Chapter 2: Beast in Human Clothing.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

After clicking “agree,” aside from the system’s routine message, within ten seconds, the other party sent a voice message that made his heart race.

Was this woman insane? Sending a voice message? Your daughter is right next to you!

He hurriedly stepped into a cubicle, switched to earpiece mode, and turned the volume to the lowest.

Lu Zhao swallowed hard and tapped the 3-second voice message.

“You know the note.”

You know…

Of course, Lu Zhao knew what she meant.

The phone screen’s pale light illuminated his face as his trembling fingers typed out “Ruyue Mama.”

It was Yan Ruyue who had insisted he address her this way.

Given what happened later, he could only say this woman was far from ordinary… perverse.

A year ago, after finishing his college entrance exams, Lu Zhao got into a university in Goose City, but tuition became a problem.

In high school, he could barely get by with orphanage subsidies, but university costs were beyond what those funds could cover, even with grants.

Just when he was at his wits’ end and ready to give up, a friend from the same orphanage contacted him, saying they knew he was struggling with tuition and wanted to introduce him to a job.

Their relationship had always been good, though that friend had dropped out in his second year of high school due to poor grades and lack of interest in studies.

Initially, Lu Zhao didn’t think much of it and agreed to meet at a café.

Upon seeing his friend, Lu Zhao immediately understood what kind of job this was about.

Not quite dolled up to the nines, but there was no way they looked like peers.

“If it weren’t for your money troubles and decent looks, I wouldn’t have bothered coming to you.”

Despite his friend’s condescending attitude, Lu Zhao just smiled.

It was normal—after all, to others, he was just a fresh high school graduate, yet to step into society.

“Come on, let’s get you a proper outfit. You can’t go to work looking like that.”

Perhaps there was a commission for recruiting, as his friend was quite enthusiastic, buying Lu Zhao an expensive set of clothes.

The next evening, Lu Zhao arrived at a place called Tianhai Nightclub.

Here, he saw more men than he had in his entire life!

In this world, the gender ratio was heavily skewed, roughly one man to three women, with women far surpassing men in physical strength, though the opposite held true in certain other aspects.

His friend brought him to meet the boss, a stunning woman with wine-red wavy hair and a curvaceous figure, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall in heels.

Lu Zhao, considered tall among men at 1.7 meters, felt like a chick in front of her.

The woman approached, looking down into his eyes.

Lu Zhao smiled and met her gaze. With nearly forty years of life experience across two lifetimes, what was so hard about a staring contest?

After about five seconds, the woman’s lips curved into a charming smile. She lifted his chin, turning his face side to side. “Not bad. I like you. What’s your name?”

“Lu Zhao.”

“Hmm.” She lit a cigarette, sat on a nearby sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and dangled a high heel from her toe, swaying it in the air.

“I’m Zhao Rong. You can call me Sister Rong. Xiao Wei should’ve told you the rules here, right?”

“Yes, he did.”

“I know your situation. It won’t interfere with your studies. All you need to do is help me handle a special guest tonight.”

Lu Zhao frowned slightly. “Special” in a place like this didn’t sound promising.

“Haha,” Zhao Rong laughed. “Don’t worry. By special, I mean she’s important to me. I need a favor from her. Serve her well, and your tuition won’t be an issue.”

“Well, alright. Do I need to prepare anything else?” At this point, he could only trust her. What choice did he have?

“Play it by ear.”

Lu Zhao’s lips twitched. This sister was awfully laid-back.

That was the first time he met Yan Ruyue.

Her perfectly tailored business attire accentuated her poised demeanor, exuding elegance and composure, with subtle eyeliner adding a touch of allure.

Her long, shapely legs, wrapped in black stockings, seemed longer than Lu Zhao’s entire life. A pair of sharp eyes behind glasses scrutinized him.

Zhao Rong could clearly sense that, although Yan Ruyue was speaking to her, her gaze kept drifting to the new guy she’d just brought in.

This made Zhao Rong think to herself, ‘Got her!’

“Sister Ruyue, how about a three-seven split after we close the deal? You get seven, I get three.”

Yan Ruyue glanced at the contract, then set it down. “Fine.” She took a sip from the glass on the table.

Zhao Rong, sharp as ever, could tell what Yan Ruyue was thinking.

“Then, Sister Ruyue, I’ll step out. Call me if you need anything.”

She left and closed the door, but to Lu Zhao’s dismay, a tall woman blocked the door’s glass, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.

“What’s your name?”

“Lu Zhao.”

“Come sit.” Yan Ruyue patted the spot beside her.

Lu Zhao sat at a not-too-close, not-too-far distance. Seeing her glass was empty, he promptly refilled it.

“First time in a place like this?”

“Yes.”

“Funny, me too. Why are you here?”

“To earn money for university tuition.”

A simple exchange, meant to evoke some sympathy.

But after hearing this, Yan Ruyue seemed to transform, her gaze toward Lu Zhao turning strange.

That was the first time they locked eyes. Her look was like a predator spotting prey, brimming with delight and excitement.

Yan Ruyue’s refined face slowly leaned closer, a cold smile on her lips.

“You’d come to a place like this just for tuition? Doesn’t your mother care about you?”

“I… I’m an orphan.”

At that, Yan Ruyue visibly paused.

“I see. So that’s how it is.”

Watching her murmur to herself, Lu Zhao thought she might be feeling pity, but then…

Slap!

The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed in the private room.

“Mmph… mmph, mmph!”

Lu Zhao squirmed on Yan Ruyue’s firm, pale thighs, unable to move.

His hands were pinned behind his back by one of her hands, and a black silken fabric was stuffed in his mouth.

A pile of torn clothes lay discarded in a corner.

Yan Ruyue’s slightly irritated voice rang in his ear. “Disobedient kids need to be punished! You knew what this place was and still came to make money!”

Slap! Another heavy strike landed on Lu Zhao’s backside.

“Mmph!”

Lu Zhao couldn’t figure out which of his words had set her off. All he felt now was a burning pain, and she showed no signs of stopping.

After several more slaps, Lu Zhao stopped struggling—he was too exhausted, his body surprisingly weak.

Yan Ruyue’s chest heaved, her blouse buttons suggesting she’d put in extra work today.

She flipped Lu Zhao over, pulled him into her arms, and gently wiped the tears from his face.

Not from shame—those were tears of genuine pain.

“Does it hurt? Sorry, Mama was too harsh. Come home with Mama, and I’ll take good care of you.”

Looking at her unhinged expression, Lu Zhao saw none of the poised elegance from before.

‘Take that thing out of my mouth and ask me again!’ he thought, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

What followed was as Lu Zhao expected. Care? In a certain sense, yes, she cared.

If he had peculiar tastes, that is.

Including, but not limited to, late-night public restrooms, rainy park forests, and deserted rooftops.

The most dangerous time was in a mall fitting room, where he was pressed against the partition, with only a curtain separating them from the shop assistant outside. To keep him quiet, Yan Ruyue stuffed a slightly damp cloth in his mouth.

That day, everything he ate tasted off.

Lu Zhao had subtly asked Zhao Rong about Yan Ruyue’s… preferences, but her clueless expression suggested she didn’t know.

Since it was over, Lu Zhao didn’t bother dwelling on it. They’d go their separate ways.

His efforts paid off. A month later, Yan Ruyue transferred him 200,000 yuan, and Zhao Rong, thrilled with her successful deal, gave him 100,000.

That day, Lu Zhao was in high spirits. The balance on his phone screen gave him a sense of security, and even the scorching sun felt less harsh.

Gradually, the sun turned into the cold fluorescent light of a bathroom.

Looking down at the words “Ruyue Mama” on his screen, Lu Zhao let out a long sigh.

“Why does Qingxin have to be her daughter?”

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden knocking startled Lu Zhao, and he lowered his voice to say:

“Someone’s in here.”