The first half of the auction ended, and Su He got up to take a trip to the restroom.

But his sense of direction failed him, and he ended up getting lost in the “jungle” of glass lamps.

Fortunately, the auction was on pause, and the exhibition stage had turned into a performance stage. Su He found his way back to the auction area by following the sound of the music.

As he passed the stage, he paused for a moment. The host was introducing the program at a leisurely pace, and Su He was a bit puzzled. This was supposed to be a charity event to help the recipients, so why were they making the recipients dress up in performance costumes and dance for the audience?

He found it a bit strange but couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

However, Su He didn’t linger long. He followed the signs on the wall to find his way back. As he passed by a private room, he saw a girl about ten years old standing in the bustling corridor.

The girl was dressed like she was in a performance costume, clutching the hem of her skirt, looking very nervous.

Su He stopped, thinking she might be a lost child separated from her parents, and approached her, squatting down.

He asked softly, “Little sister, are you lost?”

The girl looked up at him, her face still tense and frightened. She didn’t speak, just shook her head.

She was probably shy, so Su He was about to soften his voice and ask again when a bodyguard standing at the private room door spoke up, telling him not to meddle.

Su He didn’t move, and suddenly heard a rough shout from inside the room, impossible to ignore.

“Stop wasting time. Just tell me if you brought her. Whether she wants to or not, she has to come to me!”

Su He glanced through the slightly open door. The speaker was a man with a fat head and big ears, but well-dressed, surrounded by several staff members in suits, all bowing and scraping to him.

“I spent money, didn’t I? Why should it be for nothing? Besides, there are no poor people anymore. These poor people are best at whining. If they worked a little harder, they wouldn’t be this poor!”

“They’re always waiting for free meals, waiting for me to donate money, and not wanting to do anything. Don’t you think that’s shameless?”

The manager in charge looked troubled but could only agree, “Yes, yes, yes, Young Master Sheng is right. The person has been brought…”

He hadn’t finished listening, but he had already guessed most of it.

Turning to look at the stage, then at the girl in the corner, most of the girls on stage were sixteen or seventeen, the oldest probably just in college.

And this one in front of him seemed even younger than those on stage.

He finally realized what was wrong with this performance. The vibrant, youthful girls on stage seemed to have turned from living people into dishes for people to pick from.

The auction was just a ticket to this buffet, and all the privileged guests present were diners who could order whatever they wanted.

Did everyone who came know this unspoken rule?

And were they all here for the same purpose?

Could it be… Sheng Jingyu too?

The bodyguard saw he wasn’t leaving and came over to chase him away. Su He pretended to retreat, trying to keep the bodyguard from being alerted.

The girl saw he was about to leave and anxiously tugged at his clothes, but the bodyguard scolded her harshly, and she withdrew her hand, sobbing.

Those timid eyes were really hard to bear.

Su He stiffened and walked into the corridor, temporarily disappearing from the bodyguard’s view, leaving the doorway silent again.

Just then, a waiter passed by. Thinking quickly, he called the waiter over, gave the room number, and told him the guest inside had ordered wine and needed someone to check.

The waiter didn’t suspect anything, as all the private rooms on this floor were for VIPs and couldn’t be neglected.

He quickly called a few people through his headset and gathered at the private room door, as expected, questioned by the bodyguard.

Taking advantage of the bodyguard’s distraction, Su He peeked out and gestured to the girl. The girl was smart, crouching down and running along the wall toward him.

Luckily, the corridor was crowded, and they weren’t noticed.

But obviously, this trick wouldn’t last long. Without time to think, Su He grabbed the girl’s wrist and started jogging down the corridor.

Soon, a commotion erupted behind them, and the sound of pursuing footsteps followed.

Su He’s heart tightened as they ran through several corners. The girl’s stamina was clearly not as good as his, and she was already panting.

He squatted down and gently said, “How about I carry you?”

“Brother, am I causing you trouble?” the girl said, her eyes red.

Su He’s heart ached, and he tried to smile gently, “No.”

With that, he picked her up and continued forward, maneuvering through the winding corridors to evade their pursuers.

Su He’s mind was in chaos. He didn’t dare ask the passing waiters for help, fearing the organizers were in cahoots with these people. But who else could he turn to?

He could only leave here first and then call the police…

Just as Su He made this decision, a door ahead suddenly opened, and someone walked out, talking, meeting Su He’s eyes as he jogged down the corridor.

Su He abruptly stopped.

He met Sheng Jingyu’s cold gaze.

Yan Yichen wasn’t there, only him, Assistant Fang, and a few security personnel.

Sheng Jingyu looked at the sweat-drenched Su He and then at the silently sobbing girl in his arms, frowning slightly, “In such a short time, what trouble have you caused?”

For some reason, Su He’s tense nerves momentarily relaxed, feeling saved.

The footsteps of their pursuers were closing in.

He jogged over to Sheng Jingyu, panting, “Help her. The people here are doing bad deals.”

There was a hint of pleading in his brow, but Sheng Jingyu didn’t speak. Su He thought he didn’t want to get involved, so he changed his tune, “Or… just pretend you didn’t see us, okay?”

He really had no reason to make Sheng Jingyu take the risk of getting into trouble to help him, so he begged Sheng Jingyu to do him this small favor and pretend not to see him.

Sheng Jingyu stared intently at Su He, his gaze deep. He saw Su He’s anxiety, this genuine concern and panic.

The pursuing bodyguards’ shouts were near, and Su He was about to leave, but Sheng Jingyu suddenly grabbed his arm.

The man who had been speaking arrogantly in the private room walked out from the bodyguards’ cluster. His previously fierce face changed abruptly upon seeing Sheng Jingyu, forcibly suppressing his anger and smiling maliciously, “Oh, it’s Cousin’s people. This is just a misunderstanding.”

The man paused, testing the waters, “If I’d known Cousin was interested, I would have sent her to you directly.”

Su He stiffened. Sheng Jingyu not only knew this person but was also related to him!

He subtly distanced himself from Sheng Jingyu, his previously relaxed body tensing up again.

Sheng Jingyu keenly sensed this change, glanced at him, and when he looked up again, his expression was a bit more annoyed.

“Knowing now isn’t too late,” Sheng Jingyu said to Sheng Zhilin.

He then gave Assistant Fang a look, who nodded and directed the bodyguards to take the child away.

Su He didn’t move. Suddenly, he didn’t dare let go.

But Assistant Fang smiled kindly at him, “Mr. Su, you can trust me.”

After weighing it for a moment, Su He silently placed the girl on the ground, but his gaze toward Sheng Jingyu became more wary.

The farce ended, but Sheng Zhilin didn’t leave. Instead, he came up to Sheng Jingyu, acting all brotherly.

Sheng Jingyu originally came here to chat with his cousin Sheng Zhilin, and Su He inadvertently created this opportunity, which he wouldn’t miss.

Sheng Jingyu waved his hand, not looking back as he entered the private room with him.

Su He stood at the door, watching the two brothers disappear into the room, seemingly very familiar with each other.

His heart started to pound. Did he really make the wrong bet?

Was Sheng Jingyu really that kind of person!?

If he was indeed as dissolute as Sheng Zhilin, Su He thought there was no point in sticking around him anymore. With wolves in front and tigers behind, it was a dead end either way. He might as well run away early!

But now he was stuck. The original owner had fallen from grace, with no one to help. All he could do was call the police, report that someone here was deliberately abusing minors, and engaging in human trafficking.

But as he was about to dial, Su He hesitated. He still couldn’t be sure if Sheng Jingyu was an accomplice.

The conversation inside lasted nearly fifteen minutes, and Su He stood at the door for the same time, his phone on the dial page, but the three simple numbers remained undialed.

Until Sheng Zhilin came out, giving him an ambiguous glance before swaggering away.

Sheng Jingyu followed closely, looking down at him, “Why are you still standing here?”

Su He, feeling guilty, hid his phone behind him, “I, nothing.”

Sheng Jingyu had sharp eyes, immediately noticing the dial page on his phone, feeling a headache coming on, and bent down to snatch it away, “Don’t call.”

Su He lowered his voice to argue, “Why not? I caused this, no need to trouble you to handle it.”

“You think calling this number will help? You don’t know anything, why are you playing hero blindly?” Sheng Jingyu’s voice lowered, his grip on Su He’s wrist surprisingly strong.

Su He got anxious too, “Then who else can help them? Or are you really in cahoots with them? Where did you take that girl?”

In his urgency, he was almost shouting, and Sheng Jingyu was left speechless, “You…”

There weren’t many times he was rendered speechless, but when he saw Su He’s clear eyes reflecting his image, with doubt and suspicion in them, he inexplicably felt frustrated.

More infuriated than seeing Su He constantly hovering around him these days.

Did this person really think he was the same as Sheng Zhilin?

The sudden surge of anger was like a spark igniting Sheng Jingyu’s pent-up rage, easily disrupting his rationality.

“That’s right, I am that kind of person. You just realized?”

Sheng Jingyu’s smile was cold, his gaze seemingly ready to devour Su He.

He grabbed Su He’s wrist and pulled him up, leaving no room for refusal as he dragged him away. Su He noticed it wasn’t in the direction of the private room, stumbling as he asked, “Where are we going?”

“Since you discovered my secret, of course, I have to silence you,” Sheng Jingyu said irritably, without stopping.

Hearing this, Su He felt like his hair was standing on end. So it was true!

Sheng Jingyu was going to chop him into pieces!

He was dragged into an elevator by Sheng Jingyu, the descending numbers changing one by one. Su He’s heart was pounding, his mind racing on how to escape the moment the elevator doors opened.

The elevator stopped at the second basement level of the clubhouse, and as the doors slowly opened, he didn’t hesitate to try and bolt out, only to be caught by a large hand at the back of his neck.

Sheng Jingyu chuckled softly in his ear, “Why run? Weren’t you just righteous? Do you think you can escape here?”

Su He felt like his fate was being held by the scruff of the neck, the voice by his ear full of threat. He clenched his fists tightly, struggling desperately, and in the chaos, seemed to scratch a few small cuts on the hand holding him.

Sheng Jingyu hissed, inhaling sharply, and dragged Su He out. His grip was incredibly strong, and Su He couldn’t break free, pursing his lips in anger, unwilling to speak.

The second basement level was crowded and dimly lit, with thumping music blaring. In this environment, if someone got lost, they’d probably be found dead somewhere the next day.

Sheng Jingyu dragged the unruly person through the crowd of people partying and having fun, pushing open a private room door, and even locked it behind them, as if afraid he’d run.

Su He glared at him, thinking sadly that his life was over!

Sheng Jingyu ignored him and directly opened the inner room door.

A woman’s voice suddenly cursed loudly, almost drowning out the music in the outer room. Due to her heavy accent and fast speech, Su He only caught a phrase, “Are you crazy!” The man being scolded nodded and agreed.

Su He looked closely and found the man familiar. It was the same duty manager who was questioned in Sheng Zhilin’s private room!

The woman was saying that she couldn’t control Sheng Zhilin’s shamelessness, but the children she brought must be taken back intact.

Her presence was so strong that the duty manager was sweating profusely, caught in the middle, looking like a dog neither here nor there. Clearly, the woman’s status could rival Sheng Zhilin’s.

Finally, the duty manager got a scolding, his face turning pale.

He slunk out, bumping into Sheng Jingyu standing at the door, wiping the sweat off his face, “Third, Third Young Master, I’ll be going now.”

Sheng Jingyu nodded, granting permission.

The manager kept his head down as he passed Su He, not daring to look up, quickly unlocking the door and running out.

The door was left closed, no longer locked.

Su He turned to look at Sheng Jingyu, who was leaning against the door frame, glancing at him without speaking.

This didn’t seem like someone about to silence him, did it?

Su He slowly realized, was Sheng Jingyu…

Just messing with him?