Chapter 40: The Lecher
He Fangzhi’s face turned stormy. “Don’t tell me the one messing with us just now was Chi Qian?”
Gu Hua bit her lip in hesitation. “She’s never liked me. Since you’re my friends, she must have… I’m sorry. You wasted money because of me.”
He Fangzhi and Xu Zhiqing immediately tried to comfort her.
“No, that’s just Chi Qian’s rotten personality—she’s always been like that. Hua Hua, you mustn’t blame yourself!”
“She only dares to run wild because she has Chairman Chi backing her. If the Chi family ever falls… her arrogance won’t last long.”
Gu Hua’s lips curved faintly. “Thank you. I won’t let her bother me.”
The system’s voice rang in her mind: [Host, the target is about to appear. Don’t miss this chance. Winning his favor will benefit you greatly in the future.]
Gu Hua replied softly, “I know.”
Up above, Chi Qian slipped out of the auction hall, desperate for the restroom.
From the golden spiral staircase connecting the fifth and sixth floors, a lion’s roar suddenly echoed.
Chi Qian paused, ears pricking. For a second she thought she was hearing things.
A thunderous roar shook the air.
From upstairs came the sounds of chaos—rushing footsteps, screams.
“Ahhh! Help!”
“Somebody, quick! The lion’s out!”
“Master Shi, look out!!”
The very next second, a white figure tumbled down from the top of the staircase, rolling until he crashed onto the landing.
The young man tried to get up, but a majestic puma leapt down from above and slammed him flat on the ground.
The beast’s furry head loomed close—so close he could hardly breathe. Terror gripped him, and his lips trembled pale as snow.
Was this the end? Was he going to die here?
“Hey. You’re stepping on my skirt.”
That lazy female voice slipped into his ears. His eyes, which had been about to close, snapped wide open. Standing right beside the puma was a girl.
She was pinching her skirt with obvious annoyance, frowning, and even had the audacity to lift her leg and give the lion’s furry backside a kick.
“Didn’t you hear me? Move your big fat butt already.”
The boy’s eyes nearly popped out. Was she insane?
But instead of getting angry, the lion actually backed down.
It looked like some wronged little wife as it lifted its massive rump and carefully tugged her skirt free with one paw.
Then, politely—almost sheepishly—it patted the dust off the fabric and handed it back to her.
From its every move, the boy could swear he saw… flattery.
Hallucination?
“You wrinkled it.”
Chi Qian scowled, tugging the skirt toward herself. Her hand casually squeezed the lion’s thick paw pad. “So how are you planning to compensate me?”
She looked exactly like some old rascal deliberately picking fights just to harass a pretty girl.
The lion had no choice but to stretch out both its paws. Its ferocious face somehow looked pitiful, and even its eyes were damp and shiny.
Anyone watching would be utterly confused.
This giant beast—just moments ago roaring ferociously—was now mewling like a spoiled housecat.
After Chi Qian had had her fill of paw-squeezing, she finally glanced at the boy still pinned under the lion. “Let him go. You two aren’t even the same species—forcing it will never work out.”
The boy: “?”
What on earth was she talking about?
The lion whimpered at Chi Qian, a sound softer than a kitten’s cry.
“Smells like a lioness, huh?” Chi Qian patted its shoulder. “Got it. Wait here.”
She turned to the boy. “Take off your clothes.”
The boy: “…What?”
“What, what? You taking them off yourself, or should I do it for you?”
He just sat there, dazed, clearly clueless to the gravity of the situation.
So Chi Qian crouched down and started tugging at his jacket.
His pale face flushed red in an instant. “S-stop! What are you trying to—”
“If you don’t want this lion dragging you off for some… cross-species, close-contact interaction, then don’t resist.”
With a bandit’s roughness, she slapped away his protesting hands and yanked off his jacket.
Then his shirt.
Then his vest.
At least she kindly left him his pants.
The boy was stunned, lying there with his arms crossed over his chest, staring blankly as though he’d just been violated.
From upstairs, his bodyguard roared: “Nobody look! Shut your dog eyes this instant!”
“If anyone dares spread word that my young master was stripped bare of his innocence by a girl, I’ll cut you down myself!”
Everyone else: “…You’re the loudest one here, you know that, right?”
Chi Qian tossed the stripped clothing to the lion.
The beast lunged at it eagerly, burying its nose in the fabric, making indecent little snuffling noises.
The boy turned positively green.
Chi Qian: “Why are you still here? Unless you want it to suddenly remember you and drag you off for… whatever.”
Shivering, Shi Jianchen struggled to his feet. His bare torso was lean and pale, every line trembling with weakness.
His eyes were tinged red, lips quivering—like a frost-bitten winter blossom: pure, fragile, and utterly mistreated.
Then he gasped, “Scoundrel!”
Chi Qian: “?”
Excuse her? She’d just saved him!
Talk about ungrateful.
Chi Qian spread her hands. “Sorry, I don’t understand animal language.”
Shi Jianchen: “…” What the hell, she understood just fine a second ago!
Wait—did she just call him not human?!
“You stripped me—don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” His face darkened.
Chi Qian gave him a once-over. “Well… honestly, with or without clothes, it’s obvious enough you’re a guy.”
Shi Jianchen nearly coughed blood.
Of course he was a guy! What kind of nonsense was that?!
But Chi Qian suddenly remembered she hadn’t gone to the bathroom yet. She hitched up her skirt and bolted.
Shi Jianchen’s retort stuck in his throat. With his target gone, his handsome face flushed red then white with sheer frustration.
His bodyguard rushed in with a blanket, quickly wrapping up the young master like precious treasure.
“Young master, are you alright? You scared me half to death just now! That brazen girl who laid hands on you and ruined your purity—where is she? I’ll chop her to pieces today!”
Shi Jianchen: “…If you keep shouting, I’ll chop you first.”
“B-but young master,” the bodyguard whined, “I just fought tooth and nail to block the others’ eyes and protect your reputation!”
“Useless thing—you couldn’t even handle a lion!”
“Now, now, that lion looked like it fell for you at first sight. The way it kept staring… it must have been dazzled by your beauty—”
Shi Jianchen’s face went black. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing, nothing! Thank heaven you’re safe. Otherwise your father would’ve had me skinned and stuffed into sausage casings!” the bodyguard babbled dramatically.
Shi Jianchen’s temple throbbed. “Get that lion out of here. I don’t want to see it again.”
“And also—check what got on my clothes.”
The exhibition on the sixth floor was hosted by a wealthy foreigner who kept all kinds of dangerous pets.
His lion was his favorite, and tonight it was the star attraction.
None of the other animals caused any trouble—only the lion suddenly went wild, charging straight at him.
At first, he thought it wanted to eat him.
But the truth… turned out to be something else entirely.
Just the thought of it made Shi Jincheng’s face darken, black as ink spilling across a page.
And then there was that girl who had just ripped at his clothes!
She even dared to say it didn’t matter whether he wore them or not!
Utter humiliation!
