Chapter 97 out of 100 people find them unlikable; even flowers won’t blossom in their presence.

"How about... 200 taels of silver?" Che Xiang looked at Mu Hanyan cautiously and suggested.

He had initially thought he would end up entirely at a loss, but unexpectedly, there was this great opportunity of an auction, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. It seemed that encountering this playboy was not as bad as he had imagined.

"What are you looking at, what’s there to be afraid of him for? Weren’t you asking for one thousand taels? Why don’t you have the guts to call it out now? I bid 500 taels!" Yuan Tianbo couldn’t contain his anger when he saw how timid Che Xiang was in front of Mu Hanyan.

Where was your unyielding spirit, your vow to never obey, gone to? How come when you see this guy, it’s all disappeared? Am I not a playboy as well? How do you expect me to show my face around others? Damn it, I am someone people disdain, a playboy who can’t induce love or open flowers—so how do you justify treating me differently?!

"600 taels!" Mu Hanyan raised the bid directly.

"700 taels!"

"800 taels!"

The two of them continued to outbid each other, completely ignoring the steward who was acting as the auctioneer to the side.

"1,700 taels!"

"1,800 taels!"

At this moment, Yuan Tianbo was brimming with confidence, certain of victory. Although the Yuan Family could not compare with the mighty Mu Family, they had been doing business for generations and indeed possessed greater wealth than the Mu Family, which was also his biggest capital in matching Mu Hanyan over the years. Outsiders, of course, did not know how much Yue Fanling’s dowry was, and even if they did, it belonged solely to Yue Fanling, not the Mu Family.

Being inferior to Mu Hanyan in family background, groveling ability, or connections mattered little now; it was all about money, and he was determined to win with it. Having recently been tight on funds for some reasons, that was no longer the case. Now he had financial leeway and plenty of confidence!

Although the price now was far beyond the original expectations, if he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to buy it directly for one thousand taels from Che Xiang. However, Yuan Tianbo did not regret it at all; instead, he felt a trace of excitement.

This bratty kid had bullied him twice, and today he was set to regain some face, no matter the cost.

"2,000 taels!"

"2,100 taels!"

Yuan Tianbo slowly began to feel that something was off. From his understanding of Mu Hanyan, she shouldn’t have had that much pocket money to bid with, so why was she still daring to follow the bids?

Little did he know, Mu Hanyan had never planned to spend the money but was simply joining in the bidding to drive up the price. No matter the amount, even if it reached ten thousand taels, as long as she made sure it wouldn’t end up on herself, she would follow without hesitation.

"2,800 taels!"

"2,900 taels!"

"3,000 taels!"

A fine layer of sweat covered Yuan Tianbo’s face. Though he habitually squandered multiple times more allowance than Mu Hanyan, his reckless spending and the number of sycophantic hangers-on he kept meant he hadn’t saved up much recently. Three thousand taels was his limit; he could not produce more. Just a short while ago, he had been desperately short on funds, only recently having come into a bit of money.

To the side, Mu Nan noticed this and frowned slightly. In truth, the Fire Orchid wasn’t as remarkable as the rumors suggested; one thousand taels would have been about right. The current bid of three thousand taels was already the result of spite. If Yuan Tianbo were to give up now, Mu Hanyan would indeed be hoisting a rock only to drop it on her own foot.

Ah, they should have just commandeered it straight away—what’s the point of this auction? Mu Nan thought with some resentment. Having indulged for a moment in the flamboyant lifestyle of a playboy alongside Mu Hanyan, he found himself surprisingly nostalgic for the good life of indulgence.