I Am the Villain Who Plunders Everything From the Protagonist - Chapter 13:

Chapter 13 Auction at the Club

The auction hall wasn’t too big or too small, but it was meticulously arranged.

Naturally, what took place in this auction hall was an auction event.

Every Wednesday evening, Platinum Imperial Club held a private auction.

And what was being auctioned?

Hehe, it was the privilege of being the first guest to be hosted by a new “princess” of the club.

The hostesses at Platinum Imperial Club were of a much higher tier than those at ordinary entertainment venues—barefaced, they were at least an eight out of ten; with makeup, they reached goddess-level. More importantly, only virgins were eligible to enter this auction.

Half of the proceeds from the auction would be taken by the club as commission, while the other half belonged to the princess.

However, what the club auctioned was only the right to spend three hours with the princess during her debut night inside the club. If the guest had any additional intentions, that would be something to discuss with the princess personally.

But women willing to work as princesses in a place like Platinum Imperial Club weren’t exactly untouched goddesses. Everyone knew the game—they each took what they needed.

Of course, rare exceptions—those few unstained lotuses—did exist.

In the original novel, there was a female supporting character named Wen Rou.

Wen Rou’s character was a delicate white flower, tragic from beginning to end. She carried all the misfortunes common among other female leads: a gambling-addicted mother, a drug-abusing father, and a brother who frequented brothels.

She started working right after middle school, and all her earnings were drained by her leech-like parents. Recently, her mother lost a large sum and borrowed from loan sharks. The debt collectors had come to their door, smashing everything they could and beating anyone in sight, threatening that if the debt wasn’t repaid in a week, they would break her mother’s limbs.

Her parents knelt before her, weeping and begging as if their lives depended on it.

And in the end, Wen Rou came to Platinum Imperial Club.

Soon, the auction process began. Wen Rou was the third to take the stage.

A spotlight illuminated the stage that had been dim for two minutes. A girl in a white spaghetti-strap dress appeared before the crowd. Accompanied by sorrowful music, she began to dance.

Wen Rou didn’t dance well. It was clearly something she had learned in a rush.

But her clumsiness carried a distinct, youthful awkwardness.

Shen Yan thought, whoever designed this auction clearly understood men.

Compared to the otherworldly beauty of Huo Yunzhi, Wen Rou’s appearance leaned more towards gentle and scholarly.

In terms of looks, it was hard to say who was more beautiful—Huo Yunzhi or Wen Rou.

Wen Rou’s delicate, fragile frame moved like a willow in the wind.

Her makeup was designed to look almost natural—barely there. Her skin was so fair and translucent it seemed you could see her veins. Her lips were pale and lightly colored.

Pale, slender, youthful, sorrowful.

The entire person exuded a fragile beauty, as if she would shatter with the slightest touch.

Just below the corner of her left eye, a bright red cinnabar mark had been applied, like a teardrop of blood, adding a sudden flash of color.

She possessed the gentle shyness typical of Eastern girls, but with a faint, elusive seductiveness.

It made her instantly alluring.

“Starting bid, 20,000.” As the music stopped, the auctioneer struck the gavel.

Wen Rou’s starting price was on the lower end. Though her appearance was lovely, her beauty was more subdued. Compared to the previous princesses, she didn’t make an immediate impact. Plus, her shy and introverted personality, lack of talent, and low education didn’t help.

“30,000,” a deep yet pleasant voice called out lazily.

Shen Yan turned his head and smiled faintly.

The bidder was a strikingly beautiful youth whose looks blurred the line between male and female. With messy short hair, a silver cross earring on one ear, dressed in a black leather jacket, and long legs wrapped in black leather pants, she stood out effortlessly at about 1.7 meters tall.

Her slightly narrow shoulders and smooth neckline subtly hinted at her true gender.

This was Xia Anran, another female supporting character who would eventually end up in Lin Yu’s harem.

“50,000,” another young heir called out.

“70,000,” Xia Anran continued calmly.

The heir shrugged and backed off, signaling his withdrawal.

At that moment, Shen Yan looked away, took a casual sip of red wine, and said with a faint smile, “100,000.”

Xia Anran frowned slightly. “120,000.”

“200,000.” Without giving anyone else a chance, Shen Yan followed up right after Xia Anran’s words.

The next second.

Xia Anran looked toward him. In fact, most people in the room turned their attention his way.

No one present cared much about the 200,000 yuan, but the price was being paid for a princess who didn’t seem particularly outstanding—and just for three hours at that. It didn’t seem worth it. Even the best princesses rarely reached this amount.

“Hey, Young Master Shen, are you doing this just to go against me?” Xia Anran crossed one leg over the other like a man, her cold yet beautiful face turning toward Shen Yan.

“This is a man’s playground, a man’s game. What’s a girl like you doing here getting involved?”

Shen Yan didn’t even glance her way. One arm rested on the chair’s armrest, the other held a wine glass. His demeanor was completely indifferent.

But his words made Xia Anran’s eyebrows shoot up.

She always dressed like a man and hated admitting she was a woman. Everyone in the capital who knew her personality avoided mentioning her true gender.

Yet Shen Yan deliberately called her out in front of everyone—essentially slapping her in the face.

Xia Anran was about to explode, but then remembered Shen Yan’s notoriously difficult mother—who fiercely protected her son—so she forcibly held herself back.

She merely raised her brows and sneered, “You’re quite the mama’s boy, huh? Daring to come to Platinum Imperial Club and bid on a princess’s time—aren’t you afraid of bringing shame to the Shen Family?”

Shen Yan turned to her and replied casually, “Aren’t you more amusing?”

“Your high-profile behavior seems far more likely to bring shame to the Xia Family.”

As his words fell, many people around them looked surprised.