A sly smile crept across Yuan's lips.
He walked toward the haggling duo seated outside a caged section in the quieter corner of the vast auction hall.
This area was where VIP buyers could inspect items before their official auction appearance.
It was relatively secluded, with only a few staff and interested buyers scattered about, providing a thin veil of privacy.
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes, recognizing the approaching figure—Yuan.
He subtly gestured toward Lady Xiao, signaling her to look.
Lady Xiao followed the motion and turned to see Yuan striding toward them with unhurried confidence.
Yuan, adorned in intricately designed robes, exuded nobility. He was taller than both Chen Mo and Lady Xiao, and his physique matched the perfection of his handsome face. He looked like a flawless man walking among imperfect beings.
And the smile plastered on his face… something about that smile unsettled Lady Xiao.
Chen Mo was about to speak, but his thoughts clicked into place. He turned sharply to Lady Xiao, catching a glint of something flash in her eyes.
Instantly, panic stirred in him.
'Is she going to sell the slave to him?'
No—he couldn't let that happen.
"You—" he began, but was cut off coldly by Lady Xiao.
"Young Master Wu, I have already informed your servant that this item will not be sold to you."
Her voice rang with authority and pride, her tone unwavering.
Yuan halted, the same smirk still dancing on his lips.
Chen Mo heaved a small sigh of relief.
'I seem to have misunderstood her,' he thought.
Chen Mo had the feeling that Lady Xiao was either going to sell the slave to Wu Qiong or make him raise his price.
Thankfully for Chen Mo, Lady Xiao is not the type to to use other person when they are weak.
His respect for Lady Xiao deepened. In his eyes, she had just proven herself a woman of principle.
But he didn't know the full truth.
Lady Xiao harbored a deep grudge against Wu Qiong for the countless humiliations she had endured because of him.
Many of his past actions had been borderline unbearable, and yet she was often forced to yield—because of his background.
Her restraint had slowly corroded her self-respect, and whispers questioning her capabilities had begun circulating.
Today, out of petty vengeance and accumulated resentment, she refused to even let his servant compete for the girl.
Even when he came in person, she had no intention of selling the girl to him.
'That smile… I don't like it,' she thought, clenching her jaw.
Yuan did not immediately respond to either of them.
Instead, he activated [Eye of Omen], letting its magic sweep over the slave girl in the cage just beside the two seated.
Sure enough, the mention of the purpose Yuan was here for was enough to ignite emotions on her for him, with none of them were good.
But compared to sea of hatred he had seen previously, this was weak, almost as if she was loosing her hope.
'Let's see if I can twist this in my favor.'
Maintaining his smile, Yuan met Lady Xiao's eyes and spoke gently.
"Lady Xiao, surely there's a way for us to reconcile."
"We've known each other for years. My family and the Xiao Merchant House have traded for even longer than that."
"Why let this one matter sour the relationship between us?"
Lady Xiao's fingers curled into a fist. Her lips pressed together, and her eyes flared with hatred. She was barely holding herself back from slapping that face of his.
If Yuan hadn't invoked the trade ties between their families, she might have.
"Young Master Wu, you should not use your family name to threaten Lady Xiao. It is despicable," Chen Mo said sharply, stepping forward.
He wasn't naive. He understood the kind of pressure Yuan was trying to exert, and he wouldn't let it work.
Lady Xiao's gaze flicked to Chen Mo. In that instant, she made a quiet decision.
If this became a war of words, she could blame Chen Mo if things soured. If it escalated to something more… Chen Mo didn't seem like the type to cower before status.
She'd take him as an ally.
They both failed to notice the deepening smile on Yuan's face.
He stepped closer, each movement calm and deliberate.
"Despicable, huh?" Yuan's voice was soft but carried far. "Then what about you? 'Your item is useless.' That's what you said earlier about her."
Now, he stood directly in front of them.
Chen Mo paled. Every word Yuan uttered sent a chill down his spine.
Yuan turned his eyes toward him, satisfaction blooming in his chest.
Though it sounded like he was retaliating, the truth was far different.
Those words weren't for Chen Mo or Lady Xiao.
They were meant for the girl.
She had heard him—he had seen the change in her through [Eye of Omen].
Hope flickered and it wanted to grow stronger.
Basically, Yuan had adopted the method opposite to Chen Mo's.
Since every Ahn dropped by Lady Xiao was a relief to Chen Mo, he had not held himself back when disgracing the slave girl.
In his mind, the slave girl was already going to his home, then he would have plenty of chance to recover and change his image.
Yuan too has already formed the imagery of this girl entering his house.
But unlike Chen Mo, Yuan had already begun to construct a good image of him in her mind.
He would not wait until she was in his home to try and repair her opinion of him.
After all, first impression mattered.
He even subtly drew a differentiation between Chen Mo and him in the girls heart.
Chen Mo said she was useless, Yuan, in contrast, treated her like a person.
This contrast between them had taken root in her heart. And even though distrust still lingered, it was now accompanied by something more…
Hope. Relief. Curiosity. Caution.
Chen Mo wanted to defend himself, but the words stuck in his throat; they refused to be born, not when facing this behemoth.
Yuan walked past them both without a glance, as if they were ghosts.
He stopped in front of the cage, finally taking the moment to appreciate the beauty within.
But he wasn't done yet.
He had one more nail to drive in.
He turned slightly, projecting his voice to everyone nearby—just loud enough to be heard by those paying attention.
"And what kind of sick people are you?"
"Referring to her as an item? She is a person. A human being. She has a name, like all of us."
Gasps rippled faintly among the few nearby onlookers.
In this world, respect was given to only those in power, so slaves or captives were almost always called items, and even treated like one.
Hence such declarations of humanity were rare—noble.
The girl's red eyes widened slightly, the first spark of recognition stirring within them.
Her lips parted, her body trembling ever so subtly. For a moment, silence wrapped the hallway.
The girl's lips trembled.
"Tell me," Yuan said softly, locking eyes with her, "what is your name?"