Chapter 49

Auston stared fixedly at him, his gaze gloomy and terrifying.

But looking at him like this, Ruan Tang was not afraid at all, and even let out a relaxed laugh: “Your Grace, are you worried about me?”

In his eyes, this Alpha was still endearingly awkward, and his way of expressing concern was also so stilted that one could easily misunderstand him.

“I’m not worried about you at all!” Auston suddenly became like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, hissing and bristling, even more furious: “I’m angry that you acted without permission and disobeyed me, can’t you see that?”

He felt that there was something wrong with the brain of this Omega.

No matter how vicious his words, how fierce his anger, how violent his rage, he could stubbornly interpret goodwill from them.

It was simply insane.

But Ruan Tang had long been accustomed to his awkward manner. He smiled and didn’t continue the topic. After a long while, he spoke: “How does Your Grace know that when I negotiated with the Empress and borrowed the Empress’s power, it must be her using me, and not me using her?”

The Empress was determined to obtain the Crown Prince, kill the Emperor, crown herself Empress, and wield the power of the entire empire.

In her eyes, whether it was the Emperor or Auston, this extra son, anyone who stood in her way deserved to die...

What Ruan Tang wanted to do was borrow her power to strengthen himself, help Auston and himself escape this predicament of surviving in a tight spot, and support each other to go on.

These were two completely opposite paths.

But Ruan Tang wanted to take advantage of the Empress’s contempt for him to build power and grow discreetly...

“Use her? With you, it’s like an ant trying to shake a tree, a stone throwing at an egg?” Auston immediately sneered: “You won’t even know how you died.”

Ruan Tang was speechless: “...”

He had wanted to have a proper talk with Auston, but he hadn’t expected this reaction.

“By building a nest with the help of a great tree’s strength, slowly hollowing out its core until the towering tree falls is not impossible...” Ruan Tang had to keep telling himself, he’s not thinking clearly, don’t bicker with him. He tried to calm himself and said: “Even if I die, I want to die knowing I fought my best, not dying in confusion...”

Ruan Tang frowned slightly: “If by luck I succeed, and the Empress, who wanted to use me, instead raised a tiger to bring calamity on herself and I end up using her, wouldn’t that prove I have some skill?”

Auston, who wasn’t thinking clearly, could live for the moment, carefree, unconcerned about time or even his own life.

But he couldn’t—

He wanted to live a good life together with Auston.

Auston hadn’t expected Ruan Tang to say this, because in his eyes, Ruan Tang had always been a naive sweetheart who wouldn’t fight back when hit and at most only gave sharp words that couldn’t actually harm anyone. Even if Ruan Tang spoke fiercely, Auston still believed he was just strong in appearance but weak in reality.

He suddenly remembered that Ruan Tang had once asked him back, if given the chance, how did he know that he wouldn’t put those who had humiliated him to death?

At that time, Auston didn’t take it to heart, only thinking that this Omega was all talk, soft and timid.

Only now did Auston really see a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

“With me protecting you, what’s so bad about muddling through?” Auston waved his hand: “In life, isn’t it enough to seize the moment and enjoy the present? Excessive intelligence leads to harm. Why live so clearly and make yourself suffer?”

He was talking about Ruan Tang, but also about himself.

Ruan Tang’s eyes were very beautiful, clean and clear, like a lake that one could see to the bottom of at a glance, and when his eyes moved, they were so dazzling that he didn’t seem like someone from their flashy circle.

Auston very much wanted to protect those eyes, keep them untainted, and make them his collection.

“But I have to grow up and face the storms alone. I can’t always hide under Your Grace’s wings to escape reality, can I?” Ruan Tang could only say this.

He didn’t want to be a dodder flower dependent on Auston for survival, but wanted to become a towering tree standing shoulder to shoulder with him, even protecting him in turn.

His words were light and simple, but Auston misinterpreted them, recalling Ruan Tang’s feelings for him.

Auston looked deep into Ruan Tang, his eyes roaming over him, but he fell silent.

Although he now doted on and protected Ruan Tang, he had never thought of being with him for the long term. He didn’t even know how long he himself could live.

Since Ruan Tang now knew his true feelings, making such a choice might be the right one.

After all, he couldn’t rely on him for a lifetime. He could only protect him for a while, but not forever. Only by growing strong himself could Ruan Tang survive in this circle without needing him.

Protect himself and protect his family.

Only... once he got involved with power and stayed in an environment of scheming and intrigue, those beautiful eyes would probably become tainted with vulgar and murky colors, and their beauty would be lost.

Auston looked at Ruan Tang, his gaze slightly dim, feeling regret for these eyes that were about to lose their clarity.

But after a little thought, he callously thought: Even if the clarity is gone, what business is it of his?

He didn’t plan to go far with Ruan Tang. He didn’t really want to dig out those eyes and treasure them. Ruan Tang was just a diversion for him. If the clarity was gone, if Ruan Tang no longer had the traits that attracted him, naturally he would discard him and no longer need him to stay by his side...

Perhaps for these eyes, losing their own color to bring immense power and self-preservation to their owner was what they wanted.

Auston’s thoughts were complicated and twisted.

Ruan Tang, however, was completely unaware: “Besides, even if something happens to me, Your Grace will protect me, won’t you?”

His tone was calm and composed, as if he was very certain.

“I’ll protect you, my ass.” Auston coldly sneered: “If you die at their hands, I won’t even collect your corpse.”

His kindness, indulgence, and doting toward Ruan Tang were just like when a cat that pleased him came to his home. He found it interesting, was willing to keep it, endure its endless shedding, endless litter box cleaning, and its claws that occasionally scratch things. When in a good mood, he was willing to buy things for it and spend money.

And that was all. Ruan Tang shouldn’t think of anything else. He had borrowed the Empress’s power and now wanted to borrow his power too.

How could this Omega think so beautifully?

Ruan Tang smiled and didn’t mind.

Ruan Tang used the housekeeping robot to clean up the mess in Auston’s room caused by his sudden outburst, and then waved the copy of “One Thousand and One Nights” at Auston: “Alright, Your Grace, let’s not talk about those unpleasant things. I know my limits, you don’t need to worry.”

“What story would you like to hear tonight?” he asked Auston.

Auston refused bluntly: “I don’t want to hear it. I’m sick of seeing you now, get out!”

“You don’t want to listen, but I want to talk.” Ruan Tang pursed his lips and smiled, ignoring him and making his own decision: “Today we’ll tell the story of ‘Aladdin’s Lamp’.”

Auston’s face was full of refusal, but when Ruan Tang really started telling the story, his ears honestly perked up.

Deep down he knew that at a time like this he should kick Ruan Tang out and reprimand this Omega for his insolence and offense, but somehow, hearing Ruan Tang’s voice and seeing Ruan Tang’s eyes as clear as autumn water looking at him with full attention, as if his eyes could reflect no one else but him...

He somehow almost forgot to think, forgot that he was still angry with Ruan Tang and should have thrown him out.

Auston couldn’t understand why he would endure an Omega again and again, lowering his bottom line again and again, when he only regarded him as a pet, as a pastime.

Auston listened to Ruan Tang telling the childish story meant for children, frowning, lost in thought for a while, then suddenly understood.

All of this was simply because this pastime named Ruan Tang was too interesting and too pleasing to him...

And unlike Ruan Tang, Auston, who had never seen hope for his tomorrow, always lived each day as if it were his last, so he cherished and enjoyed the pleasures of the moment.

As long as it brought him enjoyment, and he didn’t know what tomorrow would bring,

why not enjoy it while he could?

He wanted to make things hard for himself, not for Ruan Tang.

Auston immediately closed his eyes and listened to Ruan Tang’s pleasant voice reading to him. This voice soothed his heart.

As Auston listened, he felt the restlessness in his heart being completely suppressed.

Ruan Tang saw his breathing steady and thought he was asleep, so he gently closed the book and prepared to quietly leave.

“I will protect you, as long as I’m still on the Imperial Star,” Auston suddenly spoke in the darkness.

Ruan Tang was his pastime, his source of enjoyment. As long as he was on the Imperial Star, as long as Ruan Tang’s voice, scent, and eyes remained unchanged, he would protect this pastime for a day...

And if one day he left the Imperial Star, naturally he couldn’t take care of Ruan Tang anymore.

So he made this promise to Ruan Tang.

But even if he did leave the Imperial Star one day, he still hoped that Ruan Tang could truly grow up and live well... Perhaps by then, they might meet again.

Ruan Tang didn’t know what he was thinking, and a big smile spread across his face: “Alright, I understand, Your Grace.”

He believed that whatever Auston said, he would do...

“Good night.”

After saying good night, Ruan Tang cheerfully closed Auston’s door and left his room.

After he left, Auston directly opened his personal terminal and contacted some of his people embedded in the Empress Faction: “My wife is going to work for the Empress in a couple of days. I think he wants to do something. Although the Empress has promised to give him a chance, she won’t actually help him much. If you see something, help him if you can... Don’t let him work too hard.”

The subordinates who received Auston’s communication late at night were extremely shocked, never expecting that Ruan Tang’s weight in Auston’s heart was so heavy, that even though Ruan Tang had defected to the Empress Faction and sided with the Empress, he still wanted to protect him.

But no one dared to question him; they all answered: “Yes.”

At the same time, Auston also contacted his shadow guards. He briefly ordered the captain: “Tomorrow, send five, no, ten men to go and protect the lady. I don’t need that many people to protect me.”

When it came to Ruan Tang and him mixing in this circle, Auston felt that Ruan Tang would definitely be the one to die faster.