[🎉 Shoutout to Azure & Kk for joining patreon. Thank you very much.🤗]
At Su Chen's words, Chu Yanran blushed deeply, lowering her head to avoid his intense gaze. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she had fallen into the wolf's den, her heart fluttering with nervousness.
Yet, amidst it all, she was touched. Regardless of whether Su Chen was teasing her, he was good to her—and that was enough.
---
Ye Fan cast a venomous glance toward the "Wu" box, dark thoughts lurking in his gaze. Su Chen, you'd better know your place.
"One billion and ten million spirit stones!"
After calling out his bid, Ye Fan felt a swell of anxiety. He had to win this Dragon Emperor Pearl, no matter the cost. Even if it meant putting everything he had on the line.
But he knew his total wealth barely amounted to one billion and one hundred million spirit stones. To an ordinary person, or even a mid-tier family, this was an astronomical sum, a fortune one couldn't dream of in a lifetime.
But Su Chen... who was Su Chen?
He was none other than the sole heir of the Su Clan, the most powerful family in Donghua Prefecture. To Su Chen, this amount of spirit stones was like a grain of sand—utterly insignificant.
"Two billion spirit stones!" Su Chen's voice rang out the moment Ye Fan's bid ended.
"Two billion, one hundred million!" Ye Fan gritted his teeth, his gaze steely with determination. He wasn't backing down!
"Ye Fan, you can't win against Su Chen," Xiao Ruoyu finally couldn't hold back and tried to dissuade him. "Just let it go."
Fighting with Su Chen over a Dragon Emperor Pearl was pointless. Su Chen's reputation for getting what he wanted through sheer wealth alone was well-known. As long as he could buy it, he had never lost to anyone.
"Shut up! It's none of your business!" Ye Fan snapped, glaring at her with irritation.
Xiao Ruoyu frowned, "I was just trying to help. If you don't want advice, suit yourself."
Though she wasn't particularly fond of Ye Fan, they had spent a few days together as companions. Seeing him act so stubbornly stirred a sense of pity within her.
"Ruoyu-jie, kind words can't help someone determined to die. Let him be." Xia Qingxue, who was beside Xiao Ruoyu, chuckled coolly. Her tone held a hint of ridicule as she clung to Xiao Ruoyu's arm.
Just as Ye Fan's temper flared to confront Xia Qingxue, Su Chen's voice sounded from the "Wu" box once more.
"Five billion spirit stones!"
A stunned silence swept through the auction hall. Even Ye Fan couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Su Chen was clearly set on crushing him.
His heartbeat thundered in his chest as he felt a boiling rage rise within him, his face flushed red, his fists clenched so tightly that veins stood out. He was struggling to hold back the violent impulse stirring inside him.
"Five billion, one hundred million spirit stones!" he shouted through gritted teeth, pushing his limits with barely a whisper of strength left.
His entire body trembled, visibly on the brink of collapse, his eyes bloodshot like a gambler who had lost his sanity.
In the "Wu" box, Su Chen's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Seems like Xiao Tiancheng's backing was generous after all," he sneered, his voice laced with mockery as if to taunt Ye Fan's foolishness.
"This young master has no time to play games. Let's put an end to this." With a wicked smile, he raised his hand. "Ten billion spirit stones!"
The auction hall erupted into chaos.
"Ten billion spirit stones!"
Ye Fan spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering as his face turned pale, his body drained of strength. He collapsed back into his seat, defeated.
He could never have imagined that Su Chen would go to such insane lengths!
Ten billion spirit stones, spoken as casually as if they were mere numbers to Su Chen, utterly insignificant.
In that moment, all hope was crushed.
He knew now that he could not win against Su Chen.
This man was a devil.
Ye Fan could no longer control his emotions. He felt utterly helpless.
"Heh... Ruoyu-jie told you already, you'd never win against my husband," Xia Qingxue's voice rang out, her tone dripping with satisfaction as she looked at Ye Fan's defeated state.
At the same time, she felt immense pride for having married such a powerful man as Su Chen.
"Hahaha!"
———
In the "Hai" box, Xiao Qiu erupted in triumphant laughter as he noticed Ye Fan's silence. "Pathetic! How foolish to think you could compete with the Su Clan's young master for anything!"
Hearing Xiao Qiu's jeering laughter, the people around glanced at each other, their expressions turning blank.
"What? The esteemed figure in the 'Wu' box is actually the Su Clan's young master?"
"No wonder the guy in the 'Hai' box didn't dare bid any higher—he ran into the wrong opponent! With Su Clan's influence in Donghua, what chance did he have?"
"Truly terrifying, the Su Clan's young master tossed out ten billion spirit stones like it was nothing."
"Father! If I could become the Su Clan's young madam, just imagine..."
"The Su Clan's young master, so wealthy and powerful... but he's notoriously selective."
———
Praise and admiration for Su Chen filled the air, drifting toward Ye Fan like a constant, inescapable droning. He felt as if he had become a laughingstock for Su Chen's amusement.
I'm supposed to be the Son of Fortune... His face contorted with rage. Who does Su Chen think he is?
He was just a privileged brat born to a powerful family, nothing more!
Heavens above...
Why are you so unfair?
'I was born with the Heavenly Vision Eyes, my talent surpassing Su Chen by far... and yet you make me endure such humiliation?'
Hatred blazed within him.
He cursed the heavens for their cruelty.
He cursed fate for betraying him.
His fists clenched so hard that blood seeped from where his nails dug into his palms. Lifting his head, he fixed a deadly gaze on the "Wu" box, his eyes filled with venomous intent.
"Sigh," Xiao Ruoyu shook her head, her face softened with a trace of pity as she watched his expression.
Su Chen's ruthless bid had left a shadow in Ye Fan's heart, a wound that might take him ages to heal.
As Ye Fan's blood trickled down to the ring on his finger, a faint white light shimmered from it, glinting as it was absorbed into his body.
The light flickered briefly before fading, and he seemed to suppress a surge of intense emotion as his expression finally steadied.
———
In the "Ding" box...
"Hmm, so that little thief is more intriguing than I thought."
Lounging in her private chamber, Mu Yuqing stretched lazily, her gaze sparkling with a mischievous gleam. "Young as he is, he's so... fierce. Just my type."
She traced her lips with a slow lick, savoring the thought.
Her skin was as fair as polished jade, a flawless contrast against her dark, flowing hair that cascaded around her. Her slender legs stretched out in elegant curves, her figure a striking combination of allure and grace.
Though her slightly disheveled hair and languid posture exuded a sultry charm, there was a mysterious, alluring depth in her eyes—a hint of a woman who could turn a man's world upside down.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥰 Support the translation and help me grow.🤓
Read upto 20 Extra chapter in Patreon