Xu Zihuang did not spend much time observing the two blue-haired girls before withdrawing his gaze.
The two girls across from him, particularly the one who appeared only a few years older than Xu Zihuang, were undeniably beautiful.
Standing at just over 1.65 meters, she was not particularly tall, but her petite body was perfectly proportioned. Her snowy-white skin carried a healthy pinkish glow, her small, delicate nose was slightly upturned, and her pink lips were enticingly soft. Beneath her thick lashes were clear, bright water-blue eyes. She wore a flowing white silk dress with a slightly puffy design, exposing a sliver of her slender, white legs, with finely sculpted ankles adorned by silver anklets. Her shoulder-length blue hair, slightly curled, added a unique charm.
However, for someone like Xu Zihuang, born into the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, he had long been accustomed to meeting noble young ladies whose beauty and grace equaled or even surpassed hers. Thus, he did not find her particularly remarkable.
Seeing the increasingly displeased expression on the "Sister Shui" face, Manager Zhu let out a contented hum before leading Xu Zihuang and the others deeper into the VIP corridor.
The lighting in the VIP corridor was slightly dim, and the temperature noticeably dropped, creating a comfortable and tranquil atmosphere.
Not long after, a thick, heavy wooden door made of sandalwood appeared in their line of sight. The door was intricately carved with exquisite patterns, towering nearly five meters high and spanning over three meters wide.
Manager Zhu, walking ahead, gently knocked on the door a few times with her jade-like hand before pushing it open.
In contrast to the understated elegance of the door, the interior of the room was nothing short of opulent. Aside from the side with the door, the walls of this VIP suite—spanning over 100 square meters—were entirely composed of deep purple crystals set into place. These crystals were specially created so that the room's interior was invisible from the outside, but those inside could see the massive, auditorium-like auction center below with perfect clarity.
In this spacious top-tier VIP suite, there were only two individuals: Yao Yang, who had arrived half a month ago, and Wang Xiao, who had arrived at Moon Hub City earlier.
Both men were seated on the wide sofa at the center of the room. Upon seeing Xu Zihuang enter, following closely behind Manager Zhu, they immediately stood to greet him.
"Zihuang, how did you get here so quickly? Didn't Uncle Wang say you planned to explore Moon Hub City thoroughly?" Yao Yang asked, his tone both warm and curious.
"I did plan to, but something unexpected happened along the way," Xu Zihuang replied with a faint smile, his peripheral vision subtly catching a glimpse of Manager Zhu standing nearby.
He hadn't anticipated Yao Yang revealing his connection to Wang Xiao right in front of Manager Zhu.
This clearly hinted that the relationship between Manager Zhu and Yao Yang was far from ordinary.
Upon entering the room, Manager Zhu's gaze lingered intently on Yao Yang. However, he didn't spare her a single glance. With a pout of displeasure, she bit her lip and gracefully stepped out of the room, her crystal high heels clicking softly on the floor.
"Since I've brought him here, I won't disturb your discussion of important matters," she said with a slight bow.
Behind Xu Zihuang, Meng Lang and the others exchanged knowing glances, silently following Manager Zhu's lead and exiting the room as well.
With that, the spacious top-tier VIP suite was left with only Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang, and Wang Xiao.
Making himself comfortable, Xu Zihuang took a seat on the sofa behind the crystal table, lazily supporting his neck with his hand. His deep purple eyes sparkled with mischief as he teased, "Brother Yang, that Manager Zhu seems quite taken with you."
Upon hearing the question, Yao Yang's expression froze for a moment, and a wry smile spread across his face. He shook his head helplessly.
"Perhaps she does feel some attachment to me. I've known Yao'er since childhood. During the disaster that befell her family, which had long been allied with ours, they were also not spared. When I was rescued by the prince from those evil soul masters, I found myself alone on Moon Hub Island. By sheer luck, I later discovered that she had also survived. For nearly a decade, as I regained control over Moon Hub Island with Uncle Wang's covert assistance, she and I supported each other."
It turned out Manager Zhu's real name was Zhu Yao.
"Oh, childhood sweethearts who have weathered hardships together," Xu Zihuang said, his grin widening. "Brother Yang, lying to yourself is one thing, but don't try to fool us."
Yao Yang, slightly embarrassed, sat down beside him, smiling with a hint of annoyance. "Alright, Zihuang, enough about me. Let's talk about you. With your talent, even without your direct royal bloodline, there will be no shortage of women vying for your attention as you grow older. How do you plan to choose among them?"
It was only in the presence of Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao that this lofty Viscount of the Southern Moon Islands, who seemed difficult for outsiders to approach, revealed his true self.
"Choose?" Xu Zihuang sat up, his clear, deep purple eyes flashing with confusion.
"What are you talking about, Brother Yang? Why should I choose? Can't I just have them all?"
His words were not spoken in jest but reflected his honest thoughts. As someone raised within the royal family, the concept of monogamy had never been part of his upbringing.
Yao Yang frowned slightly, staring directly into Xu Zihuang's eyes. What Xu Zihuang said wasn't entirely wrong. In both the Sun Moon Empire and the three major Douluo Continent empires, most noble heirs had multiple wives and concubines. The strong were respected, and those with power were naturally entitled to more.
Still, given his preconceived impression of Xu Zihuang's father, Yao Yang found the younger man's views somewhat surprising. Despite being father and son, their ideologies about marriage seemed completely at odds.
Wang Xiao chimed in to explain, "The prince was often preoccupied with affairs of state. The Young Lord's early education was standardized within the imperial palace."
That explained a lot.
Yao Yang massaged his temples, choosing not to dwell further on the subject.
As the three chatted, the seats in the auction center below began to fill with attendees. At the center of the hall stood a circular stage, surrounded by tiered seating arranged in a radial pattern.
The seating was divided into five sections. The first three rows closest to the stage were red, followed outward by black, purple, yellow, and white. These colors represented the tiers of the participants.
Of course, there were also VIP rooms like the one Xu Zihuang and the others were in. The crystal walls of these VIP rooms had undergone special processing, but the only difference was that in the top-tier VIP room where Xu Zihuang and the others were, they could clearly see the situation inside other VIP rooms.
Noticing the growing activity in the auction center, Yao Yang shifted the topic.
"Zihuang, for this auction, Uncle Wang and I decided to put the surviving thousand-year-old Evil Spirit Orca and some dried ten-thousand-year-old Whale Rubber up for sale. The main goal is to amass funds for acquiring rare metals. At the same time, this will also give you a chance to observe some of the major powers within the Southern Moon Islands."