Chapter 58: Simps Gain Nothing in the End

Alaric Vane still had to go to work, so he didn't argue with him for too long. He changed his shoes and prepared to head out.

Jasper Vane followed him and asked, "So, are you going to this auction or not?"

"I'm going." Even though he knew Seren Thorne had deliberately dug a pit for him to jump into, he was jumping in anyway.

After all, that scoundrel Sebastian North was still eyeing his wife. If he didn't go, he might not even be able to keep his position as the rightful husband.

Jasper made a clicking sound with his tongue.

Claiming not to like his wife, yet unwilling to get a divorce, and constantly on guard against a homewrecker.

Heh, men.

Not long after Alaric left, Seren came downstairs holding her bag.

Jasper went to the mall with her. On the way, Seren checked his learning progress for the past period, and they reached their destination shortly after.

In her past life, Seren had been destitute and had never properly shopped at a mall; today, everything looked fresh to her.

Now that her pockets were full of money, she wanted to buy a bit of everything. After entering, she started a "sweeping" spree starting from the first floor. She visited every trendy toy store and snack shop, buying a massive pile of food and trinkets as if she were stocking up a warehouse.

Jasper followed behind her. Within an hour, he was carrying over a dozen shopping bags of various sizes. He was panting for breath, feeling like he had used up a whole year’s worth of exercise today.

Seeing that Seren had finished a circuit but still hadn't planned to buy clothes, Jasper worried that with a few more bags, he would become the first person to die of exhaustion in a shopping mall. He quickly called out to her: "Master, didn't we come here to buy clothes?

"A few of the clothing stores I frequent happen to be in this mall. Let me take you to see them."

Seren hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

She could come back for the other things another day; she should prioritize buying the clothes today.

Seeing Jasper looking as if he was about to collapse from exhaustion, Seren reached out her hand toward him. "I'll carry the things myself."

She hadn't intended to let Jasper carry them in the first place, but Jasper had volunteered to take every single bag from her hands.

Who would have thought this kid, who looked like he had a body full of lean muscle from regular exercise, would end up exhausted like a dog in such a short time.

As expected, there was an essential difference between a farm-raised chicken and a true free-range one.

Good to look at, but useless in practice.

Hearing Seren’s internal disdain, Jasper felt his masculine pride being challenged. His back, which had been hunched from fatigue, instantly straightened up.

"No need, Master. I can still carry a few shopping bags. If you want to keep browsing, then let's keep browsing. No matter how much you buy, I can carry it!"

After saying that, he even flexed his arm to show off his biceps, looking as if he were ready to fight ten people at once.

Seren looked at his hands, which were already trembling slightly from exhaustion, and couldn't help but smile. In the end, she took half of the shopping bags from him.

"I'm done browsing. Let's buy the clothes first."

With that, she turned and headed toward the elevator.

Jasper originally wanted to take those bags back and carry them himself, but since his arms and legs were currently a bit weak, he ultimately stopped trying to act brave.

The clothing store Jasper frequented was on the sixth floor of the mall.

This floor mostly housed luxury brands. In addition to menswear, there were several high-end women's clothing boutiques.

Although Alaric had instructed him to pick out a few ugly outfits for Seren, in Jasper’s eyes, his Master was now far more important than his cheap cousin. Thus, he chose to side with Seren and helped her pick out several beautiful ensembles.

His cheap cousin spent all day saying aggravating things; his sister-in-law might as well actually get together with Sebastian North—at least she’d have to deal with less irritation daily.

After buying the clothes, the two had just stepped out of the store when they ran into Silas Ruan coming out of the neighboring shop.

Seeing a member of the Ruan family, the smile on Jasper’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a scowl. "How unlucky. You run into bedbugs everywhere you go."

His voice wasn't low, and Silas heard it loud and clear. Silas’s face immediately darkened. "Who are you calling a bedbug?"

"I'm calling whoever answers the name," Jasper rolled his eyes at him.

Silas was fuming, but since they were in public with people coming and going, he didn't want to lose face and managed to suppress his temper.

Noticing Seren standing aside, he said, "Sweetie and I are getting engaged on Tuesday. You should come back for it. We're all family; you’ve thrown your tantrum long enough."

Seren didn't even acknowledge him, walking past him as if he were invisible.

Having lowered himself to invite her home only for her to show zero appreciation—not even a single word—Silas felt he was losing face. Just as he was about to berate Seren, her inner voice rang in his ears:

{Moron. Still thinking about an engagement, while his dad is currently sleeping with his 'sister' at this very moment.}

{One old and one young are busy weaving a green hat for him at home, yet here he is, being a loyal dog and helping his little sister buy clothes. Hilarious.}

{Simps gain nothing in the end.}

Silas’s pupils contracted slightly. He grabbed Seren’s hand and roared, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could Dad possibly..."

"Young Master Ruan." Jasper interrupted Silas, shoving his hand away. "If you have something to say, just say it. Keep your hands to yourself."

After saying that, he leaned into Silas’s ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Want to know if your dad and your sister are actually rolling in the sheets? Just go back and take a look, won't you?

"My sister-in-law’s fortune-telling is extremely accurate; she’s never made a mistake. If you go back any later, they might have already changed the sheets clean."

Silas grit his teeth, also whispering back: "Nonsense! My father would never do such a vile and disgusting thing to Sweetie. Don't even think about lying to me!"

Even as he said this, his feet very honestly turned around. "I can't be bothered to talk to you two. I'm leaving!"

He hurried away immediately, clearly intending to go back and confirm the situation.

Watching Silas’s hurried departure, Jasper made a "tsk" sound and muttered, "And here I thought this kid actually trusted his old man that much. Guess not."

Seren didn't catch what he said and asked, "What were you just chatting with Silas Ruan about?"

Jasper tucked his thoughts away and spoke with a grin: "Nothing much. Just saw him and felt annoyed, so I asked after his father."

After speaking, Jasper leaned closer to Seren and asked, "Master, I've seen your dad before, and I felt the way he looked at Sweetie Ruan was unusual. Do you think it’s possible they have some kind of improper relationship?"

Jasper hadn't planned on mentioning it again, but he simply couldn't suppress his gossiping heart.

A stepfather and an adopted daughter fooling around—even in high society where relationships were messy, such explosive gossip was rare. He really wanted a taste of it!

If it weren't for the fear of being beaten up if he personally went to the Ruan house to "eat melons," he would have followed Silas Ruan back just now.

Seren cast a surprised glance at Jasper. "Your intuition in this area is quite sharp, kid."

Jasper gave a couple of "hehe" laughs, only to hear Seren mutter: {Your brain is so smart now, but when your stepmother cheated before, you were like a big fool being led around by the nose.}

Jasper: "..."

The past is the past, please don't mention it.