Chapter 12: Are You Really Going to Abandon the Puppy?
Facing the System’s astonishment, Shi Huaibai was very disdainful: “Are there no Long Aotian novels in your database? The ‘Trash-to-Hero’ genre, the ‘Breaking off Engagement’ genre, the ‘Grandpa as a Master’ genre, the ‘Picking Up Leaks at Stalls’ genre…”
“Almost every single one has an auction.”
“You’ve been a System for so long; haven’t you experienced an auction plot?”
The System felt sincerely inferior: 【I have, but generally, it’s not like this.】
The plot in the System’s database went like this:
The auction exhibited a huge South African diamond ring. The malicious cannon fodder was determined to win it. The cannon fodder encountered the simply-dressed protagonist uke (receiver) and humiliated him.
“Someone like you deserves to come to this auction? You must have snuck in.”
The protagonist uke sobbed quietly: The protagonist gong (attacker) brought me here.
The cannon fodder didn’t believe it, insisting the uke was bragging and couldn’t possibly know the protagonist gong.
While they were tearing at each other’s hair, the protagonist gong would appear shiningly, buy the huge African diamond ring, and give it to the protagonist uke.
The System nodded: Our female-oriented novels are like this.
Who knew Shi Huaibai would immediately set his sights on a broken stone? He didn’t even look at the huge African diamond ring that appeared later.
Shi Huaibai was now bathed in the admiring and envious gazes of everyone. He lightly pushed up his non-existent glasses and said modestly to the bidding Old Mr. Shi: “Actually, my stone evaluation skills aren’t as amazing as you think.”
Jiang Xinian: “…”
Quite polite.
Shi Huaibai’s expression was unfathomable: “Nothing else, but practice makes perfect.”
Jiang Xinian: “…”
Polite my foot.
However… Song Chi’s expression was indeed worth watching. It carried unwillingness and displeasure, but that unwilling and displeased gaze landed on Jiang Xinian, as if Jiang Xinian had stolen his love.
Jiang Xinian laughed: “Weren’t you curious about what this stone would look like when cut? Are you satisfied now?”
“No matter.” Song Chi said it didn’t matter, but he had already lifted his legs, planning to leave early without looking back. He was extremely mean; even at the end, he didn’t want Jiang Xinian to feel good. He sowed discord: “My Lord Chief, haven’t you noticed that as long as Shi Huaibai is by your side, everyone’s gaze will never fall on you again?”
“You have become a dispensable supporting character.”
In Long Aotian novels, the protagonist protects the supporting character, and things go smoothly. That supporting character indeed obtains everything they want with the protagonist’s help, but everything they get is merely to demonstrate the protagonist’s power.
Just like Shi Huaibai and Jiang Xinian.
Shi Huaibai let Jiang Xinian remain high above, but others only saw Shi Huaibai.
He protects you, but also devours you.
He lets you join the protagonist’s team, but you will never be the “leader” again.
Song Chi said: “Isn’t it so? Look at the forum. You’ve calculated for so long, yet your discussion volume isn’t even as high as Shi Huaibai’s.”
“Sowing discord?” Jiang Xinian smiled.
“No, just telling the truth.” Song Chi draped his jacket over his shoulders, his sword-like eyebrows curving, his starry eyes full of smugness.
As long as he was unhappy, others shouldn’t think about being happy either.
Jiang Xinian said he didn’t care, but he unconsciously looked at the back of Shi Huaibai’s head, who was getting carried away with success.
Shi Huaibai was surrounded; Old Mr. Shi circled around him as if admiring a genius of a sect.
Now, in front of outsiders, Shi Huaibai was his favorite.
Naturally, more people went to cling to Shi Huaibai.
But… weren’t those guys clinging to Shi Huaibai ultimately trying to curry favor with the Jiang family? Why was it that after seeing Shi Huaibai, their eyes never moved away from him?
Was I…
Utilized by Shi Huaibai?
Devoured?
Veins bulged on Jiang Xinian’s hand: No! Absolutely not!!!
“Next is the final auction item, the oil painting Little Monster by the famous painter Shen Chuimian. The painting is 3 meters long and 2 meters wide, with a starting price of 50,000.”
While Shi Huaibai was still gloating, the System’s voice suddenly drifted eerily from behind him: 【Shen Chuimian is F3! His family doesn’t have deep roots like F1, 2, or 4. His dad is nouveau riche. His mother was a blonde, blue-eyed foreign refugee who smuggled herself in. You know about the nouveau riche; sudden class ascension makes the Shen family desperate to firmly occupy this class. To thoroughly remove the deep-rooted bad habits of poverty, Shen Chuimian studied art and flies to France from time to time to feel the artistic atmosphere.】
Shi Huaibai: “So she is the most artistic one?”
System: 【No, I said so much just now, but the most important point is one thing.】
Shi Huaibai: “What?”
System: 【He is mixed-race! He is super good-looking!】
Shi Huaibai: “…”
System: 【Really! If you don’t believe me, look at the third-floor corridor.】
At the spiral staircase on the third-floor corridor, a man wore a cowl-neck sweater, his long hair tied up reaching his waist. The irregular hem of the sweater piled directly onto his thighs, and several black butterflies were embroidered on his loose wide-leg pants. A string of small red sandalwood leaves wrapped around his slender wrist. When the person turned his head, Shi Huaibai finally clearly saw that androgynous face.
Those eerie green eyes narrowed frivolously, looking pleasantly at his own work on the auction stage.
A beauty… who blurred gender and the boundaries of Eastern and Western aesthetics.
The painting Little Monster depicted an angel with a hunched back.
Why call it an angel? Because the little monster had a pair of pure white, flawless wings. But the wings grew on its chest.
It curled into a ball, as if protecting its feathers, or perhaps its spine was crushed by its own wings.
Half its face was crying, half was smiling. The smiling side didn’t look cute; instead, it was grotesque. The painter clearly drew the little monster round and chubby, but it wasn’t cute at all; rather, it was frightening.
The System had no level of artistic appreciation: 【Will anyone really buy this?】
Before the words fell, a burst of continuous bidding sounds suddenly came from in front.
System: 【…】
The world of the rich is still too casual.
The System turned around, and then screamed again: Shi Huaibai had picked up the number paddle again, itching to move.
Could this painting also rise in value?
Paintings aren’t like raw jade stones where you see money once cut. For things like paintings, there is never a concept of profit or loss. Isn’t buying a painting violating the Host’s worldview of face-slapping and acting cool? What is the Host doing?
Jiang Xinian looked at Shi Huaibai and suddenly felt a surge of anger.
He thought he should find an opportunity to send Shi Huaibai away, otherwise, just as Song Chi said, he would really become Shi Huaibai’s foil.
What a joke. How could I become a poor student’s foil?
What right does Shi Huaibai have…
This guy Shi Huaibai tears down the house when kept at home and loses face when taken outside.
I actually took Shi Huaibai home before.
Shi Huaibai began to raise the paddle: “One million!”
The auctioneer in front was shocked again.
No way. This Shi Huaibai, who clung to Young Master Jiang, bids in leaps every time, as if he doesn’t treat Jiang Xinian’s money as money.
The System was also confused: 【What are you doing now?】
Buying raw jade stones was for acting cool and face-slapping, so what about this weird ugly painting?
【Do you really like this painting?】
Shi Huaibai was very honest: 【I don’t like it.】
System: 【…】
Then why keep buying?
Shi Huaibai smiled slightly: 【But an artist will definitely love for their work to reach a sky-high price in someone else’s heart, right?】
The System instantly understood: 【Are you attracting F3’s attention?】
Didn’t expect Shi Huaibai to adapt so well to this world full of gays!
Shi Huaibai shook his head unfathomably: “I’m not trying to attract her attention; this woman has successfully attracted my attention.”
I, Long Aotian, will not let any woman be sad.
Moreover, the relationship between me and Song Chi currently isn’t optimistic. Jiang Xinian and Song Chi’s family backgrounds are equally matched, but Jiang Xinian can’t follow me forever.
This is a “poor lad becomes the richest man” world line. Profit reigns supreme. Of course, I must unite all forces I can unite!
The System seemed to realize something: 【Is it possible… he is a man? Just looks rather androgynous.】
Shi Huaibai immediately jumped up: “Ah?”
He looked up upstairs. That beauty with green eyes and white teeth was attracted by Shi Huaibai’s bid and tilted his head from afar.
Their gazes met unexpectedly. In that moment of eye contact, Shen Chuimian opened his mouth, silently mouthed something, and blinked briskly: “Ho, ney…”
Shi Huaibai was completely fried on the outside and tender on the inside, getting goosebumps all over: “Bobo, did he just wink at me? Did he?”
System: 【…】
Seems so, ha.
The only lucky thing was that immediately after he bid one million, someone else outbid him.
Luckily, luckily, didn’t buy it!
Beside Shi Huaibai, Jiang Xinian silently looked at his phone, which showed the message Shen Chuimian just sent.
Shen City Everywhere Blows Cotton (Shen Chuimian): 【Is that little beauty beside you your little lover?】
Shen City Everywhere Blows Cotton: 【Looks quite cute. How about it, give him to me?】
Shen City Everywhere Blows Cotton: 【What’s wrong? Reluctant?】
…
Song Chi’s words lingered in Jiang Xinian’s head: You have become a foil.
Too unworthy.
Isn’t it?
Hard to tame, no value—why should I spend effort?
Might as well be decisive. It just so happens Shen Chuimian is interested in Shi Huaibai too.
He turned his head, wanting to see Shi Huaibai’s expression. Result… that big Duang of a Shi Huaibai was, gone.
Jiang Xinian turned to look at the 3rd floor again. That even bigger Duang of a Shen Chuimian, who was just staying nicely in the corridor, was also, gone.
Jiang Xinian’s face cracked again: Does that pervert named Shen move that fast?
Jiang Xinian immediately left the venue and went downstairs. Sure enough, he saw a shameless Shen Chuimian following beside Shi Huaibai.
The Great Libertine Shen pressed step by step, his frivolous gaze lingering on Shi Huaibai’s face, suddenly smiling: “Little Beauty.”
Shi Huaibai: “…”
This grown man just winked at me. So cheesy, so disgusting.
Just as Shi Huaibai was about to run, his shoulder suddenly felt heavy.
Jiang Xinian appeared suddenly like a savior. He squeezed Shi Huaibai’s shoulder and smiled insincerely at Shen Chuimian: “Great Artist Shen, aren’t you getting too close to our kid?”
Damn “dog trafficker,” stay away from my pretty puppy!
Author’s Note: Every time I write about Beagle keeper Little Jiang, I find it so funny. Jiang: “No one can stand a Beagle; I’m going to throw him away.” Turns around and sees Libertine Shen really stole his home, and he’s unhappy again. Jiang: “Damn dog trafficker!”
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