Chapter 209: Lai Yang’s Plan
Yan Huoshui watched her quietly, not rushing her. But after waiting for a long while with no response, a hint of bitterness unavoidably welled up in his heart.
’I guess I was being too hasty...’
His crimson lips moved slightly. Just as he was about to say, "It was just a joke," his lips suddenly felt warm, a sensation accompanied by an indescribably soft comfort.
Shi Lan blinked. Their faces were close, lips touching. She didn’t dare to linger, pulling away as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water. She shyly turned her head, avoiding his increasingly fervent gaze.
Yan Huoshui took a deep breath to suppress the scorching heat surging through his body. He had originally intended for Lanlan to just kiss his cheek; he hadn’t expected her to be so sincere.
His fingers unconsciously brushed against his lips, as if he could still feel the warmth that had vanished in a flash.
At the same time, the remaining six tails scrambled to fall into Shi Lan’s hands.
Shi Lan was suddenly enveloped by the enthusiastic tails.
As everyone knows, a Beastman and their tail are two different creatures. Just like a cat often treats its own tail as a toy, sometimes Yan Huoshui couldn’t quite control his tails either.
But the tails were also, in fact, influenced by their master’s feelings...
With the tails to occupy her, Shi Lan’s earlier embarrassment instantly vanished into thin air.
After she played for a while, a robot delivered the food they had ordered. The table was once again covered with more than a dozen dishes, but the overall portions weren’t large; the two of them could finish it all.
After dinner, Yan Huoshui gave Shi Lan another gift.
In his words, "Since I’m the one pursuing Lanlan, I have to show her my sincerity."
Shi Lan was speechless. Clutching the flowers, she accepted the gift.
—
「Meanwhile, at the Kabuda Planet auction house, things were in full swing.」
Inside a private box, Ye Ming stood with Leo behind him. Sitting on the sofa across from them were Councilman Lai Yang and her two daughters, who had come to host them.
Councilman Lai Yang was the object of envy for many council members. In an era where fertility was low and giving birth to a female was even more difficult, she actually had two daughters.
Councilman Lai Yang’s eldest daughter was her future successor, while the second daughter...
Councilman Lai Yang’s gaze swept impassively over Ye Ming. The Prince was an outstanding heir widely acknowledged by the public, and a 3S Beastman to boot. If not for the fact that her eldest daughter had to remain on Kabuda Planet, the two of them would have been a good match.
However, her second daughter was also excellent—an A-level female with a Fertility Value in the forties. The probability of her producing outstanding offspring in the future was extremely high, a perfect fit for the Imperial Family’s standards.
Her heart stirred. "Prince Ye Ming, did you come to this auction because you saw something you liked?"
Ye Ming was slowly flipping through the auction catalog in his hand. Hearing her, he gave a soft "Mm."
"In that case, why don’t you tell me what you’ve set your sights on, Your Highness? I’ll buy it and present it to you as a gift."
"That won’t be necessary."
Ye Ming said flatly. He wasn’t short on money, and besides, this was something he planned to give to Shi Lan. Buying it himself was the only way to show his sincerity.
Councilman Lai Yang’s eldest daughter, Lai Dilian, sat primly beside her mother. Watching Ye Ming and seeing that he had no intention of saying more, she quietly tugged her mother’s hand and gave a slight shake of her head.
Although the Eldest Prince’s personality wasn’t as forceful as the Monarch’s, he was very much his own person—somewhat cold and of few words.
Saying any more would likely just annoy him.
The second daughter, Lai Yilian, was sitting to the side, boredly painting her nails. She kept shifting in her seat on the sofa, clearly having little interest in this kind of auction. However, she was likely aware of her mother’s intentions.
She glanced at the Eldest Prince out of the corner of her eye. He was indeed a very outstanding male, but to be his wife meant moving to the Capital Star. Moreover, the wife of an heir generally couldn’t leave the Capital Star at will, to prevent her from being used as a threat.
Lai Yilian was someone who loved her freedom, and this point bothered her quite a bit.
The auction proceeded in full swing. The five people in the room were each lost in their own thoughts. It was Leo’s first time experiencing an auction on Kabuda Planet, so he seemed more relaxed than the others, occasionally looking out at the proceedings.
Soon, it was time for the fifth item. A pink diamond necklace, crafted to symbolize a one-and-only love, was presented.
The auctioneer excitedly introduced it, "The pink diamond on this necklace was unearthed less than two days ago! It’s the purest pink diamond seen in over a decade. The last time a purple diamond of this quality appeared, it was in the hands of the former Queen."
"For greater refinement, the design is the final work of the retiring top designer, Lin, and its creation was assisted by hand throughout the entire process."
"The starting bid is 3 million, with minimum increments of 500,000."
As the auctioneer spoke, a hologram of the item was projected before each buyer. Gasps of surprise and interested murmurs could be heard from time to time.
Inside Ye Ming’s private box, Lai Yilian, who had been bored just moments before, looked at the pink diamond necklace floating in the air, a spark of interest in her eyes. "Mommy, that necklace is beautiful. I want it."
Lai Dilian was the first to speak. "Little sister, I’ll buy it for you."
"Okay, thank you, big sister."
The two sisters discussed it affectionately. Lai Yang watched her daughters with a look of helpless indulgence. Just as she was about to reach for a bidding paddle, Leo had already passed one into Ye Ming’s hand.
"Hm?"
She looked at him in confusion. The happy expression on Lai Yilian’s face instantly vanished.
Ye Ming listened to the bids from outside, nonchalantly raising his paddle.
The price kept increasing, and the number of times Ye Ming raised his paddle grew.
This was the first time he had bid since the auction began. His target was clearly this necklace.
Sensing her second daughter’s aggrieved look, Lai Yang couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Prince Ye Ming, are you buying this necklace for your wife?"
Diamonds themselves weren’t particularly valuable, but they were very popular with females. Thus, many males would specifically gift such items to win a female’s favor.
It’s just that Lai Yang had never heard that the Eldest Prince had a female he was interested in. Moreover, he had been on Black Star before this and hadn’t been back for long. How could he already have a female?
When it came to Shi Lan, Ye Ming finally had the patience to reply, "Mm. I’m still pursuing her. She will be my wife in the future."
Hearing this, Lai Yang fell silent and shot a look at her second daughter, telling her to be quiet.
Although Lai Yilian also really liked the necklace, her family was right here on Kabuda, and the planet had plenty of such gems. There was really no need to fight the Eldest Prince over something he desired for another.
She reluctantly withdrew her gaze, a flicker of curiosity about the Eldest Prince’s wife sparking in her mind.
’Just how outstanding must a female be that even a 3S male has to chase her...’
Her eyes darted around. The thought that her mother would now most likely drop the idea of her becoming the Eldest Prince’s wife made her let out a secret, inexplicable sigh of relief.
’This is great. I still prefer my home planet.’
The pink diamond necklace’s price was driven up from the initial three million to a final twenty-six million, and Ye Ming bought it without a hitch.
Once he had the item in hand, Ye Ming didn’t linger. He summoned his soldiers that very night, boarded a spaceship, and flew back to the Capital Star.