Chapter 38: An Encounter in a Foreign Land [8]

"I only care for Xiao Rou. Besides, you and she are only married in name, aren't you?"

"Who told you that? Do I, Jing Nuo, look like such a charitable person?" Jing Nuo was determined to extinguish the fire in Lin Fan's heart, lest he truly provoke Wen Xiao Rou and become an eyesore.

"Stop bluffing. Regardless, I’m not letting go this time." Lin Fan felt a thrill at the thought of finally doing as he pleased; the girl he had loved for ten years was almost within his grasp.

"Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Jing Nuo snapped the words at Lin Fan one after another.

"I’ll take you somewhere exciting—just tell Xiao Rou to talk to me, okay?" To this day, Lin Fan still believed that Wen Xiao Rou’s coldness toward him was orchestrated by Jing Nuo.

"..." Jing Nuo was rendered speechless by Lin Fan’s shamelessness, yet he did not refuse the invitation.

As night fell, at an hour when most would be heading to bed, a restless Lin Fan dragged Jing Nuo to an underground nightclub beneath a hotel. Upon entering, Jing Nuo was taken aback. The venue featured archaic decor, wine cabinets lining every wall, and the air was thick with the scent of mixed spirits. There were bare-chested men fighting in the center, and the women inside were scantily clad, looking more like livestock in a slaughterhouse. Jing Nuo frowned at the chaotic scene. Had he stepped back into the era of slavery?

"Isn't this exciting enough? There’s more over there." Seeing Jing Nuo’s furrowed brow, Lin Fan led him to another area. Jing Nuo looked up to see large beams above a nearby stage, from which thick hemp ropes hung. To his utter shock, the ropes were binding women—women dressed in bikinis. It was almost blinding.

"Is this how you spend your days?" Jing Nuo’s handsome face darkened as he glared at Lin Fan, wishing he could swallow him whole; he couldn't fathom how Lin Fan had become so depraved.

"No, no! I've only been here with friends twice. This is my third time," Lin Fan hurriedly explained, desperate to prove he hadn't been corrupted.

"Let's go," Jing Nuo said, casting a final, disdainful glance around the smoke-filled den.

"Don't go yet, let’s just watch and broaden our horizons." Lin Fan pulled Jing Nuo, who was already turning to leave, onto a nearby wooden chair. The men and women in front of them were constantly raising their hands, shouting out bids in English. Jing Nuo finally understood what was happening: the audience in their section were buyers, bidding money to purchase the women on stage. It was certainly a novel, albeit disturbing, sight.

"Well? Isn't it refreshing?" Lin Fan asked with a mischievous grin, watching as Jing Nuo yielded.

"They're just women. What's so refreshing about that?" Jing Nuo rolled his eyes at him.

"They have women from every country! You're surrounded by Chinese women all the time; don't you want a change of pace today?" Lin Fan had been to this bar twice before but had never spent a dime. Having finally caught a wealthy patron, just watching him raise his hand and place a bid was enough to keep him excited for ages.

"Sorry, I’m not interested. Are you broke?" Jing Nuo glared at him with visible annoyance.

"My mother tracks all my spending," Lin Fan replied, sounding pitiful as he laid out his predicament.

"I’m leaving. I have a meeting tomorrow." Jing Nuo couldn't be bothered to entertain his nonsense. He stood up, eager to escape this sordid place before someone recognized him and took photos that would inevitably stir up a scandal.

"Just stay a little longer. The next one is a Chinese woman! I never thought women from back home could be this bold." Lin Fan kept his eyes glued to the stage while forcibly pulling Jing Nuo back down into his seat. Just then, a large man carrying a woman he had just "won" brushed past them. The woman caught sight of Jing Nuo and winked at him, a gesture that made him feel physically ill.