Chapter 1026: Chapter 63: Ice’s Persuasion_4
As Ah Dai and his companions stepped onto the fourth floor, Ah Dai’s gaze immediately fell upon Ah Bing, who was waiting there. Ah Bing had changed into a new set of clothes—a white blouse and long pants wrapped around her delicate and exquisite figure. Although her expression was still as cold as ever, her eyes revealed a hint of resentment when she saw Ah Dai. Beside Ah Bing, the two white-dressed maidens who had followed the Yan brothers in the Noble Hall approached Yan Shi and Yan Li with a smile, bowed slightly, and one of the maidens said, "Honored guests, please follow us." With that, she led the way.
Ah Dai awkwardly nodded at Ah Bing as he walked up to her. Ah Bing frowned slightly and then suddenly took Ah Dai’s hand, following behind the Yan brothers as they moved forward. Ah Bing’s hand was as cold as her name suggested, and Ah Dai felt her forefinger sliding back and forth in his palm, which was oddly comforting despite the chill. An unusual feeling rose from within him. Realizing that Ah Bing might be writing something, he focused on the sensations and deciphered her message: "Why aren’t you leaving? Don’t you realize how dangerous this place is?"
Ah Dai was taken aback and transmitted a message to Ah Bing, "Although it’s dangerous here, we couldn’t just stay away! Miss Ah Bing, don’t stay in this place. Come, come with us."
Her body trembled, and she shot Ah Dai a glance, in which he saw something glistening. Ah Bing’s forefinger moved again, "Do you think I can still leave this place? If you leave now, perhaps it’s still possible. Hurry, go, go." She kept writing "go" on Ah Dai’s palm, but he didn’t show any intention of stopping, holding onto her hand and continuing inward.
A hint of urgency flashed in Ah Bing’s eyes. She lowered her head, stopped writing, and seemed lost in thought.
Soon, they arrived at the hall on the fourth floor. The lighting inside was very dim, and the vast space only had two weak lamps on either side of the walls. Using the feeble light, Ah Dai noticed that this place was nothing like the gambling floors below. There were no gaming tables here, only rows of luxurious sofas. At the very front, there was a wide, empty stage with nothing on it. The two maiden ushers seated Ah Dai’s group in the middle of a large sofa on the left side and invited them to take a seat. A table with a number plate reading "thirty-six" lay in front of them, laden with various fruits and beverages. Yan Shi exchanged a glance with Ah Dai as the three of them took their seats on the comfortable sofa, while the two maiden ushers sat next to the Yan brothers and fell silent. Yan Li looked nervous and kept his eyes to himself, not even glancing at the maiden next to him, while Yan Shi surveyed the surroundings.
Ah Bing sat close to Ah Dai, allowing him to feel the enticing chill of her skin through the thin fabric of her clothes. Recalling everything happening in the room, he felt awkward. Ah Bing held tightly to Ah Dai’s hand and silently wrote, "Be careful. Leave as soon as possible." Ah Dai looked at Ah Bing, whose face still bore a cold expression, but the hand holding his was gradually warming up, as was her body. Ah Dai sensed the strange atmosphere and wanted to create some distance between them, but the sofa was only wide enough for six people. If he moved, he would inevitably come into contact with the maiden next to him. He figured it was better to be close to Ah Bing than the other girl.
Ah Dai asked, "Is this where the auction is taking place?" Ah Bing glanced at him and nodded softly. Soon, people started entering the auction hall under the guidance of the maidens. Due to the dim lighting, it was difficult to make out their faces. After about twenty-some guests had taken their seats, no one else entered. The door to the hall suddenly closed, darkening the room even further without the light from outside. Ah Dai suddenly noticed Ah Bing, sitting beside him, trembling slightly and breathing rapidly. He couldn’t help but transmit, "What’s wrong with you?"
Ah Bing gripped his hand tighter and wrote on it, "Let me lean on you for a while." Having written that, she leaned into Ah Dai, her tall figure fitting perfectly against his shoulder. She wrapped Ah Dai’s arm around herself, pressing her upper body tightly against him. Ah Dai shuddered and looked down at Ah Bing, who was also looking up at him. Her clear eyes were misted over, the look in them complex with emotions of satisfaction, sadness, reluctance, and excitement. Ah Dai suddenly realized keenly that Ah Bing’s leaning was not to seduce him but was a genuine gesture from her heart. Although Ah Bing’s body remained tempting, Ah Dai couldn’t bring himself to push her away and silently allowed her to lean on him, feeling her heart rate quicken.
"Welcome, honored guests, to the hidden grand evening club’s auction hall," announced Jin Bo from the lit podium at the front, a beam of light from above illuminating the center of the stage. He smiled and looked around at the audience before continuing, "Our auction is held once a month, and in the past month, we have collected some rare items for our esteemed guests to appreciate. The rules remain the same as before. After our reserve price is announced, guests can bid using the number plates in hand, with a minimum increment of a thousand Gold Coins."
