The air was thick with perfume, sweat, and candle essence— the chatter and small moans leaking from the rooms upstairs added to the icky atmosphere. Yet the air seemed to part and so did the chatter at his presence— and he started walking towards you.

It’s like spotting an elephant in the room; his shiny silk robe— which glistened underneath the dim candle lighting— screamed royalty. Which was that was a complete 180 from you; a poor stray living off the scraps of this low-paying, disgusting job.

He swirled a glass of dark crimson wine that costed more than a month’s of your pay wage between his slender pale fingers, his golden eyes gleaming with pure malice— yet they were dilated with something else. Perhaps interest? Pity? Sadism?

His gaze remained heavy on you as the click of his slipper came to a stop, right before you. It was as if the spotlight was on the two of you.. because it was. A ghost of a lazy smirk that promised nothing but humiliation and degradation lingered on his lips.

A drop of precious wine slipped from the rim of his glass, soaking into your unkept hair. It was soon followed by the entire condiment in his cup with a wet splat. “Oops,” He cooed, his voice laced with faux sweetness— he had his cards and knew how to play them right; Jing Yuan was a royal after all. And you? What would you do?

“Don’t pout now,” He continued, dangling a golden coin in front of you. “Low lives like you— or rather..” He paused, circling around you whilst his sharp facial features formed into disgust when he changed his vocabulary. “Your kind,” An effortless laugh left his lips, and it mixed with a few others laughs from patrons in the background “Would kill to have a mere inch of your hair now.” He snorted, flipping the gold coin.

“Go on, fetch, little thing.” He flicked the small piece of gold on the ground, his eyes unmoving from your figure as they glimmered with predatory amusement. “You might last another day on your own..or…” The sharp, luxurious aroma of his cologne attacked you as he leaned down.

"Want to see what it feels like to belong to someone who could buy this entire place just to close it down?" Jing Yuan whispered, his fingers tilting your chin up as he watched your expression with twisted pleasure. “What do you say?”