Chapter 16: No Greater Humiliation

"I..." She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse, but in the darkness, Shen Xiujin's lips quietly curved into a smile... He had said it: the proud Miss Jian couldn't let go of her dignity, enduring such humiliation.

"So, if I really pick up all the money on the ground within a minute, it all becomes mine? And you will give me an additional reward of fifty thousand yuan?"

The word "not" that was supposed to follow her "I" just couldn't be spoken. Before her eyes, she saw again that simple, kind-hearted girl in prison, her longing for dreams in her dying moments. In the midst of changing thoughts, Jian Tong forcibly changed her mind... Dignity? Did she have any left?

Now, Jian Tong had nothing—no family, relatives, friends, or past. All she had left was herself.

What need was there for dignity!

The young master chuckled: "Of course, my word is my bond." A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes as he looked down disdainfully at the woman crawling on the ground.

"Okay." Her hoarse and somber voice was extremely unpleasant, and naturally, no one bothered to listen for the hidden sorrow in her words. In front of everyone, Jian Tong crawled on the ground, while some laughed and pointed at her: "Look, Li Sha, doesn't she resemble your stupid dog?"

Then the boy who had thrown the money at Jian Tong scoffed: "Are you blind? My Roke is a male dog."

"Oh, oh, oh, right!" the man laughed sleazily. "Your Roke is a male dog, so this one must be a bitch. Hahaha!"

Amidst the overlapping jeers and mockery, Jian Tong bit her lip hard, desperately gathering the money scattered all over the ground. She had to crawl and move to pick up the money thrown everywhere.

Jian Tong, don't listen, don't mind!

Jian Tong, what does this count for? Compared to everything you suffered in prison, you should be thankful for these young masters' 'mercy'!

Jian Tong, your life is worthless, so what is your dignity worth?

Jian Tong, remember, you owe a young girl's life, a dream of Erhai Lake!

Now that you have nothing, use all of yourself to repay that innocent life lost in defending you, to fulfill that girl's dream of Erhai!

She clenched her teeth against the external mockery and laughter, biting down so hard it hurt but never letting go.

A few pink bills fell in front of her feet. Without much thought, Jian Tong crawled to pick them up. Suddenly, the young master known as "Li Sha" burst into hearty laughter: "Hey, bitch, wag your tail. No wagging, no money for you."

Jian Tong's body shuddered, her grip on the money tightening as if she wanted to press the bills into her own flesh.

Others joined in, shouting: "Wag, wag quickly!"

"Wag, bitch, just wag!"

"Hey, bitch, don't you want the money?" Li Sha suddenly asked.

Money!... Jian Tong looked at the money in her hand, took a deep breath, and slowly and stiffly moved her hips while lying on the ground.

Translation completed:

"Hahaha..." The laughter grew even louder, "Aiyo, I can't take it anymore! My stomach hurts from laughing!"

"Huhuhu... I can't help it. As a young master who's played across the north and south, frequented places of pleasure and seen all kinds of women, there are plenty who are greedy for wealth, but to be greedy to this extent, I'm seeing for the first time. Tsk tsk tsk, truly an eye-opener!"

"Master Shen, the bitch is wagging her tail for you?" Li Sha said with malice: "Aren't you going to reward her?"

Master Shen! Shen... Xiujin?!

For a moment, Jian Tong's heartbeat stopped! Slowly, stiffly, with difficulty she lifted her head... and with one look, her face drained of all color!

Shen Xiujin sat calmly on the sofa, the dim light making him appear even more noble and aloof.

Shen Xiujin's gaze fell upon Jian Tong's face, and with an indifferent composure, he uttered three words: "You're so cheap."

Jian Tong clenched her molars tightly, her breathing instantly became erratic. If it weren't for the heavy clown makeup concealing her, her complexion right now would be as pale as a corpse's!

Fortunately... there's the ridiculous makeup to hide her ugliness.

After a while...

Under Shen Xiujin's gaze, Jian Tong slowly pulled a brilliant smile, "Thank you for the reward, Mr. Shen." No one could see that this sentence had nearly drained her of all her strength, popping out from between her molars!

He called her cheap, and she thanked him for the reward... Was this truly not the same proud, steely rose of Mingzhu City from years past?

Jian Tong took a deep breath, turned her head to look at Li Sha, "Master Li, I have picked up all the money from the ground. Does your word count?" Li Sha waved his hand generously, and just as Jian Tong was about to stand up, Li Sha casually blocked her from getting up: "Don't be in a rush to stand up."

With that, he walked over to the crystal table and picked up a glass of alcohol:

"Before you take the money, young master here invites you for a drink."

A glass of whiskey was passed to Jian Tong, who hadn't yet stood up and was still prostrate on the ground.

"I don't..."

Just as Jian Tong was about to refuse, a low voice slowly rose: "Fine liquor suits a beautiful woman, it would be a waste not to give her a drink."

It was Shen Xiujin!

Jian Tong lowered her eyelids, concealing the bitterness in her eyes.

Shen Xiujin, how exactly do you want to humiliate me before you are satisfied?

"Is Master Shen suggesting she isn't beautiful?" Li Sha questioned with disbelief. "I don't believe it; there can't be ugly people in Donghuang."

After saying this, he earnestly looked at Jian Tong's face, but alas, the thick clown makeup obscured her true appearance.

"You don't believe it?" Shen Xiujin's thin lips slightly curved, his gaze lazily landing on Jian Tong's face, "Go wash it off." His tone was casual and languid, and... utterly indifferent.

Jian Tong was about to stand up...

"Crawl there," Li Sha said from the side.

Her face turned white again. Jian Tong's hands on the ground clawed at the floor... Endure it, Jian Tong! What does this matter? How does it compare to three years of prison life?

So indeed, she obediently crawled towards the washroom attached to the private room. Without makeup remover, she had to roughly use hand soap to remove the clown makeup. Of course, it wasn't as thorough as using makeup remover oil, but... it was enough to reveal her lean and ordinary face.

When she got to the door of the washroom, just about to open the door...

"The young master here has gotten used to seeing you crawl; I'm not accustomed to seeing you stand and walk," Li Sha said with a smile, looking at the woman at the door. "What should we do about this?"

Jian Tong silently squatted down, then prostrated herself and clumsily crawled on all fours; her legs and feet were not nimble, for she had already been crawling around on the ground for quite some time, and now they ached fiercely.

Aching to the bone, yet stubbornly endured... She said she didn't need dignity, she had none, she didn't care about dignity, but in her subconscious, she'd rather endure pain that would bring most men to their knees, dying before letting out a single groan.