In the Lion's Den

Zhou seemed to ignore the conversation around him, not even bothering to turn his head. He casually pulled out his phone and muttered, "A cigarette." In the private room filled with laughter and smoke, hostesses would light a cigarette and pass it to their patrons, leaving a lipstick mark on it.

Scarlett's gaze dropped slightly as she picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table, tapped one out, and placed it between Zhou's lips. She then lit it for him. As the flame flickered, she noticed his lips – neither too thin nor too thick, quite attractive – but they somehow reminded her of the word "cruel."

As Zhou smoked and checked his phone, he seemed unbothered by Scarlett's presence. She talked about her credentials without any care, but when he took a drag and ash accidentally slipped down his sleeve, she quickly handed him an ashtray. He calmly extinguished the cigarette and, without shaking off the ash, extended his arm towards her.

Scarlett hesitated for a moment. Time seemed to freeze as they both remained still. Finally, she reached out and carefully rolled up his sleeve, making sure not to touch his skin. She looked down, avoiding his gaze, and said softly, "If you trust me, perhaps you could let me try teaching a few lessons…"

She quickly rolled the sleeve up to his elbow, revealing his long, slender forearm. The ash finally fell off, and Zhou withdrew his hand, his eyes still on his phone. He asked indifferently, "How do you charge?"

It was the first question he had asked her since she sat down. "There's no charge during the trial period," Scarlett promptly replied.

The faint glow of the phone screen illuminated Zhou's face as he looked at her with a detached expression. In a deep, pleasant voice, he asked, "How will we do the trial? At my place or yours?"

The man's magnetic voice stirred the imagination, especially with the sound of laughter in the background. It seemed like Scarlett was not the only one with her mind wandering.

She paused for only two seconds before responding in her usual tone, "Whatever you prefer, the customer comes first."

"What's the rate after the trial?" Zhou inquired.

"As per the standard rates for a Grade B tutor, it's 80 per minute, with each lesson being 100 minutes. That's 8,000." She added after a moment, "Before tax."

In a matter of three seconds, Zhou looked away, his voice emotionless as he said, "I'll help you raise your price, add a zero to each lesson."

Zhou glanced at her for the first time. She wore a white schoolgirl's dress that was conservative on the top but hugged her curves and emphasized her slender waist. She was tall, standing at 173 cm, making her skirt appear even shorter, drawing attention to her legs.

Zhou spoke casually, as if discussing ordinary numbers instead of money. Scarlett's smile grew even brighter, "No rewards without merit."

Zhou turned to look at her, meeting her gaze in the dim light. His voice was low and seductive, "What if I say you have merit?"

Feeling the intensity of his gaze, Scarlett knew it was time to be honest. Smiling, she said, "One should know their own abilities. I'm afraid I'm not capable of doing a job at your price point."

As she spoke, she stood up to leave. Zhou, leaning on the sofa, said, "Name your price."

His voice returned to its indifferent tone, as if the previous seduction was just her imagination. The room, which had been filled with drunken revelry, suddenly quieted as everyone lowered their voices at Zhou's command. Scarlett doubted whether they were genuinely enjoying themselves.

Feeling the watchful eyes of many people behind her, Scarlett's smile gradually faded. She looked at Zhou and said firmly, "I came here to interview as a teacher, not as a mistress."

Upon hearing her words, it seemed as if Zhou's lips curled into a slight smile. A few seconds later, he leaned forward, revealing his handsome face from the shadows. It was an exquisite face that displayed the man's dominance, extremity, coldness, and even danger.

He looked up at Scarlett, scanning her from head to toe with undisguised contempt, "Teacher? You don't look like one."

Scarlett maintained her composure and spoke with clarity, "I didn't expect you to judge people based on their appearance. While I'm adapting to local customs, I won't compromise my values. Don't define me by this outfit or attempt to purchase me. You may pursue me, but you cannot possess me."

She left the room after saying those words. The room had become eerily silent, and as Scarlett opened the door, a man's voice came from the sofa, "Who do you think you are, coming and going as you please?"

It wasn't Scarlett's intention to stop, but the bodyguard by the door blocked her way. She turned around slowly, not looking at the man who had spoken, but at Zhou in the corner.

Nobody dared to speak to Zhou like that, let alone in front of so many people. The room was silent, but the onlookers' minds were no longer on the spectacle, wishing they were deaf and blind, and had never witnessed this scene.

Zhou's spectacles were indeed not for public viewing. He sat on the sofa for a while before saying, "Let her go."

The bodyguards stepped aside, and Scarlett walked out without looking back. Hearing the door close behind her, she knew she had offended another customer, an important one at that. Her heart felt cold, but her blood boiled, as if a caged beast was struggling and colliding within her, stirring her up and making her restless.

Lowering her eyes and walking quickly, Scarlett wanted to change out of her clothes and leave this place of trouble as soon as possible. Distracted, she didn't notice a door to a private room open nearby, and a figure emerged. They collided, neither able to avoid the impact in time.

Scarlett stumbled, instinctively gasping for air. She heard the other person's impatient sigh. She looked up to apologize but stopped when she saw the man's face. Her expression changed, and she quickly returned to her cold demeanor.

The man was just over 5'7" and appeared to be in his forties. When he was bumped into, he looked up to scold the person responsible, but upon seeing Scarlett's face, he paused in shock. After a few moments, he called out to her just as she tried to leave, "Miss Li?"