Chapter Three: The Midnight Auction

"Is this Qin Mengxue? I am your fiancé." Just this one sentence was enough to make Qin Mengxue, whose mood had only just begun to improve, feel as though she were caught in a snowstorm in April.

Hadn’t she already called off her engagement with Xue Gangtao? Then who was this person? She recalled the final line in Xue Gangtao’s text—wishing her a happy engagement. Did Xue Gangtao already know he wasn’t the actual fiancé, that it was someone else? Or was this call simply from a scammer? Yet if that were the case, it all seemed a bit too coincidental.

A chill seeped through Qin Mengxue’s heart, her mind overwhelmed and unable to catch up. She was lost, confused, a flurry of little question marks hovered in her mind.

"Hello? Are you listening? I'm your fiancé! I can live without a few words of sweet nothings, but are you not even going to say anything? What kind of wife did that old man find for me?" A man's frivolous voice came from the other end of the line.

"Are you sure your fiancée is me?" Qin Mengxue, her thoughts still tangled, could only ask this last question, clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Of course! How could anyone get this wrong? Anyone who confuses their betrothed must have something wrong in the head. You're Qin Mengxue, the female president of Menghua Group, right? Impossible to mistake you."

The careless male voice continued.

At last, Qin Mengxue processed what was happening and hastily said, "Listen, I never agreed to this engagement. Since you’ve called, let's cancel it right now! Whoever you are!"

She felt only disgust for the frivolous voice on the other end, especially at his remark about only someone with a problem in the head confusing their betrothed—she herself had just made that very mistake.

"What? Are you kidding? I haven’t even said anything yet and you want to break the engagement? Are you a dinosaur or something, afraid to let me see you? If you want to call things off, convince that old man. Anyway, I'll be back tonight. Xuexue, be sure to wash up and wait for me in bed. I’ll send you my address, just come over, the door has an electronic lock, the code is ‘Tian Ai Is Super Handsome.’"

The caller gave her no chance to object, rattling off his words before hurriedly hanging up, but not before one last flirtatious line slithered through the phone:

"Big brother, did you bring enough money tonight? Your little sister will let you play however you like~"

Qin Mengxue was still reeling from the barrage of words when this final, brazen remark made her explode with outrage.

She had believed Xue Gangtao was shameless enough, but now her so-called fiancé seemed even more unrepentant. Though they were only engaged in name, there was still an agreement, and yet this ‘rare specimen’ called her before his tryst, not only teasing her but letting her hear such scandalous things.

She’d thought Xue Gangtao was a scoundrel riding a mule, but now she saw there was an even bigger rascal, riding a turtle.

Qin Mengxue slumped powerlessly in her seat, her eyes vacant, finally realizing she might have no escape. The road to dissolving the engagement seemed impossibly rough, not only did she have to deal with a stubborn old man at home, but now another. If her fiancé really was from the Xue family, the other old man she’d have to face would be...

The thought made her shudder. Too frightening... But wasn’t there only one grandson in the Xue family? If it wasn’t Xue Gangtao, then who could it be? Could it be just a servant from the Xue family? He had mentioned "Tian Ai Is Super Handsome." Tian Ai must be his name—not a Xue at all. Who on earth was he?

A series of questions exploded in her mind like atomic bombs.

Just then, another message arrived: "Xuexue, my address is Villa No. 3, Hongyang Estate. Come over after work, remember to wash up and wait for me in bed. And don’t steal my underwear or do anything naughty, those things we’ll do together when I get back!"

Staring at the message, all her doubts coalesced into a single word: "Pervert." What on earth? She’d never go, and those dirty things? Wash up? Utterly shameless, despicable! Let him go to hell!

Her face pale, Qin Mengxue glared at the screen, a chill emanating from her, filling every corner of the room.

Meanwhile, on the distant European island of Mancaman, in the grand hall of the Black Night Club, Xue Tianai sighed helplessly to a seductive woman in a red cheongsam.

"Red Sister, could you not be so flirty? That was my fiancée on the other end, what if she refuses to let me sleep with her tonight?"

Red Sister laughed, a string of silvery giggles. "Don’t worry, little brother. If your fiancée won’t let you in bed, your big sister will. Being in bed with Phantom Butterfly is every woman’s dream." As she spoke, her slender, smooth fingers traced the mask of the Goddess of Light on Tianai’s face. "I really envy your fiancée—not only does she get you in bed, she even gets to see your true face beneath the mask."

"Red Sister, don’t joke around. I’m just a toad; if I were really good looking, why would I hide my face?" Tianai replied with a light smile, deftly brushing her hand away.

Sensing his rejection, Red Sister relented. She sighed softly, her fiery lips brushing Tianai’s ear. "Whenever you change your mind, come and spoil your big sister. I’ll wear the sexiest lingerie just for you."

She laughed again, sashaying away with her voluptuous figure. "Come on, if we don’t go, the auction will start without us. And tell your companion to stop glaring at me—I’m just the hostess, a very nice one at that. I’m off to touch up my makeup."

Suppressing his desire, Xue Tianai turned to the masked man beside him. "Wes, let’s go."

Tianai was no saint, and Red Sister was indeed alluring—about 165 centimeters tall, with a voluptuous figure, especially her perfectly rounded hips, and the hostess of the Black Night Auction. In the past, he might have indulged in a one-night stand to relieve his energy, but tonight he wasn’t in the mood. The Black Night Auction was about to begin.

"BOSS, you’re letting such a sexy woman go? That’s not like you," Wes, the man in the black mask, asked curiously. Though from Country Y, his Chinese was fluent and precise.

"Wes, you know why we’re here tonight. Do I seem that promiscuous? Besides, how many times have I told you—I have a fiancée! I have a fiancée!"

"Besides," Tianai continued, "we’re here for another reason. Wes, let me give you some advice—stop looking at me through yellow-tinted glasses. I’m actually very innocent, a pure virgin, you know."

Wes replied, "There’s a saying in China—marriage is the grave of love. BOSS, are you really stepping into the grave? No wonder you said you’d be leaving the organization for a while—you need to enter the grave, and the grave means a coffin. BOSS, you have a heavy burden ahead!" He gave a solemn analysis, raising his thumb in praise.

"All right, all right, I have nothing to say to someone with your lack of emotional intelligence. Just don’t forget why we’re here tonight." Tianai waved his hand, his tone turning cold.

"If those three old hags show up tonight, I swear I’ll cut them down!" Remembering the heavy blow two years prior, Wes clenched his teeth in anger.

Unconsciously, the two had arrived at the entrance to the hall, surrounded by scantily clad women waiting to greet auction guests.

The women’s revealing outfits weren’t just a club requirement; it was their own choice. After all, anyone attending the Black Night Auction was either rich or powerful. If their bold attire could awaken the desires of some wealthy businessman and land them a patron, it was worth it.

You could call them escorts, but their services were leagues above the average—they wouldn’t deign to share just any bed. Then again, their actions spoke for themselves.

Wes pulled out a black-gold membership card and waved it. A beautiful white woman hurried over, eyes shining with excitement as she saw the Black Night’s highest-level card. "Gentlemen, you are our most distinguished guests. Tonight, your paddle number is 113. The auction is about to start—please follow me."

"Here’s your tip. Lead the way," Wes replied in flawless English, handing her a white envelope sealed with a butterfly sticker. The woman accepted it eagerly, her enthusiasm only growing.

"This way, gentlemen." Tianai nodded at Wes to signal all was well, and they followed her through the corridor into VIP Suite 113. Once inside, Wes waved the hostess away, indicating they didn’t require special services, and the woman left, disappointed.

The VIP suite was spacious, furnished with a row of top-quality leather sofas. Expensive Lafite wine was stacked everywhere, and several delicate telescopes rested on the couches. The highlight was a vast pane of transparent glass, offering a perfect view of the scene outside.

It was a massive venue, designed as a trapezoidal cylinder, with two hundred VIP rooms like theirs, and countless scattered regular seats.

Already, most of the seats were filled. Glancing around, one could spot people of every complexion—white, yellow, black—from all nations. Most VIP rooms were already lit, though a few remained curtained, their occupants engaged in activities unfit for children.

After a while, a countdown chime rang out, and the hall’s lights dimmed, leaving only the host’s platform illuminated in dazzling brilliance. When the final bell sounded, a stunning woman in a fiery red cheongsam stood center stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Black Night Club!..." The hostess, Red Sister, spoke warmly. Her opening remarks were lengthy and somewhat superfluous, but nevertheless compelling—after all, the Black Night Auction was about to begin!

The Black Night Auction was the club’s grandest event, organized under a platform called The Chips. The Chips was renowned for its freedom of trade.

Everything could be traded here—even assassination contracts, politicians’ names, women... And the price was not limited to money; a promise, a favor—anything you could deliver—could serve as your bargaining chip.

The Black Night Auction was the platform’s biggest spectacle. Here, not only was there the adrenaline rush of heated bidding, but also "treasure goods" fundamentally different from the usual wares—an array that dazzled the eye.

"Now, I declare the Black Night Auction officially open!" With these final words, the hall erupted in light! Excitement crackled in the air, as some guests roared with anticipation.