Chapter 39: An Encounter in a Foreign Land [9]
"And now, let us welcome the Chinese beauty who has traveled from afar to join us." Following the host's announcement, two men, draped only in pieces of cloth around their waists, emerged from the backstage area supporting a frail, sickly-looking woman. At a glance, the woman appeared to be in a comatose state; she was lifted entirely off the ground, her head hanging limply as if she lacked the strength to hold it up. Her raven-black hair cascaded loosely, and while she wore an extra layer of sheer fabric compared to the previous women, it could not hide her skin, which was as fine and white as jade—so tempting it made one want to take a bite.
"We can't see her face!" As soon as the woman was tied to the ropes by the two men, the crowd below erupted in chaos. Voices in various languages rose in complaint, demanding to see the face of the woman on stage.
"Don't be impatient, don't be impatient. Take it slow; she is absolutely stunning," the host said, pulling an exaggerated expression as he walked slowly toward the woman. He gently stroked her hair, deliberately withholding her face from the audience's view.
"Two hundred thousand!" Even before her face was revealed, someone was already too impatient to wait and placed a bid, immediately doubling the starting price of one hundred thousand dollars.
"Three hundred thousand."
"Four hundred thousand."
"Wow! I never expected women from back home to be so popular. People are fighting over her before she's even properly introduced," Lin Fan remarked, sighing at the high demand for women from his country.
"How boring." Jing Nuo, however, felt a spark of curiosity. He wanted to see what this bold Chinese woman looked like. To be so brazen as to disgrace herself on the other side of the ocean—did she think this place was easy to navigate just because she was a stranger here? Little did she know that once she was taken away tonight, she might never see the sun rise again.
"One million! It’s at one million!" Less than two minutes after the woman had taken the stage, her price had already climbed to one million dollars. Even Lin Fan could not sit still, shaking Jing Nuo to keep him updated on the situation.
"Whoa! One million! It seems this Chinese lady is quite popular." The host calculated that if the bidding had already reached a million without her face being seen, it would surely set a new record once revealed. He slowly brushed the woman's hair behind her, pulled off his own belt to tie it back casually, then lifted her hair with his left hand while gently tilting her chin up with his right. The moment he looked at the woman, the host was stunned. Accustomed as he was to such scenes and beautiful women, his body immediately had an uncontrollable reaction.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! My God, will someone please take her away quickly? Otherwise, I’m going to lose my job!" The host quickly released his grip on her hair and turned his face away, not daring to look at her for another second.
"Wow! Wow! So beautiful!" Once the woman’s face was revealed, the crowd below went wild. Someone even began stripping off their clothes on the spot, acting like a hooligan. The scene was so explosive that Lin Fan was left dumbfounded.
Jing Nuo, however, stared intensely at the woman whose chin was still held by the host. Her small face, delicate skin, and exquisite features were breathtaking—like a lotus rising from the water. Her hazy gaze, fixed on some unseen point, was soul-stirring. Her pink lips bit down and then released, as if she wanted to speak but gave up. She was indeed stunningly beautiful. As Jing Nuo stared, his expression darkened, shifting from awe to fury. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his neck began to bulge.
"Jing Nuo, why is Rou Rou here?" Suddenly, Lin Fan exploded. He turned and grabbed Jing Nuo by the collar, his eyes filled with a murderous intensity.
"How would I know why that woman is here?" Jing Nuo glared back, violently shoving Lin Fan’s hand away. He was just as desperate to understand what was going on.