After Yvonne Li took her seat, a dozen or so male pets instantly scrambled to stand behind her, each one plastering a sycophantic smile on his face.
At that moment, the blue-robed man on the left stood up and announced, “Welcome, everyone, to the annual grand competition! This year’s prizes are richer than ever—my mistress says first place still gets the Peach Immortal Elixir, but today there’s an extra bonus prize…” He covered his mouth to stifle a laugh and glanced at the crowd.
Clara Night grumbled again, “Ugh, Yvonne Li is such a freak, only likes those sissies. So gross.”
“All of them are effeminate men?” Ivy was a little surprised. Sure, those guys looked okay, but they gave her a weird, uncomfortable vibe. Now that Clara said it out loud, she finally got it—so they’re all effeminate types?
“Why are you looking at me?” Ivy blurted out 'effeminate type' and immediately turned to glare at Lucian Vane, making Lucian’s nose twitch and his eyes bulge in outrage.
“Hmph, you seriously didn’t know? Yvonne Li is famous for loving effeminate men. She’s obsessed with these freaky guys! She’s already in her forties and still this wild. Me? If I liked someone, I’d be totally loyal, one hundred percent.” With that, Clara gazed dreamily at Adrian Night.
Seeing this, Ivy couldn’t help but mentally roast Clara. She dares call other people freaks, but isn’t she a total perv for crushing on her own brother?
Just as the crowd was gossiping about this year’s bonus prize, a strange metallic clatter from below made everyone freeze.
Four burly men were dragging a shirtless man onto the stage with a thick iron chain. Even more horrifying, two chains were pierced straight through his shoulders. The lead guard yanked him forward mercilessly, hauling him up to the platform at full speed.
“Move it! Quit dawdling!” Only after dragging him onto the stage did the four men finally stop yelling and take their places beside him.
Just then, the blue-robed man dramatically whipped out a handkerchief and covered his eyes, whining in a shrill voice, “Oh my! How did you get so skinny in just a few days? You brutes, is this how you treat the Chu Kingdom’s prince?”
The crowd gasped. He... he’s actually a prince of Chu Kingdom? But how did a prince end up like this?!
“Quiet, everyone, settle down!” the blue-robed man shouted again. “Don’t worry, he’s not a Chu prince anymore. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess sent him as a gift to my mistress. But my mistress doesn’t like hot-tempered men, so lucky you—today he’s up for grabs! Relax, his martial arts are totally crippled, and with those giant chains and shackles, you can do whatever you want. He won’t dare fight back.” He flashed a wicked grin.
Ivy’s brows furrowed tight, her chest clenched with discomfort. Was the Chu Crown Prince even human? How could he treat his own brother like this?!
“I love this kind of beautiful man!” someone in the audience suddenly shouted, and soon everyone joined in. Sure, the guy looked dangerous, but he was ridiculously handsome—no ordinary citizen could ever hope to own a man like that.
But Ivy was standing too far away to see his face clearly. Even so, she still felt awful—those shackles and chains were just too cruel. Meanwhile, everyone else was busy gossiping and rushing to the left to register; the contest was about to start, and this year’s prize was seriously tempting!
“Behave yourself!” Suddenly, one of the guards viciously kicked the prince’s wounded shoulder, making him lurch forward and slam onto the stage with a heavy thud. Blood instantly welled up from his reopened wound, painting the floor red.
“I want to enter the competition!” Ivy suddenly shouted, her eyes locked onto the man onstage.
“You really like this bonus prize?” Lucian Vane’s voice sounded sour as he followed her gaze to the chained man.
Ivy didn’t answer. In that moment, she felt like she’d been struck by lightning. It wasn’t just the cruel chains that shocked her—it was the bracelet on his wrist, the one she could never forget…