Su Banxia wanted to cry out for help, but her body had no strength at all. Even when she tried to scream, no sound came out.
Ye Hengtian had always preferred watching to touching women. So he poured himself a glass of red wine, leaned against the wall, and began sipping it while observing.
Meanwhile, Li Yi was already consumed by lust. He stripped the clothes off Su Banxia's body, pressed himself against her, and started biting her all over in a frenzy.
At that moment, Su Banxia felt utterly doomed. She desperately tried to push the man off her, frantically thinking of ways to protect herself.
But she had completely fallen into this trap.
Yes, from the very beginning—her unintentional betrayal of Pei Shaoze, her disdain for Li Yi, her arrogant belief that she could handle everything. She had naively thought that as long as she met Li Yi, she could get the document signed.
Choosing seduction wasn't because she was cheap; it was because, in the nightclub, she instinctively assumed Li Yi was the kind of lecher who reveled in the pleasures of the flesh.
But she never considered that she was being led by the nose without realizing it.
Drugged, she now lay like a lamb on a chopping block, at the mercy of others. Su Banxia glared fiercely at Ye Hengtian.
Li Yi was a man who knew how to play. Simply sleeping with a woman wasn't enough to satisfy him. So he didn't rush to take Su Banxia right away.
Instead, he tied her hands together and then pulled a whip from the bedside table.
Looking at her with a sinister grin, he said, "Such smooth, tender skin. If I whip this down, it'll be a sight to behold!"
Before Su Banxia could react, he lashed her with the whip.
"Ah..."
The strike nearly took half her life. Where the whip landed, a searing pain erupted first.
Then came wave after wave of stabbing pain, like needles piercing her skin.
Su Banxia wanted to scream for help, but she could only manage a hoarse cry with each strike, too weak to make any louder sound.
Li Yi's eyes lit up at the first welt on her body, as if something buried deep inside him had been awakened.
He raised the whip again and struck without hesitation.
Su Banxia's face twisted in agony.
Ye Hengtian stood nearby, holding his wine glass, watching with a detached expression, as if it were a show.
To him, all women were the same. Perhaps he had felt something unusual for Su Banxia at first, but it wasn't enough to stir any pity in him.
The welts on Su Banxia's body multiplied. It wasn't as gruesome as blood and gore—the whip left red marks on her skin that would slowly fade after a while.
She would feel immense pain, but in the end, no lasting damage would remain.
Of course, almost everyone in Yanshi knew that the CBE vice president had a tendency toward sadism. He had probably played this game countless times.
Su Banxia's stomach churned with nausea. Anger, humiliation, and fear all surged within her.
A thought crossed her mind: she wouldn't let this man degrade her, wouldn't endure this torture.
Suddenly, she closed her eyes and bit down hard on her tongue.
If she died, she didn't believe Li Yi would go so far as to defile a corpse.
With that resolve, she bit down with all her might.
"Bang!"
The door was suddenly kicked open.
Everyone in the room froze. Su Banxia turned her head in shock, Li Yi, whip in hand, also looked back, and Ye Hengtian, swirling his wine glass, turned to see.
The hotel door burst open, and the man who entered was furious, his eyes cold and terrifying.
Several police officers followed behind him. This turn of events was completely unexpected for Li Yi and Ye Hengtian.
Su Banxia, barely conscious, recognized the man who had come in. It was none other than the one she had tricked into meeting Ye Lan.
Pei Shaoze.
He was here!
A wave of complicated emotions she couldn't understand washed over her. Why had he come?
Thank goodness he came.
He had finally arrived.
Tears streamed down her face.
From the moment he entered, Pei Shaoze's eyes landed on Su Banxia, lying on the bed covered in welts. A pang of pain struck his heart.
In the next second, he strode quickly to her side, swiftly took off his suit jacket, wrapped her tightly in it, and lifted her into his strong arms.
His dark eyes, sharp as ice blades, glared at Ye Hengtian and Li Yi with murderous fury.
Both men froze, breaking out in cold sweat.
Without a word, Pei Shaoze turned to the police officer who had followed him in. Seeing the scene, the officer announced in a commanding voice, "Group prostitution—you're under arrest!"
With that, the officers behind him approached Li Yi and Ye Hengtian, hoisted them up, and dragged them out.
No matter what they said, it was useless now. The police had seen everything, and there was no way to deny it or do anything else.
So they could only stay silent for now and let their lawyers handle the aftermath.
Su Banxia could no longer move. The police took Li Yi and Ye Hengtian away, and everyone tacitly ignored her.
They didn't even look at her.
After the police left, Su Banxia remained in Pei Shaoze's arms.
Their eyes met. Su Banxia didn't speak, and Pei Shaoze showed no intention of saying anything either.
After a long silence, Su Banxia finally said, "Thank you."
If he hadn't come, she didn't know what would have happened to her tonight.
Pei Shaoze didn't respond. He just looked at her, and after a while, said quietly, "Why did you lie to me?"
Su Banxia stayed silent, unsure how to explain.
Should she tell him that she had made a deal with Ye Hengtian—she would help him get Ye Lan to pursue Pei Shaoze, and he would help her contact Li Yi to sign the already-signed document?
If she said that, she couldn't guarantee he wouldn't strangle her in a fit of rage.
So she said nothing, remaining silent.
Seeing her silence, Pei Shaoze's anger only grew. "Su Banxia, do you think I'm a fool in your eyes? That I'd let you betray and deceive me time and again, and still stupidly chase after you?"
His voice grew colder, his dark eyes blazing with fury as he leaned closer to her.
An icy, terrifying rage enveloped her, chilling her to the bone.
Su Banxia knew he was furious—furious beyond measure.
And indeed, it was all her fault. She admitted it, so she stayed silent.
Pei Shaoze was seething with anger, but she wouldn't utter a single word.
He couldn't stand her silent, indifferent demeanor. So he suddenly grabbed her neck, his dark eyes fixed on her. "Su Banxia, do you think that by saying nothing, I can't do anything to you? Huh?"
"Do with me as you please, President Pei. Kill me or flay me—it's up to you."
Su Banxia finally spoke, her head lowered, looking resigned.
Seeing her like this, Pei Shaoze felt a momentary urge to just kill her.
But in the end, he let go.
"Su Banxia, this is your last chance."
Leaving her with those words, he roughly wrapped her in the bedsheet, lifted her, and carried her out of the hotel.
In her current state, there was no way Su Banxia could go back to her apartment.
So Pei Shaoze took her to his villa.