In the backstage lounge, Nie Zhenzhen was completely unbound. Just as she was about to rush out of the room to find that refined-looking man and demand an explanation—while begging him to let her go—the commotion alerted Zaisang, who was about to enter.
He hurriedly burst into the lounge, and upon seeing the scene before him, froze for a brief moment. Then he charged forward and, without a word, delivered a heavy slap across Nie Zhenzhen’s face. “Damn it, you’re nothing but trouble! Grab her, now!”
Nie Zhenzhen was stunned senseless by the sudden blow, her ears ringing with nothing but a dull buzz… But she quickly snapped back to her senses. At that moment, her mouth was more honest than her mind. She threw herself at Zaisang’s feet with all her might, kowtowing desperately and begging for mercy. “S-Sang… Master Sang! Please! Let me go! Name your price—however much you want, I’ll find a way to get it for you!”
“Smack!” Another crisp, clean slap landed. Blood seeped from the corner of Nie Zhenzhen’s lips, but she still begged with every ounce of strength she had. “Please! Master Sang! I’m begging you!”
“Damn, you’re nothing but trash!” As the words left his mouth, Zaisang raised his hand again, ready to deliver another vicious slap.
A gentle, refined male voice came from behind him. “Master Sang, please calm down. Don’t hit her too hard—if her face gets ruined, she won’t fetch a good price.”
“I have plenty of ways to deal with her.” With that, the man tilted his chin toward the bodyguards.
The bodyguards behind him immediately understood. One of them retrieved a small glass jar filled with pink liquid from a corner of the lounge and handed it respectfully to the man with both hands.
The man’s fingertips lightly traced the cold surface of the jar, his movements slow and deliberate. Each turn of the bottle exuded a sense of confident control. A faint, ambiguous smile curled at the corner of his lips, his expression relaxed—as if he were merely toying with some insignificant trinket.
But in those deep, dark eyes lay undisguised amusement and danger.
“Do you know what this is?” The man slowly bent down, crouching to face Nie Zhenzhen, his tone languid and gentle. “This is obedience serum. Drink it, and you’ll behave nice and obedient. Want a taste? I hear it’s a little sweet.”
Nie Zhenzhen stared in utter disbelief, her eyes wide and round from sheer terror. She muttered brokenly, “No… no… don’t do this to me…”
Before she could react, two bodyguards in black clamped down on the girl’s shoulders like iron pincers, pinning her firmly in place, leaving no room for struggle.
The girl thrashed violently, her neck straining as she desperately turned her head away. Her eyes brimmed with fear and resistance, and broken whimpers escaped her throat.
The man’s expression instantly turned cold and sinister. One hand roughly seized her jaw, forcing her head up and her teeth apart. The other hand held the bottle, pressing its mouth against her lips without hesitation. He tilted the bottle slightly, and the icy liquid was forced down her tongue.
The girl trembled violently all over, her limbs flailing uselessly. The acrid liquid choked her, making the corners of her eyes redden as tears streamed down uncontrollably. But the bodyguards’ grip never loosened, and the man’s movements were ruthless and decisive. The very air around them was suffocated by the oppressive tension.
Soon, the drug’s effect spread rapidly through her bloodstream. Her body went limp, collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut. Her fingers curled weakly, lacking even the strength to tense up.
Her legs trembled feebly, every muscle sinking into a state of lax, aching weakness.
Her consciousness grew heavy, her eyelids drooping as if about to close. Her entire being became like a pile of soft mud with no support, left entirely at others’ mercy. Even the thought of resistance was utterly crushed by this overwhelming helplessness.
…
Next up is Lot No. 006. The name of this lot is: The Girl Among Flowers.
In an instant, the surrounding lights dimmed. A single harsh spotlight blazed down, locking precisely onto the girl.
The white light was blazing and dazzling. Nie Zhenzhen, completely unclothed, lay still on a long table draped in red cloth. A few petals of seductive red roses were scattered carelessly across her body as she was slowly wheeled out from behind the curtain.
The intense light stabbed at her eyes, making them impossible to open. Everything around her dissolved into blurred shadows, leaving only her at the center of this blinding brightness, with nowhere to hide.
The air seemed to freeze in an instant. Every gaze below converged upon her at once, and the heavy weight of pressure, wrapped in the murmurs and gasps of the crowd, enveloped her completely, leaving not even the slightest room to escape.
Overwhelming shame made her fingers instinctively clench into fists. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her long lashes trembling violently up and down like the frantic fluttering of butterfly wings. Two trails of tears glistened under the light.
The drug’s effect left her unable to struggle or move, leaving her no choice but to accept her fate.
“50 million.”
“60 million.”
“70 million.”
…
“200 million!” A wave of intense murmuring erupted from the crowd below.
“Who is that? Bidding so high all at once.”
“He seems to be Li Yantang’s cousin. What’s his name again…”
“So that’s his taste, huh. Completely different from his brother.”
The gazes of the crowd below the stage unanimously turned toward Yan Mo, tinged with a hint of mockery and scrutiny.
“Two hundred million, going once,”
“Two hundred million, going twice,”
“Sold! Congratulations to Mr. Yan for winning this exhibit.” With the auctioneer’s final gavel strike, Yan Mo successfully secured the piece.
Just as he was eagerly heading backstage to get a look at his prize, he was utterly stunned by what he saw.
Pointing at the exhibit—one that was breathing, blinking, and shedding tears with an incredibly lifelike expression—he stammered in shock, “Th-this… this is… alive… a real person?”
“Of course, Mr. Yan. This is the only living item in this special exhibit auction.” The attendant beside him explained patiently.
It took him a long moment to fully snap back to reality. The whole thing had been one massive misunderstanding from start to finish!
“Um, excuse me, is it possible to get a refund? I can pay the penalty fee—whatever amount it takes!” Yan Mo’s expression returned to something resembling normalcy.
The attendant silently shook his head.
“Uh… does it come with free shipping?” Yan Mo joked with a deadpan face.
“Mr. Yan, you may take delivery of this exhibit on the spot. Of course, if you have any special requirements, we would be more than happy to accommodate you.” The attendant’s tone was gentle and considerate.
“Uh… then could you do me a favor and wrap it up for me? It’s… naked like this… not exactly convenient!” Yan Mo gestured with his hands as he spoke, looking both embarrassed and helpless.
“Certainly, Mr. Yan. The backstage team will have it packaged and delivered to your car shortly.” The attendant wore a professional smile, his tone polite and deferential.
“Heh heh, first time ordering an exhibit like this—no experience…” Yan Mo rubbed his forehead and gave the attendant an awkward smile.
In truth, he had originally assumed it was just a lifelike human statue, similar to Michelangelo’s masterpiece David from the Renaissance era. He never expected it to be a living woman!
No wonder the bidding hadn’t been so enthusiastic earlier. Now everyone probably thought he, Yan Mo, was some kind of deviant with peculiar tastes.
How was he supposed to handle such a large exhibit?
Just throw it away? Wouldn’t that be too wasteful? Sure, he had more money than he could spend, but squandering it like that was truly inexcusable.
Take it home? But she wasn’t his type anyway. He wasn’t one to settle for less—he had to uphold his taste and principles.
How about giving her to his cousin? That old bachelor, who hadn’t bloomed in a thousand years, was perfect for this kind of pure, innocent flower. A mature woman might be too much for him to handle all at once—better to start practicing with the innocent type.
Yes! That was a great idea! Yan Mo secretly chuckled to himself at the thought.