ASPWL Ch39: A Den of Vipers

After the five auction items were displayed, the auction hall fell into dead silence.

Even the most clueless people had reacted by now.

The names of these five items were definitely not randomly chosen by Zheng Rui. Each short line of text contained deep meaning.

As for what exactly Zheng Rui wanted to convey, it depended on whether someone would explain it to them.

The guests present all turned their heads, their inquisitive and gossip-filled gazes converging on the two protagonists.

Zheng Xiu and Zhuang Lin realized earlier than others that the names of these five items were no coincidence!

It must have been intentional by Zheng Rui!

But Zheng Rui introduced the items so quickly, and with guests constantly watching them, they didn’t have time to think of a response. Zheng Rui swiftly introduced the remaining three items.

After seeing the names of the last three items, Zheng Xiu and Zhuang Lin felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

At the same time, they confirmed one thing—

Zheng Rui had indeed long noticed their abnormal behavior!

They had no choice but to have Zheng Rui due to Old Master Zheng wanting a grandson. The fake couple, for the sake of money and appearances, had to resort to IVF.

When Zheng Rui was young, Zheng Xiu and Zhuang Lin didn’t bother to act in front of him.

To them, Zheng Rui was just a child. What could a child remember?

As Zheng Rui grew up, although Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu still didn’t act in front of him, at least at home, they didn’t bring people back anymore.

They had hidden their affairs so well. How did Zheng Rui know about these things?

Many things were unknown even to Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu.

Now, at the charity auction, in front of so many guests, Zheng Rui named these five items in such a suggestive manner. What was he trying to do?

Could it be… he really intended to expose them in front of everyone?

Had Zheng Rui gone mad?

At this moment, Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu could no longer maintain their proper smiles.

The deeply buried secrets were so blatantly exposed to the public; how could they stay calm?

Cold sweat dripped from Zheng Xiu’s forehead. He didn’t care if others could hear him and suddenly questioned Zhuang Lin harshly, “It couldn’t be that you…”

“Zheng Xiu!” Zhuang Lin’s voice was full of anger, and she could no longer maintain her fake smile. She shook off the man’s arm, her disdain in her eyes undisguised. “I haven’t even questioned you yet, and you’re already accusing me?”

“I didn’t,” Zheng Xiu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “I definitely didn’t tell Zheng Rui about it.”

“If you didn’t, I wouldn’t be so stupid either.” Zhuang Lin also calmed down. She would be crazy to tell Zheng Rui about such a thing.

Since neither of them had exposed the other’s secrets in front of Zheng Rui, there was only one reason why Zheng Rui knew about it—

Zheng Rui had been secretly investigating them!

If he really made this public, their agreement to get married would be exposed?

Then the inheritance—

Zhuang Lin’s face changed suddenly. She pushed Zheng Xiu: “What are you still standing there for? Get up there and get that little bastard down!”

If they didn’t get him down quickly, were they just going to watch him continue talking nonsense on stage? She didn’t want to be a laughingstock!

Since Zheng Rui hadn’t said too much yet, they might still be able to cover it up.

If things got out of hand and couldn’t be salvaged, they were finished!

Zheng Xiu came to his senses, quickly stood up, and prepared to go on stage.

Ye Leyao was listening closely, always paying attention to Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu’s reactions behind her.

Seeing Zheng Xiu finally stand up, Ye Leyao couldn’t help shaking his head:

[What a pity, too late.]

Sure enough, as soon as Ye Leyao’s words fell, they saw Zheng Rui on stage smile slightly. “I know everyone might not understand the names I chose, or even find them strange. Why don’t we think about why my uncle had to give my mom such a precious pair of bracelets?”

Zhuang Lin couldn’t maintain her previous gentle and dignified demeanor anymore and stood up directly, shouting: “Zheng Rui! Shut up—”

Zheng Rui on stage didn’t stop at all. In fact, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened, and he looked at the audience below, as if telling a very interesting story: “The answer is simple, of course, it’s because these bracelets were my mom and my uncle’s tokens of love!”

The auction hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a buzz of discussion.

“What? Did I hear that right?”

“A token of love with Zheng Rui’s uncle… does that mean Zhuang Lin cheated?”

“Then the names of the other auction items are like this too…”

“So this couple is each doing their own thing?”

[Yes, exactly!]

The guests were excited, and Ye Leyao was even more thrilled.

[It’s just a pity that Zheng Xiu’s cousin didn’t seem to come today?]

[A bit of a shame.]

[But it’s okay, every auction item has a little story behind it! We can just listen to Zheng Rui tell us next!]

Zheng Rui came today with the intention of ruining Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu’s reputations, so he would only try to tell these stories in as much detail as possible, not missing a single bit!

After finishing the first auction item, Zheng Rui eagerly began introducing the second one.

“My aunt’s watch, as the name suggests, was a birthday gift my aunt gave my dad in the second month of their relationship…”

Zheng Rui paused as if in thought.

But hearing this, Zheng Xiu’s blood froze.

How many years ago was this? And Zheng Rui still remembered it so clearly?

Impossible, right?

The next second, Zheng Rui confidently smiled and said: “I remember now, I was about five years old at that time? They gathered that day to celebrate my birthday, but as you know, at birthday parties, especially family gatherings, there were a lot of people, and my parents were not focused on me. So while celebrating, my dad took my aunt to a room.”

Zheng Xiu’s face turned green, and he hurriedly sped up towards the stage.

But Zheng Rui continued: “They were in there for a long time. I remember they went in around noon, and only came out in the evening when the dinner party was about to start.”

Zheng Rui said with some regret: “I don’t know what they were playing in there, they didn’t tell me at all, but for them to play for so long, it must have been a very fun and exciting game, right?”

“Zheng Rui!” Zheng Xiu finally rushed onto the stage. Hearing this terrible description, his face turned red.

“Are you crazy? Are you trying to make me angry?”

Ye Leyao was about to burst out laughing.

[Zheng Rui is so good at describing, it instantly creates a mental image!]

Papa and Mama Huo’s mouths curled up high.

Who wouldn’t agree?

That was a whole afternoon!

Zheng Xiu couldn’t let Zheng Rui continue talking nonsense. He directly stepped forward and started to grab the microphone from Zheng Rui’s hand: “Give me the microphone, get off the stage! You’re not allowed to talk nonsense anymore…”

The audience, who were watching the drama unfold, showed faint displeasure on their faces when they were interrupted. Some even looked a bit worried.

“Can this continue…?”

Although it wasn’t very polite, they really wanted to finish this juicy gossip.

Ye Leyao was equally anxious:

[Hey, can someone go help Zheng Rui? We can’t let his microphone be taken.]

[If the microphone is taken, what are we supposed to watch?]

Mama Huo also glanced at Papa Huo.

No matter what, Zheng Xiu was an adult, and if it was one-on-one, Zheng Rui would definitely be at a disadvantage.

Just as they were both thinking about contacting security, two bodyguards suddenly came out from backstage, and without a word, held down Zheng Xiu, who was grabbing Zheng Rui’s microphone.

Seeing this, Ye Leyao instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

[It looks like Zheng Rui was well-prepared, these two bodyguards don’t look like the auction house’s bodyguards.]

Papa and Mama Huo nodded.

Indeed, they didn’t look like the auction house’s bodyguards; they should be Zheng Rui’s private bodyguards.

Since Zheng Rui brought bodyguards in advance, they no longer needed to worry.

The guests, who had been a bit restless, were now at ease and all changed to more comfortable sitting positions.

On stage, the bodyguards ignored Zheng Xiu’s struggles and directly took him off the stage.

Zheng Xiu was still struggling: “Let go of me, let go—Zheng Rui, I’m warning you, if you keep talking nonsense, I—”

Zheng Rui didn’t even look at Zheng Xiu, completely ignoring his threats. He even picked up the microphone and smiled as he asked him: “Dad, what are you going to do? Isn’t what I’m saying the truth? Or did I get the time wrong?”

[It’s because it’s the truth that he’s panicking, hahaha.]

Ye Leyao laughed heartily.

[Remember one thing: Only the truth can break the defenses of the jealous ones!]

Zheng Rui continued: “If I really got the time wrong, then I apologize to my dad first. If you’re not satisfied with one afternoon, should I change it to half an hour?”

Zheng Xiu shouted angrily: “You—”

“Then ten minutes?” Zheng Rui asked in a negotiating tone.

“You damn—”

“Okay, okay,” Zheng Rui sounded as if he was reluctantly conceding, “Let’s go with my dad’s preference, one minute then? You and my aunt played a game in the room for one minute, is that alright?”

[Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.]

Ye Leyao was laughing uncontrollably.

[Saying he only lasts one minute is worse than killing him! What man would want to be known for only lasting one minute?!]

Qin Yao coughed slightly, a bit unnaturally.

Indeed.

Zheng Xiu was so furious at Zheng Rui’s words that he almost fainted.

Down below, seeing that Zheng Xiu not only failed to handle Zheng Rui but was also taken away by the bodyguards, Zhuang Lin couldn’t hold back any longer. Without thinking, she lifted her skirt and walked towards the stage. But before she got close, two other bodyguards blocked her way.

Zhuang Lin’s expression twisted for a moment: “Get out of the way!”

The two bodyguards remained unmoved.

Zhuang Lin was trembling with anger: “You…”

The guests, watching this scene, were struggling to suppress their smiles and averted their gaze.

Continue, continue, the excitement should continue quickly!

Zheng Rui also noticed the commotion below and glanced in Zhuang Lin’s direction, looking as if he suddenly realized something: “It seems my parents are in a hurry, probably because I’m introducing things too slowly, right? Then I won’t waste everyone’s time, I’ll try to keep it short.”

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

[What a top-notch understanding, it’s not that you’re introducing things too slowly, they’re afraid you’ll go into too much detail!]

[But don’t mind them, we love to hear it!]

Qin Yao’s eyes were also filled with laughter.

And in his view, Ye Leyao understood the art of speaking even better than Zheng Rui.

Zhuang Lin was about to explode with anger, but with the bodyguards blocking her, she couldn’t move at all.

Looking around at the guests…

Zhuang Lin was even angrier.

They were just sitting there enjoying the show, with no intention of helping her at all!

“The next item is the third auction piece. This piece doesn’t have such a long history. It’s the diamond ring my dad’s childhood sweetheart gave him last year when she returned to the country. According to my dad’s childhood sweetheart, she doesn’t mind that my dad is married, nor does she mind that my dad has many people around him. This ring is a symbol of their precious love.”

Hearing this, Ye Leyao’s expression twisted for a moment.

[Not minding many people around him… and she could say something so explosive…]

[Help, if Zheng Xiu were a top Alpha, I could understand, but he’s not even good-looking!]

Qin Yao agreed that Zheng Xiu wasn’t good-looking, but could someone explain what an Alpha was?

Papa and Mama Huo also had some confusion on their faces.

Alpha?

Is that even a person?

Is it like being universally attractive?

The expressions of the guests were even more interesting. Zheng Rui’s previous statement was full of information and worth savoring!

“I remember Zheng Xiu’s childhood sweetheart… seems to be the daughter of the He family?”

“Yes, it’s He Na.”

“The He family is here today too, right?”

They were all from the same circle, and everyone knew how many people were in each family.

And once people started gossiping, as long as the trouble didn’t involve them, they had a fearless spirit. Knowing the He family was present, they naturally turned their heads to look.

Ye Leyao thought of this too, turned his head, and instantly laughed out loud.

[Hahahaha, they really are here! The whole family is here!]

[They’re green with envy, Father He’s face is green! Mother He’s expression is also ugly!]

The He family didn’t expect that while they were enjoying the gossip, they’d get involved themselves.

He’s parents couldn’t bear the shame, stood up, and walked out.

He Na stood up to follow, but He’s Father He shook her off, and He’s mother even slapped her.

“Do you remember you’re already married?!” Mother He seemed furious, her voice was particularly loud, and Ye Leyao and her group, who were far away, could hear it clearly.

He Na was stunned for a moment by Mother He’s slap, stood there in a daze for a while, then lifted her skirt and followed.

Ye Leyao stared at He Na for a while, thinking she looked familiar and her name sounded familiar too.

[He Na… seems to be He Shi’s sister?]

Papa and Mama Huo were both stunned upon hearing He Shi’s name.

Why did that name sound familiar?

Then they heard Ye Leyao say:

[He Na knew Zheng Xiu had a family but still got involved with him.]

[And He Shi abandoned Su Rui to marry a woman for the sake of returning to the He family. To find a father for her unborn child, Su Rui turned to my second brother… and to get back at my second brother, the He family even framed our family… but clearly, it was Su Rui who came to provoke my second brother, and why should your family’s mess involve my second brother?]

[This preparation is just too thorough.]

After all the photos were displayed, the lights in the hall came on, and Zheng Rui stood on the stage, coldly watching the bodyguards take Zhuang Lin away. Only Zheng Xiu was left, held by the bodyguards; he couldn’t faint, and he couldn’t leave.

He could only watch as Zheng Rui slowly walked down the stage, smiling brightly and looking at him with a “praise me” expression, asking, “Dad, how was my speech just now?”

[Zheng Rui is truly a master of psychological warfare!]

Ye Leyao laughed even louder.

Zheng Xiu stared at Zheng Rui in disbelief, and after a moment, he raised a trembling finger: “You, you, you little beast—”

Before he could finish, Zheng Xiu finally closed his eyes, seemingly fainting from anger.

Zheng Rui, finding it a bit dull, waved his hand to the bodyguards, who then took the unconscious Zheng Xiu away as well.

With the two main characters fainting and leaving, today’s big drama temporarily came to an end.

Why temporarily?

Because the incident had also spread online!

It should be noted that after Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu got married, they no longer managed the Zheng family business. After the elder Zheng passed away, their disposable funds decreased, so they started a social media account to document their marital life, gaining quite a few followers!

There were also many media reporters at the charity auction today, and some people were even live-streaming secretly.

Even before Zheng Rui’s speech ended, the news about Zhuang Lin and Zheng Xiu had already spread online.

Gossip-loving netizens flocked to the scene, but before they could start analyzing, someone asked a soul-searching question—

—”Ye Leyao! Can you tell me why you’re there again!”