Chapter 28: You Should Be the One to Leave

The next day, Jiang Fan, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation, left with Xu Youran and headed to the Treasure Pavilion. Today's auction was being held within the pavilion.

As soon as they arrived, two figures hurried up behind them: Wang Yingfeng and Xu Yining, who was accompanying her.

Wang Yingfeng was visibly startled when she saw Jiang Fan and Xu Youran. She quickly frowned and asked, "Are you two also here to bid on the Rejuvenation Pill?" Xu Youran gave a slight bow and nodded subtly.

Still remembering the embarrassment Jiang Fan had caused her, Wang Yingfeng scoffed, "Don't think that just because you know Chen Siling, you'll win the Rejuvenation Pill!" She added, "Soon, you'll discover the true power of our Xu family!" With that, she and Xu Yining quickly entered the Treasure Pavilion.

Jiang Fan sighed softly. "Youran, having her in your Xu family is a misfortune, not a blessing," he said. "The Xu family didn't even consider using its resources when facing the Qin family's debt, yet she's willing to tap into the family's reserves just for her appearance."

Xu Youran pursed her lips. Over the years, Xu Zhengyan had secretly saved his pocket money, unwilling to spend it recklessly. Yet, Wang Yingfeng was willing to squander the family's wealth for her own beauty. But what could Xu Youran do?

"Let's go," she said. "We'll try our best to win the Rejuvenation Pill." They walked in side by side. Her stunning beauty stood out like a crane among chickens, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present.

"Oh? Youran, you're here too?" Zhu Jianshen, seated in the front row, immediately smiled and quickly approached them. When he saw Jiang Fan next to her, his expression quickly turned to disdain. "Is this a place you can just show up to?" he scoffed. "Do you even know what this is for? It's an auction for the Rejuvenation Pill!"

Jiang Fan shook his head, then took out a pen and wrote, "If Young Master Zhu hadn't reminded me, I truly wouldn't have known." Seeing the obvious sarcasm in the message, Zhu Jianshen's irritation grew.

"You conceited fool! Do you think having 510,000 taels of silver and being able to stand in an auction means you're my equal?" he demanded. "Do you see the seating arrangements here? In this place, your seat signifies your identity, your status, your background!"

He declared loudly and forcefully: "My Zhu family sits in the front row. As for you, you don't even qualify for a seat; you're only fit to stand!" He added, "It's bad enough you embarrass yourself, but you're dragging Youran down with you!"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Xu Youran, ignoring her icy expression, and smiled. "Youran, come, why don't you sit with the Zhu family?" he offered. "My mother also wanted to meet you." He even reached out, attempting to pull Xu Youran closer.

Jiang Fan subtly moved to stand in front of him, blocking his hand, and wrote, "No need. My Youran actually prefers to stand." He then looked at her and asked, "Isn't that right, Youran?" Xu Youran smiled and nodded, then affectionately linked her arm through Jiang Fan's.

This made Zhu Jianshen's eyes narrow. He considered Xu Youran his woman; how could he tolerate another man touching her?

Just then, the manager of the Treasure Pavilion happened to pass by. Zhu Jianshen immediately called out, "Manager Qin!" Seeing it was the young master of the Zhu family, a disciple of the Qingyun Sect, Manager Qin respectfully said, "Young Master Zhu, your presence honors our humble Treasure Pavilion."

Zhu Jianshen straightened his back and said, "I'm here today to support your Treasure Pavilion. However, I don't care for this person, so please, kindly remove him." Manager Qin turned to look at the person indicated and froze. It was Jiang Fan, Xu Youran's fiancé? He found himself in a difficult position. "Young Master Zhu," he said, "Miss Xu is a good friend of our young mistress. How can I possibly expel her fiancé?"

What? He couldn't even get rid of a good-for-nothing? This caused Zhu Jianshen to lose face, and he exploded in anger. "If he doesn't leave, then I will!" This... Manager Qin couldn't afford to offend Zhu Jianshen, so he quickly clasped his hands and said, "Young Master Zhu, please wait a moment. I will go and consult with our young mistress immediately."

Watching him rush away, Zhu Jianshen glared fiercely at Jiang Fan. "You dog!" he snarled. "Let me open your eyes and show you the true power of my Zhu family! You'll soon realize how insignificant and lowly you are in the face of my Zhu family's might!"

Xu Youran couldn't help but feel a flicker of anxiety. Although Chen Siling was her close confidante, she also bore the great responsibility of the Chen family. How could she easily offend a powerful family like the Zhus? It was possible she really would ask Jiang Fan to leave.

Not long after, Manager Qin returned swiftly, not having delayed. He glanced at Jiang Fan with a peculiar expression, then bowed to Young Master Zhu, hesitatingly saying, "The young mistress has spoken."

Zhu Jianshen, with his hands clasped behind his back, sneered, "Did you hear that, Jiang Fan? She told you to get out!" But to his surprise, Manager Qin said, "The young mistress actually told *you*, Young Master Zhu, to get out."

Uh— Zhu Jianshen froze, pointing to himself in disbelief. "She told me to get out? Are you sure you heard that right?" No matter how much Chen Siling disliked him, he was still the legitimate young master of the Zhu family. Between him and a good-for-nothing, Chen Siling was siding with the good-for-nothing?

However, what Zhu Jianshen found even harder to accept was Manager Qin's next statement: "Furthermore, the young mistress has instructed the Zhu family to vacate their seats so that Young Master Jiang and Miss Xu may sit there."

What? Zhu Jianshen exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible?" Manager Qin said helplessly, "The young mistress gave the order herself; this old servant wouldn't dare misinterpret it." He then called out, "Someone, clear out the Zhu family's seats!"

Several Treasure Pavilion staff immediately stepped forward and escorted all the Zhu family members from the front row. Zhang Yuxiu was bewildered. "Manager Qin, what's happening?" she asked. Manager Qin, helpless, explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuxiu glared angrily at Jiang Fan. "So you're the Jiang Fan who's trying to steal my son's woman?" she fumed. "You're just taking advantage of knowing Chen Siling to brazenly bully others!" She continued, "Alright, mark my words. Tomorrow is the day to present betrothal gifts. I'll personally see what kind of gifts you can offer to surpass our Zhu family!"

After speaking, she led the Zhu family, full of shame, to stand at the very back. Jiang Fan, meanwhile, merely shrugged and, under the envious gazes of everyone present, took his seat in the VIP section of the first row.

Behind the scenes, Chen Siling, who had witnessed the entire scene, couldn't help but shake her head. "I really feel for the Zhu family," she muttered. "Of all people to target, why Jiang Fan? He's the unparalleled big shot whom you two, mother and son, revere as a god!"

Chen Siling sighed softly. Seeing that all the guests had arrived, she led ten maidens in red dresses, each carrying several trays covered with red cloths, to the front of the stage. Her dazzling attire, beautiful face, and refreshingly elegant demeanor immediately silenced the crowd upon her appearance.

"Thank you, honored guests, for attending today's auction," she announced. "Due to the hasty organization, I apologize for any inconvenience. As a token of my apology, Siling has decided to offer nine precious items from the Chen family's collection for sale at a favorable price. The highest bidder will still win."

Jiang Fan couldn't help but smirk. She wanted to leverage the Rejuvenation Pill's fame to sell other expensive items, all while using an "apology" as an excuse. It had to be said, Chen Siling was very well-suited for business. Therefore, despite the guests' eagerness to bid on the Rejuvenation Pill, they had no choice but to be patient in the face of such pleasant-sounding rhetoric.

He couldn't help but admire Chen Siling as he watched her. Chen Siling also noticed Jiang Fan's gaze, and a wave of joy welled up in her heart. Just as Jiang Fan was examining her closely, a faint voice drifted into his ear: "Are you two hiding something from me?"