Nie Zhenzhen was delivered to Yan Mo’s car half an hour later.
She had been dressed in a white silk slip dress that complemented her naturally fair and delicate skin.
It made her look clean and pure, like a little fairy descending from the heavens.
The girl sat quietly in the back seat, her eyes staring blankly out the window.
Her gaze was filled with dejection and helplessness.
Because the effects of the drug had not yet fully worn off, her entire body still felt weak and limp.
Yan Mo wore a floral shirt paired with white dress pants. His handsome, refined face carried a hint of carefree charm.
He sat in the driver’s seat, carefully studying Nie Zhenzhen in the back through the rearview mirror.
“Little white rabbit, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I’ll take you to my brother’s place first. From now on, you can settle in there peacefully. I guarantee no one will dare bully you.”
Yan Mo smiled at the girl in the back with eyes full of goodwill.
Then he started the engine and smoothly drove onto the road.
Live there from now on…
What she wanted was to go back to her own home…
Nie Zhenzhen laughed bitterly to herself.
Anyone who could attend this kind of auction and bid to buy her was either a pervert or a madman.
Her fate might even be ten times worse than it was at The Compound.
Thinking about this, the girl felt she had taken one step closer to hell.
The car remained quiet throughout the journey.
This made Yan Mo, who was usually easygoing, feel quite uncomfortable.
Finally, he couldn’t help but speak up first.
“Little white rabbit, my brother… aside from being a man of few words with a ruthless streak, he’s fine in every other way. You can get along with him.”
Ruthless… a man of few words… wouldn’t a dark and twisted pervert be even more terrifying…
Yan Mo sensed the girl in the back seat trembling even harder, the fear in her eyes greater than before.
He realized he might have said the wrong thing and immediately explained in a lighthearted tone.
“Ah, look at my mouth! I’m terrible with words!”
“What I mean is, my brother is the calm and reserved type. He’s thorough in everything he does.”
“Not like me—I love rambling on and never getting to the point, hahaha.”
Nie Zhenzhen didn’t know how to respond.
But from the man’s manner of speaking, she felt that his hostility and malice weren’t as great as she had imagined.
So, summoning a bit of courage, she tried to probe.
“Mr… Mr. Yan, could you… let me go?”
“Name your price. I’ll find a way to pay you.”
“That way, you can release me after you receive the money!”
Yan Mo clearly hadn’t expected the girl to suddenly say this. He pondered for a moment, his tone taking on a hint of caution.
“Little white rabbit, this isn’t about money.”
“How should I put it… hmm… it’s the rule here.”
“Once you’re here, don’t think about going back. Unless…”
The girl seemed to suddenly grab onto her last lifeline. A light instantly lit up in her eyes as she urgently pressed.
“Unless what?!”
Yan Mo took a deep look at the girl through the rearview mirror, then shook his head helplessly and awkwardly.
“Unless you die!”
“In this area, no goods that come out of The Compound have ever gone home alive.”
“I can’t break the rules of the underworld for you!”
The girl’s last remaining hope was shattered.
She slumped heavily against the car seat, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
“As long as you behave and listen, my brother won’t do anything to you.”
Yan Mo said with certainty, trying to comfort the girl.
Behave and listen… Those two words again!
Hah, the way to survive in this area was those two simple… yet impossible words.
The girl laughed more and more bitterly and helplessly in her heart.
After about two hours of driving, the surrounding night had fallen into complete darkness.
The vehicle passed through a dense primeval forest before arriving at an open area.
At the end of the main road stood a massive manor, as magnificent as an ancient castle.
Tall stone walls stood towering and imposing, fitted with strict surveillance equipment all around.
Near and far from the manor, sentry posts and watchtowers of various sizes had been set up.
Armed guards stood watch around the clock from all directions, making it look like an impenetrable, unbreakable private military base.
The entire manor was built along the mountain’s contours, with a grand and orderly layout, exuding an inherent solemnity and dignity.
The surrounding trees stood lush and still, rustling softly as the breeze passed through.
In the silent night, they only made this fortress-like manor seem more mysterious and imposing.
Just one glance from afar naturally inspired a sense of awe and an oppressive feeling of inviolability.
The vehicle was stopped at the manor’s heavy gates.
Two armed guards walked over. They were burly, fully equipped, and wore solemn expressions, like professional soldiers.
Every movement revealed well-trained discipline and strict military bearing.
“Everyone in the vehicle, please get out for inspection.”
One of the guards said expressionlessly.
Yan Mo made a helpless gesture toward Nie Zhenzhen in the back seat, signaling her to get out.
“My brother is a stickler for rules. Even when I come alone, he still insists on running his routine checks every single time. There’s really no getting around it with him.”
Yan Mo explained to the girl with a helpless expression.
Nie Zhenzhen got out of the car and stood still at the rear, her hands fidgeting nervously with nowhere to rest.
One of the guards stepped forward briskly, his expression cold and stern, his movements swift and decisive. He raised his hands and conducted a thorough, methodical search of the girl from head to toe, his fingertips firm and precise, meticulous in every motion, betraying not a trace of extraneous emotion.
“Mr. Yan, may I ask who this lady is? I’ve never seen her before.”
The guard’s tone was steady, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure.
“Oh, her? She might well be the future mistress of this estate, haha.”
Yan Mo teased the guards with a playful look.
“No issues. Please, go right ahead.”
The guards offered no further obstruction, immediately snapping to attention and saluting to let them pass.
Nie Zhenzhen was left flustered by Yan Mo’s remark, lowering her head as she climbed back into the car.
The vehicle passed through the heavy estate gates and came to a smooth stop in the core area, in front of a three-story white main building.
Black-suited bodyguards stood posted on either side of the entrance.
“We’re here. Get out. I’ll take you to your quarters first.”
Yan Mo spoke in a casual, unhurried tone.
Nie Zhenzhen stepped out timidly, lifting her head to take in the opulent, imposing main building before her, her heart brimming with tension and unease.
“Little white rabbit, hurry up! One of these days when I have some free time during the day, I’ll play tour guide and show you around the whole estate!” Yan Mo urged her gently.
The girl dared not lag behind, quickening her steps to keep pace with Yan Mo.
Stepping into the main hall, what greeted the girl’s eyes was a soaring, double-height ceiling design.
A sense of dignified, weighty luxury washed over her, filling her with involuntary reverence.
Before she could even recover from the scene before her, a crisp sound of footsteps approached from ahead.
The figure walking toward them was a middle-aged man in his forties, tall and lean in stature.
He wore a black suit with a red bow tie at his neck, his bearing composed and steady, a practiced smile fixed on his face as he bowed forward in welcome.
“Mr. Yan, you’ve arrived. And who might this young lady behind you be…?”
The man’s gaze casually swept over Nie Zhenzhen.
“Butler Zhao, this is someone I brought back to introduce to my brother. Where is he?”
Yan Mo replied nonchalantly.
The butler immediately nodded in understanding. “Mr. Li is in the study.”
“Alright then, I’ll head up to see him myself in a bit…” Yan Mo said leisurely.
Butler Zhao smoothly stepped aside, gesturing politely with a “please” motion toward Yan Mo and Nie Zhenzhen.
The girl nodded politely in acknowledgment as well.
She then followed Yan Mo across the hall, through a long corridor, and came to a stop before the last room at the corridor’s end.