“Yes, my master.”
“My name is Chu Yuan. I permit you to call me ‘sir,'” Chu Yuan commanded.
“Yes, Mr. Chu,” Ye Jiuting corrected herself, her tone mechanical.
Ye Jiuting struggled to suppress the discomfort in her heart.
From beginning to end, it was not his coercion—it was her need for his taming to survive.
“You may rise now. Follow one step behind me. Do not walk ahead of me, and do not let your gaze stray from me.”
“Understood, Mr. Chu.”
Chu Yuan led her out the door and into the elevator, swiping a card.
The elevator stopped on the ninth floor, even though the ship had only eight floors in total.
Thus, this was a hidden level, accessible only to designated clients.
Compared to the clamor of the other floors, this one was eerily silent.
Uniformed attendants stood on either side of the elevator, bowing at a ninety-degree angle.
“Mr. God of Gamblers, welcome to Meiren Gong.”
Chu Yuan strode forward with long, powerful steps. For every step he took, Ye Jiuting had to take one and a half to keep up.
After just a few steps, as if noticing she couldn’t keep pace, he slowed his stride.
They proceeded down the corridor, passed through a lounge area, and arrived before a resplendent, gilded door.
An attendant at the entrance gently pulled the door open.
Deafening music and the deep voices of mature men poured out from within.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Meiren Gong. Tonight’s debut performance is…”
After the host’s fervent opening remarks, there were no screams or cheers from the audience watching the performance.
Instead, there was only an excessively low, frigid air and an overwhelming sense of lust and desire.
Upon entering, a massive stage came into view, with an entire wall of high-definition LCD screens suspended above it.
The screens broadcast the stage performance in real time, capturing every detail without fail.
At that moment, a tall man led a girl onto the stage.
In his hand, he held a three-meter-long whip, which swayed like a serpent as he moved.
The girl, with her graceful, swaying figure, was led by the man’s whip toward the center of the stage.
The man extended his hand, and the girl kissed the back of it.
The suggestive atmosphere seeped into Ye Jiuting’s pores, and she shuddered, snapping back to reality only to find that Chu Yuan had already moved on.
Remembering his earlier command not to let her gaze stray from him, she realized she had made a mistake!
She hurried to catch up, weaving through the aisle between the audience seats.
Ye Jiuting could clearly feel countless malicious eyes fixed on her.
Unabashed whispers from the surroundings reached her ears distinctly.
“The God of Gamblers has taken a servant. My god, is this woman a celestial beauty? What method did she use to make the God of Gamblers break his principles?”
“Look at her figure—that slender waist like a water snake. Perhaps our God of Gamblers has a thing for slender waists!”
“Does Miss Li know about this yet? Heh, there’s going to be a show!”
Every player on the Renjian Hao dreamed of becoming a servant at the feet of the God of Gamblers.
But the God of Gamblers had never engaged in this game, leaving no opportunity for anyone.
Even the esteemed Miss Li had knelt publicly at his feet to declare her love, yet he remained unmoved.
What kind of background did this woman have!
Ye Jiuting followed Chu Yuan to the VIP seating.
The VIP seating was separated by a booth, containing only a single chair.
On the expensive crystal round table, fresh fruits and Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao tea were arranged.
Chu Yuan sat in the chair with an imposing, authoritative posture.
Ye Jiuting stood before him and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
“Mr. Chu, I didn’t keep up with you just now. I’m sorry, I won’t make this mistake again.”
Chu Yuan slightly lifted his gaze. “I don’t accept people who make mistakes three times in one day, Miss Ye. This is the second time.”
“There won’t be a third.” Ye Jiuting bent slightly at the waist, showing complete submission and deference to him.
Chu Yuan said, “Let it not happen again.”
“Thank you, Mr. Chu.”
Ye Jiuting glanced at the people around her out of the corner of her eye. Their nüyong were all kneeling at their masters’ feet to serve.
She was still standing.
It was one thing in the room earlier, but now in public, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she truly couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Mr. Chu, could we wait until we go back to…”
“Don’t worry, nothing that happens on the ninth floor will be leaked.” Chu Yuan’s deep, resonant male voice was the guarantee of authority.
Ye Jiuting bit her lower lip, her face deathly pale, fists clenched tightly, resisting both in heart and body.
She wanted to comply, but wanting and doing were two entirely different things.
“Stand behind me.” Chu Yuan suddenly showed mercy.
Ye Jiuting breathed a sigh of relief and walked behind Chu Yuan, clasping her hands in front of her.
The performance began.
The rhythmic sound of whips came from the speakers, each strike landing on Ye Jiuting’s heart.
The deliberately amplified gasps and extreme performances went beyond Ye Jiuting’s understanding.
At this moment, she deeply understood why Enzo was so certain she would fall back into his hands.
Because this test wasn’t something she could pass just by being willing to cooperate; it was a resistance from heart, body, and soul.
Without training from childhood, it was difficult for a normal person to achieve absolute submission to someone in a short period.
Ye Jiuting didn’t know how she managed to watch the entire performance.
The music stopped, and she bent toward Chu Yuan, saying, “Mr. Chu, I’d like to go to the restroom.”
“You have ten minutes to return.”
“Okay.” Ye Jiuting quickly walked toward the VIP restroom.
As soon as she entered, she turned on the faucet and washed her hands and face with soap.
The cold water washed away the ambiguous and extreme images in her mind.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
Not wanting to see anyone else, Ye Jiuting entered a stall.
Shortly after, someone came in, and deliberately lowered voices could be heard.
“Yueqian, the ship will dock in Canada for procurement in three days. I’ve already contacted a reliable person on the procurement side who can hide you in an empty cargo box to get you off the ship. It costs fifty thousand per person.”
“Alright, I’ll transfer the money to you now. Please, you must help me escape. I’ll repay you for the rest of my life, working like an ox or a horse.”
The two whispered more details and prepared to leave.
Ye Jiuting pushed the door open and stepped out, startling the two, whose faces turned pale.
One of the girls, Ye Jiuting recognized at a glance.
It was the girl who had knelt at Chu Yuan’s feet in Enzo’s suite earlier.
Her name was Li Yueqian.
Ye Jiuting walked up to Li Yueqian and smiled politely.
“Miss, please take me with you. I’ll pay ten times the fee after I get off the ship.”
“You heard?” Li Yueqian was terrified, looking around nervously, afraid someone might discover them.
Then her legs gave way, and she knelt before Ye Jiuting. “Please, don’t tell anyone. I just want to leave this ship.”
Ye Jiuting hurriedly helped Li Yueqian up. “Don’t kneel. We’re in the same boat. I want to leave too. I’ll kneel to you, please take me with you.”
In the face of life and death, everyone is equal; no one is nobler than anyone else.
Li Yueqian quickly steadied Ye Jiuting. “Alright, let’s not kneel. I’ll help you, but I only have enough money to pay for my own escape.”
Ye Jiuting had no money or phone. She lowered her head and patted her pockets, but there was nothing of value she could use to pay.
Just as she was growing anxious, Li Yueqian pointed at the ribbon around her neck.
“How about giving this to me? This ribbon should be enough.”
Ye Jiuting touched the ribbon on her neck—the one Chu Yuan had personally tied for her just moments ago.
Her fingertips brushed against its exquisite texture, reminiscent of Chu Yuan himself—aloof and unattainable.
Li Yueqian urged, “Don’t hesitate. If we stay here too long, we’ll be discovered. I need to go.”
With that, she hurried toward the door.
In her desperation, Ye Jiuting tore off the ribbon and handed it to Li Yueqian. “Then I’ll trouble you with this.”
Whether this plan succeeded or not, she had to take the gamble. She couldn’t just stand by and let this opportunity slip away.
Li Yueqian said, “Three days from now, at four in the morning, we’ll meet at the entrance of the procurement area and leave together. If you’re accidentally discovered along the way, whatever you do, don’t give me away. Understand?”