Chapter 52

Ruan Tang was thriving within the Empress Faction’s power network, truly surprising everyone. Those who had previously dismissed him now looked at him with newfound respect.

Even his good father, Ruan Ming, upon seeing signs of his rise, personally visited to try and mend their father-son relationship.

“You’ve become much smarter lately, doing well, even securing the position of Chairman of the Omega Protection Association. Now this is like a son of mine, Ruan Ming. If only you had been this clever before, how wonderful would that be?” Ruan Ming smiled warmly as he saw Ruan Tang, playing the loving father, offering some praise and recognition.

In the past, Ruan Tang never competed for anything and always argued with him. Ruan Ming had always felt this son was useless and worthless, self-righteously aloof, not inheriting a single one of his virtues—he greatly disliked him. Now that Ruan Tang was seizing the opportunity to climb upward, Ruan Ming finally regarded him with some favor.

Ruan Tang looked at this expression and only felt like vomiting. He sneered sarcastically: “If I’ve achieved anything today, isn’t it thanks to Father’s years of teaching by example and words?”

His words sounded nice, but his tone was extremely sarcastic, making anyone who pondered them realize something was off.

“What’s with this attitude? What kind of behavior is this?” Ruan Ming hadn’t expected him to speak like this. Detecting the mockery in Ruan Tang’s words, his face changed drastically and he flew into a rage.

Although he couldn’t claim to have treated Ruan Tang well, and had even used him as a tool to exchange benefits for the family, Ruan Ming felt that Ruan Tang had been disobedient in every way, and that he himself had given Ruan Tang enough of what was due at the time of his marriage to be considered a loving father...

He had done nothing to be ashamed of toward Ruan Tang.

“What I look like, what attitude I have—doesn’t Father know in his own heart?” Ruan Tang suddenly laughed out loud. “If I were you, I wouldn’t come knocking after seeing the child you abandoned amount to something in your eyes, only to put on a show of fatherly affection and embarrass myself.”

“You—” Ruan Ming was so angry his liver trembled.

But Ruan Tang completely disregarded his dignity, tearing all pretense apart: “Being so stubborn and self-willed, so cold-hearted and ungrateful, and now coming to fawn over those in power—don’t you yourself find it ridiculous? Don’t you find yourself absolutely disgusting, not like a person at all, but rather like a cold-blooded beast?”

In the past, Ruan Tang had barely managed to maintain a false father-son relationship with Ruan Ming, but ever since he learned that his mother’s dementia was not caused by grief over his older siblings’ misfortune but rather by poisoning, Ruan Tang could no longer forgive Ruan Ming, the culprit behind it all.

He didn’t even want to save any face for Ruan Ming anymore.

Ruan Ming was so angered by his words that he nearly vomited blood. Seeing Ruan Tang acting like an ungrateful wolf that couldn’t be tamed, he wanted nothing more than to turn and leave.

But thinking that Ruan Tang now held some power, was favored by the Empress, and was doted on so much by Auston, with limitless prospects ahead, he couldn’t bear to give up on this promising son...

“You... you child, you’re being unreasonable and muddle-headed. I see you’re now the Chairman of the Omega Protection Association and also the Duchess, so I’ll give you some face. As your father, I won’t stoop to your level!” Ruan Ming swallowed his anger but still spoke with self-righteousness: “Except for forcing you into marriage and not loving you as much as little Xi, I’ve given you everything you were owed. What else have I, as your father, done to wrong you?”

Ruan Tang let out a laugh. “Are you giving me face, Marshal Ruan? I’m afraid you’re just giving face to yourself.”

Ruan Tang knew why Ruan Ming tolerated him. When he was useful, even his arrogance didn’t matter; when he was useless, even if he showed weakness and begged for mercy, this man would turn a blind eye... Having seen through his father’s selfish hypocrisy, he no longer wanted to keep playing along with the act.

“You are my biological father. Giving birth to me and raising me is your responsibility!” He said slowly and emphatically. “You may not have wronged me, but you are cold and fickle, ungrateful and faithless, repeatedly cheating, abandoning your first wife, selling out your children for gain, devoid of kindness and righteousness. An Alpha like you, a father like you, dares to stand before me and lecture me? Playing the loving father, asking me what you’ve done to wrong me?”

Ruan Ming had come knocking three or four times in the past few days. Ruan Tang originally didn’t want to see him at all, but seeing the pitiful state of his mother and older siblings, he just couldn’t swallow his anger, so he finally agreed to meet Ruan Ming.

Once he had vented his anger to his satisfaction, Ruan Tang set down his coffee cup. “It’s getting late. I’m tired. Father, please leave.”

Directly showing him out.

As soon as his words fell, the Duke’s Mansion robots immediately came forward and took hold of Ruan Ming, ready to carry out Ruan Tang’s order to show the guest out...

Ruan Ming had been stubborn and self-willed his whole life, never treated like this before. He nearly fainted from rage. Pointing at Ruan Tang, he burst out cursing: “What are you so pleased about? Do you think that just because you’re the Chairman of the Omega Protection Association and the Duchess, favored by the Empress and loved by the Duke, you’re something special?”

“Let me tell you, without the Ruan Family, without me, your father, backing you up, you’re nothing!” Ruan Ming said furiously. “I’d like to see how long you can stay pleased with that stupid, brainless look of yours, and how far you can go.”

Ruan Tang let out a sneer. “Then please, Father, wait and see.”

He had been working hard to secure a foothold within the Empress Faction’s network, and now that he had a firm footing, his next step was to target the Ruan Family and his father, Ruan Ming.

Cursing and complaining, Ruan Ming was forcibly escorted out by the robots.

Ruan Tang watched his receding figure, holding his coffee cup, a mocking smile spreading across his face.

“He seemed genuinely eager to win you over and make peace with you?” At some point, Auston had appeared from somewhere, pushing his wheelchair.

No one knew how much he had heard of the father-son argument between Ruan Ming and Ruan Tang, but he spoke casually.

Ruan Tang’s smile was bitter and mocking. “Of course he genuinely wants to win me over and make peace. He never lets go of anything that benefits him. Of course he wants to play the loving father and filial son with me.”

Ruan Ming’s health had already deteriorated from an early battle, and afterwards, it was Ruan Tang’s eldest brother, Ruan Yang, who supported the Ruan Family’s Sun-Moon Legion.

After Ruan Yang’s accident, although the Ruan Family was large and Ruan Ming had many children, they were all busy fighting for power and scheming after his property, with very narrow vision, and not one was capable of upholding the family’s honor.

What Ruan Ming worried about most was the fall of the family he had painstakingly revived, yet the Ruan Family simply lacked a single outstanding heir.

Therefore, Ruan Ming greatly valued any descendant who could bring benefit to the family. As long as he saw even a glimmer that could add glory to the family, he was willing to tolerate them and wanted to win them over and get close.

This was true for him and for Wen Run alike.

“Then why don’t you play the loving son with him? Since you want the Ruan Family, a little more acting might make it easier to take it?” Auston looked deeply at him, asking a question that was quite reminiscent of Ruan Tang’s past style.

Ruan Tang swirled his coffee cup, saying somewhat listlessly: “Because acting might make what I want to do easier, but it’s just too boring and not satisfying enough.”

His answer was quite in Auston’s style.

“Besides, I don’t want to pretend anymore...” Ruan Tang had been suppressed for too long; he no longer wanted to hold back toward Ruan Ming.

Auston looked at him in surprise. “You just showed him out like that. Aren’t you afraid that your hard-won reputation, which you only recently regained, will be dragged through the mud in the Imperial Star again?”

“Don’t worry, Your Grace. He won’t. My father loves his face above all else. I think he’ll be even more afraid than I am for others to find out that he was thrown out by me after our falling out.” Ruan Tang knew Ruan Ming’s personality too well, so he acted without fear.

Suddenly thinking of something, he added, “Besides, even if someone finds out, so what? In the Imperial Star now, who would dare to ruin my reputation? And even if they did, what difference would it make?”

Having spent enough time in these circles, Ruan Tang had come to understand that whether one’s reputation was good or bad didn’t matter at all in this world—the real currency was the power one held.

When you have no power, even if you’ve done nothing wrong, a few casual slanders and others will be certain, firmly believe that you are a black-hearted lotus, a malicious person with ulterior motives.

But when you have power and influence, even if you truly are scheming and calculating, no one will speak a word against you... instead, countless people will rush to praise you, extolling your non-existent virtues.

Ruan Tang had now fully comprehended and come to terms with this reality.

“That doesn’t sound like you at all,” Auston said, stroking his chin, his gaze deep as he looked at Ruan Tang.

Auston felt that he was becoming less and less able to understand this Omega.

But, he liked it.

This version of Ruan Tang was also enveloped in a unique charm.

“Of course. After spending so much time with Your Grace, I was bound to pick up a thing or two through osmosis.” Ruan Tang blinked, speaking without hesitation.

Auston hadn’t expected such an answer, and he couldn’t hold back, bursting into laughter. “Pfft hahaha~”

“What are you laughing at? Have you also realized that sometimes the things you say are actually quite ridiculous?” Ruan Tang looked at him, disgruntled.

Over time, he had been infected by Auston’s influence, becoming not quite normal himself...

“Fun, you’re really fun.” Auston didn’t answer his question, but stared at Ruan Tang, his smile fading slightly. Only when he had finished laughing did he ask Ruan Tang with mock seriousness: “So, how do you like being me?”

Ruan Tang answered very honestly: “Good, it’s pretty good. Feels great.”

In fact, occasionally letting go and being spontaneous was quite beneficial for one’s physical and mental health. Just now, after putting Ruan Ming in his place, Ruan Tang felt completely relaxed and at ease.

As Ruan Tang had expected, Ruan Ming did not spread the news of Ruan Tang showing him disrespect and throwing him out of the mansion. In fact, he kept the matter tightly suppressed, not letting a single leak get out.

However, after Ruan Tang had torn apart all pretense with him on the spot, he had not contacted Ruan Tang again.

Ruan Tang was quite happy with the peace and quiet.

That day, Ruan Tang returned home from work as usual. The moment he entered the door,

a servant came rushing over to tell him, “Madam, Young Master Ruan Yang has awakened.”

Ruan Yang’s treatment had already started some time ago. During his treatment, no matter how busy Ruan Tang was, he always made time to talk to him every day.

Ruan Yang’s brain waves had shown steady improvement from the treatment, but Ruan Tang had no idea when he would actually wake up.

He hadn’t expected such good news to come so soon.

Hearing this, Ruan Tang immediately rushed toward Ruan Yang’s room, overjoyed.