ranked 72."
"A wood spirit body is actually ranked 72 on the list, this auction house is really looking down on my people." Qi Shaorong said, displeased.
Qi Heng shrugged and said, "It's because Tingxuan refused to get cosmetic surgery!"
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "I never expected that Tingxuan refusing to get cosmetic surgery would actually have this kind of benefit, we can save a lot of money this way."
"By the way, all the people from the Mohe Mercenary Corps were poisoned to death by Yi Fan." Qi Heng said.
"When did this happen?"
"Today."
"That guy, he usually looks lazy and indolent, but once you provoke him, he'll go out of control, like he's crazy. His actions this time really were carried out swiftly." Qi Shaorong said, shaking his head.
Qi Heng nodded and said, "Right! It's just he was much too aggressive in this situation, I'm afraid that he's caught the attention of many people!"
"It's okay, it's no big deal even if he is exposed. The Yi Family is in a mess right now, in the case of Yi Fan's secret being revealed, if the Yi Family is smart, they'll only try to win his favour, they won't dare to actually offend him in any way." Qi Shaorong said.
Qi Heng shrugged and said, "I sure hope so. I'm just afraid that the people from the Yi Family will be muddle-headed about this and not think things through clearly."
Yi Family.
"What is this? Let me take a look." Yi Chuxue said, staring at the invitation in the steward's hand.
"Miss, this is the auction list sent by the Tianyun Auction House, I'm in a hurry to get it to the head of the family. Miss, it would be better if you just don't look through it, the items from this auction house aren't cheap, even after looking through it you still wouldn��t be able to afford anything." The steward said.
Yi Chuxue said angrily, "You… You dare to talk to me like this."
"Miss, if there isn't any problem, I will leave first." The steward looked at Yi Chuxue and walked away.
Yi Chuxue looked at the back of the steward walking away, and she was so angry her eyes turned out. From her childhood to now, Yi Chuxue had always been treated with respect, but during this period of time, she was repeatedly treated very coldly by everyone.
Yi Chuxue suppressed her fury and returned to the courtyard, but found that there was no one she could complain to. The brothers who had loved her so much originally, one was constantly drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and the other had become addicted to gambling. Her originally powerful and impressive brothers had now become the laughing stocks of the Imperial capital.
"Chuxue, what's wrong?" Yang Man walked out and said.
"Mother, all those guys in the main family are really nothing but snobs."
Yang Man had lived in comfort for too long, and she also felt unsatisfied towards the lives they were living now, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"Mother, did you know? The Tianyun auction is about to begin." Yi Chuxue said.
Yang Man nodded and said, "I know."
There were countless rare treasures in the auction this time. If it had been like the previous years, Yang Man would've already invited a few upper-class ladies with whom she was acquainted to discuss the items on the auction list, but this year, Yang Man really had no mood for this anymore, and even if she did, she wouldn't have the means to do so.
"Mother, there are Xueyan flowers at the auction [1], I want to go check it out." Yi Chuxue said.
Yang Man pursed her lips. Xueyan flowers were a type of strange flowers. Washing your face with the juice from this flower can make your skin crystal clear and glowing, as well as slow down aging effects.
"Enough already, stop being so troublesome. There will be so many powerful people at the auction, even if you do join the auction, you won't be able to beat the others there." Yang Man said.
In order to treat Yi Bing and Yi Huo's injuries, Yang Man had spent a lot of money, but unfortunately, the light priests that came over all said that there was nothing that could be done the end. Massive amounts of gold had been used up, yet she didn't even gain anything in return, Yang Man was so angered, she became a lot more haggard-looking.
"Mother, you're too biased! Both my brothers have become wastes, and you're still so willing to spend money on them, but you only ever do the bare minimum for me." Yi Chuxue said angrily.
Yang Man slapped Yi Chuxue's face, "You still have the face to say this, if it weren't for you, your Elder Brother wouldn't be the way he is now, and your father wouldn't have lost his position as the acting head."
Yi Chuxue gave Yang Man an angry look and rushed into her room.
Tianlan College.
Qi Shaorong walked down the stairs and saw Zhuang Hao standing there, "Why are you here?"
"Are you going to the auction house? Use my carriage, I'll take you there." Zhuang Hao said eagerly.
Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao, and didn't quibble over this issue with him. "Then I'll have to trouble Young Master Zhuang."
Qi Shaorong's body was draped with a fox fur cloak, highlighting his beautiful appearance, and Zhuang Hao couldn't help but stare at him in a daze.
"What's up with you?" Qi Shaorong asked, looking sideways at Zhuang Hao.
Zhuang Hao shook his head and said, "Nothing, it's just that… you're really good-looking."
Qi Shaorong laughed and said, "Young Master Zhuang, I've already told you before, that this young master is a peerless beauty of this generation, did you only realize now that I'm handsome? You're really too slow."
Zhuang Hao nodded and said, "Right! I'm not as smart as you, Fourth Young Master Qi."
[T/n: I don't think Zhuang Hao is being sarcastic here lol.]
Qi Shaorong: "…"
Qi Shaorong boarded Zhuang Hao's carriage, only to find there was another person inside.
"A-Qian, you're here too!" Qi Shaorong greeted Zhuang Qian with a smile on his face.
Zhuang Qian nodded cautiously and said, "Yes!"
The inside of the carriage was very spacious, and there was more than enough room to seat even up to five or six people, but Zhuang Qian shrank into the corner, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
"I heard that you were going around and proclaiming that I'm fierce?" Qi Shaorong asked with a smile.
Zhuang Qian, "…That's all a misunderstanding, Young Master Qi, you're not fierce at all, you're actually very gentle and kind."
Qi Shaorong sneered and said, "You don't need to say this kind of joke."
Qi Shaorong grabbed Zhuang Qian's shirt collar and pulled Zhuang Qian towards him, saying, "Little guy, don't offend me, otherwise I'll take all the meat from your body and make you into a deep-fried dish, do you understand?"
Zhuang Qian hurriedly nodded a few times and said, "I understand, I understand."
Zhuang Hao got on the carriage, and saw Zhuang Qian shrunk in the corner, looking like he had just received a fright.
"A-Qian, what's the matter with you?"
Zhuang Qian quickly shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
Zhuang Hao's carriage stopped at the door of the auction house. Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong stepped out of the carriage and just so happened to see a few acquaintances.
Qi Yuan was leading Qi Shaokang, Qi Shaofu, and Qi Shaoru, and they also seemed to be entering the auction house.
Qi Shaoru looked at Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong, who had just come down from the same carriage, and her eyes filled with a deep, strong jealousy.
Qi Shaokang nodded at Qi Shaorong and greeted him, "Fourth Brother, so you're also attending the auction."
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Yes!"
Qi Shaorong smiled at Qi Yuan and said, "Elder Qi Yuan, the last time I was a little too ruthless with my actions, are your injuries all better now?"
Qi Yuan waved his sleeves and said angrily, "It's none of your business."
Qi Yuan entered the auction house first, and when Qi Shaokang and the rest saw this, they also went in. Qi Shaoru reluctantly looked at Zhuang Hao before leaving.
"That old guy has such a huge temper, I had good intentions and was concerned about his health, yet he actually became angry. At such an old age, he still loves getting angry so much, anger can shorten one's life, you know!" Qi Shaorong said, shaking his head.
Zhuang Qian: "…" Your good intentions, they sounded more like a provocation!
Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Qian's expression, frowned, and said, "Little fatty guy, what are you thinking?"
Zhuang Qian quickly shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
A horse-drawn carriage was heading towards them. Qi Shaorong turned around and looked at the carriage, saying, "The family crest on this carriage looks a little familiar!"
Qi Heng leaned close to Qi Shaorong's ear and said, "Young Master, it's the Chen Family's family crest."
"Oh, it's the Chen family. I remember now, Chen Yuan that idiot had that image on his clothes."
Chen Yuan followed a Chen Family elder and stepped out of the carriage.
Seeing Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong standing in front of the auction house, Chen Yuan's face showed a painful expression.
Chen Yuan summoned up the courage to walk towards Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao, and greeted them, saying "Fourth Young Master Qi, Young Master Zhuang, you're both here!"
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Young Master Chen, you've recovered well! I heard that you were badly beaten up by someone, and you also seem to have thinned down a lot, did you go on a diet to lose weight or something?"
Chen Yuan, "…Fourth Young Master Qi, there's no need to make fun of me, I'm deeply sorry about the matter of cancelling the engagement."
"Young Master Chen, your apology is a little wrong! I actually want to thank you, such a peerless talent like myself, naturally I should be able to marry at least eight or ten beautiful women. Someone brainless and spineless like Zhuang Hao would be completely unsuitable for me, don't you think so? You cancelling the engagement really saved me a lot of trouble!" Qi Shaorong patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder.
[T/n: Oof, Qi Shaorong's so petty.]
Chen Yuan looked at Zhuang Hao's gloomy expression, and he suddenly felt an impulse to stab himself. Qi Shaorong, this guy, actually said these kinds of words at the door to the auction, many people were eavesdropping, okay?
"Fourth Young Master Qi, it's getting late, you should go in quickly." Chen Yuan said.
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Alright then!"
Qi Yuan sat in the booth with a sullen expression [2], and said, "So Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao actually have a good relationship."
Qi Yuan frowned. The original marriage between Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao would've brought the relationship between the Qi Family and the Zhuang Family a step closer. However, Qi Shaorong had already displayed a clear attitude of not wanting to associate with the Qi Family. Even if Zhuang Hao married Qi Shaorong now, it wouldn't bring the Qi Family any benefits.
"Zhuang Hao liked the Ghost Doctor, and Fourth Brother is the Ghost Doctor, so it's only normal that Zhuang Hao likes Fourth Brother now!" Qi Shaofu said.
"That's not normal at all! Fourth Brother, that guy, actually used this kind of method to hook up with Zhuang Hao." Qi Shaoru said, dissatisfied.
Qi Shaofu looked at Qi Shaoru and said, "Fifth Sister, think about it a little more, even if there wasn't Fourth Brother, Zhuang Hao wouldn't necessarily want to marry you either!"
Qi Shaoru glared fiercely at Qi Shaofu.
Qi Shaoru stayed in the private booth and was bored to death as she looked around everywhere. When she noticed a particular person downstairs, Qi Shaoru's eyes lit up, "Elder, there's still some time before the auction starts, I'm going downstairs to get some fresh air."
Qi Yuan wrinkled his brows and said, "Look at the time, why would you leave now?"
"It's only for a little while, I'll come back soon," said Qi Shaoru.
Qi Shaokang frowned and said, "What's the matter with Shaoru? She went to Zhuang Hao."
Qi Shaofu shook his head and glanced downstairs, saying, "It's probably not Zhuang Hao, it could be Yi Chuxue, maybe Fifth Sister went to find Yi Chuxue."
"This girl." Qi Shaokang shook his head helplessly.
Qi Shaofu held his chin. Before Yi Bing and Yi Huo had their accidents, Yi Chuxue and Qi Shaoru both had the same social status. Whether it was their clothes, jewellery, weapons, or carriages, the two were always overtly and secretly competing against each other. Now that Yi Chuxue was in a difficult position, was Shaoru planning on hitting her while she's down [3]?
Qi Shaofu shook his head. Although he knew what Qi Shaoru was going to do, he had no intentions of meddling in her business.
Footnotes:
Xueyan: "Xue" means snow and "yan" means beautiful, I just kept it in Chinese because I couldn't think of a good name in English.
Booth: It's like a box in a theatre or concert hall, or a private room, but I'm guessing it's in an open space on an upper floor so they can still see everything that's going on below them.
Hitting her while she's down: Literally "to drop stones on someone who fell into a well".