Pu Xin reluctantly withdrew her gaze, and the cat’s-eye gemstone ring was returned. Lu Xunzhi lowered his voice, instructing his “mom,” “You can’t accept gifts from strangers.”
Hearing this, Pu Xin immediately looked away. Before she could respond, Lu Xunzhi added, “If there’s a gemstone you like, I’ll take you to buy one later.”
The little Dandelion obediently nodded and said, “I think that person is very friendly. I want to meet him.”
Lu Xunzhi: “…” How was he supposed to handle feeling even worse?
He continued his lecture, “No one will be nice to you without reason except me. If he gave you a gemstone, he must have some motive. You need to be careful.”
Pu Xin let out a small “oh” and tilted her head in thought. Only Lu Xunzhi would be unconditionally good to her, but now there was more than one Lu Xunzhi. Could the person who had given her the gemstone have realized she was the mom?
The thought made little Dandelion excited, even more determined to find him after the auction.
Pu Xin’s emotions were clear and open, and Lu Xunzhi couldn’t understand why his words had the opposite effect. Before he could speak again, a holographic projection sprung up from every occupied seat.
The projection displayed tonight’s auction items from far to near. There were many rare gemstones, numerous collectibles, and items historically owned or used by notable figures—varied in type.
All the items looked ordinary, showing no similarity to the goods previously auctioned in the underground auctions shut down by the National Security Bureau.
Lu Xunzhi calmed himself, deciding he would tell Pu Xin the story later about why accepting candy from strangers could get her tricked into being sold.
Pu Xin’s attention, however, was already captured by the items. She curiously examined the strange objects and glittering gemstones, letting her gaze drift over each, finally settling on a swan-necked long bottle.
The emerald-green liquid clung softly to the glass, scattering starlight-like particles that resembled tiny silverfish swimming in a jade-colored lake, swishing their tails before bumping against the bottle and floating back in graceful arcs.
SS-grade alien nutrient solution.
The brief label made Pu Xin’s eyes shine. She had purchased alien nutrient solutions in the StarNet Mall before, but they were ordinary and far less comfortable than mid-tier plant nutrient solutions for soaking her little feet. She had even poured the remaining alien nutrient solution over the un-germinated seeds in the garden.
Young seeds didn’t need high-concentration alien nutrient solution; ordinary batches were enough to stimulate germination and growth.
Lu Xunzhi frowned. With nothing unusual about the items, it was impossible to tell if the auction house was conducting illicit business. Perhaps they had before, but the previous National Security Bureau raid on a different auction house had only occurred less than a month ago, so some operations might be on pause.
Even so, constant surveillance was necessary, as one misstep could alert the auction house.
Past operations were top secret, yet somehow the targets received prior notice. Important figures escaped, while those captured committed suicide.
He was deep in thought when his sleeve was tugged, and he turned to meet Pu Xin’s sparkling eyes, which gleamed even through her black contact lenses.
“What is it?” he asked quietly.
Pu Xin enlarged the SS-grade alien nutrient solution in the hologram and whispered, “This might feel really nice for soaking my little feet…”
The little Dandelion’s mask revealed only the lower half of her face, yet her pale skin and rosy lips were striking. She twirled a loose strand of hair as she spoke, shy yet burning with intensity, her gaze nearly piercing through the hologram.
Lu Xunzhi: “…”
It had been a mistake not to notice this SS-grade solution sooner!
He carefully read the product description and was slightly surprised by the creator’s name.
Ye Congyu, hailed as the greatest biologist of the interstellar era, had defined the boundaries between gentle-type and violent-type aliens and invented the alien identification index, allowing countries to classify aliens systematically.
In addition, he had proposed the theory of genetic fusion for hybrids and demi-humans, but soon after, he disappeared.
Rumor had it that the Federation’s youngest biologist and alien researcher, Ye Hanzhou, was his son, though Ye Hanzhou had never confirmed this.
Anything produced by Ye Congyu guaranteed absolute quality.
Lu Xunzhi made a decision immediately.
Buy it!
No one could shortchange his mom, she deserved the best nutrient solution!
Pu Xin happily gathered her gown, her starry blue heels tapping the floor lightly, already imagining herself soaking her little feet in the pool with the new solution.
The auction officially began. After the gavel struck, buyers raised their paddles.
The first items were all gemstones. In the interstellar era, special gemstones contained unique powers; some could store abilities, like the cat’s-eye ring given to Pu Xin by the stranger, which accelerated healing and strengthened the body.
For example, the rubies on the masks could block psychic energy, allowing wearers to hide their mental fluctuations and remain undetectable, ensuring that guests could leave the auction without being recognized.
Pu Xin clasped her hands together, waiting anxiously for the SS-grade alien nutrient solution to be auctioned.
The auctioneer’s voice rang clear, introducing the nutrient solution briefly before announcing, “Starting bid: thirty million, each increment no less than one million.”
Thirty million wasn’t expensive for attendees of this auction, and SS-grade alien nutrient solution was rare. Items above S-grade were always extremely costly.
Yet, because it was meant for aliens, few were interested. It had no effect on humans.
“Thirty-five million!”
A woman in the front rows raised her paddle first. She wore a crimson mermaid gown, her pale shoulders exposed. The paddle was held by a boy with long white hair and floppy ears, a rabbit-type alien—nestled obediently against her side. The nutrient solution was clear for him.
Lu Xunzhi was about to bid when another voice cut in: “Fifty million.”
An immediate fifteen-million jump!
The voice was casual, almost lazy, not coming from the main floor. Attendees looked up, spotting a dimly lit special box above the hall.
The box was open, circular, and fenced, but no one could clearly see who was inside. Only a man in a silver-gray suit, his gloved hands slowly swirling wine in a glass, with crystal diamond cufflinks and a blood-red ruby on his thumb reflecting light across the auction floor.
Pu Xin’s small hands clenched, looking up. She couldn’t see the person, but felt their gaze on her. She smiled softly.
A cold snort reached her ears. Little Dandelion turned to meet Lu Xunzhi’s icy gaze, tinged with lemony sourness.
The inexplicably angry Lu Xunzhi scowled, “He’s trying to get your attention. Next step, he might trick you into being sold.”
Pu Xin tilted her head, considering his warning. The first part caught her attention, making her wonder whether she should abandon the National Security Bureau’s boring mission to find this other Lu Xunzhi.
Lu Xunzhi’s frustration grew—his silly mom was clearly not absorbing his words. If she really got tricked and sold…
Meanwhile, murmurs spread through the auction hall:
“Who is he? Why is he allowed to sit there?”
“Who’s in charge of this auction? He’s too arrogant!”
“The ruby on his thumb reminds me of someone…”
“That cruel capitalist?”
“Or the bloody madman from the chaos zone…”
Speculation was vague, yet Lu Xunzhi noticed the man in darkness was also watching him with a faintly disdainful gaze.
The hidden man raised his wine glass with the only visible hand—a clear provocation to Lu Xunzhi.
Other attendees glanced his way, but their attention quickly shifted to the lively little Dandelion beside Lu Xunzhi.
Lu Xunzhi’s eyes cut back like a blade.
This was someone not to be trifled with.
The spectators withdrew their gazes. The woman who had just bid tilted the boy’s long white hair aside, her eyes sweeping past Pu Xin as her tongue flicked over her bright lips.
Lu Xunzhi warned her with his gaze. She smiled, bending to kiss the boy’s lips heavily, murmuring, “What a beautiful little thing…”
The boy clutched her gown, realizing she wasn’t speaking to him, already eyeing a new target.
The gavel struck again. Lu Xunzhi realized he had forgotten to bid, and the man above the hall had effectively stopped anyone else from competing.
The previously confident Lu Xunzhi glanced nervously at his mom, seeing her come to her senses. The auctioneer declared the SS-grade alien nutrient solution sold to the bidder in Box S. Her lips pouted slightly as she stared at the swaying emerald liquid.
She wanted it, but possibly Lu Xunzhi had bought it.
Should she rush out to find him now and claim the bottle?
Lu Xunzhi observed every little move. Feeling sour about missing the nutrient solution, he mumbled, “I’ll get you something even better later, okay?”
His promise lacked conviction. He had said the same about the cat’s-eye ring. He had wanted to bid for the nutrient solution to make his silly mom happy, but now his previous assurances felt empty.
Pu Xin looked at the nervous Lu Xunzhi and gently poked his prominent wrist bones, still gripping the armrest. “Silly Zhizhi, it’s not like I really wanted it!”
Being called silly by his mom made Lu Xunzhi’s cheeks flush; he murmured through clenched teeth, “I didn’t.”
Pu Xin leaned in, forbidding him from arguing. “Yes, you did!”
Lu Xunzhi: “…”
Under his silly mom’s gaze, he could only nod helplessly.
Having won the tug-of-war with his little one, he felt victorious. Pu Xin, slightly disappointed at not obtaining the nutrient solution, soon became pensive.
Lu Xunzhi, always anxious over trivial matters, and the lying, inept dad clearly couldn’t be a mature Lu Xunzhi.
Pu Xin once again chided her own carelessness, rolling her hand over Lu Xunzhi’s in a gesture reminiscent of cuddling Grandpa Cangshu, speaking earnestly, “When you grow up, you can’t cling to me. You need to judge the world yourself. Don’t be sad for what you lose, nor uneasy for what you gain.”
“You’ll leave me one day, and I can’t always be by your side.”
Lu Xunzhi, being lectured by his mom, caught the key point and straightened, his expression dangerous.
He wasn’t incapable of caring for his silly mom. Why would he leave? Because of the man sitting in the right upper box?
Alarm bells rang in his mind. He thought rapidly and came up with a brilliant response in seconds.
“I’m not grown up yet,” he said quietly.
Fang Jing, disguised as a servant passing through the auction hall, slowly typed a question mark onto his forehead.
According to Federation law, adulthood begins at eighteen, and the legal marriage age is twenty-two. If Lu Xunzhi remembered correctly, he would turn twenty-eight in a month.